FTS2000--Blueprint for a State-of-the-Art Digital Network

On December 7, 1988, the General Services Administration (GSA) of the United States government awarded two contracts to replace the existing Federal Telecommunications System (FTS). FTS currently is the world's largest private telecommunications network, offering voice and voiceband data services to 1.3 million users at over 1300 locations; its successor is called FTS 2000. AT&T was awarded a contract for FTS 2000 Network A that is 60% of the total network. The new network, scheduled to begin service in late 1989, will furnish voice, data, and video services over state-of-the-art digital switching and transmission facilities; the contract requires that these services be provided for a ten-year period. AT&T is building a network with the most advanced network elements, features, operations architecture, network routing schemes, ISDN capabilities, and services.