Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!csd4.csd.uwm.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!ames!sun-barr!texsun!texbell!vector!telecom-gateway From: bmk@mvuxi.att.com (Bernard Mckeever) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Where Are We Going From Here? Message-ID: Date: 6 Sep 89 19:05:56 GMT Sender: news@vector.Dallas.TX.US Reply-To: bmk@cbnews.ATT.COM (bernard.mckeever,54236,mv,3b045,508 960 6289) Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories Lines: 44 Approved: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 9, issue 354, message 8 of 8 Well it looks like someone beat me the SXS story so here's just a few quick thoughts to get your minds off the calling number identification issue. 25 years ago, who would have thought that the network would evolve to what it is today. At that time digital transmission facilities were just being introduced. They could connect two central offices, up to 25 miles apart, over existing exchange cables. Today we have fiber to the home and the beginnings of a true broadband interoffice network. What might tomorrow bring? If, for the moment, we leave the *all import issue* of network management aside, imagine what the home of the near future might be like. Think of communications and information services as a commodity that draws a close parallel to the present electrical distribution plant. No one tells a toaster what to do, the function is built into the appliance. Will we have 1.5, 45, and 500 megabit service runing to our homes and business to match our requirements? Several outlets in each room for connection? One bill per month for cable TV, phone, FAX, security,... the list goes on. Pay for the bandwidth you use and decide for yourself what appliances to buy. Of course many large users approach this capability today, but it will soon spread to us little people. Telecommuting may yet become common, and other opportunities appear endless. Find a vendor with a service you want and arrange for access. If this seems like a pipe dream, check out some of the field trials that are going on today. It never ceases to amaze me what we take for granted today, that was considered impossible yesterday. Enjoy the discussion :-} and turn the "gee wizz kids" loose on the applications. Bernie McKeever 508-960-6289 [Moderator's Note: Bernie, thanks very much for a very fitting close to this issue of the Digest. Indeed, the changes going on in just the past decade -- let alone the past quarter century of telephony are astounding. To the younger folks, it probably does not seem all that mind-boggling, but some of us have been three or four major changes: from manual service to the very early stepper switches; then to crossbar and more sophisticated applications such as E-911 (we had this in Chicago on crossbar!); then to ESS; now various enhancements to that. Where does it end? You tell me what to expect in the year 2014, a quarter-century from now. PT]