Caron Carlson

As carrier sales dry up and enterprise spending shrivels, struggling networking gear vendors such as Lucent Technologies Inc. and Alcatel S.A. are looking to new—or, in some cases, old—customers to help weather the economic downturn. But while the moves make clear what the vendors said they hope to get from new marketing programs and partnerships—namely, […]

For many years, telecommunications carriers have been talking about the promise of wireless technologies to deliver traditional services in addition to mobile telephony. The talk has not translated into action in the United States, however, where most spectrum assigned for fixed wireless services still lies fallow. But thats all about to change. Some of the […]

After five years of providers tantalizing customers with innovative services at low rates, the telecommunications industry is returning to an era of fewer providers and rising prices. Facing a dwindling pool of customers, however, telecom vendors are racing to ensure that the prevailing carriers sustain a level of innovation in the face of decreased competition. […]

With the telecommunications industrys rediscovered appreciation for profitability, return on investment and other bottom-line interests, vendors will take advantage of this weeks SuperComm conference in Atlanta to show providers how to offer differentiated services in the hope of increasing the revenue potential of each user. While it is not clear that customer demand is driving […]

The potential acquisition of Lucent Technologies Inc. by French manufacturer Alcatel S.A. may not raise the regulatory red flags that slowed other recent international telecommunications mergers. But even if the deal were to breeze through Washington, it would not necessarily mean smooth sailing for customers. “Im sure all of our members have concerns to some […]

On the brink of codependency, voice carriers and next-generation service providers are beginning to work together to learn how to recognize and address the real needs of e-business. The historical phone company model is being strafed with enterprise requests for Web hosting, intelligent IP services and optical networking, to name a few, while service providers […]

AT&T Corp. last week began formalizing the restructuring plan that it initiated in October, and for consumers of high-end business services, the process holds the potential for more responsive, efficient service. AT&T maintains that end users will not be affected by the separation of the giant company into four independent units: business, wireless, cable TV […]

Ushering in what appears to be an era of improved relations between lawmakers and telecommunications regulators, U.S. senators overseeing the Federal Communications Commission this week will consider three new commissioners for the five-seat agency. In preliminary interviews before Congress, all three nominees stressed cooperation and restraint, suggesting that the new commissioners will differ from their […]

The tightening purse strings of major telecommunications equipment vendors are straining the training and services provided to carrier and enterprise customers. This is good news—but only if youre an independent IT training provider. Some vendors are farming out portions of their training programs to smaller manufacturers and consultants. The most likely courses to be outsourced […]

From the convention floors of Las Vegas to the halls of Capitol Hill, a downturn in the fortunes of carriers is blunting customer enthusiasm for all but the most Spartan offerings and raising regulatory cries of unfair competition in telecommunications. The result will be evident at this weeks NetWorld+Interop show in Las Vegas, where vendors […]

Washington lawmakers are pondering ways to bring more high-speed Internet service options to rural parts of the country. Last week, Reps. Billy Tauzin, R-La., and John Dingell, D-Mich., pushed a bill that would allow incumbent local exchange carriers—RBOCs (Regional Bell Operating Companies), for the most part—to provide long-distance data services without having to meet competition […]

In some areas of the country, as much as 20 percent of a companys monthly telephone bill represents federal and state surcharges. These fees are levied to support a long-entrenched policy of universal, affordable, basic phone service. But while a wide consensus among lawmakers ensures continuation of the policy, corporate users increasingly are questioning such […]