1.   Analysts said the carriers will benefit from robust calling volume and lower access charges to complete their calls over local phone networks.

2.   Analysts said the merger allays fears that GeoTel, which has focused mainly on phone networks, could be swamped as call-center consumers embrace the Internet.

3.   Analysts say the two companies are well positioned since Cisco makes devices that route and control data and HP designs software that sends voice calls over traditional phone networks.

4.   And French negotiators want an agreement to include rules mandating a minimum threshold for local content of information transmitted over phone networks.

5.   And the Bells are correct in arguing that Internet providers have not paid full freight for using the local phone network as the primary pipeline to their customers.

6.   And this time the rethink is rooted in the fundamental design of phone networks.

7.   As with the electric companies, phone executives say there is nothing about the phone network itself that is date-reliant.

8.   ATM increases the amount of information that can travel over phone networks.

9.   Because NTT still controls almost the whole physical phone network, competitors like Tokyo Metallic must work with it to do business.

10.   Because of the faster speeds that a digital network can provide for transmitting data, digital phone networks are able to handle such mobile treats as wireless Internet services.