Internet takes international spotlight >BY Dan O'Shea, Technology Editor>TX

Global One and Concert both announced international Internet backbone strategies last week, attempting to answer overseas demand for Internet-related services.

Using the International Telecommunication Union's Americas Telecom conference in Rio de Janeiro as a backdrop, Global One-the alliance of Sprint, Deutsche Telekom and France Telecom-launched a dial-up Internet backbone service targeted at Internet service providers, corporate intranets and other users in Brazil. Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia are connected to the service now, and nine other cities will be up by the end of the year, said Arely Castellon, Global One's vice president for the Americas region.

The launch came just hours after Concert, the MCI/BT alliance, announced its own strategy for a global Internet backbone with eight regional "superhubs" now and 20 to come within the year. Latin America will not be among Concert's initial plans but likely will be included in the next few months, said a spokesman.

Both announcements come at a time when many companies outside the U.S.-particularly in Latin America, Asia and Africa-still have low teledensities. But that fact has not snubbed a rapid growth in Internet interest, and many operators in emerging markets are looking at long-term prospects.

"Teledensity will grow from 12% to 20% in Brazil by 2000," said Francisco Loureiro, general manager of Global One in Brazil.

The alliance expects more than 50 ISPs and other customers to sign up for the service during the first year, Castellon said. The service will cost $2.50 per hour, with discounts for large users.

Global One also will establish a network control center in Sao Paulo. The alliance will spend up to $10 million to expand the service, which will require some new network construction, said Loureiro.

Concert's service, dubbed Internet Plus, will be based mostly on the integration of MCI's newly upgraded 155 Mb/s Internet backbone with BT's network. NTT Data will market the service in Japan, and Concert is looking for new partners in the Americas and elsewhere, said the Concert spokesman.