ABSTRACT
The worldwide deployment of advanced facilities such as transoceanic fiber cables and digital switches, coupled with the emergence of alliances among national telecommunications carriers, is dramatically reshaping the environment in which multinational corporations implement global networks and communicate internationally. This chapter examines the worldwide deregulation of telecom and the industry's resulting realignment, the key services offered internationally, and the important considerations when building a global telecom network. It reviews a range of traditional, newer, and developing technologies that either are in use by multinational users or are potentially useful to such users. A virtual private network (VPN) provides a "private network" on public carrier facilities and is commonly offered by major public telecommunications operators (PTOs) and the carrier alliances. Router-based networks are offered by service providers such as the IBM Global Network and Infonet. Deregulation and competition are combining to significantly reduce telecom pricing to end users in most countries.
