The company will reveal its new OS plans in April ‘00 at Forum 2000.

Satellite dreams
Israel's Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd., is planning to become the first provider of broadband Internet services over two-way satellite to consumer customers.

The company aims to enter the North American consumer broadband market in the second half of next year. It has announced an initiative that it says will transform it from a hardware company into a major Internet service provider (ISP).

The Tel Aviv-based company will provide the hardware and software for the Gilat-To-Home service, and is currently negotiating with partners to provide content for the service.

There has been intense speculation in the Israeli press that Microsoft Corp., will be a partner in the service.

One-way ticket
Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT) (Philippino), a traditional telecom service provider, has started a 'convergence' plan aimed at combining cable TV, telephone and Internet services. PLDT plans to use data cable, Internet-based technologies as the backbone for future operations.

Eventually the firm's business will be on the web. PLDT and its subsidiaries have a total of 2 mn fixed-line customers and 1.6 mn mobile subscribers. PLDT is working to technically and physically converge its network.

A single pipe
Equant NV has announced its plans for a global voice and data over IP service, which it claims is the world’s first. The Netherlands-based company claims it will eliminate the need for a separate voice and data network, even while insuring quality of service.

The IP-based service, which will cover 50 countries, will be formally launched in February. It will provide ‘true’ integrated voice and data across the same pipe.

Equant is going a step beyond frame relay technology. It currently offers iVAD, an integrated voice and data service based on frame relay, which is used by 75 multinational clients.