FNet Announces Premier Internet Telephone Network
Business Wire - October 28, 1997 11:37
%FRANKLIN-TELECOM FTEL %CALIFORNIA %FLORIDA %NEW-YORK %GEORGIA %COMPUTERS
%ELECTRONICS %TELECOMMUNICATIONS %COMED %PRODUCT V%BW P%BW
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 28, 1997--FNet Corp. Tuesday announced
its new telephone network service at a news conference in New York City.
FNet's service supports telephone-to-telephone service over a national network, using voice-over-IP
technology developed by FNet's parent company, Franklin Telecom (OTC/BB:FTEL). The technology
was demonstrated at the news conference using Franklin's test network between New York; Atlanta;
Tampa, Fla.; and Westlake Village.
The Franklin Telecom Tempest Data/Voice Gateways are being deployed in major cities around the
country, and FNet's telephone service will be available to most of the U.S. population with just a local
call.
In addition, a large number of Franklin Telecom Tempest Data/Voice Gateways are being deployed
overseas to form a global telephone network. The Franklin Telecom Tempest Data/Voice Gateways are
interconnected by a private intranet and the public Internet, thus providing very low-cost telephone
service around the world.
The FNet network is accessed through the FNet Calling Card, which is available from FNet's offices in
California. With the Calling Card authorization number and a private PIN the user can connect and
''anchor'' to the network, making continual calls to any locality serviced by the network without
re-entering an authorization code and PIN.
A significant feature of the FNet network is that the user can adjust delivery volume and network delay
from the telephone keypad while the call is in progress. The delay adjustment is useful when the
connection is over the Internet and the network is congested, in which case the delay can be increased
dynamically to improve sound quality.
Frank Peters, FNet's chief executive officer, said: ''The FNet.Phone network will provide low-cost
Internet telephony to corporations, telephone resellers and consumers. We are expanding the network
rapidly to support the many customers who are already demanding service, and we have decided that
service to customers who apply in the next few weeks will be at no charge until January of 1998.''
Peter Thornton, vice president of sales, went on to say: ''The quality of voice transmission over our
network is the first thing our clients notice. This is not PC-quality voice, but true toll- quality
telephony. We are pleased to have signed our first corporate client for service on the network.''
Franklin is currently supporting several test clients that are utilizing the test network to evaluate the
quality of the service. Initial reports are that the service significantly exceeds normal Internet telephony
standards and is comparable to ordinary toll calling.
When fully deployed, the FNet network will offer at least nine additional services -- Fax Mail, Fax
Broadcasting, Fax Store & Forward, International Call Back, Find Me and Conference Calling -- which
will enhance the user's ability to transmit data and fax, as well as voice over the Internet, all without
incurring long-distance charges.
The primary business of Franklin Telecom, founded in 1981, is the design and manufacturing of
communications devices, high-speed LAN, WAN, telco and satellite systems, and software. Franklin has
an installed base of more than 100,000 nodes worldwide. Franklin's Internet subsidiaries, FNet and
Internet Passport, provide services using FTEL products.
Note: For the latest information, visit Franklin Telecom's Web
site: ftel.com
CONTACT: Franklin Telecom, Westlake Village
Helen West, 805/373-8688 |
