wb8foz@mthvax.cs.miami.edu (David Lesher) (03/04/90)
Bell Canada expects to start the Alex system up in Toronto at the end of April. This is basically a line that can be called via modem to access a variety of "service providers" that are online. It works with the NAPLPS videotext format to transmit data and diagrams. It all started with a market trial in Montreal, where 20 000 subscribers were expected during the two-year trial period. They reached 20,000 in six months, although the turnover (they call it "churn") was quite high. Services such as banking, home shopping could be provided through the Alex system. Bell plans to put its white pages on line (yellow pages cannot be provided because of some technicalities with the act under which Bell Canada was incorporated; the CRTC denied them a modem "yellow pages" service). Alex will work on a number of service levels. These are: 1) Customer gets service for free. The service provider pays 10c/min for a subscriber's on line time. 2) Customer and service provider each pay 5c/min 3) Service provider pays 10c for the first three minutes. After that, it's the customer who pays the 10c/min. [This level will be used for the "white pages" service; that is, get the first three minutes of white pages for free.] 4) Customer pays 10c/min. The service provider may bill separately, however (ie. if you pay for extra service using a credit card or whatever). 5) Customer pays 15c/min, while service provider pays 10c/min. There is a 10% of customer charge levied for an Accounts Receivable Management (presumably a way to bill the customer further through the Alex service). 6) Customer pays 20c/min. Service provider pays as in 5). 7) Variable. Customer will pay at least 25c/min (cost will be a multiple of 5c/min). This is Alex's version of 976 service. Bell will rent an ALEXTEL video terminal for $7.95/month for residence customers. There will also be PC software that can connect to Alex (though this would be determined by other manufacturers and market demand. Access will be through a single number (in the Montreal test, separate numbers were used for each level of Alex service). Login will be by userid and password. Initial registration is expected to be done via an 800 number where name, address, other details are collected before account access is given. Bell has promoted the upcoming service by placing "smart alex" ads in various places (without reference to Bell, or what the Alex product is about). They consist of pictures of people that have fluorescent features written over their faces (glasses, beards, etc). The service should be ready to go on 30th April according to their timetable (in Toronto and Montreal). Other localities will eventually have service, but Bell is secretive about that for some reason what with their timetable of implementation showing a big whited-out gap below the mention of Toronto and Montreal. There are also plans to link up with other data services like Datapac or Dataroute and that in the future. || David Leibold "Morals are one thing. Ratings are everything." || djcl@contact.uucp - from _Max_Headroom_ TV series