peterson@osage.csc.ti.com (09/16/90)
Quoted from the Sept. 14 _Dallas Morning News_, page 13D:
DALLAS AWARDS SIX FIBER-OPTIC NETWORK FRANCHISES
The city of Dallas has awarded franchises to six companies that want
to build private fiber-optic telecommunications networks in Dallas.
The proposed networks would compete with Southwestern Bell Corp. and
offer virtually all telecommunications services approved by the
Federal Communications Commission except for cable television.
Approved for franchises are Alta Telecom of Norcross, Ga.; DFW
Metrolink of Dallas; Merrill Lynch Teleport Technologies of New York;
Metropolitan Fiber Systems of Chicago; Optinet Corp. of Dallas; and
Westmark Communications, a subsidiary of Denver-based television cable
company Telecommunications.
The companies have 30 days to sign formal franchise agreements with
the city. The companies will be required to post a $1 million bond
and take out $15 million of liability insurance before they can begin
construction.
The franchise agreement also requires the companies to ahve service
available within six months and at least five miles of fiber optic
cable laid within two years.
The city will be paid four percent of the companies' gross receipts.