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  • DSL Archives   2001   2000   1999

DSL Prime: Statistics and Lies Dave Burstein
[July 2, 2008] The numbers show that ILECs in North America are falling behind those in Europe and Asia, and they can also tell you some things you did not know already.

DSL Prime: Cable Wants a Worldwide Deal Dave Burstein
[June 23, 2008] Cable companies seek to standardize the set top box. Some CEOs face charges with substantial evidence, while Congress appears ready to pass a law to let others go free.

DSL Prime: New York City's 100 Percent Broadband Plan Dave Burstein
[May 9, 2008] It looks like Verizon will deliver fiber to 100 percent of New York City without any subsidy or tax credit. If so, it could set a positive pattern for the rest of the world.

DSL Prime: 50 Mbps Docsis, 200 Mbps GPON Dave Burstein
[April 15, 2008] Good plans to deploy real speeds, unless Wall Street prevents investment.

DSL Prime: Underperformance in Closed Markets Dave Burstein
[March 11, 2008] Kennard's Carlyle fails to grow subscribers in Hawaii. In Britain, government intervention will be required in order to equal the high standards in the rest of Europe.

DSL Prime: Tanks Protect Broadband President Accused of Corruption Dave Burstein
[February 28, 2008] If ZTE actually spent $100 million to obtain a $300 million contract, they overpaid—the going rate for graft worldwide is closer to $1 in bribes per $10 in contracts, with even better rates available in the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.

DSL Prime: Wall Street Falls Dave Burstein
[January 23, 2008] DSL Prime examines the future of the Bells as Wall Street slowly passes its own flawed judgment.

DSL Prime: FCC Chief: "I Failed My President" Dave Burstein
[January 8, 2008] Martin attempts an honest examination of his legacy, as technology improves and more of the world gets connected. Also, Apgar's data suggests the U.S. internet runs faster than previously believed.

DSL Prime: Full Length HD Video Dave Burstein
[July 30, 2007] With innovative delivery methods and ever-increasing end-user bandwidth, the future of internet video looks nothing at all like the YouTube present.

DSL Prime: Closing the Internet to the Poor Dave Burstein
[June 28, 2007] While lack of competition partly explains why broadband is available in some places and not in others, poverty and corrupt government could explain the rest in places such as the U.S. and Japan.

DSL Prime: 100 Mbps Gunslingers Dave Burstein
[June 7, 2007] Companies like AT&T that plan to deliver only 6 Mbps will be shot down by the competition.

DSL Prime: Showdown Between AT&T and Alcatel Dave Burstein
[March 21, 2007] Two companies used to delivering monopoly pricing and monopoly lack of service start an argument, and the governments of France and the U.S. may get involved as layoffs loom for thousands.

DSL Prime: Competition's Everywhere But Here (and China) Dave Burstein
[March 9, 2007] The triple play in France is one-third to one-half the price in the U.S., and for a single reason. Meanwhile, China follows the U.S. re-monopolization pattern.

DSL Prime: Telecommunications Saves Lives Dave Burstein
[February 7, 2007] Keeping service affordable as well as available helps save the lives of people going through everyday events as well as those in disaster areas.

DSL Prime: VDSL's Problems Dave Burstein
[January 12, 2007] Crossover and backward compatibility issues mean that ADSL2+ is being deployed even though VDSL should be the superior technology.

DSL Prime: AT&T's Net Neutrality Offer is Just Hot Air Dave Burstein
[January 4, 2007] AT&T promises to deliver bits without traffic shaping, but the agreement excludes the parts of the network it can control.

Knowledge of the Network is Power Alex Goldman
[August 15, 2005] An ISP planning to deliver the services of the future needs to understand and control its network.

DSL Shop Claims Real Reliability Best of ISP-Lists
[June 27, 2005] It takes a lot of work, but you too can have only eight hours of downtime in seven years—and you cannot be blamed for the backhoe or the earthquake.

IPTV: The Big Picture Gerry Blackwell
[April 15, 2005] There's a compelling business case but also a number of risks, so, in this article, we get the world's leading DSL analysts to weigh the pros and cons of IPTV.

Startup Promises New Carrier Class DSL Hardware Alex Goldman
[October 4, 2004] Out of Canada, which (in DSL terms) is more advanced than the U.S., comes a startup with a nifty little DSLAM that, the company says, goes way beyond next generation DSL to deliver a network designed for services.

GWI's Big Lucent Buy Alex Goldman
[March 29, 2004] GWI, one of the oldest ISPs on the planet, has just invested in a significant DSL infrastructure upgrade. We spoke to the company's founder and president to find out why.

DSL Responds to Cable Alex Goldman
[January 30, 2004] "They've been calling it the cable killer," says Jim Murphy, president of DSL Extreme, of his company's latest offer. Read on, and judge for yourself.

Netopia Brings DSL and Wi-Fi Together ISP-Planet Staff
[December 26, 2003] Always looking for a DSL CPE advantage, Netopia has added easy WLAN installation to the portfolio of services its equipment enables telcos to offer.

A National DSL Rollout Alex Goldman
[October 20, 2003] With DSL regulation poisoned by uncertainty, and the telecommunications market bare of investment, a privately owned ISP survivor throws its hat into the national broadband ring.

DSL is Different in Japan Alex Goldman
[September 11, 2003] How do you get 26 Mbps for $40 per month? You live in Japan, where competition has made it possible.

Redback Embraces Gigabit Ethernet Alex Goldman
[September 8, 2003] Redback Networks' new forwarding engine module for its Subscriber Management Systems (SMS) brings Gigabit Ethernet technology to DSL service, instantly upgrading the device with the swap of an important card.

A New Way to Compete with Cable Alex Goldman
[August 8, 2003] Across the U.S., cable has an advantage over DSL in the race for subscribers. Cavalier Telephone is out to change that with a new $50 per month bundle that combines SDSL with unlimited local calls.

The Right Price for ADSL ISP-Planet Staff
[April 24, 2003] Two new reports on ADSL pricing show that prices continue to vary widely around the world. Significant pricing differences highlight differences in marketing, geography—and government regulation.

Video Over VDSL For CLECs Alex Goldman
[April 11, 2003] Next Level, the manufacturer of voice-enabled networking equipment, says its latest line cards enable ADSL+ and VDSL, that both cards can be used in the same chassis, and that they can deliver voice, video, and broadband.

Verizon Expands DSL Lines Erin Joyce
[March 21, 2003] With broadband sign-ups on the rise, the telco upgrades DSL-ready lines and plans a broadband technology strategy as Microsoft's MSN tweaks its Internet strategy away from dialup users.

DSL Bests Global Economic Woes ISP-Planet Staff
[March 17, 2003] In spite of the greatest economic pain the broadband world has ever seen, the world's DSL subscriber base grew by a healthy 90 percent in 2002.

DSL Prime Reports from the FCC Dave Burstein
[February 26, 2003] Extra! Extra! U.S. telcos get DSL monopoly, must share some local voice! Early comments, mine included, were wrong. Rather than a setback, the Bells won a massive victory.

Dell Offers DSL Through RBOCs Colin C. Haley
[January 9, 2003] Under new pacts with BellSouth, SBC, and Verizon, customers ordering a new PC are given incentives to buy broadband service from one of the Bells.

Covad Offers Small Business Bundles Colin C. Haley
[December 17, 2002] The DSL provider adds long distance and local calling as part of a new package for small offices looking to lower their monthly bill.

ADSL, the Next Generation Patricia Fusco
[December 4, 2002] ADSL2 is inching closer to being a working reality. Clearly, the new standard offers some nice improvements to the design and development of ADSL equipment. But will it challenge VDSL services?

DSL Prices Hold the Line ISP-Planet Staff
[November 6, 2002] DSL analysis firm Point-Topic says that DSL prices have not fallen in the past year, which is good for ISPs. However, the company notes strong disparities in prices around the world.

Alcatel Attacks DSL Deployment Costs ISP-Planet Staff
[November 4, 2002] The company reports a record shipment of 20 million DSL lines worldwide and vows to reduce the costs of DSL deployments with an upgrade of its access manager suite.

Sprint and NetLedger Team Up ASPnews.com Staff
[October 25, 2002] Sprint is upgrading its small business services for customers of its FastConnect DSL service through an alliance with ASP NetLedger that will deliver the Oracle Small Business Suite.

Talking About Powerage Best of ISP-Lists
[October 7, 2002] Members of the ISP-DSL list dissect the history and current state of AC and DC power in data centers and telephone company central office phone exchanges.

Uphill Up-Sell Down-Home Patricia Fusco
[September 30, 2002] Small businesses, telecommuters, and remote offices have been quick to migrate to broadband services, but residential have not. Is there some vital ingredient providers have missed?

A Blatantly Optimistic Outlook on DSL Jim Wagner
[September 3, 2002] DSL is like that commercial you see on TV about the little kid drinking milk: "someday, I'll be bigger than you, and then..." Guess what? The kid's growing up.

Softbank Continues Yahoo! Selloff Jim Wagner
[August 30, 2002] As Softbank's woes continue, the company sells off hundreds of millions of dollars of its valuable stake in Yahoo! in order to finance its DSL buildout.

SBC Gets 'Personal' With DSL Jim Wagner
[August 22, 2002] SBC Communications announced that in the fall (which is coming soon) its customers will be able to choose one several DSL speeds. The company calls this "personalized" DSL service.

Anything But DSL Best of ISP-Lists
[August 19, 2002] Members of the ISP-CLEC list search for broadband alternatives to digital subscriber line (DSL) technology, but the wired alternatives are mere nascent technologies.

World Broadband Future Seems Bright Robyn Greenspan
[August 16, 2002] In the United States, cable broadband retains a significant lead over DSL wheras in the rest of the world, DSL is the medium of choice in an ever larger broadband Internet market.

RedWire Grabs Some IntelliSpace Michael Singer
[July 29, 2002] The San Diego-based broadband ISP takes over IntelliSpace's customer service agreements, building access contracts, and equipment in Southern California.

DSL Moves in the News ISP-Planet Staff
[June 26, 2002] There's a flurry of activity in the DSL sector as industry trend setters Dan Moffat of New Edge Networks and Michael Apgar of Speakeasy announce new business initiatives.

ADSL Router With WLAN Wayne Kawamoto
[June 25, 2002] ZyXEL's Prestige 650HW router has both a wireless LAN and a four-port 10/100 Mbps Ethernet switch. The company claims it packs the functionality of three devices into one unit.

A Microsoft-Verizon DSL Deal Brian Morrissey
[June 21, 2002] Microsoft Corp. forged a significant strategic alliance with Verizon Communications to roll out a co-branded DSL service beginning early next year.

DSL Provisioning Poetry ISP-Planet Staff
[June 21, 2002] Singing a song of simplified digital subscriber line provisioning, Fine Point Technolgies' WinPoET is like music to the ears of DSL resellers.

Covad Gains Confidence From Court Ruling Gretchen Hyman
[June 20, 2002] U.S. ILEC SBC Communications had filed suit to get out of signed contracts, but Covad is safe for now as it announces that SBC will honor all current line-sharing agreements.

BT Says Speak Up or Forever Dial Up Thor Olavsrud
[June 19, 2002] The UK's BT, long criticized by ISPs for alleged foot-dragging in provisioning ADSL, has initiated a new scheme intended to dramatically reduce its financial risk in ADSL deployments.

Large DSL Operators Do Fine ISP-Planet Staff
[June 17, 2002] Point-Topic surveyed the subscriber numbers of 28 operators that provided 79.1 percent of the world's DSL lines at the end of 2001. The results are more upbeat than you might expect.

For Broadband, Content is King Mark Kersey
[June 12, 2002] ARS reports that the average monthly fees for cable broadband and ADSL rose in March 2002. Interestingly, the percentage of providers offering promotions increased as well.

Sprint's DSL Gets A Burst of Speed Jim Wagner
[June 10, 2002] Nearly one year after (re)launching its business DSL service throughout the U.S., the telecom isn't moving into new markets. But it has put an enhanced service on the table.

U.S. DSL Grew 12 Percent in Q1 Roy Mark
[May 16, 2002] Incumbent carriers still have a market share of 89 percent. Covad alone comprises 66 percent of the competitive DSL market, which has barely recovered from last year.

DSL in the U.S Jim Wagner
[May 7, 2002] ILECs are arguing that the price of DSL should be the equivalent of an additional phone line plus dialup Internet, while others point out that the rest of the world has set the price much lower.

Lucent's Video Over DSL Solution Wayne Kawamoto
[April 29, 2002] Lucent's new release of its Stinger DSL system promises to deliver IP-based Video over DSL, which should let service providers offer a new revenue-generating service.

Covad Puts Teeth in its SLAs Jim Wagner
[April 24, 2002] Covad Communications, in the middle of a nationwide T-1 expansion campaign for businesses, announced Tuesday revamped service level agreement (SLA) guarantees.

Case Study From Stalker Software Joanne Menapace
[April 22, 2002] Stalker Software presents the success of its implementation of the CommuniGate Pro e-mail system at major ISP MegaPath Networks.

U.S. Falling Behind in Broadband Race Point-Topic
[April 17, 2002] European countries are overtaking the U.S. in the race to roll out broadband DSL to homes and businesses, according to figures released at the DSL Forum meeting in Rome.

Speakeasy Speaks Up Patricia Fusco
[April 11, 2002] What's it take to operate a successful non facility-based broadband business nowadays? Savvy service differentiation, a climb-any-mountain attitude, and a passion for besting your competition.

SBC, Yahoo! Get Serious Jim Wagner
[April 10, 2002] The courtship hasn't dampened either side's enthusiasm—in fact, they strengthened ties by deciding to go steady together on business DSL.

Meet Internap, A Virtual B2B ISP Patricia Fusco
[March 28, 2002] Not really a backbone provider and uninterested in delivering residential services, Internap has created a commercial niche of its own. Clients include Speakeasy.

Sewing The Seeds Of VoIP Jim Thompson
[March 15, 2002] If you have any doubt about the merit of VoIP technology then you haven't talked with Alan Shepard of More Wire, Inc. Learn how your ISP could profit from providing flat rate VoIP services.

Telecom Insider: The First Issue Dave Burstein
[March 6, 2002] Competition? Fugeddaboudit! It's the end of regulation in an eighties revival featuring "teflon" Michael Powell, $25 million salaries on Wall Street, and the return of the baby Bell monopolies.

Homebrew DSL Revisited Best of ISP-Lists
[February 28, 2002] Members of the ISP-DSL list delve into the thorny topic of equipment options for homebrew DSL. While the wrong equipment won't work at all, the right modems can converse over barbed wire.

Is DSL Sharing DSL Piracy? Best of ISP-Lists
[January 28, 2002] Members of the ISP-Tech list argue over whether DSL subscribers should be allowed to share their connection. Every ISP needs a good TOS and a good AUP.

Bell South's Bright Future Jim Wagner and Wayne Kawamoto
[January 4, 2002] An activist coalition called Voices for Choices says Bell South proves that the pro-Tauzin crowd has lied to Congress for years. While the other three ILECs are cutting back or abandoning DSL, Bell South is not.