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MCI to Launch First Nationwide Sonet/ATM Network press release
From: David Farber <farber () central cis upenn edu>
Date: Thu, 2 Feb 1995 20:58:02 -0500
MCI TO LAUNCH FIRST NATIONWIDE SONET/ATM NETWORK Network Will be First To Combine Advanced Switching and Transmission Technologies for Commercial Use DALLAS, TX, January 30, 1995 - MCI today announced that in March of this year it plans to activate the world's first nationwide "virtual" high-speed commercial telecommunications network, combining advanced information age technologies known as Synchronous Optical Network (SONET) And Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM). Marking a major milestone in the development of the information super- highway, the new network will be capable of combining voice, data and video transmissions together at 155 megabits (155 million bits of information) per second over MCI's high-speed backbone network, currently operating at 2.5 gigabits (2.5 billion bits) per second -- the equivalent of transmitting the entire U.S. Mail list of names and addresses across the country in less than a minute. "This network is the first-of-its-kind to combine both of these advanced telecommunications technologies in one seamless commercial operation nationwide," said John Gerdelman, president of networkMCI Services. "SONET and ATM will allow voice, data and video signals to be transmitted over the same channel simultaneously, and are vital components of the innovative multimedia applications and information services that we are developing." As communications technologies converge, MCI customers will continue to have available to them an increasing array of new services, from advanced telemedicine applications and rapid image transfers to remote data access and online shopping -- at the touch of a button. Last year, the company introduced networkMCI BUSINESS, the first software application combining important business tools, such as electronic mail, fax messaging, document sharing, videoconferencing and information services, in a single product. MCI also launched it's HyperStream ATM service, currently the Fastest on the market, and is the only carrier offering SMDS. This now gives MCI the lead in providing the nation's most complete data services. Other recent MCI innovations include internetMCI, a portfolio of services giving customers easy, high-speed access to the rapidly growing and increasingly popular Internet. MCI continues to invest in the latest telecommunications technologies, such as SONET and ATM, faster than other long distance carriers. Recently, the company added ATM capabilities and plans to provided SONET to its Developers Lab in Richardson, Texas, bringing the power and intelligence of these technologies to outside developers for the first time. The Lab, which MCI refers to as "the twenty-first century garage," offers developers the opportunity to test innovative applications in a live network environment. According to Gerdelman, MCI's goal is to create the "network for the information age," and provide not only access to information services, but content as well. "With SONET you gain certain benefits in terms of reliability and overall network performance," said Gerdelman. "ATM gives us the advanced switching capability for multiple signal transmissions. Combine the two and you have the foundation of a network that is well positioned to generate new revenue from these emerging markets." MCI plans to boost its transmission speed to 10 gigabits (10 billion bits) per second in early 1996, and is currently introducing new fiber optic technologies that will allow 40 gigabits (40 billion bits) per second transmissions in the near future. "If you think transmitting the entire U.S. Mail list in one minute is fast, just wait," said Gerdelman. "At 40 gigabits we'll be able to do it in only 4 seconds!" MCI, headquartered in Washington, D.C., has expanded from its core long distance business to become the world's third largest carrier of international calling and a premier provider of data communications over the vast Internet computer network. With annual revenue of over $13.3 billion, the company today provides a wide array of consumer and business long distance and local services, data and video communications, on-line information, electronic mail, network management services and communications software. networkMCI Services is the division responsible for developing MCI's information technology and operating its global intelligent network.
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- MCI to Launch First Nationwide Sonet/ATM Network press release David Farber (Feb 02)