Responding to demand from Macintosh owners, BellSouth today announced a partnership with Apple Computer, Inc. to deliver high-speed asymmetrical digital subscriber line (ADSL) service to Mac users via its BellSouth.net Internet access service this fall.
Plans call for Apple to assist BellSouth with the creation and
implementation of the Macintosh version of BellSouth.net FastAccess ADSL service. Slated to launch in a total of 30 Southern markets, initial roll out will begin in seven markets in late August, with 23 more added in 1999.
“Our aggressive deployment of BellSouth.net FastAccess ADSL service is
expected to result in the service being available to more than 1.7 million
potential customers by the fourth quarter of this year,” said Andrew Dietz,
director of product marketing for BellSouth.net Services.
Apple is also debuting its new iMac computer to consumers in August,
coinciding with BellSouth.net’s launch of its ‘always-on’ technology that offers download speeds 30-100 times fast than dialup connections. The
companies said ADSL service can be obtained via ADSL modems that plug into an Ethernet port located at the back of an iMac.
iMac will be officially unveiled today at the Macworld Expo trade show in
New York.
Requirements for other Mac users interested in ADSL service include: a Macintosh Power PC processor or faster; the MAC 7.5.5 operating system or greater; 16 MB of RAM; 20 MB of disk space; and an Ethernet card already installed. Customers can make reservations for the service at BellSouth’s ADSL site.
BellSouth first announced plans to provide ADSL service to Internet users in May.
“Since the service was announced . . . we’ve received an outstanding
response and confirmed a huge demand from Mac users,” added Dietz.
“By working directly with Apple, we are bringing the Mac version of
BellSouth.net FastAccess ADSL service to market much more quickly. We also are extending its lightning-fast capabilities to an important group of computer users, who we believe are highly likely to have Internet access and be evangelists for new Internet services.”
Related Links:
