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Dec. 2, 1996 CONTACT: Cliff Lee on 518-396-1090 NYNEX Completes Region's Digital Network From Claverack to the Canadian border, New York's northeast region is going digital. On Saturday, Dec. 7, NYNEX will activate a $6.5 million state-of-the-art digital switching system for its customers in Schenectady, Scotia and parts of Glenville. This new switch in the Clinton Street central office is the final link in NYNEX's digital network serving the 518 area code. The region stretches south to portions of Dutchess County and north to Clinton County and the Canadian border. A total of 96 NYNEX switching centers provide service to customers in the region. The local exchanges included in the Clinton Street switch modernization project are: 346, 347, 370, 372, 374, 377, 381, 382, 386, 387, 393 and 395. When combined with the region's more than 100,000 miles of optical fiber -- the pipeline for rapid, high-volume transmission of voice, data and video messages -- and a vast array of new business and residential services, NYNEX's digital switching provides more than half a million northeastern New York customers with one of the most advanced telecommunications networks in the world. "Completion of the Schenectady project is a major milestone for NYNEX," said Lee Brathwaite, vice president and general manager of operations for NYNEX's northeast and midstate regions. "The northeast becomes the largest region in the state to have a fully digital switching system and the effort reflects NYNEX's commitment to its customers in the Capital District and the entire 518 area. "But, this doesn't mean our work is done," he added. "Over the next several years, NYNEX and its employees will continue to build on our $1.6 billion investment in this region, including an additional expenditure of more than $103 million in 1997." The Schenectady digital switching center includes about 61,000 business and residential customer lines serving Schenectady, Scotia and parts of Glenville. Included in the new features and services to become available in these communities are ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network), PhoneSmart and Digital Centrex. ISDN allows customers to transmit and receive video, voice and data simultaneously over a single telephone line at rates significantly faster than conventional computer modems. In addition, digital switching is the backbone for other NYNEX services, such as telemedicine and distance learning. (Customers with Call Forwarding or Speed Calling may have to reprogram the telephone number to which their line is forwarded and/or re-enter their list of Speed Calling numbers, after the new switch is activated. Also, business customers with their own internal switching systems or PBXs should consult their telecommunications provider about how these switches will be affected by the upgraded NYNEX system.) Some new PhoneSmart features include: Caller ID - Displays the telephone number of the person calling you after the first ring. Customers must order the service from NYNEX and purchase devices separately to display numbers of incoming calls.  (In conjunction with the Caller ID and Call Return services, Schenectady customers may obtain a blocking option at no charge. These options allow customers to block their numbers from appearing on Caller ID devices and prevent people they call from using to the Call Return feature to dial the blocked number.)  Repeat Dialing - Automatically redials a busy number for up to 30 minutes.  Call Return - Redials the number of the last caller.  Call Trace - Sends the telephone number of the last caller to the NYNEX Annoyance Call Bureau.  Call Answering Service - Allows residential and small business customers to set up one or more voice mailboxes to automatically answer calls when the customer is away from or already on the phone.  Ringmate Service - Allows two or three telephone numbers to be associated with one telephone line. Each number has a distinctive ring. The service is convenient for families with teenage children or people with home businesses.  NYNEX is a global communications and media company that provides a full range of services in the northeastern United States and high-growth markets around the world, including the United Kingdom, Thailand, Gibraltar, Greece, Indonesia, the Philippines, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The Corporation is a leader in the telecommunications, wireless communications, cable television, directory publishing and entertainment and information services. FAX copies of recent NYNEX news releases are available free of charge, 24 hours a day. Call 1-800-331-1214 and an automated system will provide instructions. go to news archive