Earthlink 2006 Annual Report Download - page 7

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Service Offerings
Our service offerings include narrowband access over traditional telephone lines; broadband access via DSL, cable, satellite and wireless
technologies; advertising and other value-added services; and web hosting.
Narrowband Access
Premium Dial
-up Internet Access
Dial-up, or narrowband, access is a way to access the Internet, using a modem to dial the Internet service provider’s node. A dial-
up server
type such as the Point-to-Point Protocol and TCP/IP protocols is used to establish a modem-to-
modem link, which is then routed to the Internet.
Our premium dial-up access is a subscription-based service that provides customers with access to the Internet and an interactive community
offering a wide variety of content, features, services, applications, tools and 24/7 customer support. Revenues primarily consist of monthly fees
charged to customers for dial-up Internet access.
Value Dial-up Internet Access
We provide value-priced Internet access services through our PeoplePC Online offering. Our value dial-up access is a subscription-based
service that provides customers access to the Internet with limited functionality and support services at comparatively lower prices.
Broadband Access
High
-Speed Internet Access
High-speed access offers a high speed, always on Internet connection that uses a modem to supply an Internet connection across an
existing home phone line. The Internet service doesn’t interfere with a customer’s voice service, so there is no need for a second phone line.
We provide high-speed access services via DSL, cable and/or satellite and offer three different speeds of service (up to 1.5Mbps, 3.0Mbps and
6.0Mbps). Availability for these services is based on the service provider, the distance from the provider’s equipment and what is available in
the area. Our high-speed access service includes the same features and benefits included with our premium, dial-up access service. Broadband
access revenues consist of monthly fees charged for high-speed, high-capacity access services including DSL, cable, satellite and dedicated
circuit services; installation fees; early termination fees; reactivation fees; shipping and handling fees; and equipment revenues associated with
the sale of modems and other access devices to our subscribers.
Municipal Wireless Broadband
Municipal wireless, or Wi-Fi, broadband access provides a fast, low cost Internet connection. Wi-Fi is short for wireless fidelity. It
enables a person to connect his or her Wi-Fi enabled computer, cell phone or personal digital assistant (PDA) to the Internet or another Wi-Fi
enabled device, without a traditional “wired” connection. We partner with city governments to fund, build and deploy a wireless broadband
infrastructure to provide city-wide Internet access. Wi-
Fi nodes are placed on light poles or other points of access throughout the city to create a
“mesh network.” From these nodes, wireless signals are beamed between points (for seamless connectivity for users), and certain nodes will
transmit Internet signals back to access towers that will “haul” the Internet traffic back (“backhaul”) to our landline network that will then
transmit the Internet messages over the public Internet. These towers also will provide fixed wireless broadband support to government offices,
and other standard businesses that might be in need of this type of fixed wireless broadband solution.
We provide municipal Wi-Fi service under two brands, EarthLink Wi-Fi and Feather by EarthLink. EarthLink Wi-Fi is available to
consumers on a monthly subscription basis that includes home-based
6
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