AT&T offers nationwide Internet online access service

BASKING RIDGE N.J. – MARCH 8, 1994 --AT&T InterSpan Services today announced that its Internet Connectivity Options (ICO) are available nationwide March 15, 1994. During the past six months several AT&T InterSpan* Frame Relay Service and Information Access Service customers have been successful early users of the Internet Connectivity Options.

Frame Relay Service customers gain dedicated access to the Internet by simply adding a single permanent virtual circuit (PVC) to their existing network. Information Access Service customers gain dial-up access to the Internet at speeds ranging from 300-14400 bps with a nationwide toll-free number.

To underscore the nationwide availability of the Internet Connectivity Options, AT&T announces a marketing arrangement with OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc., to provide access to The FirstSearch Catalog via AT&T ICO with InterSpan Frame Relay Service (FRS). FirstSearch, OCLC's menu-driven online reference service for end-users, will enable FRS customers to easily search 41 databases in science, business, engineering, and the humanities, including tables of contents and articles from nearly 15,000 journals. Upon reviewing the abstract of an article, customers then have the option of ordering the full text version through FirstSearch's document delivery capability.

"This is another step for OCLC toward providing information to people when and where they need it," said John Hearty, director, OCLC Reference Services Division.

For AT&T customers who select the ICO with FRS between now and June 15, 1994, OCLC will offer two months free access to the FirstSearch Catalog. AT&T will waive the InterSpan ICO one-time installation charge and ICO monthly access charge for two months for the Frame Relay Service (PVC) up to 32Kbps.

"ICO customers value the simplicity of adding a single PVC to their existing frame relay network that gives them easy access to the broad range of resources and applications available on the global Internet," said Lov Kher, AT&T InterSpan ICO product manager. "Providing that same easy access to a valuable resource like the FirstSearch service is just one example of how we plan to keep evolving the service."

Later this year, additional services will be available from AT&T EasyLink Services as a third ICO option for global Internet users. They include Domain Name Service and subscription to the full range of messaging options from AT&T EasyLink Services. Messaging services include electronic mail, text-to-fax delivery, telex and the ability to communicate with users of non-Internet commercial services worldwide using the X.400 messaging standard.

AT&T InterSpan Services are a family of innovative data connectivity solutions designed to provide faster, more efficient distributed computing for business.

AT&T EasyLink Services offers one of the broadest arrays of electronic messaging services in the market, with sales and service offices in three dozen locations worldwide, serving more than 160 countries.

OCLC is a nonprofit computer library service and research organization whose computer network and services link more than 17,000 libraries in 52 countries and territories.

Customers who want more information about the AT&T InterSpan Internet Connectivity Options can call 1-800-248-3632.

* InterSpan is a registered trademark of AT&T.

Editor's note: This release was issued by AT&T and the OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc.