America Online Inc is to start field trials of xDSL (Digital Subscriber Line) technology, which can give users access at speeds up to 25 times that of 28.8Kbps modems. AOL is trialing the service on the parts of its network that is operated by GTE Internetworking and will roll out the service in five regional markets, working with the regional telephone companies in each case to get the service to homes. Users will pay $50 a month, which includes the $22 regular AOL monthly fee. The markets are Birmingham, Alabama; Phoenix, Arizona, the greater Bay area, California; northern Virginia suburbs around Washington DC; and Redmond, Washington. The number of trials will expand over the next few months, says AOL, but the company has expressed caution recently about trying to force DSL technology down the necks of consumers who haven’t really adopted 56Kbps modems in any volume yet.
