Quaterra News Release

      Effective November 12, 1994  -  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   - 

Quaterra Communications Corporation, 324 E. Wisconsin Ave., 
3rd Floor, Milwaukee, WI 53202-4306
News Contact: Dan F. Schramm, Vice President, 414-289-0757 Fax: 
414-289-0789

         TTY DEVICES CAN NOW TALK DIRECTLY TO COMPUTERS
  PLUS DEBIT CARD BASED INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES

        (Milwaukee, WI)- One of the biggest walls facing the Deaf 
has now come tumbling down. A wall that has long existed between  
TTY devices (also called TDD's and Text Telephones) used by the 
Deaf and Hard of Hearing for making telephone calls and the 50 
million or more personal computers in the United States.  Less 
than five percent of TTYs can communicate with the modems used by 
computers to make telephone calls. Last year alone, 10 million 
computers were sold plus 5 million computer modems that allow 
computers to communicate with each other. Almost 30 percent of 
U.S. homes now have personal computers.

        Over 500,000 TTYs are in use in the United States. These 
devices are like computer terminals in the sense that they have a 
keyboard, a small visual display, and a modem that allows the 
device to talk to a similar device over telephone lines. The 
modem, however, uses Baudot code, used in years past by 
teletypes. Previously, the only way a computer could talk to a 
TTY was with a Baudot capable computer modem selling for $360 to 
$480.

        A Milwaukee company, specializing in products and 
services for the Deaf/Hard of Hearing, Quaterra Communications 
Corporation, has launched a new system that allows TTY users to 
directly call computers and computers to call TTY devices. The 
TTY-Computer Connection (sm) offers a toll free 800 telephone 
number and permits the caller to dial out to any telephone number 
in the United States and connect to any TTY or computer. TTY 
users can now have direct, private, secure conversations with 
friends and relatives with personal computers and modems. TTY's 
can even call commercial e-mail systems, computer bulletin boards 
and online services.

        The TTY-Computer Connection allows the caller to make 
local or long distance telephone calls 24 hours a day using a 
prepaid calling card, often called a debit card. The plastic 
cards are $20, providing 36.5 minutes of long distance and can be 
used at any time. Cards are now available through dealers and 
retail locations throughout the United States. Cards can also be 
purchased directly from Quaterra Communications Corporation by 
mail or with a credit card by telephone. Quaterra can be reached 
by voice or TTY at 1-800-969-9152.

        Other companies sell prepaid long distance calling cards 
for up to 85 cents per minute. AT&T's debit card, for example, is 
65 cents per minute. The TTY-Computer Connection card is only 55 
cents per minute, plus provides a real-time translation service 
between TTYs and computers. It can also be used as a calling card 
for long distance TTY to TTY conversations, and is competitively 
priced compared to regular calling cards. Most calling cards 
require entering information following voice prompts which the 
Deaf can not hear, making them difficult to use. 

        The TTY-Computer Connection also enables TTY and computer 
callers to send  faxes, Western Union Mailgrams, messages to text 
pagers, and e-mail to any Internet address. Additional services 
include U.S.A. Today news, Independent Television Network wire 
service, hourly weather forecasts and sports. Online time not 
involving an outgoing long distance telephone call is charged at 
only 35 cents per minute.


END