http://www.telecomweb.com/news/1134594567.htm
Post Katrina: Mississippi Gets Wireless Broadband BellSouth has begun deploying high-speed wireless broadband speeds as fast as 1.5 Gb/s in Gulfport and Biloxi, Miss., modifying the company's original wireless broadband rollout plans in order to get service to residents of the hurricane-ravaged area, where the infrastructure damage is so huge it hasn't been fixed yet. The incumbent local exchange carrier (ILEC), whose original rollout plans envisioned only offering wide-area wireless broadband in rural areas, is also offering residents of the Mississippi towns a bit of a discount out of sympathy for their plight - and, of course, the good publicity it might get out of the move. "Small businesses and homeowners are still rebuilding, and they are looking to BellSouth to provide the critical communications they need to get their lives in order," says John McCullouch, president of BellSouth's Mississippi operations. "Our wireless broadband service will provide customers with a viable and economical solution for high-speed Internet access." A BellSouth spokeswoman added that, after blanketing the hurricane-hit cities, the carrier will "now return to our original strategy of (offering wireless broadband in) areas from suburbia on out," where such services as DSL can't be delivered economically. About a month ago, BellSouth began offering a high-speed wireless service in downtown New Orleans, but that was priced as a small-business service only. "It was absolutely critical to getting the city up and running," the BellSouth spokeswoman explained, regarding the decision not to offer a residential plan. One thing BellSouth is not offering the Mississippi residents, however, is voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) on its shiny, new, wireless broadband. The company had no explanation of why, other than the simple fact that it's not going to offer it for now. For more on BellSouth's wireless rollout progress in the Gulf area, read the current issue of Broadband Business Forecast. For a trial subscription, go to http://www.telecomweb.com/cgi/catalog/info?BNN. Thank you. Regards, Peter RAD-INFO, Inc. - NSP Strategist We Help ISPs Connect & Communicate 813.963.5884 or 985.240.4156 fax 305.675.6494 http://4isps.com -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/