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2 <br /> The North Carolina Information Highway <br /> Larry Gravenstein, GTE <br /> Charlie Pittman, Carolina Telephone <br /> Bill Smith, BellSouth Telecommunications <br /> Introduction: to develop a proposal for a comprehensive <br /> network that would riot only serve state <br /> In August of this year the State of North government applications,but the applications <br /> Carolina will begin using the first statewide of current and prospective businesses in the <br /> information highway to utilize Asynchronous state. Requesting the telephone companies <br /> Transfer Mode (A switching and to construct the NCIH allows the state to <br /> Synchronous Optical NETwork (SONET) share risks associated with building the first <br /> transmission equipment. Several trials have network of this type, and also places the <br /> been conducted using ATM technology, but responsibility for operations and upgrades <br /> this is the first operational network to be with the telephone companies where their <br /> deployed on such a large scale. Just over expertise in these areas can be utilized. The <br /> 100 sites will be included in the group result is a "win-win" situation that benefits <br /> scheduled for August 1994 service. These the citizens of North Carolina and <br /> sites include hospitals, universities, accelerates the development of an advanced <br /> community colleges, public schools, telecommunications infrastructure that is <br /> correctional facilities, and various essential to attracting new business and <br /> administrative government locations. indistrY. <br /> Network testing with end users will begin as <br /> early as June 1994. More than 3000 state Background: <br /> government sites will be connected to the <br /> network over the next decade. The NCIH is the result of several years of <br /> planning and a number of successful trial <br /> What is probably the most unique aspect of projects. The State of North Carolina has <br /> the North Carolina Information Highway long been a leader in the deploym ere of <br /> (NCIH) is the spirit of cooperation that advanced telecommunications services for <br /> exists between the public and private sectors, administrative applications. In 1986, North <br /> as well as cooperation within each of those Carolina was the first state government to <br /> sectors. While some states have chosen to convert to a fully digital network throughout <br /> construct, own, and operate their own fiber the state. While that seemed to be a very <br /> optic network for governmental applications, large step at the time, the result has been <br /> leadership within the state of North Carolina better service at a lower cost to the state. <br /> recognized the opportunity to use the According to data provided by the National <br /> enormous purchasing power of the state to Association of State Telecommunications <br /> accelerate the deployment of advanced Directors, North Carolina's <br /> telecommunications capabilities to business telecommunications costs range from 20 to <br /> and industry as well as state Bove rnmrnt. 70 percent lower than other states. <br /> North Carolina requested the telephone <br /> companies within the state to work together In the latter part of the 1980's, management <br />