ATLANTA -- EarthLink (Nasdaq: ELNK - News), the nation's next generation Internet Service Provider, today announced its latest voice offering for consumers, EarthLink DSL and Home Phone Service. This unique voice and data solution combines a full-featured, easy-to-use phone service with high-speed Internet access. The service initially launches in Dallas, TX, San Francisco and San Jose, CA, and Seattle, WA.

Customers in these select markets will benefit from the cost-savings and features that EarthLink Home Phone Service delivers over traditional telephone service and also from the bundle's next generation broadband technology that delivers high speed service up to 8 mbps. EarthLink Home Phone Service operates during a power outage, supports enhanced 911 calling, requires no additional hardware, works with existing phone jacks and equipment, and offers custom calling features.

"Consumers are used to grimacing each month when the phone company's bill arrives in the mail, but EarthLink DSL and Home Phone Service will change all of that," said Steve Howe, EarthLink's vice president of voice services. "This bundled service offers people what they really want, lots of savings, great telephone features and terrific speed - up to 8 mbps of it."

EarthLink DSL and Home Phone Service includes standard phone features like caller ID and voicemail, and more innovative tools such as call prioritization and blocking and click-to-dial. Customers also receive EarthLink's innovative Internet protection tools like Spyware Blocker(TM) and spamBlocker, and the company's award-winning customer service and support.

Customers manage their voice service through their myVoice portal, which integrates their phone and email contact information into a single address book. Address book changes are automatically updated on the servers, regardless of phone numbers, physical addresses or email addresses, ensuring consistency between services.

This new addition to EarthLink's voice services marries the "last mile" of traditional telephone copper wiring with the advanced features of Voice over IP (VoIP) by taking advantage of next-generation Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM) technology that offers higher-speed broadband access (ADSL 2+, G.SHDSL). EarthLink DSL and Home Phone Service customers will enjoy high quality service because their calls will be delivered over EarthLink's managed national networks rather than the public Internet.

EarthLink Inc. (Nasdaq: ELNK)