LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- October 20, 1999 -- ALLTEL announced today that it is the first carrier to commercially launch standards-compliant asymmetrical digital subscriber line (ADSL) products from Cisco.
The Cisco products enable ALLTEL to rapidly and cost-effectively deliver ADSL services to new customers and help position the carrier as a market leader in complying with new ADSL industry standards. ADSL provides Internet users, telecommuters and businesses with high-speed data transmission over standard phone lines.
"Cisco is the acknowledged technical leader on DSL in the industry," said George Page, ALLTEL's executive vice president for marketing. "Our collaboration with Cisco on ADSL products plays an important role in the delivery of cost-effective access to high-speed data services for our customers and further establishes ALLTEL as a premier provider of high-speed data transmission."ALLTEL is rolling out ADSL services with Cisco products based on a new international discrete multi-tone (DMT) standard for ADSL line coding technology recently established by a group of industry representatives.
Customers of ALLTEL's ADSL service will be able to access the Internet at speeds up to 50 times the speed of a 28.8 modem with a connection that is "always on," which means they will not have to dial in to connect to services. Customers will also have the ability to connect to the Internet and talk on the phone simultaneously.
"Consumers have been clamoring for ADSL service because of its unique capabilities, but the price of modems is a hindrance for some consumers," Page said. "By using Cisco standard-based ADSL products, ALLTEL is helping to evolve ADSL from an emerging market to a mature one in which price competition, innovation, mass-market acceptance and consumer demand abound.
ALLTEL First to Deploy Cisco Products Based on ADSL Standard
"By using standards-compliant technology produced by an industry leader such as Cisco, ALLTEL has positioned itself for the future and is going to have a step up on the competition."ALLTEL deployed Cisco equipment in its July ADSL rollout to customers in Harrison, Ark. ALLTEL will use the technology in rollouts to 11 other markets in 1999, including: Little Rock, Ark.; Dalton, Ga.; Jamestown and Lakewood, N.Y.; Elyria, Columbia Station, Hudson, Twinsburg, Northfield and Newark, Ohio; and Sugarland, Texas. ALLTEL will also use the technology in future ADSL offerings to other markets, according to Page. The service will be available to Little Rock customers in November."ALLTEL is a deploying a high-speed New World network that will place their customers on the leading edge of the digital revolution," said David Gudmundson, vice president and general manager of the DSL and Systems Software Business Unit at Cisco. "By deploying Cisco DSL solutions for their broadband strategy, they can rapidly provision and scale their network to deliver a wide range of Internet and value-added services that are in high demand with their customers and create new revenue opportunities for themselves."
ALLTEL provides communications services to more than 8 million customers in 25 states and has information services clients in 54 countries and territories.
ALLTEL is a customer-focused, information technology company that provides wireline and wireless communications and information services.
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