News / Networks
BellSouth proposes wireless broadband as backup
At TelecomNext in 2006, BellSouth described a wireless broadband option intended to back up a customer’s regular connection during an outage.
What was announced or reported
The proposal followed the company’s use of wireless service after Hurricane Katrina disrupted fixed broadband and telephone facilities on the Gulf Coast. The planned backup tier was described as a 1.5-megabit-per-second service added to an existing broadband subscription.
Context and limits
The source records a product plan, a historical disaster-recovery rationale and pricing from that date. It does not establish that the offer, speed or price remained available later.
Why the distinction matters
The backup concept separated continuity planning from a full replacement of fixed access. A customer could value a temporary path during an outage while still preferring the regular connection when normal facilities had been restored. No current availability is inferred from the historical proposal.