Information, please

Article Abstract:

The Bell Regional Holding Companies are taking advantage of deregulation occurring in the Fall of 1991 that now allows them to provide information services over telephone lines. Telephone companies are still barred from access to television, the current major disseminator of information, but the services they are providing offer strong competition both to television and printer services. Southwestern Bell Corp plans to provide an operator-assisted yellow pages information service, but this may be contrary to the Baby Bells' restriction from long distance services since service must be restricted to a zone. Ameritech Corp offers facsimile services and BellSouth Corp provides shop-at-home services. Telephone companies would like Congress to lift their the cable television restriction, and U S West, AT and T and TeleCommunications Inc are developing pay-per-view and movies-on-demand services in anticipation of a lift on the ban. In the meanwhile, information services are proliferating, due to the revenue potential of $200 to $300 million a year.

Laws, regulations and rules, Telecommunications systems, Information services, Regional Bell Operating Companies, Government Regulation, Videotex, Bell Regional Holding Companies

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WAT's new?

Article Abstract:

The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has determined that local telephone companies must update their equipment to accommodate the portability of 800 or toll-free telephone numbers by Mar 1993. This ruling opens up opportunities for telephone companies who can now woo customers with customized 800 numbers away from larger companies, since they can take their numbers with them. MCI Communications Corp and Sprint Corp see this as a boon to their businesses, since they believe that the better 800 service they can offer now will attract customers who would not leave competitor AT and T because of their distinctive telephone numbers. AT and T claims not to be troubled by the FCC's regulation, citing that their customers do not desire 800 number portability. Still, this regulation will allow customers to shop around for the best service and prices for their toll-free service.

Usage, United States. Federal Communications Commission, Science and technology policy, Product introduction, WATS, New Technique, Regulation, Toll-free telephone numbers, Toll free numbers

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