In a move that could nudge the telephone industry toward a common standard for video technologies, Bell Atlantic Corp. and two other regional Bell companies teamed up yesterday to make a joint purchase of the computer systems that would bring advanced services into people's homes.
The Philadelphia-based phone company joined with New York-based Nynex Corp. and California's Pacific Telesis Group to issue a bid solicitation for digital set-top boxes, the computer equipment that will take the stream of ones and zeros pouring over phone company lines and turn them into video images, sound and data.
The three companies said that together they could buy as many as 4 million set-top boxes over a five-year period -- a volume purchase that could drive down their unit cost.
"We expect that manufacturers will be able to produce equipment at a lower cost, and that will help us jump-start new video services," said Joan Rasmussen, a Bell Atlantic spokeswoman.
Rick Bean, associate partner in the telecommunications group of Andersen Consulting in Washington, said a consortium making that large a purchase could help bring the price of set-top boxes under $300.
"It could be an attempt to create a de facto standard," he said.
The three-way alliance of Bell Atlantic, Nynex and PacTel parallels a similar joint venture on the content creation side of the business of providing "video dial tone" services. That venture, which is separate from the joint purchasing initiative, received a boost last week when CBS Broadcast Group President Howard Stringer agreed to lead the new company.
Technical compatibility could be important for the interactive programming that the media venture might produce, Mr. Bean said, because it will allow the unnamed venture to develop projects for all three partners.
The companies specified that the set-top boxes they will buy must be flexible, modular and open so that other developers can invent applications and incorporate new technology.
The company said it expects to choose winning proposals in late spring, with testing scheduled for fall and initial deliveries in 1996.