BellSouth DSL Deployed to 30 Southeast Markets

BellSouth this week successfully deployed digital subscribe line (DSL) services to 30 Southeast U.S. cities.

By the end of the year, BellSouth (BLS) said it will be able to serve seven million DSL-capable telephone lines. As a part of
its broadband deployment plan, the company plans to be capable of serving
more than 11.5 million DSL connections by the end of 2000.

Dubbed FastAccess Internet service, BellSouth offers residential and small
business customers broadband connection speeds starting at $50 a month.

Bob Cunha, BellSouth vice president broadband services, said the 30-market
deployment is just the first step in BellSouth’s broadband plan.

“This is the first step in our goal of bringing FastAccess DSL service to
every residential and small business customer in the Southeast,” Cunha
said. “In keeping with our deployment strategy, we will concentrate our
efforts on expanding the coverage area in these 30 markets before rolling
the service out to additional markets.”

In order to initiate the launch of their DSL service, BellSouth is offering
new customers a 30-day free trial when they order the high-speed service
and purchase a DSL modem. As a part of the promotion, installation and
activation fees are also waived.

Initially, BellSouth deployed DSL service to Southeast cities in September
1998. BellSouth DLS service is currently available to major cities
throughout Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, North and South
Carolina, and Tennessee.