NotaweekgoesbywithoutaMontrealcompanyannouncingamoveaimedatcashinginontheglobaltelecommunicationsboom.

ThedemandforequipmentandservicesfromthiskeysectorofQuebec'seconomyisbeingfueledbyathirstforwirelessphones,thearrivalofhungrynewcompetitorsinthelong-distancefield,theexponentialgrowthoftheInternetandthederegulationofforeignmarkets.

RecentactionsincludeBellCanada'sdecisiontoinvestcloseto$1billiononanationalfibreopticnetworkthat'llallowittoprovidehigh-speedcommunicationsandNet-basedservices.Long-distanceprovidersFonorolaandTeleglobe,fortheirpart,haveannouncedaggressiveexpansionsintotheU.S.

WirelesscompanieslikeBellCanadaInternationalandTelesystemInternationalWireless,meanwhile,arelaunchingcellularservicesinfar-flungpartsoftheworld.

Ontheequipmentside,NorthernTelecomisspending$270milliontoexpanditsSt.Laurentplant,whichsuppliesequipmentthatletstelecom-servicescompaniesboosttheircapacity.Smallerplayersaren'tbeingleftout.Forexample,MitecTelecom,whichmakesequipmentusedbytelecomcompaniestoprovidewirelessservice,isspendingupto$6milliononanewplantinPointeClaire.

Telecomisahuge,fast-pacedindustrywithenormouspotential.Butit'shardtofollow,whatwithallthetechnicaljargon,theconfusingarrayofconsortiabeingcreatedandtherecentwaveofmergersandacquisitionsinCanadaandtheU.S.

Thegoodnewsisthattelecomisoneofthemostwiredindustriesaround.TherearegoodreasonsbehindthatNet-friendlyattitude.Foronething,thisindustryrunstheInternet'sinfrastructure.Butit'salsokeepinganeyeontheNetasapotentialthreat,asmorevoiceanddataischanneledthroughthemedium.

TheWebcanhelpyoukeepupwithtelecom,whetheryou'reaninvestordoingresearch,oneofthethousandsofMontreal-arearesidentswhoworkintheindustry-orsimplyaconsumerwonderingwhenBellwillfinallyfacerealcompetitiononthehome-telephonefront.

Here'salookatsomesitesthatcanhelp:

- TelecomUpdateisacrucialresource,providingafreeweeklyrundownonindustryactivitiesinCanadaviaE-mail.

ThenewsletterisfreefromAngusTeleManagementGroup,aconsultingfirmbasedinAjax,Ont.YoucanreadthelatesteditionandsearchthroughperviousonesontheAngusWebsite.Thesitealsofeaturessomearticlesfromthecompany'smagazine,published10timesayear.

- ThemagazineCanadianTelecomalsooffersnewsandfeaturesabouttheindustryonitssite,thoughit'snotasuptodateastheAngusmaterial.

- Forin-deptharticlesabouttheCanadianindustry,visitCommunicationsandNetworkingmagazine'ssite.IncludedthismonthisalookathowCantelAT&Tisbeinghurtbycompetitionfromtwoupstarts-ClearnetandMontreal-basedMicrocell,whichsellscellularserviceundertheFidoname.

- TheLondon-basedFinancialTimesoffersadailylookatthebiggestnewsintheindustryaroundtheworldonasitecalledTelecomsToday.

- Tofindthelatestpressreleasesandstoriesfromtheworldoftelecom,visitYahoo!Finance'sspecialsection.

- HowimportantistelecomandinformationtechnologytoCanada'seconomy?In1997,thetwoindustrieshad$64billioninrevenue,accountedfor350,000jobs,spent$2.5billioninR&Dexpenditureandexported$17billioningoodsandservices.TelecomequipmentisQuebec'sleadingexport.

TogetanideaofhowtelecomfitsintotheCanadianeconomy,visitIndustryCanada'sStrategissite.IthasasectiononITandtelecom.

- Youcanalsovisittheindustry'stradeassociations-theInformationTechnologyAssociationofCanadaandtheCanadianWirelessTelecommunicationsAssociation.

- TheCanadianRadio-televisionandTelecommunicationsCommissionkeepsvisitorstoitsWebsiteuptodateonitsworkregulatingtheindustryandopeningupsegmentsofthemarkettocompetition.

- OneareainwhichBellCanadawillsoonseecompetitionislocaltelephoneserviceforconsumers.NewcomerssuchasCalgary-basedMetroNetCommunications-andperhapsthecablecompanies--areexpectedtostepinandgiveBellarunforitsmoney.

Oneofthethingsholdingbacklocalcompetitionisso-calledlocal-numberportability,whichallowssubscriberstokeeptheirphonenumbersafterchangingtheirservice-provider.Nortelhasahandysiteofferingbackgroundinformationonportabilityissues.OrvisitasitecalledNumberPortabilityNewsandLinks.

- Ontheworldstage,theInternationalTelecommunicationsUnion,anagencyoftheUnitedNations,recentlygaveitselfaloftymission:tomakesurethat"bytheearlypartofthenextcenturyvirtuallythewholeofmankindshouldbebroughtwithineasyreachofatelephone."

Asoftheendof1997,theITUsays,62percentofallmaintelephonelineswereinstalledinjust23developedcountries,eventhoughthisgroupaccountsforlessthan15percentoftheworld'spopulation.

YoucanreadtheITU'sWorldTelecomDevelopmentReportonline.

TheITUisalsoco-ordinatingeffortstoderegulatemarketsaroundtheworld,inthehopesthatcompetitionwilllowerpricesandmakephone-bothwiredandwireless-moreaccessible.ReadaboutglobalregulatorytrendsontheITU'ssite.

- TheInternetshowsgreatpromiseasavehicleforcheaperlong-distancevoicecalls,thoughproblems,suchasthequalityoftransmission,arestillbeingironedout.

Foralookatwhattheindustryisdoing,visittheInternetTelephonyConsortiumortheVoiceontheNetpage.

- Confusedbytheindustry'sjargon?TheTelecommunicationsLibrary,fromWorldCom,offersdefinitionsofindustrytermsandexplanationsofacronyms.BellCanadaalsohasagoodglossary.

- Moreresources:Angushasalistofusefultelecomlinks.

- Forthosewhowanttotakeastepbackandlookathowitallbegan,visittheTelephoneHistoryWebSiteandtheAlexanderGrahamBell'sPathtotheTelephonesite.