FaciliCom Inks Global Operating Agreement
Posted: 10/1997
FaciliCom Inks Global Operating Agreement
WASHINGTON–FaciliCom International (FCI) has concluded an
operating agreement with the Compania Anonima Nacional de
Telefonos de Venezuela, Venezuela’s leading carrier.
The agreement establishes direct channels between the
Venezuelan operator’s international switching points and FCI’s
facilities in the United States. The two companies also agreed to
explore other joint business opportunities.
In Europe, FCI’s newest affiliate, FCI-UK, soon will begin
service over its new international gateway switch in London.
Later in the year, FCI’s capacity over the Fiberoptic Link Around
the Globe project, which links Europe, Africa and Asia together
with undersea fiber optic cable, will be made available to
customers.
RSL Buys Into Delta Three
HAMILTON, Bermuda–RSL Communications signed an agreement to
acquire a 51 percent interest in Delta Three Inc., a
telecommunications provider that uses the Internet and other
networks based on Internet protocols to provide
telecommunications services.
Delta Three’s Global Network offers efficient delivery by
routing calls over the Internet. Consumers dial an international
call as they would with any long distance provider, only a
regular telephone is required, not a computer. RSL has tested the
Delta Three system through its use in a segment of its prepaid
calling card services.
CWI Wins PALTEL Bid
LONDON–The Palestine Telecommunications Company (PALTEL) has
selected Cable & Wireless Inc. (CWI) to provide support in
the management and development of the telecommunications sector
in Palestine.
CWI will provide a management team to PALTEL, which plans to
develop an independent and fully integrated telecommunications
network to provide both national and international services to
the 2 million people of the West Bank and Gaza.
The telecommunications sector in Palestine was privatized
earlier this year as part of President Yasir Arafat’s national
policy for the development of infrastructure. Arafat has
supported the development of the telecommunications sector
through the Palestine Telecommunications Unit, the government
agency responsible for the privatization under the chairmanship
of Mohammed Rachid.
NEC Establishes Russian Company
NEW YORK–NEC Corp., with partners, Mitsui & Co., Simitomo
Corp. and Telecominvest (TI) of St. Petersburg, Russia, will
establish a joint-venture company in St. Petersburg to
manufacture, market and maintain telecommunications systems.
Named Closed Joint-Stock Co. NEC Neva Communications Systems
(NEC Neva), its president and vice president will be nominated by
NEC, while a second vice president will be nominated by TI.
Last January, the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications of
the Russian Federation issued a notice to the country’s 86
regional telephone operators that they are to purchase equipment
from domestic manufacturers.
This joint venture will be responsible for production, sales
and maintenance of NEC’s latest digital public switching system,
the NEAX61, and provide engineering support for transmission and
wireless systems. In the future, NEC Neva is expected to expand
its operations into surrounding countries.
New Services for El Salvador, Guatemala
SAN DIEGO–WorldxChange Communications has received
authorization from the governments of El Salvador and Guatemala
to operate as a facilities-based long distance carrier.
Through the use of new carrier access codes, WorldxChange can
begin to provide service there and seek interconnection with
Antel and Guatel, the incumbent telephone companies. WorldxChange
will be installing its switching platform, TCIB2000, in both
countries. The TCIB2000 is an integrated computer telephony
switching platform which combines all aspects of switching,
billing, customer care and international gateway capabilities.
Innovative Expands International Capacity
NASHUA, N.H.–Innovative Telecom Corp. recently provided and
installed a telephone switching site for Elcotel Inc. in the
Philippines. The new Philippine switch will enable Elcotel to
offer enhanced international telephone services to their
customers. The system consists of a network-based prepaid card
management system to be used with 5,000 payphones supplied by
Elcotel.
ACC Telecom to Purchase United Telecom
ROCHESTER, N.Y.–ACC Corp. announced that its UK subsidiary,
ACC Telecom, has signed a definitive agreement to purchase
UK-based United Telecom, Ltd., a prepaid calling card and long
distance services provider. The acquisition provides ACC with its
own calling card platform and is expected to enhance ACC’s
overall profit margins for this product line. The deal is
expected to create additional network efficiencies in the United
Kingdom. "United Telecom customers have peak calling
activity at night and on weekends. We expect this acquisition
will create economies of scale and also improve the overall
operating efficiency of our network as we route this off-peak
traffic over our own switched-based network," said ACC Corp.
chair and chief executive officer, David Laniak.
New Network for Tianjin, China
KANSAS CITY, Mo.–Sprint recently announced the start of
alternative telephone service in Tianjin, China, a city of 9
million people. The Tianjin network is a fixed wireline network
of China Unicom that initially will serve 50,000 lines in
Tianjin. When this first phase is completed, a proposed second
phase would include an additional 250,000 lines, bringing the
total to 300,000.
The Tianjin branch of China Unicom will exclusively operate,
market and service the local network. Sprint is a partner in a
consortium called Tianjin Global Communications, which is
providing advice and consulting services on the development of
the network. The consortium is composed of Sumitomo, Sprint and
Tianjin Communications and Construction Investment Co.
Xylan to Supply Korean Campus Network
CALABASAS, Calif.–Xylan Corp. announced that Korea Heavy
Industries and Construction Co. has signed an agreement for a
campus network supporting more than 8,000 fully switched users.
Each workstation will have its own dedicated, switched Ethernet
segment, using asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) at 155 Mbps.
These edge switches will connect to additional OmniSwitches while
the backbone switches will interconnect with ATM at 622 Mbps,
forming a fully meshed, redundant ATM backbone.
The Xylan OmniSwtich backbone will be responsible for running
all of Korea Heavy Industries’ applications, including research
and development, design, manufacturing, inventory control and
accounting.
