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Several letters to the editor are presented in response to articles that appeared in previous issues of "Aviation Week & Space Technology," including "Surface Ops" and "Space Debate" by Frank Morring, Jr., Alan Stern's "Making NASA Relevant Again," and "Bad Side of Engineering."

Several letters to the editor are presented in response to articles in previous issues including the U.S. Air Force's study of a partially-reusable launch system in the April 24, 2006 issue, suggestions about using the C-17 as a tanker transport by Larry Robert in the March 27, 2006 issue, "Forewarned" in the May 1, 2006 issue.

Presents letters to the editor related to aviation. Information self-serving CEO Joe Leonard; Comment on airplane captains; Discussion on the pilot pay.

Several letters to the editor are presented in response to articles in previous issues including one about the loss of engineering subject matter expertise (SME) in the June 9, 2008 issue, Virgil H. Soule's letter "Bring Back Tilt Wing Concept" in the May 26, 2008 issue, and "Closing the Safety Gap" in the June 2, 2008 issue.

The article focuses on the job order contracting (JOC) program implemented for the agencies to meet small business goals for funds allocated to construction or renovation of facilities in the U.S. The program will benefit from the ability of the JOC contractors to target specific business segments that meets the agency's requirements. JOC enables the owner and contractor to work together in a trusting relationship.

Several letters to the editors are presented in response to various articles published in the previous issue on topics including the viewpoint of Richard Anderson of Delta Air Lines on aircraft, drill home upset training and dual registration of the airline industry Lufthansa.

The article focuses on SBC Communications chairman and chief executive officer Ed Whiteacre's announcement of the details of the company's U-verse brand of services including Internet Protocol Television (IPTV). The company had experimented with Video digital subscriber line and had a fiber-to-the-home project. In most of these cases, the video was being sent to the home using traditional radio frequency. However, IPTV has developed into a technology that has the ability for telecommunication companies to offset declining revenue from traditional voice services. INSETS: ARE WE THERE YET? MPEG-4 STUMBLES INTO PRODUCTION;IS INTEROPERABILITY ALL THAT IMPORTANT?.

Discusses Columbus, Kansas-based Columbus Telephone Co.'s migration to the fiber to the home platform. Firm's replacement of its Nortel Networks DMS switch with a CopperCom packet switch; High-speed data and video capability of the platform; Role of general manager Jim Dahmen to the firm's migration to fiber to the home.

Examines whether telecommunication companies can match a 100 Mb/s service from cable operators. Impact of the adoption of DOCSIS 3.0-compliant equipment by cable operators on the industry; Standardization and future deployment of VDSL2; Plan of most telecommunication companies to put their total bandwidth budgets for the triple play; Advantages of DSL.

Discusses the features and applications of voice-over Internet protocol (VoIP). Provision of seamless communications from the desktop to the wireless service; Primary benefit of VoIP; Ability of VoIP to converge networks; Incentive for the telecommunication industry to sell VoIP applications.

Discusses municipal wireless management in the U.S. Impact of municipal wireless management on economy and business activity; Discussion on the use of broadband to attract business investors in Mashalltown, Iowa; Challenges in the operation of wireless networks.

Elaborates the contents of a document on how next-generation networks (NGN) should be implemented from the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) in the U.S. Aim of ATIS to develop a global definition and set of standards for NGN; Benefits of NGN architecture for application service providers; Security requirements that must be considered before migrating a network to NGN.

Focuses on the operations of South Slope Cooperative Telephone Co. which provides triple-play bundle of voice, high-speed data and video to customers with a unique arrangement with Iowa Network Services (INS) in North Liberty, Iowa. Agreement between the company and INS to provide video-on-demand services to its clients; Encoding of local content and national channels of the INS in its broadcast services; Management of the flow of online content.

The article reports on the deployment of fiber-to-the-premises by several independent telecommunication companies in the U.S. The rationality behind the move was to compete in terms of voice communications over Internet protocol, high-speed data and video. Another reason is to fend off impeding cable competition, and it is the most efficient way to provide triple play in a fast-growth region.

The article focuses on the technology of video-on-demand. SBC Communications Inc.'s soon-to-be launched service using 2Wire's MediaPortal not only will combine high-speed Internet access and voice with satellite-based video through its alliance with DISH network, it also will allow users to select and view movies from the libraries of MovieLink and CinemaNow, which have been delivering content to PCs. At January 2005 International Computer Electronics Show event, SBC Communications Inc. demonstrated the satellite-based solution but also its U-verse service that runs on Microsoft TV's middleware. INSET: GAMES MAKING IT ON MENU OF TELCO TV SERVICES.

Presents information on how Iowa Telecom's successful IPO is changing the way investors view the independent service provider industry. Features of the company at the time of its IPO; Use of dividend to attract investors; Questions on the impact of dividend. INSET: OTELCO STAYS THE IDS COURSE.

Focuses on the importance of security for in voice over IP services. Security measure in telecommunication; Transmission of video over radio frequency in fiber-to-the-premises networks; Security of services.

Reports on issues related to SureWest Broadband, a telephone company based in Sacramento, California. Acquisition of the carrier's assets from a bargain fiber network deal; Advantages of the strategic location of SureWest's headquarter that houses its video services and fiber-to-the-home network; Area served by the carrier; Position of SureWest on the rural local exchange carrier community.

This article focuses on Spring's FastNet Futures conference held in Santa Clara, California. At this conference, one of the more interesting moments came when representatives of both firms Ikanos and Metalink Ltd. stood before several dozen fellow broadband executives and demonstrated competing chipsets that could send data through copper at 100 downstream and 50 Mb/s upstream. While staged under conditions that were not exactly real world, Ikanos sent data over 1500 feet of 26 gauge twisted pair while Metalink did the same over 984.25 feet of 26 gauge wire, the event in the convention center ballroom was meant more as a showcase of what will be possible for telcos worldwide in a few years. However, there's increasing evidence that many may be deploying technology that pushes them beyond their current typical DSL offerings that top out at 3 Mb/s or so.

Reports on key controversies pertaining to the joint venture among three telecommunication companies in the U.S, SBC Communications, Verizon Communications and BellSouth in the deployment of a passive optical network architecture using minimal electronics for communication. Criticisms on the joint venture; Benefits and limitations of the system; Implications for the industry.

Deals with the deployment of a 1XRTT EV-DO network from Alaska Communications Systems in Alaska in 2004. Target market of the company for the network; Services offered by the firm to its potential customers; Factors that contributed to the decision of the company to concentrate the network roll out in a less populated area; Competitor of the company.

Reports on the announcement of the entry of SBC Communications Inc. into the video market by chairman and CEO Ed Whitacre in the U.S. Estimated cost of a fiber-to-the-neighborhood project; Agreement between the company and Microsoft Corp. to test the IP TV platform over the FTTN network; Implications on the announcement of Whitacre for the access sector.

Focuses on the debate over the use of the next generation telecommunication switching systems in the U.S. Transition from circuits to packets; Controversy over the launch of consumer Internet telephony service by Qwest Communications Inc.; Concern over operational savings derived from packet switching.

Discusses the concept of computer gaming over digital subscriber networks by BellSouth. BellSouth's content management for its Internet access; Free computer games offered by BellSouth; Revenues derived by BellSouth through upgrades that are downloaded or subscriptions for online games; Impact of broadband services on gaming.

Focuses on the move of Qwest Communications Inc. to buy wholesale time from an existing carrier to allow it to become a mobile virtual network operator with national reach. Information on Qwest's national wireless offering; Criticisms on the strategy of Qwest; Decline of Qwest subscribers in 2003; Terms of its partnership deal with Sprint.

Reports on the decision reached by Consolidation Communications Inc. to acquire two local subsidiaries of TXU Communications in Texas. Names of the two business enterprise; Terms of the deal; Benefits of the agreement for parties involved.

Reports on Verizon Communications Inc.'s expansion of the company's EV-DO wireless data network and transformation of the basic wireline switching architecture into a packet-based network through a contract with Nortel Networks Corp. Reasons behind the company's moves; Implication of the changes on Verizon's operations; Terms of the agreement between Verizon and Nortel.

Reports on the business strategies and operations of telecommunication company and voice-over-internet telephony carrier, Vonage Inc. Range of services provided by Vonage from voice service and applications over an IP network; Existing policies that regulate the industry; Competition with other firms; Launch of cell phone services; Trends in the industry.

Focuses on the adoption of softswitch in the telecommunication industry in the U.S. Concept and functionality of softswitch; Conversion of networks from circuit to packet switching; Financial performance of softswitch vendors; Scalability of softswitch. INSET: THE SOFTER SIDE OF WIRELESS.

Reports on the development of asymmetrical digital subscriber line (ASDL) in Asia. Benefits of ASDL in the computer industry; Number of users from offices and commercial buildings; Expansion of video services.

Reports on the offering of DSL-based video service by telecommunication carriers in the U.S. Competitive advantage of the three pay-per-view options and premium movie channels; Public access to electronic mail from the television; Basis of the optical network unit in the business model for telecommunication companies.

Focuses on CenturyTel Inc., a Monroe, Louisiana-based telecommunications company. Growth of the company under the leadership of chief executive Glen Post. Plans for commercial video roll-out.

Focuses on the in-building wireless technology developed by InnerWireless Chief Executive Officer Ed Cantwell in Dallas, Texas. Features of the technology; Benefits of in-building wireless to carriers; Economic models for the technology.

Considers the condition of internet protocol telephony market in the U.S. Annual capital expense; Breakdown of operational expenses; Estimates of demand and revenue; Subscriber growth. INSETS: ANNUAL CAPITAL EXPENSE;COST BREAKDOWN;SUBSCRIBER GROWTH;DEMAND & REVENUE ESTIMATES

Reports developments in the telecommunications industry. Prevalence of employee lay-off in the industry; Return of capital expenditure budgets; Services provided by the American Telegraph & Telephone Co.

Focuses on the approaches of Sprint PCS, led by its president Chuck Levine, in promoting wireless imaging service in the U.S. Forecasts of Levine regarding the wireless applications for the enterprise and consumer markets; Problem on how to attract consumers to the wireless imaging service.

Focuses on the funding being received by telecommunication companies from venture capital (VC) firms in 2002. Total investment by VC firms in the first quarter of 2002; Impact of the decline in telecommunication valuations on VC firms; Amount of funds received by Vernier Networks and Integra Telecom from VC companies.

Explores the challenges for the deployment of wireless instant messaging service in the U.S. Benefits and limitations of instant messaging technology; Information on the instant messaging platform of wireless communication carrier, VoiceStream; Details of the wireless instant messaging service of OpenWave.

Features the deployment of optical fiber by crews of the CityNet using the subterranean network of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Objective of CityNet in building optical fiber networks; Comparison between CityNet and WinStar; Profile of the company; Plan of CityNet.

Features cable overbuilder WideOpenWest (WOW). Details on the company's acquisition of Ameritech New Media; Information on the shut down of SNET overbuilder; Priorities for WOW.

Features Jack Rooney, chief executive officer of U.S. Cellular. His opinion on wireless data; His concern on the development of third generation wireless technology; His outlook for the company.

Presents information on Pioneer Telephone, a competitive local exchange carrier which focused on providing residential and business telephone service in Sergeant Bluff, Iowa. Background of Pioneer Chairman Dirk Winkel; Services offered by the company; Techniques used by Pioneer and its partners to provide services that many metropolitan subscribers take for granted.

Focuses on PhatPipe, a building local exchange carrier (BLEC) company in the United States. Digital subscriber line access service being offered by PhatPipe; Target market of the company; Scope of the partnership deal between PhatPipe and real estate investment trusts; Market strategy taken by the company.

Reports the application of fiber optics in cable communication systems in Iowa as of March 2001. Details on the tests made by some companies on the concept of fiber; Basis for Huxley Cooperative Telephone Co. to offer digital subscriber line services.

Analyzes the access strategy of fixed wireless operators that includes a combination of fiber and wireless platforms in the local multipoint distribution service market. Companies that have implemented the strategy; Reason behind the increase in the application of the combined platforms; Importance of capacity improvements to wireless technology; Effects of the failure of digital subscriber line companies to deliver services.

Features the Internet Protocol voice services offered by applications service providers. Market focus of TrulyGlobal company; Details on the voice mail services offered by eVoice company; Information on the instant messaging applications of HotVoice.

Discusses why cable television operators may not be able to provide access to multiple Internet service providers (ISP). Technical problems of Internet access; Challenges in allowing customers a choice in ISP; Problems of cable operators on the contentions among ISP.

Discusses the implications of the evolution of instant messaging (IM) software on the telecommunication industry. Features that can be added to IM; Efforts of Paltalk and Ericsson to use the IM technology; Factors contributing to carriers' disinterest in IM; Views on the capacity of IM to last in the market. INSET: IM on the go.

Reports on the competition to buy the troubled automobile company, Daewoo Motor Co. Limited. Ford Motor Company's bid; Information on Hyundai Motor Co./DaimlerChrysler joint bid; Concern if Hyundai would acquire Daewoo. INSET: Daewoo Drives Products Forward, by Vince Courtenay.

Deals with the impact of the cable telephony business on the market share of telecommunications providers in the United States. Role of the decision of AT&T to purchase TCI in the revival of cable telephony; Factors that raised the profile of cable telephony; Internet protocol voice service over cable plant; How cable operators can compete with traditional voice carriers.