NBC, Telocity Ally for Plug-and-Play Broadband NBC, Telocity Ally for Plug-and-Play Broadband Paul Jones
NBC Internet Inc. and Telocity Monday sealed an alliance to bring "plug-and-play" broadband Internet services into homes nationwide.
NBCi's Snap and Telocity have begun developing a co-branded nationwide service to offer users high-speed Internet access and multimedia content and services, launching in early 2000. The agreement is backed by a $70.5 million joint investment in Telocity by NBCi, NBC, GE Equity, and ValueVision International, Inc.
Telocity's technology eliminates one of the major obstacles to the roll-out of broadband access across the country by providing a plug-and-play national broadband service that can be self-installed by customers. In most cases, Telocity's service does not require a technician to make a site visit to install additional telephone or computer equipment.
The agreements extend NBCi and NBC's involvement in the convergence of television and the Internet, the broadband arena and in the development of new technologies--and the deals mark the first time an Internet access service will be backed by the NBC brand.
