Filling in a few details on that National Switched Network alliance between four of the small US long-distance phone companies, Advanced Telecommunications Corp, Atlanta, Telecom*USA, Atlanta, LiTel Telecommunications Corp, Washington, and RCI Corp, the long distance arm of Rochester Telephone Corp, New York (CI No 1,092), the venture, which primarily covers voice telephony over the four companies’ digital fibre networks, will reduce the number of lines each will have to lease from the majors in order to switch calls to points outside the reach of their four networks, as well as enabling them to pool research and development and some administrative costs; several of the companies also participate in a similar National Telecommunications Network to share data transmission.
