Continuing its recent PR offensive, XO Holdings (news, filings) today announced a substantial expansion of its Ethernet over Copper (EoC) network. They added service in Charlotte, Buffalo and Rochester, and deployed new EoC-enabled local service offices. They are now in some 400 LSO’s and claim a reach of some 1M businesses. No doubt they will be listing those buildings CENX’s Ethernet exchange as well, which they connected to back in the Spring. I do wish I had some sense of how much penetration EoC has achieved thus far, both at XO and at others who have deployed the technology. There’s a limit to what one can do with bonded copper pairs, but it’s certain that most of those 1M businesses aren’t going to have fiber any time soon.
Over in the UK, glbc announced they won a contract with the Scottish Prison Service. The international backbone operator will be supplying services for all prisons in Scotland, which includes 438 phone lines for inmates at some 13 sites. What, no high speed IP too? Maybe a nice IPVPN behind bars? Hah. Now that’s not exactly the most glamorous deal, but it does pay the bills. The company’s UK business has long had a presence in the government sector, though some of that churned off last year. This time Global Crossing displaced the incumbent provider in a competitive process culminating in a four month deployment project to ensure the smooth transfer of lines and call usage. It’s a two year deal, but SPS has the option to extend the contract.
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Categories: CLEC · Internet Backbones
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Providing voice services to prisons … I can’t think of much more a monopoly environment than that … a captive audience with low churn :). Seriously, I hope those poor buggers get access to Skype. I still remember when I had to pay for long distance landline calls.
Prison “guests” will not get Skype. Why? Depending upon the crime; calls may restricted or not allowed by court order to people like their victims, a victims family — if you had a family member murdered, would you want a phone call?
Also, though it is a joke, avoiding drug dealers from continuing their “businesses” while on the inside.
Think about it … anyone want a call from Bernie Ebbers? John Rigas? Joe Nacchio? et al
You have a point there Dave :). I still have sympathy for the captive audience though, it is punishment enough to be incarcerated, without then having to be subject to a monopoly telecoms environment 🙂