MSN Lands Telco Deals

By Matt Stump -- Multichannel News, 10/15/2001 1:27:00 PM

While the troubles at Excite@Home Corp. have thrown into question what opening screen cable-modem subscribers from AT&T Broadband, Cox Communications Inc. and Comcast Corp. may see in the coming months, it's clear who the regional Bell operating companies are aligning with: Microsoft Corp.

The software giant announced digital-subscriber-line distribution deals Monday with Verizon Communications, BellSouth Corp. and SBC Communications Inc. during a conference call to discuss the release of MSN 7.0.

MSN already supplies content to Qwest Communications International Inc. for its DSL service. And last month, MSN signed its first cable affiliate, Charter Communications Inc., to supply a Charter-branded MSN Broadband home page for Charter's cable-modem subscribers.

MSN claimed that its MSN Broadband service would be available to 29 million homes in 45 markets through the RBOC deals beginning Oct. 25. By March 31, 2002, MSN said, MSN Broadband will be available to 90 percent of DSL-capable homes.

MSN said its new 7.0 software downloads pages 30 percent faster than its older service. MSN Broadband also features audio- and video-streaming content, through Microsoft's 'Windows Media Player,' from content providers such as ESPN, CNBC, MSNBC, E! Entertainment Television, Discovery Communications Inc. and the 2002 Winter Olympic Games.

In other DSL news, DirecTV Broadband expanded its distribution deal with Verizon to offer DirecTV DSL in Los Angeles; Dallas; Seattle; Tampa, Fla.; and Portland, Ore.

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