April 19, 1988 marks the opening in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya of the public communications network INS Net64 which uses digital lines to provide rapid, high-volume transmission of facsimile, data and image information. The new service not only provides high-speed, high-quality data relay (at 64kbps), but can carry two channels on the same line. This enables a user to simultaneously talk on the telephone while sending data from a personal computer. Naturally, the system also carries calls from analog phones as well.

---