CLEC MegaPath targets SMBs with need for greater bandwidth

Competitive service provider MegaPath today announced its ADSL 2+ offering, which it is delivering using the Covad Communications service footprint. The ADSL 2+ service is targeting small to mid-sized businesses which are finding even basic Internet access now requires more bandwidth.

“Ultimately the bandwidth demand is driven by applications, but we are not just talking about enterprise applications but even basic Internet applications like Web access and email,” said Greg Davis, vice president of marketing for MegaPath. “I think people are essentially using more email and sending larger attachments. I rarely create a PowerPoint deck that is not a few megs. Desktop applications are creating larger files that are creating more bandwidth for email.

Every Web site has Java applets or other things built into it and essentially consumes more bandwidth than flat HTML used to. While there are also other enterprise applications that are driving more bandwidth, email and Web site usage are the lion’s share of Internet access, so a little bit of change in those is going to have a profound effect on bandwidth consumption.”

ADSL2+ offers download speeds of up to 24 Megabits per second, depending on the distance from the serving equipment to the customer. Transitioning from ADSL to ADSL 2+ is relatively easy, Davis said, because the customer does not have to change out their CPE.

“We’ve looked at a lot of different other technologies, but ADSL is the most widely deployed, so that was the main driver,” Davis said. “It uses the same CPE that we currently use for regular ADSL. That translates into not much change in terms of our ability to deliver the service, our operational components to delivering the service. Whenever you add a new technology altogether, there is a lot more engineering that has to be done. With ADSL 2+ there really wasn’t that much change in terms of network engineering. It is an easier product to roll out in a much wider coverage area. That also means an easier migration path for somebody that has ADSL and wants to move to ADSL 2+.”

By adding ADSL 2+ as an option, MegaPath hopes to offer the range of services that will attract and retain SMBs, as competition in that service space heats up to include cable operators. The company already offers managed broadband services that include T1, bonded T1, DS3, and dial backup, along with ADSL.

Davis said MegaPath is interested in offering Ethernet as it becomes available.