Trucking Technology Report - Aug. 18
 |  |
Both the online report and e-mail are sponsored by @Track Communications, a supplier of wireless communications and dispatch services.
Today's Technology Headlines:
ul>
Unions Vow to Stay in Talks if Verizon Accord Is Near
Verizon Communications officials and unions representing the company's striking employees moved forward with negotiations Thursday despite their skepticism about being able to reach a final agreement by midnight last night.
The strike has rendered the company incapable of handling nearly two-thirds of its 90,000 outstanding service orders. However, negotiations are moving forward, according to Communications Workers of America spokeswoman Candice Johnson. CWA represents 72,000 of the employees on strike.
Johnson said Thursday that the union is still mulling Verizon's new proposals related to job security. However, the unions said key issues have yet to be resolved. International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers spokesman Jim Spellane said Verizon seemed too optimistic about reaching a final resolution by midnight. Washington Post (08/18/00) P. A12; Schafer, Sarah
Cannon Express Launches New Load-Sharing Site
The load-sharing Web site Carriersco-op.com has been launched by Cannon Express, which plans to give members more purchasing poweror various trucking-related goods and services. Commercial Carrier Journal (07/00) Vol. 157, No. 7, P. 28
Southwestern Bell DSL Customers Sue Over Bandwidth
Several Southwestern Bell DSL subscribers have filed a class-action lawsuit against the local telco, accusing it of lowering the rate of speed at which they can browse the Web.Filed in the District Court of Nueces County, Texas, the suit alleged that the connection speeds for DSL service fall short of what the company had guaranteed. Southwestern Bell promises minimum download speeds of 384 Kbps, but the plaintiffs contend that connection rates only reach 128 Kbps for some applications.
SBC Communications, Southwestern Bell's parent company, said it could not comment on the case because it has not yet fully reviewed the complaint. Lawyers with Berg & Androphy, a Houston-based law firm representing the plaintiffs, intimated that Southwestern Bell lowered its DSL speeds on purpose without informing subscribers because it did not have enough bandwidth to handle its subscribers. CNet (08/18/00); Grice, Corey
AT&T, BT Chiefs Explore Possible Joining of Operations
The heads of AT&T and British Telecommunications have begun unofficial talks about a merger of their operations, according to sources familiar with the discussions.
AT&T Chairman C. Michael Armstrong and BT CEO Sir Peter Bonfield have been discussing a possible merger during the last month, the sources said. However, the negotiations have not included investment banks or the companies boards of directors, the sources noted. Bonfield and Armstrong have held private negotiations about a merger during their customary meetings about Concert, the international joint venture in which AT&T and BT participate.
Although the two companies have been involved in informal discussions before, the most recent talks have been more serious and have concentrated on certain issues associated with a merger of their operations, the sources said. But the sources warn that no agreement has been reached and that it has not yet been determined whether the unofficial discussions will result in formal talks. Wall Street Journal (08/18/00) P. A3; Raghavan, Anita; Naik, Gautam
© copyright 2000 INFORMATION, INC. Terms of Service
| ||||
