SBC Communications Inc. is selling broadband Internet service through more than 2,000 retail stores and plans to expand the distribution significantly in 2004, according to the company.

Besides cutting prices by almost half to $26.95 a month, the retail move is also part of the strategies to significantly expand its digital subscriber line business and catch up to cable modem's long-held lead on the broadband market.

SBC is selling DSL through RadioShack Corp. (1,000 stores), Office Max (340), Sam's Club (200), Staples (185), Gateway Inc. (60) and Cingular Wireless (190), of which it owns 60 percent.The company has been selling DSL through Best Buy stores since late last year and now offers it in 130 stores.

In the nine months ended Sept. 30, SBC added 939,000 DSL lines to end with 3.1 million, more than any other phone company. But Comcast Corp. still added more cable modem users, 1.2 million to end with 4.8 million.

Nationally, cable modem technology was standardized and deployed more widely and earlier than DSL.

After delaying installation in many neighborhoods and cities in late 2001, SBC now says it's close to having 80 percent of its phone lines ready for DSL. Many cable companies have been at that target for some time.

By: DocMemory
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