tomasz@sun2.fit.edu (10/06/89)
Hi out there! The questions I am about to throw out at you have been the topic of many furious arguments. Most of the "information" used in arguments was based on the "educated guess" principle. I would like to change that. What seems to be the issue here is the time or "date" the fiber-optic connection would be available to an ordinary folk at home. I have heard rumours that if you are a "Big" corporation with "Big" bucks, you can have one right now. Well, the intresting thing here is how much such a thing costs, how the price will go down in the future and how fast. Are there any plans by telephone companies to do this in the next year, decade, century... Are there any products available or in development that integrate something like, lets say X windows and videophone or TV, or some other multi-media interface. Also, what is the deal with the fiber-optic cable accross the Atlantic, is it there? In the process of being installed or what? Again, if there are any plans for direct fiber- optic service in the near future in the USA, how do the prospects look like in other parts of the world, more or less promissing? If my questions are out of place here I am sorry, but I have no clue in what other group these questions would be more appropriate. Any information, including where to get this information, will be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance Tom ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thomas Maliszewski Insanity, a condition of tomasz@tuck.fit.edu realizing its presences home phone: (407) 676 4470 in others.
sg04@GTE.COM (Steven Gutfreund) (10/11/89)
GTE is currently conducting an experiment in Cerritos CA. They have wired up several houses in the community (some with cable some with optic) and is exploring the delivery of video services (e.g. demand video, video conferencing, etc). The original development of the system was done here at GTE Labs. We had to get special clearance from the FCC and local PUC to compete in the video marketplace. (yes, compete is the correct term - on a bullitin board here there are pictures of Cerritos video rental stores, and a sign that remarks that there future is limited after video on demand arrives). -- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Yechezkal Shimon Gutfreund sgutfreund@gte.com GTE Laboratories, Waltham MA harvard!bunny!sgutfreund -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=