Debate 2000 Washington University in St. Louis

Presidential debate technology by the numbers

The network constructed for this third and final debate could support telecommunications services for a company with 10,000-15,000 employees. Highlights of the network include:

53		Miles of fiber optic cables added to the campus
2,000	x	Voice and data lines installed
1,500		Temporary telephone numbers
4,000		Electrical outlets available
25,000		Square feet of carpeting covering the building
10		Major power generators
1		Portable cellular tower
48		DSL lines installed (Digital subscriber lines allow for high-speed Internet connections -- up to 6.0 Mbps -- over copper telephone lines)
36		Multiple IP Connections
40		ISDN lines
12		T1 lines
27		Video feeds
2		Synchronous Optical Network (SONET) rings (SONET rings increase the network's capacity to carry voice and data transmissions)
4,000		Hours spent in preparation

The final Presidential Debate at Washington University in St. Louis will be one of the most technologically advanced political events in U.S. history with help from Southwestern Bell, SBC Communications companies, and their high-speed communications networks.

Southwestern Bell's data affiliate, SBC Advanced Solutions, Inc., will provide the largest installation of its Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) service for a single event in St. Louis. Using DSL technology, it is now possible to simultaneously transmit data and voice traffic over existing copper phone lines at connection speeds up to 6.0 Mbps--200 times faster than today's conventional analog modems. DSL technology makes a variety of cutting-edge services possible, including audio and video streaming, photo transmission, Internet access, and remote network access to meet the sophisticated communications demands of the Presidential Debate.

Southwestern Bell and its affiliates are providing voice, data, Internet access and video services for the event, and the thousands of journalists covering the debate, the Secret Service, and the staff of the Commission on Presidential Debates.

SOURCE: SOUTHWESTERN BELL NEWS RELEASES