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The Teleputing Hotline
The Worldwide Network Letter
Volume 3 Number 95 -- December 3, 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
EC GREEN PAPER ON SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS
The European Commission laid the political foundation for a
satellite-based array of trans-European networks and services.
Regulations on satellites across Europe remain unchanged from the
1970s, despite the rapid expansion of the small satellite dish
market. The ultimate aim is to establish the commercial freedom
for space segment providers, in particular the EUTELSAT
consortium. Transponder capacity will double by 1993.
FRENCH UNVEIL PROTOTYPE VIDEOPHONE
France Telecom unveiled a prototype videophone which it claims is
more advanced than its Japanese counterpart. Capable of
transmitting voice, data, and color-TV images, it is set to enter
the market next year at a unit price of 30,000 FF ($6,000). By
the end of 1992, France Telecom is expected to order 100,000
for sale to consumers, starting in about 2 years. Matra of France
has a license to produce the videophone which the French hope to
use as a springboard to promote other French telephone products
such as mobile telephones and pocket phones, wrote Eric Dauchy
for Newsbytes.
MICOM INTRODUCES VOICE/DATA SERVER
Micom Communications announced Marathon 5K, a data/voice server
which it says eliminates toll charges on phone calls and faxes
sent from one networked office to another. The device moves
normally sent over the public phone network onto the leased lines
used by computers, and vice versa. The company claims that just
one hour of daily phone and fax traffic between offices can allow
the Marathon 5K to pay for itself in under a year, writes Janet
Endrijonas for Newsbytes.
U.S.S.R: VIRUS CRISIS APPROACHING
The USSR is facing a computer virus crisis, 350 experts concluded
in Kiev. "The crisis is that a number of new computer viruses
appearing in the country is now equal to or even bigger than the
ability of the country's experts, antivirus program developers,
and distributors to incorporate changes in their products in time
to reach customers. Most of the Soviet virus designers are young
computer students who learned a lot but have no place to use
their talents," a conference statement concluded to Kirill
Tschaschin of Newsbytes.
UK: ROYAL MAIL GOES ELECTRONIC
Royal Mail, the UK postal authority, launched a trial service in
conjunction with Sprint International's Sprintmail. Sprintmail
users in London can now send letters online to the main Royal
Mail sorting office at Mount Pleasant, London. Letters are
printed out on `Electronic Post' heading to a high print quality,
placed in a windowed envelope, and then fed into the first class
letter mail network. Mount Pleasant is the main post office in
the nation, with delivery routes radiating around the UK. Pricing
has not yet been set. A maximum of 6 printed pages can be sent at
once.
NTT GAINS MORE TELEPHONE SUBSCRIBERS
Japan's former telecom monopoly, NTT, expects record growth in
new phone lines for 1990. The total of 2.11 million new lines is
up 100,000 from last year. An NTT spokesman credits increased
demand for fax and PC lines. The growth is worth 5 billion yen in
charges to NTT. To meet demand, NTT will change telephone numbers
in the Tokyo area on January 1. All numbers will get an extra "3"
in them. Tokyo exchanges dialed at 81-3-3XXX-YYYY from overseas
should now be dialed at 81-3-XXX-YYYY.
NTT STARTS DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE CHARGE: But you can get around it
NTT began charging 30 yen ($.20) for each directory service call
December 1. This is 3 times the charge of a regular phone call.
But you can get numbers for 10 yen each using NTT's proprietary
"Angel Note" notebook PC. NTT has rented 100,000 to lucky
customers chosen by lottery. NTT is also giving away personal
computer software for searching telephone numbers, again at 10
yen each.
AT&T TELEWORK TEST IN ROCHESTER
AT&T and Rochester Telephone began a major test of teleworking,
using digital services under ISDN standards. The 4 month test in
35 homes will focus on an AT&T network controller which links
every phone, modem and fax in a home with ISDN services. Prodigy,
the IBM-Sears joint venture, is a part of the test. A Rochester
Tel spokesman told Newsbytes she wants to see if use increases
when normal 1,200 bit/second modem links are replaced by a 9,600
bit/second digital link, speeding screen refresh rates.
APPLE AND ACORN TO DEVELOP RISC-BASED NOTEBOOKS
Apple and Acorn will set up a joint company, Arm Limited, whose
aim will be to develop notebook computers based around Acorn's
RISC chip, and marketed under the Apple brand name. The move is
important in light of Apple's interest in a new generation of
machines, previously thought to be based around the 88000 and
88110 series of microprocessors.
ONLINE FACTOIDS
ALCATEL of France won the Australia Telecomm contract for
digital switches. Ericsson of Sweden had been the preferred
supplier. The switches will be made in Australia.
BELL CANADA applied to federal regulators to offer the country's
first commercial Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN)
service. Bell hopes its ISDN service, called Megalink, will be
available in 4 central Canadian cities next June. The 23 voice
channels and 1 signaling channel will rent for C$1,427-C$1.679,
depending on location and contract term.
GERMANY began joint work with the U.S.S.R on a satellite
communications network called the Romantis Project. The plan will
be carried out next year, linking Soviet satellites to the West
under international standards.
HITACHI announced a lightweight cellular phone which will ship
to the UK in December. It will compete with the Motorola TAC and
be sold as the FLITE. A total of 10,000/month will be produced by
next year. Exports to the U.S. must wait for a version following
the U.S. AMPS standard.
HONG KONG INFOLINE sponsored its first "900" number charity. To
raise funds for the bline, callers paid HK$4 per minute to hear
bloopers from local radio.
JAPAN signed a deal with North Korea to open a satellite link.
KDD hopes to have the link opened before the end of 1990.
NISSHO IWAI of Japan and STS of the U.S. will build ground
stations linking Romania to the EuTelSat satellite network.
Inmarsat, Don Koulaouzos, +61-2-901 2033
RICOH will market an Hitachi digital PBX which can be connected
with ISDN services.
SUZY, the Canadian online network of Stratford Software in
Vancouver, dropped president Alex Morton in a bid to cut
expenses.
CONTACT:
Bell Canada, Douglas Peck, +416-979-8251
Hitachi, +03-258-2056
HK Telecom, + 852 808 6470
Micom Richard S. Borden, +805-583-8600
Newsbytes, Wendy Woods, +415-550-7334
Rochester Tel, Carol Schuhart, +716-777-7337
Stratford Software, Thompson McKie, +604-439-1311