[ih] How long did it take?

[Miles Fidelman]

As I recall, all the while the Bells were selling ISDN based packet services, they were selling frame relay services in parallel.  Frame relay actually worked and made sense.



________________________________
From: Internet-history <internet-history-bounces at elists.isoc.org> on behalf of the keyboard of geoff goodfellow via Internet-history <internet-history at elists.isoc.org>
Sent: Wednesday, September 16, 2026 8:06:50 PM
To: John Day <jeanjour at comcast.net>
Cc: Internet-history <internet-history at elists.isoc.org>
Subject: Re: [ih] How long did it take?

Grok sez:

AT&T operated X.25 packet-switched networks in the 1980s.

The main one was ACCUNET Packet Service, a public data network that AT&T
launched as a regulated basic service. The FCC tariff took effect 18 August
1984. By 1986 it had 99 service points in the U.S. Subscriber interfaces
followed CCITT X.25 (1980 recommendation, with a later move toward the 1984
version). It offered switched virtual calls and permanent virtual circuits
over access lines at 4.8, 9.6, and 56 kbps (via Dataphone Digital Service
or analog private lines). Nodes were interconnected with 56 kbps DDS
facilities.

AT&T also ran a separate value-added X.25 service called Net 1000 (AIS*Net
1000) through its unregulated subsidiary (American Bell / AT&T Information
Systems). That offering added protocol conversion, processing, and storage
on top of an underlying X.25 packet network supplied by the regulated side
of AT&T. It was withdrawn in 1986 after large losses.

After the 1984 breakup, the long-distance AT&T entity continued ACCUNET
Packet Service while the Regional Bell Operating Companies offered their
own intra-LATA X.25 packet services (some of those RBOCs later became part
of today’s AT&T). Bell Labs also did packet-switching research and built
systems such as LADT that used X.25 internally.

AT&T was late to commercial packet switching compared with Telenet and
Tymnet, but it did own and operate X.25 networks once it entered the market.

➔➔https://x.com/i/grok?conversation=2100374688069489036


On Wed, Sep 16, 2026 at 4:07 PM John Day via Internet-history <
internet-history at elists.isoc.org> wrote:

> In the 60s, Baran backed out of an offer from AT&T to build a packet
> switched network because he sensed wisely they didn’t believe in it and
> would not put the effort into to make it real.
>
> We also all know the story from the ARPANET demo at ICCC72 when Bob
> Metcalfe was demoing the TIP to several AT&T attendees. The TIP crashed and
> re-booted from its neighbors. Bob thought this was a great aspect of the
> system. The AT&T guys thought it showed the ARPANET was a joke and not
> serious.
>
> So when did AT&T start to take packet switching seriously?
>
> Take care,
> John
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