dca-pgs@DDN3.ARPA (Pat Sullivan) (06/06/88)
This ad appeared in the 23 May 88 issue of Communications Week,, p. 25: PROJECT VICTORIA - SPECIAL LICENSING OPPORTUNITY Pacific Bell hereby announces its intention to license others to make, use, lease, and/or sell Pacific Bell's proprietary, patented multiplexing system known as Project Victoria. Project Victoria enables a single, twisted copper pair in a telephone company's local loop plant to simultaneously transmit seven channels: two voice, one 9.6 data, and four 1.2 data channels. Although several aspects in the develop- ment of this system currently remain uncompleted, Pacific Bell strongly believes that significant business opportunities exist for Project Victoria licensees given the current state of this system. More detailed information regarding the licensing of Project Victoria will be made available by Pacific Bell at two half-day seminars. They will take place on June 7 and June 21, 1988. The seminars are free of charge and will be conducted at Pacific Bell's offices located at 2600 Camino Ramon, San Ramon, California. The seminars will not be repeated. For additional information, or to reserve your seat at one of Pacific Bell's seminars, please contact T. D. Walker at (415)823-2772 NLT five working days before the seminar you are interested in attending. (end of ad) *********************************************************** This raises many questions, such as: - Given that ISDN or at least ISDN metropolitan islands are expected near-term, why does PacBell think anyone would buy this or be able to make money with it? (Possible answer: this may not require a digital CO switch or SS #7?) - Can the seven different channels be independently switched? It doesn't sound like it. - Has PacBell looked at the effect that long holding times from full-period data will have on CO switches that weren't sized for that? This concern becomes acute if Victoria is supposed to be a CPE applique which will extend the usefulness of old plant. When I first heard of Project Victoria, it was supposed to be an "ISDN-like" demonstration capability at a time when standards had not jelled and industry commitment to ISDN was uncertain. Since then, ISDN standards have come a long way and industry commitment appears to be solid, so I'm hard put to see what Victoria could offer unless it would be a matter of breathing new life into old plant without the capital-intensiveness of ISDN. Any information from knowledgeable folks is requested and would be greatly appreciated. (I wish they had scheduled a seminar for the DC area.) I will summarize responses and furnish upon request. -Pat Sullivan Reston, VA.