AT&T Boosts DSL Speeds to 6 Mbps

Watch out, cable operators. You're not the only ones hiking the speeds of your broadband Internet services. Following in the footsteps of BellSouth, the new AT&T (formerly SBC Communications) announced Mon. that it's boosting the top downstream speed of its DSL service to 6 Mbps, twice as fast as before and comparable with what most cable operators deliver. AT&T is also raising its top upstream speed to 608 kbps, also comparable with most MSOs. Unlike most cable operators, however, AT&T is charging more for these faster speeds. The new high-speed data service, known as SBC Yahoo! DSL Expert Plus, starts off at $49.99 a month for the first three months and then rises to $64.99 a month. That's up from $21.99 a month for AT&T's 3 Mbps service and just $16.99 a month for its flagship 1.5 Mbps service. But it's still in the ballpark with many MSOs. Although it's targeting the new DSL service primarily to small and medium-sized businesses, AT&T is also offering it to consumers. In similar fashion, BellSouth launched its own 6 Mbps DSL service last month for $46.95 a month.