USFI Corporation

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An Essential Element For Sustainable Development of Our Cities Telecommunications Is Universally Recognized As a Key to The Development of Commerce, Employment, Recreation and Human Settlement Throughout All The Cities of the World.

Technology has created unprecedented opportunities for all the peoples of the world to be informed, entertained and connected to each other in ways undreamed of only a few decades ago. Global satellite systems are delivering news, information, entertainment and sports programming to virtually all nations, much of it in local languages.

Telephone systems are being built and expanded on a massive scale, spurring the development of commerce and industry as well as making telecommunications affordable and available. This article will identify the origins of these trends, trace the development of the new communications infrastructure and discuss the potential benefits in support of the development of the worlds cities.

In the mid 1980's the breakup of the Bell Telephone monopoly system in the United States created opportunities for a host of new companies to develop new communications services and systems for citizens, business, industry and government. New wireless communications technology was introduced and wireless networks began to be built. Driven by the requirements of business and industry, the demand for those new services and advancing technologies began to extend outward from the United States. At first, large international corporations began requesting high speed data and other sophisticated services from the telecommunications authorities in countries where these companies maintained offices, factories and other facilities. For the most part, these facilities were located in industrialized countries in Western Europe and Asia.

Those countries did not have the sophisticated networks and systems in place to provide the new services, nor the financial resources to build the new networks. In the late 1980's, in order to attract the investment required to modernize their communications systems, these countries began to privatize their government owned and operated telecommunications entities. The United Kingdom was the first to privatize its government owned communications entity. At the same time, the United Kingdom's domestic communications system was deregulated and competition was encouraged. This competition brought with it significant additional investments by way of a host of companies seeking to provide services ranging from cable television to wireless telephone services. Other countries began to privatize their communications entities.

In the early 1990's, as Eastern European countries began to exercise their independence from the former Soviet Union, a large number of companies sought to invest in Eastern Europe, including elements of the former Soviet Union. One of the major stumbling blocks was the lack of telecommunications infrastructure. Inferior phone service considerably slowed the influx of commercial entities and slowed the development of independent economies. Eastern European countries sought outside investment and expertise to help upgrade international telecommunications capabilities. While privatization was utilized by some countries such as Hungary, contracts were awarded to companies to build and operate networks and systems. It was recognized early on that building sufficient landline infrastructure would take an inordinately long time and possibly be prohibitively expensive. However, wireless technology could be built fairly quickly and inexpensively. So wireless systems began to be built, while at the same time, landline phone systems started to be upgraded and expanded.

Also in the early 1990's many multinational companies sought new markets and new opportunities with emerging nations throughout the world. It was clearly recognized that a telecommunications infrastructure with an acceptable minimum level of service had to exist for companies to establish a presence in a new country. These companies had to communicate with all of their locations. This meant a requirement for voice and data capabilities. Countries throughout the world sought funds to improve their telecommunications infrastructure, knowing that with basic capabilities additional investment would follow in the form of new business and industry. Whether by loans from entities such as the World Bank, contracts awarded to global communications companies, privatization, deregulation or alliances with telecommunications companies, countries sought to enhance their telecommunications infrastructure. Literally thousands of projects are underway.

For the most part, the vast majority of these projects targeted the major cities of a country and those cities' immediate suburbs. Thus, the requirements of companies investing in a new country will help all the local citizens of these cities benefit from improved communications. Moreover, these new entities help create employment opportunities for local citizens. The clear trend of the 1990's is that where there is sufficient telecommunications service, new investment and economic opportunity rapidly follow.

The use of wireless technology is another highly positive development in improving the ability of emerging countries to dramatically expand the availability of telephone service. As mentioned previously, building and expanding a landline telephone service is painfully slow and very expensive. Running a telephone line to every house and apartment in a country's major cities is a difficult task. However, wireless technology makes the goal of widespread access to telephone service an eminently achievable one.

The building of a cellular telephone network involves the installation of a number of cells in each area to be served. These cells pick up calls and transmit these to the next cell until the call is completed. The caller can be connected to the existing conventional landline network as well. So, instead of installing hundreds of individual lines, all that is needed is a few hundred cells to provide phone service. Then all a person would need to have would be a portable cellular phone to be able to communicate.

Over the past few years the cost of cellular telephones has been significantly reduced to relatively affordable levels. Investment in cellular infrastructure should include investment in telephones on a bulk basis to enable widespread local citizens access to telephone service for the first time.

Moreover, as the communications infrastructure is upgraded and expanded, additional opportunities to improve the quality of life in our cities arise. With systems capable of carrying data as well as voice, company employees can work some or most of the time from their homes using a telephone and a personal computer. Known as "telecommuting," this can help ease traffic congestion and pollution by eliminating the need for constant physical travel between home and office.

Other trends toward making telecommunications affordable and available include alternative switched access services, shared private networks and satellite based services. USFI is a global carrier handling a full range of telcom services worldwide. International phone rates vary widely from country to country and region to region. Companies seeking to expand globally have had a difficult time identifying the costs involved in connecting all of their facilities, an essential element in efficient operations. Alternative switched access services seek out least cost routing for all telephone calls.

USFI's TelePassport family of services provides international telephone service for voice and fax calls to over 220 countries. Full featured and easy to use, the service offers high quality connections at low cost, saving the customer up to 40% on calls to their affiliates anywhere in the world.

Another trend is the development of shared private networks. This enables companies to transmit communications over a shared communications "pipe" on the equivalent of a "co-op" basis. Again, with significant cost savings over conventional communications methods, companies can look to locate their offices and facilities in areas that otherwise would be cost prohibitive, thus bringing investment to locations that may otherwise have been difficult to go to.

TelePassport Global Network Services provide data communications in addition to voice and fax services between a customers corporate sites around the world. By installing a single private line connection to the nearest TelePassport gateway switch, each site is "virtually connected" to all other sites. With savings of up to 60% for "on-net" traffic, TelePassport VPN replaces expensive and inefficient point-to-point private lines.

TelePassport VPN offers a full turnkey approach to meeting the users telecommunications needs, including network installation, maintenance and upgrades. This results in savings on planning, management, capital and private line costs. Voice and fax calls can also be made to international "off-net" destinations from each site that is connected to the network, providing low cost communications.

The emergence of satellite based services is accelerating the globalization of the information superhighway. Using satellite technology to disseminate information and entertainment on a global basis will bring all people closer together. Major companies are providing global information and entertainment programming distributed via satellite. In addition to CNN, which transmits regional as well as global news and information programs, companies such as Australia's NewsCorp and the United States Walt Disney Corp. are beaming diverse programs to all corners of the world. Sports programming via ESPN frequently includes regionally popular sports with commentary in local languages. Similarly, Disney transmits children's programming in local languages. More companies are entering this area which promises to raise awareness of important issues to unprecedented levels throughout the world. The rapid expansion of the internet will create the capability to exchange information and establish communications among all cultures.

One of the most ambitious projects being developed by multiple research teams on virtually all continents is in the area of "distance learning". By use of the telecommunications infrastructure, global and regional education programs can be established linking thousands of people in educational programs via video hookup. This will enable emerging countries to offer educational programs to its citizens that would not be otherwise available. To bring these capabilities to the peoples on the African continent, carriers have proposed the installation of a state of the art fiber optic undersea cable around the entire continent. This would instantly upgrade the communications delivery system to countries in Africa and make all of the services discussed in this article available to all countries there.

The world's great cities face the challenge of advancing education, attracting investment, improving economic opportunities and disseminating information, all of which require a strong telecommunications infrastructure. Together with corporate partners committed to helping develop that infrastructure, the city's of the future can begin to fulfill their promise.

TelePassport has made a substantial investment in linking communities worldwide with switching facilities, billing systems and a global distribution network. It has major gateway facilities in North America, Europe and Asia. Network expansion plans include Latin America, Africa and the Middle East.

Currently the company serves over 30,000 customers around the world, offering a variety of value-added advanced telecommunications applications. The TelePassport family of services include TelePassport international voice and fax service from office or home, TelePassport Travel Services and TelePassport Global Network Services. TelePassport offers services and local support in over 90 countries.

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