Expanding copper's capabilities

GTE Networks Services has purchased SuperLine Access System to meet customers' rising demands for multiple lines and extra bandwidth. In July, GTE will conduct market trials in two states for new services that will be available using SuperLine. The company is tentatively scheduled to deploy services by the end of the year.

By combining SuperLine access shelf, manufactured by AG Communication Systems, and SuperLine integrated access device (IAD), manufactured by Paradyne, carriers can offer single-line customers the benefits of two-line service plus data Ethernet.

"We see this as a sweet spot for the market," said Stephen Quibell, vice president of marketing for the new ventures organization at AG Communication. "It allows carriers to offer a service that complements [digital subscriber line] and G.Lite."

The access shelf resides in a carrier's central office, and the IAD plugs into a customer's phone jack.

"It's a competitive play against cable modem services," said Mark Housman, vice president of corporate marketing at Paradyne. "Carriers can offer a packaged deal at a reasonable price without investing lots of money into their Class 5 switching system or current copper."

The design is flexible enough to allow carriers to roll out services appropriate for the unique needs of their markets. GTE will offer customers up to three telephone lines and Ethernet data.

"There's tremendous interest in these services in many of our fast-growing suburban areas," said a GTE spokesman. "We have a number of families moving into these communities with small offices and children, and we look forward to meeting their additional line and higher dial-up speed needs."

KMC Telecom Holdings will roll out DSL technology throughout its markets, which consist of Tier 3 and Tier 4 cities in the Midwest and South. The company also plans to introduce broadband applications by the end of the year.

PF.Net announced plans to construct a 15,000-mile fiber optic network that will connect Dallas, Houston and Jacksonville, Fla. The company signed a $200 million contract with Lucent Technologies for TrueWave fiber and dense wave division multiplexing equipment.

ISPhone Inc. launched voice over IP services for Internet service providers in four beta locations, including Detroit, Houston, Las Vegas and New York.