AT&T Co’s main announcement at InterOp was a new service for interconnecting geographically dispersed local networks. As part of the new AccuWAN service, AT&T says that it will design, install, monitor, maintain and manage customers’ local network internetworks. It is to provide speeds from 56Kbps to 1.5Mbps, and the service is to be provided through customer premises equipment such as AT&T Paradyne’s multiplexing and DCE equipment, AT&T Network Systems LCS200 routers, and AT&T Accunet dedicated network facilities. AccuWAN is said to support all major local network types and protocols, including TCP/IP, DECNet Phase IV and V, Novell IPX and AppleTalk. The service is intended to complete the AT&T InterSpan Extended Connectivity Option, said to provide a turnkey local network for InterSpan Frame Relay customers. There is to be a controlled introduction in the fourth quarter, with general availability early next year, and the service will be offered through the AT&T Data Communications Services sales force. There is no word yet on how the service is to be tariffed.

Internet

AT&T has announced one beta site, White & Case, a New York City law firm with offices in Miami and Los Angeles. Also announced by AT&T were new options for accessing the Internet: from the first quarter of next year, customers of AT&T InterSpan Frame Relay and information access services, and of the AT&T InterSpan Information Access Services, will be able to access the Internet at speeds from 300bps to 14.4Kbps. AT&T says that its Frame Relay customers will be able to access the Internet by adding a single permanent virtual circuit to their existing connections, while Information Access Services customers will be given access through a nationwide toll-free number. The options are said to include naming services based on the Domain Name System, as well as access to the InterNic Directory and Database Services. AT&T adds that InterSpan customers and all global Internet users will be able to subscribe to the full range of EasyLink services, including electronic mail, text-to-fax delivery and telex. AT&T bought EasyLink from the former Western Union Corp.