AT&T paves last mile with VoIP: Ma Bell finds elusive link via cable modem, DSL platforms as trials become rollouts.(AT&T Corp.)(internet telephony)

Multichannel News, March, 2004 by Iler, David

AT&T Corp. has finally found an answer to an elusive question: How can it access the last mile needed to serve millions of U.S. households with telephone service? After spending billions of dollars acquiring--then divesting--the vast cable properties held by Tele-Communications Inc. and MediaOne Group Inc.

in an attempt to gain last-mile access, the long-distance giant is now rolling out a voice-over-IP service to reach out to--and retain--local and long-distance phone customers. LIKE VONAGE Because the service rides over digital subscriber line and cable-modem networks, and will be available to existing broadband subscribers, the expense of local network access for AT&T is, effectively, zero. AT&T's service will be similar to that of...

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