DirecTV Broadband, Inc., has signed a distribution agreement with WorldCom to expand DirecTV DSL service across the Western and mid-Western U.S. via access to WorldCom’s nationwide DSL services. DirecTV Broadband offers nationwide service and holds agreements with every Regional Bell Operating Company. The company, formerly known as Telocity, was acquired in April 2001 by Hughes Corp., which also owns the Germantown, Md.-based DirecTV.
DirecTV Broadband’s gateway has been designed to allow telecommuting, home networking, home monitoring and automation, voice bundling and entertainment services.
“DirecTV Broadband’s teaming with an industry leader such as WorldCom is great news for our company and our customers,” said Ned Hayes, president and chief executive officer of DirecTV Broadband. “Our alliance with WorldCom greatly extends DirecTV Broadband’s reach, giving us one of the most comprehensive footprints in the DSL industry.”
Hayes added, “I’m also pleased that, through this alliance with WorldCom, we will again have the ability to choose last-mile connectivity in many communities from a competitive local exchange carrier like WorldCom or the incumbent telephone company, based upon the competitive benefits of price, architecture and performance. Competition and choice are healthy for the broadband industry, and incredibly beneficial for consumers.”
WorldCom is one of the leading providers of DSL for businesses, offering DSL services nationwide in more than 55 major metropolitan markets. The Clinton, Miss., telecom giant, which maintains extensive operations in the Washington, D.C., area, offers a variety of DSL services and provides business and ISP customers with broadband access to WorldCom’s global IP network, which spans six continents and more than 3,000 points of presence.
“WorldCom’s DSL solution is enabling DirecTV Broadband to deliver a cost effective and reliable access solution for its residential customers,” said Brian Brewer, chief marketing officer for WorldCom. “By leveraging WorldCom’s facilities-based DSL footprint, we’ve been able to build on our existing relationship with DirecTV and deliver a comprehensive solution that meets its evolving business needs.”