National Network Ltd, set up in 1990 to re-sell spare capacity on lines leased from the Post Office, has signed an agreement with US carriers to provide an international telephone service to the US. It is renting call capacity on undersea cables operated by Cable & Wireless and AT&T, and is collaborating with Mid Atlantic Telecom and WorldCom in the US. As well as links to the States, the new agreements will allow National Network to route calls onwards to Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia. National Network is claiming that call costs are 15% to 30% cheaper than for the equivalent services offered by BT and Mercury. National Network is also hoping to offer services to other countries, although legislation throughout Europe has so far prevented it from providing links there. Barry Shakespeare, National Network’s Sales Director, is, however, confident that the European market will open up and allow National Network to provide a wide range of international links. In addition to the new US service, National Network is also hoping to be able to widen its services in the UK. At present, the terms of National Network’s licence from the Department of Trade & Industry do not allow users to connect directly with its network: this has to be done via private circuits from BT and Mercury. National Network has, however, applied to the Department of Trade & Industry for two licences, one to extend its trunk network, and another to allow it to link directly to customers.
