Verizon Communications has unveiled a DSL service for small and medium-sized businesses that enables them to prioritise data.
Verizon's Business SHDSL service is now available in 16 states and the District of Columbia. The service prioritises traffic during periods of high congestion, so business applications — such as hosting of servers, e-commerce, LAN-to-internet connectivity and videoconferencing — are transmitted first and at a higher speed.
Business SHDSL supports upstream and downstream speeds of up to 1.5mbit/s. It is a data-only service designed for businesses with LANs or multiple Internet users who depend on the Internet to access company resources and customers.
Prices for Business SHDSL range from $US150 to $370 per month, according to speed, which ranges from 192kbit/s to 1.5mbit/s. The service also includes one static IP address, 15 email boxes, 20MB of web space, 20 hours of dial-up mobility access and domain name service for up to five domains.
Verizon is also offering a 30-day money-back guarantee and an on-time installation guarantee for the service. In addition to Washington, DC, Business SHDSL is available in California, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia.
The service will be available in other selected cities later this year, Verizon says.