Its offering will allow its partners to deliver calls with Internet telephony features over regular copper lines.

By James S. Granelli, Times Staff Writer

Covad Communications Group Inc. said Wednesday that it would launch a new telephone service that would allow its partners to compete more effectively with regional phone giants for both voice and high-speed Internet access.

Covad, the nation's largest independent DSL provider, said it would test its line-powered voice offering within a month and would roll out the service by midyear.

The service would allow Covad's partners — especially AT&T Corp., MCI Inc., EarthLink Inc. and America Online Inc. — to offer local and long-distance calls over regular copper lines but with all the features of Internet telephony technology.

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