Internet Telephone Service

Covad and EarthLink to Test New Phone Service

June 6, 2005

Covad Communications and EarthLink have announced that it will test a service that offers telephone lines and high-speed Internet access to residential customers. The new service combines the stability of a analog phone service with the pricing of VoIP. This technology is known as a line-powered system called Line-Powered Voice Access (LVPS). Covad will lease the copper wires running between customers' homes and the local telephone network, hooking those loops into Covad's network.

EarthLink and Covad have created this new technology in a move to compete with dominant phone and cable companies. "This brings together the best of both worlds," said Jeff Ahlquist, vice president of product development for Covad.

This new service eliminates the VoIP problems with power outages and poor Internet connections. The new LVPS also eliminates the 911 problems that VoIP currently has. The LVPS lines are traceable giving the caller's information to the dispatcher.

Currently, customers can take their VoIP phone and adapter with them wherever there is an Internet connection. With the new LVPS, the phone does not allow mobility of the service.

The service will begin trial in October and will be packaged with EarthLink DSL.

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