Sprint unveiled a new digital subscriber line service Monday for small businesses in 11 new metro areas, including Salt Lake.
The Sprint Business DSL service allows small businesses to access the Internet at speeds up to 25 times faster than a 56-kilobit-per-second dial-up modem and enables downloads at speeds up to 1.5 megabits per second, or 12 times faster than an integrated services digital network, or ISDN, connection.
Small businesses also can run advanced multimedia applications, such as video and audio streaming, and maintain a constant connection to the Internet.
The new service joined Sprint Broadband Direct, a two-way fixed wireless technology available to residential and business customers, and Sprint FastConnect DSL, available to residents and businesses in local division franchised territories.
"Sprint Business DSL is a complementary service to our broadband portfolio," said Sprint spokeswoman Jackie Bostick. "They each target specific customer needs, depending on where they are located and what the business needs are. Businesses will want to consider where they're located, what the needs of the business are and how heavy the business is with the Internet."
Sprint Business DSL runs over Sprint's all-digital, fiber optic network infrastructure. People can enter their telephone number at www.sprintbiz.com or call 1-800-889-9982 to determine if their area receives the service.
Single-user, one-year packages cost $119 per month. Multiuser packages cost $159 monthly for a one-year package or $149 monthly for a two-year deal. By comparison, Sprint Broadband Direct costs between $149.95 and $199.95 per month. Sprint FastConnect DSL, offered in 22 metro areas, has slightly different configurations and speeds in different territories.
Sprint Broadband Direct has an "always-on" connection and provides users with download speeds up to 50 times faster than a standard dial-up modem. It is available in 14 metro areas nationwide.
The Business DSL service is now available in a total of 40 metro areas, a figure Sprint hopes will grow to 86 by early next year. Other cities getting the service along with Salt Lake City are Atlanta; Buffalo, N.Y.; Detroit; Nashville, Tenn.; New Orleans; Newport News, Va.; Norfolk, Va.; Portland, Ore.; Richmond, Va.; and St. Louis.
Todd Townsend, assistant vice president of small-business marketing for Sprint, said the new business DSL service allows small businesses to conduct business online; enables online business management of finances, accounting and payroll; and enables flexible work environments, such as telecommuting, to reduce overhead costs and retain employees.
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