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 Thu, Mar 19 1992 Date: Thu, 19 Mar 92 05:57:39 EST Message-ID: 03-19 0000 DECISIONLINE: Telecommunications USA TODAY Update March 19, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network TELEPHONE CONTROLS URGED: State regulators urged a congressional subcommittee Wednesday to adopt controls over regional telephone companies and prevent them from expanding into new businesses. Minnesota Attorney General Hubert H. Humphrey III told the House Judiciary subcommittee on economic and commercial law that the quality of local phone service could be threatened. (For more, see special Controls package below) IBM TO OFFER HELP LINE: IBM, hoping to ease consumer dissatisfaction, said Wednesday it has opened a national customer service center to provide help over the phone. The toll-free customer line (1-800-PS2-2227) will handle complaints about PS-2s, and offer advice on how to use them and how to shop for an appropriate model. It will answer questions about OS-2, IBM's operating system software for PCs. VEHICLE LOCATION DEVICE DEBUTS: Coded Communications Wednesday introduced mobile data products designed to provide automatic vehicle location using a global positioning system. The LANMARC-5000 and LANMARC EASY-LINK were designed to put affordable, flexible vehicle tracking within reach of public safety, utility, courier and other fleet operators with as few as 10 vehicles, the firm says. NEW GUIDE AIDS VOICE NETWORK: A new information service for voice network professionals is now available from Datapro Information Services. The comprehensive management information resource is a guide to issues, trends, and proven techniques for managing a voice network. The service is updated monthly and can be ordered from the company's operation in Delran, N.J. 24-HOUR TV NEWS IN D.C. AREA: GTE Spacenet is providing comprehensive satellite news gathering services to Washington D.C.'s new 24-hour all-news cable channel, NewsChannel 8. The channel targets the 675,000 cable subscribers in D.C., Maryland and Virginia, tailoring the news to local areas. GEORGIANS APPEAL AREA CODE: Two hundred residents in Coweta and Cherokee counties in Georgia who want to stay in Atlanta's 404 area code will take their case to the Public Service Commission Friday. They are presently slated for the new 706 area code which would mean long-distance rates to call Atlanta, only 25-miles away. SPRINT DEBUTS VOICE SERVICE: Sprint has added Productivity Plus, a new service, to its TeleMedia program. The addition removes the need for users to buy voice processing equipment to support interactive voice response aplications. Sprint will work with users to develop databases that run on Telemedia equipment. FRANCE TELECOM ADDS SERVICE: France Telecom has launched a new regional very small aperture terminal network service. Called Irisat, the service is now available in France and will soon debut in Germany, the United Kingdom and parts of North Africa. The service can support X.25 and Systems Network Architecture traffic. SELLERS SHOULD SEE INCREASE: The worldwide revenues of U.S. value-added network providers is expected to see a big increases by 1996, according to a International Data Corp. report. The Framingham, Mass., research firm sees revenues, at $1.15 billion in 1991, to reach $1.91 billion by 1996. SPECIAL PACKAGE ON CONTROLS: HUMPHREY SEEKS BABY BELL CONTROL: Hubert Humphrey III, vice president of the National Association of Attorneys General urged that restriction imposed in 1982 on the seven regional phone companies known as the Baby Bells be enforced. A recent U.S. Court of Appeals ruling lifted the ban on information services and the Baby Bells are seeking to have the remaining line-of-business prohibitions removed. The issue is still on appeal. NEWSPAPERS FEAR REVENUE LOSS: The newspaper industry and other information providers and long distance companies, such as AT&T and MCI want Congress to codify the line-of-business restrictions against Baby Bells into law. Newspapers are most fearful that the phone companies will cut into advertising revenues by providing audio or computer services that take the place of classified advertising. BABY BELLS HAVE ADVANTAGE: David W. Rolka, chairman of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, said trying to keep track of what the Bells already do is a tough job. He said allowing them to enter the information services marketplace would allow them to subsidize their non-regulated business with ratepayers' money. The would give them an edge over other firms trying to provide information services. HUMPHREY SAYS MARKETS HEALTHY: Humphrey said the only solid argument being made by the Baby Bells is that they would help increase competition. "But those markets are healthy as it is. ... Competition in long distance, equipment manufacturing and information services is thriving," he said. (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. 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