News

Best Buy customers get bigger bandwidth via kiosk

October 16, 2002

MINNEAPOLIS -- Best Buy says it now offers 15 high-speed Internet cable, DSL and satellite broadband connectivity options to consumers through its new in-store Activation Station kiosks.

According to a news release, the stations are available at all of Best Buy's 528 retail locations.

Some of the broadband providers, whose service areas vary from regional to nationwide, include: cable providers AT&T, Charter, Comcast, Cox, EarthLink, and Mediacom; DSL providers BellSouth, EarthLink, MSN Broadband, SBC, Sprint and Verizon Online; and two-way satellite provider Hughes Network Systems' DIRECWAY.

Through these providers, more than 90 percent of Best Buy locations now offer at least one DSL or cable broadband option. All of Best Buy's retail locations -- except in Anchorage, Alaska -- offer two-way satellite broadband access.

"The explosion of high-speed Internet providers now offering their services through Best Buy gives us the most comprehensive selection of broadband options available anywhere in retail, and proves that retail has become a important channel for broadband," said Dave Morrish, senior vice president of Computers at Best Buy, in the news release.

Offering broadband services in-store simplifies purchases for customers buying computers, Morrish added, because they can set up and configure their new computer for broadband connectivity and find the right high-speed Internet solution, all in one visit.

According to the release, the Activation Stations walk users through broadband options using a user interface from software provider Get Connected. The kiosks save customer information for the entire qualification, selection and purchase process, so customers don't need to re-enter it multiple times.

To use the Activation Stations, customers first enter the address where they would like to get broadband service. The system then pulls up participating providers in the area who offer service to that location. The customer compares specific features, functions and prices -- as well as any special offers -- for the various options and chooses a plan.

The station then prompts the customer to select equipment -- such as a DSL modem, cable modem or satellite dish -- needed to activate the broadband service. In some cases, the provider offers this equipment at no cost. Once the customer completes the order, it is automatically sent to the provider.

The customer immediately receives an order confirmation, the terms and conditions of service and provider contact information. Since the order is completed at the Activation Station, the customer does not have to go through the store's checkout to purchase the broadband service.

"Our goal with Internet connectivity services has always been to make them easy to understand, simple to compare and fun to purchase so consumers can make informed decisions about which service is best for them," Morrish said in the release. "By expanding the choices available to customers and making it even easier to see what they qualify for and how it compares to other available services, we're helping to ensure that they will find a service that fits their lifestyle needs both by feature and price."

"Through its size and market position, and by using our technology, Best Buy has been able to make broadband services understandable and available to a wide audience easily and quickly," said Tracy Lawrence, CEO of Get Connected, in the release.

Best Buy uses kiosks in its stores for other functions, including selling Sirius Satellite Radio by offering interactive listening stations where customers can sample satellite channels (see related story Sirius to roll out additional kiosks in Best Buy stores), and allowing customers to configure their own computers at 95 locations of Future Shop, Best Buy's Canadian subsidiary (see related story The kiosk future is now at Future Shop).