AT&T; Begins Offering DSL in California

After an eight-month delay, AT&T; Corp. entered the nation’s biggest broadband market by offering DSL to most of California’s consumers.

AT&T;’s digital subscriber line service is now available in the territory covered by SBC Communications Inc., the state’s dominant local phone company, AT&T; said.

The company originally had planned to roll out its DSL service in the state in September. But disagreements over which company should provide emergency calling information to authorities held up AT&T;’s entrance.

The nation’s largest long-distance company said it would offer DSL in Verizon Communications Inc.’s territory, mainly the affluent Southern California beach communities, by the end of June.

Covad Communications Group Inc. is providing most of the DSL service under the AT&T; name. Covad also has agreements with other companies, including MCI Inc., which has been offering DSL in California.

-- James S. Granelli