Belgium’s telecommunications authority, Regie des Telegraphes et Telephones has signed up AT&T Co to help it upgrade its international services. Under the agreement, AT&T will provide dial-up digital connections at 56Kbps and 64Kbps, X400 interconnection for electronic mail users, and one-stop shopping for users in the US and Belgium. The connection of AT&T’s Switched Digital International is the first commercial international switched digital service for Belgium, although the service is already available between the US and the UK, France, Japan, Jamaica and Australia. The 56Kbps and 64Kbps clear channel switched digital connections are used for video conferencing, high-speed facsimile, electronic data transfer, digitised voice and computer aided engineering. Pricing is usage-based. The Regie and AT&T have been testing the international switched service since the summer. Belgium is currently testing switched 64Kbps service with the UK, France, the Netherlands, and Japan. The agreement also enables users of AT&T Mail and Belgium’s DCS system to exchange mail – AT&T Mail has similar X400 interconnections with 20 other electronic mail systems. Under the one-stop shopping segment, customers can choose either carrier to arrange for and provide telecommunications services between the two countries. The service, designed to streamline network procurement and management, is typically used for leased lines. AT&T currently has similar arrangements with British Telecom, Kokusai Denshin Denwa in Japan and telecommunications authorities in the Netherlands and Australia.
