============================================================================ THE SYNDICATE REPORT Bell Information Transmittal No.06 Released Sept. 28 1986 Featuring: Vanity Numbers (mgbt v1n6 8\28) Long-Distance Data Transmission Statistics (mgbt v1n6 8\28) ISDN- A Primer (cmptv avg 8\30) Information on Fiber Optics (cptv avg 8\31) Deregulation Interview: Tri-Co's Jim Blair V.P. (mgnet 9\5) Written by The Sensei ============================================================================ The Syndicate Report is stictly Bell orientated information. Without some background, reading in this material could cause a problem to understand. ============================================================================ VANITY NUMBERS: Vanity telephone numbers will be marketed in some parts of the country, according to the Wall Street Journal. Like vanity license plates, they will be names, nicknames or a special combination or letters and numbers...In another article, the Wall Street Journal reports that "big businesses generate more than half of all revenue from long-distance calls." It did not say howbig "big" is. ============================================================================ LONG-DISTANCE DATA TRANSMISSION STATISTICS: In a test of data-transmission quality of six leading long-distance carriers, Data Communications and the Center for Communications Management Information, Ramsey, N.J., found AT&T rated best in eight, MCI best in six and GTE Sprint in one. AT&T was fastest in setting up a call; MCI had the lowest in error rate...Venture Development Corp., Natick, Mass., forecasts annual growth of 23.5 percent in modem shipments through 1991...VSAT stands for "Very Small Aperature Terminal," an emerging technology for receiving signals from high-powered satillites in the KU-Band of frequencies. AT&T has proposed VSAT-based data service for business customers. VSATs also will use for satellite-to-home television broadcasting. ============================================================================ ISDN- A PRIMER: Integrated Services Digital Network, ISDN for short, is the emerging network concept that will change the way we commuicate both on the job and at home. ISDN has become a popular topic in trade and industry publications as manufacturers, end users, BOC's and numberous other entities grapple with the evolution of the network. Still, for people not involved on a day-to-day basis, the what, why, how and when of ISDN in unfamiliar. The following is a non-technical description of the ISDN concept and how it will serve the needs of and information processing society. ISDN Definition: The concept of ISDN first emerged in the European community and is not spreading globally, primarily to the United States and Japan at this time. The international communications standards bodies have defined an ISDN as "a network, in general evolving from the existing telephony digital network, that provides end-to-end digitial connectivity to support a wide range of services, including voice and non-voice services, to which users have access by a limited set of standard multipupose user-to-network interfaces". The major factor which characterizes an ISDN is the ability to use a single commuication channel for all forms of information transfer regardless of the source or original form of that information. It will be universally accessible by a wide assortment of devices, machines, and terminals. Picture this on ISDN: Junior is in his room, talking on the phone and playing a computer game -- with an opponent on another phone miles away. Mean- while, Mom is talking to her office getting ready to send a 50-page document over the wires. And Dad checks stock quotations displayed on a TV screen connected to a phone line. All of those different uses for the telephone -- voice, data, video -- would be possible on just one telephone line if Integrated Services Digitial Network becomes a way of life. (ISDN- A Primer will continue in the next transmittal as more information is gathered.) ============================================================================ INFORMATION ON FIBER OPTICS: Fiber Optics technology is enjoying wide acceptance in the telecom. industry and is fast becoming the preferred transmission medium for new installations. This is due, in part, to the advantages fiber has over other methods and also to a decrease in the cost of fiber optics cable and system components. Fiber Optics was first commercially produced in 1979. Since the, the technology has matured and many improvements in capabilities and performace have been realized. The advantages of fiber optics over other transmission media include: Superior bandwidth capability that is still increasing. Resistance to temperature variation, rediation, and corrosion. Immunity to electromagnetic and radio frequency interference. Lower attenuation than metallic facilites, thus increasing the transmission distance without repeaters. Extremely secure -- almost impossible to tap without detection. ============================================================================ DEREGULATION INTERVIEW: TRI-CO'S JIM BLAIR V.P.: Interview done during a CB Interview, system unknown. The questions will be asked by "SYND" and the response by "BLAIR" himself. Jim Blair is the Assistant Vice President -- Regulatory Affairs to Tri-Co. The Interview: SYND: Why is deregulation so critical to the success of US WEST, and what happens if you do not get it? BLAIR: With deregulation, we are talking about doing business on the same basis as any other American company does business. There are numerous problems with regulation. It's time-consuming and costly. We employ over 300 people and incure over $50 million in annual expense just to deal with being in a regulated environment. We encounter delays in many proposals we make to 14 defferent jurisdictions at the state level and one at the federal level. This is of great concern when our competitors don't have to operate under all the same rules. Regulation influences our decisions to enter and exit markets. Regulation, not the market, controls theprice of our products and it decides what types of businesses we are allowed to be in. This is totally opposite of today's competitive environment. So if we intend to compete, then it is critical we be deregulated. SYND: What is the significance of the Nebraska deregulation example? BLAIR: It is tremendous. Nebraska regulators and legislators believed that competition is here and if it's going to continue to develop, it must do so in a deregulated environment. And, in plain terms, it could be very good for that state's economy by attracting business and jobs. Our hat is off to Don Bliss, Nebraska's Chief Executive Office and Vice President-Regulatory and External Affairs, and his staff who initiated and achieved this historic change in the treatment of the industry. Nebraska is the most significant example of deregulation, yet. It sets an example for public policy makers all over the country. And I think other regulators are going to see the wisdom of deregulation as demonstrated by the Nebraska bill. SYND: What is Tri-Co doing to help with deregulation efforts? BLAIR: Tri-Co people are integrally involved with the IDCs and the Washington, D.C. office in developing strategies to support the strategic direction for deregulatory action. We've put in place a clearinghouse of information to share plans between the states so that there are no political surprises. In working with IDC teams, we've developed a system that outlines the preferred approach to deregulation in any given place at any given time. On federal level, U S WEST has been the most active in seeking deregulation. And we have had some successes. Our Tri-Co team was involved in preparing our CI III comments in concert with the Washington, D.C. office and with Open Network Architecture (a U S WEST innovation.) We are also deeply involved with Part X -- an accounting document that will establish procedures to account for regulated and deregulated organiza- tions within the same enterprise. Tri-Co Regulatory and Marketing groups also are in the process of working through implementation of deregulated billing and collection service for interexhange carriers. Ron James, Northwestern Bell Vice President --Communications Services and Advanced Information Markets, is heading this effort for the three IDC's. Incidentally, there are 11 states with deregulation bills in place in the country -- and eight of them are in U S WEST territory. It speaks very well for our actions to bo competitive. SYND: What issues have our critics singled out against deregulation? BLAIR: There are four issues our critics tend to use. The first is the issue of pricing. People fear we will dramatically raise our prices. To the contrary the market controls our prices. Second, there is concern for overcharging for certain services and underpricing others. Third, there's a concern about Universal Service. How will we continue service levels of more than 93 per cent of the population typical through- out America today? And fourth, there's a concern in the public policy environment about how new services are going to come to the marketplace to the benefit of all consumers without unfair cross-subsidy. SYND: And what about advantages for the consumer? BLAIR: The market will control service and price. New services will come to the market. Our basic business can be better protected because we will be encouraging and stimulating use of the network rather than holding it for internal purposes. Universal Service can be guarenteed simply because of its value. And Open Network Architecture (ONA) will simulate network usage and technical innovation. SYND: About the future -- what happens once we reach our goal, when Magnet gets deregulated? BLAIR: For the company, it will mean that we will have achieved economic freedom. We will be regulated by the marketplace. And we will have to spend that $50 million a year on regulation. Our customer will be better served. And out employees will find more opportunities in the workplace because our business position will be enhanced. And I'll be out of a job! ============================================================================ If there is any question to the information in this file, contact the author. Now can be found on the Private Sector 20 Meg, 3/1200 baud system at (201) 366-4431 (2600 Magazine Bulliten Board). ============================================================================ This concludes this transmittal No. 6 presented by: The Sensei - The Syndicate Report Released Sept. 28 1986 ============================================================================ [Mother Earth BBS]