textfiles/magazines/MISC/v3i81.txt

                      The Teleputing Hotline 
                   The Worldwide Network Letter
              Volume 3 Number 81 -- October 16, 1990
               215 Winter Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30317 
              FAX: 404-378-0794 Phone: 404-373-7634 
        MCI:409-8960 GEnie: nb.atl CompuServe: 76200,3025 

Editor: Dana Blankenhorn 
European Editor: Steve Gold 
Associate Publisher: Lamont Wood 
Correspondent: Masayuki Miyazawa 
Sales Manager: Hiro Nakamura 

EUROPE PLANNING ANTI-TRUST LAWS FOR TELECOMS INDUSTRY 

The European Commission (EC) will rely on regulation like that in 
the UK to keep state telecoms monopolies from taking advantage of 
their position. In the U.S. the danger is called cross-
subsidization. In the UK, Oftel prevents British Telecom from 
subsidizing trunk and international services from profits on 
local call services. According to Reuters and Nikkei news 
services, draft proposals have been circulated to all 12 member 
state governments in the EC. A conference to discuss them has 
been scheduled for later this month. 

IMM ANNOUNCES NEW WIRELESS PHONE 

International Mobile Machines, makers of the UltraPhone, 
announced a new phone for the U.S. market offering Time Division 
Multiple Access (TDMA) digital cellular service on the same 
4,400-square-mile cells used by the Ultraphone. The new product 
takes advantage of an FCC ruling permitting mobile service on 
Basic Exchange Telecommunications Radio Service, (BETRS) 
frequencies. This could bring cellular communications to rural 
America ahead of digital cellular in the urban market. 

HONG KONG WORKS AROUND AUDIOTEX CENSORS 

Norman Wingrove of Newsbytes reports Hong Kong Telecom revised 
the code of practice for its Infoline audiotex service, giving a 
monitoring body more flexibility in censoring message contents. 
Infoline offers messages ranging from fortune telling and horse 
racing to financial and property information. 

The problem began when Call Line was ordered to stop a sex-
oriented message service. Call Line obtained a court injunction 
halting Telco's order, but a day later this was overturned. Telco 
maintained the order was a product of strict official 
regulations, and there was a need for looser rules. The revised 
code gives official monitors greater freedom to judge the 
acceptability of Infoline messages. Telco issued a reminder to 
customers who fear their children will be corrupted, that 
specified Infoline services can be screened out from a phone line 
at the customer's request. 

SUPREME COURT BACKS BABY BELLS IN INFO PROVIDER CONTROVERSY 

U.S. Bell companies won a battle in their war to enter the news 
business when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal 
by MCI and others challenging a ruling on standards for keeping 
them out. U.S. District Court Judge Harold Greene had ruled in 
1987 the Bells should stay out of "information services" on 
antitrust grounds. The Appeals Court said such a decision must 
meet a less-strict "public interest" test. The ruling does not 
force Greene to let the Bells into information services or 
manufacturing. But he must reconsider his decision based on the 
new grounds, and justify any prohibition based on the public 
interest. The Bells could also win more freedom if the U.S. 
Congress passes a deregulation bill, which would replace the 1982 
consent decree Greene oversees. 

EASYPHONE CLAIMS IT HAS THE PCN SOLUTION 

EasyPhone announced a new technology for Personal Communication 
Networks which it says solves problems in the "spread-spectrum" 
technology now being offered. EasyPhone's system, called PCI, 
sends a call on the microwave band in many directions at once. If 
it senses interference it moves the call to another channel. PCI 
is an adaptation of the Cordless Telephone-2 technology used in 
England. PCI makes use of the vacant frequency bands 930-931 MHz 
and 940-941 MHz and permits frequency sharing with fixed 
microwave users at 900 to 1000 MHz. EasyPhone wants to test its 
technology in San Francisco and Los Angeles. 

U.S. LOSES BID TO BUY HALF OF ARGENTINE PHONE SYSTEM 

Bell Atlantic lost its bid to run the northern half of 
Argentina's phone system after a group led by Manufacturers 
Hanover failed to come up with financing. Bell Atlantic had been 
signed to run the network by Manny Hanny. But, like Chemical, 
Chase, and other New York banks, Manny Hanny is having difficulty 
raising funds, and failed to meet an October 8 deadline to 
provide a $100 million down payment. 

Instead, Stet of Italy will take over half of the ENTel network 
November 8. Contracts should signed October 31 once new phone 
charges are agreed on and tax problems are sorted out. Argentine 
authorities must refinance $500 million owed to the German 
company Siemens. The government is studying a proposed 42% hike 
in phone charges. The buyers are asking for a further 25% rise. 

ONLINE FACTOIDS 

ARCHE of the UK launched the Messenger 386SX notebook PC. It 
weighs 3 kgs (6.6lbs) and features a hard disk and the 80386SX 
chip. Prices start at UKP 1,795, ($3,500). 

BRITISH TELECOM announced the Videocodec VC2100, offering 
improved picture quality at lower data rates under the new CCITT 
H.261 standard for videoconferencing. The VC 2100 is priced at 
$44,500. 

DIGITAL EQUIPMENT will open a Singapore Telecommunications 
Center. 

EXECUTIVE TELECARD said its EXTL calling services will be offered 
by Metromedia/ITT Long Distance for automated worldwide calling 
from 21 countries. Rollout is slated for the first quarter of 
1991. 

GREENPEACE is setting up an information network on Suzy, the 
Canadian online service in Vancouver. Software for Suzy costs 
C$29.95 ($36) and access costs C$12 ($15) per hour in prime time, 
and C$10 ($12.50) off-peak. Greenpeace will post press releases 
and environment-related news, while letting users exchange 
messages and participate in live conferences. 

IBM JAPAN entered the market for computer virus software with 
Virus Scan, developed in the U.S. It costs 5,000 yen or $36. 

MCI opened the first of 4 140 million bit/second fiber lines to 
Mexico. By year-end, MCI will have 7,600 circuits to Mexico. 

MCI CALL USA service has begun operating from Saudi Arabia, as 
well as Argentina, Austria, Israel, Panama, Turkey, and Uruguay. 

PERTH, AUSTRALIA opened satellite and fiber cable links the same 
day. 

SANYO revealed it is making the new COMMODORE laptop computer, 
the MBC17NB, which costs UKP 1,995 ($3,990). A Sanyo version of 
the same unit costs UKP 1,699 ($3,390). 

TELECOM AUSTRALIA will phase in phone cards, which are widely 
used in Japan. The pre-paid cards come in $2, $5, $10 and $20 
sizes and have long been used as advertising and as business 
gifts. 

CONTACT: 

Arche Technology, +0602-862700 
British Telecom, Barry Cress, +212-297-2672 
EasyPhone, Charlie Mason, +415-342-6014 
Executive TeleCard, Robert N. Schuck, +914/627-2060 
HK Telephone, +852 808 6200 
IBM Japan Corp., +03-586-1111 
IMM, John A. Goetz, +215-278-7800 
MCI, Alan Garratt, +914-934-6484 
Newsbytes, Wendy Woods, +415-550-7334
Sanyo, Nick Brooks, +0296-661883 
Suzy, Terry McDonald, +604-439-1311