So Gill has set his sights on more modest but accommodating markets: hotel chains, apartment complexes and rural carriers that haven't yet offered DSL. His shop has installed 30, 000 lines thus far.
EtherLoop isn't compatible with regular DSL phone equipment.
Reports suggest there's universal coverage available, but some of the poorer neighborhoods haven't been built out, DSL and cable are not available.
CLECs argue that since the lines are already in place and DSL doesn't disrupt the phone service, it costs RBOCs nothing to share the line so CLECs should pay nothing.
"The reason DSL hasn't been launched elsewhere in Europe is because the incumbents don't want to cannibalize their revenues and the competitive entrants don't have enough access to the network, " said Gavin Parnaby, an analyst at Datamonitor, who wrote a report earlier this year on ADSL and cable modem access in Europe.
Efficient makes modems used to transmit digital subscriber line (DSL) signals over copper telephone wires, and the DSL market isn't looking good these days.
"Deutsche Telekom, for example, has been very vocal about DSL, but they haven't moved beyond announcements, " said Parnaby, who also believes that this is the first commercial ADSL service in Europe, although there are trials of the service in several countries.
Unlike its cable and DSL broadband rivals, satellite isn't "always on, " which is perhaps the one less-desirable feature in my book.
By 2003, Brand X had about 2000 customers, most of which were on DSL. But the phone companies didn't make it easy to access their networks.
Is Verizon's DSL division going to tell us they don't want us sharing our broadband among many computers, too?
ENGADGET: Verizon's harshes on the Junxion box, Cingular gets snuggly
Only people who live within 3 miles of a phone switching center can get DSL--and even then 40% can't be served because of the problems.
More than 85% of U.S. households have cable modem or DSL service available to them, he says, so it doesn't make sense for a utility to spend the money to deploy broadband over gas or electric in most of the country.
应用推荐