Rim Semiconductor Company (fka RSMI)

[excel]

Thanks goes to Hailgator for letting us know about this article about Quest upgrading their DSL.



BUSINESS NOTEBOOK: QWEST MOVES TO PROVIDE EXPANDED DSL SERVICE
Saturday, May 12, 2001
MIKE ROGOWAY, Columbian staff writer
One of the primary limitations of high-speed DSL Internet service is that it's only available in areas close to a phone company's central office generally within about 3.4 miles.

DSL creates fast Internet connections on existing copper phone lines, but the service degrades quickly over distance.

As a result, high-speed DSL is unavailable in much of Clark County -- including Vancouver Heights, Cascade Park and Fisher's Landing.

Compare that with high-speed cable Internet service from AT&T Broadband, which is available almost everywhere in AT&T's cable television service area.

But Clark County's DSL woes may be easing. Qwest Communications, the local phone company for nearly all of Clark County, is upgrading its DSL infrastructure to significantly expand the areas served by high-speed DSL.

"We are generally turning up DSL so more people can get it," said Michael Dunne, a Qwest spokesman in Seattle. The improvement involves a technological upgrade, Dunne said, to extend DSL's reach.

"That's going to change the DSL scene dramatically," said Doug Palin of Pacifier Online, a major Clark County Internet service provider.

Qwest provides DSL directly to many Clark County customers, but Pacifier and other companies also use Qwest's DSL infrastructure to support their own service.

The scope of Qwest's local DSL expansion won't be disclosed for a couple more weeks, but Palin expects it will be significant.

"A lot of people who couldn't get it before are going to be able to get it pretty quick," he said.

DSL monthly rates are typically in the $30 to $50 range. Installation charges and modem prices add to the expense, but DSL rates are comparable to the $45.95 AT&T charges monthly for its cable Internet service.



Avoiding collapse

While Qwest expands its DSL presence, other DSL providers are collapsing.

That has disrupted service and caused headaches for many DSL users, but Pacifier's Palin said most DSL customers in Clark County needn't worry.

When DSL provider NorthPoint Communications went bankrupt and halted service earlier this year, Palin said it caused "heartburn" in many areas where local ISPs relied on NorthPoint's DSL infrastructure.

In Clark County, however, Palin said, Pacifier didn't use NorthPoint.

Now another big DSL provider, Covad Communications, is in financial trouble and may follow NorthPoint down the tubes. But Palin said that only about 10 percent of Pacifier's 1,000 DSL customers in Clark County are using DSL supplied by Covad.

For that 10 percent, Palin said, Pacifier is working to make sure Covad's problems don't become their problems.

"We are actively looking for a replacement solution for them."

Meanwhile, Vancouver's homegrown DSL company appears to be out of the woods.

New Edge Networks announced $77 million in new financing last month, which New Edge says will "fully fund" its business plan.



Mike Rogoway reports business news for The Columbian. Reach him at 360-759-8018. Send e-mail to [e-mail].






Excel - Greg