Compaq, SBC Offering DSL Package

Compaq Computer Corp. is teaming with SBC Communications Inc., owner of Pacific Bell and Southwestern Bell, to offer its computers as part of a high-speed Internet package.

Customers who sign a two-year contract for a digital subscriber line, or DSL, can receive a customized Compaq Presario desktop computer in a package that costs $59.95 per month. The promotion began Monday and runs through Aug. 31.

The computer is valued at more than $1,000, Houston-based Compaq said. The Internet service is run through Prodigy Communications Corp.

SBC, the nation’s second-largest local phone company, also owns 43% of Prodigy.

The promotion will be available initially in the Pacific Bell and Southwestern Bell regions. San Francisco-based Pacific Bell serves California, while San Antonio-based Southwestern Bell serves Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas.

Each telephone company has more than 10 million customers.

DSL offers Internet service at up to 25 times faster than traditional dial-up service and allows voice and data to flow through the same line simultaneously.

High-speed Internet service without the DSL-ready computer costs $39.95 per month. Customers can avoid a $99 installation fee by using a self-install kit.

In some areas, heavy demand for DSL service has caused backlogs on orders, in some cases forcing customers to wait weeks or months and endure multiple all-day waits for technician appointments.

For a similar cost, consumers also can access high-speed Internet service through cable television lines that allow data and TV signals to move together.