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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