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Microcap & Penny Stocks : FRANKLIN TELECOM (FTEL) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Bill France who wrote (22501)	12/3/1997 9:06:00 AM
From: SoliRA	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 41046

Here's the rest of the article "AT&T Startup Plans Service Allowing Internet Calls Using Traditional Phones": NEW YORK -- An AT&T-backed start-up plans to unveil a system that will allow Internet companies to carry calls that connect people using traditional phones. The move accelerates the threat that low-cost Internet calling poses to long-distance pricing. The wholesale service from ITXC Corp., expected to be announced Wednesday, will allow companies to offer Internet phone calls anywhere in the world via ordinary phones. Today, most Internet calling systems require at least one of the callers to use a personal computer that contains special software, though a few specialized services allow phone-to-phone Internet calling in limited areas. "Founded by former Microsoft Corp. and AT&T executive Tom Evslin, the company said its clients will be able to offer internet phone calls anywhere in the world via ordinary phones. Today, most Internet calling systems require at least one of the callers to use a personal computer that contains special software, though a few specialized services allow phone-to-phone Internet calling in limited areas. Founded by former Microsoft Corp. and AT&T executive Tom Evslin, the company said its clients will be able to offer prices that are half that of traditional long-distance calls. The North Brunswick, N.J., start-up, which also is backed by Internet company Vocaltec Communications, Ltd. of Israel, plans to become a clearinghouse that bands together Internet-based phone companies and settles complex billing issues. "We're the broker of the bridges between the Internet and the traditional telephone network," said ITXC's Mr. Evslin. He said the company will handle billing issures known as settlements as well as route traffic to and from disparate operators of Internet-based telephony services. Though calls placed over the Internet represent a tiny fraction of all calls,the market is growing fast. International Data Corp. of Framingham, Mass., estimates that traditional international phone calls will amount to 79 billion minutes by the end of this year and are growing at 15% annually. Internet-based phone calls will amount to only 198 million minutes this year, but are growing by a whopping 220% annually, IDC estimates. Still, ITXC, which won't launch its service until January, will face other start-ups. They include USA Global Link, which plans to set up gateways to the traditional phone network in 1,000 cities, and Delta Three, an Israeli company mostly owned by cosmetic heir Ronald Lauder, which offers phone-to-phone calling in the U.S. and Canada, and PC-to-phone calling world wide. Other players include IDT Corp. and Global Exchange Carrier, which has formed its own consortium of companies to handle calls in select cities. Aside from competition, all Internet phone firms still struggle with voice quality, which doesn't yet equal that of conventional calls. Moreover, ITXC will have to corral hundreds of diparate Internet-based swervices to ensure that they transfer a call back to the traditional phone network. Still, analysts said ITXC, with its promise to settle bills among carriers, should bring maturity to the nascent industry. "Anyone who wants to do voice over the Internet doesn't want ot deal with questions like how they are going to terminate calls in Africa and deal with billing and technical compatibilities," said Sanjay Mewada, senior analyst at the Yankee Group in Boston". Looks like the games are beginning... Bob.