Pacific Bell Cox Communications Sign Interconnect Agreement.SAN FRANCISCO/ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 25, 1996--Cox Communications, Inc. and Pacific Bell announced today that they have signed a comprehensive agreement to interconnect the two companies' networks in California. Cox, the nation's fifth largest cable company, serving more than 3.2 million customers, intends to be a facilities-based provider of telephone services in residential and commercial markets. Today's agreement is the first reached with a Regional Bell Operating Company The Regional Bell Operating Companies (RBOC) are the result of the U.S. Department of Justice antitrust suit against American Telephone & Telegraph. History . For Pacific Bell, it marks the first "14-point" pact made with a competitive company that serves residential customers. The Regional Bell Operating Companies are required by the Telecommunications Act There are several laws named the Telecommunications Act
"Our agreement with Cox is the product of two dedicated teams that have negotiated terms that benefit both companies and the California consumer," said Lee Bauman, Pacific Bell vice president -- Local Competition. "This is our first check-list agreement involving a competitive company serving residential customers, and the benefit to these customers in terms of increased choice is significant." "This agreement marks another important step in our plans to offer a full array of communications services in California," said David M. Woodrow, Senior Vice President, Broadband Services. "The agreement gives us the terms and conditions that allow us to offer consumers a competitive choice in the rapidly changing telecommunications marketplace." Both executives said a unique feature of the agreement was Cox's use of unbundled Pacific Bell ports. This allows Cox to connect its hybrid fiber coax (networking) Hybrid Fiber Coax - (HFC) A kind of physical connection used in networks for audio, video, and data. DVB (Digital Video Broadcast) is used in Europe and DOCSIS is used in N America. network directly to the phone company's switches and out onto Pacific Bell's network. Cox currently serves 826,000 customers in California. The flat rate for residential ports will be $6.65 per month. Measured residential ports will cost $4.15 per month, with a $1.00 credit for the use of Cox's network by long-distance carriers, plus one cent per minute of use. Business measured ports will cost $4.00 per month, with the same $1.00 credit applied, plus one cent per minute of use. The three-year agreement calls for termination of local calls on a "bill-and-keep" basis. Interim number portability See NP. will be provided through remote call forwarding A telephone service that enables the automatic routing of a call from the called phone number to another phone number. It differs from regular call forwarding, in which the forwarding number is dialed from the called phone. at the rate of $1.94 per month. Cox customers will be listed in Pacific Bell's directories, and directory assistance will be provided at Cox's request. The agreement must be approved by the California Public Utilities Commission The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC; also often commonly referred to as simply the PUC) [1] is a state Public Utilities Commission which regulates privately-owned utilities in the state of California, including electric power, . Woodrow and Bauman said they were hopeful approval would be granted within a few weeks. Pacific Bell recently signed a comprehensive, 14-point check-list agreement with Teleport Communications Group Teleport Communications Group (TCG) was the first Competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC) in the U.S. First formed in 1985, it competed with the existing telephone companies to provide dial tone and related services in the largest U.S. markets. and has signed interim agreements with seven other competitors. Cox Communications Cox Communications is a privately owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises providing digital cable television and telecommunications services in the United States. It is the third-largest[2] cable television provider in the United States, serving more than 6. , Inc. is a fully integrated, diversified, broadband communications company Communications Company is a communications unit of the United States Marine Corps. They are part of Combat Logistics Regiment 37 , 3rd Marine Logistics Group (3MLG) and III Marine Expeditionary Force (III MEF). The unit is based out of the Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. , with interests in U.S. and international cable distribution systems, programming networks and telecommunications technology. Cox has a comprehensive telephony strategy that includes investments in Sprint Spectrum, a partnership of three cable companies and the Sprint Corporation to develop wireless telephony telephony without wires, usually employing electric waves of high frequency emitted from an oscillator or generator, as in wireless telegraphy. A telephone transmitter causes fluctuations in these waves, it being the fluctuations only which affect the receiver. See also: Wireless services; and Teleport Communications Group, the largest alternative access provider in the United States. In Personal Communications Services See PCS. , Cox is the holder of the pioneer's preference license for the Southern California Major Trading Area where the company will launch this new generation of wireless telephone services later this year. Pacific Bell is a subsidiary of Pacific Telesis Group, a diversified telecommunications corporation based in San Francisco. CONTACT: Cox Communications Ellen East, 404/843-5854 ellen.east@cox.com or Pacific Bell Jerry Kimata, 415/394-3739 jerry.kimata@pactel.com Beverly Butler, 415/542-9468 (Bay Area) David Dickstein, 213/975-4074 (Los Angeles) Linda Bonniksen, 213/975-5061 (Los Angeles) Dave Miller, 916/972-2811 (Sacramento/San Joaquin County) John Britton, 619/237-2430 (San Diego/Orange County) |
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