Adam Hersh Syracuse University, School of Information Studies Summer 1995

Another New Marketplace for Internet Access with ISDN

 Introduction

ISDN enables the telephone network, which was built for traditional analog calls, to carry information digitally at higher speeds and without the errors of the traditional analog system or POTs (Plain Old Telephone Services) lines. As a result, ISDN has the ability to deliver a wide range of desirable applications in education, healthcare, business, and multimedia. In light of this substantially increased functionality, ISDN can be the basis for a new type of useful medium for Internet access that is: reasonably priced, readily available, allows for the delivery of information at high speeds, and provides for many types of new and previously unavailable applications.

To date, the ISDN potential remains unclear to many observers because they are unaware of what this new technology can do. Even though ISDN has been under development since 1968, applications have been unwilling to develop. In the U.S., this was made more difficult by the divestiture of the Bell Operating Companies from AT&T, which created seven large local service providers, the Regional Bell Operating Companies (RBOCs). This had removed a central controlling authority to lead ISDN national development and deployment. Bellcore remained a central development authority, but only "in the labs" and it could not deploy ISDN with its own resources. Almost every RBOC (and man non-Bell companies) offered ISDN on a limited trial basis in a handful of urban areas starting in the mid-to-late 1980s. Most of the companies deploying ISDN could not connect to or interoperate with any other companies ISDN service until the 1990s. Most observed that this lack of cooperation prevented the development of applications.

Needless to say, ISDN services have been created and are offered in most major cities in the US today, especially in large urban areas. Through trials and now deployment by the RBOCs the developing interest in related technologies for use in private networks or over leased lines enables a variety of applications that can be identified to take advantage of the digital bandwidth that ISDN makes possible.

The functionality most often describing advanced telecommunications networks can be delivered over ISDN lines. The following report identifies a handful of representative examples of what is being done today with the bandwidth and functionality that ISDN offers to Value Added Networks (VANs) specifically Internet Service Providers (ISPs). This paper will focus on the developing market for and selected applications of Internet via ISDN as well as some background on the Internet.


The Value Added Networks and Internet Service Providers

Until just recently the RBOCs have stayed away from the Internet access community excep for providing local loop connections to ISPs. Today Pacific Bell and Ameritech are both actively pursuing Internet products and managing two of the new Network Access Points (NAPs) funded by the National Science Foundation. Each of the four federally funded NAPs allow for the Internet to work by allowing for digital packets of information to be exchanged between the different National ISPs. Most companies have traditionally used dedicated switched 56Kbs(Kilo Bits per second), digital T1 (1.5 Mega bits per second or Mbs digital data communication), and T3 (45 Mbs) lines to provide their services. The delivery of ISDN has enabled for areas with ISDN service to have the same abilities as those businesses with dedicated lines and usually in a quicker and more cost effective manner.

The demand of Internet access is growing because the technological and social acceptability of it has rapidly evolved. Every day, computing technology is becoming faster, less expensive, and more powerful every month, many people are becoming familiar to increasingly more complex computers in their offices and homes. These two trends - more powerful and inexpensive computing tools and the adoption of Internet access - are creating a new interest in fast access to the Internet via ISDN.


More Bang Through Those Little Wires

ISDN is basically digital phone service. Right now most subscribers receive a Basic Rate Interface (BRI) connection. Those BRI lines consist of 2B+D or (two separate phone lines with one control line). Each line can be used separately or together to place either digital or analog calls. ISDN equipment allows for either a single 64Kbs or a digital 128Kbs dialup connection via this BRI type of service. Current "off the shelf" technology allows compression of up to 512Kbs through an ISDN BRI line using both B channels. This is a vast improvement to the now common 28.8Kbs analog modem connections. Every day even faster means of compressing those digital lines will soon have those ISDN compression speeds up to full digital T1 equivalents.


The Internet Past Present and Future

The modern history of Internet can be said to have begun in 1969 when the Advanced Research and Projects Agency (ARPA, now known as DARPA) of the Department of Defense established the first such network -- ARPANET. The original ARPANET connected 4 computers (known as hosts), located at UCLA, UCSB, SRI in Menlo Park, CA and the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. By 1983, more than 400 hosts were connected via ARPANET. In that year ARPANET split into two networks, MILNET - the unclassified military production part of the old ARPANET, and ARPANET - the academic research portion. By 1985 MILNET had about 400 hosts and ARPANET about 140. Collectively the two networks were called the ARPA Internet.

One of the drawbacks of ARPANET, from the perspective of potential users, was that access to it was officially limited to organizations doing research funded by federal money. As more and more researchers benefited from using ARPANET, the demand for less restrictive networks arose. Thus, in 1981 the National Science Foundation provided funding for the establishment of CSNET whose purpose was to facilitate research and advanced development in computer science by providing a means for increased collaboration among those working in the field. The basic CSNET service was electronic mail though some portions of CSNET ran the full TCP/IP protocols suite.

In 1985-86, to enhance the quality of scientific research in the United States, the National Science Foundation embarked on an effort to build a data network which would both link the Supercomputer Centers together and link the major research facilities -- academic, governmental and commercial -- to the centers. This network was originally envisioned as a companion network to ARPANET, extending Network access to the broad community of university researchers not yet on ARPANET.

The NSF did not want to limit Supercomputer accessibility to researchers using fixed computer hardware. It therefore mandated that all NSF-funded Supercomputer centers and computer networks use the TCP/IP computer communications protocol, which was a non-proprietary protocol.

As a consequence of the NSFNET effort, a chain of regional and state data networks sprang into existence. The first network organized explicitly in response to this national initiative was NYSERNet, which came into being in late 1985. This was soon followed by others. By the beginning of 1987 there were 14 regional, statewide and special interest networks, such as JvNCNet, MERIT, NEARNet, MIDNet, CICNet, BARRNet, CERFNet, PREPNet, OARNet, THENet, SesquiNet, Westnet, NorthWestNet, SURANet, etc. As the number of such networks grew, the NSF was considering how to link all these diverse entities together. In 1986, the NSF created the NSFNET backbone, a national backbone network of 56,000 bit/second (56Kbs) trunk lines linking the 6 NSF funded Supercomputer centers together. This backbone network also served to link all the regional networks together via the regional connections to Supercomputer centers.

The emergence and rapid growth of these mid-level networks led to enormous increases in network usage. By early 1987, it was clear to the NSF that the NSFNET backbone would be saturated within a year. As a result, the NSF released a solicitation for a new NSFNET backbone. The idea now was to interconnect the regional networks and Supercomputer centers using higher capacity lines. In November 1987, a contract to engineer, install, operate and manage a new expanded NSF backbone was awarded to a consortium of IBM, MCI and the State of Michigan Network, MERIT, Inc. The expanded backbone linked together 13 node sites, located all over the U.S. with three 1.544 million bps (T-1) lines coming into each node. In 1992, an expansion of this backbone into a 16 node network with 45 million bps (T-3) trunks was completed. Just recently the NSF retired the backbone network. The replacement was four high-speed interconnection locations called NAPs, Network Access Points, sponsored by the NSF in Chicago, Washington DC, New York, and Southern California. The theory here was that so many commercial Internet Providers had their own nation-wide networks that the NSF having one of its own was not needed. Instead the NAPs address one of the greatest technical problems of the Internet today which is the actual interconnection, or exchanging of packets, between the different network providers.

As the NSFNET and CSNET grew the term "Internet" came to refer to the Internetworking of networks using the TCP/IP protocols and the ability to communicate with one another. These include not only the NSFNET backbone and regional networks, the DOD networks and CSNET, but also networks of many other government agencies such as the Department or Energy's ESNET, NASA networks and various foreign networks as well. In the late 1980s a new trend began with the formation of some commercial Internet access providers. UUNet, Netcom and Performance Systems International all began to provide direct access for commercial companies to connect to a Commercial Internet Exchange, CIX. Today the Internet now connects directly to about 96 countries. In addition, mail gateways to BITNET, MCIMail, America OnLine, CompuServe, Prodigy, Delphi and ad hoc efforts such as FIDONET allow for electronic message exchange with over 170 countries directly all over the world. By most estimates, the Internet has over 50 Million people with possible access connecting to it on at least a monthly basis.


Business Use of the Internet

There are no rules, real instructions or how-to guides on what to do "on-line" for businesses. Every month a dozen new books are available trying to provide this needed instruction, but in most cases the information is not accurate nor is many useful examples included. The best way to discover what is available on the Internet is to start surfing and get on-line. If one can be guided by an expert or take a formal class all the better.

Most experts say that a business must not do any form of aggressive advertising on the Internet. This only holds true for any type of discussion forums where direct selling would seem inappropriate. An example would be that on an email discussion forum on automobiles one should not advertise a dealer or parts warehouse, but one could recommend or ask for a recommendation of a good source. This type of gray area leads many people not to get on-line till the medium matures. Other ways of getting on-line have come out in the past two years, mainly the World Wide Web.

The World Wide Web, has been the fastest growing section of the Internet. Companies large and small have been using the Web for many different aspects of their businesses. A great deal of attention has come to advertising and marketing efforts of companies and products on the Web. On-line initiatives from Playboy Enterprises and Zima Beverage Company have drawn a lot of attention in the news lately from their projects. An even larger target sector has been real estate agents using the Internet to advertise properties available to a new global audience.

Beyond these marketing efforts or extensions of advertising campaigns on the Internet, sales lead generation, feedback from potential customers, company human resource job listings, customer support supplements, press releases, internal MIS access to outside support and resources and even EDI ordering of products are all possibly with access to the Internet.

Most estimate put people with Internet access at around 25 million in the US. At least half of those people access the Internet via a dialup connection. As the numbers increase the desire for faster and cheaper services continue. Every few months it seems a new application comes out for the Internet. Each one needs more computing power and is usually more and more graphical in nature. Netscape's commercial acceptance has brought the World Wide Web to America. This business success is driving consumers even faster onto the Internet with the strongest desire for access to the graphically oriented World Wide Web. Using a Web browser can include downloading a video clip at 14.4Kbs for a 5 Mb file. This can take 10 to 20 minutes to download by modem, whereas with ISDN it can take less than a minute. This type of radical difference will make the jump to ISDN more attractable for most consumers.


ISDN and the Internet Projects

The Fashion Industry

The Fashion industry is headquartered in New York and Paris. Made up of literally hundreds of companies with no strong desire to every merge together. They all have difficulty communicating with one another and also need to work with many companies with facilities globally. With no common telecommunications infrastructure except the common phone system how can this industry with its fax machines and Federal Express be improved by ISDN? Furthermore, is it possible for the industry to also shorten its own operating cycles to be more competitive in a global environment?
By using the Internet as a common data communications network in the close-knit fashion industry can be revolutionary. Now designers can email design plans to the factories, inspect live different fabrics and patterns via web browsers to use to make their patterns with. Wholesalers and department stores can preview what designers have chosen as their new clothes lines and order prior to high profile shows. This entire process now takes weeks, could easily take days and in some cases less than a day.

Using an ISDN/Internet solution instead of dedicated digital phones lines is what makes the fashion scenario possible. The fashion industry uses computers everywhere, but to design and develop a global industry wide dedicated computer system would be impossible and impractical. One large appealing aspect will be that for smaller companies, which the fashion industry is made primarily of, ISDN Internet access will give them th chance to be seen on equal ground as the large companies. This type of incentive will probably make the fashion industry an easy market to integrate.


Telecommuting

Telecommuting refers to the use of telecommunications links to work from home. While not a new phenomenon, telecommuting is seen by many as an application that could be greatly enhanced by ISDN. Through faster data communication, sophisticated call routing services, and integrated voice and data capacity, ISDN has the potential to enable people working at home to have their calls passed instantly from the office at the same time they access their office LAN for file sharing, e-mail, and file retrieval and applications from a server, with only somewhat slower response than if they were actually in their office. What makes an ISDN/Internet solution even more appealing is that of infrastructure. Most telecommuting scenarios require for the company to set up ISDN into their PBXs and into their LANs. With an Internet solution a company can get a high speed T3 and connect employees with TCP/IP protocols. This outsource of the computer data communication dialup infrastructure, thus enabling for the company to concentrate on PBX dial ups via ISDN.


Video Dialtone

Today there are many different video conferencing packages. If one was connected to the Internet there are many advantages to investing into some of the commercial and free video conferencing tools. One such Project is Cornell University CUSeeMe project. Basically with any AV Mac, Audio Visual Macintosh computer, and a camera one can broadcast and receive real-time video signals over the Internet. Using it with ISDN through the Internet infrastructure one can have a conversation to anyone with a similar set up anywhere in the world.( A PC version is also available). Because the Internet is already running on dedicated lines no additional charges need to be paid to anyone. Although the Internet can not handle everyone using it for this type of services, it is completely possibly to do this in a reliable way today.


Why Not Yet?

Well why isn't everyone connected? ISDN has not rolled out as the Telephone companies would have liked. Delays have occurred everywhere and threats from the US Government to raise tariffs that would result in tripling the current costs of ISDN have helped keep consumers away. The general fear of new technology always keeps some people away. Most people think that it isn't fast enough and are waiting for something else.
The Cable TV Industry has been promising Internet access via their systems for years now and very little has been deployed yet much has been promised. Cable companies claim 10Mbs speeds almost 100 times faster than ISDN. This factor has probably been ISDN biggest opponent to be delivered. Recently such large companies such as Contential Cable Vision and TCI which represent more than 20 million people from coast to coast have been promising Internet access via the Cable system. Not much has been delivered and the Cable industry has encountered with many technical problems. It might takes years for that Industry to really fit in and work with the Internet Industry as did Sprint and MCI take a while to work together.


Conclusion

ISDN is a fast reliable technology, if it available in your area. The Internet is a fast moving very dynamic and powerful platform to be using and be a part of. By placing the two together one creates a large fast moving force which is empowered with speed and connectivity around the world. As more Internet Service Providers specialize in ISDN service the more people will be able to use the Internet as a tool which is what technology is all about.


Appendix I

ISDN Contacts

	National ISDN Hotline
     
        * 1-800-992-ISDN
	* Fax: (201) 829-2263
	* Email: isdn@cc.bellcore.com
	* URL: http://www.bellcore.com
	* FTP site: ftp info.bellcore.com/pub/ISDN
		    
	AMERITECH:
		    
	* National ISDN Hotline - 1-800-TEAMDATA
		       
	BELL ATLANTIC:
		       
	* In N.J., call your localtelephone office.
	* http://www.bellatlantic.com
			     
	Outside of N.J.:
			     
	* ISDN Sales & Tech Ctr. - 1-800-570-ISDN
	* For Small Businesses - 1-800-843-2255
				   
	BELLSOUTH:
				   
	* ISDN HotLine - 1-800-428-ISDN
				      
	CINCINNATI BELL:
				      
	* ISDN Service Center - 513-566-DATA
					 
	NEVADA BELL
					 
	* Small business - 702-333-4811
	* Large business - 702-688-7100

	NYNEX:
					       
	* ISDN Sales Hotline - 1-800-GET-ISDN
	* New England States - 617-743-2466
						     
	PACIFIC BELL

	* ISDN Service

	Center - 1-800-472-ISDN

	* 24 Hr. Automated ISDN/Avail. Hotline - 1-800-995-0346
   
	ROCHESTER TELEPHONE:
   
	* ISDN Information - 716-777-1234
      
	SNET:
      
	* Donovan Dillon - 203-553-2369
	 
	STENTOR (Canada):
	 
	* ISDN "Facts by Fax" - 1-800-578-ISDN
	* Steve Finlay - 604-654-7504
	* Glen Duxbury - 403-945-8130
		  
	SOUTHWESTERN BELL:
		  
	* Austin, TX - 1-800-SWB-ISDN
	* Dallas, TX - 214-268-1403
	* North Houston, TX - 713-537-3930
	* South Houston, TX - 713-567-4300
	* San Antonio, TX - 210-351-8050
	* For remaining SWBT locations: Bellcore

	ISDN HotLine -
	1-800-992-ISDN

	U S WEST:

	* Ron Woldeit - 206-447-4029
	* Denver, CO - 1-800-246-5226
      
	**********
      
	National ISDN Long Distance Carrier contacts are as follows:
      
	AT&T:
      
	* AT&T Front End Center - 1-800-222-7956
	 
	GTE:
	 
	* N'wide avail./pricing - 1-800-888-8799
	* Ron Sterrenberg - 214-718-5608
	       
	MCI:
	       
	* Tony Hylton - 214-701-6745
	* ISDN Availability - 1-800-MCI-ISDN
		     
	US SPRINT:
		     
	* Nancy Johnson - 913-624-4308

	WILTEL:
			
	* Justin Remington - 918-588-5069


Appendix II

List of Internet ISDN Providers


Adapted from "Dan Kegel's ISDN Page"

Western USA

Midwestern USA

Appendix III

ISDN FAQ USENET FAQs

(Part 1 and 2 Included)

comp.dcom.isdn Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)