BellSouth today introduced a wireless backup service for enterprises that combines the capability of its wireline operation and Cingular’s wireless network. The company believes it is the first to offer a joint wireline-wireless backup option.

Wireless Data Backup offers a new level of diversity for businesses to back up their data connections, giving them an alternative route when landlines are cut, or when any other type of disaster disrupts service.

The service will not always work in major disasters, such as the recent hurricanes, where power outages and widely sustained damage knocked wireless networks out along with the wireline network backhaul services on which they depend, admitted Mario Muth, senior product manager. But it does give businesses diversity in the face of less devastating problems.

“Even when wireless networks are knocked out, they are almost always the first ones restored,” said Muth. “This is very much a no-brainer to have wireless data networks with increasing speeds to provide backup capability.”

Wireless Data Backup can be used in conjunction with any DSL, frame relay, Ethernet or private-line data network, either provided by BellSouth within its region, or used by a BellSouth customer out of region. A redundant router equipped with a wireless PC modem card is connected at each location that needs to be on the alternate network. In the case of a wireline failure, this is automatic failover to the wireless option. The service includes installation of a dedicated line from Cingular's network to the customer's headquarters location to provide additional security for backup traffic by routing it over the private network instead of the public Internet.

BellSouth pushed hard to get the product to market in the wake of major demand following this year’s disastrous hurricane season, Muth said.

Because wireless networks can be more quickly provisioned and Cingular can deploy mobile base stations, the wireless backup option holds more promise for a wider variety of outage challenges, he added.

“We have trialed this with customers, and we are selling it today throughout the region,” Muth said. “Because Cingular’s wireless network is in all 50 states, we can sell it to customers doing business out of the region as well.”