Same course, different tacks: RHCs tackle data networking issues

Bell Atlantic and U S West last week announced measures to improve their data networking capabilities, the former within its own region, the latter at a national level.

U S West's !nterprise division is partnering with Cisco Systems to build a nationwide network to deliver high-speed data services. !nterprise has been offering such services through its !nteract offering in several in-region markets, said Mike Rouleaux, marketing vice president for U S West !nterprise. The new network will use fiber routes on the Williams network to expand that offering nationally.

The service is expected to begin within the next six months.

"We already have deployed !nteract in 29 or 30 cities where we have infrastructure for Internet access," Rouleaux said, adding that for the national rollout, "We already have deployment space in 21 markets, and we will move to deploy the Cisco equipment there first."

Bell Atlantic's situation revolves not around a specific new service offering, but around improving existing offerings and paving the way for new services.

The company has petitioned the FCC for regulatory relief in building backbone infrastructure for high-speed data services and for clarification as to whether high-speed services, such as digital subscriber line and packet switching, would be subject to price regulation. The carrier also wants to know if it would have to unbundle the elements and be required to resell capacity at wholesale rates.

While other carriers are building backbone infrastructure in Bell Atlantic's LATA, there is not enough to handle the growing traffic load, particularly from Internet users, said Tom Tauke, Bell Atlantic's senior vice pres ident for government relations. And because Bell Atlantic is prohibited from building intraLATA infrastructure, it cannot contribute to a solution.

"We're interested in [data traffic congestion] problems in our region," Tauke said.

The company could wait until it is allowed to offer long-distance service, it could approach the states within its region and request that the new network elements be exempt from regulation, or it could approach Congress, Tauke said.

But because the issues facing the company are relevant to other incumbent carriers, it chose to petition the FCC for a ruling, which it has asked the agency to deliver within 90 days.

"In this case, it appears to be a national issue," Tauke said.

FRONTIER INTROS LOCAL SERVICE Through resale agreements with Ameritech, U S West and Bell Atlantic, Frontier has introduced local phone service throughout most of Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Virginia and Washington.

TELIGENT TO ROLL OUT SERVICES Teligent plans to offer local, long-distance and high-speed data service using its wireless local loop technology in Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Orlando, Tampa, Washington, and Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio, Texas.

MEDIAONE HITS ATLANTA MediaOne has begun to offer local phone service to residential customers in Atlanta using a hybrid fiber/coax network. The service will be available to cable TV and non-cable TV customers.