Viatel Offers Cost Effective Ethernet Service with Greater Coverage

Viatel’s quick to market strategy provides the channel with a great opportunity

21st May 2009, Viatel, the business communications provider, has today announced its new Ethernet access service as the next stage in its series of initiatives to help Channel Partners through the current economic downturn.  By increasing geographical coverage and providing a new Ethernet in the First Mile (EFM) access  service, Viatel is helping to reduce the cost of high bandwidth, uncontended, symmetrical connectivity.

Based on BT’s recently introduced 21CN network, Viatel’s quick to market strategy means they can offer improved coverage at cheaper prices.  Michael Davies, head of product management at Viatel said.  “With over 600 new PoPs based on the 21CN network, in addition to those we already use through other carriers, the coverage we are able to provide is vastly improved, resulting in shorter fibre tails and therefore much lower costs.  The 600 PoPs will mean that many customers will have a PoP much nearer than before, immediately cutting the cost of Ethernet access.”

However, it is not just the addition of 600 new PoPs that is allowing Viatel to drive down the cost of Ethernet access services, but also the option of EFM.  This option provides Ethernet access using local loop copper pairs and will reduce prices even further on services up to 10Mbps.  This alternative way of delivering Ethernet services means that it is an effective, and much cheaper alternative to access via leased lines and Ethernet over fibre.

“The EFM option delivers from 1Mbps to 10Mbps in 1Mbps increments up to nearly 5km from the nearest enable PoP.  This enables customers to have a high quality service, delivered for a great price.  EFM also has a lead time of just 30 days, compared to fibre which can take up to 65 days,” said Davies

Neil Watson, channel sales director, at Viatel believes that this provides a great opportunity for the reseller market.  “In the current economic climate customers are looking for more bandwidth at the cheapest possible prices.  We believe that our quick to market strategy with BT’s 21CN network has allowed us to offer the channel a great opportunity to make significant sales.  The increased coverage and cost effective nature of EFM means that resellers have an offering that customers are currently crying out for, especially for Hosted Voice Providers where EFM can broaden the market further as a highly cost effective and reliable access option.”

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