America Connect and BellSouth Launch Wireless Broadband Technology Trial in North Carolina
Posted on: Thursday, 25 September 2003, 06:00 CDT
ATLANTA, Sept. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- America Connect and BellSouth today announced a joint trial of wireless broadband in two rural North Carolina counties. The trial will examine costs, market acceptance, feature sets, coverage, and overall economics of providing high-speed broadband connections via fixed wireless to underserved rural areas in the Southeastern U.S. The trial will be in the 2.3 GHz WCS band, for which BellSouth holds FCC licenses throughout the Southeast. The parties will jointly utilize the results from the test systems to determine the economic and technical feasibility of providing broadband footprint in areas where the provisioning of broadband access was previously not economical. "Wireless will allow us to economically provide broadband services into rural areas where there is little or no broadband competition today," said Joseph Forbes, Jr. Chief Executive Officer of America Connect. "We have studied applications of fixed wireless in rural communities for over three years and our research has shown there is a viable market and real pent up demand in the rural areas. With the help of funding from the Rural Internet Access Authority, we intend to prove it is cost effective to service these customers with advanced wireless broadband technology." America Connect and BellSouth are performing this trial with the help of funding from the Rural Internet Access Authority, a state-created authority that is predominantly funded through a private grant from MCNC, a technology nonprofit located in the Research Triangle Park, N.C. Jane Patterson, executive director of the authority stated, "The North Carolina General Assembly has charged the authority with working with industry and municipalities to provide high-speed Internet access at competitive prices to all North Carolinians. Some of these municipalities are located in the mountains, some on the coast, where deploying traditional wireline is difficult. We are excited about this wireless broadband trial because it may 'break the mold' of how broadband typically has been deployed in these rural areas. Rather than through the ground, service will come through the air, as it does with cell phones or radios. We may be looking at an entirely new paradigm for providing high-speed Internet service to rural America." About America Connect Founded in 1999, America Connect is a privately held corporation located in Raleigh, North Carolina. It is America Connect's mission to bring cost effective wireless broadband service to exurban communities primarily in the Southeastern United States. For more information, visit http://www.aconnect.net/. About the Rural Internet Access Authority The Rural Internet Access Authority is leading the e-NC Initiative, a grassroots effort to connect all North Carolinians to the Internet and a better future. The authority was created Aug. 2, 2000, by the N.C. General Assembly. E-NC has supported nearly all projects to date through $30 million in private funding committed by MCNC (formerly the Microelectronics Center of North Carolina), a self-supporting nonprofit organization since 1998, and through cash or in-kind contributions from more than 80 other organizations across the state and nation. E-NC and the authority are housed within the N.C. Rural Economic Development Center. For more information, visit http://www.e-nc.org/, call 1-866-NCRURAL, or send an e-mail to About BellSouth Corporation BellSouth Corporation Consistently recognized for customer satisfaction, BellSouth provides a full array of broadband data solutions to large, medium and small businesses. In the residential market, BellSouth offers DSL high-speed Internet access, advanced voice features and other services. BellSouth also offers long distance service throughout its markets, serving both business and residential customers. The company's BellSouth Answers(SM) package combines local and long distance service with an array of calling features; wireless data, voice and e-mail services; and high-speed DSL or dial-up Internet service. BellSouth also provides online and directory advertising services through BellSouth(R) RealPages.com(SM) and The Real Yellow Pages(R). BellSouth owns 40 percent of Cingular Wireless, the nation's second largest wireless company, which provides innovative data and voice services. Media Contacts: Peter Roach America Connect 404.843.0431 Kathryn Viets Rural Internet Access Authority 919.754.9831 Brent Fowler BellSouth 404.829.8722 CONTACT: media, Peter Roach of America Connect, +1-404-843-0431, or Web site: http://www.e-nc.org/ Web site: http://www.realpages.com/ Web site: http://www.aconnect.net/
+1-919-754-9831, or
+1-404-829-8722, or
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