Cabletron Systems Inc unveiled two new Fast Ethernet SmartSwitches, the 16-port SmartSwitch 6000 and 26-port 9000 model, to offer lower cost, higher bandwidth desktop communications systems. The company says it has also re-branded its MMAC-Plus and SmartCell products under the SmartSwitch brand. The single biggest issue to stifle competition in European telecommunications is high and widely differing interconnection charges, according to a report from UK research company Ovum Group Ltd commissioned by British Telecommunications Plc. British Telecom’s charges are the lowest in Europe and the company, which has invested heavily in setting up European alliances, believes it will be disadvantaged if competition moves slowly after market liberalization on January 1, 1998.
