DSL Internet Service Is Introduced
The Abaconian - 1 August 2002

The Bahamas Telecommunications Corporation, BaTelCo, officially launched its new OneLine DSL Internet service on July 29 in Nassau. DSL service will be available on Abaco by mid-August. According to Mr. Michael Symonette, President of Batelco, "DSL technology provides high speed digital connectivity over existing telephone lines. It will enable Batelco to deliver high speed services such as video, audio and Internet directly to homes and businesses without changes to the basic telephone infrastructure."

"DSL technology has been successfully deployed throughout the major centers of the world," he continued. "We are now deploying the same technology here in The Bahamas. This is, without question, a significant milestone in the history of Batelco."

The system has been tested on Abaco for the past several months and those who have used it are very impressed with the high speed that it offers. The service uses existing lines without interrupting the normal service. "You can now surf the net, talk on the phone and send a fax over the Internet all at the same time from your regular telephone line. You could say OneLine says it all." quoted another Batelco official.

Another feature is that DSL includes an "always on" feature allowing users to be connected to internet 24 hours a day. There are no busy signals. You are online with the click of your mouse. DSL offers uninterrupted high speed access, faster downloads and has no hidden user charges. Additionally, DSL operates as a point-to-point "private" connection for a more secure environment than Cable Modem Access where users share the network.

During the initial period DSL services will be available in New Providence beginning July 29, on Grand Bahama a few days later and on Abaco a few days after that. DSL service will be available through Batelco"s Internet Division and also from Internet Service Providers which Batelco has authorized.