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Technology Stocks : Voice-on-the-net (VON), VoIP, Internet (IP) Telephony -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Stephen B. Temple who wrote (2277)	1/5/1999 12:38:00 PM
From: STK1	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 3178

Stephen and Frank,,,Does Star using Clarnet and FNET and Other companies using the Tempest sound similar.Does the Tempest go head for head with Clarnets Equiptment?It sound like it does to me.If so Is theis where we are likly to be in several months?We have universal Fax ports,we have billing,and I assume we have ss7/c7 intergration. We are also in many of the same countries.Sounds like a close comparison.

To: Stephen B. Temple who wrote (2277)	1/6/1999 10:10:00 AM
From: Stephen B. Temple	Respond to of 3178

The Association For Local Telecommunications Services Hails Utah Public Service Commission Decision Affirming Reciprocal Compensation Utah is 25th State to Uphold Payment Rules for Terminating Internet Traffic <> January 6, 1999 WASHINGTON,/PRNewswire/ The Association for Local Telecommunications Services (ALTS), a leading national organization representing facilities-based competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs), today praised the Utah Public Service Commission for making their state the 25th in a row to uphold reciprocal compensation agreements for payment of terminating Internet traffic. The decision by Utah's regulators continues the nationwide momentum in favor of reciprocal compensation, with all regulators and courts reviewing the issue coming down squarely in favor of rules that require telephone companies to pay one another for terminating local communications traffic such as calls to Internet Service Providers (ISPs). As a result, more than 80 percent of the nation's telephone access lines now fall within the jurisdiction of states that have upheld reciprocal compensation. "We are very pleased with this decision by the Utah PSC," said John D. Windhausen, Jr., ALTS' President. "We believe Utah's decision is consistent with the 1996 Telecommunications Act. It ensures that carriers are properly compensated for their costs of terminating these calls, and upholds the contract that US West voluntarily offered." "The score is now 25 wins for reciprocal compensation and zero for the incumbents who oppose making good on their contracts," said Cronan O'Connell, ALTS' Vice President-Industry Affairs. "The states have sent a clear signal that the monopolies must honor the deals they make." "This was an open and shut case of the dominant phone company refusing to abide by its own contractual agreements and previous commission rulings," said Susan McAdams, Vice President of External Affairs for Electric Lightwave, a CLEC that provides competitive local telecommunications services in states throughout the northwestern U.S., including Utah. ALTS is the national industry association whose mission is to promote facilities-based local telecommunications competition. Located in Washington, D.C., the organization was created in 1987 and represents companies that build, own, and operate competitive local networks. For information on ALTS, contact Jim Crawford at 703-715-0844 or crawfordpr@aol.com , or visit the ALTS Web site at www.alts.org. SOURCE Association for Local Telecommunications Services

To: Stephen B. Temple who wrote (2277)	1/8/1999 8:22:00 AM
From: Stephen B. Temple	Respond to of 3178

MCI WorldCom to bid $55 billion for AirTouch-paper NEW YORK (Reuters) - Reuters: MCI WorldCom Inc., the nation's second-largest long-distance telephone company, plans to join the bidding for cellular phone company AirTouch Communications Inc., according to a published report. The report, in Thursday's edition of USA Today newspaper, said MCI WorldCom plans to bid more than $55 billion for AirTouch, creating a three way battle for the company. MCI WorldCom would join Bell Atlantic Corp., the nation's leading local telephone service provider, and Vodafone Group Plc, a wireless communications company in Britain, as suitors for AirTouch. Created in 1994 after being spun off by Pacific Telesis, AirTouch is the world's largest wireless communications company, serving more than 16 million customers through ventures in the United States, Germany, Japan and 10 other countries. USA Today reported that MCI WorldCom Chief Executive Bernie Ebbers met with close advisers this week and decided to make a bid for AirTouch. WorldCom previously has said it has no plans to enter the wireless communications market and early Thursday, the company declined to comment on the latest report. Vodafone and AirTouch also declined to comment. AirTouch has acknowledged that Vodafone has made a bid for the company and published stories have placed the value at about $55 billion. Bell Atlantic, acknowledged Sunday that it was discussing a merger with AirTouch and sources said such a bid would be worth $45 billion. Ebbers is no stranger to corporate takeovers. As chairman of WorldCom, he engineered its takeover of MCI Communications Corp. in a $40 billion deal that combined the nation's No. 2 and No. 4 long-distance companies. That deal was completed in September. REUTERS@ [Copyright 1999, Reuters]

To: Stephen B. Temple who wrote (2277)	1/8/1999 8:23:00 AM
From: Stephen B. Temple	Respond to of 3178

Sprint Urges Virginia State Corporation Commission to Deny Bell Atlantic/GTE Merger RICHMOND, Va., Jan. 7 /PRNewswire/Sprint today filed a protest with the Virginia State Corporation Commission asking them to deny the merger of Bell Atlantic/GTE, stating that the merger is not in the public interest because it would negatively effect competition in Virginia. Sprint requested in a filing submitted today that the Commission investigate and hold hearings on the proposed merger in order to determine how the merger would impact local exchange competition, service quality and limit potential cost savings to Virginia consumers. Sprint concludes that the proposed merger of these two large incumbent local exchange companies should be denied on the basis that the adverse impact on competition would be detrimental to the residents and businesses of Virginia, the filing said. "Bell Atlantic has shown that it would rather buy other companies than compete against them, and the result is that Virginia consumers will have little or no choice in local phone service," said Ellen D'Amato, Sprint Vice President for State External Affairs. "The competition, lower prices and wide choice that consumers have enjoyed in long distance service won't be coming to local service if this merger goes through and eliminates competition." D'Amato said. For consumers, the merger would eliminate GTE as a potential choice in local phone service in Virginia, and would give the merged company greater ability to keep other competitors out. By purchasing GTE and enlarging their monopoly control, Bell Atlantic is unlikely -- at that point -- to open its markets to competition. "The Bell Atlantic/GTE merger -- along with the proposed SBC/Ameritech merger -- should be of dire concern to everyone in America because we could be faced with two giant corporations owning two thirds of the nation's telephone lines. Essentially, Americans would be at the mercy of a Bell East and a Bell West monopoly," D'Amato said. The filing also stated that if approved, the proposed merger would eliminate a strong potential competitor against Bell Atlantic in the Virginia local exchange market. A review of GTE's facilities, which are adjacent to Bell Atlantic's Virginia service area, demonstrates that, absent the merger, GTE would most likely provide local service in Bell Atlantic's service area in Virginia. The merger would also threaten the long distance competition that has benefited consumers and reduced rates for years, according to Sprint. Long distance companies almost always must rely on a connection through the local phone company to serve their customers. The merged company would control the territory where more than 42 percent of all long distance calls begin and end, giving it even more incentive and opportunity to restrict competition in long distance as well as in local service. "The proposed merger would also eliminate another telecommunications company and thereby reduce the number of available benchmarks to compare company performance," D'Amato said. "These companies claim their enormous size is necessary to compete, and that big companies are more innovative than smaller companies. But the truth is that competition, not size, is what drives innovation and consumer service. In the mid-1980s Sprint built the world's first all-digital nationwide fiber- optic network without a single customer and today we are the third largest long distance company in the country. That is what competition is all about," D'Amato added. Sprint is a global communications company -- at the forefront in integrating long distance, local and wireless communications services and one of the world's largest carriers of Internet traffic. Sprint built and operates the United States' only nationwide all-digital, fiber optic network and is the leader in advanced data communications services. Sprint has $15 billion in annual revenues and serves more than 16 million business and residential customers. SOURCE Sprint /CONTACT: Eileen Doherty, 202-828-7423 or eileen.b.doherty@mail.sprint.com; or James Fisher, 202-828-7406 or james.w.fisher@mail.sprint.com, both of Sprint/ /Web site: sprint.com (FON BEL GTE) [Copyright 1999, PR Newswire]

To: Stephen B. Temple who wrote (2277)	1/11/1999 1:54:00 PM
From: Stephen B. Temple	Respond to of 3178

Net to Net Technologies Announces IDSL Starter Kit Promotion FYI January 11, 1999 -- Net to Net Technologies today announced an IDSL Starter Kit promotion for immediate evaluation and deployment of ISDN Digital Subscriber Line (IDSL) technology. This Starter Kit, available in 6 or 12 port combinations, allows Data CLECs and Internet Protocol (IP) Network Service Providers to implement Net to Net IDSL for very little cost. Net to Net IDSL provides symmetrical connection speeds of 144 or 128 Kbps and supports distances up to 15,000 feet (3 miles), and also includes full DLC support. Requiring no configuration, Net to Net IDSL provides for complete plug 'n' play setup and vastly reduces the complexity seen in most DSL offerings today. "Net to Net's Starter Kit promotion gives IP Network Service Providers and Data CLECs an opportunity to evaluate and deploy IDSL technology for just a fraction of the cost of competitive offerings. It's a great opportunity for these providers to discover how easy DSL can be,'' stated Matthew Byrd, vice president of marketing for Net to Net. Starter Kits are available today. Six-port Starter Kit -- includes one INE144-P-12 Provider Unit (12 ports) and six INE144-S Subscriber Units (1 port each) -- $6,499 Twelve-port Starter Kit -- includes one INE144-P-12 Provider Unit (12 ports) and twelve INE144-S Subscriber Units (1 port each) -- $7,999 Orders can be placed by calling 603/740-9377 or at www.nettonettech.com. Starter Kit promotion runs until June 1999. About Net to Net Technologies Net to Net Technologies engineers low-cost, high performance DSL products. Net to Net DSL is unique from competitive offerings, providing simple, low-cost LAN to DSL media conversion instead of expensive, complex routing or ATM multiplexing. Net to Net Technologies, a privately held company, is located in Dover, N.H., and can be reached at 603/740-9377 or via email at contact@nettonettech.com. Web site at www.nettonettech.com.

To: Stephen B. Temple who wrote (2277)	1/11/1999 2:14:00 PM
From: Stephen B. Temple	Respond to of 3178

Ethernet over the WAN ?__________________Move over T-3 When NanoSpace Inc. of Palo Alto, Calif., licensed 28 route-miles of dark fiber from the city of Palo Alto in early December, few realized the company would have such a bright idea. The company was developing a new type of wide area network service that is based on wavelength division multiplexing, TCP/IP and Ethernet signaling. Carriers looking for a technology that provides a high-bandwidth, user-friendly service to customers in a metropolitan area may want to take a careful look at the NanoSpace solution. "All of the links we offer to our customers are 100 Mbps Ethernet connections," says NanoSpace CEO Frank Robles. "We said, 'Why offer 10Base-T Ethernet?' It's not that much of a savings to go down to 10 Mbps for the customer. This basically comes down to the fact that the cost of the equipment is coming down." NanoSpace's service uses TC Communications' WDM equipment, TC Communications' and Garrett Communications' media converters and Bay Networks' [NT] 100Base-T Ethernet switches. The media converters translate WDM signaling into 100Base-T Ethernet signaling, and provide fiber to copper connectivity. "The fact that we are putting Ethernet onto WDM is the interesting aspect, and the size of the pipe," Robles says. "We are offering a 100 Mbps service at a lower price than a T-3. A T-3 costs $65,000 to $70,000 a month. We are charging $3,500 a month for 100 Mbps, which is double a T-3." The service runs Ethernet over the WAN, which is unusual. TCI/IP is encapsulated inside of Ethernet packets and put on the WAN, Robles says. "I have not seen a service like this," says Chris Nicoll, principal analyst at Current Analysis, a consultancy in Sterling, Va. "It is kind of a unique service. There aren't many obstacles to doing it. The technology is very straight forward." "Security may be one issue to consider," Nicoll says. "Being able to tap into Ethernet is pretty easy. But Ethernet that is run over optical networking is much less so, because you would have to splice into the line to examine Ethernet packets. But there still is a security concern." Nicoll also says quality of service may be an issue. "Ethernet today doesn't have any quality," Nicoll says. "You've got to use [differential service] or RSVP for quality. They allow you to set up different priority levels for different packets. But up to this point, the protocols are not standardized or widely used." ...NanoSpace Backs Its Service With Guarantees NanoSpace has picked up on the fact that potential customers may have quality concerns, however. It uses RSVP, and it is willing to give customers committed information rates up to the 100 Mbps level on Internet access service. In addition to the $3,500 a month for access, NanoSpace charges $1,000 a month per 1 Mbps for a committed information rate. So a 10 Mbps CIR costs $10,000 a month. CIRs can get pricey if customers want even higher guaranteed speeds. Brian Davis, a systems administrator at Kana Communications, a software company in Palo Alto, says his company is using the NanoSpace service, and that quality has not been an issue. "So far, we love the service," Davis says. "We haven't had any problems with it. Before, we had standard frame relay and a DSL connection to the Internet. With DSL, if you have a 1.1 Mbps DSL connection versus a 1.1 Mbps T-1, the T-1 is faster. With fiber, all of the bottlenecks seem to vanish." NanoSpace currently has signed up five to six customers in Palo Alto. It is planning on launching services in San Francisco and Los Angeles, and two other metropolitan areas. NanoSpace would not reveal details about the timing of these new launches, or say which two cities it intends to market services in. Temp'