Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.telcom From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: telcom Mon, Mar 9 1992 Date: Mon, 9 Mar 92 05:46:24 EST Message-ID: 03-09 0000 DECISIONLINE: Telecommunications USA TODAY Update March 9, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network PHONE REVENUE HITS $156 BILLION: The telephone industry generated $156 billion in revenue in 1990, with almost half of it coming from long-distance service, according to the Commerce Department. Of the long-distance revenue, $23.3 billion came from residential service and $44.9 billion was from business service. U.S. SOFTENS STANCE: The U.S. has reversed opposition to selling telecommunications equipment to the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Telecommunications Industries Association says. Formal agreement to ease multilateral export controls is expected at the next meeting of Cocom, the Coordinating Committee for Multilateral Export Controls based in Paris, which is due in June at the latest. SOME RESTRICTIONS WOULD REMAIN: The U.S. government is proposing an easing rather than an end to telecommunications controls to the Commonwealth of Independent State. Sales would be allowed of the most modern medium-speed systems for use between CIS cities and of top-speed systems for international communications. Controls would continue for technology for use near military and nuclear facilities. AT&T PROVIDES TRANSLATION: At Monterey, Calif.-based AT&T Language Line Services, operators stand by to provide 24-hour-a-day translation in more than 140 languages, from Albanian to Zambal, Lithuanian to Laotian. "You can't beat it," Capt. Gerald Aubin of the Providence Police Department said. He said that without the service, some crimes would go unreported or unsolved. (For more, see special Translation package below.) BELL ATLANTIC TOUGHENS RULES: Bell Atlantic Corp. says it is toughening its quality standards. The new policies include a plan which requires all suppliers to disclose product problems discovered by other customers worldwide. Bell Atlantic is the first regional Bell company to make the requirement. BANYON, MICROSOFT SIGN DEAL: Banyan Systems and Microsoft Corp. say they have signed an agreement to resolve technical support problems for customers who use products by both companies. The agreement also calls for Banyan and Microsoft to provide each other with technical training and share technical information databases. PERSONAL COMMUNICATIONS BOOSTED: Federal Communications Commission Chairman Alfred Sikes is moving full-steam ahead with personal communication services, Network magazine reports. Microwave users are concerned that they will have to give up use of some radio frequencies to make way for the new wireless services. INTERNATIONAL BILLING CHANGED: Advanced Telecommunications Corp. has introduced a new billing plan for its international calling services. Users of Acclaim II International will be charged a minimum of 18 seconds on each international call. Calls longer than that are billed in six-second increments. NIPPON TO JOIN OPEN SOFTWARE: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. of Japan says it plans to join the Open Software Foundation, Inc. as a user member. Network magazine reports NTT officials say there will be "harmony" between OSF's technologies and standards and NTT's efforts to develop open standards. SPECIAL PACKAGE ON TRANSLATION: LANGUAGE LINE SEES RESULTS: AT&T Language Line Services has proven to be very proven successful to some. It has helped a Texas wildcatter negotiate oil drilling rights in Ukraine, aided a Los Angeles sheriff's deputy in talking a Hispanic couple through a surprise 6 a.m. childbirth and gave an adopted Japanese-American woman a chance to locate her biological parents in Japan. STARTED AS VOLUNTARY SERVICE: A San Jose police officer and a former military interpreter started a voluntary telephone translation service in the early 1980s to help San Jose police communicate with the large Vietnamese community. The two men turned the volunteer service into a business in 1984, and AT&T bought them out and moved operations to Monterey, Calif., in 1989. LINE IS NON-PROFIT: Clients to AT&T Language Line include hospitals, hotels, businesses and 911 dispatchers. Interpretation is also available to individuals in more than 140 languages. AT&T Language Line is non-profit. Government subscribers pay a $499 set-up fee and a $25 monthly minimum, plus $1.94 per minute. Businesses pay slightly more per month and per minute. AT&T WILL TRANSLATE CONTRACTS: In addition to immediate telephone interpretation, AT&T will translate contracts and print advertising, and check for unintended meanings. Non-subscribers can use the service for $3.50 per minute by charging it on an AT&T calling card or a major credit card. "It's a terrific service," said Wally Siembab of the Los Angeles Telecommunications Department. "The airport loves it." (End of package.) Telecommunications Editor: Ed Kelleher. (1-919-855-3491) Making copies of USA TODAY Update (Copyright, 1992) for further distribution violates federal law. This article is copyright 1992 Gannett News Service. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM