165 lines
9.4 KiB
Plaintext
165 lines
9.4 KiB
Plaintext
============================================================================
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THE SYNDICATE REPORT
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Bell Information Transmittal No. 7
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Released Oct. 30 1986
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Featuring:
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ISDN- A Primer *Continued* (cmptv avg 8\30)
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Opposition Grows (nwb wk 9\25)
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Ultraphone Rescues Area From Isolation (nwb wk 9\25)
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MICE in Training (nwb wk 9\25)
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TELEChoice Trial (nwb wk 10\27)
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Sharks Getting High-Fiber Diet (nwb wk 10\27)
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Written by The Sensei
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============================================================================
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The Syndicate Report is stictly Bell orientated information. Without some
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background, reading in this material could cause a problem to understand.
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============================================================================
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ISDN- A PRIMER *CONTINUED*:
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Purposes & Goals: The varying needs of modern data communications have
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spawned many types of individual networking solutions -- dedicated private
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networks, shared networks, and specialized networks to support tele-
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conferencing, facsimile, telex, telemetry, etc. This proliferation of
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networks lacks efficiency and cost effectiveness. This proliferation of
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networks is near impossible.
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The purpose of the ISDN concept is to have a single network provide all
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the services currently provided by individual networks. . . and do it in such
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a way that the user is unaware of any differences. The user should see a
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single globally-available network serving his particular needs without having
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to worry whether a network is swtiched or dedicated, public or private,
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designed for voice or data.
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The development of an intergrated network should be "evolutionary rather
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than revolutionary" and should be based on existing transmission plant and
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technology but have the capability to evolve as new technology is introduced.
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The architecture must be able to accomodate change without disrupting existing
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services and be capable of handling voice as well as data.
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The ultimate goal would be to make whole world accessable through world-
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wide digitial capability. Restated, an ISDN "should be able to do for data
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what the telephone has done for voice".
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APPLICATIONS
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------------
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ISDN has the potential for carrying virtually any kind of information.
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Appliations range from the traditional:
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- switched telephony
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- synchronous data
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- asynchronous data
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- circuit switched data
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- packet switched data
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To a variety of record communications:
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- TELEX, TWX, Teletex
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- facsimile and images
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- videotext
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To a wide range of emerging and value-added services:
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- slow scan television
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- electronic mail
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- voice messaging
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- telemetry
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- electronic banking and shopping
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The potential applications are limited only by the imagination of the
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vendors' marketing departments and the demands of the user community.
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============================================================================
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OPOSITION GROWS:
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MCI and U S Sprint last month supported AT&T's claim that the consent
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decree prohibits the former Bell operating companies from providing operator
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services for interexhange.
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The two companies filed briefs to that effect in the U.S. District Court
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in Washington, D.C.
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The debate springs from an easrlier ruling by the Justice Department
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which approved an Ameritech plan to offer certain operator services. Those
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services include dialing instructions, credit for service difficulties,
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conference call arrangements, emergency assistance, billing for operator--
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handled calls, and rate, time and charges information.
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============================================================================
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ULTRAPHONE RESCUES AREA FROM ISOLATION:
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Glendo, Wyo., claims 367 residents. Until earlier this month, it had
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no phones. But that was before Mountain Bell intervened, launching a trial of a
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new system called Ultraphone.
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This month, the agricultural and recreational community in the east--
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central part of the state boasts eight phones. And, assuming a successful
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trial, that number could signficantly grow, both in Glendo and in other areas
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difficult or too costly to serve with conventional wire and cable because of
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rough terrain or low population density.
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Ultraphone is an all-digital wireless radio system. It's "heart" is
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a base station, located near the telephone central office, which provides
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the radio ling from the public switched network to the subscriber. Conven-
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tional telephone wires to the customer are replaced at the customer's home by
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a radio antenna and a radio transreceiver.
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Because of the rough terrain in the Glendo area, a portion of the base
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station and its attenna are located atop a ridge about 15 miles out of town.
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A digital microwave radio connection links the two portions of the base station.
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FCC Chairman Mark Fowler last week placed of the first Ultraphone calls,
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from Washington, D.C., to a Glendo rancher.
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Fowler hailed the experiment as a significant first step in expanding
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service to rural America and reinforced the FCC's commitment to universal
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service.
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============================================================================
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MICE IN TRAINING:
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Mike Ordun, a researcher at Bell Communications
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Research, is busy these days training MICE. More specifically, he's teaching
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MICE news tricks that someday may be among the telecommunications services
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every customer uses.
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Voice dialing is the newest addition to the array of features operating
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in MICE (modular integrated communications environment), an experimental
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phone system now in use at Bellcore.
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With voice dialing, Ordun simply instructs his phone to "call home."
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Without being touched, the phone automatically calls Ordun's home.
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Other MICE features being studies include synthesized voice. Computers
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with stored-text messages can recite over the phone network using synthesized
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voice.
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============================================================================
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TELECHOICE TRIAL:
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Monday, October 27, was to have marked the start of Bell's first trial
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of a new product called TELEChoice (sm). But those plans are now indefinitely
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"on hold" because of a Tuesday decision by the NPUC or National Public
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Utilities Commission.
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It "dismissed without prejudice" Bell's plans for a TELEChoice market
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test in various eastern states. Basically, the commission "was not convinced
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that customers need additional options and that dond a market test of this
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kind would be valuable," says Product Manager Mary McFetridge.
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The commission, too, was concerned about existing issues surrounding
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the products that make up TELEChoice, she says.
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TELEChoice would have allowed residence and business customers in the
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trial area to sign up for "packages," make up of different type of telephone
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service. For example, the "premium" package would have included such features
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as unlimited local exchange service, Custom Calling, expedited repair service,
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personalized account service, and a discount on all intraLATA calls. Less
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expensive packages included fewer and less expensive features.
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The product line is currently being tested in three other U S West
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locations and has been well-received by customers, days David Dockter,
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assistant product manager. "Naturally, we're eager to offer the same option
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to Bell customers ans we're disappointed that we won't be able to at this
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moment."
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But the door isn't totally closed on TELEChoice, notes Dockter. The
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NPUC's decision still allows local subregion Bell Companys to re-submit the
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trial plan, after some revisions. And Bell plans to approach another state
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commission with the TELEChoice plan, too.
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============================================================================
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SHARKS
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GETTING HIGH-FIBER DIET:
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AT&T, to paraphrase its television advertising, is into sharks. That's
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because sharks are literally into fiber-optic cable.
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Sharks reportedly have bitten into AT&T submarine cable in the Spanish
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Canary Islands three times since the cable was placed a year ago.
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Since AT&T plans to place the first trans-Atlantic submarine fiber--
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optic cable next fall, it is beginning studies of sharks.
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Marine biologists speculate that the attacks may be caused by the
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appearance or smell of marine organisms living on the cables, or by the sharks'
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internal electric homing device.
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============================================================================
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If there is any question to the information in this file, contact the
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author. Now can be found on the Private Sector 20 Meg, 3/1200 baud
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system at (201) 366-4431 (2600 Magazine Bulliten Board).
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============================================================================
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This concludes
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this transmittal No. 7 presented by:
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The Sensei - The Syndicate Report
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Released Oct. 31 1986
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============================================================================
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[Mother Earth BBS]
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