🚀 go-pugleaf

* * * P R E S S   R E L E A S E * * *

February 6, 1992, MT. CLEMENS, MI - The  newest  entry  into
the  computer  internetworking industry announced today that
its first two points of presence (POP's) will be  online  by
June 1 of this year. THE RABBIT NETWORK, INC. announced that
the first two terminal servers on  its  high  speed  network
will be in Detroit and Mount Clemens, MI.

Jon Havel, Technical Support Director for the company,  said
that one of the main problems in this area of the country is
the lack of availability of cheap local phone service. "Many
companies in this area  have offices and shops spread around
the Metropolitan Detroit area and often times, they need  to
exchange  computer  data  between these various facilities",
Havel said.  "The  problem  is,  that  if  one  facility  is
outside  the  local  calling area of the other, the meter is
running as soon as the data connection is established. These
fees  can  be  anywhere from 5 cents a minute up to 25 to 30
cents a minute". "Its ridiculous - Detroit, for instance, is
only  a  few miles from Mount Clemens, yet a call from Eight
Mile Road (on the northern edge of Detroit) to 15  Mile  and
Gratiot  is considered long distance, even though its only 7
miles down the road!" Havel says that the company  plans  on
installing   terminal   servers   in   strategic   areas  of
southeastern Michigan so as to form  a  "blanket"  over  the
entire   area,  making  phone  charges  for  data  calls  as
inexpensive as a fixed-rate local call.

Here is how it will work: A customer with several facilities
will  obtain  an  account on each of the terminal servers in
the local areas in which their facilities are located.  Each
facility  then  dials  up the terminal server in their area,
linking that facility's LAN (Local Area  Network)  into  the
Rabbit Network. At this point, data can be exchanged between
the customer's  facilities  over  The  Rabbit  Network.  The
company  plans  on working closely with a network consulting
firm to assist customers in obtaining  and  configuring  the
necessary  software for connection to the network. Costs for
access to each terminal server will  be  based  on  a  fixed
monthly  rate  and  will  not  depend  on  how  much data is
exchanged.

The network will use  hardware  and  software  from  Telebit
Corporation  and  Cisco  Systems,  as well as UNIX(tm) based
systems for extended features. Access to the global computer
conferencing network, known as USENET will also be available
to the network's customers as well as electronic mail within
the  network  as well as access to global electronic mail on
the national Internet.  Each  access  code  for  a  terminal
server  gets  the  customer  his  own dialup number, thereby
eliminating any  possibility  of  busy  lines.  The  network
backbone  speeds  will  be upgraded as needed and will range
anywhere from 56kbps (56,000  characters/second)  up  to  T3  
speeds. Telebit T3000 modems, the
newest models, will  provide  users  with  reliable  dial-up
access via 14.4kb (14,400 characters/second) V.32bis links.

The company is also planning on connecting its network  with
the  national  Internetwork  some time within the next year.
This would give customers access to  a  global  network  and
would  greatly  enhance  the  connectivity  of  any national
organizations which have offices around the country.

Although only two terminal servers  are  scheduled  to  make
their  debut in June, Mr. Havel predicts that as many as ten
small to medium Michigan cities will be online by the end of
the  year.  "Where  we locate our POP's and terminal servers
will be dependent on customer demand", Havel said. Customers
are encouraged to contact the company and let them know what
kind of service they would like to see and in what areas  of
the  state  they would like to see access points. "We aren't
limiting our growth to Michigan", Havel added,  saying  that
"We  could  cross  the  border  into other states as soon as
customer demands warrant it".

Interested parties can contact The Rabbit Network at  (313)-
790-0094,  or  can FAX at (313)-790-0156. The Rabbit Network
main office is located at 34486 S. Gratiot Ave,  Suite  200,
Clinton Township, Michigan 48043. E-MAIL  inquiries  can  be 
sent to "liason@uuhare.rabbit.net"

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