Received: from [129.105.5.103] by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa00637; 1 Oct 92 17:06 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA16587 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Thu, 1 Oct 1992 11:35:58 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA08283 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Thu, 1 Oct 1992 11:35:44 -0500 Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 11:35:44 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199210011635.AA08283@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: "\\telecom"@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V12 #751 TELECOM Digest Thu, 1 Oct 92 11:35:45 CDT Volume 12 : Issue 751 Index To This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Re: Cellular Phones With Deals Attached (Dan Ganek) Re: Cellular Phones With Deals Attached (Andrew Klossner) Re: Cellular Phones With Deals Attached (Stephen Tell) Re: Cellular Phones With Deals Attached (Steve Forrette) Re: Cellular Phones With Deals Attached (Bob Sherman) Re: The Smallest US Telephone Company (Gabe M. Wiener) Re: The Smallest US Telephone Company (Shrikumar) Re: What it Costs to Have the President Over (Barry Mishkind) Re: What it Costs to Have the President Over (James VanHouten) Re: Two-Line Switching Device (Bob Frankston) Re: The Round Table (Roger Theriault) Re: Selective Ringing Call Director (Marc Kozam) Re: Last GTE Cord Board Removed (John R. Levine) Re: Thoughts About WFMT Versus WNIB/WNIZ (Ron Newman) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Dan Ganek Subject: Re: Cellular Phones With Deals Attached Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1992 14:38:57 GMT Organization: Hewlett-Packard Corporation, Chelmsford, MA In article tdarcos@mcimail.com writes: > On page B5 of today's (9/29) {Washington Post}, a place is offering a > cellular phone for a low price provided you take a one year contract > with Cellular One. > In the fine print it notes that "installation and antenna not > included, must be installed by" the selling company. > The current price is $9.95 for the phone. > I know that in places like California and North Carolina, tie-ins like > this are not permitted so phones sell at list price. > [Moderator's Note: Cellular One here in Chicago is always running > deals like you mention. The other day an ad in the paper offered a bag > phone for a penny (yes, one cent!) provided you signed a contract with > Cellular One for some period of time. The most nams I have seen in a > phone was four. That seems to be about the practical, if not > theoretical limit. PAT] Free/cheap cellular phones are the norm here in the NE. I never did understand why CA made such tie-in's illegal. If I'm running some sort of service business and offer to subsidize my customer's equipment, why not? I'm not REQUIRING them to do it. For example, I can get a Mits 1500 transportable for about $200 -- if I sign up for Cell One at $40 plus $21/month for six months. What's a Mits 1500 cost in CA? What are the Cell One minimum sign up and monthly charges? Get a bag phone or transportable, they don't require an antenna or installation. I got a Mits transportable and then installed it myself. (A great way to learn all about automoble manufacturing techniques :-) dan ------------------------------ From: andrew@frip.wv.tek.com (Andrew Klossner) Date: Wed, 30 Sep 92 13:28:41 PDT Subject: Re: Cellular Phones With Deals Attached Reply-To: andrew@frip.wv.tek.com Organization: Tektronix Color Printers, Wilsonville, Oregon > does this seem reasonable if you were planning to use the > particular carrier anyway ..." Sure. I would go so far as to say that you should *never* buy a cell phone without getting a subsidy from a carrier. They paid $300 of my phone's cost in exchange for my agreement to a one-year contract. > "what is the maximum number of nams you've seen for a single > telephone." The OKI 900 has five. Andrew Klossner (andrew@frip.wv.tek.com) [Moderator's Note: You say the cell company 'paid $300 of the phone's cost' but some of us believe the prices of cell phones are artificially inflated so the cell company can then 'offer them at a cheaper price.' In other words, cell phones do not come close to costing $200-300 to manufacture and distribute (which allowing for markup would then get the $400-500 retail price were it not for the cell company offering to 'knock off $300 ...'). Cell phones may cost $20-30 to manufacture. Like all other electronic items, the cost is but a tiny fraction of what it was when they first came out nearly a decade ago. You should be able to buy a good cell phone for $100 or less regardless of signing up with anyone or not. Cellular One in Chicago owns a number of dealers including Leader Communications, a company for whom I have no love lost. PAT] ------------------------------ From: tell@cs.unc.edu (Stephen Tell) Subject: Re: Cellular Phones With Deals Attached Date: 30 Sep 92 17:05:18 GMT Organization: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill In article tdarcos@mcimail.com writes: > I know that in places like California and North Carolina, tie-ins like > this are not permitted so phones sell at list price. This is no longer the case in North Carolina. Sometime within the last six months the ads all changed from "This price not available in North Carolina" to "Price will be higher without activation. The lowest price for a bag phone with strings attached I've seen is $58. Just for amusement I inquired at Radio Shack and was shown a copy of the contract with Centel. There were about five different plans trading off monthly flat rate for the first X minutes with cost per additional minute. Prices did not seem outrageous if you have a real use for the phone. Steve Tell tell@cs.unc.edu H: 919 968 1792 | #5L Estes Park apts UNC Chapel Hill Computer Science W: 919 962 1845 | Carrboro NC 27510 [Moderator's Note: All the Radio Shack dealers in Chicago were agents for Ameritech for several years. When I bought my CT-301 a couple years ago they sold it to me with Ameritech service. When I went in the other day, they had signs up everywhere saying they are now Cellular One agents as of a month ago. I asked what happened to people who had bought phones prior to that time using Ameritech; they said they'd continue to service them until whatever service contract they buyer had with Ameritech/Radio Shack expired, then offer the customer a new contract with Cell One instead. PAT] ------------------------------ From: stevef@wrq.com (Steve Forrette) Subject: Re: Cellular Phones With Deals Attached Organization: Walker Richer & Quinn, Inc., Seattle, WA Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 02:34:26 GMT In article tdarcos@mcimail.com writes: > Second, for anyone that has an answer, what is the maximum number of > nams you've seen for a single telephone. Because of roaming and dual > carriers, I saw an ad in the {Los Angeles Times} which showed a cell > phone with QUAD nam capability. My OKI 900 (also private-labeled by AT&T) has a five NAM capability. I sleep well at night knowing that I will never run out of NAMs! Steve Forrette, stevef@wrq.com ------------------------------ From: Bob Sherman Subject: Re: Cellular Phones With Deals Attached Date: 1 Oct 1992 04:01:23 -0400 In Paul Robinson writes: > Second, for anyone that has an answer, what is the maximum number of > nams you've seen for a single telephone. Because of roaming and dual > carriers, I saw an ad in the {Los Angeles Times} which showed a cell > phone with QUAD nam capability. At least some of the Technophone (sp?) models offer eight nams, but that is the most I have ever seen in any unit. bsherman@mthvax.cs.miami.edu MCI MAIL:BSHERMAN [Moderator's Note: I got a Technophone via Leader Communications when they were offering them for $29 with a tie in to Cellular One (their parent company) two years ago. It worked for a few months then broke down. Leader claimed it could not be fixed and offered to sell me a new phone for $400+ (cheapest one in the store that day) but they refused to knock off the $300 saying I was not a new Cell One activation, even though I offered to sign a new upgraded service contract with Cell One. I told them how badly the whole thing stunk and dropped by Cell One service the same da, putting both my phones on Ameritech where the coverage area and roaming agreements are better anyway. PAT] ------------------------------ From: gmw1@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu (Gabe M Wiener) Subject: Re: The Smallest US Telephone Company Reply-To: gmw1@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu (Gabe M Wiener) Organization: Columbia University Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1992 15:28:08 GMT In article TELECOM Moderator notes: > the smallest phone company however. There is (or was) a guy in > Colorado who owned a telco with *eight* subscribers. How does he qualify as a telco per se? How does this differ from any organization that buys its own PBX? Or is the distinction that any call outside of the local equipment is long-distance? Incidentally, I've always wondered ... hypothetical: someone moves out to the middle of nowhere ... buys switch and hooks up 30 odd subscribers to old used SxS ... how does he go about getting long distance connectivity? Gabe Wiener - Columbia Univ. gmw1@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu N2GPZ in ham radio circles 72355,1226 on CI$ [Moderator's Note: I think he qualifies as a telco instead of a 'PBX' because he has several users who are not associated with each other through any common affinity group, i.e. not all of the same employer; not all of the same residential premises, etc. To get long distance service he cuts a deal with the various carriers. That is how it is done now days. Anyone can be a telco; anyone can be an LD carrier. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 30 Sep 92 23:57:20 -0400 From: shri%unreal@cs.umass.edu Subject: Re: The Smallest US Telephone Company Organization: University of Massachusetts, Amherst In article ... > [Moderator's Note: We've discussed Buena Vista here before, and [..] not ... > the smallest phone company however. There is (or was) a guy in > Colorado who owned a telco with *eight* subscribers. Does anyone > remember the name of that one? PAT] Still on my one track ... Which is the smallest long distance company ? I suppose thats an ill-defined question, if ever there was one. So let's say I mean ... Which is the IEC with the smallest turn-over? Smallest investment? Smallest subscriber base (counting default IEC selection for line)? ... and such. shrikumar ( shri@legato.cs.umass.edu, shri@iucaa.ernet.in ) ------------------------------ From: barry@coyote.datalog.com (Barry Mishkind) Subject: Re: What it Costs to Have the President Over Organization: Datalog Consulting, Tucson, AZ Date: Wed, 30 Sep 92 07:22:51 GMT TELECOM Moderator notes: > streets closed off, massive traffic jams on the streets still open, > and delays in getting phone installation/repairs for two or three days > before the visit and a couple days afterward while all the phone techs > are assigned to install all sorts of stuff which will be gone two days > later. We had the same thing with Reagan, Carter and Nixon. Personally > I wish those guys would stay away. I don't have any interest in seeing > them personally and I'd much rather be able to follow my normal routes > of transportation, etc. I wish someone could tell me why ten percent > of the phone stuff which gets installed wherever he goes wouldn't be > adequate. Taxpayers certainly do not owe free phone service to the > members of the press. Let them put quarters in pay phones like the > rest of us. PAT] I don't think the press gets free anything from the taxpayer, although I have my suspicion about the amount paid covering the press bus/plane, etc. I think the phones are part of the normal overkill any politician demands due to his inflated opinion of his importance to history. I agree with you ... keep 'em out of my neighborhood. Expensive, inconvenient, and I'd rather not be used as a politician's poster boy. Barry Mishkind barry@coyote.datalog.com FidoNet 1:300/11.3 ------------------------------ From: James.VanHouten@f544.n109.z1.fidonet.org (James VanHouten) Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1992 07:57:32 -0500 Subject: Re: What it Costs to Have the President Over phil@wubios.wustl.edu (J. Philip Miller) wrote: > I have only heard rumors about the bills associated with all of this, > but it sure seems clear that some combination of the Bush/Quail > organization and our tax dollars are shelling out real money for a 20 > minute speech. Anyone got any idea how much the campaigns spend on > throw away work like this? > [Moderator's Note: Quite a bit of money is spent and inconvenience is > endured by people whenever the president comes through town. Whenever > Bush comes to Chicago the rest of us have to put up with numerous > streets closed off, massive traffic jams on the streets still open, ... Without going in to great detail, I spent eight years with the White House Communications Agency providing telecommunications for the President/VP. The amount of money spend to support the Chief is staggering. You must remember the wireline communications that you see is also backed up by other alternative communications. OBTW Pat, I was on a trip to Chicago in '90 I guess. You are right; when the President comes to town stay home. I used to think of all the people's lives that were put on hold during a Presidential visit. I guess the most memorable is a few trips to NYC. The police close several blocks during the middle of the day. Boy those New Yorkers can sure give you some scary looks as you go driving by!! James Van Houten [Moderator's Note: Harry S Truman used to take walks alone around downtown Washington, DC during his term in office. I don't need an explanation of why that is not feasable these days, but it seems to me there is a massive overkill of protection and telecom services for the President. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Bob_Frankston@frankston.com Subject: Re: Two-Line Switching Device Date: Thu 01 Oct 1992 11:58 -0400 I think that Radio Shack used to and might still sell a device designed for sharing an answering machine on two lines. It will respond to a call coming in on either line. I presume that the first line is still the default for outgoing. Unlike the switch box, it would be automatic. Since I never used the device, I might be wrong. ------------------------------ From: theriaul@mdd.comm.mot.com (Roger Theriault) Subject: Re: The Round Table Date: Wed, 30 Sep 92 12:53:33 PDT Organization: Motorola, Mobile Data Division, Vancouver, CANADA In a message of <22 Sep 92> by Randy Gellens, he notes that: > Saw the pilot of the new series {The Round Table} last Friday. In > one scene, someone in Georgetown (in the Washington, DC area) makes a > call from a pay phone. The pay phone was clearly a GTE style phone, > not a Bell type, even though the DC area is served by C&P, a Bell > company. I haven't seen the show, but our local papers report that this series is shot here in Vancouver. Possibly it was a BCTel payphone. As for the cruiser's plates, anyone's guess ... BC plates are white with blue letters/numbers (three letters + three numbers for all cars) and our provincial flag in the middle, and a date sticker (like OCT 92) centered along the bottom on the rear plate. Vanity plates all have a special trees and mountains background. But any local antique store can supply the film crew with any variety of license plate, and quite possibly a rental phone booth too! Roger Theriault Internet: theriaul@mdd.comm.mot.com UUCP: {uw-beaver,uunet}!van-bc!mdivax1!theriaul CompuServe: 71332,730 (not too often) I am not a spokesman for Motorola or anyone else besides myself. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 30 Sep 92 19:38:00 EDT From: mlksoft!kozam@rutgers.edu Subject: Re: Selective Ringing Call Director In reference to Paul Schauble's request for a "Selective Ringing Call Director", I have two starting points: 1. Home Automation Lab (posted in this newsgroup, in fact). I called their number, 1-800-HOMELAB (1-800-466-3522), and they say that they have such a product. I am waiting to receive their catalog. 2. BLACK BOX (R). Their September 1992 catalog lists a product called DRD-4 that automatically routes distinctive ring services from one incoming phone line to up to four devices. $ 139. Phone 1-412-746-5500. No personal experience with either product, but I'm investigating both of them. Marc Kozam UUCP: {media,mimsy}!mlksoft!kozam Internet: mlksoft!kozam@cs.umd.edu ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Last GTE Cord Board Removed Organization: I.E.C.C. Date: 30 Sep 92 23:37:14 EDT From: johnl@iecc.cambridge.ma.us (John R. Levine) > The first commercial telephone cord board was placed in service in New > Haven, Conn., in January 1878, creating the first exchange. Actually, the first cord board was in Bridgeport. New Haven had the distinction of the first phone book. I lived in New Haven in the 1970's and the local phone books had fancy covers commemorating the centennials of both. Regards, John Levine, johnl@iecc.cambridge.ma.us, {spdcc|ima|world}!iecc!johnl PS: This may have been the same year the phone book had science facts for filler. My favorite was "Although the moon is smaller than the earth, it is also farther away." ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 30 Sep 92 18:44:20 EDT From: rnewman@BBN.COM Subject: Re: Thoughts About WFMT Versus WNIB/WNIZ Didn't there use to be another classical station in Chicago, WEFM, Owned by Zenith Broadcasting I think? What happened to them? Ron Newman rnewman@bbn.com [Moderator's Note: Ah! Don't get me started! A brief history of the 36 years W dward cCormick was on the air: Owned by the Zenith Radio Corporation, WEFM went on the air in 1941; I believe it was the first FM station in the USA, but others say an experimental station in New York City was first. It was intended as something for the people who bought Zenith's 'new type radio' -- one with the FM band on it -- to have something to listen to. Prior to then all broadcasting was on the AM band. After all, why buy an FM radio if there are no FM stations? The call letters stood for Edward F. McCormick who was the president of Zenith at the time. It operated as a non-commercial station playing strictly classical music from 6 AM to midnight daily. Their only 'sponsor' was Zenith itself. Zenith wanted out of the operation in the middle seventies and the Metromedia organization bought the station, intending to change it to rock music. A lawsuit forced a delay in the change of the format, and Metromedia was put in the position of having to run a classical music station for the two years or so the suit was pending. Metromedia finally prevailed and late in 1977 got permission for the format change. They announced late one evening that the new format would begin the next day, and as the final presentation played Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. They stayed off the air the next day until noon, then came on with with the new format. We had three full time classical stations here from 1955 when WNIB went on the air for 22 years. As part of the lawsuit settlement, WEFM gave its extensive collection of classical records to (then in 1977 still tiny and struggling) WNIB. The FCC required them to run a disclaimer for two weeks following the changeover (hourly the first two days; then several times daily over the next two weeks) advising people of the new format. I'm sure it annoyed the new management to play a cartridge with George Stone (one of the old, classical music station's announcers) hourly saying: "The Federal Communications Commission requires WEFM to broadcast this announcement at intervals. On 1977, the Federal Communications Commission granted approval for a change in format to station WEFM. WEFM is owned and operated by Metromedia, . The Zenith Radio Corporation is no longer responsible for the contents of broadcasts on this station. For continued listening to classical music, we suggest you tune the dial to WNIB at 97.1 or WFMT at 98.6. You are invited to comment on this station's broadcasts by writing to the FCC at
or WEFM at 120 West Madison Street, Chicago 60602." So they had to stop the (otherwise non-stop) rock several times daily and advertise their competitors for two weeks as part of the settlement of the suit against them by 'Friends of WEFM', a citizen's organization which had good connections with the FCC at the time. PAT] ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V12 #751 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa01487; 1 Oct 92 17:19 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA32062 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Thu, 1 Oct 1992 13:20:02 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA08199 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Thu, 1 Oct 1992 13:19:32 -0500 Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 13:19:32 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199210011819.AA08199@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@delta.eecs.nwu.edu Subject: ADA Requirements Here is a permanent addition to your reference files. It was too large for inclusion in the Digest. Thanks to Michael H. Riddle for sending it along. PAT Date: Wed, 30 Sep 92 10:57:49 -0400 From: bc335@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Michael H. Riddle) Subject: Partial Extract -- ADA Telephone Requirments Reply-To: bc335@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Michael H. Riddle, Esq.) Since my comments about ADA and the AT&T 2000 generated some comments and replies, I thought perhaps I should post some of the ADA requirements. I don't remember seeing anything along these lines. I got my files from Compuserve, but there are other sources available. These documents are available in the following alternate formats: - Braille - Large Print - Audiotape - Electronic file on computer disk and electronic bulletin board (202) 514-6193 For additional information on the ADA contact: Office on the Americans with Disabilities Act Civil Rights Division U.S. Department of Justice P.O. Box 66118 Washington, D.C. 20035-6118 % (202) 514-0301 (Voice) (202) 514-0381 (TDD) (202) 514-0383 (TDD) For more specific information about ADA requirements affecting employment contact: Equal Employment Opportunity Commission 1801 L Street NW Washington, DC 20507 800-USA-EEOC (Voice) 800-800-3302 (TDD) For more specific information about ADA requirements affecting transportation contact: Department of Transportation 400 Seventh Street SW Washington, DC 20590 (202) 366-9305 (202) 755-7687 (TDD) For more specific information about requirements for accessible design in new construction and alterations contact: Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board 1111 18th Street NW Suite 501 Washington, DC 20036 800-USA-ABLE 800-USA-ABLE (TDD) For more specific information about ADA requirements affecting telecommunications contact: Federal Communications Commission 1919 M Street NW Washington, DC 20554 (202) 634-1837 (202) 632-1836 (TDD) PUBLISHED IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER JULY 26, 1991 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities U.S. Architectural & Transportation Barriers Compliance Board 1111 18th Street, N.W., Suite 501 Washington, D.C. 20036-3894 (202) 653-7834 v/TDD (202) 653-7863 FAX ADA ACCESSIBILITY GUIDELINES FOR BUILDINGS AND FACILITIES * * * 3.5 Definitions * * * Text Telephone. Machinery or equipment that employs interactive graphic (i.e., typed) communications through the transmission of coded signals across the standard telephone network. Text telephones can include, for example, devices known as TDD's (telecommunication display devices or telecommunication devices for deaf persons) or computers. * * * 4. ACCESSIBLE ELEMENTS AND SPACES: SCOPE AND TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS. 4.1 Minimum Requirements 4.1.1* Application. (1) General. All areas of newly designed or newly constructed buildings and facilities required to be accessible by 4.1.2 and 4.1.3 and altered portions of existing buildings and facilities required to be accessible by 4.1.6 shall comply with these guidelines, 4.1 through 4.35, unless otherwise provided in this section or as modified in a special application section. (2) Application Based on Building Use. Special application sections 5 through 10 provide additional requirements for restaurants and cafeterias, medical care facilities, business and mercantile, libraries, accessible transient lodging, and transportation facilities. When a building or facility contains more than one use covered by a special application section, each portion shall comply with the requirements for that use. (3)* Areas Used Only by Employees as Work Areas. Areas that are used only as work areas shall be designed and constructed so that individuals with disabilities can approach, enter, and exit the areas. These guidelines do not require that any areas used only as work areas be constructed to permit maneuvering within the work area or be constructed or equipped (i.e., with racks or shelves) to be accessible. (4) Temporary Structures. These guidelines cover temporary buildings or facilities as well as permanent facilities. Temporary buildings and facilities are not of permanent construction but are extensively used or are essential for public use for a period of time. Examples of temporary buildings or facilities covered by these guidelines include, but are not limited to: reviewing stands, temporary classrooms, bleacher areas, exhibit areas, temporary banking facilities, temporary health screening services, or temporary safe pedestrian passageways around a construction site. Structures, sites and equipment directly associated with the actual processes of construction, such as scaffolding, bridging, materials hoists, or construction trailers are not included. (5) General Exceptions. (a) In new construction, a person or entity is not required to meet fully the requirements of these guidelines where that person or entity can demonstrate that it is structurally impracticable to do so. Full compliance will be considered structurally impracticable only in those rare circumstances when the unique characteristics of terrain prevent the incorporation of accessibility features. If full compliance with the requirements of these guidelines is structurally impracticable, a person or entity shall comply with the requirements to the extent it is not structurally impracticable. Any portion of the building or facility which can be made accessible shall comply to the extent that it is not structurally impracticable. (b) Accessibility is not required to (i) observation galleries used primarily for security purposes; or (ii) in non-occupiable spaces accessed only by ladders, catwalks, crawl spaces, very narrow passageways, or freight (non-passenger) elevators, and frequented only by service personnel for repair purposes; such spaces include, but are not limited to, elevator pits, elevator penthouses, piping or equipment catwalks. * * * 4.1.3 Accessible Buildings: New Construction. Accessible buildings and facilities shall meet the following minimum requirements: * * * (17) Public telephones: (a) If public pay telephones, public closed circuit telephones, or other public telephones are provided, then they shall comply with 4.31.2 through 4.31.8 to the extent required by the following table: Number of each type of telephone provided on each floor; Number of telephones required to comply with 4.31.2 through 4.31.81. 1 or more single unit 1 per floor 1 bank2 1 per floor 2 or more banks2 1 per bank. Accessible unit may be installed as a single unit in proximity (either visible or with signage) to the bank. At least one public telephone per floor shall meet the requirements for a forward reach telephone3. 1 Additional public telephones may be installed at any height. Unless otherwise specified, accessible telephones may be either forward or side reach telephones. 2 A bank consists of two or more adjacent public telephones, often installed as a unit. 3 EXCEPTION: For exterior installations only, if dial tone first service is available, then a side reach telephone may be installed instead of the required forward reach telephone (i.e., one telephone in proximity to each bank shall comply with 4.31). (b)* All telephones required to be accessible and complying with 4.31.2 through 4.31.8 shall be equipped with a volume control. In addition, 25 percent, but never less than one, of all other public telephones provided shall be equipped with a volume control and shall be dispersed among all types of public telephones, including closed circuit telephones, throughout the building or facility. Signage complying with applicable provisions of 4.30.7 shall be provided. (c) The following shall be provided in accordance with 4.31.9: (i) if a total number of four or more public pay telephones (including both interior and exterior phones) is provided at a site, and at least one is in an interior location, then at least one interior public text telephone shall be provided. (ii) if an interior public pay telephone is provided in a stadium or arena, in a convention center, in a hotel with a convention center, or in a covered mall, at least one interior public text telephone shall be provided in the facility. (iii) if a public pay telephone is located in or adjacent to a hospital emergency room, hospital recovery room, or hospital waiting room, one public text telephone shall be provided at each such location. (d) Where a bank of telephones in the interior of a building consists of three or more public pay telephones, at least one public pay telephone in each such bank shall be equipped with a shelf and outlet in compliance with 4.31.9(2). * * * 4.1.6 Accessible Buildings: Alterations. (1) General. Alterations to existing buildings and facilities shall comply with the following: * * * (e) At least one interior public text telephone complying with 4.31.9 shall be provided if: (i) alterations to existing buildings or facilities with less than four exterior or interior public pay telephones would increase the total number to four or more telephones with at least one in an interior location; or (ii) alterations to one or more exterior or interior public pay telephones occur in an existing building or facility with four or more public telephones with at least one in an interior location. * * * 4.2 Space Allowance and Reach Ranges. 4.2.1* Wheelchair Passage Width. The minimum clear width for single wheelchair passage shall be 32 in (815 mm) at a point and 36 in (915 mm) continuously (see Fig. 1 and 24(e)). 4.2.2 Width for Wheelchair Passing. The minimum width for two wheelchairs to pass is 60 in (1525 mm) (see Fig. 2). 4.2.3* Wheelchair Turning Space. The space required for a wheelchair to make a 180-degree turn is a clear space of 60 in (1525 mm) diameter (see Fig. 3(a)) or a T-shaped space (see Fig. 3(b)). 4.2.4* Clear Floor or Ground Space for Wheelchairs. 4.2.4.1 Size and Approach. The minimum clear floor or ground space required to accommodate a single, stationary wheelchair and occupant is 30 in by 48 in (760 mm by 1220 mm) (see Fig. 4(a)). The minimum clear floor or ground space for wheelchairs may be positioned for forward or parallel approach to an object (see Fig. 4(b) and (c)). Clear floor or ground space for wheelchairs may be part of the knee space required under some objects. 4.2.4.2 Relationship of Maneuvering Clearance to Wheelchair Spaces. One full unobstructed side of the clear floor or ground space for a wheelchair shall adjoin or overlap an accessible route or adjoin another wheelchair clear floor space. If a clear floor space is located in an alcove or otherwise confined on all or part of three sides, additional maneuvering clearances shall be provided as shown in Fig. 4(d) and (e). 4.2.4.3 Surfaces for Wheelchair Spaces. Clear floor or ground spaces for wheelchairs shall comply with 4.5. 4.2.5* Forward Reach. If the clear floor space only allows forward approach to an object, the maximum high forward reach allowed shall be 48 in (1220 mm) (see Fig. 5(a)). The minimum low forward reach is 15 in (380 mm). If the high forward reach is over an obstruction, reach and clearances shall be as shown in Fig. 5(b). 4.2.6* Side Reach. If the clear floor space allows parallel approach by a person in a wheelchair, the maximum high side reach allowed shall be 54 in (1370 mm) and the low side reach shall be no less than 9 in (230 mm) above the floor (Fig. 6(a) and (b)). If the side reach is over an obstruction, the reach and clearances shall be as shown in Fig 6(c). * * * 4.30.7* Symbols of Accessibility. (1) Facilities and elements required to be identified as accessible by 4.1 shall use the international symbol of accessibility. The symbol shall be displayed as shown in Fig. 43(a) and (b). (2) Volume Control Telephones. Telephones required to have a volume control by 4.1.3(17)(b) shall be identified by a sign containing a depiction of a telephone handset with radiating sound waves. (3) Text Telephones. Text telephones required by 4.1.3(17)(c) shall be identified by the international TDD symbol (Fig 43(c)). In addition, if a facility has a public text telephone, directional signage indicating the location of the nearest text telephone shall be placed adjacent to all banks of telephones which do not contain a text telephone. Such directional signage shall include the international TDD symbol. If a facility has no banks of telephones, the directional signage shall be provided at the entrance (e.g., in a building directory). (4) Assistive Listening Systems. In assembly areas where permanently installed assistive listening systems are required by 4.1.3(19)(b) the availability of such systems shall be identified with signage that includes the international symbol of access for hearing loss (Fig 43(d)). 4.30.8* Illumination Levels. (Reserved). 4.31 Telephones. 4.31.1 General. Public telephones required to be accessible by 4.1 shall comply with 4.31. 4.31.2 Clear Floor or Ground Space. A clear floor or ground space at least 30 in by 48 in (760 mm by 1220 mm) that allows either a forward or parallel approach by a person using a wheelchair shall be provided at telephones (see Fig. 44). The clear floor or ground space shall comply with 4.2.4. Bases, enclosures, and fixed seats shall not impede approaches to telephones by people who use wheelchairs. 4.31.3* Mounting Height. The highest operable part of the telephone shall be within the reach ranges specified in 4.2.5 or 4.2.6. 4.31.4 Protruding Objects. Telephones shall comply with 4.4. 4.31.5 Hearing Aid Compatible and Volume Control Telephones Required by 4.1. (1) Telephones shall be hearing aid compatible. (2) Volume controls, capable of a minimum of 12 dbA and a maximum of 18 dbA above normal, shall be provided in accordance with 4.1.3. If an automatic reset is provided then 18 dbA may be exceeded. 4.31.6 Controls. Telephones shall have pushbutton controls where service for such equipment is available. 4.31.7 Telephone Books. Telephone books, if provided, shall be located in a position that complies with the reach ranges specified in 4.2.5 and 4.2.6. 4.31.8 Cord Length. The cord from the telephone to the handset shall be at least 29 in (735 mm) long. 4.31.9* Text Telephones Required by 4.1. (1) Text telephones used with a pay telephone shall be permanently affixed within, or adjacent to, the telephone enclosure. If an acoustic coupler is used, the telephone cord shall be sufficiently long to allow connection of the text telephone and the telephone receiver. (2) Pay telephones designed to accommodate a portable text telephone shall be equipped with a shelf and an electrical outlet within or adjacent to the telephone enclosure. The telephone handset shall be capable of being placed flush on the surface of the shelf. The shelf shall be capable of accommodating a text telephone and shall have 6 in (152 mm) minimum vertical clearance in the area where the text telephone is to be placed. (3) Equivalent facilitation may be provided. For example, a portable text telephone may be made available in a hotel at the registration desk if it is available on a 24-hour basis for use with nearby public pay telephones. In this instance, at least one pay telephone shall comply with paragraph 2 of this section. In addition, if an acoustic coupler is used, the telephone handset cord shall be sufficiently long so as to allow connection of the text telephone and the telephone receiver. Directional signage shall be provided and shall comply with 4.30.7. ----------- <<<< insert standard disclaimer here >>>> mike.riddle@inns.omahug.org | Nebraska Inns of Court bc335@cleveland.freenet.edu | +1 402 593 1192 (Data) Sysop of 1:285/27 @ FidoNet | 3/12/224/9600 V.32/V42b   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa02598; 1 Oct 92 17:42 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA11078 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Thu, 1 Oct 1992 12:55:24 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA15258 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Thu, 1 Oct 1992 12:55:04 -0500 Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 12:55:04 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199210011755.AA15258@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: "\\telecom"@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V12 #752 TELECOM Digest Thu, 1 Oct 92 12:55:00 CDT Volume 12 : Issue 752 Index To This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Re: AT&T Wants $3 For International DA (dbw@crash.cts.com) Re: Funny 800 Number Spelling (Andrew M. Boardman) Re: TASI (was AT&T Announces Encryption Security Device) (Terence Cross) Re: My Favorite Intercepts (Christopher Lott) Re: Internet White Pages (mlbarrow@mit.edu) Re: Info Needed About "Nationwide Long Distance" Company (Ed Greenberg) Re: Delphi via Telnet (John Goggan) Re: Additional Thoughts About Voice Mail Systems (David Rivkin) Re: Local Battery (Gary Wells) Re: Telecom in the MidWest (Ang Peng Hwa) Re: Cellular Interception in Private Talk (Jon Gefaell) Re: Cellular Phones With Deals Attached (Bill Berbenich) Re: Question About Air Phones (Tom Coradeschi) Re: N0N/N1N Exchanges and 1+ Dialing (Carl Moore) Re: The Smallest US Telephone Company (David G. Lewis) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: dbw@crash.cts.com Subject: Re: AT&T Wants $3 For International DA Date: 30 Sep 92 05:11:53 GMT Greetings, My father is trying to resolve a problem with ATT international DA. He tried using the service to get a number in Tokyo. Three times he tried but eventually was disconnected after about 45 seconds; three times he was charged $3. What is the bargain of paying $9 for not getting a number? Calling up the AT&T billing number only results in his being told that a supervisor will return his call, which is never returned. [Moderator's Note: An incomplete DA call billed in error should be handled no differently than any other AT&T call which fails to go through or aborts prematurely. Usually credit is given instantly by an AT&T operator or by the business office later. Why was there a need to get a supervisor involved in the first place I wonder? PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 30 Sep 92 02:31:34 EDT From: andrew m. boardman Subject: Re: Funny 800 Number Spelling John Higdon writes: > I know of no number-issuing entity, LEC or IEC, who will refuse to > give out any number you want if it is available. New York Telephone. An associate once went to fairly great lengths to try to get 914.234.5678, to no avail. It was neither in use nor in a reserved block -- through the standard rep and N levels of supervisors, it was a staunch "we know what's good for you -- you can't have it." The only thing I can think of is that it is such an often wrong number that it was trapped at other 914 switches, but it later turned out that this was not the case. (The individual was, BTW, local to the 234 exchange, and the eventual number received was indeed in 234 -- but not -5678 ...) andrew boardman amb@cs.columbia.edu [Moderator's Note: Although not in a 'reserved block' it still might have been reserved for a few months by some specific individual. That can be done here. Or possibly it had recently been disconnected and not yet available for re-assignment. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 30 Sep 92 12:24:34 BST From: eeitecs@eeiuc.ericsson.se (Terence Cross) Subject: Re: TASI (was AT&T Announces Encryption Security Device) In article dancer!whs70@uunet.UU.NET (22501-sohl) writes: > I don't know about today, but in the past there was. A system called > TASI was used on international cables to make use of the slices of > silence in each direction. I suspect it has long since been abandoned > as circuit capacity has expanded tremendously since the time it was > used. The acronym TASI was something like: Time A????? Speech > Interpolation I think. Another similar system is called DCME (Digital Circuit Multiplication Equipment). This uses digital speech interpolation (which is like TASI?) and low rate encoding of speech to compress it. One example of DCME will compress (5:1) and concentrate (2:1) ten 2 Mbit/s trunk lines carrying speech over one 2 Mbit/s (1.5 in the US) line to another, distant DCME twin. As you can imagine non-speech data calls through such systems encounter problems and are not compressed so easily. Terence Cross ------------------------------ Subject: Re: My Favorite Intercepts Date: Wed, 30 Sep 92 15:45:37 +0100 From: Christopher Lott AGSE In article phil@rochgte.fidonet.org writes: >> The most boring intercepts are those from Germany (right to the >> point), the French outer territories (which always seem to be running >> on the winner of the wow and flutter tape unit award) Ok, I have my own short story about French Telecom and intercepts. First, when you call a number from a pay phone, you have to endure a 45-second advertisement for French Telecom, how wonderful. When you're trying to get through to a busy number and it takes one minute just to dial and get a ring (I timed it), this is NOT acceptable. Paying for a service and then getting hit with an ad that makes the service basically an order of magnitude slower really infuriated me. Second, about an intercept. We were trying to dial Paris from the French countryside. Dialing 16 is necessary, but we didn't know. So for half an hour we kept trying the Paris city code (1) because each time we called (after enduring the ad) the phone gave just the busy signal. No voice, not reorder, just the exact same signal you get for a genuine busy. Cute, huh? I'll take the German "boring and to the point" anytime. Christopher Lott lott@informatik.uni-kl.de +49 (631) 205-3334, -3331 Fax Post: FB Informatik, Bau 57/525, Universit"at KL, 6750 Kaiserslautern, Germany ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1992 12:08:18 -0500 From: mlbarrow@MIT.EDU Subject: Re: Internet White Pages > [Moderator's Note: I received a few others like this regards the > Internet White Pages message. The information is repeated below. PAT] > ian.evans@bville.gts.org (Ian Evans) wrote: >> I'm sorry, I missed your original posting on this. Could you please >> send me the (corrected) information. > RFC 1202 states that ANYONE with an Internet Mail address is entitled > to have that address listed in the Internet white pages, provided they > send in an application to the registrar with their E-Mail address. [stuff deleted] I sent in a message and they told me that I couldn't be in the directory because they were low on resources. I could only be in there if I was a site coordinator. Anyone have any info on this? mlb [Moderator's Note: This seems to be an ongoing controversy here in recent days: can one, or can one not be listed in the 'white pages'? Maybe someone from the 'white pages' will give a definitive answer. PAT] ------------------------------ From: edg@netcom.com (Ed Greenberg) Subject: Re: Info Needed About "Nationwide Long Distance" Company Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest) Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1992 17:10:37 GMT In article bill@eedsp.gatech.edu writes: > I am very satisfied with Cable & Wireless (10223) and have had them > for almost a year now. Data connections are always good and voice > quality is on a par with the "big three." I am moderately happy with Cable and Wireless. I got them entirely for use as a calling card carrier, since they don't have a CC surcharge, although the rates for such calls are higher. I dunno if the savings really worked out, although I THINK it did. Here are some side comments: 1. They slammed both my lines even though I never asked them too. Nonetheless, it could have been an honest mistake, and Pacific Bell has charged the switching charges back to them. 2. Call setup time is longer than AT&T. 3. No complaints about circuit quality for either voice or data use. 4. Direct dial rates seem higher than AT&T. by a few cents per minute. 5. They don't seem to be charging me the $5/month. (yet.) Ed Greenberg Home: +1 408 283 0511 | edg@netcom.com P. O. Box 28618 Work: +1 408 764 5305 | DoD#: 0357 San Jose, CA 95159 Fax: +1 408 764 5003 | KM6CG (ex WB2GOH) ------------------------------ Organization: Central Michigan University Date: Wednesday, 30 Sep 1992 13:48:24 EDT From: John Goggan <34II5MT@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU> Subject: Re: Delphi via Telnet Delphi began allowing incoming telnet connections (to delphi.com) about six weeks ago. At that time, there was no surcharge at any time (peak or off-peak) for a telnet connection. About four weeks ago, I heard talk about possibly moving to a $2.00/hour (at any time) surcharge for telnet, but that had not yet been decided upon (since they were still doing a lot of testing with the gateway and everything). I haven't been on Delphi since that time (four weeks ago), so I don't know any more than that. John Goggan (34ii5mt@cmuvm.csv.cmich.edu or jgoggan@opus.csv.cmich.edu) ------------------------------ From: davidr@socrates.ucsf.edu (David Rivkin%Kollman) Subject: Re: Additional Thoughts About Voice Mail Systems Organization: Computer Graphics Laboratory, UCSF Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1992 18:22:20 GMT In article jdgretz@northridge. witchcraft.com (John D. Gretzinger) writes: > I thought I would add some details to the Voice Mail discussions > currently underway. > Most (I used to say all, but after talking to John Higdon have to > revise that) PC based voice servers require the system to be brought > out of service when any service is required. This includes backup of > data, retrieval of billing information, replacement of components, > etc. > GTE uses a mixture of machines in it's COs, but the primary machine is > from Digital Sound Corportation. DSC is not interested in small > sites, and thus does not have a machine for the small business. Also, > their IVR capability is severely limited at this time. They have > announced capabilities for next year that other players have available > now. > If I had my choice, I would buy anything else. My first choice would > be Centigram, then Octel. I really like Centigram's approach to > business, machine management, and IVR development tools. This is not > to say Octel is not real close. Simply my impression and choice. > If you currently want to do IVR with DSC, you need to be very good > with low level C code, 'cause that's what you got now. 1. Do you have good contacts you can refer me to at Centagram and Octel (Phone, Fax, e-mail)? 2. I agree that most developers of PC based Voice Mail have not looked into the aspects that you mention, but that does not mean that everyone has not. In designing Winfon, Because it is run from a multitasking environment like Windows, OS/2 or X on Unix, such backups were included and allowed to happen while the system was still taking calls. Currently we are making the system be admined and user controled over a LAN (even WAN) via e-mail facilities. We have, however, found very little interest in these features that we feel are so very important to how things are done. The Voice Mail industry seems reluctant to get things moving toward integrated information "At your fingertips". We have the solution today, but no one is interested. Just wanted to put in my two cents. David Rivkin UCSF Winfon Engineering davidr@cgl.ucsf.edu ------------------------------ From: gary@percy.rain.com (Gary Wells) Subject: Re: Local Battery Organization: Percy's mach, Portland, OR Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1992 19:54:28 GMT Out here in the wilds of Ore-e-gone, they had teen-aged boys who drove a horse and wagon around from house to house and changed out the dry cell every month. After a while, with good behaviour, etc, they were generally promoted to installers, etc. Used to work with a guy who started out that way. Weird, but it worked. gary@percival.rain.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 01 Oct 92 10:22:54 SST From: Ang Peng Hwa Subject: Re: Telecom in the MidWest Pat noted: > Even twenty years ago, Tulsa, OK, was considered an ideal place for > telemarketers as was Omaha, NB. Why? Because they had the least > expensive WATS costs of anywhere in the USA. After all, the most you > can go in any direction from Tulsa is 2,000 miles or less,.... I was told that the reason telemarketers chose the MidWest was that they had the most "neutral" accents. Nebraska was said to have been pitching that. I'm told by a Nebraskan that she thinks the accent is neutral except for Washington, which they pronounced "Waa-shington." [Moderator's Note: This is also true. Telemarketers have enough to do trying to get people to stay on the line; listen; and buy their product without worrying about the prejudices people have who they call. Some people might get turned off by the accent. PAT] ------------------------------ From: jon@Turing.ORG (Jon Gefaell (KD4CQY)) Subject: Re: Cellular Interception in Private Talk Organization: The Turing Project, Charlottesville Virginia. Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 03:28:44 GMT > [Moderattor's Note: We have touched upon this several times recently. > Cellular calls are quite easy to intercept on a scanning radio which > covers the 800 mh range of frequencies. The 'technical problems' > consist of sometimes having to make a small modification in the radio > itself. Conversations cannot easily be followed between cells. PAT] I must disagree here. Cellular telephone conversations can certainly be relatively easily followed as the radios switch cells. Frequencies are laid out according to a plan across the cells in any region. By scanning frequencies allocated in cells immediately adjacent to the cell the conversation was last heard in one can reduce the number of seeks required to re-intercept the communications. In practice, one can locate a conversation again following a cell transfer within a few seconds. I suppose the keyword is 'relative' IF you're interested in sitting back in your armchair and hearing conversations without interuption, it's not likely you'll be entirely successful. However, if you're properly motivated, with a little effort and research you can maintain succesful survielance of cellular telephone communications. Of course, I have no practical experience with any of this, and am speaking purely theoreticaly. It is a violation of federal law to intercept cellular telephone communications. Your mileage may vary. ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Cellular Phones With Deals Attached Date: Thu, 1 Oct 92 11:24:48 BST From: Bill Berbenich Reply-To: bill@eedsp.gatech.edu Many Audiovox cellular phones have an unlimited number of NAMs. It is not a pre-programmed, automatic thing, however. All one has to do to change NAMs is to enter the five-digit system ID and ten-digit phone number for the new NAM, then press Func-6. The new NAM will be in effect until it is changed. This works an unlimited number of times. Granted, one must keep track of system IDs and phone numbers, but anyone who uses more than four NAMs would probably be able to keep that sort of thing straight anyway. Bill Berbenich, School of EE, DSP Lab Georgia Tech, Atlanta Georgia, 30332 uucp: ...!{backbones}!gatech!eedsp!bill Internet: bill@eedsp.gatech.edu [Moderator's Note: I'd think that unless one was *constantly* in various cities around the USA and almost always 'roaming' somewhere there would be a point at which maintaining several accounts with different cell companies (to make the use of multiple nams possible) would exceed the cost of paying for roaming calls. Really, about the only reason for more than one nam is to be able to use the phone in 'local' service in more that one area. At some point the financial bottom line would tip the other way, I'd think. Maybe at four? PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 1 Oct 92 11:58:19 EDT From: Tom Coradeschi Subject: Re: Question About Air Phones Organization: Electric Armts Div, US Army ARDEC, Picatinny Arsenal, NJ Tdarcos@f120.n109.z1.fidonet.org (Tdarcos) writes: > In a movie I saw last night on TV, a woman wanted to call someone and > saw an airplane telephone. She "swiped" her credit card through the > mag card reader, removed the card, then took the handset away. > Is this correct? She ended up with both the handset and the credit > card (she did put the handset back). I thought that the base unit > required that it retain the credit card to prevent someone from > (accidentally or intentionally) walking off with the handset. It sounds weird. The cordless AirFones (typically two to four per plane) capture your credit card. The permanently wired ones (you'll find it in the back of the seat in front of you, typically one fone per three seats) allow a swipe of the credit card, but are, as I said, permanently wired. tom coradeschi <+> tcora@pica.army.mil ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 1 Oct 92 12:40:37 EDT From: Carl Moore (VLD/VMB) Subject: Re: N0N/N1N Exchanges and 1+ Dialing >> In New York and New Jersey, you dial 1+ before an area code. > Not quite correct. Area code 516 which adjoins area code 718 does > not require 1+ dialing for any type of call. It's N0X/N1X-NNX-XXXX > for out of area code and NNX-XXXX. Strictly speaking, it should be N0X/N1X-NXX-XXXX for out of area code; and the NNX-XXXX shown above is within area code (516 not having N0X/ N1X prefixes that I know of). This applies to 516 and also to southern part of 914 (another part of country code 1 still having this method is the San Jose part of area 408 in California). The rest of New York state, as far as I know, has 1 (+area code, if different from where you're calling) + 7D for long distance. I guess that N.Y.state outside of NYC would change to the NYC method (7D within area code and 1 + NPA + 7D for other area codes) to prepare for NXX area codes. ------------------------------ From: deej@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (david.g.lewis) Subject: Re: The Smallest US Telephone Company Organization: AT&T Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 16:54:44 GMT In article gmw1@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu (Gabe M Wiener) writes: > In article TELECOM Moderator notes: >> the smallest phone company however. There is (or was) a guy in >> Colorado who owned a telco with *eight* subscribers. > How does he qualify as a telco per se? How does this differ from any > organization that buys its own PBX? To which PAT answers: > [Moderator's Note: I think he qualifies as a telco instead of a 'PBX' > because he has several users who are not associated with each other > through any common affinity group, i.e. not all of the same employer; > not all of the same residential premises, etc. Additionally, in some (or many) states, one would have to register with the Public Service Commission (or equivalent) as a "registered common carrier", indicating that one is willing to abide by all the laws and regulations which apply in the state to telecommunications common carriers. Depending on state regulations, one may also be required to file tariffs, etc. ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V12 #752 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa03179; 2 Oct 92 9:58 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA07335 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Fri, 2 Oct 1992 07:53:18 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA24294 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Fri, 2 Oct 1992 07:53:07 -0500 Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1992 07:53:07 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199210021253.AA24294@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: "\\telecom"@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V12 #753 TELECOM Digest Fri, 2 Oct 92 07:53:00 CDT Volume 12 : Issue 753 Index To This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Canada to Mexico Link Now Under Teleglobe (Global Connections; D. Leibold) Teleglobe Inaugurates Direct Service With Ukraine (David Leibold) TPC-4 Cable Nearly Ready (Canada, U.S., Japan Traffic) (David Leibold) MCC First Cities in Dallas (Bruce Klopfenstein) Centel of Florida Merging With Sprint Corp. (isjjgcd@prism.gatech.edu) Corporate Internal Networks - Ownership and Maintainance (Sashidhar Reddy) First Night Looking For Multi-Line System (David Leibold) Switch to Connect/Disconnect Phone Line (Richard Tjoa) Recommendations for an Emergency Phone System (John A. Romano) DC Taxi Licenses (Andrew Klossner) Pen Registers (Ray Normandeau) Non-Air Air-Phone (Christopher Wolf) Need PC Programming Software for American Tele (Fujitsu) Focus (C. J. Lord) Ridiculous Prices For Phone Call (John R. Levine) Re: New 540 Scam (Carl Moore) Re: Two-Line Switching Device (Doug Sewell) My Favourite 'Stupid' Intercept (David M. Miller) Re: Favorite Intercepts (Lauren Weinstein) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 01 Oct 92 18:39:43 EDT From: David Leibold Subject: Canada to Mexico Link Now Under Teleglobe From the Aug-Sep '92 {Global Connections} publication from Teleglobe: Teleglobe to carry Canada-Mexico traffic: As of September 1, Teleglobe Canada has carried international telephone traffic between Canada and Mexico. This is the result of an interconnection agreement between Teleglobe and Telmex, Mexico's carrier, and a companion agreement between Teleglobe and Stentor, which represents Canada's domestic telephone companies. Canada-Mexico traffic was traditionally carried by the domestic Canadian telephone companies via American carriers' networks. The agreements will lead to benefits for Canadians such as acceptance of Canadian calling cards in Mexico. Negotiations are under way for a wider variety of services, and the agreements give Teleglobe, Stentor, and other Canadian carriers more flexibility in rate setting, which will likely improve rates for consumers. dleibold@vm1.yorku.ca ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 01 Oct 92 18:49:47 EDT From: David Leibold Subject: Teleglobe Inaugurates Direct Service With Ukraine From {Global Connections}, Aug-Sept 1992: In mid-July, the Ukrainian Ambassador to Canada officially placed the first phone call from Canada to Ukraine which was not routed through Moscow. The telephone call was made during a two-way videoconference between the Ambassador in Montreal and government officials in Kiev. Telephone traffic volume, currently almost 30,000 minutes a week, is expected to triple by year-end; the new direct telephone circuits to Ukraine will be tripled or quadrupled accordingly. dleibold@vm1.yorku.ca ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 01 Oct 92 18:47:01 EDT From: David Leibold Subject: TPC-4 Cable Nearly Ready (Canada, U.S., Japan Traffic) From Teleglobe's {Global Connections}, Aug-Sept 1992 New cable knits Teleglobe's network together: On June 11, the C.S. {Global Sentinel} began laying the shore end of the TPC-4 fiber-optic cable just off Port Alberni, British Columbia. Laying of the 9800 km cable was completed in mid-August. The fiber-optic system will connect Teleglobe's Port Alberni Cable Station with Point Arena (California) and Chikura (Japan) starting October 31, 1992. dleibold@vm1.yorku.ca ------------------------------ From: klopfens@andy.bgsu.edu (Bruce Klopfenstein) Subject: MCC First Cities in Dallas Organization: Bowling Green State University B.G., Oh. Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 23:14:56 GMT I'm told that at a panel at SIGGRAPH, Bruce Sidran from a company called MCC First Cities described an effort to test a video-to-the-home service. Apparently, several communities are going to be used as test sites for varied approaches to providing digital telecommunications/ video to the home. I'm interested in learning more about this project (and other projects like it around the country) as well as anything about this particular company. Thanks for any help. Bruce C. Klopfenstein klopfens@andy.bgsu.edu Department of Telecommunications klopfenstein@bgsuopie.bitnet 322 West Hall klopfens@bgsuvax.UUCP ------------------------------ From: isjjgcd@prism.gatech.edu Subject: Centel of Florida Merging With "Sprint Corporation" Date: Thu, 1 Oct 92 19:36:57 EDT Quarter-page advertisement on page 9A in the Thursday, October 1, 1992 edition of the {Tallahassee Democrat}, Tallahassee, Florida: "Notice to Customers of Central Telephone Company of Florida "Notice is hereby given that Centel Corporation and Sprint Corporation have entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger which, if consumated [sic], will indirectly transfer the majority operational control of Central Telephone Company of Florida to Sprint Corporation. Centel Corporation, Central Telephone Company, Central Telephone Company of Florida and Sprint Corporation have filed a joint petition with the Florida Public Service Commission for approval of the acquisition of the stock of Centel Corporation by Sprint Corporation and thereby indirectly transfer the majority organization control of Central Telephone Company of Florida to Sprint Corporation. "The joint petition does not propose a change to the rates of services in effect for Central Telephone Company of Florida." Ok, I'll admit I have no idea whether the "Sprint Corporation" mentioned is the same as US Sprint, the IXC we all know and toward which some of us are ambivalent. If it isn't, though, wouldn't the ad have made that clear? If it is, what next? Merger of AT&T with BellSouth? I just don't get it. [Moderator's Note: I think the Sprint Corporation is one of the various subsidiaries of US Sprint, which itself is a subsidiary, etc. Suffice to say, Central is being bought by Sprint. That's all you need to know; guess who will provide Central's LD service in the future! PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 01 Oct 92 19:33:42 EST From: Sashidhar K. Reddy Subject: Corporate Internal Networks - Ownership and Maintainance I have one simple question. Roughly what percentage of corporate internal networks are * maintained by the carriers; * owned completely by the companies themselves. If you think this is too trivial, reply to me by email. Thanks, sashidhar BITNET: kondared@purccvm INTERNET: kondared@mace.cc.purdue.edu ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 01 Oct 92 23:11:05 EDT From: David Leibold Subject: First Night Looking For Multi-Line System First Night Toronto is looking for a multi-line telephone system, with capability to work with ten or more lines. The intent is to have the system in place to field inquiries and various calls. It appears that what they would be looking for is something of a call distributor type system, more than an extension-based system per se (although they may want separate lines for separate departments or desks). I don't know if they want to go the full "on-hold" or "press 1 for this, press 2 for that, press 0 for actual civilisation", etc, but variable numbers of volunteers to field calls can be expected. By way of introduction, First Night is a New Years Eve community celebration whose main emphasis is the lack of alcohol. It started in Boston years ago and became a huge success in other cities, and now Toronto (the first Toronto First Night was held last New Years Eve). Much of the event depends on corporate donations and the like, and if anyone out there should know of some lonely inbound call equipment (used and usable should be okay), or would like more information on what exactly is needed, or on anything else above, please call First Night Toronto at +1 416 362.3692 (voice). Do not post to the Digest; direct inquiries to First Night are preferred; contact me via net mail as a secondary resort (they don't have e-mail ... yet.) Thanks folks, dleibold@vm1.yorku.ca dleibold1@attmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 30 Sep 92 23:30:13 -0700 From: tjoa@cory.berkeley.edu (Richard Tjoa) Subject: Switch to Connect/Disconnect Phone Line I was in the process of making a switch for a friend of mine with a speech impairment that would disconnect his TDD when he was just using it to communicate with people in the room. When he turns on and starts typing on his TDD, it renders the phone line busy. What he wants me to do is to put in some kind of switch that will disable or enable the device to communicate over the phone line. So, my question is: What is the best wire to install the switch on? Red? Green? Both? Richard [Moderator's Note: You could split the connection on either the red or green wire or you could use a double-pole double-throw switch and break both wires which might be best if there are other extensions which might want to use the phone when the TDD is not. Either way would probably work fine. PAT] ------------------------------ From: tazman@wam.umd.edu (John A. Romano) Subject: Recommendations for an Emergency Phone System Organization: University of Maryland, College Park Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 18:23:33 GMT Hi! I am looking for recommendations/information on campus-wide emergency phone systems. Right now at the University of Maryland we have a proprietary AT&T system which has been less-than-reliable and terribly time consuming and costly to upgrade. I would like to evaluate some alternative systems which provide the following features: -Display of off-hook and trouble conditions (Some sort of Auto Circuit Assurance); -Monitoring software that runs on a PC; -Easy administration (doesn't require a rocket scientist or a call to the vendor to add a phone); -Remote notification of system trouble; -Ability to handle at least 200 phones; -Either readily available off-the-shelf parts or the availibility to purchase a maintainence contract with 24 hour turn around time. Any and all information would be most helpful. Thanks in advance! John Romano UMCP Communication Services jromano@umdacc.umd.edu tazman@wam.umd.edu ------------------------------ From: andrew@frip.wv.tek.com (Andrew Klossner) Date: Thu, 1 Oct 92 16:10:05 PDT Subject: DC Taxi Licenses Reply-To: andrew@frip.wv.tek.com Organization: Tektronix Color Printers, Wilsonville, Oregon > "... the "H" series plates always have five digits after them. > They have to. They're for taxicabs." > "Your implication is there are at least 10,000 taxi cabs ..." Not any more so than an implication that 10^16 VISA cards exist. There's no reason to assume that a numeric tag space will be densely filled, and in fact it's a good idea *not* to fill the space. If taxicab licenses were unique in their first four digits and the fifth digit acted as a check digit, single-digit errors in reading the plates could be detected. I wish the North American telephone numbering plan used redundant digits. This would cut way down on completed calls to wrong numbers. Andrew Klossner (andrew@frip.wv.tek.com) (uunet!tektronix!frip.WV.TEK!andrew) ------------------------------ Subject: Pen Registers From: ray.normandeau@factory.com (Ray Normandeau) Date: 1 Oct 92 01:20:00 GMT Organization: Invention Factory's BBS - New York City, NY - 212-274-1243v.32bis Reply-To: ray.normandeau@factory.com (Ray Normandeau) The following is from the PHONES SIG of Invention Factory BBS. > Those of you who have seen the latest DAMARK catalog may have > noticed the Galaxis Call Register. > These are better known by three other names: > 1. (old )Pen Register > 2. (just as old) pen recorder > 3. (the current name) Dialed Number Recorder (DNR) > I've just received the unit ... Stay tuned for details. As more information becomes available I will post here. In the meantime, Damark can be contacted at: 800-729-9000 orders 800-729-4744 Product Information Fax 612-531-0281 ------------------------------ From: cmwolf@mtu.edu (CHRISTOPHER WOLF) Subject: Non-Air Air-Phone Date: Thu, 1 Oct 92 8:52:26 EDT When I took the ferry across Lake Michigan from MI to WI this summer, there was a phone or two on board that looked like the phones on air-planes. How does this work being only 100ft off the ground, in the middle of a lake? Christopher Wolf cmwolf@mtu.edu [Moderator's Note: Maybe they were not Airphones but were operated like marine radios. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Charles J. Lord From: cjl@ecsvax.uncecs.edu (Charles J. Lord) Subject: Need PC Programming Software For American Tele (Fujitsu) Focus Organization: Triangle R&D Corp,RTP,NC Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 14:45:52 GMT I am searching for the PC (as in "IBM") software package that American Telecom (or Fujitsu) supposively sold as the "Enhanced Database Support System Package" or EDSS. This software allowed you to program the Focus 50/100/200 hybrid EKS/PBX with a common PC rather than the overly expensive console ... all calls have been a dead end, as Sales doesn't deal in obselete equipment like the Focus, and Service doesn't want to give up a cash cow in providing every little programming change at $100/hr. Anyone heard of this beast? Thanks! C. Lord cjl@ecsvax.uncecs.edu ------------------------------ Subject: Ridiculous Prices Organization: I.E.C.C. Date: 1 Oct 92 11:59:27 EDT (Thu) From: johnl@iecc.cambridge.ma.us (John R. Levine) > [A] 540 number, with a $225/minute charge. Only in New York City would regulators let a telco try to collect $225/minute. Sheesh. On a slightly related note, what's the most expensive real phone call one can make in the U.S.? My candidate is Inmarisat satellite phones, at $10/minute via AT&T or a low, low $9.99 via MCI or Sprint. And how does Inmarisat plan to compete with Iridium, whose rates have been proposed down in the $1/minute range? John Levine, johnl@iecc.cambridge.ma.us, {spdcc|ima|world}!iecc!johnl ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 1 Oct 92 13:43:14 EDT From: Carl Moore (VLD/VMB) Subject: Re: New 540 Scam This apparently refers to calls in NYC and New York suburbs. Do the same numbers on 540 prefix work from all such area codes, or is it possible to have a 540 number working in some but not other such area codes? $225/hour looks VERY steep, even though I have seen late-night ads for "900" numbers. Doesn't anyone review such charges before the numbers on 540 are turned on? As for the scam: Be strict about identifying visitors (for example, phone company people who need to visit homes or businesses have to carry phone company photo ID), and make sure only authorized people place or accept calls (you could offer to make the call yourself, but you'd want to block 540 and/or remember what 540 is). ------------------------------ From: doug@cc.ysu.edu (Doug Sewell) Subject: Re: Two-Line Switching Device Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 20:50:38 GMT Bob_Frankston@frankston.com writes: > I think that Radio Shack used to and might still sell a device > designed for sharing an answering machine on two lines. It will > respond to a call coming in on either line. I presume that the first > line is still the default for outgoing. Unlike the switch box, it > would be automatic. Since I never used the device, I might be wrong. They sense an incoming call on either line (it takes the two-line -- RJ14? -- input and sends output to an RJ11 ... RS also has the 2xRJ11 to one RJ14 cords). Outgoing calls are placed on the line that most recently received an incoming call. They're only $9.95, but I've had two of them fail already (the second one was a replacement for the first one). They seemed ideal for an answering machine or a cordless phone, but they just don't seem to work very well, after a while they refuse to answer one of the lines. I got a cheap answering machine for the second line (it's a listed/data line anyway, without a phone on it) instead, and have been much more satisfied. Doug Sewell, Tech Support, Computer Center, Youngstown State University doug@cc.ysu.edu doug@ysub.bitnet !cc.ysu.edu!doug ------------------------------ Subject: My Favourite 'Stupid' Intercept Date: Thu, 01 Oct 92 20:21:43 -0500 From: dmiller@elli.une.edu.au As some readers may know, the second telecommunications carrier (Optus) is currently setting up shop in Oz. The international access code for Optus is 0099 (versus the "normal" 0011), with service currently to New Zealand only. When one dials 0099 + any country code besides New Zealand, the intercept is: Optus service to the country you have dialed is not yet available. Please try again, and if unsuccessful call the operator on 0100. This is a Telecom announcement. While I appreciate the speed with which the industry progresses, I somehow doubt the message was well thought out ... Best regards, David M Miller Internet: dmiller@elli.une.edu.au PO Box 695 CompuServe: 100032,341 Hornsby NSW 2077 Australia ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 1 Oct 92 19:25 PDT From: lauren@cv.vortex.com (Lauren Weinstein) Subject: Re: Favorite Intercepts Greetings. There's no question about my all time favorite telco intercept recording. In the early 70's, a Culver City, CA (213-836 plus other prefixes at that time) intercept drum failed and resulted in the playback: "I am sorry. This is a recording." It ran that way for months. --Lauren-- ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V12 #753 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa02086; 3 Oct 92 2:29 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA07488 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Sat, 3 Oct 1992 00:14:15 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA20978 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Sat, 3 Oct 1992 00:14:04 -0500 Date: Sat, 3 Oct 1992 00:14:04 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199210030514.AA20978@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: "\\telecom"@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V12 #754 TELECOM Digest Sat, 3 Oct 92 00:14:00 CDT Volume 12 : Issue 754 Index To This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Re: Centel of Florida Merging With "Sprint Corporation" (Fred R. Goldstein) Re: Centel of Florida Merging With "Sprint Corporation" (Syd Weinstein) Re: Centel of Florida Merging With "Sprint Corporation" (John R. Levine) Re: Centel of Florida Merging With "Sprint Corporation" (Bill Huttig) Re: Centel of Florida Merging With "Sprint Corporation" (Robert McMillin) Re: Internet White Pages (Otis Brown) Re: Internet White Pages (Page Carter) Re: Internet White Pages (James Deibele) Re: Cellular Phones With Deals Attached (John McHarry) Re: Cellular Phones With Deals Attached (Phydeaux) Re: Question About Air Phones (Armando P. Stettner) Re: Question About Air Phones (Gordon Hlavenka) Re: Question About Air Phones (Henry Mensch) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: goldstein@carafe.enet.dec.com (Fred R. Goldstein) Subject: Re: Centel of Florida Merging With "Sprint Corporation" Organization: Digital Equipment Corp., Littleton MA USA Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1992 22:28:32 GMT In article , isjjgcd@prism.gatech.edu writes: > "Notice is hereby given that Centel Corporation and Sprint > Corporation have entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger which, > if consumated [sic], will indirectly transfer the majority operational > control of Central Telephone Company of Florida to Sprint Corporation. > Ok, I'll admit I have no idea whether the "Sprint Corporation" > mentioned is the same as US Sprint, the IXC we all know and toward > which some of us are ambivalent. If it isn't, though, wouldn't the ad > have made that clear? If it is, what next? Merger of AT&T with > BellSouth? I just don't get it. Sprint was originally Southern Pacific Railroad Internal Telecommunications, and began public services in the mid-1970s. It was then sold to GTE, who then sold part of it to United Telecommunications, a major holding company for "independent" (non-Bell) telcos. GTE's interest kept dwindling, until last year when UT bought the rest. Then UT, whose local telco operations were smaller than Sprint long distance, changed its corporate name to Sprint Corp. They still operate "United Telephone" in many states, though. And the LD operations are separate from the local ones. So Centel's local telephone operations were bought by the United system, which renamed itself Sprint last year. BTW, the "small" telephone company that serves Disney World, "Vista United Telephone", is (or was) a joint venture of United (now Sprint Corp.) and Disney. Fred R. Goldstein goldstein@carafe.tay2.dec.com k1io or goldstein@delni.enet.dec.com voice:+1 508 952 3274 Standard Disclaimer: Opinions are mine alone; sharing requires permission. ------------------------------ From: syd@dsi.com (Syd Weinstein) Subject: Re: Centel of Florida Merging With "Sprint Corporation" Reply-To: syd@dsi.com Organization: Datacomp Systems, Inc. Huntingdon Valley, PA Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1992 19:44:42 GMT TELECOM Moderator notes: > [Moderator's Note: I think the Sprint Corporation is one of the > various subsidiaries of US Sprint, which itself is a subsidiary, etc. > Suffice to say, Central is being bought by Sprint. That's all you need > to know; guess who will provide Central's LD service in the future! PAT] No, let me set the 'Parentage Straight' ... United Telecom, which does its Local Excange Service under the name United Telephone, recently bought out GTE from the US Sprint Limited Partnership. At that time, the decided to change the name of United Telecom to Sprint, as it has a wider recognition. All the shareholders had to vote on it (as if that mattered, the big blocks decided it I am sure) So: United Telecom became: Sprint Corporation; US Sprint Limited Partnership died as of the buyout and is now just Sprint United Telephone; well, it sounds like they may be moving those to the Spirnt name soon also ... Sydney S. Weinstein, CDP, CCP Elm Coordinator - Current 2.3PL11 Datacomp Systems, Inc. Projected 2.4 Release: Oct 1,1992 syd@DSI.COM or dsinc!syd Voice: (215) 947-9900, FAX: (215) 938-0235 ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Centel of Florida Merging With "Sprint Corporation" Organization: I.E.C.C. Date: 2 Oct 92 12:34:39 EDT (Fri) From: johnl@iecc.cambridge.ma.us (John R. Levine) > [a plan to] transfer the majority operational > control of Central Telephone Company of Florida to Sprint Corporation. > Ok, I'll admit I have no idea whether the "Sprint Corporation" > mentioned is the same as US Sprint, ... Last spring, US Telecom finally bought out GTE's share of Sprint long distance (which according to its bills is the "Sprint Communications Company Limited Partnership".) At that time, US Tel changed its name to Sprint Corp. This makes Sprint the only company in the U.S. to have a significant presence in all three of the local, long distance, and cellular markets. Their press releases use the word 'synergy' a lot. I don't know whether they'd be allowed to switch customers to Sprint long distance -- as far as I know, only the RBOCs and GTE are required to provide equal access. Regards, John Levine, johnl@iecc.cambridge.ma.us, {spdcc|ima|world}!iecc!johnl Cheap shot: There were several messages about this in the Digest, but I guess all that Wagner blasting away has addled poor Pat's memory. :-) [Moderator's Note: Ahem ... (just waking up) ... did I hear my name taken in vain? PAT] ------------------------------ From: wah@zach.fit.edu ( Bill Huttig) Subject: Re: Centel of Florida Merging Wiith "Sprint Corporation" Date: 2 Oct 92 15:02:30 GMT Organization: Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne USA Just a short history on Sprint since PAT missed the change of owner. Sprint was founded by some railroad company and stood for Southern Pacific Railway(?) Internal Network (something like that) They sold it to GTE ... GTE also owned GTE Telenet (packet net). Another company called US TELECOM was owned by United Telephone which owned Unitel (packet net). Back in July, 1986 they merged the four subsidaries into US Sprint Ltd. and used the names US Sprint for the IXC and Telenet for the Packet it was 50% owned by United and 50% by GTE ... over the years GTE sold it percent to United and finally sold the rest this year at that time United Telephone Changed its name to Sprint. Then Sprint decided to merge with Centel ... (I saw a few United Telephone Compnay of Florida Trucks with the Sprint logo on instead of the United logo.) Bill [Moderator's Note: US Telecom should not be confused with Telecom*USA which merged with MCI several months ago. And Sprint was the Southern Pacific Railroad's internal telecom operation. When they upgraded it they decided to sell the excess capacity to the public probably since they had so many phreaks among the public using it anyway; why not make some money from it. :) PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 2 Oct 92 07:25:06 -0700 From: rlm@indigo2.hac.com (Robert L. McMillin) Subject: Re: Centel of Florida Merging With "Sprint Corporation" [stuff deleted about Sprint buying out Centel of Florida] US Sprint used to be a subsidiary of United Telecom. This latter organization renamed itself after its largest operating entity, namely, Sprint. The "US" was dropped about a year or more ago as being too parochial for a business involved in international telecom services, whatever quality those on c.d.t may find them to be. Robert L. McMillin | Voice: (310) 568-3555 Hughes Aircraft/Hughes Training, Inc. | Fax: (310) 568-3574 Los Angeles, CA | Internet: rlm@indigo2.hac.com ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Internet White Pages Date: Sat, 3 Oct 92 0:54:16 GMT From: Otis Brown PAT et al, Having just tried to register in the White Pages, the following is the result ... Dear Internet User, Sorry, but we prefer not to register Internet users in the whois database unless they are administrators or contact points for domains, networks, hosts, or ASNs. This policy change has been recently instituted per NSF instructions because, with millions of users on the Internet, a single central directory is no longer feasible. Instead, local sites are encouraged to establish their own whois database. If you are a valid point of contact for an Internet entity and must be registered, please resubmit your data to us with a brief explanation. If you need the user registration template, you may obtain it by anonymous FTP from nic.ddn.mil. It is in the netinfo directory, filename user-template.txt. Regards, Registrar@nic.ddn.mil -------------------- Otis Brown ------------------------------ From: rcarter@gizmo.nic.ddn.mil (Page Carter) Subject: Re: Internet White Pages Date: Fri, 2 Oct 92 10:47:27 PST This is to try to clarify, for the moment, the policy on the registration of Internet users at the NIC. The NIC, at the direction of the National Science Foundation (NSF), no longer accepts registration of Internet users, unless they are contact persons for registered networks, domains, hosts, etc. The following is from a recent statement circulated on the "comm-priv" forum by Stephen Wolff, director of the NSF: Subject: Re: the NIC ( aka: "those jokers in the NIC") Date: Tue, 29 Sep 92 14:12:56 EDT From: Stephen Wolff Status: OR The NIC's been taking a lot of undeserved heat for what was an NSF decision. DISA has the NIC under contract to serve the DDN. They have augmented the contract to supply **some** services to the rest of the Internet community; this augmentation is paid for by NSF by transferring funds monthly to DISA. When we were negotiating the terms and conditions (and cost) of this augmentation, we said "Don't register hosts, and don't register people." One reason was to save a little money, but the primary reason (as has been alluded to already on this list) is that without central **control** over which hosts and which people use the Internet no one but a fool would accept the (centralized) **responsibility** of keeping such a "registry" up to date. Only a decentralized directory ("registry" sounds too big-brother-ish) of people makes sense. DARPA and NSF have jointly supported the Field Operational X.500 (FOX) experiment, with participation of USC-ISI, SRI, Merit, and Nysernet/PSI. This work has been regularly reported to IETF, and a number of IDs and RFCs have been issued. The experiment is still rather small-scale, as together with the European X.500 trials still (I believe) fewer than a million people are registered worldwide. For a sample, telnet to wp.nyser.net and login as fred. Recently, the NSF conducted a competitive solicitation for Registration/ Information/Directory services for the NREN program and the Internet. This process has nearly run its course, and we hope soon to be able to offer much more comprehensive whois/white_pages service than ever before. Stay tuned. ------------------------------ From: jamesd@techbook.com (James Deibele) Subject: Re: Internet White Pages Organization: TECHbooks of Beaverton Oregon - Public Access Unix Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1992 01:35:57 GMT FZC@CU.NIH.GOV writes: > [Moderator's Note: I received a few others like this regards the > Internet White Pages message. The information is repeated below. PAT] > RFC 1202 states that ANYONE with an Internet Mail address is entitled > to have that address listed in the Internet white pages, provided they > send in an application to the registrar with their E-Mail address. There's been an ongoing discussion of this on the com-priv (think that's right) mailing list, which is devoted to the commercialization of the Internet. The NIC doesn't want to register anyone except people who are responsible for administering hosts because of the overhead involved in keeping the database up-to-date. If you insist, they'll do it, but they don't really want to. (Somebody from NIC said it's less trouble to enter somebody than to argue with them. ) This was once much simpler than it is now. It's been asserted several times that the Internet is still growing exponentially, which is probably true. With millions of people out there, it's like trying to keep the New York City or Chicago phone books up-to-date. Discussion now is about the prospects of anyone being able to provide an accurate directory of Internet users -- where would it be, who would pay for it, how could you update it as needed, how could you stop people from playing games with other peoples' listings, etc. jamesd@techbook.COM Voice: +1 503 223-4245 PDaXs gives free access to news & mail. (503) 220-0636 - 1200/2400, N81 ------------------------------ From: mcharry@mitre.org (John McHarry(J23)) Subject: Re: Cellular Phones With Deals Attached Organization: The MITRE Corporation Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1992 19:02:12 GMT > [Moderator's Note: You say the cell company 'paid $300 of the phone's > cost' but some of us believe the prices of cell phones are > artificially inflated so the cell company can then 'offer them at a > cheaper price.' Last I knew, what was going on was that the cellular provider was paying cell phone retailers a bounty for new subscribers. The going rate was about $250. Since the phones are standardized and made by a number of companies, I don't think the carriers have much control over the equipment pricing strategy. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 2 Oct 92 12:44:55 PDT From: reb@ingres.com (Phydeaux) Subject: Re: Cellular Phones With Deals Attached In article tdarcos@mcimail.com writes: > On page B5 of today's (9/29) {Washington Post}, a place is offering a > cellular phone for a low price provided you take a one year contract > with Cellular One. > [Moderator's Note: Cellular One here in Chicago is always running > deals like you mention. The other day an ad in the paper offered a bag > phone for a penny (yes, one cent!) provided you signed a contract with I'll be moving from Chicago to NYC/NJ shortly. I'm looking at getting a second number added to my phone, as well as getting an additional phone in the NYC/NJ area. In my travels it seems that none of the dealers are particularly excited or even interested in signing me up. It's like this is the price, here's the contract, sign it if you want. I've been trying to figure out which company (Bell Atlantic or Cell One) has better service, rates, coverage, etc. None of the dealers even care to discuss this. Does anyone have an opinion as to which carrier is better? In Chicago Ameritech will give you something like $150 of credit if you have a phone and sign up with them. Some dealers have giveaways to customers who have phones and sign up with them. Is there any similar deal in the NYC market? reb -- *-=#= Phydeaux =#=-* reb@ingres.com or reb%ingres.com@lll-winken.llnl.GOV ICBM: 41.55N 87.40W h:828 South May Street Chicago, IL 60607 312-733-3090 w:reb Ingres 10255 West Higgins Road Suite 500 Rosemont, IL 60018 708-803-9500 ------------------------------ From: aps@world.std.com (Armando P. Stettner) Subject: Re: Question About Air Phones Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1992 18:21:33 GMT There are basically two types of "public airphones:" The older phone is the one on the wall of the cabin (typically up front or in the back of the cabin, by the bathrooms). These units require one to put a credit card into a slide and the card is held while the uncorded handset is released. The newer airphones can be found at your seat, typically in the back of the middle seat in front of you. You use your credit card to unlatch the corded handset. You then swipe the card on the card-swipe unit which is on the seatback. The prices have gone down and the quality is much better though I suspect it has little if anything to do with the actual units. armando ------------------------------ From: cgordon@vpnet.chi.il.us (gordon hlavenka) Subject: Re: Question About Air Phones Organization: Vpnet Public Access Date: Fri, 02 Oct 1992 00:45:13 GMT In article TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM writes: > In a movie I saw last night on TV, a woman wanted to call someone and > saw an airplane telephone. She "swiped" her credit card through the > mag card reader, removed the card, then took the handset away. > Is this correct? There are two types of telephones being operated on airplanes by GTE. One of these is a cordless unit which captures your credit card and returns it when the handset is replaced. The second type is a seatback unit with a cord. The seatback unit does not capture your credit card. The telephones installed by In-Flight Phone Corp. are also seatback mounted and have cords. They do not retain your credit card either. Often, Hollywood modifies reality a bit in order to make the screenplay a little easier. Another glaring example is the fact that upward calling to a commercial airplane just does _not_ exist. (Yet, but that's another post.) Gordon S. Hlavenka cgordon@vpnet.chi.il.us ------------------------------ From: henry@ads.com (Henry Mensch) Date: Fri, 2 Oct 92 14:18:01 -0700 Subject: Re: Question About Air Phones Reply-To: henry@ads.com Tdarcos@f120.n109.z1.fidonet.org (Tdarcos) wrote: > Is this correct? She ended up with both the handset and the credit > card (she did put the handset back). I thought that the base unit > required that it retain the credit card to prevent someone from > (accidentally or intentionally) walking off with the handset. When the "base unit" is in the seat back you get your card back since the handset is wired to the seat ... (And yes, they still work poorly. I tried one a few weeks ago. What a rip.) # henry mensch / booz, allen & hamilton, inc. / ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V12 #754 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa03813; 3 Oct 92 3:27 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA07237 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Sat, 3 Oct 1992 01:15:26 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA05722 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Sat, 3 Oct 1992 01:15:16 -0500 Date: Sat, 3 Oct 1992 01:15:16 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199210030615.AA05722@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: "\\telecom"@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V12 #755 TELECOM Digest Sat, 3 Oct 92 01:15:15 CDT Volume 12 : Issue 755 Index To This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Wash Post Buys Cable Channel (Washington Post via Paul Robinson) Exchange Codes Near Area Code Boundaries (Philip Gladstone) Port Authority Workers Vote CWA Representation (Phillip Dampier) What's in a NAM (John Gilbert) British Call Waiting (Richard Cox) Cable Companies Shutting Down For Maintainence (Richard Cox) French Telecom Pay Phones (was: My Favorite Intercepts) (Eric Tholome) Network Installation Box Installation Rules (David Ofsevit) Living in the Past (Bob Frankston) SYSLAW: A Review (Mike Riddle) Help Needed With Modem Problem (Dale Leonard) References Wanted to Government Telecom Expenditures (Bert Cowlan) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Reply-To: TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM From: FZC@CU.NIH.GOV Date: Fri, 02 Oct 1992 20:24:26 EDT Subject: Wash Post buys Cable Channel (Wash Post via Paul Robinson) Business Digest, {Washington Post}, October 1, 1992, Page D13 Washington Post Buys Cable Channel. The Washington Post Co. said it has purchased the Pro Am Sports System, a Michigan sports cable television channel, from Tom Monaghan, the founder of Domino's Pizza. The company did not disclose details of the sale agreement. PASS has 760,000 subscribers in the state. Other news in the same issue: GSA Re-awards FTS 2000 in same percentages. The GSA re-awarded the government-phone service contract called FTS-2000 to AT&T and Sprint, the two long-distance carriers that have been providing service to the government since 1988, when the contract was first awarded. AT&T will continue to handle 60 percent of the government's voice, data and video network, with Sprint accounting for the other 40 percent. The value of the contract over 10 years is estimated at $25 billion. Separately, AT&T said the federal government's long-distance telephone rates will be reduced by 24 percent under the contract. Hughes sells two satellites. Hughes Communications International won a $258 million contract from the Arab Space Communications Corp. for two satelites to be launched on France's Ariane rocket. Intelsat buys two satellites. Intelsat, the communications consortium, will pay $165 million for two GE Astro-Space satellites under a new contract. US West buys digital cellular equipment. US West agreed to buy equipment for its Seattle cellular network that uses digital technology from Nortel, a joint venture of Northern Telecom and Motorola. The purchase is the first commercial application of the technology. Terms were not disclosed. Opinions not necessarily that of this account owner. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 02 Oct 92 20:00:09 EDT From: Philip Gladstone Subject: Exchange Codes Near Area Code Boundaries While I was in Sioux Falls, South Dakota recently, I looked at the local phone book and I observed an interesting phenomenon. The town of Valley Springs is divided into three parts (all with zip code 57068): Valley Springs, SD in area code 605 S. Valley Springs, IA in area code 712 E. Valley Springs, MN in area code 507 The phone book listed three different exchange codes (755, 757, 777) for Valley Springs. However, the listings did not indicate where the person resided [in fact the most common addresses were (absent) and 'RR'] The phone service is provided by Sioux Valley Telephone Co. The dialing instructions were: From Sioux Falls (list of exchanges) dial just seven digits. From any part of Valley Springs, you dial seven digits (for local calls). From non-local towns, you have to dial the area code for exchange 755 (a/c 507) and for exchange 777 (a/c 712). This all implies to me that these exchange codes are allocated in each area code, and somehow all point to the same exchange. Further, it seems that allocating new exchange codes in this area would use up exchange codes in multiple area codes. I realise that in that part of the country, there is probably a lot of free number space -- but is this a typical approach? Philip Gladstone philipg@onsett.com ------------------------------ From: Phillip.Dampier@f228.n260.z1.fidonet.org (Phillip Dampier) Reply-To: phil@rochgte.fidonet.org Date: Fri, 02 Oct 1992 16:29:09 -0500 Subject: Port Authority Workers Vote CWA Representation PORT AUTHORITY WORKERS VOTE CWA REGISTRATION Communications Workers of America NEW YORK -- Nearly 1,000 clerical and technical employees of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey have voted to join the Communications Workers of America in one of the largest labor organizing battles of the year. "This is a significant victory," CWA Vice President Jan Pierce said, "We are looking forward to building a strong union at the Port Authority." Final results of the September 25th election were released today, following a count of challenged ballots, showing a vote of 422 to 355 in favor of CWA representation. According to Anne Janks, assigned by CWA Local 1032 to the organizing project last October, the union expects the Port Authority Employment Relations panel to certify the results on Tuesday, October 6. "We're very proud of our members in CWA Local 1032 to the organizing project last October, who are determined and dedicated to making life better for working people," said CWA President Morton Bahr. "We congratulate them, and our new members, on their victory." The organizing drive began last October, after some Port Authority workers expressed interest in union representation. "They were concerned about lack of raises, fair promotion standards, restrictions on the use of sick time, out of title work without compensation and possible loss of health benefits," Janks said. "Dozens of courageous workers in the female-dominated clerical and technical staffs get the credit for this victory," Janks said. "They kept the campaign alive, by talking up the union, handbilling, answering questions, and conducting workplace meetings." The newly-represented workers are assigned to such diverse locations throughout the greater New York City area as the World Trade Center; the Port Authority Bus Terminal at 42nd Street and Eighth Avenue; the Newark, LaGuardia, and JFK airports; the Lincoln and Holland tunnels; George Washington bridge; two office complexes in Jersey City; and several other small locations. Their wages range from $15,000 to $35,000, with titles running from "junior clerk" to "supervising office assistant." The Port Authority is a quasi-public "stand alone" agency that was created to facilitate economic development throughout the greater New York City area, and is supported through rents, fees, and tolls. CWA filed a petition for the election on June 21, 1991 with the Port Authority Employment Relations panel, composed of appointed representatives of both states. Blue collar workers and police at the Port Authority already enjoy union representation but another 2,500 Port Authority workers -- administrative and professional employees -- are still unrepresented, Janks added. In five years, Local 1032 has grown from 3,760 to 5,813 workers, exclusive of the Port Authority win. "We made a year-long commitment to this project," President Pete Cerenzo noted. "Without that kind of commitment, this kind of project wouldn't be possible." ------------------------------ From: johng@comm.mot.com (John Gilbert) Subject: What's in a NAM Organization: Motorola, Inc. Land Mobile Products Sector Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1992 22:33:05 GMT In article bill@eedsp.gatech.edu writes: > Many Audiovox cellular phones have an unlimited number of NAMs. It is > not a pre-programmed, automatic thing, however. > All one has to do to change NAMs is to enter the five-digit system ID > and ten-digit phone number for the new NAM, then press Func-6. The > new NAM will be in effect until it is changed. This works an > unlimited number of times. I wonder what Audiovox does about the "access overload class," "Systems Station class mark," and "Systems group ID mark" fields that are normally part of a NAM? These fields are normally programmed by the dealer when a phone is put on service. John Gilbert johng@ecs.comm.mot.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 2 Oct 92 22:25 GMT From: Richard Cox Subject: British Call Waiting Reply-To: mandarin@cix.compulink.co.uk Alan M. Gallatin writes: >> The British have won my award for best call waiting handling anywhere. >> However, if you're going to do it, at least do it with style! And Pat added: >> one that IBT could have charged another dollar a month for! :) In the UK, Call Waiting is currently on promotion, and is therefore offered free of charge. Touchtones here have always been (and will always be) free! Richard Cox Mandarin Technology, Cardiff Business Park, Llanishen, CARDIFF, Wales CF4 5WF Voice: +44 222 747111 Fax: +44 222 711111 VoiceMail: +44 399 870101 E-mail: mandarin@cix.compulink.co.uk ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 2 Oct 92 22:24 GMT From: Richard Cox Subject: Cable Companies Shutting Down For Maintainence Reply-To: mandarin@cix.compulink.co.uk John Higdon (john@ati.com) asks: >> when was the last time your telephone went dead for several hours for >> "maintenance", even in the middle of the night? Mercury, the only "other" LD carrier in the United Kingdom, (an off-shoot of Cable and Wireless) has indeed shut down parts of its network without warning for maintenance, at night and weekends. It is very unpopular when it does this. Unfortunately parts of the Mercury network have also been shut down during peak traffic times for reasons that they seem reluctant to discuss ...! Richard Cox Mandarin Technology, Cardiff Business Park, Llanishen, CARDIFF, Wales CF4 5WF Voice: +44 222 747111 Fax: +44 222 711111 VoiceMail: +44 399 870101 E-mail: mandarin@cix.compulink.co.uk ------------------------------ From: tholome@bangalore.esf.de (Eric Tholome) Subject: French Telecom Pay Phones (was My Favorite Intercepts) Date: 2 Oct 92 09:47:49 GMT Reply-To: tholome@bangalore.esf.de (Eric Tholome) Organization: ESF Headquarters, Berlin, FRG In article , lott@informatik.uni-kl.de (Christopher Lott AGSE) writes: > First, when you call a number from a pay phone, you have to endure a > 45-second advertisement for French Telecom, how wonderful. When > you're trying to get through to a busy number and it takes one minute > just to dial and get a ring (I timed it), this is NOT acceptable. > Paying for a service and then getting hit with an ad that makes the > service basically an order of magnitude slower really infuriated me. Well, Christopher, I've spent quite a long time in France (around 22 years) and made extensive use of pay phones, and I have no idea what you are talking about. What kind of advertisement? I can only think of the little recording that you get when you call a 05- (the French equivalent to 1-800) number that tells you that the receiver of the call is paying for it (but this is no advertising, is it?), or maybe the "on hold" tunes that you can get for minutes when you call an overloaded service, but this isn' t general at all. Regarding the time it takes to connect, before France went to tone dialing, it would take some time to generate the pulses, but this wasn't special to pay phones. Now that most French pay phones use tone dialing, your number is sent in a couple of seconds, and it usually takes no more that five or six seconds to get the ring. Not a minute ... When did you experience this? (twenty years ago?) On how many calls are you building these statistics? (one, two, ten, a hundred, ...?). Please be more specific, so that we can try to understand what happened, but really, your complaint doesn't reflect AT ALL France Telecom's service quality. Disclaimer: my only relation with France Telecom is as a former (usually satisfied) customer. Eric Tholome ESF Headquarters internet: tholome@esf.de Hohenzollerndamm 152 UUCP: tholome@esf.uucp D-1000 Berlin 33 Ph.: +49 30 82 09 03 25 Germany Fax: +49 30 82 09 03 19 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 2 Oct 92 09:01:11 PDT From: David Subject: Network Installation Box Installation Rules I just had a second phone line installed in my home, and the Network Interface Box was installed on the outside of the house. This strikes me as a problem, since it leaves the box open to weather, vandalism, and theft of service. Also, my phone number is written inside the box (which does have a hole for a padlock, but which is made of flimsy plastic). When I discussed this with the foreman, he told me that this was standard procedure and mandated by the Mass. Department of Public Utilities. The justification is that they need access to the box for test purposes. I don't seem to have any option to have it installed inside the house. Is this proper? Is this practice universal? Have I worked in computer security too much, and am I just too paranoid?? David Ofsevit ------------------------------ From: Bob_Frankston@frankston.com Subject: Living in the Past Date: Fri 2 Oct 1992 16:32 -0400 One frustrating thing about Telco is that they don't understand anything beyond POTS. For example, when installing a line next door, they took out one of my pairs and claim they can't promise to repair it till 5pm tomorrow. I asked them to busy out the line in the interim since anything more complicated would utterly confuse them. But one would think that after a quarter century of ESS service there would be something better than just busying out a line. Why can't I ask for an interecept to say "A problem has been reported on this line, please call back later". Even better would be the ability to record my own interim message. Naah, that would require a company that has a modicum of understanding a competitive marketplace. After all, if car drivers had no choice but to buy buggy whips, why improve them. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 02 Oct 92 16:42:40 CST From: Mike.Riddle@ivgate.omahug.org (Mike Riddle) Subject: SYSLAW: A Review Reply-To: mike.riddle%inns@ivgate.omahug.org Organization: Inns of Court, Papillion, NE SYSLAW, 2nd Edition A Legal Guide for Online Services First, an announcement: > Newsgroups: misc.int-property > From: elrose@well.sf.ca.us (Lance Rose) > Subject: SysLaw, 2nd ed. - Legal Guide for Online Service Providers > Date: Thu Oct 1 16:27:51 1992 > NEW SYSLAW BOOK! MASSIVELY REVISED AND EXPANDED! > SysLaw, Second Edition: The Legal Guide for Online Service > Providers > by Lance Rose, Esq., and Jonathan Wallace, Esq. > SysLaw provides BBS sysops, network moderators and other online > service providers with basic information on their rights and > responsibilities, in a form that non-lawyers can easily understand. > Subjects covered include the First Amendment, copyrights and > trademarks, the user agreement, negligence, privacy, criminal law, > searches and seizures, viruses and adult materials. SysLaw not > only explains the laws, it gives detailed advice enabling system > operators to create the desired balance of user services, freedom, > and protection from risk on their systems. > SysLaw is available from PC Information Group, 800-321-8285 or 507- > 452-2824, and located at 1126 East Broadway, Winona, MN 55987. You > may order by credit card or by mail. Price is $34.95 plus $3.00 > shipping and (if applicable) sales tax. Price is subject to change > after January 1, 1993. For additional information, please contact > publisher Brian Blackledge at 800-321-8285. Second: I have the book at my office, and (third?) have actually read it. Messrs. Rose and Wallace have done an excellent job in explaining the law as applied to BBSes, including the places where the law is "unsettled." In the places where the law is unsettled, they do a good job explaining the legal, social and sometimes moral considerations that a court would consider if the question arose. They sometimes tell you what they think the result might be, or what they think it should be. They caution at the start that until courts consider several cases, and/or until we get appellate decisions, the users and operators incur some degree of risk in engaging in certain activities, such as XXX.GIF. Overall, well worth the cost. <<<< insert standard disclaimer here >>>> mike.riddle@inns.omahug.org Nebraska Inns of Court bc335@cleveland.freenet.edu +1 402 593 1192 (Data) Sysop of 1:285/27@Fidonet 3/12/24/9600 V.32/V.42bis Ybbat (DRBBS) 8.9 v. 3.13 r.3 inns.omahug.org +1 402 593 1192 (1:285/27.0) ------------------------------ From: Sky.Striker@fquest.FidoNet.Org (Sky Striker) Date: 30 Sep 92 18:08:23 Subject: Help Needed With Modem Problem Is anyone out there using a Macintosh and a MultiTech MultiModemV32 (9600 baud)? I'm trying to figure out what I should have the dip switches and the settings at. I have the book on the modem but for some reason I just can't get it setup right. I will connect fine except when it connects and says "Connect 9600 LAPM" then it will run fine for awhile then it will aways with out warning drop carrier on me. Any help any one could give on figuring out what I'm doing wrong would be greatly appreciated. Thanks ... Sky Striker Dale Leonard The above comments are mine only and not those of fquest.fidonet. org. Any flames should be sent to alt.flames as we don't get that here. And no, we have no IP address. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 2 Oct 92 06:20:54 PDT From: Public Service Telecommunications Consortium Subject: References Wanted to Government Telecom Expenditures In connection with a research project I am seeking statistics on the (preferably worldwide; I'd be happy finding just U.S.) expenditures for telecommunications (telephone, fax, e-mail, telex, data) by the public sector. For my purposes, public sector includes government, the UN and its agencies, foundations, public health and safety administrators/providers, those concerned with disaster warning/ assistance/relief, etc. To my surprise, more than a dozen calls to various U.S. government repositories of statistics turned up no one who could even tell me what the government's bill is. Would anyone be able to (a) provide figures or, (b) point me to public sources? I am also interested in educational organizations expenditures. In short, the costs for telecommunications for that sector of society, sometimes called the public service sector, which provides, for fee or for free, social services. Many thanks. Bert Cowlan. Public Service Telecommunications Corporation/International, on IGC. ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V12 #755 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa05582; 3 Oct 92 4:18 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA03821 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Sat, 3 Oct 1992 01:55:40 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA16008 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Sat, 3 Oct 1992 01:55:31 -0500 Date: Sat, 3 Oct 1992 01:55:31 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199210030655.AA16008@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: "\\telecom"@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V12 #756 TELECOM Digest Sat, 3 Oct 92 01:55:28 CDT Volume 12 : Issue 756 Index To This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson 13 Firms Plan Multimedia Consortium (Washington Post via Paul Robinson) Comments on the Multimedia Article (Paul Robinson) Global Connections Subscriptions Available (David Leibold) Lost in Translation (Rich Greenberg) Files Available For Download: 1992 FCC Modem User's Fees (James Leonard) Manufacturers of Phone Patches Wanted (Thomas David Kehoe) Information Needed: IOM-2 Interface (Yee-Lee Shyong) Statistics Needed: How Many PBX's? (Paul Cook) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Reply-To: TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM From: FZC@CU.NIH.GOV Date: Fri, 02 Oct 1992 20:27:04 EDT Subject: 13 Firms Plan Multimedia Consortium 13 Firms Plan Multimedia Consortium By John Burgess, Washington Post Staff Writer {Washington Post} October 1, 1992, Pg D13 A diverse group of 13 U.S. technology companies plans to announce next week that the firms will work together to bring to American homes an array of new electronic services, including movies on demand, electronic newspapers, picture telephones and others, according to industry sources. The "First Cities" consortium will bring together such companies as Apple Computer Inc., Eastman Kodak Co. and Corning Inc., under the auspices of the Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corp., a computer industry group in Austin, Tex., that operates with the approval of the U.S. Government. The joint effort reflects heightened momentum toward a merger of disparate computer, entertainment and communications technologies into a new form of sound-and-sight service known broadly as "multimedia." The 13 companies plan to study jointly the technological barriers that continue to block such services and to examine what types of services Americans want and how much they are willing to pay for them. "It's a classic chicken versus egg problem," said Tim Regan, vice president and director of public policy for Corning. "We don't know what services will develop until we build the network itself." Though some sources described the venture as being limited to research, Regan said the long-term goal is to wire about 200,000 homes in 10 to 20 American cities as a test. The homes would be connected so that residents served by the network could communicate with each other in radical new ways. For example, they might be able to transmit exceedingly sharp color photographs of their families. For years, visionaries have talked of an era in which every American home would be equipped to receive a wide range of video, education and shopping services. TV sets, computers and telephones would merge into one unit that might be connected to the electronic services by a fiber-optic cable into the home. Individuals would "interact" with the system by pressing buttons on a hand-held control device. But before they invest in the services, companies want a better understanding of the problems that remain. For example, most homes are now equipped only with copper phone lines or a television cable capable of receiving a few dozen channels -- not sufficient for handling two-way transmissions of huge amounts of data of the kind envisioned in the future. Many feel that for the market to take off, the country must have a new communications network capable of opening a video circuit between any given point and another -- just as today's telephone network does for calls. Highly complex software also will be needed to control and manage new networks capable of carrying large amounts of digital data. Telephone companies such as GTE Corp. already are conducting experiments with early versions of "video on demand." Regan said the consortium hopes to create common technical standards to make for ease of use by customers. But questions remain about whether Americans will want these services. Many Americans are still intimidated by computers, but optimists note that companies such as CompuServe and Prodigy have made inroads into American homes by providing on-line information services. International Business Machines Corp. wants to set up a nationwide system that would use cable TV lines, and is discussing this possibility with the nation's largest cable operators, including Time Warner Inc. and Tele-Communications Inc., industry executives have said. Kodak views an interactive communications system as a way to send photos around the country. Apple is developing hand-held "information appliances" that may be linked to a communications network, according to the Associated Press. Corning is the world's largest maker of fiber-optic cable. Staff writer Paul Farhi contributed to this report. ------------------------------ Reply-To: TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM From: FZC@CU.NIH.GOV Date: Fri, 02 Oct 1992 20:44:04 EDT Subject: Comments on the Multimedia Article > to study jointly the technological barriers that continue to > block such services People want low-cost means of communicating. BBS systems grew for the same reason mushrooms do: the territory is fertile. Calling BBSs can be quite fun and running one can be exciting. The services have to be special to get people to pay for them, and the demand has to be there. Charge people more than alternatives or provide worse service and you might as well not offer the facility in the first place. > to examine what types of services Americans want and how much they > are willing to pay for them." First figure out what you are going to offer, discover how much it will cost, then offer the services and drop that which is uneconomic. Some things that I know there is a demand for can be gotten into inexpensively, such as internet mail, telnet, FTP, reduced cost long-distance data services for networks to transfer mail, commercialization of the internet backbone, and cheaper means for people to call long distance BBSs. It doesn't take a whole lot (for a large telecommunications company) to offer these services, just patience like the mushroom factor: you plant the seeds and you have to wait for them to grow. But it will take time to see what will work and what won't. And you have to go with the flow of the market. Shoving something down people's throats won't work even if it is superior technology, and it definitely won't work if it isn't. > TV sets, computers and telephones would merge into one unit > that might be connected to the electronic services by a fiber- > optic cable into the home." The problem we have is that we have copper wire (or that cheap substitute I can't remember the name for, DXC, DGC or something) which can't handle large bandwidth. When people switched from outhouses to indoor plumbing, they had to rip holes in their houses to accomodate. The simple fact is that if we continue as an industrial and information-driven society, there will be higher demand for more bandwidth. If communications companies are going to make money servicing this demand, the only answer we have is to tear out the wires and put fiber in. We will buy the capacity as we want it. Just have the capacity there and have it low enough cost to allow anyone who can afford a phone now to get in on this stuff. Note to anyone working for a telephone company: Do us all a favor and oversupply capacity! You should build for a factor of one hundred times current capacity, the equivalent of running a small PBX into each house. I believe that 10 fiber optic (FO) cables are the size of one twisted pair, and one FO cable is the equivalent of something like 5,000 phone lines or 20 tv channels. Figure sending 1/2 of the capacity of a FO cable per house, and you can expect to cover the bandwidth demands of the future and several years from now. You can't go wrong overestimating capacity; if one party doesn't use it, someone else will. > Individuals would "interact" with the system by pressing buttons on > a hand-held control device. Or create decent menus and make the response {fast}. The worst thing about Prodigy is not the ads, nor their censoring mail, nor all the other things they've done. It's their torturously slow response time and painfully inadequate menuing system. I've seen cheap BBS systems that had better traversing capability. > Many feel that for the market to take off, the country must have > a new communications network capable of opening a video circuit > between any given point and another -- just as today's telephone > network does for calls. "Video Dial Tone". You can get it now, it's just too expensive. What we need to do is either increase the bandwidth of the individual users or of major corporate users. If the ability to do this becomes available, it will be because someone figured out that they could make money by selling part of the bandwidth. Question: Is being able to call someone from New York to Los Angeles in full color full motion video (FCFMV) worth $1 a minute? Yes; the demand at that price would overwhelm capacity. Is it worth $20 a minute? Depends on who is buying. Current rates are about $30 a minute if I remember correctly ($1800 an hour, three hour minimum, plus setup and teardown charge). Bring the price down to $5 a minute and a ten minute call could save $500 in plane fees. Bring the price down to $1 a minute and anyone can use it. Let's stop thinking in terms of what people use the space for and instead simply allocate them a block of frequency. If they buy 6MHZ space, they can do FCFMV or they can transmit 500 simultaneous telephone calls. What is expensive is the switching equipment. But it can be done. I'll give someone a very valuable hint. In New York, travel is almost impossible by roads. There is a place where you could sell local FCFMV telephone calls at $1 a minute. Charge someone $300 to install his line on a finance basis, say over a ten month period. Charge $100 a month for the service. If he uses it on a regular basis, it's more productive than trying to schedule meetings he can't get through the city to do. Toss in three additional phone-size channels with it, so he can have a separate phone line for a conference call and a fax machine running both ways. As there is more demand, the volume will allow you to provide the service for less and still make money at it. At first it'll be like a toy as advertising agencies and large companies sign up for it. Make a promise of at least 1,000 customers signed up before the customer has to pay anything. Make it an alternative to local dial tone since you can also allow him to connect into the phone lines too if the call is off-network to a voice line. > Highly complex software also will be needed to control and > manage new networks capable of carrying large amounts of digital > data. I believe this to be true; it therefore behooves all of us that the systems be done small and simple; it makes failures less dangerous. > Telephone companies such as GTE Corp. already are conducting > experiments with early versions of "video on demand." "Is there something wrong with this picture?" :) > Regan said the consortium hopes to create common technical > standards to make for ease of use by customers. But questions > remain about whether Americans will want these services. To reuse an overworked quote from a movie I've never seen, "If you build it, they will come." If the capacity is there, people will find ways to use it that the inventors would never even dream of. When the PC had only 64K, a 640K limit was huge and unreachable. Today, they're talking about 64 MEG of memory for some machines. > Many Americans are still intimidated by computers, but optimists > note that companies such as CompuServe and Prodigy have made > inroads into American homes by providing on-line information > services. Compu$erve charges an arm and a leg and Prodigy has so many problems that it's no more fun bashing it because it's problems are so well known that you can't surprise anyone. > Kodak views an interactive communications system as a way to > send photos around the country. When people were buying video cameras, Kodak was {still} working on still photography. They essentially all but gave away the 35MM market and now they're trying to catch up, with 1940s ideas. *This* is the reason these systems fail: Overpriced and underpowered. We need new ideas and we need to think of new ways to use the technology and the capacity we have. We did not, when steel was invented, build metal copies of wooden bridges; we have new technology, we need new ideas. Paul Robinson These are my opinions, no one else is responsible for them. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 02 Oct 92 21:03:06 EDT From: David Leibold Subject: Global Connections Subscriptions Available Here is the info on how to request free subscriptions to Teleglobe Canada's {Global Connections} which comes out every two or three months, and describes various Teleglobe successes, new services and other relevant developments. A few of the articles have been posted in TELECOM Digest recently. Contact: Patricia Kirby, Editor, Global Connections Teleglobe Canada Inc 1000 de la Gauchetiere St West Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3B 4X5 +1 514 868.7118 Be careful to specify how many copies of each issue are to be sent. I just got a significant wad of G.C. copies this week, and now have to figure out where to distribute them all. dleibold@vm1.yorku.ca ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 2 Oct 92 22:37:45 PDT From: richg@hatch.socal.com (Rich Greenberg) Subject: Lost in Translation Pat, I recently got an old laptop from work for use as a portable terminal. Looking thru the tech manual, I came across a listing of the pinouts of the several external connectors. Th