In an effort to foster the growth of broadband Internet access, Covad Communications Tuesday launched its TeleSurfer Service, made to connect home users to the Web with Digital Subscriber Line technology.
TeleSurfer is designed to provide high-speed Internet access with speeds of 384 to 768 kilobits per second. It eliminates the need for a dial-up connection, and offers increased levels of privacy and security, the company said. It is targeted to Internet service providers that want to upgrade their offerings to the consumer market.
The service is currently available in 25 regions of the United States, including the Los Angeles, Riverside and Orange County areas, San Diego, Sacramento, San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Boston, New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Seattle and the Baltimore/Washington D.C. corridor.
Internet service providers offering TeleSurfer in those cities include Flashcom Inc., Verio Inc., Concentric Network and I2000 in New York; Zyan Communications in Los Angeles, Wired Business in Philadelphia, Core Communications in Annapolis, Ziplink in the Boston region and Seattle-based broadband specialist, Speakeasy Network.
“Home users can now select the broadband service and provider that best suits their needs, rather than having to make do with the phone or cable company’s products and the frustrating timeframes that go along with them,” said Robert E. Knowling, Jr., Covad’s president and chief executive officer.
The service is sold to selected ISPs for a flat-rate monthly price ranging from $39 to $59, depending on speed and volume commitments. ISPs will typically add $10 to $30 for Internet services.