New DSL Technology From FDN Heats Up the Broadband Market

January 12, 2007; 02:13 AM
Increased demands for large video, voice and data file sharing has resulted in a variety of higher-speed DSL/Internet connectivity offerings from local and national communications providers. Packages typically cater to residential users, however, offering download speeds of only up to 6 Mbps. Meanwhile, the business community continues to wait for faster, more reliable transmission capabilities to meet their intermediate needs.

In response to the growing data sharing requirements of business customers, FDN Communications, a leading competitive communications provider to 70,000 businesses in the Southeast, recently initiated a network-wide deployment of ADSL2+ “MaxBand” technology, resulting in increased broadband capabilities that may provide up to 20 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload speeds, far exceeding the current offerings of most communications providers in the region.

“MaxBand” is a tiered DSL product that can provide a significantly faster dedicated Internet connection for business locations positioned near 170+ FDN Local Service Offices (LSOs) across Florida and Atlanta, GA. Based on proximity to the LSO, businesses can obtain up to 20 Mbps download and up to 1 Mbps upload speeds. Additional tiers include 1.5 Mbps uploads/256 Kbps downloads, 3.0 Mbps up/384 Kbps down and 6.0 Mbps up/512 Kbps down. MaxBand business packages also include 50MB Web Hosting space, 30 email accounts and free installation and routers on term contracts.

“FDN has always catered to business customers specifically, so it was important that we answer the increasing demand for DSL speeds that exceed what most telecom providers and cable companies are currently offering,” noted FDN Chief Executive Officer Mike Gallagher. “MaxBand has already had great reception in our markets and market-wide deployment should be finalized by the end of 2007.”

Increased “MaxBand” speeds are achieved through hardware that is installed at both the user demarcation point as well as the FDN switch origination site. Calix C7 multi-service access platforms (MSAPs) allow for multiple business-class voice and data services to be delivered to customers through a single, high-capacity, high-speed platform.

Headquartered in Maitland, Florida, FDN Communications (www.fdn.com) has been providing facilities-based, business-class communications services in the Southeastern United States for nearly a decade. Serving more than 45,000 satisfied customers with over a quarter million telephone and Internet lines, FDN presents tailored solutions for today’s communication challenges.