Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa27577; 23 Jul 93 6:01 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA30804 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Fri, 23 Jul 1993 03:08:37 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA10793 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Fri, 23 Jul 1993 03:08:01 -0500 Date: Fri, 23 Jul 1993 03:08:01 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199307230808.AA10793@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #501 TELECOM Digest Fri, 23 Jul 93 03:08:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 501 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Re: Is CIS Blocking Internet? (Alan M. Gallatin) Re: Is CIS Blocking Internet? (Christopher Zguris) Re: Is CIS Blocking Internet? (Bob Frankston) Re: Is CIS Blocking Internet? (Jack Decker) Re: MCI to Compuserve and Back (Lynne Gregg) Re: Commercial Services - Internet Mail (Lynne Gregg) Re: Prodigy Internet Gateway is Up! (Andrew Finkenstadt) Re: Prodigy Internet Gateway is Up! (Bill Campbell) Re: Kerberos on Cellular Telephones (Bill Campbell) Re: Kerberos on cellular telephones (Richard Thomsen) Re: 800 Translation Questions (Andy Sherman) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 22 Jul 93 07:22:42 -0400 From: amg@acpub.duke.edu (Alan M. Gallatin) Subject: Re: Is CIS Blocking Internet? The real question is: does CI$ block all messages that have addresses starting with >INTERNET: and *containing* the string mcimail.com or does it hit such messages with addresses *ending* with mcimail.com? Example ... the discussion on this group would suggest that a CI$ message addressed to >INTERNET:user@mcimail.com will be subject to some "cruel" treatment :-) What happens if you force the mail to hit an extra internet site, for example: >INTERNET:user%mcimail.com@cunyvm.cuny.edu (For those unfamilar, this address would get interpreted as, "send the mail to the user at mcimail.com by passing the message to cunyvm.cuny.edu and letting that system figure out what's next.) This is a perfectly legit (albeit inefficient) way to address e-mail - It is still VERY useful for reaching non-internet sites with internet domain names, or UUCP sites (kind of an evolution from the old "!" bang addressing). Will CI$ see through this or will THIS sort of message pass through? BY THE WAY: I'm still not clear what CI$ DOES do with messages it detects are really MCIMail - does it: a) bounce the message back to the sender with explanation; b) silently send the message into a net.black.hole never to be heard from again; c) automagically re-route the message to MCIMail and, in the process, hit the sender for that fee? Thanks! Alan M. Gallatin Duke University School of Law; Durham, NC ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Jul 93 15:13 GMT From: Christopher Zguris <0004854540@mcimail.com> Subject: Re: Is CIS Blocking Internet? In TELECOM Digest V13 #498 Bruce (4544760@mcimail.com OR 72747.2737@compuserve.com) writes: > In neither case do I pay for incoming mail, either with MCI or CIS. > MCI charges for outbound mail only; CIS charges for connect time only, > regardless of what you're doing (I understand that some, newer, CIS > accounts DO work as you describe: Mine (about ten years old) doesn't). I also have a CompuServe account and as you said above, you pay for connect time. But if you're paying for connect time to read/download/ whatever email (especially larger amounts of e-mail) than you are _indirectly_ paying. At least you're paying more than you would using MCI which only charges for sending. A friend of mine has an account with a local dial-in access provider and they charge him $35 a month for a mailbox plus he has to pay for the phone call which ads up if you're on for any length of time (incidentally, I think $35 per month is excessive). As a note, MCI Mail is accessed using an 800 number so they pick up the call! One other note here, if MCI has a working direct gateway to Compuserve, why would you want to go through the Internet? Wouldn't this be a waste of Internet bandwidth? Christopher Zguris CZGURIS@MCIMail.com [Moderator's Note: It might well be -- probably is -- a waste of bandwidth. But if the user knows no better, I still contend the mail sould be bounced, not just lost in the vapor somewhere. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Bob_Frankston@frankston.com Subject: Re: Is CIS Blocking Internet? Date: Thu, 22 Jul 1993 13:33 -0400 Note that now that MCI<->CIS is via their X.400 gateway they've dropped the surcharge. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Jul 93 15:27:03 EDT From: ao944@yfn.ysu.edu (Jack Decker) Subject: Re: Is CIS Blocking Internet? In message , mking@fsd.com (Mike King) wrote: > The gateway between MCI Mail and CI$ is separate from the Internet > gateway, and CI$ has historically surcharged for sending mail to MCI > Mail subscribers. > At some point later, it became possible for both services to send and > receive via the Internet. But since CI$ has a direct gateway to MCI > Mail, for which they can charge, why (in their mind) should they > permit a user to bypass it and send mail to MCI Mail subscribers via > the Internet? > If LECs weren't required by their state regulators to allow dialing > 10xxx on an intra-LATA toll call, would they? Let me suggest something that MIGHT work for CI$ or MCI Mail subscrib- ers who want to receive e-mail from the other service routed via the Internet. Get an account on one of the many Freenet systems (such as Cleveland Freenet, Youngstown Freenet, National Capitol Freenet in Canada, etc.). All Freenets that I know of have a dialup number so you can access them via the phone network, even if you don't have a local Internet connection. Once you have an account established, tell people to send mail to your Freenet address rather than your MCI or CI$ address. Now ... log onto the Freenet system and tell it to forward all your mail to your preferred address on the commercial system of your choice. After that, you may only need to log into the Freenet once a month or so to keep your account active (and maybe you don't even need to do that; I'm not sure if Freenets delete inactive accounts). This will definitely avoid the problem of outgoing mail being blocked before it ever leaves the sender's system, since to the sender you'll have a valid Internet address. It may not help the problem of the service you use refusing incoming mail from certain services if it comes in via the Internet, but if I had a service that did that, I would find another service post haste, or at least argue the point with someone in management (forget the first-level folks in Customer Service; they're there to defend company policy, not change it). One argument you could use (especially if true) is that you travel a lot and when you are away from home, it's more convenient to have your Internet mail forwarded to your commercial service mailbox, but you don't want to lose any of it just because it happens to have another commercial service's address in the "From" header. Personally, I think this may be just another reason why the commercial services will decline as public access to the Internet becomes more available. The latter is slow in coming to many areas, although I understand that it's available in many areas through services like Delphi and BIX, and often at a lower cost than through the commercial services (by the way, anyone know of anything less expensive than those two? I have a friend in Indianapolis who's looking for less expensive access, but preferably one that would permit a SLIP, SLFP, or PPP connection). Really, the only reason Compuserve is so popular is because it promotes itself so heavily (what other online service runs TV ads on network television?) but in many cases, once folks get their first bill they start looking for lower-cost alternatives! :-) Jack Decker | ao944@yfn.ysu.edu or ac388@freenet.hsc.colorado.edu ------------------------------ From: Lynne Gregg Subject: Re: MCI to Compuserve and Back Date: Thu, 22 Jul 93 14:39:00 PDT Joshua E. Muskovitz wrote: > All MCI addresses on the list (including the original sender) bounce > when they get rerouted to MCI, because the gateway recognises the > mcimail in the sender's address. The funny part of it is that in > order to bounce it, it has to go back across the net! Mail to CIS > gets through, I believe, but I'm not sure. Not having a CIS account, > I don't know what happens to that mail." I've tried this before. You're right, the "bounce" comes back across the net, back to the Compuserve subscriber. I have a CIS account, but can't speak for what's seen on the MCI end. The CIS user gets a message that basically states that to send to MCI users, you must use the MCImail> prefix (directing your email out the dedicated MCI gateway). This costs you a min. of $1.00. The charge for message delivery IS size dependent. I've sent some "reports" across to MCI users at a cost of $3.00. Hey, it's still less expensive than overnight air! Lynne ------------------------------ From: Lynne Gregg Subject: Re: Commercial Services - Internet Mail Date: Thu, 22 Jul 93 14:44:00 PDT Gary Breuckman wrote: > Compuserve charges for mail that you SEND, and also charges for > Internet mail that you RECEIVE, at the same rate as if you had sent > it. You have the option of discarding Internet mail (based on the > subject/from line) without reading it, and not paying for it. Note: CIS has a few rate plans. You're speaking of the "basic-basic" plan. Depending on your email volume and what other "services" you want to access on Compuserve, you might find the hourly, pay-as-you-go rate to be more advantageous. I do. In the case where you pay the ~ $12.95 per hour, you can access a wide range of services. You DO NOT pay a per message charge for email (either intra-system or inter-system). If you use the CIM software, you get a view of message headers and can accept or delete messages (no point in paying the per message charge or the per minute to file transfer something you don't want). Lynne ------------------------------ From: andy@vistachrome.com (Andrew Finkenstadt) Subject: Re: Prodigy Internet Gateway is Up! Reply-To: andy@vistachrome.com Organization: Vista-Chrome, Inc. Date: Fri, 23 Jul 1993 00:03:34 GMT In TELECOM Digest V13 #490 PAT wrote: > [Moderator's Note: Since each issue of this Digest runs 21-24 K of > text, that's 'merely' $1.05 - $1.20 per issue for Prodigy people. > I think I'll make Prodigy cut me in for some percentage of it! :) > Do they honestly think anyone on their service will be able to afford > to be part of any mailing list originating on the Internet? PAT] David Appell writes: > I believe this is going to be an increasingly large problems for > users of commercial e-mail services who receive significant amounts of > mail from the Internet. > Last week's issue of {Communications Week} had a cover story on > this topic. CIS has already instituted charges similiar to Prodigy, > and other big commercial providers (they quoted EasyLink) are > considering it. [parts deleted...] > Unfortunately, given the current rate structures of commercial > e-mail providers (of order 15-50 cents for a 1K message), few users > will be able to afford to receive much mail from the Internet. The GEnie service, for whom I am contractor of several areas, including serving as Internet Postmaster and Sysop of the Internet RoundTable, offers Internet mail inbound or outbound at the same exact price as it offers internal mail -- and it is all connect time based. A very brief history of the last month or so (as preceeding historical events were explained here, too): In late May 1993 GEnie announced their rate restructuring; one benefit of this action was to remove the per-item/size costs from Internet mail and throw it under the standard connect time rates, effective July 1. Previously an issue of the Digest that would run 25K would cost about $1.50. Now it would cost however long it takes to download it, or roughly 20 cents. That is via electronic mail. There are other options available to GEnie subscribers for downloading the TELECOM Digest (or just about any other newsgroup) in a compressed form. Our typical compression ratio is 3:1, and some repetitive newsgroups get better than that. (For more information about this, write to INTERNET on GEnie, or Internet@GEnie.geis.com.) Andrew Finkenstadt | andy@{homes.com,vistachrome.com,genie.geis.com} Systems Analyst | Vista-Chrome, Homes & Land Publishing Corporation | 1600 Capital Circle SW, Tallahassee Florida 32310 +1 904-575-0189 | GEnie Postmaster, Unix & Internet RoundTables Sysop ------------------------------ From: bill@Celestial.COM (Bill Campbell) Subject: Re: Prodigy Internet Gateway is Up! Organization: Celestial Software, Mercer Island, WA Date: Thu, 22 Jul 1993 16:04:44 GMT In mking@fsd.com (Mike King) writes: > CI$ does give you the option of either ignoring or deleting incoming > Internet mail (it's flagged in the summary); if you don't read it > within 30 days, it'll go away by itself. Unread mail carries no > charge. I would like to see CIS add the capability of automatically forwarding e-mail to a CIS account to my internet address. The last thing I want to do is deal with the CIS mail programs and "editor", but I do receive some e-mail there since I'm a sysop on the CIS scoforum. My solution now is to read CIS mail once a week capturing it to disk, then I have a perl script that injects the CIS mail into my Unix mailer where I can read and reply to it. Bill INTERNET: bill@Celestial.COM Bill Campbell; Celestial Software UUCP: ...!thebes!camco!bill 8545 SE 68th Street uunet!camco!bill Mercer Island, WA 98040; (206) 947-5591 ------------------------------ From: billc@glacier.sierra.com (Bill Campbell) Subject: Re: Kerberos on Cellular Telephones Organization: Sierra Geophysics, Inc. Date: Thu, 22 Jul 1993 01:05:27 GMT Richard, I don't think I understand you here. (My understanding of crypto is not extensive.) Perhaps you would be so kind as to enlighten? Specific questions interspersed below. On 14 Jul 93 04:52:22 GMT, rgt@spitfire.lanl.gov (Richard Thomsen) said: Richard> Andrew R. Ghali wrote: > The abbreviated query/challenge system should go something like this: > Phone: "Hi, I'm NNN-NXX-XXXX, I'd like to make a call" > Cell: "Oh yeah, prove to me that you are NNN-NXX-XXXX. Here > is a session key encoded using your ESN, decode it, > encode the number you want to call with it and send > it back" > Phone: "OK, here is the number I want to call encoded with the > session key" > Cell: "Looks good, here's your call, encoded with the current > session key. Enjoy." Richard> It seems to me that this is not a very good challange system. The Richard> cell sends an encrypted message, and the phone could go offline Richard> and take as long as necessary to try different ESNs to break the Richard> code. Would it not be better if it were as follows? How would it know that it had broken the code? How would it recognize a valid session key? Wouldn't the session key expire after some reasonable timeout interval? Richard> Phone: "Hi, I'd like to make a call, and here is my telephone number Richard> encrypted with my ESN." How does the cell know at this point who is calling, since both the telephone number and ESN have now been hashed together? Are you not describing a situation in which the cell suddenly receives a stream of digits? Doesn't the caller have to make some sort of "claim" of identification which can then be verified? Richard> Cell: "Your telephone number decoded correctly, so the ESN you sent Richard> me was acceptable. Here is the session key encoded with your Richard> ESN. Decode it, encode the number you want to call with it, Richard> and send it back." Richard> Rest as above. Richard> It would seem that a two-way challange would be better than just Richard> sending an encrypted message to the caller. If the first message Richard> did not decode using the proper ESN, then the cell would not send Richard> anything. Richard> This weakness is also true of the Kerberos password system. Richard> Richard Thomsen Los Alamos National Laboratory rgt@lanl.gov Richard> In case you did not realize, I speak only for myself. Maybe I just don't understand the problem. I thought that cell fraud was perpetrated by phreaks recording telno/ESN pairs that are (currently) transmitted in the clear. If the ESN is always transmitted in cipher- text, and the value of the session key is generated on the fly and therefore not somehow known to the phreak, how can s/he get the ESN? Bill Campbell Software Engineer Halliburton Energy Services billc@sierra.com #include ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Jul 1993 09:57:37 -0600 From: rgt@spitfire.lanl.gov (Richard Thomsen) Subject: Re: Kerberos on Cellular Telephones I have received some email about my suggestion for Kerberos on cellular telephones, some asking some questions of why what I suggested would be any better. I am probably the one missing something here. I was told by some people who have been studying Kerberos that the server sends you an encrypted message first, after you request one in the clear. Then the workstation can go off trying to break the code, and use it. Somehow it knows when it has broken the message, probably by the message format and some fixed part of the message, the date, or whatever. Once it has broken the message, the session key is probably expired, but it now knows the password, so it can use that password with impunity. I would think that the cellular telephone system would have the same problem. Once you have broken the message, then you have the ESN to use. What I was trying to suggest was some way to prove yourself to the server before it gave out any critical material. The idea was that the client (the telephone) does the encrypting, and the server does the decrypting, so that the server does not send critical information to the client that it can use, until it is reasonably sure who it is. Others are right in that if you are listening to the conversation, then it probably does not make any difference. I was thinking more in the line of impersonation rather than tapping. Richard Thomsen Los Alamos National Laboratory rgt@lanl.gov ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Jul 93 11:45:30 EDT From: andys@internet.sbi.com (Andy Sherman) Subject: Re: 800 Translation Questions In comp.dcom.telecom, article , Pat wrote: > [Moderator's Note: A call from POTS phone A in Chicago to 800 > number B in New York will *always* have the same logic, won't it? > Telco goes to the database the first time it sees an 800 number; is > given the details on what to do, and does it. Do you have to be told > over and over how to do the same thing? The round cache which sits on > top of your shoulders stores information. You only go to the library > (or read this Digest! ) when you want to learn something new. > So for a day or two or three -- whatever -- at a time, the telco > switch's cache remembers what it did the last time it saw the number. > Since large volume 800 customers are called over and over all day long > in a city like Chicago (someone in some CO somewhere here is always > calling United Airlines, I'm sure), the switch is always in a position > to say "Oh! I know what to do now, I know where that place is." PAT] In a later issue, Pat then writes (after some discussion): >[Moderator's Note: Well the point you raise is the one issue I was >never able to satisfy myself on with my thesis of how it was done. So ^^^^^^ > your point is well taken, and according to the message which appeared > here yesterday, telcos do in fact do a lookup each time; it is done so > rapidly however that to the user it is quite transparent. PAT] It would be *really* nice if people posting hypotheses in the Digest (including the Moderator) would label them as such, rather than stating them as facts. This would go a long way towards decreasing the level of net.confusion. Do not confidently go forth and state that you *know* that COs have an 800 number routing cache unless you have *information* at hand the confirms that this is the case. Guessing is fine - just share the fact that you're winging it. As to the 800 number cache, that would be a singularly bad idea for any LEC to implement in an end office. First off, it would break a lot of enhanced 800 services. Somebody from AT&T can correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure (note the disclaimer, please) that it's possible to have the routing change at night, so that a nationwide 800 number routed to multiple centers can have fewer centers open at night. Cacheing the route would surely break this. Caches would also likely break all of the "we guarantee to have your super-duper 800 service back up within X minutes" type services that the IXC's offer. Andy Sherman Salomon Inc - Unix Systems Support - Rutherford, NJ (201) 896-7018 - andys@sbi.com or asherman@sbi.com ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #501 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa29844; 23 Jul 93 6:33 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA21772 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Fri, 23 Jul 1993 03:50:42 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA05978 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Fri, 23 Jul 1993 03:50:02 -0500 Date: Fri, 23 Jul 1993 03:50:02 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199307230850.AA05978@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #502 TELECOM Digest Fri, 23 Jul 93 03:50:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 502 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Re: Multi-Carrier Service From Cincinnati Bell (Mike King) Re: Multi-Carrier Service From Cincinnati Bell (R. Kevin Oberman) Re: Multi-Carrier Service From Cincinnati Bell (Marshall Levin) Re: Multi-Carrier Service From Cincinnati Bell (Ralph Hyre) Re: Local Ringback Number Wanted (Curtis Bohl) Re: Local Ringback Number Wanted (Carl Oppedahl) Re: Escort Digital Cordless Phone (David Hough) Re: How I Call 800 Numbers (Laurence Chiu) Re: Translation Help Needed With Telephony Terms in Spanish (F. Lagrana) Re: Maximum Number of Phone Lines to a Residence? (Marc Unangst) Re: Assistance Needed With PLANITU Software (Robert Shaw) Re: How Were N.A. Area Codes Allocated? (Carl Moore) Re: Dark Fiber? (Carl Silva) Re: Answering Machines and Fax Marriages - Can They Work (H. Shrikumar) Re: The Next Step: Affinity Long Distance (Fred Ennis) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 22 Jul 93 12:50:15 EDT From: mking@fsd.com (Mike King) Subject: Re: Multi-Carrier Service From Cincinnati Bell In TELECOM Digest, V13 #497, doug@lm.net (Douglas Luce) wrote: > Apparantly, they havqe a special switch which selects the cheapest > long distance carrier (based on time of day and destination of call) > at the time the call is made. > They broker time from the five major long-distance carriers (MCI, > Sprint, etc) and some regional carriers. They wholesale this time > through their special switching equipment, somehow making sure that > their customers get the best deal. They also offer calling cards and > other normal carrier incentives. > This person went on to say that Cincinnati Bell is one of the few > (perhaps the only) Bell Operating Companies that was allowed to do > long distance businesss after the Bell breakup. > Does anyone know about this product? Is this sort of deal > particularly remarkable? Is he hiding something about Cincinnati Bell > being a BOC and allowed to do long distance? Several companies are making money by brokering long distance in the manner described. Since they buy in bulk, their cost per minute is very low. I don't know if the deal is especially remarkable. It's true that one carrier is a penny or two cheaper for one call at a specific time for a particular distance, and another carrier will be a penny or two cheaper for the same distance at another time, but unless you're a very high volume caller, you probably won't see a big savings on your LD bills. This may be skewed by the regional carriers -- they're likely to be a little more competitive than the nationals. While I'd like to believe you can place faith in CB, some of the companies in such a business are not zealous in keeping their costing tables up to date, and depending on how ethical the management of such a company is, you may not always really get the best rate. If you want to confirm you're really getting the best rate, you'd have to do the same amount of homework as you'd do to select the carrier yourself (although you can do it after the fact). Drawbacks? Well, the call has to be handed to another switch to make the decision over which carrier to send the call (while CB *can* do that through their CO switches, I doubt that's the case). From there, it has to be sent to the LD carrier's POP. A regular LD call goes directly from the CO to the LD POP. If you have any problems with calls, you have to deal with the reseller, who in turn deals with the carrier, instead of being able to go directly to the source. It may be difficult to determine which carrier is involved. Yes, CB *IS* allowed to sell long distance, and telephones, and other services. Prior to divestiture, AT&T had minority ownership in CB; I believe it was around 24%. As such, it kept an 'independent' status during and after divestiture -- it's not owned by any "Baby Bell" RBOC. Since 1984, CB has bought most, if not all, of AT&T's shares. Mike King | +1 301-428-5384 | I don't speak for my Software Sourcerer | mking@fsd.com or | employer. My employer Fairchild Space | 73710.1430@compuserve.com | doesn't speak for me. ------------------------------ From: oberman@ptavv.llnl.gov Subject: RE: Multi-Carrier Service From Cincinnati Bell Date: Thu, 22 Jul 93 15:30:14 GMT Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory In Article doug@lm.net writes: > Apparantly, they havqe a special switch which selects the cheapest > long distance carrier (based on time of day and destination of call) > at the time the call is made. > This person went on to say that Cincinnati Bell is one of the few > (perhaps the only) Bell Operating Companies that was allowed to do > long distance businesss after the Bell breakup. > Does anyone know about this product? Is this sort of deal > particularly remarkable? Is he hiding something about Cincinnati Bell > being a BOC and allowed to do long distance? This sort of thing is common for large customers. I have never heard of it being offered like this, though. As to why Cincinnati Bell being different, they are not an RBOC and, to my knowlege, were not a BOC. Even though the name is Cincinnati Bell, they were not owned by AT&T and were not effected by the MFJ. Hence, like GTE, they are free to do whatever they like. Sounds like thay are doing something useful with that ability. R. Kevin Oberman Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Internet: koberman@llnl.gov (510) 422-6955 ------------------------------ From: mlevin@nyx.cs.du.edu (Marshall Levin) Subject: Re: Multi-Carrier Service From Cincinnati Bell Organization: University of Denver, Dept. of Math & Comp. Sci. Date: Fri, 23 Jul 93 03:17:53 GMT Well, I don't know about the phone company itself providing such a service, but I know of a number of different universities that offer it. Their computer checks the number you dial, checks its database of rates and routes your call to the cheapest carrier. It sounds like you'd run into some legal situations if the actual phone company did this. I imagine the university's phone/computer system merely prefixes your call with the appropriate 10xxx code. ------------------------------ From: rhyre@bears.att.com Date: Thu, 22 Jul 93 15:26:42 EDT Subject: Re: Multi-Carrier Service From Cincinnati Bell Reply-To: ralphw@csc.com > Yesterday I got a call from someone at Cincinnati Bell. This person > was plugging their innovative new long-distance service. I didn't think it was new, unless a new service has just come out. Cincinnati Bell Long Distance offers 1+, 950, and 800 access. > Apparantly, they havqe a special switch which selects the cheapest > long distance carrier (based on time of day and destination of call) > at the time the call is made. I have never heard this, and would take it with a grain of salt. I assumed they bought all their time from AT&T or a large carrier. Otherwise you miss out on volume discounts when all your traffic is with one carrier. > They broker time from the five major long-distance carriers (MCI, > Sprint, etc) and some regional carriers. They wholesale this time > through their special switching equipment, somehow making sure that > their customers get the best deal. They also offer calling cards and > other normal carrier incentives. The one 'normal carrier incentive' they don't have is the ability to put the calls on your Cincinnati Bell local telephone bill. (Cincinnati Bell can't accept bills for EasyReach 700 service, either, but that's another story.) This means you get at LEAST two phone bills, one for local calls, the other for long distance calls. You can't even pay the local and long distance bills in person at the same location. You have to walk from 4th street to 7th street through Downtown Cincinnati. They also charge a separate 'FCC assessment' (.54/month) on your bill (if you're a 1+ customer). This is because they are considered a 'non-facilities' based carrier and are subject to some FCC edict. > This person went on to say that Cincinnati Bell is one of the few > (perhaps the only) Bell Operating Companies that was allowed to do > long distance businesss after the Bell breakup. This is true, Cincinnati Bell and Southern New England Telephone were generally unaffected by divestiture, because AT&T didn't own a majority stake in them. For example, Tristate Online is an Internet-accessible information service offerred by Cincinnati Bell. It's free, for basic (e-mail) services. Real internet access for ftp, etc. will cost money. > Does anyone know about this product? Is this sort of deal > particularly remarkable? Is he hiding something about Cincinnati Bell > being a BOC and allowed to do long distance? I subscribe to their travel service, which is offerred throughout the Midwest (Chicago <-> Pittsburgh) and other areas (like Dallas). Dial 950-1614 + PIN + number. Ralph Hyre (ralphw@csc.com) ------------------------------ From: EXTMO4H@mizzou1.missouri.edu (Missouri 4-H Youth Development Programs) Subject: Re: Local Ringback Number Wanted Organization: University of Missouri Date: Thu, 22 Jul 93 17:34:32 CDT In article mjuric@aisun5.ai.uga.edu (Mark Juric [MSAI]) writes: > I'm looking for a number or "trick" to ringback my number. You > know, something like dialing a 9 as the first digit of your number and > then hanging up ... I used to have one when I lived up North, but I'm > not familiar with Southern Bell. Anyone know about this? Have you tried dialing your phone number by itself? That works with some of the GTE switches here. Curtis Bohl Computer Programmer/Analyst extmo4h@mizzou1.missouri.edu 4-H Youth Development Alternate: bohlc@ext.missouri.edu Programs ------------------------------ From: oppedahl@panix.com (Carl Oppedahl) Subject: Re: Local Ringback Number Wanted Date: 22 Jul 1993 21:42:39 -0400 Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC In mjuric@aisun5.ai.uga.edu (Mark Juric [MSAI]) writes: > I'm looking for a number or "trick" to ringback my number. You > know, something like dialing a 9 as the first digit of your number and > then hanging up ... I used to have one when I lived up North, but I'm > not familiar with Southern Bell. Anyone know about this? This comes up every so often, and I keep thinking I should write an FAQ on it. The FCC regs, Part 68, call for anyone (telco or not) who installs inside telephone wiring to do a ringback test. The idea is that the ring voltage might reveal instances of sloppy wiring, such as partial shorts and the like. The regs also say, more or less, that if the telco makes a ring back service available to its own installers it has to make them available to competing installers. What this means in plain language is that if you call them up and ask they should tell you. Wanna make book on how often local telcos reveal such secrets just because somebody asked? Not very often in my opinion. Now I know it would help everyone if I could cite the particular section of Part 68, but just now I can't find my copy. It's in the part that talks about installation of inside wiring, about twenty or thirty pages into the CFR volume. Carl Oppedahl AA2KW (patent lawyer) 1992 Commerce Street #309 Yorktown Heights, NY 10598-4412 voice 212-777-1330 ------------------------------ From: dave@llondel.demon.co.uk (David Hough) Subject: Re: Escort Digital Cordless Telephone Reply-To: dave@llondel.demon.co.uk Date: Fri, 23 Jul 1993 06:12:08 GMT In article jgreene@nyx.cs.du.edu (Justin Greene) writes: > Is DSS special to Escort or is it also used on the tropez and other > like phones. They seem to be implying that the call could not be > monitored because the frequency changes during conversation. If we > successfully monitor a conversation can they be sued? They also say > "wide (26MHZ) ..." but then later say "100 Channels", well, which is > it? Any thoughts? The '100 channels' could well refer to the number of different scrambling codes used. All the phones probably use the same 26MHz band (look up CDMA -- Code Division Multiple Access) for more info on how it works. Don't believe the bit about monitoring -- if I get another phone handset and mod it slightly so I can change scramble code, all I would need to do is ring you up from down the street and fiddle with the code setting until I found the right one. With only 100 channels it shouldn't take too long :-) Dave G4WRW @ GB7WRW.#41.GBR.EU AX25 dave@llondel.demon.co.uk Internet g4wrw@g4wrw.ampr.org Amprnet ------------------------------ Subject: Re: How I Call 800 Numbers From: uttsbbs!laurence.chiu@PacBell.COM (Laurence Chiu) Date: 22 Jul 93 00:15:00 GMT Organization: The Transfer Station BBS, Danville, CA - 510-837-4610/837-5591 Reply-To: uttsbbs!laurence.chiu@PacBell.COM (Laurence Chiu) John L. Shelton had the following to say: > I have been calling some 800 numbers from Europe over the last few > months via this scheme: > I call USA Direct (AT&T). In some countries, you get a bong tone and > can direct dial a number if you have a touch-tone phone. Otherwise > tell the operator. 800 numbers seem to be acceptable. > I haven't seen the bill yet; I assume I'll get charged for the full > international rate. > One attempt was blocked; I got an operator, who explained that the 800 > number I was calling wasn't owned by AT&T, so they wouldn't place the > call. I haven't tried using Sprint*DIrect. My experiences exactly. Except when I called an 800 number using USA Direct that was not owned by AT&T I got a "all circuits busy" message which was a little confusing. I only got the information about non AT&T numbers not being reachable when I spoke to an operator. BTW the charge will not be low. It will be at standard USA Direct rates plus a card surcharge. From New Zealand anyway, it was NEVER cheaper to use a USA Direct or Call USA service than the local Telco. Perhaps that is the result of competition like that. I can't speak about Pat's new service where you call and get US dialtone on your phone. That sounds like a way to call 800 numbers for free. Laurence Chiu The Transfer Station BBS (510) 837-4610 & 837-5591 (V.32bis both lines) Danville, California, USA. 1.5 GIG Files & FREE public Internet Access ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 24 Jul 93 09:40:00 +0100 From: lagrana@itu.ch (Fernando Lagrana) Subject: Translation Help Needed with Telephony Terms in Spanish Organization: International Telecommunication Union Reply-To: myerston@qm.sri.com > I am badly in need of official (CCITT ?) Spanish language translations > for the following terms: > Echo Return Level > Singing Return Loss > and the ever present: TIP & RING. I know this varies from country > to country. I have run into PUNTA, ANILLO, NUCA and "A & B". Any > ideas? I can propose the following translations: Echo Return Level: nivel de retorno de eco Singing Return Loss: perdida de retorno para el cebado Concerning Tip & Ring, the official Spanish terms are tron y ron. Fernando Lagrana International Telecommunication Union Telecommunication Standardization Bureau (former CCITT Secretariat) lagrana@itu.ch ------------------------------ From: mju@mudos.ann-arbor.mi.us (Marc Unangst) Subject: Re: Maximum Number of Phone Lines to a Residence? Date: 22 Jul 1993 20:29:50 -0400 Organization: The Programmers' Pit Stop, Ann Arbor MI Monty Solomon writes: > Channel 1, the Cambridge-based electronic bulletin board service with > 15,000 subscribers, ... 110 personal computers each with a modem, > and at least that many phone lines to handle 3,200 calls a day. Gack. Hasn't this person heard of multiuser computer systems? Or rackmount modems? You could fit all those users onto a decent-sized 486 box or two with a good multiport serial card; the modems would probably all fit into a single 7' rack. How much do you want to bet that all 110 lines are POTS lines from the CO, instead of being brought in on multiple T1's? > Now, the local zoning board has ordered Miller and his wife to move > the business. It's about time. He must have made some real friends in the telco when they had to bring a 100-pair out to his house just for him. Marc Unangst, N8VRH mju@mudos.ann-arbor.mi.us ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Jul 1993 14:01:08 +0200 From: Shaw Subject: Re: Assistance Needed With PLANITU Software Zakaria.Lahjomri@irisa.fr (Zakaria Lahjomri) wrote: > I'm looking for documentation about the PLANITU software. nThe person who wrote this software is here at the ITU. You should contact: Thomas Fried ITU Development Sector International Telecommunication Union Place des Nations 1211 Geneva 20 Switzerland Voice: +41 22 730 5061 FAX: +41 22 730 5484 RFC822: fried@itu.ch X.400: S=Fried; P=itu; A=arcom; C=ch I've copied him on this response so he'll be expecting your call/mail/fax. Bob Shaw ITU Information Services shaw@itu.ch ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Jul 93 10:44:24 EDT From: Carl Moore Subject: Re: How Were N.A. Area Codes Allocated? OK, I'll pick up where the Moderator's note leaves off. There is the archive file history.of.area.splits (I can mail it directly if you let me know); it suggests there might have been (VERY long ago) the rule of using N0X in state/province having one area code and N1X in state/province having more than one area code. Area codes got the form N0X/N1X to distinguish them from exchange codes (a/k/a known as prefixes), which have been of NNX form (many areas have had to generalize their prefixes to NXX, and area codes are to generalize to NXX as well). As for number of clicks: the Moderator's note mentions 212,312,213. And notice that Alaska, Hawaii, and the Caribbean area got 907, 808, and 809 respectively. Someone suggested in the digest that the Bell system had something to do with putting 413 in western Massachusetts (Boston got 617). Enclosed is a list of adjacent area codes which differ by one digit; besides the current cases, there are two future ones (in Ontario and North Carolina) and some obsolete ones. 601 Mississippi, 501 Arkansas, 901 Tennessee 405 Oklahoma, 505 New Mexico 307 Wyoming, 308 Nebraska (notice that Nebraska has two area codes, both N0X) 309 Illinois, 319 Iowa (the "N1X in states having more than one area code", which would be long obsolete, suggests that 309 is relatively new.) 217 Illinois, 317 Indiana 217 Illinois, 219 Indiana (DON'T KNOW if these touch) 716 New York, 717 Pennsylvania (touching only at a corner?) 703 Virginia, 704 North Carolina (this would be long ago, because, before 804 was formed, Virginia touched 919 but did not touch 704.) 301 Maryland, 302 Delaware (this went away when 410 was fully cut over) 301 Maryland, 304 West Virginia (not affected by 301/410 split) 305 Florida, 205 Alabama (this went away in 1965 when 904 was formed) 504 Louisiana, 501 Arkansas (the "N1X in states having more than one area code", which would be long obsolete, suggests that 318 is relatively new) 705 and 905 in Ontario (to come into existence at 416/905 split) 219 Indiana, 419 Ohio 919 and 910 in North Carolina (to come into existence at 919/910 split) ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Jul 93 08:02:50 PDT From: Carl Silva Subject: Re: Dark Fiber? Hi, I missed the eariler part of this conversation. I have seen the term Dark Fiber used in several ways and I am confused as to the meaning. Can someone come up with a generally accepted definition for this? Carl ------------------------------ From: shri%legato@cs.umass.edu (H. Shrikumar) Subject: Re: Answering Machine and Fax Marriages - Can They Work? Date: Fri, 23 Jul 1993 08:50:42 GMT Organization: UMass, Amherst MA + Temporal Sys & Computer Networks Bombay India In article ... > It is for these reasons that all of the solutions which are based on a > "magic" box that you buy that automatically discriminates FAX from > voice (and even from modem) calls only work some of the time. It's > just not possible to tell, without making any noise, what kind of > thing (person, FAX, modem) is calling you. Is it true that all FAX-voice discriminators listen for something beofre they decide ... ? I know of one box that prompts you for fax or voice, and expects you to BEEP, say yes, or just stay on the line for the fax. Even this one wants to listen and then decide irrevocably. Should it not be possible to assume one, default to it, and upon failure go to the other choice ... as long as this does not hurt voice or fax usage and comfort? shrikumar (shri@legato.cs.umass.edu) ------------------------------ Subject: Re: The Next Step: Affinity Long Distance From: fred@page6.pinetree.org (Fred Ennis) Date: Thu, 22 Jul 1993 09:42:28 -0400 Organization: Page 6, Ottawa, Ontario +1 613-723-5711 Carl Moore writes: > I am in Mensa, and recently got some calling-card plan from them. > Mensa is for people in the upper 2% of the population with reference > to intelligence. That must be one of those "smart cards" I hear so much about. Fred Ennis, fred@page6.pinetree.org [Moderator's Note: What is with all this Mensa-bashing here the past couple days? PAT] ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #502 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa00617; 23 Jul 93 7:02 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA19443 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Fri, 23 Jul 1993 04:27:12 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA09355 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Fri, 23 Jul 1993 04:26:31 -0500 Date: Fri, 23 Jul 1993 04:26:31 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199307230926.AA09355@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #503 TELECOM Digest Fri, 23 Jul 93 04:26:30 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 503 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson EFF Membership in Telecommunications Policy Roundtable (Mark Boolootian) CONNECT BBS Edition (Patricia Snyder-Rayl) Inverse of "Custom Ringing"? (Theodore M.P. Lee) Modem Speeds on a 14400 Modem (goltar@mavenry.altcit.eskimo.com) Help With UK Connections (Barron Williams) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: booloo@framsparc.ocf.llnl.gov (Mark Boolootian) Subject: EFF Membership in Telecommunications Policy Roundtable Date: Thu, 22 Jul 1993 08:27:24 -0700 (PDT) Message being passed along FYI. Date: Wed, 21 Jul 1993 20:05:43 -0500 From: djw@eff.org (Daniel J. Weitzner) The Electronic Frontier Foundation is pleased to announce its participation in the newly formed Telecommunications Policy Roundtable. With market actions fast outpacing the public policy process, it is critical that citizens groups articulate basic public interest goals which can help frame the debate over information infrastructure policy. Organizations such as the Association of Research Libraries, the Center for Media Education, Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility, and the Institute for Civic Networking all played leading roles in initiating the Roundtable. We thank these organizations, for creating the very important forum in which a wide range of public interest organizations work together to frame common communications policy goals. In addition to general participation in the group, EFF has agreed to focus its efforts on the public policy and legislative strategy taskforce of the Roundtable. The initial announcement of the Roundtable (posted to com-priv) contained some suggestion that EFF's work on infrastructure policy issues over the last year was narrow and lacking in vision. Though we have never pretended to know, or be able to pursue, the solutions to all communications policy problems, we do feel that we have made a significant contribution to the infrastucture debate and to the effort to protect free speech and privacy in new electronic media. Some criticize our emphasis on ISDN and other affordable digital media as too narrow. We believe that our Open Platform policy efforts in support of ISDN have caused a major change in the way that communcations infrastructure policy is discussed. With the example of ISDN, we showed that citizens do not have to wait around 20 years while RBOCs lay fiber-to-the-home. Rather, with affordable, available technology, those who don't own telephone networks or cable television networks can start to create the applications and services which will shape our experience of the information age. Our Open Platorm efforts are aimed to increasing the diversity of information sources, expanding the notion of universal service, increasing access to information, and protecting privacy. ISDN is not our final goal, but a first step that shows we should begin to expect the benefits of digital networking technology soon, at affordable rates, and with nondiscriminatory terms. In order to show that we are not stuck on ISDN, either as a technology or a policy goal, we convened a meeting of over twenty major public organizations on June 1, 1993 (several weeks before the Roundtable was announced), to discuss EFF's long-term policy concerns and hear the views of other groups. A section of the paper that we prepared for that meeting is appended to this message. We hope that this will clarify that EFF does have a view of communications policy goals beyond ISDN. We certainly invite comments on this document, but hope that in the future people who write about our positions will take the time to read our work first. (Please see also an article in the July/August '93 issue of Wired Magazine by Mitchell Kapor, EFF's Chairman of the Board, "Where Is the Digital Highway Really Heading? A Case for a Jeffersonian Information Policy" for a broad statement of EFF's infrastructure vision.) EFF has joined the Roundtable to be part of the process of framing a comprehensive public interest communications policy. We are looking forward to the success of this effort. TOWARD A NEW PUBLIC INTEREST COMMUNICATIONS POLICY AGENDA FOR THE INFORMATION AGE A Framework for Discussion by the Electronic Frontier Foundation June 1, 1993 I. Introduction For over a decade techno-prophets have been predicting the convergence of telephone, computer and television technologies. In this world, endless information would be available at the touch of a button and many of life's chores would be simplified by artificially-intelligent personal assistants. The prophesied results were said to be everything from a newfound global village enabled by democratized communications tools, to an Orwellian multimedia, mind-numbing, thought-controlling, consumer culture/police-state gone wild. In the past, discussions of this convergence has been relegated to the musings of futurists and the arcana of telecommunications regulatory policy. This year, however, the grand convergence is evident both on the front pages of national magazines and newspapers, as well as in the White House. Telecommunications infrastructure policy -- the management of this grand convergence -- has arrived as a mainstream policy issue. Most telling of all, large investments are now being made in order to take advantage of business opportunities arising out of the convergence of television, computers, and telecommunications. Despite existing regulatory barriers, a number of major corporations have undertaken major initiatives which blur the traditional media distinctions. Regional Bell Operating Companies, including Bell Atlantic and US West, have announced multi-billion dollar infrastructure investment plans which position them to expand from the telecommunications market to the video entertainment market. By the same token, cable television companies are crossing over from their traditional domain toward being able to offer telecommunications services. Early in 1993, Time-Warner announced plans to offer interactive services and connections directly to long distance telephone networks for residential customers in Orlando, FL. Six cable television companies also recently joined forces to purchase a company called Teleport, which competes directly with local telephone companies. And finally, US West announced in May 1993 that it will purchase a multi-billion dollar stake in Time-Warner Entertainment Partners. All of these developments are being watching with great interest by Congress and the Administration. No longer is telecommunications policy a matter of sorting out the special interests of newspaper companies, telephone companies, and cable companies. Rather it has been re-christened as "information infrastructure" policy. As such, it is recognized to have major implications for domestic economic development, global competitiveness, and science and technology policy. The ultimate symbol of this increased interest in telecommunications policy is the Vice President's frequent declaration that the Clinton Administration is committed to promoting the creation of electronic superhighways in the 1990s, just as the Vice President's father oversaw the construction of the interstate highway system in the 1950s. Talk of superhighways and potential for new economic growth, though, may lead some to forget that in shaping information infrastructure policy, we must also be guided by core communications policy values. The "highways" that are being built here are for speech as well as for commerce. In order to preserve the democratic character of our society as we move into the Information Age, these key public interest communications policy goals must be kept at the forefront: o Diversity of Information Sources: Creating an infrastructure that promotes the First Amendment goal of availability of a maximum possible diversity of view points; o Universal Service: Ensuring a minimum level of affordable, interactive service to all Americans; o Free Speech and Common Carriage: Guaranteeing infrastructure access regardless of the content of the message that the user is sending; o Privacy: Protecting the security and privacy of all communications carried over the infrastructure, and safeguarding the Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights of all who uses the information infrastructure; o Development of Public Interest Applications and Services: Ensuring that public interest applications and services which are not produced by the commercial market are available and affordable. Advances in telecommunications have tremendous potential to support all of these important communications policy values. In many cases, inexpensive equipment exists which could give individuals and small organizations a degree of control over information that has never before been possible. However, if not implemented with core communications values in mind, the technology will do more harm than good. The convergence of historically separate communications media poses a major challenge to the public interest community. The Electronic Frontier Foundation hopes to play a role with other public interest organizations in realizing the democratic potential of these new technologies. II. Framing Public Interest Communications Policy Goals For The Information Age: What is at Stake in the Development of the Information Infrastructure? A. Diversity of Information Sources Aside from the universal service guaranty, the driving communications policy value for the last fifty years has been promotion of the maximum diversity of information sources, with the greatest variety of view points. Most agree that from a diversity standpoint, the ideal environment is the print medium. Compared to both the broadcast and cable television arenas, print is the vehicle for the greatest diversity of viewpoints and has the lowest publication and distribution costs. Despite the regulatory steps taken to promote diversity in the mass media, the desired variety of opinion and information has never been fully achieved. The switched nature of advanced digital network technology offers to end the spectrum and channel scarcity problem altogether. If new network services are deployed with adequate down- and up-stream capacity, and allow point-to-point communication, then each user of the network can be both an information consumer and publisher. Network architecture which is truly peer-to-peer can help produce in digital media the kind of information diversity that only exists today only in the print media. If network access is guaranteed, as is the case in the public switched telephone network, the need for content providers to negotiate for air time and channel allocation will be eliminated. Even in a truly interactive network environment the government will still need to provide financial support to ensure that public interest programming is produced and available, but channel set-asides per se will not be necessary. B. Universal Service: From Plain Old Telephone Service to Plain Old Digital Service The principle of equitable access to basic services is an integral part of nation's public switched telephone network. From the early history of the telephone network, both government and commercial actors have taken steps to ensure that access to basic voice telephone services is affordable and accessible to all segments of society. Since the divestiture of AT&T, many of the internal cross-subsidies that supported the "social contract" of universal service have fallen away. Re-creation of old patterns of subsidy may no longer be possible nor necessarily desirable, but serious thought must be given to sources of funds that will guaranty that the economically disadvantaged will still have access to basic communications services. The universal service guaranty in the Communications Act of 1934 has, until now, been interpreted to mean access to "plain old telephone service" (POTS). In the Information Age, we must extend this guaranty to include "plain old digital service." Extending this guaranty means ensuring that new basic digital services are affordable and ubiquitously available. Equity and the democratic imperative also demand that these services meet the needs of people with disabilities, the elderly, and other groups with special needs. Failure to do so is sure to create a society of "information haves and have nots." C. Free Speech: Common Carriage In a society which relies more and more on electronic communications media as its primary conduit for expression, full support for First Amendment values requires extension of the common carrier principle to all of these new media. Common carriers are companies which provide conduit services for the general public. The common carrier's duties have evolved over hundreds of years in the common law and later in statutory provisions. Common carriers have a duty to: oprovide services in a non-discriminatory manner at a fair price, ointerconnect with other carriers, and oprovide adequate services. The public must have access to digital data transport services, such as ISDN and ADSL, which are regulated by the principles of common carriage. Re-shaping common carriage duties for new media environments is of critical importance as mass media and telecommunications services converge and recombine in new forms. Telephone companies, the traditional providers of common carriage communications services, are moving closer and closer to providing video and other content-based services. By the same token, cable television companies, which have functioned as program providers, are showing great interest in offering telecommunications services. In what is sure to be an increasingly complex environment, we must ensure that common carriage transport is available to those who want it. Unlike arrangements found in many countries, our communications infrastructure is owned by private corporations instead of by the government. Therefore, a legislatively imposed expanded duty of common carriage on public switched telephone carriers is necessary to protect free expression effectively. A telecommun- ications provider under a common carrier obligation would have to carry any legal message regardless of its content whether it is voice, data, images, or sound. For example, if full common-carrier protections were in place for all of the conduit services offered by the phone company, the terminations of "controversial" 900 services such as political fundraising would not be allowed, just as the phone company is now prohibited by the Communications Act from discriminating in the provision of basic voice telephone services. As a matter of law and policy, the common carriage protections should be extended from basic voice service to cover basic data service as well. D. Privacy With dramatic increases in reliance on digital media for communications, the need for comprehensive protection of privacy in these media grows. The scope of the emerging digital communications revolution poses major new challenges for those concerned about protecting communications privacy. Communication which is carried on paper through the mail system, or over the wire-based public telephone network is relatively secure from random intrusion by others. But the same communication carried, for example, over a cellular or other wireless communication system, is vulnerable to being intercepted by anyone who has very inexpensive, easy-to-obtain scanning technology. As such, access to robust, affordable encryption technology will be critical to enable people to protect their own privacy. Government controls on encryption systems, whether for law enforcement or national security reasons, raise grave constitutional issues and could undermine individuals' ability to protect the privacy of personal information and communications. For more information contact: Electronic Frontier Foundation 1001 G St, NW Suite 950 East Washington, DC 20001 eff@eff.org A complete copy of this document is available on by anonymous ftp at ftp.eff.org in the file named "pub/EFF/papers/open-platform-discussion-1993". ------------------------------ From: pegasus@cyberspace.org (Patricia Snyder-Rayl) Subject: CONNECT BBS Edition Organization: GREX Public Access Unix +1 313 761 3000 Date: Fri, 23 Jul 1993 03:31:10 GMT CONTACT: Clint Bradford Voice 909/681-6210 Pacific BBS LEGAL GROUP BBS 909/681-6221 8/N/1 v.32bis 5085 Trail Canyon Drive AOL CONNECT CIS 71160,2176 Mira Loma CA 91752-1685 GEnie C.BRADFORD1 Delphi UNICORNPUB Internet pegasus@cyberspace.org CONNECT Magazine Goes Digital with a New BBS Edition BBS Legal Group, in conjunction with Pegasus Press, proudly introduces the CONNECT Magazine Computer BBS Edition. CONNECT is a national, bi-monthly magazine covering the major commercial online services (CompuServe, America Online, GEnie, DELPHI, BIX), the Internet, and BBS/Networks. The CONNECT Staff is dedicated to bringing the telecomputing community up-to-date and timely news, reviews, and information about the products and services available for computer and modem users on all platforms. CONNECT Magazine has recently announced the addition of telecommunications author Michael A. Banks as an Editorial Staff Columnist. His column, "The Inside Line," takes readers behind the scenes of their favorite online services. With literally hundreds of book and magazine article credits to his name, Michael is recognized as one of the premiere authors in the computer industry. Often controversial and always thought-provoking, he promises to "tell it like it is" in this new column - giving CONNECT readers a view of the online world they may never see on their computer screens. You may have noticed that CONNECT Magazine is published bi-monthly - and here is where the BBS LEGAL GROUP comes into play. Not only do we provide registering Sysops with a custom Text Viewer Door to display CONNECT, but will also provide additional MONTHLY editorial content, ranging from late- breaking industry news to marketing, business, and legal tips - designed especially for Sysops. In addition, we will arrange a Monthly Special for registered Sysops - either a free Utility, or substantial discounts on well-known programs. Sysops will also be able to accept Subscriptions for the Print Version of CONNECT Magazine, and receive a 40% Commission on each. BBS Legal Group provides you with a Text Reader Door program at NO EXTRA CHARGE. Our Door supports PCBoard, Wildcat!, Gap, QBBS, RBBS, Spitfire, UltraBBS, Telegard, TriBBS, Remote Access, WWIV - ANY BBS software that can generate a User Data Drop File! Additionally, the Door features: * Desqview/Network Awareness. * COM0-15 support & non-standard IRQ's. * WildCat IM Support * PCB/M Support * Colorful ANSI screens. * Chat function. * NO BRUN module needed. * BETA tested on many different boards. * Use of HOT KEYS while in door. * Support BBSs available. * Fossil Driver support. * Online HELP available. * Page Forward or Back. * KEYWORD Searching. * Will return to BBS on dropped carrier. * Will TIMEOUT a player after 5 mins. of no activity (Sysop-configurable). With our CONNECT Magazine Computer Edition, you will get everything you need to add this valuable reference to your system. Your Users will recognize CONNECT Magazine from seeing it on their news- stands. They could pay the $4.25 per issue price for the print edition. But by adding CONNECT Magazine BBS Edition to your BBS, you bring your Users a value of $25.50 every year! This addition to your BBS will help retain Subscribers year after year. CONNECT Magazine BBS Edition is available on ATTENTION to Details BBS for your review. The package is better than any other currently being offered: * NO OTHER product contains special articles geared to the Sysop. * NO OTHER product provides the Sysop with discounts on Doors/Utilities. * NO OTHER product includes a dedicated Text Reader Door. The BBS Legal Group is dedicated to providing pertinent, quality information and services to Bulletin Board Operators. Patricia Snyder-Rayl | AOL: CONNECT |voice: (313) 973-8825 Man. Ed., CONNECT magazine | CIS: 70007,4640 | fax: (313) 973-0411 "The Modem User's Resource" | Delphi: UNICORNPUB | BBS: (313) 973-9137 ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Jul 1993 14:31:17 -0600 From: tmplee@TIS.COM (Theodore M.P. Lee) Subject: Inverse of "Custom Ringing"? Is there a service/feature that, lacking a better term, I'd call the inverse of custom ringing? I have two lines: one residential and one business. I have one custom ringing number on the residential line to which busies on the business line are forwarded. When the business line is in use, I'd like to be able to do the inverse: use the residential line but have the call (interesting only for long distance, since we don't have message units) billed to the business line at the same rate as if it had been dialed on that line. (Yah, I know the quick answer is to install a third line for the computer, but that sure seems the expensive solution.) We're in USWest territory. Ted Lee 612-934-5424 Trusted Information Systems, Inc. tmplee@tis.com PO Box 1718 Minnetonka, MN 55345 ------------------------------ From: goltar@mavenry.altcit.eskimo.com Subject: Modem Speeds on a 14400 Baud Modem Date: Thu, 22 Jul 93 18:48:45 GMT I seem to be having trouble connecting at high speeds whether it is a v32bis or v42bis 14400 modem. The modem will not answer the phone line correctly. Sometimes it will think that the other modem is at 2400. It will say connect 2400/arq/lapm/v42bis, but at other times it will connect at 14400/arq/v32/lapm/v42bis. I can't figure this out. I have tried to explain this to USRobotics but get no answers. They are a rude company. Whats the deal with tech support? I have had this v32bis Courier HST dual standard v32/v42bis since February but am getting nowhere. Could somone please help me out :) Thanks, Goltar [Moderator's Note: Do you think this might be occurring normally as part of the process where modems will automatically drop down in speed until they reach a point they can communicate on a line that has a lot of noise on it? Have you tried setting registers in the modem telling it to NOT change baud rates automatically based on the highest possible speed it can deal with but rather, to lock on 14.4 and disconnect if it is unwilling to work there? The higher you go with modem speeds (such as at 9600 for example or above) the more likely it is the modem will need to drop its speed after attempting to handshake with the other end and being unable to do so because of line conditions. My 9600 baud Telebit T-1600 modem usually works fine at that speed but sometimes it drops to 2400 also. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Jul 93 20:40:37 EDT From: cecomlad@tecnet1.jcte.jcs.mil Subject: Help With UK Connections I'll be travelling to Northern Ireland this next week. I'm taking my trusty laptop with internal Hayes Smartmodem. I'd like to try accessing the Internet and perhaps my Compuserve accounts. I've got the phone numbers OK. Can somebody in the UK who is familiar with American RJ type connectors (or an American who is familiar with British Telecom connectors) map out the physical connection for me? I'm pretty rsure my modem will handle the protocols OK, it worked in Germany last trip, it is the actual connection from the computer to the wall socket/box that I am unsure of. For sake of time, replies to me direct are appreciated, but I'll take net postings as well -- beggars can't be choosy. Barron WIlliams E-mail = cecomlad@tecnet1.jcte.jcs.mil ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #503 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa21992; 23 Jul 93 19:36 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA00660 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Fri, 23 Jul 1993 17:04:04 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA25187 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Fri, 23 Jul 1993 17:03:27 -0500 Date: Fri, 23 Jul 1993 17:03:27 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199307232203.AA25187@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #504 TELECOM Digest Fri, 23 Jul 93 17:03:20 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 504 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson President Clinton Hosts New Communications Technologies Demo (Nigel Allen) Bell Canada Offers "Bell Rewards" to Residential Customers (Nigel Allen) What is This Mobilink Thing? (Kimball Smith) Need TCP/IP and Telnet For PC to Reach Internet via DIGEX (Robert Shain) Telix Script Language the Best? (Keith R. Bennett) Establishing a 900 Number (Michael R. Johnston) Telecom Observations in Movie "Dave" (Dave Ptasnik) Massachusetts Companies Involved in Wireless Comm (Michael Francl) High Speed Modem Connections (Richard Merte) How About WITH a PC? (was Re: Call-ID: Possible Without a PC?) (Jim Hogan) ISDN? (Carl Oppedahl) Alpha Pagers (Robert J. Canis) 1-800-COLLECT (Dave Niebuhr) Interoperability Paper (Jane Fraser) International Videoconferencing Directory Available (Lynne Gregg) Area 205 to Split (David Cornutt) ---------------------- TELECOM Digest is an e-journal devoted mostly -- but not exclusively -- to discussions on voice telephony. The Digest is a not-for-profit public service published frequently by Patrick Townson Associates. PTA markets a no-surcharge telephone calling card and a no monthly fee 800 service. In addition, we are resellers of AT&T's Software Defined Network. For a detailed discussion of our services, write and ask for the file 'products'. The Digest is delivered at no charge by email to qualified subscribers on any electronic mail service connected to the Internet. To join the mail- ing list, write and tell us how you qualify: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu. All article submissions MUST be sent to our email address: telecom@eecs. nwu.edu -- NOT as replies to comp.dcom.telecom. Back issues and numerous other telephone-related files of interest are available from the Telecom Archives, using anonymous ftp lcs.mit.edu. Login anonymous, then 'cd telecom-archives'. At the present time, the Digest is also ported to Usenet at the request of many readers there, where it is known as 'comp.dcom.telecom'. Use of the Digest does not require the use of our products and services. The two are separate. All articles are the responsibility of the individual authors. Organi- zations listed, if any, are for identification purposes only. The Digest is compilation-copyrighted, 1993. **DO NOT** cross-post articles between the Digest and other Usenet or alt newsgroups. Do not compile mailing lists from the net-addresses appearing herein. Send tithes and love offerings to PO Box 1570, Chicago, IL 60690. :) Phone: 312-465-2700. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 23 Jul 93 05:02:03 EDT From: ae446@freenet.carleton.ca (Nigel Allen) Subject: President Clinton Hosts New Communications Technologies Demo Organization: Echo Beach Reply-To: ae446@freenet.carleton.ca Here is a press release from the White House. I downloaded the press release from the PR On-Line BBS in Maryland at 410-363-0834. President Clinton Hosts New Communications Technologies Demonstration Contact: Jeff Sarmiento or Josh Silverman, 202-456-7150, both of the White House Office of Media Affairs News Advisory: On Thursday, July 22, at the White House, President Clinton, Vice-President Gore, and Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown will view demonstrations of a variety of new wireless technologies, products, services, and applications. Following the demonstrations, the President will address a group of Congressional, federal agency, and telecommunications industry representatives about the need to develop and apply new communications technologies to encourage renewed economic growth, create jobs, and to maintain the U.S.'s international competitiveness. The president will discuss the Emerging Telecommunications Technology Act, part of the budget reconciliation bill, which will create hundreds of thousands of new jobs by transferring from federal agencies to the private sector additional radio frequencies ("spectrum"). The newly available spectrum would be used by new wireless communications products and services. The President will also discuss the provisions of the act that will help to reduce the deficit by auctioning new spectrum licenses. Among those currently expected to be attending the event are: Rep. Edward Markey, Chairman, Telecommunications and Finance Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee; Ray Smith, CEO of Bell Atlantic Corp; Gene Kimmelman, Legislative Director, Consumer Federation of America; Robert Kyle, President of kycom, a small, high-technology company in California's Silicon Valley. Among the wireless technologies demonstrated at the event will be: -- Laptops with cellular modems, used for educational purposes; -- New wireless applications to improve small business manufacturing; -- Emergency equipment, now in use in flooded Midwest states; -- New transportation-related technologies for use in "smart" cars and highways. DATE/TIME: Thursday, July 22, 1993 at 10:30 a.m. LOCATION: South Lawn, The White House Nigel Allen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada ae446@freenet.carleton.ca ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 23 Jul 93 07:40:38 EDT From: ae446@freenet.carleton.ca (Nigel Allen) Subject: Bell Canada Offers "Bell Rewards" to Residential Customers Organization: Echo Beach Reply-To: ae446@freenet.carleton.ca Bell Canada has introduced a new program, Bell Rewards, for its residential customers, that allows them to earn points for every cent they spend on long distance. The program was clearly inspired by airline companies' frequent flyer programs, and is Bell Canada's way of fighting its competition in the long-distance market without competing directly on price. You start receiving awards in once you have spent over $600 (Canadian) on Bell long distance in a year (an average of $50 a month), although Bell may eventually decide to reduce the threshold for awards. Bell Canada has sent a glossy mailing promoting the program to some people in Ottawa, but I haven't received such a mailing at my Toronto address. Either Bell Canada is introducing the proram city by city throughout its operating territory in Ontario and Quebec, or the company isn't doing a very good job at promoting it. Perhaps some other Canadian telephone companies will be offering a similar program, but Bell Canada is the only one that has announced a points program yet that I am aware of. To sign up, call 1-800-463-7131 (voice). There is no charge to sign up. Nigel Allen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada ae446@freenet.carleton.ca ------------------------------ From: kymsmith@triton.unm.edu (Kimball Smith) Subject: What is This Mobilink Thing? Date: 23 Jul 1993 06:42:31 GMT Organization: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque As the subject says -- What IS Mobilink? Any clues as to cost, availability, (will service get worse?)?? As a "roaming" side note -- after four days of uneventful (ie: everything worked) roaming -- I get the "Leave us your credit card and first born son; we will then think about setting up roaming ..." intercept. After 1/2 hour with 611 (only six service 'roids) I was told "your ESN seems to have been scrambled on our system -- give us five minutes and we will straighten it out." How is that for a "secure" system!! kasmith@cscns.com ------------------------------ From: M16302@mwvm.mitre.org Subject: Need TCP/IP and Telnet For PC to Reach Internet via DIGEX Organization: The MITRE Corporation, McLean VA 22102 Date: Fri, 23 Jul 1993 20:11:49 GMT DIGEX has a low cost unlimited time access to the Internet from home. Does anyone know an inexpensive TCP/IP stack and Telnet that I can use to get to DIGEX?? Robert B. Shain EMAIL: RSHAIN @MITRE.ORG The MITRE Corporation Voice: (703)883-5592 Center for Intellignence & Special Programs FAX: (703)883-6991 Mailstop W955 7525 Colshire Drive McLean, VA. 22102 ------------------------------ From: kbennett@access.digex.net (Keith R. Bennett) Subject: Telix Script Language the Best? Date: 23 Jul 1993 10:53:29 -0400 Organization: Express Access Online Communications USA I recently registered my copy of Telix and received the manual. I'm _really_ impressed by the C-like script language. I'm considering proposing using it for an application that is currently using Mirror script language. The Mirror program uses a script to log on. I am interested in using Telix to actually provide a front end to the mainframe program that the users run. My question is this: My only experience with telecom script languages is some very simple Crosstalk stuff several years ago. Are there other products whose script languages are as good or better than Telix? Also, how soon will I hit the ceiling of functionality? Can I do things like list boxes? Is it extensible at all? Also, it would be nice if the program developed could be used also on the upcoming Windows version of Telix without modification. Anybody (esp. Telix people) able to tell me if that will be possible? Thanks, Keith Bennett Bennett Business Solutions, Inc. C++/C Software Development 1605 Ingram Terrace kbennett@access.digex.net Silver Spring, MD USA 20906-5932 ------------------------------ From: mjohnsto@jpmorgan.com (Michael R. Johnston) Subject: Establishing a 900 Number Organization: JP Morgan Date: Fri, 23 Jul 1993 16:25:31 GMT I'm looking for information on establishing a 900 number type service. If anyone has any experience getting and running a 900 number I'd appreciate hearing from you what is required to get started etc. Thanks, Michael R. Johnston N2TQP mjohnsto@bluesky.win.net ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 23 Jul 1993 08:49:16 -0700 (PDT) From: Dave Ptasnik Subject: Telecom Observations in Movie "Dave" *****Note to Pat****** Sorry about the earlier truncation. Don't know what happened. It seemed to give you the impression that I have been in the oval office, I have not. Just looking at it in the movies. Rewrite of my post below... Just saw the movie "Dave", saw a couple of things that struck me as odd from a phone perspective. In the oval office scene there was a big old 1A2 phone on the desk, maybe 30 buttons, maybe more. This makes sense based on the description of the existing system about to be upgraded by Billary. What caught me by surprise was the presence of Electronic sets in the bedrooms and hallways. They looked like SRX's to me, but am interested in other impressions of what they were. This did strike me as an unlikely mix, but I SRX does have a behind the switch/Centrex package that would probably make it possible. What is really in the White House (Oval Office and living quarters)? What did they have in "Dave"? Anyone out there with the true info. Enquiring minds want to know. Dave ------------------------------ From: Michael Francl Subject: Massachusetts Companies Involved in Wireless Comm Organization: MIT Lincoln Laboratory Date: Fri, 23 Jul 93 12:44:29 -0400 I'm trying to make a list of all the Massachusetts companies that compete in the world market, building either wireless voice or wireless data communications equipment or components. This info will be used in a study looking for ways to boost US competitiveness in these fields. Please send any company names to francl@ll.mit.edu. Thanks very much for your help. Mike ------------------------------ From: Richard Merte Subject: High Speed Modem Connections Date: Fri, 23 Jul 93 09:58:00 PDT There have been a couple of people complaining of problems with connections of high speed modems in the past week, so here's what helped for me ... The problem: I was trying to connect between my Multi-Tech 9600 baud modem and a US Robotics 9600 HST. I would often get either ... a) no connection at all (but lots of wonderful noises as the modems tried shaking hands, kissing feet, or whatever else it is they do :-)) b) a connect at 2400, followed by lots of garbage, and no useful communication. The solution: I called Multi-Tech and they told me about an undocumented S-register 20, which instead of using the default value of 10, I changed to 12 and all was well. I seem to remember him saying this was changing the sensitivity, volume level, or something like that (I think he mentioned decibels, but it's been awhile ...) Perhaps the other manufacturers also have some of these *wonderful* undocumented features that will solve some people's problems. ------------------------------ From: jimh@stein.u.washington.edu (Jim Hogan) Subject: How About WITH a PC? (was Re: Call-ID: Possible Without a PC?) Date: 23 Jul 1993 05:04:33 GMT Organization: University of Washington kucharsk@solbourne.com (William Kucharski) writes: > It seems to be that the majority of people out there would jump on > the Caller ID bandwagon if there were only a relatively inexpensive way > to do the following (an answering machine seems to be the appliance I > envision): [three examples deleted...] Just found this newsgroup and will admit it's very interesting. I looked for the newsgroup because I was inspired (debates about the overall goodness of caller ID aside) to consider how we could employ caller ID on a dial-up pool on our network as a replacement for dial-back security. I'm guessing that some of the caller ID capability must be in software, although an earlier post talked about particular v.32bis modems being "caller ID-ready". Any leads on software that could let us employ caller ID checks on something like a Cisco terminal server? We have a Citrix Multiuser (extended OS/2) box as an access server right now. Will have to check with them on this. I looked at the last 1000 or so messages on this group, but is this nonetheless a FAQ? Jim Hogan, Systems Analyst / Didliologist* Seattle-King County Department of Public Health ------------------------------ From: oppedahl@panix.com (Carl Oppedahl) Subject: Experiences Wanted With BRI ISDN Date: 23 Jul 1993 16:20:56 -0400 Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC Has anyone in the New York Tel service area successfully signed up for BRI ISDN? I find that it is like pulling teeth to get anyone at NYTel to answer questions about it. Has anybody in the New York Tel service area successfully used the D channel of ISDN for packet communications with anybody else? How about one of the B channels for (non-voice) packet with anybody else? I am told that the Second Avenue central office, which serves me, has ISDN capability on only four exchanges (212-353, 529, 979, and 995) and lacks it on any of the dozen or so other exchanges in that central office. Pretty lame, seems to me. I am told that the West 73rd Street c.o. (the one serving panix) has no ISDN capability whatsoever. Lame again. Same is supposedly the case for the Yorktown Heights c.o. which serves my new law firm. Guess I should have thought of that before selecting a firm location. When I did manage to reach someone whose job was to know about ISDN, they told me that NYTel charges $10 per month for BRI. Running low-speed data over the D channel is an extra $2 per month. Running your flexible choice of high-speed data or voice over a B channel is an extra $2 per month. He was quite unable to say what packets cost on the high or low speed paths. And all this is an added cost per month above and beyond the cost of the voice telephone numbers carried on the BRI. He also said, though I find it difficult to believe, that the ISDN BRI connection is via a single twisted pair. I always thought this was done on two pairs. Any comments? Do people know if this person is all wet? Carl Oppedahl AA2KW (patent lawyer) 1992 Commerce Street #309 Yorktown Heights, NY 10598-4412 voice 212-777-1330 ------------------------------ From: SESPC381@ysub.ysu.edu (Robert J. Canis) Subject: Alpha Pagers Question Date: Fri, 23 Jul 93 09:06:44 EDT Organization: Youngstown State University I was wondering if anybody knew anything about alpha pagers. My understanding is that you need a little typewriter like box that you must use to communicate with the pager. What I am wondering is there a program that I can use with my modem to do the same thing? I'm really interested in getting a pager, but I don't want to have to buy the "box" to communicate with it. Thanks a lot. Robert J. Canis INTERNET ADDRESS WOODSTOCK@UNIX1.CC.YSU.EDU BITNET ADDRESS SESPC381@YSUB.BITNET Youngstown State University Student Programming Consultant [Moderator's Note: You might take a look in the Telecom Archives at the files which begin 'ixo'. They should be of some help. The archives is accessible using anonymous ftp lcs.mit.edu. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 23 Jul 93 19:33:07 EDT From: dwn@dwn.ccd.bnl.gov (Dave Niebuhr) Subject: 1-800-COLLECT I just finished a comparison of collect call charges involving AT&T, MCI, MCI's 1-800-COLLECT, Sprint and New York Telephone. The situation that led to this was that one of my daughters was at a payphone one night and called home collect with the charges accepted of course. I found out the cost when the phone bill came in with a charge of $4.95 from Operator Assistance Network, 1-800-944-0171. The framework was that the call was made within my area code (516) so that I could get a set of figures for comparison. This is what I found: AT&T $1.50 US MCI 1.50 US 1-800-COLLECT .65 US Sprint 1.94 US depending on the destination area code, in this case a 516-516 call. New York Telephone 1.30 US I don't know how the Orange Card would stand up against these figures since my kids do not normally make a collect call home with the call lasting about one minute or less. Lesson number (one more than the last one about telephones) was promptly given and I told them to use to use 1-800-COLLECT if at all possible. BTW: I will be receiving some literature on this product and will pass it on to the Digest when it is received. Dave Niebuhr Internet: niebuhr@bnl.gov / Bitnet: niebuhr@bnl Brookhaven National Laboratory Upton, LI, NY 11973 (516)-282-3093 Senior Technical Specialist: Scientific Computer Facility ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 23 Jul 1993 15:11:11 EDT From: fraser@ccl2.eng.ohio-state.edu Subject: Interoperability Paper An article in {Network World}, April 12 (page 37) refers to a white paper "What Works with What" from the "most recent Information Technology Summit" in Salt Lake City of the OURS W4 task force. OURS stands for Open User Recommended Solutions. Does anyone know how I can find this paper or this group? Thanks. Jane Fraser, Center for Advanced Study in Telecommunications, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 614-292-4129, fraser.1@osu.ed ------------------------------ From: Lynne Gregg Subject: International Videoconferencing Directory Available Date: Fri, 23 Jul 93 11:10:00 PDT I received a copy of AT&T/ITCA Global Conferencing Source Book, 1993 - 1994. This directory lists many public and private videoconferencing "rooms" throughout the world. If you'd like to obtain your own copy, you may call 1-800-562-2255. Public sector and University locations also listed. International listings are also included. Regards, Lynne ------------------------------ From: cornutt@lambda.msfc.nasa.gov (David Cornutt) Subject: Area 205 to Split Organization: NASA/MSFC Date: Fri, 23 Jul 1993 17:30:38 GMT Well, it finally happened ... South Central Bell announced yesterday that area 205, which currently covers all of Alabama, will split in 1995. Last year, when we went to 11-digit dialing for all LD, and SCB started implementing N0X/N1X prefixes, they thought that we would be able to avoid this for a while. Apparently not. (I understand that 205 is currently the most "populated" single AC.) Alabama was one of the few remaining states east of the Missippi with a whole-state area code. The split will be done at a line drawn from west to east across the state, approximately halfway between Birmingham and Montgomery. I had thought that they might do it this way, but much to my surprise, it is the northern half of the state that will retain 205. (It surprises me because I had thought that state politics would force SCB to keep Montgomery in 205, that city being the state capitol.) Here's the really interesting thing: the new area code for the south half of the state will be (take a deep breath) 334. This is the first instance that I know of where a NXX area code is to be implemented in the U.S. (Have I missed something?) >From looking at the (rather crude) map published in the Huntsville _Times_ last night: Cities remaining in 205 will include Birmingham, Huntsville, Florence, Gadsden, Anniston, and possibly Tuscaloosa. Cities going to 334 include Montgomery, Mobile, Auburn, Selma, and Dothan. David Cornutt, New Technology Inc., Huntsville, AL (205) 461-4517 (cornutt@lambda.msfc.nasa.gov; some insane route applies) "The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of my employer, not necessarily mine, and probably not necessary." ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #504 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa14267; 24 Jul 93 19:32 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA16543 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Sat, 24 Jul 1993 17:16:40 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA03549 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Sat, 24 Jul 1993 17:16:04 -0500 Date: Sat, 24 Jul 1993 17:16:04 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199307242216.AA03549@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #505 TELECOM Digest Sat, 24 Jul 93 17:16:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 505 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson NPA = 500 (Leroy Donnelly) List of Calling Number Announcement Numbers (David Leibold) Wanted: Email Address of Teleco System Inc. (Peter Chan) Re: WIL-TEL Noted on a COCOT (Russ McGuire) Australia: Regulatory Agency Blames Both Carriers (Nigel Allen) EE Times: Rockwell Readies V.FAST Chipset (Robert L. McMillin) Flood Control in Holland (Leo Nederlof) Re: Big Rivers (Will Martin) Northern Telecom Loses; AT&T Gains (David Leibold) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 24 Jul 93 17:34:50 CST From: Leroy.Donnelly@axolotl.omahug.org (Leroy Donnelly) Subject: NPA = 500 Reply-To: leroy.donnelly%drbbs@axolotl.omahug.org Organization: DRBBS Technical BBS, Omaha From the July 26 1993 issue of Radio Communications Report: BELLCORE GIVING PCS ITS OWN NATIONAL SERVICE ACCESS CODE WASHINGTON - In a key development with uncertain long-term implications, Bell communications Research Inc. has informed the Federal Communications Commission that beginning next month it intends to assign a "500" service access code for personal communications services under draft guidelines not yet formalized. "Fundamental to our decision is the recognition that the assignment will promote the availability of new services to the public," said Ronald Conners, director of Bellcore's North American Numbering Plan Administration, in a June 23 letter to Kathleen Levitz, acting chief of the Common Carrier Bureau at the FCC. The FCC is scheduled to set PCS regulations in September or October, with this month's decisions on plans to relocate 2 GHz fixed microwave users and to rechannel higher frequency bands for those users paving the way to the major decision this fall. "Unless we are directed otherwise," said Conners, NANPA on Aug. 1 will start assigning the 500 service access code for PCS and shortly after will will assign NXX, or central office codes (the first three digits of seven-digit telephone numbers), "to companies that have demonstrated an urgent need for these codes." Fred Gaechter of NANPA's technical staff said assignment guidelines could be completed by November. He added the 500 prefix code is not necessarily restricted to PCS. It could be made available to paging, cellular and other wireless carriers that offer the kind of one-number, extended-roaming features envisioned for PCS, whereby subscribers are reachable anywhere, anytime, he said. Conners cited requests for distinct PCS service access codes in 1991 from American Telephone & Telegraph Co. and not long after from Bell Atlantic Mobile's cellular operation. He stated such entreaties also have been made by other cellular carriers as well as local exchange and interexchange carriers. However, it remains to be seen whether Bellcore, overseer of NANPA and research arm of the seven regional Bell telephone companies, will retain its telephone numbering assignment responsibilities in the future. The paging and cellular industries, in particular, have criticized Livingston, N.J. based Bellcore's handling of number assignments for wireless services, a problem some assert is traceable to the organization's domination by the seven regional Bell operating companies that fund it. The FCC is currently reviewing whether Bellcore's organization and administrative process need changing. An agency official said it has not been determined when a decision on the matter will be made. House Telecommunications Subcommittee Chairman Edward Markey, D-Mass., raised concerns earlier this year about NANPA's structure and numbering plan methodology. Telocator and Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association are on record as saying such a reorganization is in order. "We need more of a wireless voice in these numbering forums," commented Amy Stephan, director of PCS at Telocator. Telocator strongly wants the PCS industry to move forward, she said, but the association believes PCS numbering issues still need more attention. DRBBS Technical BBS, Omaha (In remembrance of JGL) (1:285/666.0) ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 23 Jul 93 22:00 EDT From: djcl@io.org (woody) Subject: List of Calling Number Announcement Numbers [After checking all the incoming mail for this list, it's time to post the current collection of ANAC codes.] Calling Number Announcement Numbers 23 July 1993 This is a list of known ANAC codes in use, primarily in North America and Australia, though international contributions are welcome. An ANAC (Automatic Number Announcement Code) is used to identify the calling number. This is handy when there are many lines, and it's uncertain which line is which. In many cases there is a short (1/10th second) dual tone, then a female synthesised voice which reads off the calling phone number. In some other cases, there is no initial dual tone, but just the voice readout. If your area is not listed, one of the codes listed for another area may work, especially if from a related company's territory (eg. another state served by the same regional telephone company). If a code like 200.xxx.xxxx or 958 or an N11 code (*not* 411 or 911) doesn't work, check for central office codes that are not used for regular service elsewhere in the area code and see if that has the ANAC number. 800 ANI (Automatic Number Identification) In North America, 1 800 235.1414 was an 800 number that made use of ANI service. ANI will deliver calling numbers to the destination number where possible. Other 800 numbers might be possible, but are subject to regional limitations. For additions, corrections, inquiries, please e-mail to djcl@io.org, dleibold1@attmail.com or Fidonet Sysop at 1:250/730 (addresses effective as of document date). Credits: Many entries came from a post to the Digest entitled "The Definitive ANAC Guide", compiled by Emmanuel Goldstein, posted by Leryo Malbito . This posting occurred a few years ago and is subject to new codes and information. Other contributors include: andyb@janus.coat.com (Andy Behrens) miguel@extro.ucc.su.OZ.AU (Miguel Cruz) wolfgang@halcyon.halcyon.com (Stephen Davis) jgreene@nyx.cs.du.edu (Justin Greene) jkimbro@hercii.lasc.lockheed.com (Jon Kimbrough) wrglex%jmccormack@Think.COM (Jim McCormack) rudholm@aimla.com (Mark Rudholm) mmt@RedBrick.COM (Maxime Taksar KC6ZPS) Garrett.Wollman@UVM.EDU (Garrett Wollman) S345002@emu.insted.unimelb.EDU.AU How to use: Check for your region or area code. Then dial a listed number (more than one ANAC code could be used in an area code, or different codes may be used among different telephone companies such as independents). The code may require prefacing with a 1 in some areas due to equipment setup (taking care not to start dialing another active area code or exchange). Be careful in many areas with 211 codes as these are often used to reach Credit Operator from COCOTs or other situations. yyyy = Represents a specific series of digits that can change (such as 1111, 1234, 1699, 2350, 8123, etc). NPA ANAC number Comments 204 644 204 644.xxxx 205 908.222.2222 212 958 213 114 213 1223 (some 1AESS switches) 213 211.2345 (English response) 213 211.2346 (DTMF response) 213 61056 214 970.222.2222 (mentioned for Dallas once) 214 970.xxxx 215 410.xxxx 217 200.xxx.xxxx 217 290 305 200.222.2222 306 115 (?) 309 200.xxx.xxxx 309 290 310 114 (on many GTE switches) 310 1223 (some 1AESS switches) 310 211.2345 (English response) 310 211.2346 (DTMF response) 312 1.200.5863 312 1.200.yyyy 312 200.xxx.xxxx 312 290 313 200.200.2002 313 200.222.2222 313 200.xxx.xxxx (sometimes in Michigan Bell territory) 317 310.222.2222 317 743.1218 401 222.2222 403 311 (at least from Edmonton) 403 908.222.2222 403 999 (was found in parts of Edmonton) 404 311 (Atlanta) 404 940.xxx.xxxx 407 200.222.2222 408 300.xxx.xxxx 408 760 409 970.xxxx 414 330.2234 415 200.555.1212 415 211.2111 415 2222 415 640 415 760 415 7600 415 7600.2222 415 760.2878 416 410.yyyy 416 997.yyyy 502 997.555.1212 508 200.222.1234 508 200.222.2222 509 560 512 200.222.2222 512 970.xxxx 514 320.yyyy 516 968 517 200.222.2222 517 200.xxx.xxxx (sometimes in Michigan Bell territory) 518 997 518 998 519 320.yyyy 602 593.0809 602 593.6017 602 593.7451 603 200.222.2222 604 1116 604 1211 604 211 606 997.555.1212 612 511 613 320.yyyy 615 830 616 200.222.2222 616 200.xxx.xxxx (sometimes in Michigan Bell territory) 617 200.222.1234 617 200.222.2222 617 200.444.4444 (Woburn, MA) 617 200.xxx.xxxx 617 220.2622 618 200.xxx.xxxx 705 320.yyyy 708 1.200.yyyy 713 970.xxxx 714 211.2121 716 511 718 958 802 200.222.2222 (throughout NYNEX?) 802 2.222.222.2222 (NETel or Continental Tel code? Now obsolete?) 806 970.xxxx 812 410.555.1212 815 200.xxx.xxxx 815 290 817 211 818 1223 (some 1AESS switches) 818 211.2345 (English response) 818 211.2346 (DTMF response) 906 200.222.2222 906 200.xxx.xxxx (sometimes in Michigan Bell territory) 914 1.990.1111 914 99 914 990 914 990.1111 915 970.xxxx 919 711 Australia: +61 03-552-4111 (Victoria 03 area) +61 19123 (all major capital cities) ------------------------------ From: pthc@ee.mu.OZ.AU (Peter Chan) Subject: Wanted: Email Address of Teleco System Inc. Organization: Dept of Electrical & Electronic Engineering, Univ of Melbourne Date: Sat, 24 Jul 1993 01:11:05 GMT Hello netters, Does anyone know the contract e-mail address (customer service or technical dept or a helpful staff) for a company called Teleco System Inc. located in Norwood, MA 02062 (I don't have the full address) ? What I really after is a technical/educational report published by the company on ATM network. Please email me at pthc@mullian.ee.mu.oz.au Your help is much appreciated. Regards, Peter Chan Dept. of Electrical & Electronic Engineering University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia. Tel: 344 4672 Fax: 344 6678 ------------------------------ From: russ_mcguire@wiltel.com (Russ McGuire) Date: Sat, 24 Jul 93 12:55:16 -0500 Subject: Re: WIL-TEL Noted on a COCOT Carl Moore notes: > WIL-TEL, 655 Grand Avenue, Elmhurst, IL 60126, tel. 800-726-2360 > This firm is listed for 0+ calls "outside this zone", on a pay > phone near Clinton, NJ on 908-735. I think this is the same phone > where I made a call on the Orange Card and got CLI in the From part > of the resulting bill. > [Moderator's Note: But is it the same WilTel, or a different firm? > Maybe Mr. McQuire can tell us. PAT] One of WilTel's acquisitions has been Telesphere, Inc. which was based in Elmhurst. We still have offices there. However, we did not acquire the operator services or 900 services which went to a company named (I believe) International Telecharge Inc. (ITI) which may have changed names to Oncor. (This obviously was not a simple acquisition, as I remember it, we actually only acquired the Telesphere customer base.) The similarities tend to make me believe that this references the same WilTel that is my employer, although I certainly don't know enough to say with any level of confidence. Since acquiring Telesphere, we have primarily sold our 1+ and 800 services to other carriers and rebillers. It is likely that this pay phone has 0+ services provided by one of these other companies. Since they are using our switches and our fiber network to provide their service, there may be some technicality that either allows or requires them to list WIL-TEL as the service provider. Standard disclaimer applies... Russ McGuire WilTel, Inc. russ_mcguire@wiltel.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 24 Jul 93 06:42:21 EDT From: ae446@freenet.carleton.ca (Nigel Allen) Subject: Australia: Regulatory Agency Blames Both Carriers Organization: Echo Beach Reply-To: ae446@freenet.carleton.ca I found the following article in aus.comms, the Australian communications newsgroup. From: colinl@cssc-syd.tansu.com.au (Colin Lynch) Subject: Austel Blames Both Carriers Organization: AOTC - CSSC By: Helen Meredith - The Australian, Thu July 22, 1993 Copyright (c) 1993 Nationwide News Limited Regulator Austel has thrown the blame for problems in connecting Canberra international phone callers on both Telecom and Optus and warned them to use their established access arrangements to prevent further disputes. The ruling follows a complaint to Austel by Optus that a significant number of its customers at certain times of the day were unable to make inter- national calls. Optus blamed Telecom, saying it had independent data that proved the problem existed in Telecom's network. Telecom denied any responsibility, called the Optus network second-rate, threatened to sue Optus chief executive Mr Bob Mansfield, and demanded a public apology. Optus filed the data to support its allegations with Austel last week just days before the national phone ballot got under way in Canberra. Yesterday Austel said the blame should be shared by both carriers. The regulator was disappointed the access agreements had not been followed by the carriers, leading to the dispute. Austel chairman Mr Robin Davey said: "The matter could have been handled more productively. We are disappointed at the way the issue was brought to light and at the apparent lack of communication and co-ordination on both sides." Austel's comments yesterday were in the form of preliminary findings based on "hard factual information" that it had not received until the end of last week. "We had several meetings with Optus and Telecom during the past week and demanded additional information from both," Mr Davey said. Austel's preliminary findings had shown that: CALL CONGESTION contibuting to lost Optus calls had occurred particularly at certain off-peak tariff periods when unexpectedly high call levels were generated by Telecom and Optus discounting. A COMBINATION of factors had caused the problem, including Telecom's failure to balance adequately the distribution of Optus traffic between Telecom's gateways; Optus not having adequate capacity between its long-distance switch and the Telecom local network to take heavy traffic (although Austel acknowledged Optus had recently addressed this); and failure by Optus to establish alternative access or overflow facilities for traffic overloads. Austel said Telecom had not experienced similar congestion to Optus because it had alternative routes. Optus had not asked for such facilities from Telecom. Austel pointed out that Optus was required to forecast its line needs according to anticipated phone traffic and to make that need known to Telecom, which was responsible for passing on calls to the Optus network. Colin Lynch | e-mail: colinl@cssc-syd.tansu.com.au Telstra Corporation Limited | postal: PO Box A792 Sydney South Customised Software Solutions | NSW 2000 Australia Centre - Sydney | phone: +61-2-9113142 fax: 9113199 ----------- Nigel Allen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada ae446@freenet.carleton.ca ------------------------------ From: rlm@helen.surfcty.com (Robert L. McMillin) Subject: EE Times: Rockwell Readies V.FAST Chipset Sender: rlm@helen.surfcty.com (Robert L. McMillin) Organization: Surf City Software/TBFW Project Date: Sat, 24 Jul 1993 15:02:49 GMT In the July 19, 1993 issue of {Electronic Engineering Times}, Rockwell's Digital Data Communications Division "pledged to ship, within 90 days, volume quantities of new V.FC family members, which could hit V.FAST's top speed of 28.8 bits per second." Rockwell specifically refused to support the v.32terbo interim "standard", which the CCITT rejected earlier but several modem manufacturers adoped anyway. "'We are not going to participate in the v.32terbo market in any way,' said Armando Geday, [Rockwell's] director of worldwide marketing for modems." Rockwell officials sought to ease potential customer fears of a premature release of the chipset, especially since the CCITT v.FAST standard remains incomplete. Geday called the existing work-in-progress a sufficient "snapshot" of what the committee has agreed upon. "The work is much further along than it was a year ago, so there are fewer gray areas we need to worry about. ... It is also much safer when you are at the chip level. We participate in a market where customers care about compatibility and standards, but they also care about getting to market quickly. ... In the case of Motorola or AT&T, you're talking about a $1,000 system in which compability issues are more critical [than in an under-$1,000 chipset]." The new Rockwell product will offer a speedier, pin-compatible DSP with more ROM and better encoding. "All existing CCITT standards -- includeing v.42 and MNP 2-4 error correction, and v.42bis and MNP 5 data compression -- are supported by Rockwell's new v.FAST devices," the article concluded. Robert L. McMillin | Surf City Software | rlm@helen.surfcty.com | Dude! ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 23 Jul 93 13:46:39 +0200 From: lned@alcbel.be (Leo Nederlof) Subject: Flood control in Holland I have been following the TV news and the postings in this newsgroup lately about the floodings in the United States and I, having spent most of my life below sea level, can't restrain from expressing my views on this. I know it sounds cliche to mention in this context the Dutch as being the World leaders in hydraulic engineering ("God created Earth, but the Dutch created Holland"), but I would like to draw a small comparison here. In the Netherlands the water comes from two sides: several big rivers from one side, draining the main part of Western Europe, cutting the country in two, and the North Sea from the other side. Sometimes, due to north-western storms, the sea water gets whiped up high in the funnel created by the Dutch and British coasts, closing into each other in the street of Dover, which is about 30 km wide. This last phenomenon, coinciding with a spring-tide, caused the last major flooding in 1953. After 1953 the so-called Delta plan was devised, which would within several decades provide protection for this south-western part of the Netherlands against conditions with an occurance probability of 10e-4 per year, i.e., occuring on average once in ten thousand years. Part of this plan, and completing the works about five years ago, is the Oosterscheldedam, a dam spanning several kilometers across a sea arm, consisting of elements with doors. Under normal conditions the doors are open, thus not causing ecological disturbances in the hinterland, but when the water rises above the level against which the inland dikes can protect, the doors are closed. A similar system is at the moment being constructed in the Nieuwe Waterweg, the entrance to the ports of Rotterdam. There, two huge 'doors' are being made, since under normal conditions the passage should be open to ships. As for the rivers, there are two sets of levees -- or dikes as we use to refer to them -- along most of them. The inner dikes mark the normal flow of the river. To carry the rivers in springtime - with loads of melting water from the Alps -- there are stretches of land that are called 'uiterwaarden' in Dutch (according to my dictionary this translates into 'outer marshes' or 'foreland', but I don't know whether you can correctly translate it, since, just like polders, you won't find any of them outside the Netherlands). These are bounded by a set of (higher) outer dikes, at most places several 100 meters away from the inner dikes. The grass lands in between are used as pasture when dry. Building dikes, however, is not enough. The managing of the waters is a complex system, which involves continuous monitoring of levels and controlling them using sluices and floodgates. Besides, a lot of support and pre-calculations come from computer models and scale models (and, of course, an excellent bunch of hydraulic engineers behind them ;-)). Now, to return to the case in the US, I've heard it said (by people here in Holland who definitely know what they are talking about) that most of the havoc in the Mid-West could have been prevented by adequate dikes and a water control system like we have in Holland. Sure, it will cost a considerable amount of money to construct and maintain such a system, but compare that to the direct and indirect costs and damages due to floodings like the current one. Of course, being just a telecom engineer, my knowledge of these matters is just superficial, but I'm sure that in Holland there is enough expertise in hydraulic engineering to recover Atlantis. For one, at the Delft University of Technology, where I graduated in EE, where also there is an institute where many engineers from Asiatic countries are trained in HE, there should be enough people capable of commenting on this. (disclaimer: I may live and work in Belgium, but...) Leo Nederlof phone: +32 3 2407613 fax: . . . . 9932 lned@ra.alcbel.be private: . . .2375215 ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 24 Jul 93 11:39:54 CDT From: Will Martin Subject: Re: Big Rivers > [Moderator's Note: Old Man River is a mile wide at its widest point I > believe, and that is somewhere south of St. Louis I thought. I remember > as a child I rode across it in a car with my parents and how impressive > it looked at that point. PAT] For what it's worth, the latest word I heard here in St. Louis last week was that the water in the river system at the confluence area just North of the city is now NINE miles wide ... Last night, they showed some Earth-Resources satellite images on the TV news, comparing a year ago or so, during a drought, with an image taken Sunday. Rather an impressive change. From being a thin line on the former image, the rivers are now broad smears covering vast areas. What I never hear anybody mentioning, even as they begin to discuss the cleanup and infrastructure-rebuilding tasks, is what is going to happen if this same thing happens NEXT year, and maybe yearly after that. If this is due to a permanent (or long-term, in human terms) climate change, that would be likely. What used to be hundred-year (or five-hundred-year) floods may become the normal occurrence ... :-( (Personally, I live about a dozen blocks from the South St. Louis flooding, but luckily up quite a bit in elevation, on the bluffs and not in the floodplain.) Will [Moderator's Note: How has telecom been affected throughout the area? I know quite obviously that phones underwater in some homes or offices are going to be out of service, but is there otherwise a problem with slow dial tone, cables that are wet, etc? How has flood recovery affected the normal course of telecom repairs/installations, etc? PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 23 Jul 93 20:06 EDT From: djcl@io.org (woody) Subject: Northern Telecom Loses; AT&T Gains The {Toronto Star} reported that Northern Telecom lost $1.03 billion in the recent quarter; meanwhile, AT&T made $1.04 billion in the recent quarter. I won't speculate too much about that situation ... David Leibold ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #505 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa16877; 24 Jul 93 23:15 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA18467 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Sat, 24 Jul 1993 20:59:44 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA24307 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Sat, 24 Jul 1993 20:59:11 -0500 Date: Sat, 24 Jul 1993 20:59:11 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199307250159.AA24307@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #506 TELECOM Digest Sat, 24 Jul 93 20:59:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 506 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Re: Dark Fiber? (Paul Robinson) Re: Dark Fiber? (Steven L. Spak) Re: Dark Fiber? (Gary Breuckman) Re: Dark Fiber? (Miguel Cruz) Re: 800 Translation Questions (David G.Lewis) Re: 800 Translation Questions (Tarl Neustaedter) Re: 800 Translation Questions (Paul Robinson) Re: 800 Translation Questions (John Adams) Re: 911 For Non-Emergencies? (was Re: Natwick 911 Drama) (Joe Bergstein) Re: 911 For Non-Emergencies? (was Re: Natwick 911 Drama) (H. Hallikainen) Re: 911 For Non-Emergencies? (was Re: Natwick 911 Drama) (Kevin Herrboldt) Re: Standard Practice For Wiring House (Tim Hogard) Re: Standard Practice For Wiring House (Karl Braun) Re: Experiences Wanted With BRI ISDN (Fred R. Goldstein) Re: Experiences Wanted With BRI ISDN (Mike King) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 24 Jul 93 18:06 GMT Subject: Re: Dark Fiber? From: Paul Robinson Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring, MD USA > I have seen the term Dark Fiber used in several ways and > I am confused as to the meaning. "Dark Fiber" is fiber optic cable which is run from one point to another for a customer of a telephone carrier, and the carrier doesn't do anything with the service. The customer has to do all the data translations and everything else. The reason for the issue to be so serious is that the telephone companies want to price bandwidth according to the equivalent of telephone connections, e.g. pricing a T1 (1.4 Megabits) connection at the equivalent of 28 telephone lines. And a T-3 (45 Megabits) connection would be priced like 32 T1s or 896 telephone lines. (I think the number I just got here is wrong; a T3 is usually considered 600 or so connections, I think, but it doesn't change much.) In any case, if a telephone line costs $20 a month, a T3, priced at telephone rates (or even 1/2 telephone line rates) could run something like $12,000 a month plus usage charges, which if they want the meter running, could be $100 an hour or more. Under the rules for dark fiber, the phone company has to provide a strand of fiber optic line (equivalent to about a T-3) for a figure of $150 per mile, per month, without regard to the amount of usage. Figure out that if you are running a T3 at least 1/2 full for eight hours a day, in one month the charges could reach $16,000 a month, or $28,000 a month if you include the connection. (And don't forget, you need one connection at each end.) Based on these numbers, you can lease up to 100 miles of fiber for less than the cost of usage alone. If you are hooking up a set of offices in a city, leased dark fiber at $150 a mile makes a lot more sense than paying traffic and connection charges for connection to a telephone company network (Metropolitan Area Network or MAN). ------------------------------ From: sspak@seas.gwu.edu (Steven L. Spak) Subject: Re: Dark Fiber? Organization: George Washington University Date: Sat, 24 Jul 1993 14:27:53 GMT Dark fiber is a term used to describe fiberoptic cable dedicated to a non-telco user. Carriers often lease dark fiber (at gunpoint :-) ) at a premium to bypass types and large companies. | Steven Spak sspak@seas.gwu.edu Transmission Engineer | Tel: (202) 392-1611 Fax: (202) 392-1261 ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 24 Jul 93 09:18:57 -0700 From: puma@netcom.com (Gary Breuckman) Subject: Re: Dark Fiber? I've understood dark to mean that the telco or utility provides you with both ends of a piece of fiber, and you do whatever you want with it. As opposed to, for example, providing you with some sort of circuit over fiber where they define the protocols and whatever dsu/csu equipment you need to connect to it. Gary ------------------------------ From: miguel@extro.ucc.su.OZ.AU (Miguel Cruz) Subject: Re: Dark Fiber? Organization: /etc/organization Date: Sat, 24 Jul 1993 15:27:58 GMT In article Carl Silva writes: > I missed the eariler part of this conversation. I have seen > the term Dark Fiber used in several ways and I am confused as to the > meaning. Can someone come up with a generally accepted definition for > this? "Dark fibre" is usually used to refer to fibre optic cable with capacity well in excess of short-term plans; since not much of it is being used, one can assume that not much light is passing through it, I guess, and therefore it's "dark". It wouldn't actually look any different. If you were laying fibre from Los Angeles to Guam, you would most likely put a whole lot more cabling than you need immediately (or even in the next 10 or 20 years) since just laying the cable is such an immensely expensive proposition. You then would have some Dark Fibre. There's probably a joke about Bran Flakes in there somewhere, but I'm not going to be the one to make it. Miguel Cruz National Computer Hotline Sydney ------------------------------ From: deej@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (david.g.lewis) Subject: Re: 800 Translation Questions Organization: AT&T Date: Sat, 24 Jul 1993 13:51:30 GMT In article andys@internet.sbi.com (Andy Sherman) writes: > As to the 800 number cache, that would be a singularly bad idea for > any LEC to implement in an end office. First off, it would break a > lot of enhanced 800 services. Somebody from AT&T can correct me if > I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure (note the disclaimer, please) that it's > possible to have the routing change at night, so that a nationwide 800 > number routed to multiple centers can have fewer centers open at > night. Cacheing the route would surely break this. Caches would also > likely break all of the "we guarantee to have your super-duper 800 > service back up within X minutes" type services that the IXC's offer. I don't think Andy's wrong per se, but I'm not sure that these "vertical services" (Bellcore's term) have yet been implemented. The 800 DBS SCP supports various kinds of vertical services, such as time-of-day and day-of-week routing, proportional routing to multiple carriers, and so on, but the first step has been to successfully implement 10-digit translations, and vertical services have had to wait. A second thing to keep in mind is that the "translation" provided by the 800 DBS SCP is a "translation" in the telephony sense of the term, not in the common sense of the term. A "translation" is an interpretation of dialed digits to provide routing information. It is not necessarily a conversion of an 800 number to a routing number. So the ten-digit translation performed by the 800 DBS SCP may provide nothing more than a Carrier Identification Code (CIC) which indicates to the SSP to route the call to a given IXC, and the IXC does further translation that provides actual routing for the call. David G Lewis AT&T Bell Laboratories david.g.lewis@att.com or !att!goofy!deej Switching & ISDN Implementation ------------------------------ From: tarl@lectroid.sw.stratus.com (Tarl Neustaedter) Subject: Re: 800 Translation Questions Date: 24 Jul 1993 15:53:22 GMT Organization: Stratus Computer, Inc. In article , andys@internet.sbi.com (Andy Sherman) writes: > Somebody from AT&T can correct me if > I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure (note the disclaimer, please) that it's > possible to have the routing change at night, so that a nationwide 800 > number routed to multiple centers can have fewer centers open at > night. I'm not from AT&T, but I've worked with a few phone companies. It is not only possible to have 800 services routed differently by time of day, but at least one phone company (I can't mention names) intends to provide a service allowing 800 calls to be routed based on time of day, available agents, and originating phone number. On the other hand, regarding a cache; my understanding is that when an 800 number changes carriers, it takes several days for all the LECs to update their databases about which carrier to route the call to. That is a first-level routing decision entirely above the level of routing within a long-distance network. I don't know, but I got the impression this update is done via mag-tape sent through snail-mail. Tarl Neustaedter Stratus Computer tarl@sw.stratus.com Marlboro, Mass. Disclaimer: My employer is not responsible for my opinions. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 24 Jul 1993 12:58:38 -0400 (EDT) From: Paul Robinson <0005066432@MCIMAIL.COM> Reply-To: Paul Robinson <0005066432@MCIMAIL.COM> Subject: Re: 800 Translation Questions Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring, MD USA Andy Sherman , writes: > As to the 800 number cache, that would be a singularly bad > idea for any LEC to implement in an end office. First off, > it would break a lot of enhanced 800 services... it's > possible to have the routing change at night... Cacheing > the route would surely break this... would also likely break > all of the "we guarantee to have your super-duper 800 service > back up within X minutes" type services that the IXC's offer. Pat, you should have caught him on this and corrected it. Before I get flamed over this, let me state that I don't work for a telephone company and don't know the internals of the 800 number database, except what I have read here, but the point is that the whole issue of 800-number portability was to allow a customer to choose any Long Distance Company (Interexchange Carrier or "IXC") to handle their incoming WATS lines. Remember that the caller's telephone company (telco, or Local Exchange Company "LEC") by law and court order cannot connect calls outside of the telco's Local Access Transport Area (LATA), called an "inter-LATA" call, with some minor exceptions. Remember what was said about how using 10xxx before 1-800 is ignored because the number determines the IXC? It is clearly obvious to me, and stands to reason that *that*, the IXC identification is what is being found by the lookup system. That is the *only* thing that can be cached. Before the *entire* 1-800 number was portable, essentially the same thing was done with the first three digits of the 1-800 number. But since that was a small, fixed table (of no more than 999 entries) the whole thing could be kept in the memory of the LEC switch. But not with seven million entries that can be changed on a short term. The LEC, in caching information about a call is *not* caching the route (ten-digit local terminator number) to which a call is to be transported. All that the LEC is getting, and all that it could cache, is the identity of the IXC that handles the call. Even *I* understand what is going on. The national 800 database simply tells the particular LEC which IXC is handling that particular 1-800 number, (and in some cases, for that particular part of the country if the customer uses multiple carriers, which I understand is possible). The telco then hands off the call to the nearest point of presence to the IXC in that LATA (if that IXC has one in that LATA), and the IXC handles the routing of the call. The LEC has nothing to do with it. It would not affect AT&T's service guarantee for 1-800 numbers (unless that service guarantee involves routing some 1-800 calls via MCI or Sprint) and would not affect the automated re-routing of calls to different places depending on time of day or caller's location. It would have no effect on these at all. Paul Robinson - TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM ------------------------------ From: jadams@vixen.cc.bellcore.com (adams,john) Subject: Re: 800 Translation Questions Organization: Bellcore, Livingston, NJ Date: Sat, 24 Jul 93 12:25:40 GMT In article andys@internet.sbi.com (Andy Sherman) writes: >In comp.dcom.telecom, article , Pat >wrote: >> your point is well taken, and according to the message which appeared >> here yesterday, telcos do in fact do a lookup each time; it is done so ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ True, however, in many cases (I don't know the exact percentages), a double lookup is done; once by the LEC via their SCP, and often (as high as perhaps 80% of the time) again by the IXC. In these cases, the 800 number service is provided by the IXC, and the LEC needs only to determine which IXC to route it to at this particular instance. > As to the 800 number cache, that would be a singularly bad idea for > any LEC to implement in an end office. First off, it would break a > lot of enhanced 800 services. It is for precisely the above reason stated by Andy, that IXCs do the second translation of 800 to POTS. A potential secondary reason is that the IXCs would probably rather not *PAY* the LEC to do full enhanced feature translations in the LECs SCP! There is a lot more details on this in the FCC document on 800 portability 86-10, including the subsequent rulings regarding who pays for what. John (Jack) Adams Bellcore NVC 2Z-220 (908) 758-5372 {Voice} (908) 758-4389 {Facsimile} jadams@vixen.cc.bellcore.com kahuna@attmail.com ------------------------------ From: Joe.Bergstein@p501.f544.n109.z1.fidonet.org (Joe Bergstein) Date: Sat, 24 Jul 1993 03:36:39 -0500 Subject: Re: 911 For Non-Emergencies? (was Re: Natwick 911 Drama) I believe the reason that some police departments refer all calls to 911 is that their 911 system is set up to (a) record the entire call, and (b) use ANI to determine the call's origin. In many instances it would be very helpful for the police to have this information. Hopefully, the intelligent 911 system designer can set up a local NXX-XXXX number as a lower priority entry into the 911 ACD system, so all calls can be recorded and identified, but true emergency 911 calls will always take top priority. ------------------------------ From: hhallika@tuba.calpoly.edu (Harold Hallikainen) Subject: Re: 911 For Non-Emergencies? (was Re: Natwick 911 Drama) Organization: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo Date: Sat, 24 Jul 1993 05:04:17 GMT In article pas@cc.gatech.edu (Paulo Santos) writes: > Talk about stupidity. My car was broken into in downtown Atlanta, > less than 100 yards from the downtown police precinct in the CNN > Center. To report the break-in, I just walked to the police station > (hey, it was closer than the nearest payphone). Well, they made me > call 911 *from the police station*, so that 911 could dispatch one of > the police cars that was parked out front. Back when the California Department of Motor Vehicles was REQUIRING people to have appointments for just about everything, I heard about someone who walked in without an appointment. They would not talk with him. He went to the phone across the room, talked with the appointment center in Sacramento, then walked back across the room with an appointment. They'd talk with him then. I don't know the accuracy of the story ... but, it seems sometimes systems get a little inflexible. Harold ------------------------------ From: kksys!mpls911!kevin@uum1.UUCP (Kevin Herrboldt) Subject: Re: 911 For Non-Emergencies? (was Re: Natwick 911 Drama) Organization: Emergency Communications, City of Minneapolis Date: Sat, 24 Jul 1993 21:36:16 GMT Gerry George (ggeorge@bu.edu) wrote: > I once had the need to report a "threatening" phone call (I knew who > the caller was, and wanted to file an official complaint). I looked > up the local police station in the directory (since I do not know how > hose procedures work) and mentioned that I wanted to make a report on > a harassing phone call (Boston, MA). I was instructed to call 911!!! > I politely told the woman on the other end that it was not an > emergency, I simply wanted to file a complaint. She said that there > was no way for them to take a report unledd I went through 911. I left > it at that, and hung up in frustration, thinking that this was a sure > fire way to mess up a perfectly good emergency response system. : Why would the powers that be see it fit to route *all* calls through : to 911??? Here in the Metropolitan Minneapolis/St. Paul area (and possibly the entire state), 911 is used to handle ALL calls for police/fire/EMS. (Minneapolis does, however, have a seven-digit line for filing police reports that do not require an immediate squad response.) Whether or not 911 should be used for emergencies only seems to be primarily a question of capacity. The Minneapolis PSAP answers almost 75% of 911 calls in less than 10 seconds, and less than 0.1% are answered after more than 50 seconds. Minneapolis handles about 550,000 in-coming calls each year, with over 290,000 being 911. There are advantages and disadvantages to routing all calls through the 911 system, but clearly it is doable. Kevin Herrboldt kevin@mpls911.uucp Minneapolis Emergency Communications Center ...!mishima!mpls911!kevin City Hall Room B-911, Mpls, MN 55415 USA +1 612 348 7216 ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 24 Jul 93 09:08:23 -0400 From: thogard@wrdis01.robins.af.mil (Tim Hogard) Subject: Re: Standard Practice For Wiring House If you asked ot have it done a correct way (and you did) then he should have done it that way. > Is there any technical reason to install in daisy-chain fashion, or is > it just cheaper? A very old book I was reading said to wire in a ring, that is connect the beginning of hte daisy-chain to the end at the point of termination so that when a wire breaks, you will still have a live line. I wonder what a fast modem would think of this? I expect that a typical new house would be wired with a combination tee and daisy-chain to save labor costs. Tim Hogard Robins AFB Warner Robins GA ------------------------------ From: braun@Novell.COM (Karl Braun) Subject: Re: Standard Practice For Wiring House Organization: Novell Inc., San Jose, Califonia Date: Sat, 24 Jul 1993 15:02:48 GMT EIA/TIA 570 ("Residential and Light Commercial Telecommunications Wiring Standard") says: "A minimum of one wire run *shall* be installed to each of the following rooms in residences (where applicable): Kitchen All Bedrooms Family/Great Room Den/Study" - section 5.3.5.2 , first paragraph "In residential applications, station wire runs from the distribution device *shall* be star wired to the first or primary telecommunications outlet appearance in each room. Additional outlets within the same room may be star wired from the distribution device or extended fromthe primary outlet [...] in a series configuration..." - section 5.3.5.2, paragraph 4 [emphasis mine - ktb] So the "standard" is, in fact, to make at least one run per room. Standard practice, on the other hand ... Keep in mind this standard was approved in May of 1991. A lot of houses I saw built within the last decade had six pair wiring (not sheathed in a single cable, just a bundle of six pairs) strung in daisy chain from jack to jack. kral 408/647-6112 Network Scapegoat in Training ------------------------------ From: goldstein@isdnip.lkg.dec.com (Fred R. Goldstein) Subject: Re: Experiences Wanted With BRI ISDN Reply-To: goldstein@carafe.tay2.dec.com Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation Date: Sat, 24 Jul 1993 04:59:38 GMT In article oppedahl@panix.com (Carl Oppedahl) writes: > When I did manage to reach someone whose job was to know about ISDN, > they told me that NYTel charges $10 per month for BRI. Running > low-speed data over the D channel is an extra $2 per month. Running > your flexible choice of high-speed data or voice over a B channel is > an extra $2 per month. He was quite unable to say what packets cost > on the high or low speed paths. And all this is an added cost per > month above and beyond the cost of the voice telephone numbers carried > on the BRI. Yes, NYTel, like its sister NYNEX company Gnu England Tel, charges those rates in addition to the regular business or residential line rate. (Not "number" rate, since additional numbers on an ISDN line cost about a buck a month, at least in NET.) Still it's not a bad deal IF you can get it. Expect much better deployment by next year, but for now NYNEX lags most of the developed world. > He also said, though I find it difficult to believe, that the ISDN BRI > connection is via a single twisted pair. I always thought this was > done on two pairs. One pair. That's why it's so cost-effective. The "digital section" (ISDN-ese for local loop) goes up to 18,000 feet using one ordinary unloaded pair. THis is "Reference Point U". Within a building, it's typically converted to the four-wire Reference Point T for the final hookup; an NT1 box converts U to T. Fred R. Goldstein Resident ISDN Weenie goldstein@carafe.tay2.dec.com Opinions are mine alone; sharing requires permission ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 24 Jul 93 03:08:21 EDT From: mking@fsd.com (Mike King) Subject: Re: Experiences Wanted With BRI ISDN The editor of {Teleconnect} Magazine, Harry Newton, has been working with NYTel; they have two BRI lines. He's been publishing updates in the magazine. You might try to give him a call; the magazine's editorial offices are at 212-691-8215. Harry has been discouraged by the poor marketing of ISDN by the BOCs. He's the one who said, "If BOCs were selling sushi, they'd advertise, 'Cold dead fish.'" Someone else took that and made buttons. Mike King * Software Sourcerer * Fairchild Space * +1 301.428.5384 mking@fsd.com or 73710.1430@compuserve.com * (usual disclaimers) ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #506 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa08750; 25 Jul 93 18:21 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA24341 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Sun, 25 Jul 1993 15:56:49 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA19517 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Sun, 25 Jul 1993 15:56:07 -0500 Date: Sun, 25 Jul 1993 15:56:07 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199307252056.AA19517@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #507 TELECOM Digest Sun, 25 Jul 93 15:56:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 507 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Re: U.S. Cuts Off the Canadian-Cuban Connection (Jack Decker) Re: Competition for Talk Tickets (Doug Granzow) Re: Employer Representation on This Digest (Bruce Howells) Re: Employer Representation on This Digest (Pat Turner) Re: 1-800-COLLECT (Tom Lowe) Re: 1-800-COLLECT (Christopher Zguris) Re: Do We Have a Theme Song? (Art Walker) Re: Why the AT&T TrueVoice Demo Asks For Your Number (John Rice) Re: Multi-Carrier Service From Cincinnati Bell (Mike King) Re: FEMA Releases Summary of Flood-Related Information (Dave Niebuhr) Re: N.Y. Pager Fee (Christopher Zguris) Re: AT&T To Raise Rates August 1 (Paul Robinson) Re: Cell Phone Fraud Losses Triple in a Year (Stephen Davis) Re: Looking For Devices to Dial *67 (Eric Davis) Re: Were You a Victim of 900 Abuse? (Ray Normandeau) Re: Were You a Victim of 900 Abuse? (Eric Hall) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 24 Jul 93 14:55:08 EDT From: ao944@yfn.ysu.edu (Jack Decker) Subject: Re: U.S. Cuts Off the Canadian-Cuban Connection In message , djcl@io.org (woody) wrote: > A Canadian Press report last week said that the main U.S. carriers > (AT&T, MCI, Sprint) will be cutting off 800 number access to Canadian > services that offer access to Cuban telephones. A Toronto company like > Telecaribe would set up an 800 number reachable from the U.S., then > offer U.S. callers a connection to Cuba (for a price!). The U.S. > government ordered the blocking of the 800 service via the Treasury > Department. There is a U.S. embargo on trade with Cuba but > Canadian-Cuban trade is relatively unrestricted. While I'm certainly no fan of the Castro regime, this seems to me like a case of trying to plug a dike when there are already holes all over, and new ones opening up every second. Just to think of three things that a U.S. resident could do to obtain calls to Cuba: 1) Use a smaller carrier (not one of the "Big Three") to access the 800 number. Now, granted, the caller has no choice of carriers on an 800 call, but if 800 calls to other countries are handed to U.S. carriers on a semi-random basis (as I have been led to understand that they are), then it would seem that if one redials a sufficient number of times, sooner or later the call will hit a third-tier carrier and perhaps go through. Perhaps the article meant to say that the 800 numbers would be removed from the Bellcore 800 number database and therefore inaccessible via any U.S. carrier, but that's not what it said. 2) Open an account with a Canadian long distance company, then use a "Canada Direct" type number (do any such exist?) to get access to the Canadian carrier's switch. Since only a very insignificant number of calls through such a switch would be destined for Cuba, it would be impractical to block off access to the carrier's 800 number. 3) Canadian firms (even the telcos themselves) could offer to set up individual call forwarding numbers. Consider this: What would stop a U.S. customer from approaching Bell Canada or any of the provincial telephone companies (whichever offers the best rate would probably be the most logical choice, unless you live very close to the Canadian border at some point) and requesting a number with "Remote Call Forwarding", and then forwarding the calls to an number in Cuba? I would suspect that at least one of the Canadian telcos, if not all, would permit Remote Call Forwarding to an international number, and RCF is a service designed for customers who do not have a physical presence in a city, so they should have no problem billing the service to an out-of-province address. So, if someone's mother lived in Havana, they could set up a Remote Call Forwarding number in, say, Toronto (if Bell Canada allows RCF to an international number) for probably about the cost of a standard residential or business phone line (depending on whether RCF is tariffed as a business or residential service only). They would pay for the cost of forwarded calls from Toronto to Havana, and also for calls to the Toronto number from wherever they were calling from. If mama in Havana had many relatives in the U.S., the cost of the Canadian RCF number could be split among them. They'd just have to be sure not to advertise this scheme to anyone not in the family, and to tell mama to hang up very quickly when she gets calls from the inevitible teleslime offering things like home repair (with special prices for repairing ice and snow damage)! :-) Also, the firms offering this service in Canada probably aren't going to take this lying down; they'll probably change 800 numbers frequently to stay one step ahead of the blockers, and be a bit more careful how they advertise their services in the U.S. Since they presumably already have an existing U.S. customer base, all they have to do is call each customer individually and give them a new 800 (or even a non-800) access number that's not yet known to AT&T, MCI, or Sprint. Those folks who really have the potential to do damage to U.S. efforts to unseat Castro probably already have fifty different ways to communicate with Cuba, so I suspect that this embargo is really only hurting those who make casual calls back to relatives in Cuba. In my opinion, this only makes the U.S. look bad, and gives Castro more propaganda fuel ("look at how the big, bad U.S. is picking on us now!"). I think it was a mistake to ever let a communist dictatorship take root 90 miles off our shores in the first place, but given the current world situation, my personal opinion is that we'd now be better off not to do things that serve no useful purpose other than alienating the Cuban people (and their relatives who live here). Anyone who seriously believes that this new government regulation will actually prevent Cuban government agents (e.g. spies, communist sympathizers, etc.) simply has no idea how easy it is to forward a call through a third country. Any decent size office phone system (as well as most two line phones sold for the home market) offer three way calling capability, so you'd practically have to block all calls to ANY country that allows customers to have more than one phone line(!) in order to totally prevent any U.S. caller from being able to have a call extended into Cuba. I'm sure the bad guys already know this, so only the "little people" are being hurt by this inane regulation. I think this is a case of government bureaucrats trying to accomplish something without having any real understanding of the technology (or else THEY understand it, but figure everyone ELSE is too stupid). Makes you wonder if "government intelligence" really IS an oxymoron. :-) Jack Decker | ao944@yfn.ysu.edu or ac388@freenet.hsc.colorado.edu ------------------------------ From: dig@pro-cynosure.clark.net (Doug Granzow) Subject: Re: Competition for Talk Tickets Organization: Cynosure BBS - Email and newsgroups at 410-549-2584 Date: Sat, 24 Jul 93 11:06:02 EDT TELECOM Moderator noted in response to David P. Notley Jr. : >[ Western Union also has a prepaid calling card out now you can > purchase at currency exchanges and some banks. PAT] Western Union appears to be getting ready to promote their new "Phone Cards" pretty heavily. In the agency literature we received recently, WU claims they are the first company to offer this type of product nationwide. (All Western Union agents should now have these cards available for sale.) The cards are available in denominations of $5, $10, $20, or $50, and calls cost $.60/minute within the U.S. (International calls range from $1.80/min to $3/min.) The cards are not activated until they are actually sold, and they expire six months from the date of purchase. The caller dials an 800 number, enters the number printed on the inside of the card, and dials the number they want to call. There is no mention of being able to string multiple phone cards together, so I can only wonder what WU does with the leftover money. (An eight minute call costs $4.80, leaving $.20 on a $5 card, which isn't enough to stay on for another minute.) |Doug Granzow (dig@pro-cynosure.clark.net) - Cynosure BBS 410-549-2584 (free!) [Moderator's Note: The Talk Ticket, with prices ranging from 39 cents to 50 cents per minute (depending on discount at time of purchase) and with an even number of units so nothing is left over and wasted is a much better deal, if I do say so myself, especially since you can buy them from the convenience of your office or home using your modem and CHECK-FREE to pay for them. PAT] ------------------------------ From: bruce@gatekeeper.bgs.com (Bruce Howells) Subject: Re: Employer Representation on This Digest Date: 24 Jul 1993 16:20:20 GMT Organization: BGS Systems Some corporate Email/network policies require such disclaimers. Perhaps a solution similar to that used by Peter Neumann in moderating the Risks Digest could be useful: A header at the top of each digest announces that the postings included represent the personal opinion of the poster, and that corporation names are for identification purposes only. For example, I have to put the .signature that follows, but with such a header on each Telecom_Digest, it would be redundant. (Of course, when I post as beh@cs.umb.edu, no trailer is necessary, or present.) Bruce Howells, bruce@bgs.com This posting is the author's personal opinion, and does not necessarily represent BGS Systems, Inc. ------------------------------ From: turner@Dixie.Com Date: Sat, 24 Jul 93 14:28 EDT From: rsiatl!turner@rsiatl.UUCP Subject: Re: Employer Representation on This Digest > [Moderator's Note: I guess there are still people out there who feel > if they include an organization in their header or .signaturanything > they say will somehow be tracked back to their organization. I've Pat, 5CFR2635.807(b)(2) sez: An employee may use, or permit the use of, his title or position in connection with an article published in a scientific or professional journal, provided that the title or position is accompanied by a reasonably prominent disclaimer satisfactory to the agency stating that the views expressed in the article do not represent the views of the agency or the United States; and ... Since joining the FAA I have made a point to add a disclaimer to any post that expressed an opinion or mentioned the FAA. While I was at Auburn I added a disclaimer that I had no connection to the campus telecom people when I mentioned them. Not the opinions of the FAA. Patton Turner KB4GRZ FAA Telecommunications turner@dixie.com ------------------------------ From: tomlowe@speedway.net (Tom Lowe) Subject: Re: 1-800-COLLECT Date: 25 Jul 1993 00:13:42 -0400 Organization: Speedway Free Access -- Dial 10288-1-503-520-2222 In article dwn@dwn.ccd.bnl.gov (Dave Niebuhr) writes: > I just finished a comparison of collect call charges involving AT&T, > MCI, MCI's 1-800-COLLECT, Sprint and New York Telephone. > 1-800-COLLECT .65 US Gee...I just got off the phone with them a few minutes ago and the customer service rep told me the surcharge is $1.50. I called AT&T also and they told me the surcharge is $2.00. And the phone companies wonder why everyone is so confused about rates! Tom Lowe tomlowe@speedway.net or tomlowe@delphi.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 24 Jul 93 05:00 GMT From: Christopher Zguris <0004854540@mcimail.com> Subject: Re: 1-800-COLLECT So based on the comparison of charges Dave Niebuhr(dwn@dwn.ccd.bnl. gov) posted in TELECOM Digest v13 #504 it looks like 800-COLLECT is worthwhile. I noticed the AT&T ads against "other" companies (obviously 800-COLLECT) only focus on the fact that a minimum of only $.01 savings is guaranteed -- maximums and/or average savings are not mentioned, I don't think the ads are very effective or strong. Can we expect new 800-COLLECT ads to counter AT&T and then AT&T giving in and lowering their rates? Does anyone know how well 800-COLLECT is doing, is AT&T running ads against it as a precaution or are they losing business? Christopher Zguris CZGURIS@MCIMail.com ------------------------------ From: walker@beeble.omahug.org (Art Walker) Subject: Re: Do We Have a Theme Song? Organization: Beeble Planning Commission Date: Sat, 24 Jul 1993 23:19:38 GMT naddy@mips.ruessel.sub.org (Christian Weisgerber) writes: > Well, there's 9.5.N.A.S.T.Y by WASP. Although I personally like that > song quite a lot, I'm afraid it doesn't match the musical preferences > of most readers here, especially not that of our dear Moderator :-> > Also it's not really about phones but the person behind the number. Or, along the same lines, "Spanked" by Van Halen. Art Walker, Somewhere In Iowa walker@beeble.omahug.org ------------------------------ From: rice@ttd.teradyne.com Subject: Re: Why the AT&T TrueVoice Demo Asks For Your Number Organization: Teradyne Inc., Telecommunications Division Date: Sun, 25 Jul 93 14:55:51 GMT In article , ae446@freenet.carleton.ca (Nigel Allen) writes: > I think the AT&T TrueVoice demo asks you to enter your home number > because some people calling the demo line are calling from their > office line, a payphone or someone else's home. > [Moderator's Note: But what possible difference could it make? PAT] More likely, it's so they can check to see if you're an ATT customer, and if not, pass your 'home' number to their telemarketers to hit you up to change. John Rice K9IJ rice@ttd.teradyne.com [Moderator's Note: Except AT&T doesn't really need to ask the caller if they are a customer or not ... they have all those records easily at hand and a comparison of the ANI provided on the call to their existing customer lists would accomplish the same thing. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 25 Jul 93 02:54:05 EDT From: mking@fsd.com (Mike King) Subject: Re: Multi-Carrier Service From Cincinnati Bell In TELECOM Digest, V13 #502, oberman@ptavv.llnl.gov (R. Kevin Oberman) wrote: > Bell, they were not owned by AT&T and were not effected by the MFJ. > Hence, like GTE, they are free to do whatever they like. Sounds like > thay are doing something useful with that ability. Actually, GTE signed its own consent decree soon after AT&T did. It just wasn't as publicized. They're not "free to do whatever they like." But they do have less restrictions than Mother. Cincinnati Bell, however, did NOT sign any decrees, and is subject only to regulation by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO), and the equivalents in Indiana and Kentucky (yes, they serve the Cincinnati suburbs in those states). nhyre@bears.att.com (Ralph Hyre) wrote: > The one 'normal carrier incentive' they don't have is the ability to > put the calls on your Cincinnati Bell local telephone bill. Only if they there's no contract with the LD carrier to do so. They have a choice in the matter. (No pun intended; Cinti Bell used the trademark "Choice" during the 1983-85 timeframe for their long distance offering.) > (Cincinnati Bell can't accept bills for EasyReach 700 service, either, > but that's another story.) This means you get at LEAST two phone > bills, one for local calls, the other for long distance calls. Lots of people already receive two bills. Again, if the carrier and Cinti Bell come to terms of agreement, Cinti Bell will bill for the carrier. One of my friends in Cinti receives his AT&T billing (surprise!) as another page on his Cinti Bell bill. As to why Cinti Bell doesn't provide for EasyReach 700 billing, I was involved in a thread in the Telecom Forum on CI$ regarding why Rochester Telephone (...read on!) couldn't handle ER-700 calls. We finally got a definitive answer why: --- Forwarded Message --- I can start a whole parade of issues as to why Rochester Tel does not offer EasyReach. Technical and legal considerations top my list, but if I had to guess what the real reason is, I would say it's probably economic. That is, Rochester Tel would probably have to fork over $$$'s to AT&T for the proper operation of EasyReach in the Roch Tel serving area. Remember that Roch Tel and Cinn Bell are two Article 5 companies. Meaning that they provide AT&T with operator services within their service area. (ie. dial 10288-0 in Rochester and hear the operator say "AT&T!", but ask him/her what company they work for and they say "Rochester Tel"!) EasyReach, to work correctly, needs a minimum configuration of the same equipment and software that are used to provide operator services. Rochester Tel may provide AT&T with operator services, but they are under no obligation to stay up to date with the current generic AT&T operator services equipment and software. So, it's really a question of economics for Roch Tel. Why upgrade to generic X+10 for Z dollars, when generic X satifies their current needs just fine? Gotta run, J Butz ER700 Sys Eng AT&T - BL ----- So, apparently, Cinti Bell won't accept billing for ER700 service because they don't want to upgrade their operator equipment. Mike King * Software Sourcerer * Fairchild Space * +1 301.428.5384 mking@fsd.com or 73710.1430@compuserve.com * (usual disclaimers) ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 25 Jul 93 07:22:21 EDT From: dwn@dwn.ccd.bnl.gov (Dave Niebuhr) Subject: Re: FEMA Releases Summary of Flood-Related Information In TELECOM Digest V13 #496 ae446@freenet.carleton.ca (Nigel Allen) writes: >General: > -- Nebraska and South Dakota became the sixth and seventh >Midwestern states to be declared major disaster areas as a result of >flooding this summer ... FEMA estimates that 36,600 homes have been >damaged or destroyed in the seven states where President Clinton has >declared major disasters. THis is in contradiction to what {Newsday} wrote yesterday via one of the wire services. The article indicated that Kansas and Nebraska were the sixth and seventh states to be added to the disaster list. I can understand South Dakota being there since it is cut in half by the Missouri and Nebraska and South Dakota share a common border until Iowa takes over for S.D. west of Sioux City, Ia. Dave Niebuhr Internet: niebuhr@bnl.gov / Bitnet: niebuhr@bnl Brookhaven National Laboratory Upton, LI, NY 11973 (516)-282-3093 Senior Technical Specialist: Scientific Computer Facility ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 25 Jul 93 15:13 GMT From: Christopher Zguris <0004854540@mcimail.com> Subject: Re: N.Y. Pager Fee I live in NYC and have been nailed by this stupid beeper tax since it started last year, has it mentioned whether we'll get our money back since it was declared illegal? I've heard from several places that the law was deemed illegal, but does that mean we get the money back or simply don't have to pay any nore? Christopher Zguris CZGURIS@MCIMail.com ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 25 Jul 1993 13:09:07 -0400 (EDT) Reply-To: 0005066432@MCIMAIL.COM Subject: AT&T To Raise Rates August 1 From: Paul Robinson Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring, MD USA Summary of an article on Page C2 of the 7/20 issue of the {Washington Post}: An article "AT&T Plans to Raise Rates on Aug 1" by Barbara Grady of Reuter, says that AT&T thinks the price wars are over, and is breaking out of constant lowering of rates to keep MCI and Sprint at bay. According to AT&T, the increases "reflect the increased costs of doing business." According to the article, "AT&T also introduced volume discount and targeted calling plans for business customers." The changes for business include interstate, international, 800 and data-communications services. AT&T is apparently moving its marketing focus off price. MCI said "We do believe that competition has moved away from price. We think there is price stability in the industry now." Is this PR speak for saying that MCI will now also raise rates? :) Analysts figure it's a win-win for MCI and Sprint. They can either raise rates some, but less than AT&T, or stay at the same rates and keep a competitive advantage. All three company's stock prices rose on this announcement. Breakdown of Cost changes: Claimed Effective Service Increase Most Business Services 3.9 % Direct dialed Consumer Less than 1.0 % International Calls from US 3.8 % (to 58 countries) International calls to US 15.0 % (from 27 countries, using USA Direct) Calling Card and Operator Assisted 3.0 % "The proposed rate increases were filed with the Federal Communications Commission on Friday [July 16] amd will be effective on August 1, pending review by the FCC." Paul Robinson - TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM ------------------------------ From: wolfgang@halcyon.halcyon.com (Stephen Davis) Subject: Re: Cell Phone Fraud Losses Triple in a Year Date: 25 Jul 1993 10:33:47 -0700 Speaking of cellular phone fraud, a local friend of mine (already on probation for hacking into Boeing and the Justice Dept.) was caught in a scam that apparently involved a cellular phone that had been modified somehow so calls were billed to someone else's account. I've seen very little regarding this rather interesting ploy ... any thoughts or information on the subject? [Moderator's Note: Yeah, I have one thought. You might tell your phriend if he gets out this latest caper without some time in the penitentiary he'd best start blowing his nose with a silk handkerchief. Stories here in the Digest two or three weeks ago explained how this was being done. The phreaks use ESN 'readers' to capture the serial number of the phone as it is transmitted over the airwaves. They then make up new chips for the phones which have the forged serial number in them. The carrier thinks they are a roamer from out of town, and let's them make calls once the home carrier has confirmed that the legitimate customer is in good standing, etc. It sounds to me like your phriend is a very self-destructive person. Anyone on federal probation (that is a little tougher; some of the state probation systems are a joke) who can't even wait until probation is terminated to go back into his old ways needs to get professional help. If he can't behave while Big Brother is watching him, then what would he do when not being watched? Most likely for his trial this time he will be back in front of the same judge who sentenced him before; that judge will have all the earlier paperwork, etc. If your phriend has anything going for him at all (family in town, a supportive employer who is aware of the earlier and present convictions and is willing to keep him in his job) and is not deemed to be a danger to the community, the judge may let him off easy by imposing work release this time around. Formally known as 'periodic imprisonment', it means six months or a year of staying overnight in the federal prison in your area and being released during the day to go to his employment and attend to the needs of his wife and family. To add a little frosting to the cake, he'll get to pay room and board to the prison from the salary he makes wherever he is employed. If he does not show up at the front door of the prison *exactly* at the time he is told each night or doesn't pass random drug tests or gets arrested by the police for any reason while he is out each day, then all bets are off. As his friend, you need to help him however you can to understand this has become very serious. PAT] ------------------------------ From: ericd@synoptics.com (Eric Davis) Subject: Re: Looking For Devices to Dial *67 Reply-To: ericd@synoptics.com Organization: SynOptics Communications, Santa Clara CA Date: Sun, 25 Jul 1993 17:51:43 GMT In article 11@eecs.nwu.edu, steve@mcnnet.mi.org (Steve Corso) writes: > I am trying to locate a device that I can connect between the > telephone line that comes in my house and all (not just one) of my > telephones that automatically enters a code (such as *67 privacy mode) > when I pick any phone in the house up to draw dial-tone. Does such a > device exist? I have been working on such a device for a few months now. If interested, mail me ... Eric Davis ericd@synoptics.com ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Were You a Victim of 900 Abuse? From: ray.normandeau@factory.com (Ray Normandeau) Date: 25 Jul 93 19:51:00 GMT Organization: Invention Factory's BBS - New York City, NY - 212-274-8298v.32bis Reply-To: ray.normandeau@factory.com (Ray Normandeau) > I'm sorry, but could someone explain to me what a caller could say to > be abusive on a phone sex line at $?? per minute? Talking about piety, chastity and abstenence :-> ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Were You a Victim of 900 Abuse? From: ehall@nwc.com (Eric Hall) Date: 25 Jul 93 20:19:53 -0500 Reply-To: ehall@nwc.com (Eric Hall) Organization: Network Computing Magazine > In the article, the reporter indicated occasionally a caller would > start pestering her (very aggressively) for a date, or would start > describing what he'd like to do to her. > Regardless of the stigma of that particular job, she said she still > found it difficult to handle such calls, and that's why she only > lasted a few days. Suppose the caller could sue? I mean, couldn't he work on the grounds that this was an acceptable and/or common practice? By her hanging up, could it be conceived that she violated some sort of agreement? Eric Hall ehall@nwc.com Director, East Coast Labs vox: 516-562-5288 Network Computing Magazine fax: 516-562-7293 ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #507 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa11011; 25 Jul 93 20:45 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA19990 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Sun, 25 Jul 1993 18:20:51 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA26438 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Sun, 25 Jul 1993 18:20:02 -0500 Date: Sun, 25 Jul 1993 18:20:02 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199307252320.AA26438@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #508 TELECOM Digest Sun, 25 Jul 93 18:20:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 508 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Caller-ID ASPect File For Procomm (A. Padgett Peterson) SS7 Message Format (Tarl Neustaedter) Private Voice Networks (Paul J. Bell) Mercury in the UK - The Right Choice? (David Leibold) Sources For Restoring Vintage Phone? (Dan Reiner) Beware of "Toner-Phoners"! (Nigel Allen) Privately-Run "Phone Parlors" Compete With Pay Phones (Nigel Allen) New AT&T Phone? (Paul R. Coen) Information Wanted on AT&T Tech Journal (Lee Sweet) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 25 Jul 93 09:01:09 -0400 From: padgett@tccslr.dnet.mmc.com (A. Padgett Peterson) Subject: Caller-ID ASPect File For Procomm [Moderator's Note: This file will become a permanent part of the Telecom Archives under the name 'callid.asp.procomm'. PAT] ;************************************************************** ; CALLID.ASP (C) 1992 by Padgett Peterson ; ; CALLID.ASP is a PROCOMM Aspect script file that may be ; used on those telephone lines returning such information. ; This version is being made available as FREEWARE and may ; be included/distributed freely so long as 1) This copyright ; notice remains intact, 2) No changes are made to this ; script, and 3) No charge beyond a minimal distribution ; fee is levied. ; ; As such no warranty is made for fitness of any kind and ; use is strictly at the recipient's own risk. ; ; The program requires a modem that will return Caller-ID ; values when instructed. Use will permit screening of ; calls prior to the line being placed off-hook: if the ; calling number is blocked or does not appear in the file ; CALLID.DAT, the line will not be answered. ; ; One effective use would be on a line having both modem ; and FAX service. If the call is not from a known host, ; the modem will not pick up and the FAX or voice mail ; may connect instead. If this use is selected it will be ; necessary to set the FAX not to answer until sufficient ; time has elapsed after the first ring for the list of known ; numbers to be scanned and a decision made. ; ; CALLID makes use of two files CALLID.DAT, the repository ; of numbers to be answered in the format ;. ; The must contain all digits returned by the ; Caller-ID stream but the format is unimportant since all ; non-numeric characters will be stripped. Syntactically, ; (407)555-1212 is the same as 407.555.1212, 4075551212, or ; 407 555 1212. The second file CALLID.LOG is created or ; appended when the script executes and contains the information ; on calls attempted. ; ; For proper use as a PROCOMM "HOST" the HOST SETUP must be set ; to EXIT on completion. The only known problem at this time ; is the condition if an "approved" number calls the system ; and hangs up before a connection is made. In this case PROCOMM ; may "hang" in the HOST "waiting" mode and will answer the ; next call. This is a problem with the HOST mode that will require ; complete HOST emulation in the ASPECT file to correct (in work). ; ; Version History ; ; 0.71 (beta) 1 November 1992 Southern Bell/Supra FAX/Modem ; version, 1st issue. ; ; For more information contact the author at (407)352-6007 6-9 pm ; EST (no collect calls) or write to POB 1203, Windermere, FLA, ; 34786. Please enclose a #10 SASE. ; ; PROCOMM, PROCOMM+, and ASPECT are registered products of ; Datastorm Inc. (800)326-4799 ; ; Supra FAX/Modem is a product of the Supra Corp. (800)727-8647 ; ;******************************************************************* ; define atcmd "AT^M" ; basic AT command define cichk "AT#CID=?^M" ; these commands are valid for a Supra define cicmd "AT#CID=1^M" ; FAX/Modem with Caller-ID enabled define noans "ATS0=0^M" ; Reset modem to non-answer define ringmsg "RING" define okstr "OK" define erstr "ERROR" define blank " " define logfil "callid.log" ; Log file for received calls define datfil "callid.dat" ; Data files for "approved" numbers ; ; Global Variables ; string idline,strnum,instr,crlf,tmps1,tmps2 integer idlen,tmpn1,flag,dflag,pos,char,nhi ; proc main ; ; strset crlf 10 1 ; ; Setup ; set keys on set display off vidsave 0 box 8 21 15 77 00 box 7 20 14 75 79 atsay 8 28 79 " Caller-ID Handler (C) 1992 by Padgett " ; ; Make sure modem is turned on ; set rxdata on atsay 10 22 79 "Waiting for Modem" transmit noans call getstr with &instr call getstr with &instr strcmp instr okstr 2 if success atsay 10 22 79 "Modem Responding " else atsay 10 22 79 "Modem not responding " set rxdata off waitquiet 2 2 goto enditall endif ; ; Check for Caller-Id supporting modem ; atsay 10 40 79 "- Caller-ID Initializing" set rxdata on transmit cicmd call getstr with instr ; flush command echo call getstr with &instr ; get response strcmp instr erstr 5 ; IF not "ERROR" assume OK ; if success atsay 10 65 79 "- Failed" waitquiet 2 2 goto enditall else atsay 10 65 79 "- Success" call getstr with instr ; flush OK endif ; ; Open the data file ; findfirst datfil if found atsay 11 22 79 "Data File Present" fopen 0 datfil "rt" if success atsay 11 40 79 "- Opened" dflag=1 else atsay 12 22 79 "Data file could not be opened - terminating" waitquiet 2 2 goto enditall endif else atsay 11 22 79 "No Data File - Logging only" dflag=0 endif ; ; Open the LOG file ; openlog: findfirst logfil if found fopen 1 logfil "at" fseek 1 0 2 else log open logfil log close goto openlog endif if success atsay 12 22 79 "Log File -" else atsay 12 22 79 "Log file could not be opened - terminating" waitquiet 2 2 goto close0 endif ; ; Record Date & Time to Log - monkey motion but allows both ; screen and file write if dflag==0 fwrite 1 "Logging only, " 14 endif strset tmps1 32 27 strupdt tmps1 "Opened:" 0 7 date tmps2 strupdt tmps1 tmps2 8 8 time tmps2 1 strupdt tmps1 tmps2 17 8 fatsay 12 42 79 "%.25s" tmps1 strupdt tmps1 crlf 25 1 tmpn1=26 fwrite 1 tmps1 tmpn1 ; ; Create LOG Box ; box 17 21 23 77 00 box 16 20 22 75 79 atsay 17 40 79 "- Received Calls -" ; ; Wait For Ring Signal ; when 0 "RING" call numhan ringlp: atsay 13 22 79 "Waiting for Ring - Press any key to abort" set display off set rxdata off ; if hitkey == 0 goto ringlp endif set keys off goto close1 ; ; End the program ; close1: fclose 1 close0: if dflag == 1 fclose 0 endif enditall: cwhen 0 set rxdata off vidrest 0 set display on exit endproc ; ; -------------------------------------------------------------------- ; ; Procedure to concatenate numbers from a string up to the first blank ; and strip out all other characters proc stripnum strparm in1,out1 intparm j1 integer i1,p1,c1 ; ; Find the limit of what is to be checked ; find in1 ";" p1 if not found strlen in1 p1 endif ; ; Now concatenate just the numbers ; j1 = -1 strset out1 0 40 ; for i1 = 0 upto p1 strpeek in1 i1 c1 if (c1 > 47) && (c1 < 58) j1= j1 + 1 strpoke out1 j1 c1 endif endfor ; endproc -------------------------------------------------------- ; ; Procedure to create an input string of characters to ; from the COM port. May also be used to flush the port. ; proc getstr ; strparm gss integer gsj,gsc ; set rxdata on strset gss 0 40 gsj=0 lp2: comgetcd gsc if gsc < 32 if (gsj != 0) || (gsc == -1) goto endit else goto lp2 endif endif strpoke gss gsj gsc gsj = gsj + 1 goto lp2 ; endit: ; endproc ; ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ; ; Call Handling Procedure - Procedure is called by WHEN "RING" command ; proc numhan ; cwhen 0 atsay 13 22 79 " Checking Number " chklp: strset instr 0 40 strset tmps2 0 41 call getstr with &instr ; get date strcmp instr "TIME" 4 if not success strcmp instr "RING" ; second string will be RING if no Caller-ID if not success goto chklp else goto endnh endif endif ; scroll 1 18 22 21 74 79 ; new entry so scroll the screen ; fatsay 21 22 79 "%.15s" instr fwrite 1 instr 15 ; log the time call getstr with &tmps1 ; get number call stripnum with tmps1 &tmps2 &idlen ; strip it ; if dflag == 0 atsay 13 22 79 " Logging Calling Number " goto nonum endif ; ; Check the number ; rewind 0 ; while not eof 0 strset idline 0 41 fgets 0 idline call stripnum with idline &strnum &idlen if idlen < 1 goto noline endif strcmp strnum tmps2 idlen if success goto foundnum endif noline: endwhile ; ; Number not found ; atsay 13 22 79 " No Match - " nonum: flag=0 fwrite 1 " No Match " 10 fwrite 1 tmps2 40 fwrite 1 crlf 1 goto wrtnum ; ; Number Found ; foundnum: flag=1 fwrite 1 " Match " 10 ; ; Strip any control characters out of idline ; strlen idline pos for nhi=1 upto pos strpeek idline nhi char if char < 32 strpoke idline nhi 32 endif endfor ; ; Now output the entry to the LOG file ; fwrite 1 idline 40 fwrite 1 crlf 1 strcpy tmps2 idline 40 ; ; Put the Information on the screen also (last 4 numbers) ; wrtnum: fatsay 21 35 79 "%.40s" tmps2 ; ; DOIT ; if flag == 1 vidsave 1 atsay 13 22 79 " Number Matched - Entering HOST mode " HOST transmit noans ; Just to be sure vidrest 1 endif ; endnh: set display off set rxdata off atsay 13 22 79 "System resetting - Waiting for silence " waitquiet 5 forever when 0 "RING" call numhan endproc ------------------------------ From: tarl@lectroid.sw.stratus.com (Tarl Neustaedter) Subject: SS7 Message Format Date: 25 Jul 1993 04:49:41 GMT Organization: Stratus Computer, Inc. At some point in the past, I've seen requests for what the format of an SS7 message looks like. In particular, how the phone numbers are coded in the message. Well, I've been spending the last two months decrypting SS7 messages, so it's worth spelling out what I've been beating my head against. There are four protocol layers involved; MTP (layer 2), UP (layer 3), SCCP, and TCAP. The message I describe below is an 800 translation request that I've been sending with an analyzer. 81 80 3E 93 02 01 80 02 9C 81 00 09 80 03 05 07 02 C1 FE 02 C1 EA 2A 62 28 48 04 00 00 00 01 6C 20 A1 1E 02 01 01 02 01 01 30 16 84 09 01 00 21 0A 08 50 55 21 43 84 09 02 00 21 0A 21 43 65 87 09 This is obviously an 800-translation request for someone dialing 800-555-1234, calling from 123-456-7890. Not obvious to you? For shame. I guess we can't all keep the CCITT blue books in our heads, along with the ANSI supplements which modify the messages formats. I'll elaborate: MTP: 81 80 3E The first two bytes are sequence numbers (our sequence number and the sequence number of remote message we are acking), the third byte is the "Length Indicator". This field, by being greater than 2, indicates an MSU (message), and also tells us the length of this message. UP: 93 02 01 80 02 9C 81 00 93 - Service information; contains: 80 - Network indicator (national network 10) 10 - Message priority (1, would usually be 0) 03 - Service indicator (indicating an SCCP message) 02 01 80 - Destination point code. The address of the node (SCP, SSP, STP) that this message is directed to. This would normally be written 128-1-2. 02 9C 81 - Originating point code. 129-156-2. The address of the switch that sent this message and is expecting a reply. 00 - end of parameters SCCP: 09 80 03 05 07 02 C1 FE 02 C1 EA 2A 09 - Message type - unitdata. 80 - protocol class - return on error 03 - offset to called party string. These offsets are relative to the current byte, so the following offsets are offset :-) 05 - offset to calling party string 07 - offset to data (tcap portion) 02 - Length of called party string C1 - Format of called party string; 80 - National routing 40 - Use point code in UP label for routing 01 - String contains an SSN (IP weenies: This means socket) This format could also include point codes and global titles, which would make it even more complicated. FE - SSN addressed of called party 02 - length of calling party C1 - format of calling party - same as called party EA - SSN of calling party 2A - Length of data (tcap message) TCAP: 62 28 48 .... 62 - message type identifier - Begin 28 - Length of TCAP message 48 - originating transaction ID tag (49 would be destination ID tag) 04 - Length of transaction ID 00 00 00 01 - Actual transaction ID (you can tell this is a test) 6C - Component portion tag 20 - Length of component portion A1 - Component type tag - Invoke ID 1E - component length 02 - Invoke ID tag 01 - length of invoke ID 01 - Invoke ID (that is, this Invoke has ID #1.) 02 - Operation code ID - local operation 01 - operation code length 01 - operation code - please provide instructions 30 - service indicator 16 - Number of bytes 84 - digit id 09 - digit length (in bytes) 01 - digit type - dialled 00 - nature (not sure what this means) 21 - number plan encoding, telephony numbering, BCD 0A - number of actual dialled digits (10, in nibbles) 08 50 55 21 43 - the number dialed. 800-555-1243. The phone companies use little-endian encoding, so the digits are always in the wrong order. 84 09 02 00 21 - digit id, digit length, nature, number plan, encoding 0A - number of digits (10) 21 43 65 87 09 - number calling from; 123-456-7890 Complicated enough for you? Don't worry, this is just the format used by one particular phone company. Bellcore uses a pure ANSI version which is different than the above, and the rest of the world uses CCITT, which is again different (in particular, the addresses [point codes] are only 12 bits long rather than the 24 bits provided for in ANSI). Tarl Neustaedter Stratus Computer tarl@sw.stratus.com Marlboro, Mass. Disclaimer: My employer is not responsible for my opinions. ------------------------------ From: pjb@23kgroup.com (Paul J. Bell) Subject: Private Voice Networks Reply-To: pjb@23kgroup.com Organization: The 23K Group, Inc. Date: Sun, 25 Jul 1993 15:32:25 GMT I am working on a project, for a client, that involves corporations with large private netwoks. It has been some years since I have looked into this area, and I no longer have a feel for what is being done in this area, or even if, with the current tariffs if private tandem networks are still a paying proposition. Will someone please bring me up-to-date and if possible, point me to a list of ten to twenty such users. Neither my client nor I are selling anything, but we would like to talk to someone, preferably technical, about their network(s). Thanks in advance, Paul J. Bell ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 25 Jul 93 14:58 EDT From: djcl@io.org (woody) Subject: Mercury in the UK - The Right Choice? The recent episode of Media Television, produced by City TV in Toronto, features the wild world of media (ads, publications, technologies, etc) and in particular, a spot for Mercury long distance in the UK was shown. It appeared to be voice-dubbed excerpts from old films, so that the characters talked about the wonders of British Telecom's competitor. A note at the end of the segment mentioned that 99 of the top 100 UK companies use Mercury for long distance. The one that didn't was ... British Telecom. David Leibold ------------------------------ From: dbr@world.std.com (Dan Reiner) Subject: Sources For Restoring Vintage Phone? Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA Date: Sun, 25 Jul 1993 19:20:57 GMT In a fit of nostalgia (or weak-mindedness, take your choice), I picked up a genuine Western Electric 500-type rotary phone at a flea market. In canary yellow. For a dollar. It will clean up nicely, but I think the handset cord is going to be more trouble than it's worth. Is there an organization out there that might stock a non-modular handset cord? In canary yellow? Thanks in advance. Dan ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 25 Jul 93 12:13:00 EDT From: ndallen@io.org (Nigel Allen) Subject: Beware of "Toner-Phoners"! Someone at Sprint prepared the following article summary, which someone else was kind enough to post to the PHONES conference on RIME. (beginning of summary) * Con artists known as "toner-phoners" are targeting small businesses that use copiers and laser printers. Several companies are claiming to sell replacement toner cartridges for the copying devices at a discount; however, they actually double or triple the price. The methods the toner-phoners use are simple. First, they place a call to a business and learn the serial numbers [more likely the model numbers -- NDA] of the copy equipment by misrepresenting themselves as employees of major companies updating their files. A few weeks later the same company will be contacted again, offered proof of serial numbers of their machines and the toner-phoners will sell them cartridges at the inflated price. Law enforcement officials say that toner fraud is hard to prove and almost impossible to eliminate. {(Wall Street Journal}, "Copier-toner phone scams are targeting small firms; swindlers are increasing their efforts in $3 billion replacement market," 7/16/93, p. B2) (end of summary) The same thing happens with fax machines, when you will get a call one day asking what make and model of fax machine you have, allegedly from a survey company or a government statistical office, and the next day a call from a salesperson who knows that you have a Nefax 30 or whatever. Nigel Allen, Toronto ndallen@io.org [Moderator's Note: I can vouch that this is correct. I've received four or five calls from people who start the conversation by saying "Hi, this is X from the office supply warehouse; I need to get the number on your copy machine / fax machine so the right kind of paper and toner stock can be kept in inventory." Real brassy they call, just like that, hoping that whoever answers the phone will *just assume* it is a call from some other department in the company, etc. When I get those calls I just ... hang up, without even saying a second word. The last time that happened, the woman called back right away and said "Oh, I think we got cut off." I told her no, we did not get cut off, I hung up on you, and I shall do it again. . The only thing is the {Wall Street Journal} is a bit late in making this report. Those same bozos were selling mimeograph paper, carbon paper and type- writer ribbons thirty years ago using the same sneaky tactics. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 25 Jul 93 12:15:00 EDT From: ndallen@io.org (Nigel Allen) Subject: Privately-Run "Phone Parlors" Compete With Pay Phones The following article summary was prepared by someone at Sprint and posted in the RIME phones conference. Has anyone seen or used one of these privately-operated "phone parlors" in Canada or the U.S.? I have heard (at third-hand) about one such parlor in the Toronto area that was selling calls to Latin America at such a low rate that the parlor must have been stealing the telephone service it was selling. * Phone parlors have become common sights in Manhattan. The storefront establishments offer phones linked to computers for easy timing of long-distance calls and discounted long-distance rates. Immigrants use the parlors to make short calls to their homelands. One parlor charges $1.50 for a three-minute call to Santo Domingo; a pay-phone call would have cost $2.10. Drug dealers also find the parlors useful for arranging shipments and payments. Wiretapping calls from the parlors is virtually impossible. ({New York Times}, "No phones? New stores fill gap," 7/21/93, p. B11) Nigel Allen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada ndallen@io.org [Moderator's Note: I doubt the parlors are stealing the service. They are probably using a discounted international call operation similar to Telepassport (or one of the others like it). To use your example, a call from the USA to the Dominican Republic on TP costs 82 cents for the first minute and 52 cents per minute after that. Three full minutes would be $1.86, but TP bills in six second increments at 5.2 cents per six seconds after the first thirty seconds. In countries where private residential phone service is not all that common, the firms like TP are setting up phone centers in the middle of the town. If they do it in China, why not in the middle of a housing project in New York or Chicago. Most of our public housing residents here in Chicago don't have private phones and have to go to the corner liquor store/lottery agent to call. So, TP sets up shop for them. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 25 Jul 1993 12:35:08 -0400 (EDT) From: Paul R. Coen Subject: New AT&T Phone? Organization: Drew University Academic Computing I could have been out to lunch and missed it, but I saw an AT&T phone today that I hadn't seen before. I was at one of the "AT&T Phone Centers" (Livingston, New Jersey) buying a new phone. The salesperson was pretty good, and when she found out that I wanted to pick up a reconditioned Bell System touch-tone desk unit, she asked me why. When I mentioned that "mechanical ringer" was among my priorities, she pointed out something that looked a bit like the old Trimline phones, only it looked like it didn't protrude as far out from the wall. Also, the base of the unit was a bit longer than the handset, and I remember the handset and base being roughly the same length on the old ones. There was a hold button on the base. The keypad on the handset was quite a bit different -- large oval buttons (sideways oval, so they fit your finger pretty well) rather than those tiny round ones that the old units had. It wasn't plugged in, but it looked like they keypad would light up. One other nice feature -- there was a handset speaker volume control. The kicker was that it had a mechanical ringer, though. If I had been looking for a wall phone, I might've picked that one up. As it is, I stuck with my original purchase plan. (I also didn't want the keypad to be on the handset.) Has anyone used one of those wall phones, though? It looks like it would be a pretty good phone for someone elderly -- mechanical ringers are easier for some people to hear, the buttons are a good size, and it has the volume control. Nice to see a new phone with a real ring, too.. ------------------------------ From: decrsc!leesweet@uunet.UU.NET (Lee Sweet) Subject: Information Wanted on AT&T Tech Journal Date: Sun, 25 Jul 1993 11:33:35 -0400 (EDT) This was mentioned about three weeks ago in reference to Operator Service standards or some such. Is this a publically available journal? This Telecom Manager would like to know! Lee Sweet Internet *lists* - leesweet@datatel.com Chief Systems Consultant Internet *e-mail* - lee@datatel.com Datatel, Inc. Phone - 703-968-4661 4375 Fair Lakes Court FAX - 703-968-4625 Fairfax, VA 22033 (Opinions are my own, and only my own!) ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #508 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa14823; 26 Jul 93 1:43 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA25949 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Sun, 25 Jul 1993 23:29:36 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA19006 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Sun, 25 Jul 1993 23:29:04 -0500 Date: Sun, 25 Jul 1993 23:29:04 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199307260429.AA19006@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #509 TELECOM Digest Sun, 25 Jul 93 23:29:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 509 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson EJC/REC Call For Papers (Monty Solomon) Movie About Alex Bell to be Shown July 26 (Samuel J. Hupp) What Kind of Voltages For Various Jacks? (Hiroki Morizono) Re: Help With UK Connections (David Hough) Re: Help With UK Connections (Mike King) Re: A Proposal: Standardizing Area Code Databases (Andrew Marc Greene) Re: A Proposal: Standardizing Area Code Databases (Carl Moore) Re: 800 Translation Questions (Stephen Davis) Re: 800 Translation Questions (Richard Nash) Re: 800 From Outside USA (Lee Sweet) 800 Portability or Lack Thereof (Brian T. Vita) Re: "Terminal Compromise" Now Available as Shareware (Garrett Wollman) Re: Calling Card Without a Phone Number, or Using VISA (Matt Healy) Re: Incoming Calls to Airphone? (David Ash) Re: Prodigy Internet Gateway is Up! (Andy Rabagliati) ---------------------- TELECOM Digest is an e-journal devoted mostly -- but not exclusively -- to discussions on voice telephony. The Digest is a not-for-profit public service published frequently by Patrick Townson Associates. PTA markets a no-surcharge telephone calling card and a no monthly fee 800 service. In addition, we are resellers of AT&T's Software Defined Network. For a detailed discussion of our services, write and ask for the file 'products'. The Digest is delivered at no charge by email to qualified subscribers on any electronic mail service connected to the Internet. To join the mail- ing list, write and tell us how you qualify: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu. All article submissions MUST be sent to our email address: telecom@eecs. nwu.edu -- NOT as replies to comp.dcom.telecom. Back issues and numerous other telephone-related files of interest are available from the Telecom Archives, using anonymous ftp lcs.mit.edu. Login anonymous, then 'cd telecom-archives'. At the present time, the Digest is also ported to Usenet at the request of many readers there, where it is known as 'comp.dcom.telecom'. Use of the Digest does not require the use of our products and services. The two are separate. All articles are the responsibility of the individual authors. Organi- zations listed, if any, are for identification purposes only. The Digest is compilation-copyrighted, 1993. **DO NOT** cross-post articles between the Digest and other Usenet or alt newsgroups. Do not compile mailing lists from the net-addresses appearing herein. Send tithes and love offerings to PO Box 1570, Chicago, IL 60690. :) Phone: 312-465-2700. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 25 Jul 1993 02:40:52 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: EJC/REC Call For Papers Call for Papers: The Electronic Journal Of Communication La Revue Electronique de Communication Submitted by: David Abrahamson "The American Magazine: Perspectives and Prospects" A forthcoming special issue of the EJC/REC (Vol. 4 (n)) will focus on aspects of magazine journalism and/or publishing, and papers are invited from researchers and practitioners concerned with the scholarly study of magazines. The issue's table of contents will include the following headings: -- Perspectives on Magazine Research The Current Structure Directions and Prospects Sources and Resources -- Editorial Theory and Practices -- Magazines and Contemporary Culture -- Teaching Magazines: Pedagogical Issues -- Gender and Minority Aspects of Magazine Publishing -- Magazine Economics and Management -- Research Briefs Because the EJC/REC has a wide international readership, papers addressing virtually any aspect of the field are welcome. One explicit goal of this special issue, however, is to provide a useful overview of magazine research; n effect, a means by which much of the past and present scholarship can be understood. It is hoped that the issue will, from a number of viewpoints and through a variety of approaches, both help define the existing corpus of magazine scholarship and suggest cogent directions for further research. As a result, scholarly review articles, as well as more finely focused research papers, are particularly welcome. The guest editor for this issue is David Abrahamson of New York University. David is the research chair of the Magazine Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. Papers will be accepted on IBM disks in ASCII format, or via electronic mail, as detailed in the Instructions for Authors (see below). Chicago Manual of Style endnotes are the preferred citation format. Manuscripts should be 3000-5000 words and accompanied by a 150-word abstract. All submissions will be peer reviewed, and the author should not be identified in the body of the text. The closing date for papers is December 1, 1993. Submissions should be forwarded to: Professor David Abrahamson, EJC/REC 165 East 32nd Street, New York, NY 10016 U.S.A. E-Mail: abrahamson@acfcluster.nyu.edu (Internet), abrahamson@nyuacf (Bitnet) Phone: (212) 689-5446 For a copy of the Instructions for Authors, send the following one-line message (no subject) to Comserve@Rpitsvm (Bitnet) or Comserve@Vm.Its.Rpi.Edu (Internet): SEND AUTHOR GUIDE ------------------------------ From: Samuel J. Hupp Date: Sun, 25 Jul 93 13:26:16 -0600 Reply-To: jhupp@star.hou.tx.us Subject: Movie About Alex Bell to be Shown July 26 Organization: S.T.A.R. Systems (Houston Office) It seems that the TNT network will be airing "The Sound and The Silence" tomorrow, July 26, '93. This is a move about Alexander G. Bell. Time given is 1210 CDT (0710 GMT). Jeff Hupp |For Information on: Send mail to: Star Systems | Star System Services service@star.hou.tx.us 9797 Medowglen, #1807 | PGP keys at star pgp-keys@star.hou.tx.us Houston, Tx 77042 | Houston's BBS mag. achat@star.hou.tx.us ------Novell Network Installation & support--- ------------------------------ From: hiroki@limerick.cbs.umn.edu (Hiroki Morizono) Subject: What Kind of Voltages For Various Jacks? Reply-To: hiroki@limerick.cbs.umn.edu Organization: University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Date: Sun, 25 Jul 1993 06:50:28 GMT I just got a faxmodem in my portable, and want to use it when travelling around. Was wondering if there were any "standard" voltages for various phone systems worldwide, and types of jacks which might be commonly encountered. I've heard that jacking into a digital line or PBX line thinking it was an analog line can cause er, "bad things" to happen. Where might I begin looking to learn more about this sort of stuff? Thanks in advance, a clueless biologist, Hiroki ------------------------------ From: dave@llondel.demon.co.uk (David Hough) Subject: Re: Help With UK Connections Reply-To: dave@llondel.demon.co.uk Date: Sun, 25 Jul 1993 18:53:26 +0000 In article cecomlad@tecnet1.jcte.jcs. mil writes: > I'll be travelling to Northern Ireland this next week. I'm taking my > trusty laptop with internal Hayes Smartmodem. I'd like to try > accessing the Internet and perhaps my Compuserve accounts. I've got > the phone numbers OK. > Can somebody in the UK who is familiar with American RJ type > connectors (or an American who is familiar with British Telecom > connectors) map out the physical connection for me? I'm pretty rsure > my modem will handle the protocols OK, it worked in Germany last trip, > it is the actual connection from the computer to the wall socket/box > that I am unsure of. You aren't supposed to connect anything to the BT network which isn't BABT approved ... having said that, the Hayes modem might well be approved in this country because they do seem to take the trouble, unlike some dodgy imports. The two wires in a BT jack are on pins 2 and 5, and I think in a master socket there is a ring capacitor between 2 and 3, although modems probably don't need one. No idea what the American connections are though. Dave G4WRW @ GB7WRW.#41.GBR.EU AX25 dave@llondel.demon.co.uk Internet g4wrw@g4wrw.ampr.org Amprnet ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 25 Jul 93 03:00:23 EDT From: mking@fsd.com (Mike King) Subject: Re: Help With UK Connections In TELECOM Digest, V13 #503, cecomlad@tecnet1.jcte.jcs.mil (Barron WIlliams) wrote: > I'll be travelling to Northern Ireland this next week. I'm taking my [...] > Can somebody in the UK who is familiar with American RJ type > connectors (or an American who is familiar with British Telecom [...] Email Gordon Brown (100111.2713@compuserve.com). His company, TeleAdapt USA/UK, is in the business of answering such questions, and providing adapters if necessary. Gordon is active on the CI$ Telecom Forum. Mike King * Software Sourcerer * Fairchild Space * +1 301.428.5384 mking@fsd.com or 73710.1430@compuserve.com * (usual disclaimers) ------------------------------ From: Andrew_Marc_Greene@frankston.com Subject: Re: A Proposal: Standardizing Area Code Databases Date: Sun, 25 Jul 1993 12:14 -0400 Graham Toal writes (in a message about a database format for phone numbers): > Here's the list of tags I've found useful so far: > directory emergency free funny government international invalid > invalid-after-1995 invalid-before-1994 invalid-before-1995 local > mobile national normal obsolete premium reserved satellite unused You might find it more useful to permit tags to take arguments, and to make your time-dependant rules more flexible, e.g.: valid-until(31.12.1994) valid-after(1.1.1995) This could also be useful in conjunction with rewrite rules (oh, God, it's starting to sound like sendmail.cf! :-) for when area codes (or countries) get split. Andrew Greene ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 25 Jul 93 18:41:04 EDT From: Carl Moore Subject: Re: A Proposal: Standardizing Area Code Databases In some countries, the telephone number length can vary. In country code 1, it is of fixed length. ------------------------------ From: wolfgang@halcyon.halcyon.com (Stephen Davis) Subject: Re: 800 Translation Questions Date: 25 Jul 1993 01:37:06 -0700 In article tarl@lectroid.sw.stratus.com (Tarl Neustaedter) writes: > I'm not from AT&T, but I've worked with a few phone companies. It is > not only possible to have 800 services routed differently by time of > day, but at least one phone company (I can't mention names) intends to > provide a service allowing 800 calls to be routed based on time of > day, available agents, and originating phone number. Hence, all the Pizza delivery chains will have a single 800 number to call. The computer/whatever will then decide what store to ring based on the number being called from. This saves even more time than the average "Enter your area code and number at the tone for the number of the Pizza/Flowers/Widgets store nearest you" bit. wolfgang@halcyon.com Director, Lispotheraputic Support Group, Int'l (c) 1993 Screaming Turtle Publishing Co. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 25 Jul 1993 02:47:17 -0600 From: rickie@trickie.ualberta.ca Subject: Re: 800 Translation Questions Reply-To: rickie@trickie.ersys.edmonton.ab.ca A question that I would like answered was triggered by the following comment: In comp.dcom.telecom, article Andy Sherman wrote: much stuff deleted; > Do not confidently go forth and state > that you *know* that COs have an 800 number routing cache unless you ^^^^^ > have *information* at hand the confirms that this is the case. > As to the 800 number cache, that would be a singularly bad idea for > any LEC to implement in an end office. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Does 800 number portability mean that each end office must become an SSP? Or better yet, how are all the SCP databses from the various carriers tied together as it is my understanding that the assignment of 800 numbers is on a first-come first-serve basis? Does each SCP have the entire range of 800 numbers, or only those belonging to that IXC? IS there an official inter-working document that describes the rules each carrier must follow? Richard Nash Edmonton, Alberta Canada T6K 0E8 UUCP: rickie@trickie.ersys.edmonton.ab.ca Amateur Radio: ve6bon.ampr.ab.ca [192.75.200.15] ------------------------------ From: decrsc!leesweet@uunet.UU.NET (Lee Sweet) Subject: Re: 800 From Outside USA Date: Sun, 25 Jul 1993 11:42:48 -0400 (EDT) We use 800 service from Cable & Wireless [very good: 10/15$ month flat overhead + $.18/minute flat from anywhere domestic (plus added quantity discount for high traffic + $10/month for programmability: ability to move the POTS/DID target on *your* demand)]. When we sign up for a new 800 line, we have to *ask* for Canada, Puerto Rico, etc. as options. I think the options cost a little $ ($5/month?), but as we have customers in both, it's worth it. [This is for customer support and marketing lines ...] I agree with PAT: Why open ourselves up to fraud (maybe just unintentioned misdials) from Europe, elsewhere, where we have no customers? [Additional disclaimer: just a satisfied customer of C&W, no other connection (as it were...).] Lee Sweet Internet *lists* - leesweet@datatel.com Chief Systems Consultant Internet *e-mail* - lee@datatel.com Datatel, Inc. Phone - 703-968-4661 4375 Fair Lakes Court FAX - 703-968-4625 Fairfax, VA 22033 (Opinions are my own, and only my own!) ------------------------------ Date: 25 Jul 93 23:10:35 EDT From: Brian T. Vita <70702.2233@CompuServe.COM> Subject: 800 Portability or Lack Thereof I need to draw upon the wisdom of my fellow Digest readers for advice as to how to kick some corporate butt and get the following job done. I presently have an AT&T Readyline for my 800 service. My only complaint with the line is that I get hosed big-time on intra-lata calls. The rate, not time sensitive, within Massachusetts is $10.00/hour. Nynex, my LEC, will charge me $6.00/hour for their Valueflex line (their version of a Readyline) that will cover my intra-lata service. What I want to do is this: Calls originating from 508/617 route to Nynex @ $6/hour; Calls originating from outside 508/617 route to AT&T at prevailing rate; I've called Nynex on this and they say that it would be no problem with Sprint or a handful of other carriers but that AT&T will has not signed an agreement with them for split billing. Various reps at AT&T tell me that this can be done and that an agreement IS in place. They keep warning me that I'm going to have to pay someone massive charges to be my RESPORG and that I'm going to have to pay them anywhere from $35 -$1000 (amount varies according to which drone I speak to) in non-recurring charges to set up the system. They also insist that the LEC is going to hit me with incredible "surprise" charges for "vertical access features", whatever the hell they are. The bottom line is this, the people at NYNEX want to help but don't have a clue as to how to write the order while insuring no interruption in service. The AT&T droids are giving me conflicting stories, sometimes telling me that it CANT be done, sometimes telling me that its all AT&T or none, telling me about all these massive charges (which nobody can seem to find the tariffs on) and otherwise seem to be doing what they can to torpedo my wishes. Short of calling the FCC I don't know what office at either organization to yell at. Any constructive feedback from the Digest would be appreciated. Brian T. Vita CSS, Inc. BVITA@Bix.com ------------------------------ From: wollman@trantor.emba.uvm.edu (Garrett Wollman) Subject: Re: "Terminal Compromise" Now Available as Shareware Organization: University of Vermont, EMBA Computer Facility Date: Sun, 25 Jul 1993 23:04:10 GMT In article padgett@tccslr.dnet.mmc.com (A. Padgett Peterson) writes: > Passing this along since I feel that it is important: first as an > excellent techno-thriller (read the whole 560 pages in one sitting) and > since it is available on the net (ARCHIE found it at knot.queensu.ca as > /wuarchive.doc.misc/termcomp.zip (612K)). ENJOY. I feel compelled to reply for two reasons. First, contrary to the claims of the original author(s), this is not the first novel made available for distribution on the 'net. Elf Sternberg's /Travellogue/ is the first that I am aware of, and he listed one other as predating that effort. Secondly, thanks to the efforts of Brad Templeton of Clarinet Communications, all of the current Hugo and Nebula award nominees are available over the Internet (but you still have to pay for them), in addition to an annotated e-copy of Vernor Vinge's /A Fire Upon the Deep/. info-sf@clarinet.com can probably tell you more. Garrett A. Wollman wollman@emba.uvm.edu uvm-gen!wollman UVM disagrees. ------------------------------ From: matt@wardsgi.med.yale.edu (Matt Healy) Subject: Re: Calling Card Without a Phone Number, or Using VISA Organization: Yale U. - Genetics Date: Sun, 25 Jul 1993 23:05:07 GMT Another option: the other day I was in a local convenience store (Store 24 on Dixwell Road in Hamden, CT). They now sell calling cards for plain old cash (I think they were Sprint but I don't remember), which you could buy in five dollar increments. Presumably it works just like any Sprint card until the money is used up. Because you've paid cash in advance, there's no need for the usual verification hassles. (I have not tried this, since I have two different calling cards in my wallet right now.) By the way, the original poster should make a stink with the University. In most places, a school can make an arrangement for something called a "special billing number" with local telco. Usually local telco is very happy to do this, since they get a kickback from whatever LD company they contract for it. Essentially, each student on campus gets something like a credit card except it _only_ works on campus. They had this system at my undergraduate institution (Purdue) in late 1970s and early 1980s. (Of course this did not solve the other problem with phoning from campus -- try and get through during the first hour of night rates :) Matt Healy [matt@wardsgi.med.yale.edu] **MY EMAIL IS DOWN RIGHT NOW*** my FAX # is 203-785-7023 ------------------------------ From: ash@sumex-aim.stanford.edu (David Ash) Subject: Re: Incoming Calls to Airphone? Organization: Computer Science Department, Stanford University. Date: Mon, 26 Jul 1993 00:43:46 GMT I had an interesting telecom experience while using Airfone on a recent flight. I was trying various things out with the Airfone (an expensive hobby, I know) and one thing I tried was to place a calling card call using Airfone. I called the AT&T access number 1-800-321-0288. An operator came on the line and asked what number I was calling from. Of course I didn't know because it was an airplane phone; I explained this but the operator said he definitely needed to know. We couldn't break this impasse. I called back again and got the same situation with the new operator. Now on reflection several things seemed weird about this. First, I asked the operator whether he was an AT&T operator and he said yes, but I'm suspicious as to whether this was the truth. In my experience AT&T operators always answer the phone with "AT&T operator..." and I encountered two alleged AT&T operators in a row who didn't identify their company. Strange. Second, it seems AT&T would have received ANI from the ground station of Airfone that handled the call. I suspect Airfone of intercepting the call and pretending that it is AT&T. The domestic 800 Airfone rate + AT&T calling card rate for an international call is less than the international Airfone rate, so Airfone would have an financial incentive to do so. Anyone know if my suspicions are justified? David W. Ash ash@sumex-aim.stanford.edu HOME: (415) 853-6860 ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Prodigy Internet Gateway is Up! Organization: W.Z.I. Date: Sun, 25 Jul 1993 19:04:57 -0600 From: Andy Rabagliati In article appell@csn.org writes: > In TELECOM Digest V13 #490 PAT wrote: >> [Moderator's Note: Since each issue of this Digest runs 21-24 K of >> text, that's 'merely' $1.05 - $1.20 per issue for Prodigy people. > I believe this is going to be an increasingly large problems for > users of commercial e-mail services who receive significant amounts of > mail from the Internet. I use the same commercial e-mail service as David Appell - csn.org. OK, so it is not as user-friendly as Compu$erve, but at $3.00 / hour daytime rates I can pull down about a megabyte for a dollar, cheaper at night. When Microsoft, and other providers, get their act together and provide easy gateways from Microsoft Mail etc. to dialup services, the user-friendliness of the gateway will not be an issue, as it will not be an interactive login. So, I think the consumer will benefit, with standardised services and lower per-hour charges. At the moment one needs to be computer-savvy to have access to these services - however, that will change. Cheers, Andy ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #509 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa15553; 26 Jul 93 2:32 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA09165 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Mon, 26 Jul 1993 00:17:57 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA18447 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Mon, 26 Jul 1993 00:17:18 -0500 Date: Mon, 26 Jul 1993 00:17:18 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199307260517.AA18447@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #510 TELECOM Digest Mon, 26 Jul 93 00:17:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 510 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Re: Local Ringback Number Wanted (Bob Hofkin) Re: Inverse of "Custom Ringing"? (Dave Ptasnik) Re: MCI to Compuserve bypass via internet (John Gardiner Myers) Re: White House Orders No Bid Phone System (Andrew Klossner) Re: Prodigy Internet Gateway is Up! (Mike King) Re: New AT&T Feature: TrueVoice (Jonathan Lieberman) Re: New AT&T Feature: TrueVoice (Lee Sweet) Re: Experiences Wanted With BRI ISDN (William Sohl) Re: Wanted: Email Address of Teleco System Inc (Kelly Breit) Re: Area 205 to Split (David Leibold) Re: Communications Daily Contact Information Wanted (Michael D. Sullivan) Re: AT&T and Collect (Lee Sweet) Re: Do Operators Interrupt Modem Calls? (Rich Holland) Re: Special Tariffs For Distance Education? (Jon Carmichael) Re: Listing of Calling Number Annoucment Numbers (Matt Bartlett) Re: ADSL Hitched to ISDN: The Happy Couple? (Vance Shipley) ---------------------- TELECOM Digest is an e-journal devoted mostly -- but not exclusively -- to discussions on voice telephony. The Digest is a not-for-profit public service published frequently by Patrick Townson Associates. PTA markets a no-surcharge telephone calling card and a no monthly fee 800 service. In addition, we are resellers of AT&T's Software Defined Network. For a detailed discussion of our services, write and ask for the file 'products'. The Digest is delivered at no charge by email to qualified subscribers on any electronic mail service connected to the Internet. To join the mail- ing list, write and tell us how you qualify: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu. All article submissions MUST be sent to our email address: telecom@eecs. nwu.edu -- NOT as replies to comp.dcom.telecom. Back issues and numerous other telephone-related files of interest are available from the Telecom Archives, using anonymous ftp lcs.mit.edu. Login anonymous, then 'cd telecom-archives'. At the present time, the Digest is also ported to Usenet at the request of many readers there, where it is known as 'comp.dcom.telecom'. Use of the Digest does not require the use of our products and services. The two are separate. All articles are the responsibility of the individual authors. Organi- zations listed, if any, are for identification purposes only. The Digest is compilation-copyrighted, 1993. **DO NOT** cross-post articles between the Digest and other Usenet or alt newsgroups. Do not compile mailing lists from the net-addresses appearing herein. Send tithes and love offerings to PO Box 1570, Chicago, IL 60690. :) Phone: 312-465-2700. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Bob Hofkin Subject: Re: Local Ringback Number Wanted Reply-To: hofkin@software.org Organization: Software Productivity Consortium Date: Sun, 25 Jul 1993 15:31:27 GMT Last time I asked at the C&P business office, their answer was to have a friend call me. This after some discussion, apparently. It would be real nice to cite a specific regulation. Bob ------------------------------ From: davep@carson.u.washington.edu (Dave Ptasnik) Subject: Re: Inverse of "Custom Ringing"? Date: 25 Jul 1993 15:41:12 GMT Organization: University of Washington tmplee@TIS.COM (Theodore M.P. Lee) writes: > business. I have one custom ringing number on the residential line to > which busies on the business line are forwarded. When the business > line is in use, I'd like to be able to do the inverse: use the > residential line but have the call (interesting only for long > distance, since we don't have message units) billed to the business > line at the same rate as if it had been dialed on that line. (Yah, I Sure, choose a long distance carrier (Cable & Wireless does this, at least) that will allow you to prepend a 10xxx number in front of the LD call. Just make sure that they have your residence line in their database for that service. In fact, if you had your business line on C&W and your residence line on Sprint, you could use either line to place either kind of call, just being careful to dial 10333 in front of res calls and 10223 in front of business calls. With C&W you are charged the same rate whether you dial direct or use 10223, not sure about Sprint. All of the above is nothing more than the personal opinion of - Dave Ptasnik davep@u.washington.edu ------------------------------ From: John Gardiner Myers Subject: Re: MCI to Compuserve bypass via internet Date: Sun, 25 Jul 1993 13:58:30 -0400 Organization: Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA Bypassing these sorts of administrative restrictions would seem to be a useful application of the various pseudononymous remailers. If provider A refuses mail over the internet from provider B, a customer of proivider B could send mail to a remailer, instructing it to forward the mail to a customer of provider A. The remailer would perform its function of replacing the sender's identity with a pseudonym, sending the message to provider A with no indication that provider A wants to bounce the message. It's sort of ironic. The IXC's have been selling LEC bypass for years. Now they're the ones who are going to get bypassed. ------------------------------ From: andrew@frip.wv.tek.com (Andrew Klossner) Date: Sun, 25 Jul 93 17:50:10 PDT Subject: Re: White House Orders No Bid Phone System Reply-To: andrew@frip.wv.tek.com Organization: Tektronix Color Printers, Wilsonville, Oregon > As far as the security of the system, wouldn't the National > Security Agency check and/or supervise in installation of the > system regardless of who provides it?" No. For fairly obvious reasons, the secure telephone system in the White House is completely independent of the conventional phone system. Most communication in and out of the White House is no more sensitive than that of any other big business, even omitting opinionated calls from constituents. Andrew Klossner (andrew@frip.wv.tek.com) ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 25 Jul 93 02:46:51 EDT From: mking@fsd.com (Mike King) Subject: Re: Prodigy Internet Gateway is Up! In TELECOM Digest V13 #501, bill@Celestial.COM (Bill Campbell) writes: > I would like to see CIS add the capability of automatically forwarding > e-mail to a CIS account to my internet address. The last thing I want Suggest it to them; they might be willing to implement it. For another surcharge, of course. :-( > to do is deal with the CIS mail programs and "editor", but I do > receive some e-mail there since I'm a sysop on the CIS scoforum. My > solution now is to read CIS mail once a week capturing it to disk, > then I have a perl script that injects the CIS mail into my Unix > mailer where I can read and reply to it. As discussed before, some CI$ subscribers pay for receiving Internet mail. They may not be too thrilled to have to pay "postage due" (CI$'s term for mail received over the Internet for which a surcharge will be due) mail, especially if your Internet account mailing address doesn't provide a clear indication of who you are. There are various programs that provide automated access to CI$ mail and allow you to read mail and compose replies offline. Email me if you'd like further information. Mike King * Software Sourcerer * Fairchild Space * +1 301.428.5384 mking@fsd.com or 73710.1430@compuserve.com * (usual disclaimers) ------------------------------ From: lie6@midway.uchicago.edu (Jonathan Lieberman) Subject: Re: New AT&T Feature: TrueVoice Reply-To: lie6@midway.uchicago.edu Organization: The University of Chicago Date: Mon, 26 Jul 1993 02:13:46 GMT In article jgreene@nyx.cs.du.edu (Justin Greene) writes: > I entered a pager number and it didn't care ... I entered 212-555-1212 and it didn't care ... Jonathan Lieberman lie6@midway.uchicago.edu The University of Chicago ------------------------------ From: decrsc!leesweet@uunet.UU.NET (Lee Sweet) Subject: Re: New AT&T Feature: TrueVoice Date: Sun, 25 Jul 1993 11:49:33 -0400 (EDT) They ask for your *full* phone number. My first impression was (1) telemarketing and (2) boosting/modifying based *on location*!. But, if the latter, why not just ask for AC or AC-exchange? (I get enough telemarketing LD slime at home and at the office, so I entered AC-exchange-fictitious xxxx! Hope some poor soul doesn't get telemarketed: 'But you called a demo last Sunday ...!' Lee Sweet Internet *lists* - leesweet@datatel.com Chief Systems Consultant Internet *e-mail* - lee@datatel.com Datatel, Inc. Phone - 703-968-4661 4375 Fair Lakes Court FAX - 703-968-4625 Fairfax, VA 22033 (Opinions are my own, and only my own!) [Moderator's Note: I have said before I don't think AT&T is calling anyone based on the number entered for the TrueVoice demonstration. The company does not need to ask if you are a customer or not. PAT] ------------------------------ From: whs70@dancer.cc.bellcore.com (sohl,william h) Subject: Re: Experiences Wanted With BRI ISDN Organization: Bellcore, Livingston, NJ Date: Sun, 25 Jul 93 02:30:28 GMT In article oppedahl@panix.com (Carl Oppedahl) writes: > When I did manage to reach someone whose job was to know about ISDN, > they told me that NYTel charges $10 per month for BRI. Running > low-speed data over the D channel is an extra $2 per month. Running > your flexible choice of high-speed data or voice over a B channel is > an extra $2 per month. He was quite unable to say what packets cost > on the high or low speed paths. And all this is an added cost per > month above and beyond the cost of the voice telephone numbers carried > on the BRI. > He also said, though I find it difficult to believe, that the ISDN BRI > connection is via a single twisted pair. I always thought this was > done on two pairs. The ISDN BRI technology does indeed use the same two wire loop that your "regular" telephone does. Ot is a full duplex 160Kb (2B+D) access technology. I don't have specifics as to the tariff rates and the actual deployment plans for NYNEX for your office, but I can probably help you get that info (it may be you've already talked to the individual I'd refer you to. In any case, please contact me at our Bellcore ISDN Information Hotline (1-800-992-ISDN) Standard Disclaimer- Any opinions, etc. are mine and NOT my employer's. Bill Sohl (K2UNK) BELLCORE (Bell Communications Research, Inc.) Morristown, NJ email via UUCP bcr!cc!whs70 201-829-2879 Weekdays email via Internet whs70@cc.bellcore.com ------------------------------ Date: 25 Jul 93 01:00:00 EDT From: Kelly <73162.3265@CompuServe.COM> Subject: Re: Wanted: Email Address of Teleco System Inc > Does anyone know the contract e-mail address (customer service or > technical dept or a helpful staff) for a company called Teleco System > Inc. located in Norwood, MA 02062 (I don't have the full address) ? I do not have an e-mail address for them, however the complete address is: Telco Systems 63 Nahantan St. Norwood, MA 02062 (617) 551-0300 The only names I have are: Paul Lazay, President & CEO Dave McClure, General Manager Network Division Hope this helps. Kelly Breit Network Analyst H.B. Fuller Comapny ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 25 Jul 93 01:04 EDT From: djcl@io.org (woody) Subject: Re: Area 205 to Split David Cornutt (cornutt@lambda.msfc.nasa.gov) wrote: > Here's the really interesting thing: the new area code for the south > half of the state will be (take a deep breath) 334. This is the first > instance that I know of where a NXX area code is to be implemented in > the U.S. (Have I missed something?) 205/334 is the first interchangeable-era (NNX area code) split I've heard of in the North American Numbering Plan. Seems that the assignments won't follow the original expansion plan of assigning NN0 codes (such as 330) so that some areas could retain a means of distinguishing between area codes and central office codes for a while. However, 334 does seem to fit with the recent Bellcore proposal of assigning the N2X and N3X codes first for "geographic" purposes (mentioned earlier this year in the NANPA's Proposal for numbering). David Leibold ------------------------------ From: avogadro@well.sf.ca.us (Michael D. Sullivan) Subject: Re: Communications Daily Contact Information Wanted Organization: The Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link, Sausalito, CA Date: Sun, 25 Jul 1993 06:12:13 GMT {Communications Daily} is a daily newsletter for those interested in fast-breaking developments, primarily of a policy/regulatory nature, and secondarily of a news-release-worthy nature, in the broadcasting, cable, telephone, satellite, and related fields. It is targeted to executives, consultants, attorneys, and regulators; it is not engineering-oriented. ComDaily can be reached at (202) 879-9200; its offices are at 2115 Ward Court, N.W., Washington, D.C. Two ComDaily reporters are on the Internet. Brock Meeks is brock@well.sf.ca.us (logs on frequently) and Art Brodsky is arb@well.sf.ca.us (logs on less frequently). Brodsky used to have the FCC beat; he now covers Capitol Hill. Meeks covers more computer-oriented subjects (hackers and phreakers arrested or detained, MERIT's lack of contract for internet backbone, etc.). Michael D. Sullivan <74160.1134@compuserve.com> ------------------------------ From: decrsc!leesweet@uunet.UU.NET (Lee Sweet) Subject: Re: AT&T and Collect Date: Sun, 25 Jul 1993 11:32:25 -0400 (EDT) No one has mentioned the advantage (I think it is!) of the callee hearing the actual caller's voice. If someone calls and says "It's John", so? Lot of "Johns" out there ... if I hear the voice say that "It's John", well, that helps the identification. (Yes, maybe he *should* say it's "your son, John", [don't really have one!], but AT&T makes it easier to 'the average person'.) Lee Sweet Internet *lists* - leesweet@datatel.com Chief Systems Consultant Internet *e-mail* - lee@datatel.com Datatel, Inc. Phone - 703-968-4661 4375 Fair Lakes Court FAX - 703-968-4625 Fairfax, VA 22033 (Opinions are my own, and only my own!) ------------------------------ From: holland@matt.ksu.ksu.edu (Rich Holland) Subject: Re: Do Operators Interrupt Modem Calls? Date: 25 Jul 1993 13:34:16 -0500 Organization: Kansas State University mike_berger@qms1.life.uiuc.edu (Mike Berger) writes: [asking an op for an "emergency" interrupt] > I guess you had a smart operator. Somebody asked the operator to > interrupt my (modem) call -- she indicated that there was "just static" > on the line so she cut off the call toward the end of a very large > file transfer. On a side note, with all the flooding recently, there have been a lot of phones out locally. Our kitten had another seizure (she's got some sort of seizure disorder, and sometimes goes blind for a few days). When she has bad ones, we call the vet (day or night) for an injection to calm her down for awhile, and prevent further seizuring. Anyway, last night about 1:00 am, I tried to call our vet, and got a buzy signal (strange, as I was calling her home number). I tried to get the operator to tell me if the line was out of service due to flooding or evacuation, and she told me to hold the line while she "broke in" -- I didn't get to hear anything though. She came back and said there was just a high-pitch tone on the line. She didn't know what a modem or fax was, from the sound of things, so I was sh*t-outa-luck with that one. We finally ended up giving the cat more oral meds and staying up with her to monitor her the rest of the night. Can someone tell me what I need to do to be able to listen while the operator breaks the line? Who do I talk to at 1:00 am to find out if the line is down, or shut off, or forwarded, etc? I'm not very telecom-savvy, and it sure was frustrating to only talk to the know-nothing I got last night. *Sigh* Rich Holland | INTERNET: holland@matt.ksu.ksu.edu 723 Allison Ave, #8 | BITNET : holland@ksuvm Manhattan, KS 66502-3273 | UUCP : ...!rutgers!matt.ksu.ksu.edu!holland [Moderator's Note: The rule is you cannot 'listen while the operator breaks the line'; the operator is required to split the connection. This is to protect the privacy of the persons the operator is inter- upting. Would you want to be having a personal conversation with some person when an operator interupted and have a third party possibly hear yourself or the person you were speaking to? The operator is presumed to be a neutral party in the matter; you may not be. By hearing even a few words of the conversation it might be possible to identify who is speaking with whom ... not your business! I am sorry to hear about your cat; my two precious little ones are in reasonably good health although one is 15 years old in a couple months; he has lived with me since he was four weeks old. His former housemate was 18 years old when he went to the veterinarian for the last time. :( PAT] ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Special Tariffs For Distance Education? From: cntinuum!cntinuum!jon.carmichael@uunet.UU.NET (Jon Carmichael) Date: 25 Jul 93 08:05:00 GMT Organization: uuPCB - Demonstration Version Reply-To: cntinuum!cntinuum!jon.carmichael@uunet.UU.NET (Jon Carmichael) > Have any LECs filed tariffs for lower rates for educational > organizations doing distance education? Are any regulatory agencies > exploring allowing such tariffs? Jane, I sense a misunderstanding of the mentality and capabilities of LECs and other service providers. First the mentality, which isn't a hard one to understand. New technology is a double edged blade, where they (the service providers) are very aware that one side of the blade can make them rich by finding new markets and the other side of the blade can cut them to pieces with heavy financial losses on their turn of pitch and toss. Fortunately LECs are providing lower prices on digital pipes that can carry video, but that's mostly the case in the major metropolitan areas, where they are starting to see some serious competition. As you start looking at alternatives, there are some technologies where you can implement them cheaper than the phone company would have sold them to you. LECs are NOT on the cutting edge of technology for the most part. Soon, large amounts of video will be recieved on satellite dishes the size of a large pizza, and their primary market will be entertainment. The opportunity this affords you should make you think of abandoning the idea that LEC can provide anything but POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service). Also understand that some LECs are further into the future than others. Some have more fiber in the ground than others and some are buying large chunks of entertainment/cable companies in technology partnerships. JONC The Continuum PCBoard -*- @9600+ call 818-441-2625 @2400- call 818-799-9633 ------------------------------ From: matt@kilowatt.linet.org (Matt Bartlett) Subject: Re: Listing of Calling Number Annoucment Numbers Date: Sun, 25 Jul 1993 12:57:47 GMT Organization: Kilowatt Computers, Deer Park, LI I found an error in your listing. For Area Code 516 you have posted 968, but 968 is indeed an exchange (im in it). 958 is the correct ANAC number. Matt matt@kilowatt.linet.org matt@die.linet.org Kilowatt BBS Valhalla Systems BBS (516)-586-4743 (516)-321-6819 ------------------------------ From: Vance Shipley Subject: Re: ADSL Hitched to ISDN: The Happy Couple? Organization: XeniTec Consulting Services, Kitchener, Ontario Canada Date: Sun, 25 Jul 1993 14:45:22 GMT In article nagle@netcom.com (John Nagle) writes: > ADSL is asymmetrical; the high bandwidth is one-way. The other > direction is supposedly 64Kb, although maybe you get two ISDN > channels ... And a high speed asymmetrical service we need! > ... It's intended to compete with cable TV. The idea is to > have something comparable to a remote-controlled cable box at the CO, > giving you one of a limited number of compressed TV channels, as well > as phone service, over the same wire. Assuming you think 1Mb > compressed TV is worth watching. As I sit here typing this stuff into my terminal, and reading news in general, I create about six characters a second (I'm not much of a typist :). When I page through articles I consume the bandwidth (19200Kbps in my case) in my direction. On my X terminal at work I generate much more traffic to the host, mouse events and all. The ratio of received to transmitted traffic is probably even larger though. The point is this; unless you are a service provider of some sort (others are pulling data from you) your requirements for receive will usually out number those for transmit. ADSL is a perfect fit. > Does it really need unshielded twisted pair? Local loops > aren't normally twisted. Twisting decreases RF coupling between > adjacent pairs substantially, but it's not standard for existing phone > wiring, inside or outside. I'm no expert but I'd say you're wrong, basically. All telephone cables have their pairs twisted, it's a matter of how much. What we generally call 'quad', the four wire green/red/black/yellow type stuff found in most homes, is twisted, just not very much. It is usually thought of as not being twisted. The vast majority of inside wire in businesses is twisted, this is the commonly referred to 'twisted pair'. I'm sure what you are thinking of is the sort of twisting used in 'UTP' or 'unshielded twisted pair'. This type of wire, used for voice and data transmission, has a much tighter twist; more twists per foot. I'm not as familiar with outside plant as I am with inside plant but I'm sure it is twisted to some extent. Have you ever noticed telegraph lines? They tend top be twisted at every other pole or so. Sorry if I'm picking nits. Vance Shipley, vances@xenitec.on.ca ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #510 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa17059; 26 Jul 93 4:59 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA23569 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Mon, 26 Jul 1993 02:41:08 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA22568 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Mon, 26 Jul 1993 02:40:33 -0500 Date: Mon, 26 Jul 1993 02:40:33 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199307260740.AA22568@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #511 TELECOM Digest Mon, 26 Jul 93 02:40:30 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 511 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Re: U.S. Cuts Off the Canadian-Cuban Connection (Mike King) Re: Dark Fiber? (Marvin Sirbu) Re: Dark Fiber? (John Nagle) Re: Beware of "Toner-Phoners"! (Laird P. Broadfield) Re: Standard Practice For Wiring House (Richard Pitt) Re: 800 Translation Questions (Jeff Wasilko) Re: ANI and 'All Zeros' (Lee Sweet) Re: Telecom Observations in Movie "Dave" (Jonathan F. Carpenter) Re: Inverse of "Custom Ringing"? (Mike King) Re: CONNECT BBS Edition (Jon Carmichael) Locating Files in the Telecom Archives (Lee Sweet) Connecting Site A to Site B (Javier Henderson) Re: The Next Step: Affinity Long Distance (Mike King) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 25 Jul 93 21:00:52 EDT From: mking@fsd.com (Mike King) Subject: Re: U.S. Cuts Off the Canadian-Cuban Connection In the business section of Saturday's {Washington Post}, an article entitled "U.S. Allows Expanded Cuban Phone Service" caught my eye. Subtitled, "Escrow Account Could Be Stumbling Block," the article stated the State Department issued procedures for offering competitive service between the U.S. and Cuba. It's unclear whether Cuba will agree with the plan. [I'm paraphrasing the article in this Digest submission.] According to the article, AT&T now routes calls to Cuba through Italy. It mentioned that callers have been routing calls through Canada, but the Treasury department recently told those providers to stop on the basis they were violating the trade embargo against Cuba. The $80 million escrow account for settlements currently held by the U.S. government is the sticking point for the plan, and "the Cuban position is that such an account should be released to reach any agreement" according to Jose Ponce, press attache' with the Cuban Intersection in Washington. Robert Gelbard, principal deputy assistant secretary for inter-American affairs, said the Clinton administration issued the guidelines in an attempt to comply with the Cuban Democracy act of 1992, which calls for "efficient and adequate telecommunications services between the United States and Cuba." But the administration also wants to minimize the transfer of funds to Cuba." MCI and Sprint have indicated intentions to file for authority to offer service, and AT&T is ready to activate a copper undersea cable to carry calls. Direct-dial service isn't necessarily imminent, even if Cuba agrees to do business with U.S. Telecom firms. The Cuban phone system is antiquated and only some locations in and around Havana can accept calls directly. Even without surrender of escrow funds, the guidelines allow Cuba to keep half of the $1.20 per minute that will be charged for future calls, and they allow the potential for more than one provider to offer calls. Mike King * Software Sourcerer * Fairchild Space * +1 301.428.5384 mking@fsd.com or 73710.1430@compuserve.com * (usual disclaimers) [Moderator's Note: It has never been clear to me how any government agency in the USA could tell a Canadian company what to do or not do with telephone calls they were processing. If anything, maybe the US government could penalize the US citizen/company making calls in that way. And what if the same telephone number in Canada was used to recieve calls for re-origination to places other than Cuba? How can the number be blocked on this end merely on the premise that calls to it *might* be going to Cuba? Telepassport processes calls to Cuba through their switch in New York, but *not* for USA subscribers to the service. TP does it for Canadians or people in other countries. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Marvin Sirbu Subject: Re: Dark Fiber? Date: Sun, 25 Jul 1993 22:15:55 -0400 Organization: Engineering and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA Excerpts from netnews.comp.dcom.telecom: 24-Jul-93 Re: Dark Fiber? by Paul Robinson@MCIMAIL.CO: > Based on these numbers, you can lease up to 100 miles of fiber for > less than the cost of usage alone. If you are hooking up a set of > offices in a city, leased dark fiber at $150 a mile makes a lot more > sense than paying traffic and connection charges for connection to a > telephone company network (Metropolitan Area Network or MAN). Dark fiber has no light soruce provided by the telco, and NO REPEATERS. If you leased 100 miles of dark fiber, you wouldn't be able to use it for anything without installing your own repeaters every few miles. Since repeaters at DS3 rates with detectors and lasers for regenera- ting the signal cost several thousands of dollars, plus the costs of powering, space, environemntal conditioning, etc, plus maintenance costs, dark fiber quickly becomes somewhat less of a bargain. Moreover, when you buy a DS3 circuit, the LEC (or competitive access provider) generally provides high reliability by switching the channel onto an alternate path in the event of a fiber break. When you lease dark fiber, you need to lease your own additional fiber(s) for redundancy to achieve similar levels of reliability. I'm not arguing that dark fiber is never a good investment. It's just dark fiber requires significant additional expenditures before it provides the same functionality as a carrier provided DS3. Marvin Sirbu ------------------------------ From: nagle@netcom.com (John Nagle) Subject: Re: Dark Fiber? Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest) Date: Mon, 26 Jul 1993 06:01:18 GMT TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM (Paul Robinson) writes: > "Dark Fiber" is fiber optic cable which is run from one point to > another for a customer of a telephone carrier, and the carrier doesn't > do anything with the service. The customer has to do all the data > translations and everything else. This is scary for telcos, because it means the huge economies of scale in bandwidth that have been so profitable for them become available to large customers. But the telcos can survive that. But ignoring the economics, dark fibre presents a serious problem for telcos: how do you make connections? The trend has been away from a main distributing frame and manual wiring on it. It's common today to run even nailed-up circuits through the switch, just to get rid of the wiring maze and all its headaches. Widespread use of dark fibre means something like a big optical patch bay at the CO, with all the hassles that implies. How is that to be handled? John Nagle ------------------------------ From: lairdb@crash.cts.com (Laird P. Broadfield) Subject: Re: Beware of "Toner-Phoners"! Organization: "Well, a head on top, an arm on each side, two legs...." Date: 26 Jul 93 02:17:57 GMT In ndallen@io.org (Nigel Allen) writes: [passed on article...] > * Con artists known as "toner-phoners" are targeting small businesses > that use copiers and laser printers. Several companies are claiming > to sell replacement toner cartridges for the copying devices at a > discount; however, they actually double or triple the price. > Law enforcement officials say that toner fraud is hard to prove and > almost impossible to eliminate. [ ... also a Moderator's Note discussing similar experiences ...] Okay, what am I missing here? Let me get this straight: 1.Outside person calls and finds out what kind of equipment you have. 2.Different outside person calls, knows what kind of equipment you have (learned this from person #1) and offers you supplies at inflated prices. 3.Having (apparently) less than two brain cells to bang together, you agree to purchase supplies at the inflated prices. Where exactly is there fraud involved here? Has "caveat emptor" gone entirely by the wayside; are Americans no longer willing to accept even the slightest responsibility for their own actions? Laird P. Broadfield lairdb@crash.cts.com ...{ucsd, nosc}!crash!lairdb [Moderator's Note: There really isn't any fraud; that's why the government 'finds it so hard to prove'. :) You can't prove what does not exist. A sleazy business practice, yes; fraudulent activity, no. Little things like that have never bothered the US Department of 'Justice'. When they want to get someone, they'll invent a new crime if they have to. Of course they ignore their own corruption. I wonder when was the last time Justice actually purchased *legal* copies of software? Usually they rip off software developers and make pirate copies of everything for their own employees. I wonder if Bill Clinton will be as quick to fire the US Attorney in Chicago for supp- lying sex and cocaine to inmates of the federal correctional center here -- in a private office in the federal building yet -- as he was to fire all the investigators and attornies working on trying to get Congressman Rostenkowski put away for fraud? Only here in the USA will you see one bunch of crooks using the law to chase another bunch of crooks. Get with the times Laird; its life in these United States and all that. Never do for yourself what you can get the government to make your neighbor do for you. PAT] ------------------------------ From: richard@vanbc.wimsey.com (Richard Pitt) Subject: Re: Standard Practice For Wiring House Date: 25 Jul 1993 19:50:58 -0700 Organization: Wimsey I spend almost a year working in 'the prewire crew' in the Vancouver BC area around 1970. At that time, we generally were wiring for two lines (unless the house was a major one -- which some were, as the district I was in was in the wealthier end of town) and the lines were generally looped if they were on a fairly straight line back to the service entrance (before 'demarc' became the term). This meant that the upstairs was generally on a different run from the downstairs, and there might be a third leg if the house was of really strange design or was really large. Now if I were running my own wiring company and doing this for a living, I would make most of the runs 'home runs' and put in at least six pair class five rated (Ethernet capable) so that when home computers really come into their own the house would already be wired. What we were doing in businesses in the 80's we should be doing in houses in the 90's -- except that I don't EVER expect to have to pull home runs of 25 pairs again -- six to ten pairs should be more than enough. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 25 Jul 1993 23:04:14 -0800 From: jeffw@triple-i.com (Jeff Wasilko) Subject: Re: 800 Translation Questions Andy Sherman wrote: > As to the 800 number cache, that would be a singularly bad idea for > any LEC to implement in an end office. First off, it would break a > lot of enhanced 800 services. Somebody from AT&T can correct me if > I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure (note the disclaimer, please) that it's > possible to have the routing change at night, so that a nationwide 800 > number routed to multiple centers can have fewer centers open at > night. Cacheing the route would surely break this. Caches would also > likely break all of the "we guarantee to have your super-duper 800 > service back up within X minutes" type services that the IXC's offer. That's right. At my last job, we set up our AT&T 800 number to route to different POTS numbers based on time-of-day and day-of-week. Essentially, we took orders from 9-5:30 Monday-Friday, and the calls went to our answering service during all other times. In addition, we could call and make an emergency change, and have it take affect instantly. We used this a few times during bad weather and power outages. As a side note, people were concerned that 800-portability would greatly increase call-setup time. Well, it looks like everyone did a great job. I'm seeing a one or two second connect time to our modems that are accessable via Sprint and AT&T 800 numbers. Great job, folks! Jeff Wasilko, Information International +1 617 275 7070 Application Support Specialist ------------------------------ From: decrsc!leesweet@uunet.UU.NET (Lee Sweet) Subject: Re: ANI and 'All Zeros' Date: Sun, 25 Jul 1993 12:18:26 -0400 (EDT) Dunno about other carriers, but our Cable & Wireless 800 bills from old exchanges (West Virginia, Missouri?) *do* show exchange and _four_ zeroes. Guess they know what office/switch, but not who?! Lee Sweet Internet *lists* - leesweet@datatel.com Chief Systems Consultant Internet *e-mail* - lee@datatel.com Datatel, Inc. Phone - 703-968-4661 4375 Fair Lakes Court FAX - 703-968-4625 Fairfax, VA 22033 (Opinions are my own, and only my own!) ------------------------------ From: jfc@world.std.com (Jonathan F Carpenter) Subject: Re: Telecom Observations in Movie "Dave" Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA Date: Sun, 25 Jul 1993 20:47:13 GMT In article Dave Ptasnik writes: > What did they have in "Dave"? Anyone out there with the true info. > Enquiring minds want to know. The June 1993 issue of {Premiere} magazine has an article about the construction of the White House sets used in the movie "Dave". Apparently a lot of work was done to make the set look as real as possible. (The production designer even surreptitiously filmed the real White House while on a tour using an 8mm camera.) To quote the designer in the article: "The carpets came from the company that supplies the White House. We used part Kennedy and part Reagan carpets. The telephones are real. We found them in a warehouse; they had been purchased from the White House for Seven Days in May [1964]. I don't know how they did that." The sets can also be seen in the movies Hot Shots! Part Deux and In the Line of Fire. Jon Carpenter ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Jul 93 02:56:40 EDT From: mking@fsd.com (Mike King) Subject: Re: Inverse of "Custom Ringing"? In TELECOM Digest, V13 #503, tmplee@TIS.COM (Theodore M.P. Lee) writes: > Is there a service/feature that, lacking a better term, I'd call the > inverse of custom ringing? I have two lines: one residential and one > business. I have one custom ringing number on the residential line to > which busies on the business line are forwarded. When the business > line is in use, I'd like to be able to do the inverse: use the > residential line but have the call (interesting only for long > distance, since we don't have message units) billed to the business > line at the same rate as if it had been dialed on that line. Use two long distance carriers. Default your residential line to the LD carrier giving you the best plan for residential calling. Get another account with the carrier that gives you the best plan for business purposes; have them list both lines, but only default the business line to that carrier. Use 10xxx to override when making LD calls for business purposes from the residential line. The major carriers, and some minor carriers, can provide an account which bills for more one line. Not knowing who your LEC is, and what their policies are, I'd be careful about asking them for help. Some LECs get very irritated when they discover you're using a line classed "residential" for business purposes. Mike King * Software Sourcerer * Fairchild Space * +1 301.428.5384 mking@fsd.com or 73710.1430@compuserve.com * (usual disclaimers) ------------------------------ Subject: Re: CONNECT BBS Edition From: cntinuum!jon.carmichael@uplherc.upl.com (Jon Carmichael) Date: 25 Jul 93 16:34:00 GMT Organization: uuPCB - Demonstration Version Reply-To: cntinuum!jon.carmichael@uplherc.upl.com (Jon Carmichael) > The BBS Legal Group is dedicated to providing pertinent, quality > information and services to Bulletin Board Operators. Yes, but you did not say how much it could cost a sysop for a subscription. Iis there a reason why it's a secret? JONC The Continuum PCBoard -*- @9600+ call 818-441-2625 @2400- call 818-799-9633 ------------------------------ From: decrsc!leesweet@uunet.UU.NET (Lee Sweet) Subject: Locating Files in the Telecom Archives Date: Sun, 25 Jul 1993 12:54:10 -0400 (EDT) Pat, I have no direct ftp access. (I have to tell uunet the exact file names.) Can you tell me the file names of the acronym files in the archives, or is there a listing file that has all the contents (like uunet does)? Thanks! Lee Sweet Internet *lists* - leesweet@datatel.com Chief Systems Consultant Internet *e-mail* - lee@datatel.com Datatel, Inc. Phone - 703-968-4661 4375 Fair Lakes Court FAX - 703-968-4625 Fairfax, VA 22033 (Opinions are my own, and only my own!) [Moderator's Note: We have several acronym files listed as 'glossary' in the archives. I recommend all readers pick up a copy of these files. Understandably, using a mail server for ftp is not easy if you don' know where to start looking. The files listed as 'index' all refer to sub-directories under the main archives directory with the exception of the last two; they are indexes to the subject titles of messages here over the past four years. For starters, pull these files to find out what other files are available: -rw-r--r-- 1 map telecom 118496 Jul 31 1992 glossary.acronyms -r--r--r-- 1 ptownson telecom 43101 Jan 27 1991 glossary.isdn.terms-kluge -r--r--r-- 1 ptownson telecom 115757 Jul 31 1992 glossary.naval.telecom -r--r--r-- 1 ptownson telecom 42188 Jan 14 1990 glossary.phrack.acronyms -r--r--r-- 1 ptownson telecom 67113 Jan 14 1990 glossary.txt -r--r--r-- 1 ptownson telecom 1616 Nov 20 1990 index-canada.npa.files -r--r--r-- 1 ptownson telecom 1700 Apr 16 19:36 index-country.codes -r--r--r-- 1 ptownson telecom 411 Nov 20 1990 index-minitel.files -rw-r--r-- 1 ptownson telecom 18124 Apr 10 05:53 index-telecom.archives -rw-r--r-- 1 ptownson telecom 1936 Feb 1 10:23 index-telecom.security -r--r--r-- 1 ptownson telecom 343 Jan 20 1991 index-tymnet.info -r--r--r-- 1 ptownson telecom 568541 Jan 1 1992 index-vol.9-10-11.subj.Z -r--r--r-- 1 ptownson telecom 220055 Jan 2 15:06 index-volume.12.subj.Z Starting from the above, you can get the exact names of other files you want to pull. Most are straight ASCII, but the last two above are compressed and you need to set the type to 'I' when you order them. The Telecom Archives is accesible using anonymous ftp lcs.mit.edu. When connected, do 'cd telecom-archives'. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Javier Henderson Subject: Connecting Site A to Site B Date: 25 Jul 93 19:38:09 PDT Organization: Mayo Laboratory; Ventura, CA Hello, The company I work for has a main office in Ventura, CA, and a few remote sites scattered around the state. We have an AT&T System 75 switch at the main office, and various types of switches at the remote locations. We also have 56Kb digital circuits between the main office and each of the remote locations, for data communications. We're in need to replace the switch at one of the remote sites because it's obsolete and it's getting too expensive to repair. My question is: Is there a way of making the extensions at this location that will get new telephone hardware appear as if they were extensions of our 75 switch in Ventura? The idea is to eliminate long distance charges when we need to talk voice with that site. What hardware would we need at each site? I assume another digital circuit will have to be set up between the two sites. At what speed will this circuit have to be rated? Dare I ask about cost? Pardon the naive question, but I know less than nothing about this topic. Thanks, Javier Henderson | henderson@mln.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Jul 93 02:55:33 EDT From: mking@fsd.com (Mike King) Subject: Re: The Next Step: Affinity Long Distance In TELECOM Digest, V13 #502, Pat asked: > [Moderator's Note: What is with all this Mensa-bashing here the past > couple days? PAT] Well, who would you prefer we bash? Moderators? Chicagoans? Mike King * Software Sourcerer * Fairchild Space * +1 301.428.5384 mking@fsd.com or 73710.1430@compuserve.com * (usual disclaimers) [Moderator's Note: I know what! Let's bash attornies. That is a new and original idea; I don't think anyone ever does that, do they? To close this issue, a 'lawyer joke' .... These three guys are traveling through the countryside and a bad storm forces them to stop and stay all night at the farmer's house. One is a Jew, one is a Hindu, and the third is a lawyer. The farmer says, "well, I only have two spare bedrooms, so one of you will have to sleep in the barn." The Jew volunteers to sleep in the barn. He picks up his stuff and goes out the door and to the barn; meanwhile the lawyer and the Hindu retire to their bedrooms for the night. In a few minutes there is a knock at the door. Everyone gets up to go see who it is. The Jew has returned. "I can't sleep in the barn," he says, "there is a pig in the barn. It is against my religion to have *anything* to do with pork." Well, the Hindu decides to practice brotherly love and tolerance and all that, so he volunteers to sleep in the barn. He packs up his stuff, heads out the door and over to the barn. Meanwhile the lawyer and the Jew retire to their bedrooms and try to go back to sleep. In a few minutes, another knock at the door. This time the Hindu has ret- urned. "I can't sleep in the barn," he complains, "there is a cow in the barn. Why, a cow is a very sacred animal. I could never sleep with one, that would be a terrible sin according to my religion." That leaves the lawyer ... and just so things will quiet down for the night and he can get back to sleep, he agrees to sleep in the barn. He packs up his stuff, heads out the door and goes to the barn. Meanwhile the Hindu and the Jew retire to their bedrooms and try to get back to sleep for a third time. In a few minutes, there is another knock at the door. Everyone gets up and goes downstairs to see who it is. This time it is the cow and the pig standing there. Goodnight. (Someone better call the Netville Fire Department.) PAT] ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #511 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa24346; 27 Jul 93 1:03 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA30984 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Mon, 26 Jul 1993 22:38:48 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA17980 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Mon, 26 Jul 1993 22:38:02 -0500 Date: Mon, 26 Jul 1993 22:38:02 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199307270338.AA17980@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #512 TELECOM Digest Mon, 26 Jul 93 22:38:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 512 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson May `93 Business Consumer Guide: Long Distance Service (Russ McGuire) Pacific Bell Information BBS (Nigel Allen) Phone Number -> Name/Address (Gordon Hlavenka) Re: 800 Translation Questions (John Adams) Re: 800 Translation Questions (Vance Shipley) Re: Private Voice Networks (Jon Carmichael) Re: High Speed Modem Connections (Daniel Fandrich) Re: Mercury in the UK - The Right Choice? (Drew Radtke) Re: Beware of "Toner-Phoners"! (Rev. Michael P. Deignan) Re: Why the AT&T TrueVoice Demo Asks For Your Number (John Adams) Re: Cellular Propagation Simulator (Raj Sanmugam) Re: Area 205 to Split (Carl Moore) Re: Dark Fiber? (Brett Frankenberger) Re: Dark Fiber? (H. Peter Anvin) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: russ_mcguire@wiltel.com (Russ McGuire) Date: Mon, 26 Jul 93 07:46:10 -0500 Subject: May `93 Business Consumer Guide: Long Distance Service I just saw a copy of the May issue of Beacon Research Group's Business Consumer Guide. I assume many readers of the Digest would be inter- ested in their study on (U.S.) Long Distance Service, but don't remem- ber seeing anything about it during the May timeframe, so here is a quick summary (for more details, contact the Beacon Research Group at 125 Walnut Street, Watertown, MA 02172). Beacon Research Group looked at the Long Distance Services provided by 8 carriers: Allnet, AT&T, Cable&Wireless, LCI International, LDDS Communications, MCI Communications, US Sprint, and WilTel. In the article they provide an overview of each company as well as how to contact them. The portion of the article that is most likely of interest to readers of this digest is the analysis of the least cost provider for a variety of call volumes. I am sure that there are flaws in the methodology used for this study, but I am also sure that the results provide a healthy starting point for price-sensitive comparison "shoppers". The results are summarized below: Call Volume Least expensive % savings over minutes/month reviewed program AT&T ProWats ------------ ----------------- -------------- 250 LCI Traditional 22% 1000 LCI Heritage 22% 2500 LDDS Answer 22% 5000 WilTel WilPlus II 26% 10000 WilTel WilPlus II 15% 25000 WilTel WilPlus II 15% 50000 WilTel WilPlus III 20% 100000 WilTel WilPlus III 20% Disclaimer: I am an employee of WilTel. I have no association with the Beacon Research Group. Although the above results reflect positively on my employer, they are merely a brief summary of information contained in a report by the Beacon Research Group. If you are interested in more detailed information about their study, I recommend that you contact them at the above address for a copy of the report. I certainly cannot vouch for the accuracy of their data nor the validity of their approach. The phone numbers listed in the report for the above identified service providers are: AT&T: 800-222-0400 LCI: 800-860-1020 LDDS: 800-SERVICE WilTel: 800-864-4060 Russ McGuire WilTel, Inc. russ_mcguire@wiltel.com [Moderator's Note: I would like to point out that LCI is the carrier which handles calls for the Orange Calling Card program. LCI bought out LDS a couple months ago. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Jul 93 05:16:52 EDT From: ae446@freenet.carleton.ca (Nigel Allen) Subject: Pacific Bell Information BBS Organization: Echo Beach Reply-To: ae446@freenet.carleton.ca The following message was posted to "Communet: Community and Civic Network Discussion List" by Grant R. Bowman , forwarding a message originally written by sjelsto@PacBell.COM (Steve Elston) to the Smart Valley Reflector svp@eitech.com. [Grant Bowman's comments: I think people other than just the local San Francisco Bay Area might be interested in this. Good solid information like this is in short supply.] Date: Tue, 13 Jul 93 07:59:03 PDT To: svp@eitech.com From: sjelsto@PacBell.COM (Steve Elston) Subject: Pacific Bell Information BBS Smart Valley Reflector Users, We have recently completed the initial stages of an Information BBS that contains specific product and application information on a wide array of Pacific Bell services. Remember, it's just in the infancy stages and your feedback and comments will help it become a more useful tool. What's in it specifically? o ISDN, Switched 56, SMDS, Frame Relay Product Offerings Overview o Specific Applications for ISDN: - TCP/IP connectivity - Modem Replacement - LAN Bridging - Telecommuting o Numerous other Applications o Tech Tips Forum What's Coming ? - ISDN access, technology deployment information, general tariff information and your feedback !! How do I connect ? - The BBS number is (510) 277-1037. You will have to go through an initial logon procedure which will give you an ID and password and that's it. A few tips on comm software settings (if your communications software allows): 1. Terminal Type = ANSI BBS 2. ZMODEM file transfer protocl 3 Standard flow control and parity 4. Dial-in pool is 14.4 V.32BIS Comments or feedback can be directed via the BBS to Scott Adams (the creator) or to me via the reflector or sjelsto@pacbell.com - Thanks. Steve Elston Telecommuting Project Director Pacific Bell ------------ Nigel Allen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada ae446@freenet.carleton.ca ------------------------------ From: cgordon@vpnet.chi.il.us (gordon hlavenka) Subject: Phone Number -> Name/Address Organization: Vpnet Public Access Date: Mon, 26 Jul 1993 03:27:12 GMT Okay, I've got a phone number. It's in the 815 area code. I'd like the address that goes with it. So I called (708) 796-9600, punched in the number, and got the message "Information for area code 815 is not available." What's plan B? Is 815 not served by Ameritech? (I thought they were, but ...) Gordon S. Hlavenka cgordon@vpnet.chi.il.us [Moderator's Note: 815 has various telephone companies in it. Ameritech and IBT is the largest, but it serves only the outermost suburbs of the metro Chicago area. GTE has a few communities in 815 as do a couple of small independent community telcos. The IBT Name and Address Service for whatever reason only includes 312/708. I guess you noticed that the service was entirely computerized as of a couple months ago. The com- puter not only reads the name and address to you, but offers to spell the name and the street name, etc. PAT] ------------------------------ From: jadams@vixen.cc.bellcore.com (adams,john) Subject: Re: 800 Translation Questions Organization: Bellcore, Livingston, NJ Date: Mon, 26 Jul 93 13:49:46 GMT In article tarl@lectroid.sw.stratus.com (Tarl Neustaedter) writes: > In article , andys@internet.sbi.com > (Andy Sherman) writes: >> Somebody from AT&T can correct me if I'm wrong, ... I used be with AT&T ;-) > On the other hand, regarding a cache; my understanding is that when an > 800 number changes carriers, it takes several days for all the LECs to > update their databases about which carrier to route the call to. That > is a first-level routing decision entirely above the level of routing > within a long-distance network. I don't know, but I got the impression > this update is done via mag-tape sent through snail-mail. Not quite by snail-mail. There is a central 800 Service Management and Administration software system called SMS/800 (Service Management System) which is run out of Kansas City, MO (A backup exists for this in St. Louis ... hopefully well above the flood waters...) which accepts new and changed 800 service requests from all carriers who offer such services. The changes so entered are downloaded (BX.25 @ 9600) to each SCP on some sort of a schedule (I forgot how often). In article rickie@trickie.ersys.edmonton. ab.ca writes: > A question that I would like answered was triggered by the following > comment: > In comp.dcom.telecom, article Andy > Sherman wrote: >> As to the 800 number cache, that would be a singularly bad idea for >> any LEC to implement in an end office. > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ > Does 800 number portability mean that each end office must become an > SSP? No, but each end office must (Engineering economies prevail here) subtend an SSP (Service Switching Point). > Or better yet, how are all the SCP databses from the various > carriers tied together as it is my understanding that the assignment > of 800 numbers is on a first-come first-serve basis? See my comments above about 800 databases. The assignment of the numbers (I think?) is first come, first served. The better ones, 1-800-CAR-RENT, etc. were taken eons ago! > Does each SCP have the entire range of 800 numbers, or only > those belonging to that IXC? Each LEC SCP *MUST* have all 800 numbers ... if you buy nationwide coverage, who knows where the calls will come from? > IS there an official inter-working document that describes the > rules each carrier must follow? I suspect that such documents exist. I would start with the Number Administration and Service Center, or whatever they are now known as. Bellcore set up a seperate subsidiary under Mike Wade to take over the NASC function. John (Jack) Adams Bellcore NVC 2Z-220 (908) 758-5372 {Voice} (908) 758-4389 {Facsimile} jadams@vixen.cc.bellcore.com kahuna@attmail.com ------------------------------ From: Vance Shipley Subject: Re: 800 Translation Questions Organization: XeniTec Consulting Services, Kitchener, Ontario Canada Date: Mon, 26 Jul 1993 11:50:59 GMT In article rickie@trickie.ersys.edmonton. ab.ca writes: > Being the cynic that I am, I am still skeptical if this is the way > that it works (in general). From my own experience, I have observed > the changing of a reservation 800 number (for a large U.S. hotel > chain) in the SCP from disallowing a certian area code, to instantly > (seconds) allowing it. From receiving an out-of-band announcement, to > instead, being connected to the centralized reservation desk. Would this not have been a change in the treatment which the carrier serving the hotel gave the call? A LEC trying to terminate an 800 call originating from a subscriber is looking for the carrier to give the call to. It does this by querying an SCP. Once the carrier gets the call it will likely query it's own SCP to see what the current treatment is for the number. Vance Shipley, vances@xenitec.on.ca ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Private Voice Networks From: cntinuum!jon.carmichael@uplherc.upl.com (Jon Carmichael) Date: 26 Jul 93 20:24:00 GMT Organization: uuPCB - Demonstration Version Reply-To: cntinuum!jon.carmichael@uplherc.upl.com (Jon Carmichael) > this area, or even if, with the current tariffs if private tandem > networks are still a paying proposition. Will someone please bring me > up-to-date and if possible, point me to a list of ten to twenty such It seems that the carriers are getting a little more creative about people who might have a tendency to string their own. As they implement new technology, (switched digital or frame relay) they tend to tell us what they think we want to hear. MCI and WillTel are further along in Frame Relay than is ATT or Sprint, but the price you pay is that you have to do a complex analysis to see if it's going to save you any money. The carriers can sell you a "virtual private network" now. What that means is that they want you to feel like you've got your own network. They may give you a management console where one day you would program in your own part time pipes that are usage based -- not like leased lines -- but yet giving you the flexibility to set them up for only the hours of a day when you need them. Hopefully this will save you money, but one thing it does for use is make the whole puzzle more compelex. JONC The Continuum PCBoard -*- @9600+ call 818-441-2625 @2400- call 818-799-9633 ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Jul 1993 10:21:31 PDT From: Daniel Fandrich Organization: Fandrich Cone Harvesters Ltd. Subject: Re: High Speed Modem Connections > There have been a couple of people complaining of problems with > connections of high speed modems in the past week, so here's what > helped for me ... [solution involving undocumented registers deleted] My problem was a failure to connect at greater than 9600 bps with my Hayes Ultra 144. When calling a site 65 km away with both BC Tel and Unitel, my modem refused to connect at 14.4 kbps, while connections at 12 kbps gave horrible throughput. After a couple months of forcing 9600 bps connections, I found out my Caller*ID box was distorting the signal enough to cause the failure; unplugging it allowed perfect high-speed connections. I didn't originally suspect a problem with my equipment because calls to a nearby system (~11 km on another CO) succeeded at 14.4 kbps. Those calls were generally interactive only, though, so I didn't have a quantitative measure of throughput. The box is a BC Tel-supplied model TC-1031-2 by Tel Control Inc. I'll have to try purchasing another model and seeing if the problem goes away; presumably, not all Caller*ID display boxes have this problem or I would have heard about it here long ago! Dan ------------------------------ From: A.L.Radtke@bradford.ac.uk (Drew Radtke) Subject: Re: Mercury in the UK - The Right Choice? Organization: University of Bradford, UK Date: Mon, 26 Jul 1993 09:49:53 GMT djcl@io.org (woody) writes: > The recent episode of Media Television, produced by City TV in > Toronto, features the wild world of media (ads, publications, > technologies, etc) and in particular, a spot for Mercury long distance > in the UK was shown. It appeared to be voice-dubbed excerpts from old > films, so that the characters talked about the wonders of British > Telecom's competitor. Actually, the Mercury TV ads are new productions, just expertly done in a 1930s/40s film style, starring UK actor Harry Enfield. A recent one features Richard Branson, the head of Virgin Atlantic etc. The Mercury phonecards, featuring Harry Enfield in charater as Mr. Grayson, are very collectable items. Bit of trivia there. Drew Radtke ------------------------------ From: Rev. Michael P. Deignan Subject: Re: Beware of "Toner-Phoners"! Organization: Small Business Systems, Incorporated, Smithfield, RI 02917 Date: Mon, 26 Jul 1993 11:22:48 GMT PAT notes: > Those same bozos were selling mimeograph paper, carbon paper and type- > writer ribbons thirty years ago using the same sneaky tactics. PAT] With all due respect to our Moderator and the original poster of this thread, I can't honestly see what is wrong with individuals doing this. First off, there is no crime committed when I call up a company, speak to a secretary, and ask for their copier model/serial-number. (As long as I am not representing myself to be from the company that sold them the copier ...) If the secretary decides to give me the information, that's her mistake. I see no difference than if I called up and asked for the name of the purchasing manager so I could write a letter. Second, I don't see anything wrong with a company attempting to sell a copier toner for three or even four times its "price". If the purchasing company is stupid enough to buy it ... well ... Caveat Emptor. Again, I'm assuming that the selling company is not misrepresenting itself by claiming it is part of the copier OEM's company, etc. So, unless there is something else to this story, or something that I missed (I am rather dense at 7:25am!) I don't see any problem or legal issues at all. It sounds more like some company ended up buying this stuff, and then when it found out, got all pissed off. Again, caveat emptor. MD [Moderator's Note: See my comments early Monday regards this. What they are doing is not illegal or fraudulent -- just obnoxious. Of equal concern to me are government agencies which like to make crimes where none exist just to appease that segment of society which cannot or will not observe Caveat Emptor. Remember the guy who was calling pagers in New York City and asking them to call a 540 number? What crime was he committing? Is asking people to return a call to a toll number a crime? Suppose I left a message with your secretary asking you to call me here in Chicago and you did not realize the call would cost extra? It is too bad some businesses have such sleazy tactics, but rarely will any be operating illegally. They know the law very well and manage to stay inches inside it. PAT] ------------------------------ From: jadams@vixen.cc.bellcore.com (adams,john) Subject: Re: Why the AT&T TrueVoice Demo Asks For Your Number Organization: Bellcore, Livingston, NJ Date: Mon, 26 Jul 93 14:01:00 GMT In article rice@ttd.teradyne.com writes: > In article , ae446@freenet.carleton.ca > (Nigel Allen) writes: >> I think the AT&T TrueVoice demo ... > [Moderator's Note: Except AT&T doesn't really need to ask the caller > if they are a customer or not ... they have all those records easily > at hand and a comparison of the ANI provided on the call to their > existing customer lists would accomplish the same thing. PAT] True, however, a lot of market research is done by non-AT&T firms on behalf of AT&T. The case might be that the received ANI and call detail reports are *not passed* on to the analysts who might be looking for effectiveness (demographic reach) of the marketing campaign. Not sure about this obviously, but there also might be some privacy (shudder, squirm, squirm) issues involved with disclosing that info willy nilly. At least the recorded voice gives you the option of entering your telephone number ... you can always hang up! John (Jack) Adams Bellcore NVC 2Z-220 (908) 758-5372 {Voice} (908) 758-4389 {Facsimile} jadams@vixen.cc.bellcore.com kahuna@attmail.com [Moderator's Note: Ah I see. Yes, it would probably be illegal or at least a serious violation of privacy for AT&T to pass along certain information about their customers to the telemarketing firms they do business with, so they have to let the telemarketing firms ask people to voluntarily supply the information. Good thinking! PAT] ------------------------------ From: lmcrajy@noah.ericsson.se (Raj Sanmugam) Subject: Re: Cellular Propagation Simulator Reply-To: lmcrajy@noah.ericsson.se Organization: Ericsson Communication Inc. Date: Mon, 26 Jul 1993 14:05:47 GMT In article Rodney Alan Walker writes: > Is anyone on the network aware of a software package that simulates > the cellular radio environment? Basically it provides signal strengths > at different geographic locations in relation to the cell transmission > site, depending on different terrain models and atmospheric > conditions. Recently, I received some brochures on a product called BONeS from COMDISCO system, 919 E. Hillsdale Blvd, Foster city CA 94404. Tel 414 574-5800, fax 415 358-3601. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Jul 93 10:28:52 EDT From: Carl Moore Subject: Re: Area 205 to Split The history.of.area.splits file in the archives discusses the upcoming generalization of area codes from N0X/N1X to NXX. It faces revision given what you (cornutt@lambda.msfc.nasa.gov) have written about the 205/334 split. I don't have this in front of me: is there a 205-334 exchange anywhere? Are there any local calls across the future 205/334 boundary? You meant to say that 334 is the first announced NNX (not NXX) area code. Area codes have been N0X/N1X in form, and that is indeed a subset of NXX. The newly-available area codes will be NNX in form. ------------------------------ From: brettf@netcom.com (Brett Frankenberger) Subject: Re: Dark Fiber? Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest) Date: Mon, 26 Jul 1993 15:53:22 GMT TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM (Paul Robinson) writes: > The reason for the issue to be so serious is that the telephone > companies want to price bandwidth according to the equivalent of > telephone connections, e.g. pricing a T1 (1.4 Megabits) connection at > the equivalent of 28 telephone lines. And a T-3 (45 Megabits) > connection would be priced like 32 T1s or 896 telephone lines. (I > think the number I just got here is wrong; a T3 is usually considered > 600 or so connections, I think, but it doesn't change much.) T1 = 24 DS0's (64KB connections), T3 = 28 T1's, or 28*24=672 DS0's. Brett (brettf@netcom.com) (formerly rfranken@cs.umr.edu) ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Jul 93 11:16:11 -0500 From: hpa@ahab.eecs.nwu.edu (H. Peter Anvin N9ITP) Subject: Re: Dark Fiber? Reply-To: hpa@nwu.edu In article of comp.dcom.telecom, was written: > TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM (Paul Robinson) writes: > This is scary for telcos, because it means the huge economies of > scale in bandwidth that have been so profitable for them become > available to large customers. But the telcos can survive that. Now is it only me, or is the *real* reason they are so scared that the day the FCC says "Local Competition" that dark Telco fiber will be the #1 means for upstart companies to swing themselves into the business? Do the city busses labelled "MCI" have anything to do with Microwave Communications, Inc.? INTERNET: hpa@nwu.edu FINGER/TALK: hpa@ahab.eecs.nwu.edu IBM MAIL: 36073 at IBMX400 NeXTMAIL: hpa@speedy.acns.nwu.edu ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #512 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa25303; 27 Jul 93 1:45 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA09624 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Mon, 26 Jul 1993 23:22:45 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA10275 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Mon, 26 Jul 1993 23:22:03 -0500 Date: Mon, 26 Jul 1993 23:22:03 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199307270422.AA10275@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #513 TELECOM Digest Mon, 26 Jul 93 23:22:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 513 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Radio Shack CT-301 -> Nokia ???? (Scott Drown) When Will General Computing Conquer Telecom Switching? (Chris Brady) SS7 Message Format (Tim Gorman) AT&T Operator Terminal (PCA103@psuvm.psu.edu) Want Info on Dist Ed Faculty Development (Gary Levine) Call for Authors, EJVC: Electronic Journal on Virtual Culture (D. Kovacs) Re: Special Tariffs For Distance Education? (Jeff Hayward) Re: Big Rivers (Joel Upchurch) Re: Dark Fiber? (David G. Lewis) Re: 800 Translation Questions (David G. Lewis) Re: Why the AT&T TrueVoice Demo Asks For Your Number (Steven King) Re: New AT&T Feature: TrueVoice (Scot Wilcoxon) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Scott Drown Date: Mon, 26 Jul 93 13:02:03 EDT Subject: Radio Shack CT-301 -> Nokia ???? I have recently become the owner of an older Radio Shack cellular phone. I am looking for any technical information about it. All I have is the Radio Shack user's manual, which is, like most of their documentation, pitiful. I know that Radio Shack cell phones are made by Nokia. It is my hope that Nokia, or The Net, my have some more detailed information. Is there anyone out there that knows the Nokia model number for the Radio Shack Model CT-301 Cellular Portable? This is an older model. The manufacture date is given as "8820", which I assume is the 20th week of 1988. The phone itself is about the size of a red building brick, with the microphone, speaker, keypad, and LCD display on one of the long, thin sides. I am looking for, or order of increasing desirability: A Nokia model number, programming instructions, or a Technical Manual. Thanks in advance for any help, Scott Drown Phone:+1-617-272-8140 Annex Technical Support Phone:+1-800-225-3317 Xylogics Inc, 53 Third Avenue, Burlington, MA 01803 Fax:+1-617-272-3159 [Moderator's Note: The Tandy Corporation has complete technical documentation available for this phone at their corporate office in Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX. Look at the Cellular Phone Technical Support line down there (it is listed). They sell it for a few dollars. I had one of the manuals (no longer); it is 100+ pages of details. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Chris_Brady@motsat.sat.mot.com (Chris Brady) Subject: When Will General Computing Conquer Telecom Switching? Organization: Motorola Inc., Satellite Communications Date: Mon, 26 Jul 1993 18:40:05 GMT It seems as though the latest central office switches are still offered on proprietary software -- and frequently, hardware -- platforms. This appears to me to be due to the stringent real time expectations we have placed on telephony, combined with strict requirements for massive throughput, data integrity, system availability and environmental conditions. Nonetheless, there have been efforts in Bellcore and elsewhere to essentially reduce the CO switch to a peripheral of a general purpose computer, and thus enjoy the supposed benefits of riding more popular technology curves. I'd be interested in discussion on why this vision is not being realized in the CO market: do the technical constraints really demand proprietary computer implementations, or are there market forces that are disincenting major telecom providers from making this leap? In a related question, does anyone have a good estimate for lines of tested code per person per day for a central office switch? Does this figure change dramatically when you are reusing existing code and just testing it (or, alternatively, how much loading is the simple code test and the full regression test)? The argument is frequently made that CO software requires more regression testing than most and thus gets written more slowly than other commercial software applications. Look forward to hearing from you. Chris Brady Motorola Satellite Communications Questions expressed above are entirely my own and do not necessarily represent questions that Motorola Inc. or anyone else for that matter may have. ------------------------------ Date: 26 Jul 93 13:48:13 EDT From: tim gorman <71336.1270@CompuServe.COM> Subject: Re: SS7 Message Format tarl@lectroid.sw.stratus.com (Tarl Neustaedter) writes in TELECOM Digest V13 #508 about SS7 message formats. Following is a more generic description of the SS7 signal units sent over the signaling links between a signaling point (e.g. end office) and an STP. Tarl's description and mine vary a little bit because to me the Service Information Octet is part of the MTP (Message Transfer Part) level while he includes it as part of the UP (User Part) level. He also includes the OPC (Originating Point Code) and DPC (Destination Point Code) as part of the UP level. According to my training this would be considered part of the SCCP (Signaling Connection Control Part) level. My training is admittedly a little old so perhaps there has been a reassignment of data elements to the different levels or maybe my training was pure ANSI? I also show that in addition to the OPC and DPC there should also be a signaling link selector (three bits long). The OPC, DPC, SLS, and three more bits make up a seven byte long Route Label for the SCCP portion of the message. a. | FLAG | 1 octets b. | SEQUENCE NUMBERS | 2 octets b. | SEQUENCE NUMBERS | c. | CONTROLS | 2 octets c. | CONTROLS | d. | MESSAGE | variable e. | FRAME CHECK | 2 octets e. | FRAME CHECK | f. | FLAG | 1 octet a. | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | (flag) b. *BIB* * Backward Sequence Indicator * b. *FIB* * Forward Sequence Indicator * c. * Spare * * Length Indicator * c. * Service Information Octet * d. * Data Message * (0-272 bytes) e. * Check Bits * f. 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 a. FLAG: 01111110 1st bit transmitted -> b. BIB Backward Indicator Byte (basic error control) b. FIB Forward Indicator Byte (basic error control) b. Backward Sequence Indicator (provides acks and lost msg detection) b. Forward Indicator Byte ( " ) c. Length indicator >2 message signal unit 1 or 2 link status signal unit 0 fill-in signal unit c. Service Information Only provided with message signal units. MTP user, network, and priority d. Data e. Flag Last byte of first msg, first byte of next msg Tim Gorman - SWBT *opinions are mine, any resemblance to official policy is coincidence* ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Jul 1993 18:46:26 -0400 (EDT) From: PCA103@psuvm.psu.edu Subject: AT&T Operator Terminal Organization: Penn State University I just got myself an AT&T Operator's Terminal , circa 1984, and if any one has any information on the ports or whatever, I'd really appreciate it. It is a model 5430, complete with built-in 1/2 height monitor and handset on the left-hand side. When you turn it on, you receive something like, "AT&T Teletype Corporation, 1984", and then it dumps you into some sort of i/o mode. But I don't have the Pinouts for the two ports on the bottom of the Unix, so I cannot yet send or receive data. If anyone has pinouts, or even an expaination of the ports on the bottom (and the phone jack), I'd really appreciate it. Thanks a lot! BTW- It has a Local Directory built in, which works fine with or without the plug-in i/o. Pretty cool. Peter ------------------------------ From: glevine@dhvx20.csudh.edu@nic.CSU.net Subject: Want Info on Dist Ed Faculty Development Date: 26 Jul 93 20:22:29 PST Organization: CSU, DOMINGUEZ HILLS California State University, Dominguez Hills (Carson, California) and Coastline Community College (Fountain Valley, California) are organizing a joint institute to provide faculty developement and training programs for instructors in K-12, commmunity colleges, and universities in the use of distance technologies. Our most extensive experience is in two-way interactive video technology, but we intend to include other delivery systems, such as computer-mediated conferencing, etc. Our initial research suggests that there is an important need for training programs which is going largely unfilled at the present time. We are interested in knowing if other colleges and universities have undertaken similar programs and what their experiences have been so far. We would also be interested in the views of distance educators about the needs that such an institute might meet, what technologies should be addressed, what issues are important to keep in mind in developing programs, etc. Please share your comments and ideas by writing to: Gary Levine glevine@dhvx20.csudh.edu Snail mail welcome at: Division of Extended Education CSU, Dominguez Hills 1000 E. Victoria Street Carson, California 90747 Thank you. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Jul 1993 20:07:47 EST From: Diane Kovacs Subject: Call for Authors, EJVC: Electronic Journal on Virtual Culture The _Electronic Journal on Virtual Culture_ a refereed scholarly journal is now accepting submissions for Fall 1993 and Spring 1994 issues. The _Electronic Journal on Virtual Culture_ (EJVC) is a refereed scholarly journal that fosters, encourages, advances and communicates scholarly thought on virtual culture. Virtual culture is computer-mediated experience, behavior, action, interaction and thought, including electronic conferences, electronic journals, networked information systems, the construction and visualization of models of reality, and global connectivity. EDITORIAL GUIDLINES FOR AUTHORS FORM AND STYLE 1. Use a recognized standard form and style, preferably the APA Publication Manual published by the American Psychological Association, as modified by the following requirements. 2. Do not have any line that exceeds 60 characters in length. 3. Do not use any figure or diagram. 4. Do not have more than 1000 lines in any article. 5. Do not submit any draft in any format other than ASCII. SUBMISSION An article may be submitted at any time to the EJVC for peer-review with the understanding that the peer-review requires time. Acknowledgements of the arrival of any article shall be made within 24 hours of arrival. Notification of acceptance or rejection shall be sent to authors within 30 days of the arrival of the submission. Submissions are acceptable only by electronic mail or send/file. Submissions may be made to either the Editor-in-Chief or the Co-Editor. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF CO-EDITOR Ermel Stepp Diane Kovacs Marshall University Kent State University BITNET: BITNET: M034050@Marshall DKOVACS@Kentvm Internet: Internet: M034050@Marshall.WVNET.edu DKOVACS@Kentvm.Kent.edu SUBSCRIPTION To subscribe to the EJVC send electronic mail to LISTSERV@KENTVM or LISTSERV@KENTVM.KENT.EDU, including a blank subject line and the sole line of text: subscribe EJVC-L Yourfirstname Yourlastname VAX/VMS may require that the sole line be within quotes to register names in other than uppercase. EJVC ANONYMOUS FTP Information about the EJVC and issues of the EJVC may be retreived by anonymous FTP to byrd.mu.wvnet.edu in subdirectory /pub/ejvc. ------------------------------ From: jah@margo.ots.utexas.edu (Jeff Hayward) Subject: Re: Special Tariffs For Distance Education? Date: 26 Jul 1993 16:31:34 GMT Organization: The University of Texas In article fraser@ccl2.eng.ohio- state.edu writes: > Have any LECs filed tariffs for lower rates for educational > organizations doing distance education? Are any regulatory agencies > exploring allowing such tariffs? HB 653 in the 73rd Texas Legislature authorized the PUC to establish tariffs for distance education. The PUC is in the process of rule-making in response. I believe the interim rule is that "distance education" uses receive a 25% discount on the otherwise applicable tariff. There's a lot of defining to be done, for instance just what distance education is. I believe there's been something in Tennessee for education tariffs for some time now, but I don't know the specifics. Jeff Hayward The University of Texas System +1 512 471 2444 Office of Telecommunication Services j.hayward@utexas.edu ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Big Rivers From: upchrch!joel@peora.sdc.ccur.com (Joel Upchurch) Date: Mon, 26 Jul 93 15:08:15 EDT Organization: Upchurch Computer Consulting, Orlando FL Will Martin writes: > What I never hear anybody mentioning, even as they begin to discuss > the cleanup and infrastructure-rebuilding tasks, is what is going to > happen if this same thing happens NEXT year, and maybe yearly after > that. If this is due to a permanent (or long-term, in human terms) > climate change, that would be likely. What used to be hundred-year (or > five-hundred-year) floods may become the normal occurrence ... :-( Maybe the EPA should declare the whole area protected wetlands and tell people they can't build there anymore. :-) Someone pointed out that in a country as big as the U.S. there is going to be someplace in the 100 year flood plain under water every year. A friend of mine point out that development can change the runoff characteristics of an area and greatly increase the chances of flooding in surrounding areas. That means that places that used to be in the 100 year flood plain, may be a lot less now. (If your mail bounces use the address below.) Joel Upchurch/Upchurch Computer Consulting/718 Galsworthy/Orlando, FL 32809 joel@peora.ccur.com {uiucuxc,hoptoad,petsd,ucf-cs}!peora!joel (407) 859-0982 ------------------------------ From: deej@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (david.g.lewis) Subject: Re: Dark Fiber? Organization: AT&T Date: Mon, 26 Jul 1993 17:22:23 GMT In article TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM (Paul Robinson) writes: >> I have seen the term Dark Fiber used in several ways and >> I am confused as to the meaning. > "Dark Fiber" is fiber optic cable which is run from one point to > another for a customer of a telephone carrier, and the carrier doesn't > do anything with the service... > The reason for the issue to be so serious is that the telephone > companies want to price bandwidth according to the equivalent of > telephone connections, e.g. pricing a T1 (1.4 Megabits) connection at > the equivalent of 28 telephone lines. And a T-3 (45 Megabits) > connection would be priced like 32 T1s or 896 telephone lines. (I > think the number I just got here is wrong; a T3 is usually considered > 600 or so connections, I think, but it doesn't change much.) > In any case, if a telephone line costs $20 a month, a T3, priced at > telephone rates (or even 1/2 telephone line rates) could run something > like $12,000 a month plus usage charges, which if they want the meter > running, could be $100 an hour or more. > Under the rules for dark fiber, the phone company has to provide a > strand of fiber optic line (equivalent to about a T-3) for a figure of > $150 per mile, per month, without regard to the amount of usage. > Figure out that if you are running a T3 at least 1/2 full for eight > hours a day, in one month the charges could reach $16,000 a month, or > $28,000 a month if you include the connection. (And don't forget, you > need one connection at each end.) You've got the concept right, but your numbers are waaayyyy off ... First of all, a DS1 is 24 DS0s, and a DS3 is 28 DS1s, so a DS3 is the equivalent of 672 "lines". However, a DS3 is not priced at the same rate as 672 DS0s; nor is a DS1 priced at the same rate as 24 DS0s. Generally, a DS1 will cost as much as 5-7 DS0s, and a DS3 will cost as much as 6-9 DS1s. (Very rough numbers based on my personal experience.) So pricing for a DS3 will be anywhere from 30 to 60 times the price for a single DS0, for 672 times the bandwidth. Note, however, that when you're talking about dark fiber, DS0s, DS1s, and DS3s, you're not talking about phone lines and usage charges - you're talking about point to point dedicated circuits with fixed termination and mileage charges. Working out the price of a DS3 based on the cost of a "phone line" is like working out the cost of a modem based on Compuserve's hourly charges ... Your basic concept is valid, though, at least as far as local or metropolitan services go. Telcos want to sell services by bandwidth - $x for a DS0, $y for a DS1, $z for a DS3, and so on up the scale. Dark fiber isn't bandwidth-limited, though, and a customer could put anywhere from 1.544 Mb/s (or even less) to 4.8 Gb/s (OC-96) on the same dark fiber pair without the telco being able to differentially price - or even know the difference. The argument is couched in efficiency terms, which have some validity. Selling dark fiber requires a telco to run a lot of fiber pairs between offices, and those fiber pairs could be each carrying a small payload which would be more economical if I could multiplex them onto a single system. The basic premise, though, is that telcos (present company included) want to sell service, not conduit space. David G Lewis AT&T Bell Laboratories david.g.lewis@att.com or !att!goofy!deej Switching & ISDN Implementation ------------------------------ From: deej@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (david.g.lewis) Subject: Re: 800 Translation Questions Organization: AT&T Date: Mon, 26 Jul 1993 17:30:12 GMT In article rickie@trickie.ersys. edmonton.ab.ca writes: > Does 800 number portability mean that each end office must become an > SSP? No. The SSP can be an access tandem, and the end office route the call to the access tandem for the SCP query. > Or better yet, how are all the SCP databses from the various > carriers tied together as it is my understanding that the assignment > of 800 numbers is on a first-come first-serve basis? Each LEC has one or more SCP pairs to handle calls originating in its territory. Each IXC may or may not have a central database of some sort to perform translations once the call reaches the IXC. The IXC databases, be they centralized, distributed, or other, are not tied to each other, nor are they tied to the LEC 800 Database Service (DBS) SCPs. The LEC 800 DBS SCPs are not tied together, although they are all connected (functionally; I don't know if there are physical communications links or not) with a single 800 Service Management System (SMS). > Does each SCP have the entire range of 800 numbers, Yes. > or only those belonging to that IXC? As indicated above, 800 DBS SCPs are operated by LECs, not IXCs. David G Lewis AT&T Bell Laboratories david.g.lewis@att.com or !att!goofy!deej Switching & ISDN Implementation ------------------------------ From: king@rtsg.mot.com (Steven King, Software Archaeologist) Subject: Re: Why the AT&T TrueVoice Demo Asks For Your Number Reply-To: king@rtsg.mot.com Organization: Motorola Cellular Infrastructure Group Date: Mon, 26 Jul 1993 18:32:15 GMT > [Moderator's Note: Except AT&T doesn't really need to ask the caller > if they are a customer or not ... they have all those records easily > at hand and a comparison of the ANI provided on the call to their >e xisting customer lists would accomplish the same thing. PAT] I tried the demo this weekend. I responded with ten 1s when asked for my phone number, and it was rejected. "Your entry could not be recognized" or some such. It didn't have a problem with 708-555-1212 though ... I still don't know why AT&T wants you to enter your number. Perhaps they compare it to the ANI to get a survey of the percentage of telecom-savvy paranoids there are out here? :-) Frankly, though the difference is minimal I think I prefer the good old fashioned FalseVoice. TrueVoice sounded a little hollow to me, though that may have been an artifact of the aging cordless phone I was using. Steven King -- Motorola Cellular Infrastructure Group ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Jul 93 20:57:03 CDT From: Scot Wilcoxon Subject: Re: New AT&T Feature: TrueVoice Organization: Esix Test Unit 1 Well, I guess I can add some probably irrelevant technical information to this collection of guesses. {Communication Week}, in an article about long-distance digital, explained the 64Kbps digital local services are difficult to extend because long distance circuits are using 56Kbps. The article mentions that AT&T has been working on that problem and 64Kbps links are now available in 12 cities. <"True Voice" was not mentioned in the article. Scot E. Wilcoxon sewilco@fieldday.mn.org voice: +1 612-825-2607 ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #513 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa05706; 27 Jul 93 9:01 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA04056 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Tue, 27 Jul 1993 06:29:26 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA07846 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Tue, 27 Jul 1993 06:28:44 -0500 Date: Tue, 27 Jul 1993 06:28:44 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199307271128.AA07846@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #514 TELECOM Digest Tue, 27 Jul 93 06:28:30 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 514 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Re: Sources For Restoring Vintage Phone? (Carl Shapiro) Re: Wanted: Email Address of Teleco System Inc (David Cornejo) Re: 1-800-COLLECT (Dave Niebuhr) Re: Big Rivers (Will Martin) Re: Looking For Devices to Dial *67 (Dave Ptasnik) Re: New AM Band Violates No-Intercept Rule? (David Breneman) Re: AT&T To Raise Rates August 1 (Andy Sherman) Re: Do We Have a Theme Song? (Mark Walsh) Re: Escort Digital Cordless Telephone (Tom Scheer) Re: Information Wanted on AT&T Tech Journal (Al Varney) Re: ADSL Hitched to ISDN: The Happy Couple? (Carl Oppedahl) Re: Alpha Pagers Question (Jeff Wasilko) Re: Experiences Wanted With BRI ISDN (Lee S. Parks) Re: Connecting Site A to Site B (Jeff Wasilko) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: molly!carl@uunet.UU.NET (Carl Shapiro) Subject: Re: Sources For Restoring Vintage Phone? Organization: Las Vegas Sun Date: Mon, 26 Jul 1993 18:16:34 GMT You can probably find any old phone parts you need at: Phoneco, Inc. 207 East Mill Road P.O. Box 70 Galesville, WI 54630 608 582-4124 I've never dealt with them, but I like their catalog of old phones. Plenty of old Bakelite and steel phones going back to the '20s, and candlesticks, Eiffels, etc. that are even older. ------------------------------ From: dave@telco-nac.com (David Cornejo) Subject: Re: Wanted: Email Address of Teleco System Inc Date: Mon, 26 Jul 1993 12:24:19 -0700 (PDT) Organization: Telco Systems Network Access Corporation Kelly writes in <73162.3265@CompuServe.COM>:: >> Does anyone know the contract e-mail address (customer service or >> technical dept or a helpful staff) for a company called Teleco System >> Inc. located in Norwood, MA 02062 (I don't have the full address) ? > I do not have an e-mail address for them, however the complete address > is: [address deleted] > The only names I have are: > Paul Lazay, President & CEO > Dave McClure, General Manager Network Division Dave McClure is the GM of Telco Systems Network Access Division in Fremont, California. We are owned by Telco Systems in Norwood, but do support their products. Telco Systems in Norwood may be reached at telco.com, you might try writing the postmaster there for the tech support address. If you are looking for help with an NAD product, you can email me and I will try and direct you to the right person. (Our email system is still under construction and I don't know if our support people are on it yet). Dave Cornejo, Engineer, dave@telco-nac.com Telco Systems NAC Fremont, California, USA +1 510 490 3111 x5158 also: dave@dogwood.com, dnc@netcom.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Jul 93 15:29:10 EDT From: dwn@dwn.ccd.bnl.gov (Dave Niebuhr) Subject: Re: 1-800-COLLECT In TELECOM Digest V13 #507 tomlowe@speedway.net (Tom Lowe) writes: > In article dwn@dwn.ccd.bnl.gov (Dave > Niebuhr) writes: >> I just finished a comparison of collect call charges involving AT&T, >> MCI, MCI's 1-800-COLLECT, Sprint and New York Telephone. >> 1-800-COLLECT .65 US > Gee ... I just got off the phone with them a few minutes ago and the > customer service rep told me the surcharge is $1.50. I called AT&T > also and they told me the surcharge is $2.00. So did I and Tom is correct. It is $1.50; of note: AT&T should be revised to be $1.94. 1-800-OPERATOR is $1.80. I went through at least five different offices to get the correct figures and I still suspect 1-800-COLLECT. More information from NYTel: Yes, the operator surcharge is $1.30 and if I get stuck at a slimeball phone, I can call 10-NYT-0 at one of the last resorts. However, in my particular case, since the collect calls from the kids are within a 10 mile radius in 99.999% of the cases, I ordered a "Call Home" card which carries a $.45 surcharge. Some people have suggested a lot of different numbers (800 style) but I was looking for simplicity pure and simple. Now, as to the owner of the phone, the billing service Operator Assistance Network, 7755 Haskell Avenue, Van Nuys, Ca. 91406, 1-800-944-0171, told me that the only record that they have is for an American Payphone Technology, no address or telephone number which I feel is a lie since they have to know who to forward the money to. Calls to 800-555-1212 was a strikeout as was the first person I talked to in NYTel (I wanted to know who the particular number was assigned to and if they didn't know who it was, then what are they in the business for anyway? The only thing that I can figure is that the company is somewhere else and has an unlisted number. More to come as I learn more about this. Dave Niebuhr Internet: niebuhr@bnl.gov / Bitnet: niebuhr@bnl Brookhaven National Laboratory Upton, LI, NY 11973 (516)-282-3093 Senior Technical Specialist: Scientific Computer Facility ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Jul 93 14:31:16 CDT From: Will Martin Subject: Re: Big Rivers > [Moderator's Note: How has telecom been affected throughout the area? > I know quite obviously that phones underwater in some homes or offices > are going to be out of service, but is there otherwise a problem with > slow dial tone, cables that are wet, etc? How has flood recovery > affected the normal course of telecom repairs/installations, etc? PAT] I have a newspaper-photo clipping in the pile of stuff I intend to US-mail to you, Pat, sometime, that shows an SW Bell repairperson hitching a ride on the scoop of a tractor-type dozer that is driving thru floodwaters off the Meramec in Fenton, MO. The caption says he is "disconnecting telephones that might be damaged by the flooding", but no details are given. (Pay phones or private phones? Why bother with private phones if they are not SW Bell property any more, and they're so cheap these days that it isn't worth risking life and limb to save ordinary phones? Maybe there's a PBX or something he was trying to save ...) But that's the only thing I ever saw related to phones in this flood (besides the Des Moines TV shot of those phones being bulldozed that someone else mentioned last week). No effect on my home phone service at all. Nothing in the news about "utility cutoffs" for flooded areas that even mentioned phones -- gas and electricity were all that were discussed. Sorry to have no dramatic info. Perhaps someone else can provide specifics. I am sure some cables had to have been snapped when bridges went out various places. Will ------------------------------ From: davep@carson.u.washington.edu (Dave Ptasnik) Subject: Re: Looking For Devices to Dial *67 Date: 26 Jul 1993 19:33:01 GMT Organization: University of Washington ericd@synoptics.com (Eric Davis) writes: > In article 11@eecs.nwu.edu, steve@mcnnet.mi.org (Steve Corso) writes: >> I am trying to locate a device that I can connect between the >> telephone line that comes in my house and all (not just one) of my >> telephones that automatically enters a code (such as *67 privacy mode) >> when I pick any phone in the house up to draw dial-tone. Does such a >> device exist? > I have been working on such a device for a few months now. > If interested, mail me ... Sorry Eric - Such a device already exists. It is called the HotShot dialer from Zoom telephonics, available for less than $50 at most electronics supply stores. Goes right on the line, you program it by sticking pins in a little circuit board. For more sophistication try the Demon Dialer by Zoom, lotsa cool features to enhance line capabilities. Multi-line applications with sophisticated needs? Mitel's SMarT-1 family really do the job. Lotsa dialers already out there, go to a Graybar near you. All of the above is nothing more than the personal opinion of - Dave Ptasnik davep@u.washington.edu ------------------------------ From: daveb%jaws@dsinet.dgtl.com (David Breneman) Subject: Re: New AM Band Violates No-Intercept Rule? Date: 26 Jul 93 19:33:24 GMT Organization: Digital Systems International, Redmond WA Michael Covington (mcovingt@aisun3.ai.uga.edu) wrote: > And many of us are sad about the ban on receivers that get the > cellular frequencies, for two reasons: (1) The proper technical solution > is to encrypt the signal at the _transmitter_; (2) Heretofore, > Americans had been allowed to buy radios that would tune any frequency > whatsoever; this is the very first peacetime ban on radio receivers > that I know of. (Although the receivers still aren't illegal to own, > merely illegal to market.) A few states have banned automotive radar detectors. As far as I know, this has never been seriously challenged in court. David Breneman Email: daveb@jaws.engineering.dgtl.com System Administrator, Software Engineering Services Digital Systems International, Inc. Voice: 206 881-7544 Fax: 206 556-8033 ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Jul 93 16:22:45 EDT From: andys@internet.sbi.com (Andy Sherman) Subject: Re: AT&T To Raise Rates August 1 In article 12@eecs.nwu.edu, TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM (Paul Robinson) writes: > AT&T is apparently moving its marketing focus off price. MCI said "We > do believe that competition has moved away from price. We think there > is price stability in the industry now." > Is this PR speak for saying that MCI will now also raise rates? :) In a word, ``Yes''. :^) In the same statement MCI said that they will do what it takes to remain competitive, but pointed out that their costs have been rising too. I think that telegraphs their intentions, and is in keeping with past behavior in similar circumstances. What AT&T did is sometimes referred to as "showing price leadership" in a market where margins are cut to the bone. Business LD margins are thin enough that you can expect the rest of the Big Three to match or nearly match AT&T's price increase, albeit quietly, and breath a sigh of relief. Andy Sherman Salomon Inc - Unix Systems Support - Rutherford, NJ (201) 896-7018 - andys@sbi.com or asherman@sbi.com ------------------------------ From: walsh@optilink.com (Mark Walsh) Subject: Re: Do We Have a Theme Song? Date: 26 Jul 93 19:52:27 GMT Organization: Optilink Corporation, Petaluma, CA In article , walker@beeble.omahug.org (Art Walker) wrote: > naddy@mips.ruessel.sub.org (Christian Weisgerber) writes: >> Well, there's 9.5.N.A.S.T.Y by WASP. > Or, along the same lines, "Spanked" by Van Halen. Or "Obscene Phone Caller" by Rockwell (Michael Jackson's cousin). Then there's "60-60-842" by the B-52s. Kraftwerk has many songs about telephones and related technology. Mark Walsh (walsh@optilink.com) -- UUCP: uunet!optilink!walsh Amateur Radio: KM6XU@WX3K -- AOL: BigCookie@aol.com -- USCF: L10861 ------------------------------ From: scheert@nic.cerf.net (Tom Scheer) Subject: Re: Escort Digital Cordless Telephone Date: 26 Jul 1993 20:42:27 GMT Organization: CERFnet Dial n' CERF Customer The Escort phone uses 100 different frequencies between 902 MHz and 928 MHz. It switches among them pseudo-randomly more than 20 times per second. This frequency agility and the fact that the audio is digitized are the things that make it very hard to scan. Tom Scheer scheert@cerf.net ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Jul 93 15:46:53 CDT From: varney@ihlpe.att.com Subject: Re: Information Wanted on AT&T Tech Journal Organization: AT&T Network Systems In article decrsc!leesweet@uunet.UU.NET (Lee Sweet) writes: > This was mentioned about three weeks ago in reference to Operator > Service standards or some such. Is this a publically available > journal? This Telecom Manager would like to know! Disclaimer: Not an advertisement.... {AT&T Technical Journal}, ISSN 8756-2324, published six times/year, Subscriptions: USA - 1 year, $50; 2 years, $90; 3 years, $120 Foreign - 1 year, $64; etc. Subscriptions and related correspondence to: Circulation Group, Room 3C-417, AT&T Bell Labs, 600 Mountain Ave., PO Box 636, Murray Hill, NJ 07974-0636 Current or recent issues are available from the above or by calling +1 908 582-4019 Back issues, and many {The Bell System Technical Journal} back issues are available from: AT&T Customer Information Center, PO Box 19901, Indianapolis, IN 46219 1 800 432-6600 or +1 317 352-8557 Photocopy/microfilm reprints are available from: University Microfilms International 1 800 521-0600 or +1 313 761-4700 "The {AT&T Technical Journal}'s purpose is to inform the company's scientists and engineers about AT&T technical advances related directly or indirectly to their work, and to share that information with readers outside the company." Sample issue: January/February 1993 (Vol. 72, Number 1, volume numbers continue from the older {The Bell System Technical Journal}). Theme: Video Communications "The Video Communications Decade" "VCTV: A Video-On-Demand Market Test" "A Multimedia Distance Learning Trial Using ISDN BRI" "The VideoPhone 2500 - Video Telephony on the Public Switched Network" "ISDN Personal Video" "A Standards-Based Multimedia Conferencing Bridge" "A Video-Codec Chip Set for Multimedia Applications" "Image and Video Coding Standards" "Innovation Briefs" A yearly index is also published around July. Al Varney - no opinions, just the facts ------------------------------ From: oppedahl@panix.com (Carl Oppedahl) Subject: Re: ADSL Hitched to ISDN: The Happy Couple? Date: 26 Jul 1993 17:02:53 -0400 Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC In Vance Shipley writes: >> Does it really need unshielded twisted pair? Local loops >> aren't normally twisted. Twisting decreases RF coupling between >> adjacent pairs substantially, but it's not standard for existing phone >> wiring, inside or outside. > I'm no expert but I'd say you're wrong, basically. All telephone > cables have their pairs twisted, it's a matter of how much. What we > generally call 'quad', the four wire green/red/black/yellow type stuff > found in most homes, is twisted, just not very much. It is usually > thought of as not being twisted. The vast majority of inside wire in > businesses is twisted, this is the commonly referred to 'twisted > pair'. I'm sure what you are thinking of is the sort of twisting used > in 'UTP' or 'unshielded twisted pair'. This type of wire, used for > voice and data transmission, has a much tighter twist; more twists per > foot. Er, most quad wire, with red, green, yellow, and black, is not twisted at all. Each wire runs the length of the cable, and its neighbors are the same along the length of the cable. So if you cut a cross section of the cable and find, say, red at the top and then clockwise from red it is green, yellow, and black ... then it will be the same at all other points on the cable. This means each pair in the cable is both capacitively and inductively coupled with the other pair in the cable, which is a sorry state of affairs. It is not uncommon to have annoying crosstalk between the pairs if both are in use. In contrast, most wire using striped colors (e.g. blue/white and white/blue) is twisted pairs. If you were to cut a cross section at several points along the way, you would find non-identical adjacencies. There is far less cross-talk between pairs, indeed often zero cross talk. > I'm not as familiar with outside plant as I am with inside plant but > I'm sure it is twisted to some extent. Have you ever noticed > telegraph lines? They tend top be twisted at every other pole or so. Most telco outside plant wire is twisted pair also. For all these reasons. The previous commenter is right, though, that cables differ on how frequent the twists of the twisted pair are. Carl Oppedahl AA2KW (patent lawyer) 1992 Commerce Street #309 Yorktown Heights, NY 10598-4412 voice 212-777-1330 ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Jul 1993 18:39:24 -0800 From: jeffw@triple-i.com (Jeff Wasilko) Subject: Re: Alpha Pagers Question Robert J. Canis wrote: > I was wondering if anybody knew anything about alpha pagers. My > understanding is that you need a little typewriter like box that you > must use to communicate with the pager. What I am wondering is there > a program that I can use with my modem to do the same thing? > I'm really interested in getting a pager, but I don't want to have to > buy the "box" to communicate with it. There is a program for Unix systems called tpage2. Use archie to find it. There is also a Windows program that's available, but I don't know it's name. There's a mailing list maintained by the author of tpage2 (Ixo-Owner@Warren.MENTORG.COM) where you could ask about the Windows software. Jeff Wasilko, Information International +1 617 275 7070 Application Support Specialist ------------------------------ From: lsp@panix.com (Lee S. Parks) Subject: Re: Experiences Wanted With BRI ISDN Date: 26 Jul 1993 18:59:37 -0400 Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC In oppedahl@panix.com (Carl Oppedahl) writes: > Has anyone in the New York Tel service area successfully signed up for > BRI ISDN? I find that it is like pulling teeth to get anyone at NYTel > to answer questions about it. Sure is hard. It took me three days just to get through to anyone. NYT told me that ISDN service wasn't quite ready in my area (West 73, 212-721, DMS-100), but would be in operation this fall. I bet. They also promised to immediately send me information, which I haven't gotten yet (over a month later). > Has anybody in the New York Tel service area successfully used the D > channel of ISDN for packet communications with anybody else? How > about one of the B channels for (non-voice) packet with anybody else? > I am told that the Second Avenue central office, which serves me, has > ISDN capability on only four exchanges (212-353, 529, 979, and 995) > and lacks it on any of the dozen or so other exchanges in that central > office. Pretty lame, seems to me. You can't imagine how lame they are. It took them three weeks of trying to cancel my Intelli-Dial and set-up Caller-ID on my lines at home. Nothing happened till I talked to a repair supervisor. But I'll post all this separately. > I am told that the West 73rd Street c.o. (the one serving panix) has > no ISDN capability whatsoever. Lame again. Maybe true now but, as noted above, this is scheduled to change this fall at least for one DMS-100 in that office. I don't know whether there is an x-bar or 1 or 1A ESS in there, but several exchanges served by that office do not support CLASS features, sending caller-id information or the -9901 service. > Same is supposedly the case for the Yorktown Heights c.o. which serves > my new law firm. Guess I should have thought of that before selecting > a firm location. Hmm, what co serves your office and what exchange. I know that at least (914) 941, 762, 238 and 945 seem to be either DMS-100's or 5ESS. > When I did manage to reach someone whose job was to know about ISDN, > they told me that NYTel charges $10 per month for BRI. Running > low-speed data over the D channel is an extra $2 per month. Running > your flexible choice of high-speed data or voice over a B channel is > an extra $2 per month. He was quite unable to say what packets cost > on the high or low speed paths. And all this is an added cost per > month above and beyond the cost of the voice telephone numbers carried > on the BRI. Let me know if you have any luck. We can exchange notes. NYNEX = the NY nothing exchange. lee (lsp@athena.mit.edu) ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Jul 1993 21:31:19 -0800 From: jeffw@triple-i.com (Jeff Wasilko) Subject: Re: Connecting Site A to Site B > The company I work for has a main office in Ventura, CA, and a few > remote sites scattered around the state. We have an AT&T System 75 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ My apologies (-; > Is there a way of making the extensions at this location that will get > new telephone hardware appear as if they were extensions of our 75 > switch in Ventura? The idea is to eliminate long distance charges when > we need to talk voice with that site. What hardware would we need at > each site? I assume another digital circuit will have to be set up > between the two sites. At what speed will this circuit have to be > rated? Dare I ask about cost? There are two things that you can do (depending on your needs at the remote site). 1) Put in a new PBX (if you need a small system, I can highly reccomend the Northern Telecom Norstar. Let me know if you'd like more info) and install a few TIE lines back to the main PBX. At the remote site, you might dial 9 to get an outside (local) line, and 8 would get you one of the TIE lines. You could then dial an extention on the Sys 75, or get outside dialtone from the Sys 75, etc. Likewise, Sys 75 users could get dialtone on the remote system. On PBXs with auto-route selection, you can automate this process. 2) If you only need a few extentions at the remote site, have the telco run a bunch of OPX (off-premise extentions) to the remote site and provide dialtone from the Sys 75. As far as doing it yourself, again I have two suggestions. 1) on the low end, Micom (805-583-8600) makes a neat box called a NetRunner. This takes your 56/64k leased line and allows you multiplex data (either async serial or ethernet via a bridge) and voice (voice calls are compressed at 2:1-6:1 and they sound a bit rough at 6:1). 2) at the high end, you can get a channel bank and share a T1 or fractional-T1 for your voice and data needs. The channel bank provides card slots for different kinds of services (async data, 64k voice slots, high-speed data, etc). They even make special cards that allow you to use digital sets as off-premise extentions (as far as I know there is only support for Northern Telecom sets right now, though). Another source for interesting OPX over T1 stuff is: Steve Burgess Digital Techniques Richardson, TX (214) 390-6224 (214) 727-1200 Jeff Wasilko, Information International +1 617 275 7070 Application Support Specialist ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #514 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa23893; 27 Jul 93 19:35 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA22691 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Tue, 27 Jul 1993 16:51:42 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA08392 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Tue, 27 Jul 1993 16:51:01 -0500 Date: Tue, 27 Jul 1993 16:51:01 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199307272151.AA08392@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #515 TELECOM Digest Tue, 27 Jul 93 16:51:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 515 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Conference on Molecular Nanotechnology (Mark Boolootian) The Electronic Newsstand (Mark Boolootian) Miami Herald Misinformation/Caller ID (ronnie@media.mit.edu) SIMTEL 20 Closing Down (Paul Robinson) Networks in Sarejevo? (Bruce Taylor) Information Wanted on SmartCards (Lars Kalsen) MCI Makes Buses? (Nigel Allen) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: booloo@framsparc.ocf.llnl.gov (Mark Boolootian) Subject: Conference on Molecular Nanotechnology Date: Tue, 27 Jul 1993 07:55:32 -0700 (PDT) SUMMARY: The first nanotechnology conference specifically for the computer community will be held in Palo Alto on October 14-16. It is designed for those interested in what nanotechnology will do for the computer field and in how to steer their careers toward nanotechnology today. The meeting is also of interest to those in other fields who want to learn more about molecular nanotechnology, that is, about thorough three-dimensional structural control of materials and devices at the molecular level. For further information, contact foresight@cup.portal.com. ANNOUNCEMENT: Third Foresight Conference on Molecular Nanotechnology: Computer-Aided Design of Molecular Systems October 14-16, 1993 Palo Alto, California Sponsor: Foresight Institute Cosponsors: Stanford University Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Molecular Graphics Society (USA), Institute for Molecular Manufacturing Support for nanotechnology has always been strong -- perhaps strongest -- within the computer community. The first nanotechnology course was taught in a computer science department, the first conference was sponsored by the same (along with Foresight Institute), the first Ph.D. was granted by a computer-oriented department (MIT's Media Lab), and the first text won the publishing industry's "best computer science book" award. A high proportion of those interested in nanotechnology are computer professionals of one flavor or another, and for years they have asked with increasing vigor "What can I do to further nanotechnology?" In response to these demands, Foresight's third research conference is especially designed to enable members of the computer community -- programmers, software engineers, hardware designers, and computer scientists in general -- to move their knowledge base and, ideally, their careers toward nanotechnology. All those with a computer background are urged to attend. The Third Foresight Conference on Molecular Nanotechnology: Computer-Aided Design of Molecular Systems will be held in Palo Alto on October 14-16, 1993. The meeting includes speakers who have made or are making the transition from computer science to nanotechnology. According to conference co-chair Ralph Merkle, "The main emphasis of this conference will be on computational approaches to the development of molecular manufacturing, in particular the use of molecular modeling and the development of molecular computer-aided design (CAD) tools. The conference will be valuable both for people who work professionally in computational chemistry and also for people who have a background in computer science and are interested in finding out what they can do to contribute to the development of molecular manufacturing. "There will also be a tutorial the day before the conference, so that people who have a background in computer science and wish to come up to speed in computational chemistry can get an introduction to the methodologies and techniques that are commonly used." The conference will feature fifteen or more speakers giving presenta- tions on topics relevant to the pursuit of molecular control. We can only sketch a few of these here: Joel Orr, Autodesk Fellow, past president of the National Computer Graphics Association, and president of the Virtual Worlds Society, will address CAD industry professionals, potential nanotech designers, and others interested in hearing about the special needs of nanotechnology with respect to CAD. In the macro and micro worlds, computer-aided design is optional: design can be done by hand. But in the nano world, CAD is essential. He will discuss: * Is standard CAD good enough for nanotech? * What are the characteristics of the ideal system? * Who is working on such systems? * When will results be available? * Nano a mano: What can be done by hand, without CAD? Virtual Reality for Nanotechnology Russell Taylor, a researcher at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, will be speaking on a subject of particular interest to two groups of people: (1) surface scientists who are interested in better interfaces to their instruments, and (2) builders of virtual worlds, since the system is an example of a virtual world applied to a scientific problem. The system under discussion, the Nanomanipulator, is an immersive virtual-environment interface to a Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM). A head-mounted display presents a scaled image of the surface being scanned by the STM in front of the user while a force-feedback Argone-III Remote Manipulator (ARM) allows the user to feel contours on the surface. Computer-controlled instrumentation allows the user to make bias pulses at specified locations, thus modifying the surface. Ted Kaehler, a computer scientist at Apple Computer, points out that we do not know how the first assembler will be built or what exact research is needed to get there. A person who is not a professional chemist or materials scientist, and yet wants to be involved in this effort, has to think about how his/her skills match the problem. In this talk, entitled "What Can a Programmer Do to Help Create Nanotechnology?", he discusses three efforts he has been involved in. The first is a program to discover voids inside large molecules. Programs that search for the proper design of a large molecule need to know where the empty spaces are. The second is a project to build the "relaxation server" on the Internet. This server accepts proposed molecules (via email messages) and computes the coordinates of the atoms. The results are sent back by email. The third project is a "program" of a different sort -- a meeting group. The "Assembler Multitude," a subgroup of the local Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility chapter -- meets every other Monday night in Palo Alto and covers a wide variety of nanotechnology-related topics. Charles Musgrave, a doctoral candidate at the California Institute of Technology, will talk about ab initio calculations for mechanosynthe- tic construction of diamondoid structures. Accurate transition state barriers for a positionally controlled reaction are necessary to both the design of the tool and the design of the synthetic process. If either of these designs is not practical, then an alternate structure is required. High level ab initio calculations are required to obtain accurate transition state structures and thus reliable mechanochemical modeling. J. Storrs Hall, Rutgers University, will be speaking on nanocomputing; particularly the expected developments in computer architecture that make use of reversibility to reduce heat dissipation. The techniques will be critical for nanocomputers, but are on the verge of becoming useful in VLSI, so the talk will be of interest to anyone in computer architecture as well as those studying molecular computers per se. Markus Krummenacker, an Institute for Molecular Manufacturing researcher, will be presenting a "cavity stuffer" program which should enable the design of macromolecules the size of proteins. These macromolecules should then be easily synthesizable and should also have specifiable interface surfaces so that they can self assemble. Additional talks include: * Introduction to the Design of Molecular Systems, by Eric Drexler, IMM * Computational Nanotechnology, by Ralph Merkle, Xerox PARC * Design of Macromolecular Objects, by Manfred Mutter, Institut de Chimie Organique * Molecular Modeling, by William Goddard, Caltech * Crystal-Based Molecular CAD, by Geoff Leach, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology * Visualization with Molecular Graphics, by Michael Pique, Scripps Research Institute * Modeling Diamond CVD with Density Functional Theory, by Warren Pickett, NRL * Ab Initio Methods and Software, by Charles Bauschlicher, NASA Ames * Atom Manipulation by Proximal Probes: Experiment and Theory, by Makoto Sawamura, Aono Atomcraft Project The first Nanotechnology Award (and accompanying cash prize) will be presented at the meeting. Nomination information will be available from Foresight Institute. DEMONSTRATIONS Leading vendors will demonstrate products useful in the pursuit of molecular control, including molecular modeling software and hardware, and proximal probe systems (e.g. STM). CALL FOR PAPERS Contributions on relevant topics are solicited for presentation in lecture or poster format. Potential contributors are asked to submit an abstract (200-400 words), including names, addresses, telephone and fax numbers of the author(s), and an indication of whether oral or poster presentation is preferred. Papers of both kinds will be reviewed for publication. In choosing papers, priority will be given to (1) cogent descriptions of the state of the art in techniques relevant to the construction of complex molecular systems, (2) well-grounded proposals for interdisciplinary efforts which, if funded and pursued, could substantially advance the state of the art, and (3) reports of recent relevant research. JOURNAL & BOOK PUBLICATION OF PROCEEDINGS Proceedings of the conference will be refereed and published in a special issue of the international journal Nanotechnology, and later in book form. Abstracts due August 15, 1993 Notification of acceptance September 1, 1993 Manuscripts due October 14, 1993 Abstracts should be directed to the Foresight Institute, Box 61058, Palo Alto, CA 94306, USA. PRE-CONFERENCE TUTORIAL A full-day tutorial on molecular modeling and computational chemistry will be held on October 13. This tutorial is designed for computer scientists and programmers interested in using their computer skills to become active in the field of nanotechnology. The workshop will be taught by Bill Goddard, Ralph Merkle, Eric Drexler and others. More detailed information, including registration materials, will be sent to all conference registrants. SITE AND ACCOMMODATIONS Conference sessions will be held at the Hyatt Rickeys Hotel in Palo Alto. Accommodation arrangements should be made directly with the hotel. Reservations should be made by September 29; when making reservations, mention that you are attending the "Foresight Nanotechnology Conference" to obtain the lower conference room rate. Deposits in the amount of the first night's stay plus tax are required to guarantee reservations; these are refundable up to 6 PM on the date of arrival. Room rate: $89, single or double occupancy, plus 10% local tax. Hyatt Rickeys 4219 El Camino Real Palo Alto, CA 94306 (415) 493-8000 tel (415) 424-0836 fax TRANSPORTATION The conference site is easily reached from San Francisco International Airport and San Jose International Airport. Information on ground transportation services will be mailed to registrants. REGISTRATION FORM (please print and mail or fax) Name: Title: Dr. Prof. Ms. Mr. Address: Tel.: Fax: Email: Position (programmer, professor, director, etc.): Organizational affiliation (for your badge): The registration fee includes the scientific program, Wednesday evening reception, Thursday and Friday luncheons, and a copy of the proceedings journal issue. (Student and one-day rates do not include proceedings.) postmarked: by Sept. 1 after Sept. 1 Regular $350 $400 Academic, nonprofit, governmental $275 $325 Student $100 $125 One day (specify day) $135 $160 Add $200 for Pre-conference Tutorial registration. Total amount: $ Payment may be made by VISA, MasterCard, check, or international money order valid in the U.S. Make checks payable to "Foresight Conferences"; checks and bank drafts must be in U.S. dollars drawn on a U.S. bank. Refunds of registration fees can only be made on receipt of a written request which must be postmarked no later than September 15, and are subject to a $50 administrative fee. Credit card registrations may be faxed; please do not send credit card information over the Internet. Card #: Exp. date: Signature (required for credit card registrations): Mail or fax registration to: Foresight Institute Box 61058, Palo Alto CA 94306 USA Tel. 415-324-2490 Fax 415-324-2497 Internet: foresight@cup.portal.com ------------------------------ From: booloo@framsparc.ocf.llnl.gov (Mark Boolootian) Subject: The Electronic Newsstand Date: Tue, 27 Jul 1993 08:08:48 -0700 (PDT) Contact : Paul Vizza (202) 331-7494 Info@enews.com ELECTRONIC NEWSSTAND Launched on the Global Internet (New York, July 25, 1993)-- The New Republic, Inc. of Washington, D.C. and The Internet Company of Hudson, MA today launched Electronic Newsstand Inc., a new company created to market subscription and single copy sales for magazine publishers via the Global Internet -- the worldwide computer communications network spanning more than 45 countries and five continents. The new company will also be involved in providing advertisers access to Internet. "We think this could become the newest and most efficient subscription source for a wide range of publishers," says Jeffrey Dearth, President of The New Republic magazine, founder and CEO of Electronic Newsstand Inc. "The estimated 10 to 15 million Internet users can browse the table of contents and selected articles from the publications of our newsstand 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and send orders to us electronically. It's like being in the mail every day as far as circulation acquisition is concerned. The publishing industry has been looking for a new subscription source, and this is it, particularly as the Internet continues to grow among consumers." Publications that have signed up during the launch phase include: {The New Yorker, The Economist, The New Republic, Foreign Affairs, National Review, Technology Review, Eating Well, Outside Magazine, The Journal of NIH Research, The Source, and New Age Journal}. These magazines will receive subscription and single copy orders daily via electronic mail generated by Electronic Newsstand. Other publications will be invited to participate in the Electronic Newsstand in the coming months. "The culture of the Global Internet is such that the information it provides is shared freely and openly among its users," said Robert Raisch, President of The Internet Company, and COO of Electronic Newsstand. "That's why each of our first wave of publishers will be providing a table of contents and one or more editorial features free through Electronic Newsstand to users on the Internet." "The idea is that the more people are exposed to a magazine's editorial content, the more likely they are to be interested in subscribing to a hard copy, or in purchasing a single issue. We've tested this concept on one on-line computer network, and it works. Since the Internet is really a collection of thousands of computer networks, all of which share the same information, it's the next logical step," adds Dearth. "The Internet Company was formed specifically to develop opportunities like Electronic Newsstand," says Raisch. "Electronic Newsstand represents one of the first attempts to develop general content specifically for the Global Internet. As Internet users visit our 'store', so to speak, we will provide them with valuable information about a wide range of products and services and this will allow them to make truly informed purchasing decisions." "Our service is designed to showcase an advertiser's products and services -- providing a 'point of presence' from which they can represent their products and take orders. Once a customer accesses our service, we are able to collect information from customers actively, by asking questions, or passively, by simply watching where they visit and what documents they retrieve," Raisch continues. "Most users access the Global Internet by using personal computers over traditional communications channels -- channels which excel at transfering simple text. As these channels become faster and more powerful, we'll provide a full multimedia service, including pictures, sound and video, all over the same channel. In the meantime, the Internet can serve vast amounts of information to benefit advertisers and their customers. It's a win-win scenario." Connecting to Electronic Newsstand -- Connections to the Electronic Newsstand are made via the 'gopher' protocol to host 'gopher.netsys.com' on port 2100. If you are unable to use gopher to access this host, you can telnet to gopher.netsys.com, login: enews If you have any difficulties, please send mail to 'staff@enews.com' ------------------------------ From: ronnie@media.mit.edu Subject: Miami Herald Misinformation/Caller ID Date: Tue, 27 Jul 93 9:57:01 EDT The Florida Public Utilities Commision is having a public hearing on August 17th about the addition of name delivery to caller ID in the state of Florida. {The Miami Herald} printed an article on its front page today, "describing" the feature, and opposition to it. I was astounded by the editorial nature of this article and the complete one-sidedness. There are also several examples of complete falsehoods: "But as with the current service, trying to block your name and phone number by dialing an asterisk and then '67' won't help here. You'll simply get a recording saying the person you're calling won't accept I.D. calls." A DEA agent is quoted as complaining that they won't be able to do their job because "everyone will have their name and number when they call." The only almost-positive thing they say about it is well-hidden: "While Deluxe I.D. may make life more difficult for heavy breathers and other telephone abusers, there are ways around this name game. The service doesn't pick up name information from pay phones or cellular phones. Also, secrecy is as easy as calling from a phone other than your own. Plus the service only reveals the Southern Bell customer's name -- for instance, if your daughter or son makes a phone call to someone with the service, you or your spouse's name would be flashed on the screen." Ron ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Jul 1993 01:43:52 -0400 (EDT) Reply-To: 0005066432@MCIMAIL.COM Subject: SIMTEL 20 Closing Down From: Paul Robinson Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring, MD USA The massive archive site WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, USA, which is home to more than two gigabytes of files for many computer systems, including MSDOS, Unix, VMS and some mainframes, will be shut down by its operators as of September 20, 1993. Unless a new home is found for the archives, this major archive site will vanish. This is a major archive and if it is possible to save it, then it should not be allowed to just disappear. If anyone knows of a site that can house the master archives, please send a message to Keith Petersen Mr. Petersen is trying to find a new home for the master archives. Note that many of the older files are on CD-ROM, so it is not absolutely necessary that a site dedicate two GB of disk space, as perhaps 3/4 of this is on CDs, so the option would be to loan perhaps 4 CD slots in an optical jukebox, along with perhaps 500 meg of disk space. Please pass this message to any list that might find it of interest. Thank you. Paul Robinson -- TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM [Moderator's Note: This is going to be a major loss to the net. How I wish there were a way I could help! I sit here many days with fantasies about 'what I would do if I won the lottery'. Now personally, I've learned to make do in my personal life with very little these days, but there are so many worthy causes which I'd spend the time and money on if I had it, one being the establishment of a not-for-profit site to store numerous archives, distribute e-journals and the like. We (in an editorial sense) need so badly to bring email and network conn- ectivity to the common person at an affordable price in an easy to use format. I have all the plans and ideas; none of the money. To do a slight paraphrase on John Bunyan's poem, "I feel oppressed by things undone; I wish my dreams and deeds were one." Good luck to the keeper of the SIMTEL archives; I hope a new home is found soon. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Bruce Taylor Subject: Networks in Sarejevo? Date: Tue, 27 Jul 1993 11:01:21 -0400 Organization: Telecommunications, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA (Apologies for the spelling of the place-name ... chalk it up to not watching TV or reading the papers ...) I was just asked to give ideas on how to establish email or network connectivity into Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. The idea is to create a portable set of equipment that could support a few users with e-mail, or perhaps several users with full internet connectivity. Does anyone know what is currently available (read as "remaining") in the way of communications infrastructure there? All thoughts and comments are welcome, and appreciated! Bruce Taylor (blt@cmu.edu) (412) 268-6249 New Projects Coordinator, Telecommunications, Carnegie Mellon University [Moderator's Note: You know it is too bad our European correspondent Richard Budd is off line for a month or so. Maybe he will see this and respond anyway. He has been in Poland and other nearby areas for a couple years now at least working with schools, etc in setting up connections to the net among other things. I *know* he could fill you in with a lot of details and prove quite helpful. Richard, are you out there? PAT] ------------------------------ From: dalk@login.dkuug.dk (Lars Kalsen) Subject: Information Wanted on SmartCards Organization: DKnet Date: Tue, 27 Jul 1993 15:28:18 GMT Does someone have an idea of how many smartcards there are produced in the world totally. I would be interested in both memory cards and microprocessor cards -- split up on the two. I would also like to know if someone has specific figures for the telecom sector. If you have any idea -- or if you know where I can find the information -- please E-mail me. Greetings, Lars Kalsen dalk@login.dkuug.dk ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Jul 93 01:32:18 EDT From: ae446@freenet.carleton.ca (Nigel Allen) Subject: MCI Makes Buses? Organization: Echo Beach Reply-To: ae446@freenet.carleton.ca hpa@ahab.eecs.nwu.edu (H. Peter Anvin N9ITP) asks: > Do the city busses labelled "MCI" have anything to do > with Microwave Communications, Inc.? The MCI that makes buses is Motor Coach Industries, which I believe is a subsidiary of Dial Corporation, a conglomerate which is best known for its soaps and detergents. The bus maker, which traditionally specialized in highway buses, purchased General Motors city bus manufacturing operations a few years go. MCI and Greyhound Bus Lines used to be a good example of vertical integration, Bell System-style, in which MCI would build buses and Greyhound would operate them. Both were subsidiaries of Greyhound Corporation (which eventually merged with Dial Corporation) until Greyhound Bus Lines' management responded to increasing competition from discount air travel by trying to reduce the wages of drivers and mechanics and, when the inevitable strike happened, using replacement workers. Eventually, Greyhound Bus Lines filed for Chapter 11 reorganization. The old Greyhound Corporation also ran some businesses which didn't have much to do with moving people and parcels from one city to another: a computer leasing company, for example. Eventually, that was sold. Greyhound Bus Lines is still in business, and I assume that virtually all its buses are still built by MCI. Nigel Allen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada ae446@freenet.carleton.ca ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #515 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa27386; 27 Jul 93 21:38 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA23860 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Tue, 27 Jul 1993 18:29:08 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA30263 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Tue, 27 Jul 1993 18:28:25 -0500 Date: Tue, 27 Jul 1993 18:28:25 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199307272328.AA30263@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #516 TELECOM Digest Tue, 27 Jul 93 18:28:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 516 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Who or What is the Premiere Group? (Greg Abbott) Recorded Collect Operator (Page Carter) Data Transport (was Re: TrueVoice) (David G.Lewis) Revisit the Orange Card - Busy Signal? (Carl Moore) Lowest Cost 1-800 Number? (Patrick Nta) Interactioe Voice Response (Seth B. Rothenberg) Re: List of Calling Number Announcement Numbers (Rich Greenberg) Re: Local Ringback Number Wanted (Mark Malson) What is TrueVoice? (David W Hatunen) Re: AT&T True Voice (Randy Gellens) Re: Why the AT&T TrueVoice Demo Asks For Your Number (Andy Sherman) Re: Why the AT&T TrueVoice Demo Asks For Your Number (guy@intgp1.att.com) Re: When Will General Computing Conquer Telecom Switching? (A N Ananth) Re: When Will General Computing Conquer Telecom Switching? (John Nagle) Re: Beware of "Toner-Phoners"! (Sean Slattery) Re: Beware of "Toner-Phoners"! (Tom Olin) Re: Beware of "Toner-Phoners"! (Bill Nott) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 27 Jul 1993 12:13:16 -0600 (CST) From: Greg Abbott Reply-To: gabbott@uiuc.edu Subject: Who or What is the Premiere Group? Has anyone ever heard of a business or group called something like "Premiere Group"? They conduct phone solicitation to update reverse directories published by themselves or someone else. Recently, we have received several calls from irate citizens asking why they have to tell us how many children are in the house and where they work before we'll send fire trucks out to their house. After questioning several of these callers, our Telecommunicators determined that the solicitors stated that they were updating the "9-1-1 Information" for this area and without the information they were asking for, fire trucks couldn't be sent to their home in the case of an emergency. Nothing could be further from the truth. We have all of the information we need from the phone company records. I have court orders which allow me to have access to this information. Further, we don't care where they work at (how many kids they have can be helpful if there's a fire, but it's not something we're going to build a database on ahead of time). I've seen directories which publish this information for local business use. It is a valuable tool to have. I just wish they wouldn't reference 9-1-1 when they're trying to update their information. I have tried without success to locate their offices. They do not appear to be operating out of Illinois. If anyone has any information on who they are, or where I might contact them, please let me know. I would like to have a little chat with them. Thanks! [Moderator's Note: What a disgraceful operation! Please, if you find out who they are and that they are in fact making such inquiries and claiming to represent emergency authorities, *make every effort to put them out of business*. Like your town, emergency officials here in Chicago have standing court orders to serve on Illinois Bell at any time day or night, and contacts are available at IBT 24 hours daily to provide any and all information needed including non-pub numbers or to assist with emergency installs, etc. No private firm should ever be allowed to pull off this kind of misrepresentation. PAT] ------------------------------ From: rcarter@nic.ddn.mil (Page Carter) Subject: Recorded Collect Operator Date: Tue, 27 Jul 93 8:18:24 EDT I had a weird experience over this past weekend. I was sitting quietly reading in my cabin, isolated in the mountains of West Virginia, and listening to the calls of barred owls and whip-poor-wills. Suddenly my phone rang. This was rather surprising, since no no one knew I was there. I answered with my usual "hello?". I was greeted with a recorded woman's voice, "I have a collect call for anyone from `LENNY' (tough sounding mail voice) in a correctional institution." At this point I quickly hung up, not wishing to talk to Lenny, whoever he was. The frustrating thing was that there was no human operator to tell that Lenny obviously (I hope) had the wrong number. A few minutes later the phone rang again four times, then stopped. I ignored it this time. I later tried to place a call, but the phone was now dead! Somehow, in retrospect, this all seems more sinister than it did at the time. I could write a good mystery story around this, but actually nothing more happened. I called repair service the next morning, and they promised repair in 24 hours. When I left 28 hours later, the phone still was not working! Thank you GTE South. :-( The use of recorded collect messages obviously reduces operator time, but there should be some way to get a human back when there is a problem with the call. I was afraid to say anything since the equipment might decide I had said "yes" and charge me, and besides I didn't want to talk to Lenny. [Moderator's Note: Is the phone working now? Try dialing the number and see what you get. Regards outbound calls from prisons and jails a scandal is developing which involves inmates not only being captive in the institutions but being captive to how their calls are handled. I am told Cook County Jail here in Chicago has set their inmate phones up with some greedy AOS; inmates get no choice except to place calls through the AOS and their families/friends on the receiving end of the call get no choice but to accept (and pay the AOS rates) or decline the call. Naturally, it is done with recorded/computerized handling which gives rise to much fraud through message passing via the recorded 'name'. People like yourself get pestered to death and legitimate receivers of calls get stuck with rates of eight dollars for a three minute call as was described to me by a contact here in town. Maybe a suit needs to be started to at least give inmates the right to choose the desired carrier for the collect call, or at least a choice between Genuine Bell and the AOS. But something tells me Geuine Bell did not really object to losing the account at Cook County Jail. PAT] ------------------------------ From: deej@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (david.g.lewis) Subject: Data Transport (was Re: TrueVoice) Organization: AT&T Date: Tue, 27 Jul 1993 13:54:22 GMT In article Scot Wilcoxon writes: > {Communication Week}, in an article about long-distance digital, > explained the 64Kbps digital local services are difficult to extend > because long distance circuits are using 56Kbps. The article mentions > that AT&T has been working on that problem and 64Kbps links are now > available in 12 cities. I didn't see the CommWeek article, so I don't know if they're misstating the case or if you misinterpreted it, but the above statement isn't exactly right. 64kb/s digital local services are difficult to extend because many of the access trunks between LECs and IXCs capable of handling switched digital services are 56kb/s trunks. Within the IXCs' networks, much if not all of the switched digital network is 64kb/s clear channel capable -- if you have two PRIs from AT&T, you can run 64kb/s clear (or, for that matter, 384kb/s clear or 1536kb/s clear) between them. It's the link between the IXCs and LECs that is largely 56kb/s, and work is underway to convert 56kb/s Circuit Switched Data Capability (CSDC -- in-band signaled 56kb/s data trunks) access trunks to SS7-NI signaled 64kb/s clear channel access trunks. David G Lewis AT&T Bell Laboratories david.g.lewis@att.com or !att!goofy!deej Switching & ISDN Implementation ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Jul 93 13:37:08 EDT From: Carl Moore Subject: Revisit the Orange Card - Busy Signal? A while back, I wrote of getting a busy signal of high pitch and different frequency mix (this is not the fast busy signal) than the one I am accustomed to for the electronic exchanges. On Saturday July 24, I had occasion to call a number in such an exchange, and got that busy signal. The next day, I was at the location of that number, and I went to that phone and dialed its own number, and got the EXPECTED busy signal for that exchange. Pat Townson suggested earlier that the strange busy signal did indeed suggest that the receiving line was busy; does this offer any more hints about it? [Moderator's Note: Might it have been a 'no-circuits' busy, or even a busy signal from LCI (the Orange carrier)? PAT] ------------------------------ From: pnta@warren.med (Patrick Nta) Subject: Lowest Cost 1-800 Number? Date: Tue, 27 Jul 1993 13:10:26 +0100 Organization: Harvard Medical School Which company offers the lowest 1-800 number for small business? [Moderator's Note: It depends on who you ask and what is your definition of 'small business'. Your application counts a lot here also in choosing. Metromedia offers a low monthly cost service but with high 'per minute' rates. If you can support a few hundred dollars per month in 800 calls, various resellers of AT&T (such as FIBERCOM, a company I represent) can place you on the AT&T Software Defined Network and get you rates of 9-12 cents per minute on 800 calls. For smaller users, I resell 800 number service at rates of 17-22 cents per minute with no monthly service fee or installation fee. MCI also has 800 numbers where many people share the same common number then insert a PIN to route the call accordingly. PAT] ------------------------------ From: rothen+@pitt.edu (Seth B Rothenberg) Subject: Interactioe Voice Response Date: 27 Jul 93 21:10:09 GMT Organization: University of Pittsburgh I am writing a paper for my telephone systems class on Interactive Voice Response. I would like to know if anyone on the net has experience managing or selling these systems? One thing I have not seen info on yet is IVR services. My Mortgage company said that they use a service, where they send out a tape (I don't believe that :-) daily, and the phone number I dial is to the service bureau's mainframe. (A pair of 486's each with four 4-channel cards provide the front end according to the Service Rep at the bank). Thanks for your help. Seth PS: Please reply directly as I am about 400 messages behind. I will summarize. ------------------------------ From: richgr@netcom.com (Rich Greenberg) Subject: Re: List of Calling Number Announcement Numbers Organization: Netcom Online Communications Services (408-241-9760) Date: Tue, 27 Jul 1993 04:51:15 GMT In article djcl@io.org (woody) writes: > [After checking all the incoming mail for this list, it's time to post > the current collection of ANAC codes.] > 310 211.2345 (English response) > 310 211.2346 (DTMF response) One more data point: In the 310-649 exchange, 211.2345 gave a series of tones, all sounding the same. 2346 gave a voice (lousy quality) readback, and 2347 gave DTMF. (I didn't decode the dtmf.) (Pac Bell territory.) Rich Greenberg Work: ETi Solutions, Oceanside CA 619-631-5280 N6LRT TinselTown, USA Play: richgr@netcom.com 310-649-0238 I speak for myself only. ------------------------------ From: kgw2!markm@uunet.UU.NET (Mark Malson) Subject: Re: Local Ringback Number Wanted Organization: Xetron Corporation Date: Tue, 27 Jul 1993 20:06:48 GMT In article , Bob Hofkin wrote: > Last time I asked at the C&P business office, their answer was to have > a friend call me. This after some discussion, apparently. It would > be real nice to cite a specific regulation. Gee, I just always dial "0" and ask whoever answers for a ringback. I've never had anyone refuse ... Mark Malson markm@xetron.com ------------------------------ From: hatunen@netcom.com (David W Hatunen) Subject: What is TrueVoice? Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest) Date: Tue, 27 Jul 1993 05:03:57 GMT The subject line says it all. What is it? DAVE HATUNEN (hatunen@netcom.com) [Moderator's Note: In brief, it is an enhancement to the sound quality on AT&T connections which make your voice sound 'more true'. :) You may want to read over back issues of this Digest during the past two weeks for quite a few messages cussing and discussing this feature and its technical angles. Is it an improvement? Who knows! Read on. PAT] ------------------------------ From: RANDY@MPA15AB.mv-oc.Unisys.COM Date: 27 JUL 93 01:18 Subject: Re: AT&T True Voice > [Moderator's Note: I don't think they ask for your number so they can > sic a telemarketer on you. After all, if they relied on ANI they > would still have to compare their own records with the ANI to see who > was a customer already and who was not. Has it occurred to anyone > they might be listening to *your* touchtones and then doing a little > last minute adjustment on their end (regards the sound quality based > on what the circuit is like between you and them) before they begin > the demo? PAT] I called once, and entered my number and tried the demo. Then I called back and didn't enter my number. An operator came on and asked for my number. When I asked why it was needed, she asked if I had a touch-tone phone. When I said I did, she asked me to press the "6" key. When I did, she thanked me and said she'd connect me back into the demo, but I got a message saying the demo was temporarily unavailable. So it does seem that they want to hear your tones, but that doesn't explain why they ask for your number. Perhaps they want you to hear the difference from your home (they specifically ask for your *home* number), which may be different then the number you are calling from, and use the number you enter to get the distance from their logical demo center to your home. For paranoids who don't want to give their number (as if ANI didn't reveal all), they use characteristics of the received digit. Randy Gellens randy@mv-oc.unisys.com A Series System Software [if mail bounces, please Unisys Corporation forward bounce msg to Mission Viejo, CA rgellens@mcimail.com] Opinions are personal; facts are suspect; I speak only for myself| ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Jul 93 10:04:30 EDT From: andys@internet.sbi.com (Andy Sherman) Subject: Re: Why the AT&T TrueVoice Demo Asks For Your Number [ Jack and Pat and a cast of thousands speculate as to why the TrueVoice demo asks for your home phone number. ] I think the answer is much more straightforward than people speculate. TrueVoice seems to be aimed at the consumer market, since it is being pitched as part of the i-Plan, which is a residential program. I suspect that a *LOT* of people call from their places of employment, especially during the daytime. The ANI does not identify the *residential* subscriber. Since they are interested in selling residential long distance, they ask. Note that the script is quite specific. They do not ask from what number you are calling. They ask for your *home* phone number. By the way, I can't imagine that it would be illegal for an IXC to pass customer information to a firm that is under contract to conduct its business for it. That contractor is the IXC's agent and acting on its behalf, and all restrictions on the IXC should pass through to it. Now it probably *is* illegal would be for the contractor to retain the information for its own use, or to use it for other than the contracted purposes. Andy Sherman Salomon Inc - Unix Systems Support - Rutherford, NJ (201) 896-7018 - andys@sbi.com or asherman@sbi.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Jul 93 17:21:53 EDT From: guy@intgp1.att.com Subject: Re: Why the AT&T TrueVoice Demo Asks For Your Number Organization: AT&T > because some people calling the demo line are calling from their > office line, a payphone or someone else's home. > [Moderator's Note: But what possible difference could it make? PAT] Oh come on Pat, there are lots of very reasonable things they could do with that data, you must have thought of some. 1.) I'm sure the people who running the campaign want to know if it's a success. What better way than keep track of how many people call the demo then switch? 2.) They may want to use the data as a marketing angle, ie. followup calls or letters with somthing like: Thank you for trying TrueVoice* Now that you've heard our new sound, wouldn't you like all your long distance calls to sound that good. Disclaimer: I do not have any direct connection to the LD folks at AT&T nor knowledge of TrueVoice other than what I've seen here and in the ads. *TrueVoice must be a registered [trade|service]mark of AT&T. ------------------------------ From: ananth@access.digex.net (A N Ananth) Subject: Re: When Will General Computing Conquer Telecom Switching? Date: 27 Jul 1993 11:48:19 -0400 Organization: Biligiri International, Ellicott City, MD USA In article Chris_Brady@motsat.sat. mot.com (Chris Brady) writes: > It seems as though the latest central office switches are still > offered on proprietary software -- and frequently, hardware -- > platforms > Nonetheless, there have been efforts in Bellcore and elsewhere to > essentially reduce the CO switch to a peripheral of a general purpose > computer, and thus enjoy the supposed benefits of riding more popular > technology curves. What is interesting is that most data communication switch vendors also started out in this way with proprietary busses and custom hardware. A short list includes folks like Ericsson, NT, Telenet and even the lower end of the spectrum like Plantronics -- *but* there is definite move afoot away from this trend. The lower end switch manufacturers are moving toward PC chassis and some of the higher end switches are moving toward VME cages. Recently, I heard that Ericsson may be moving the ERIPAX line toward VME cages -- away from custom hardware. In fact most VSAT systems (including those that handle voice) are based on commercially available hardware and busses. These developments have given rise to a plethora of card manufacturers. IMO, since COs predate these developments, it is likely that they were originally designed with custom hw (like early data switches) and inertia dictates that it's going to take a while for the thinking to turn toward the gains to be had by switching to off-the-shelf hw. ananth Work: (410) 765-9281 ------------------------------ From: nagle@netcom.com (John Nagle) Subject: Re: When Will General Computing Conquer Telecom Switching? Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest) Date: Tue, 27 Jul 1993 22:08:48 GMT Chris_Brady@motsat.sat.mot.com (Chris Brady) writes: > It seems as though the latest central office switches are still > offered on proprietary software -- and frequently, hardware -- > platforms. This appears to me to be due to the stringent real time > expectations we have placed on telephony, combined with strict > requirements for massive throughput, data integrity, system > availability and environmental conditions. Nonetheless, there have > been efforts in Bellcore and elsewhere to essentially reduce the CO > switch to a peripheral of a general purpose computer, and thus enjoy > the supposed benefits of riding more popular technology curves. I'd > be interested in discussion on why this vision is not being realized > in the CO market: do the technical constraints really demand > proprietary computer implementations, or are there market forces that > are disincenting major telecom providers from making this leap? The interesting thing is that COs still mostly follow the model of a big dumb crosspoint run as a computer peripheral. One would think by now that switches would be much more distributed, with little CPUs all through the switch fabric. But given the amount of trouble people still have designing distributed systems, it's not clear that using lots of little CPUs would improve reliability, and might well make it worse. Still, it would be interesting to see something as distributed as a step-by-step office implemented in modern hardware. Even something designed like a #5 crossbar, where all common resources were part of sizable resource pools and any resource could be taken out of service without much trouble, would seem to be an improvement over current designs. It ought to be possible to design something that can equal the switch downtime record of the electromechanical era, but at modern error rates. The existing technologies reflect the design of the 1ESS, which was a mainframe computer controlling a dumb switch fabric. John Nagle ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Jul 93 13:38 GMT From: Sean Slattery Subject: Re: Beware of "Toner-Phoners"! > PAT notes: >> Those same bozos were selling mimeograph paper, carbon paper >> and typewriter ribbons thirty years ago using the same >> sneaky tactics. PAT] > With all due respect to our Moderator and the original poster > of this thread, I can't honestly see what is wrong with > individuals doing this. We have been stung by this scam a couple of times. What's wrong with individuals doing this is that they represent themselves as "your regular supplier". This is why it is fraud. Of course it is very hard to prove. When we got the bill we refused to pay and shipped them back their toner (well, some toner :-)) cartridges. We got one call from their account payable, we said the key words "attorney general's office" and never heard from them again. This happened about four years ago. Our policy is that all calls that result in orders being placed MUST originate from our office, the ole' don't call us we'll call you. On LD carriers who call and call and call: Tell them "corporate" now dictates your LD policy and they have instructed you not to give out their number or any other information. Sometimes the caller hangs up without saying anything at all, just "Click!". This tactic has reduced my time on the phone by about ten percent each week. Sean Slattery | Airflow Research | vonslatt@mcimail.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Jul 93 11:01:56 EDT From: adiron!tro@uunet.UU.NET (Tom Olin) Subject: Re: Beware of "Toner-Phoners"! Mr. Broadfield asks a very good question about alleged "toner fraud" - namely, what is fraudulent about getting idiots to pay inflated prices for toner - and PAT immediately veers off the road and dives into a tirade about the sins of the Department of Justice and Bill Clinton. In the meantime, Mr. Broadfield's question remains unanswered. Here's my answer to that question. First, I quote: > Law enforcement officials say that toner fraud is hard to prove and > almost impossible to eliminate. Mr. Broadfield, the law enforcement officials are just trying to be polite. To find out what they really mean, change the quoted statement as follows: 1. Change "toner fraud" to "stupidity". 2. Change "prove" to "explain". 3. Drop the word "almost". As for PAT, I suggest that he drink more coffee or less -- I'm not sure which it is. :) Tom Olin tro@partech.com (315)738-0600, Ext 638 (FAX)738-8304 PAR Technology Corporation * 220 Seneca Turnpike * New Hartford NY 13413 ------------------------------ From: Bill=Nott%Graphics=Dev%PCPD=Hou@bangate.compaq.com Subject: Re: Re: Beware of "Toner-Phoners"! Date: 27 Jul 1993 14:06:40 -0500 Organization: Compaq Computer Corporation My wife worked at a place that was scammed like this *once*. It seems that the "scamee" does not agree to any purchase on the phone -- that once the outside "company" learns the necessary details, they just deliver the goods, and then invoice by mail. The hope is that the person who pays the invoices assumes the stuff was ordered legitimately, etc. Sometimes it works; in this case it didn't, due to a cross check system that was in place. They must assume small businesses don't feel the need for such protection. Believe it or not, the same guy (judging by the sound of his voice) tried it again several times! Bill ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #516 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa28764; 27 Jul 93 22:29 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA07816 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Tue, 27 Jul 1993 19:43:26 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA30025 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Tue, 27 Jul 1993 19:42:47 -0500 Date: Tue, 27 Jul 1993 19:42:47 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199307280042.AA30025@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #517 TELECOM Digest Tue, 27 Jul 93 19:42:45 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 517 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Re: Beware of "Toner-Phoners"! (Fred Ennis) Re: Connecting Site A to Site B (Paul Cook) Re: Mercury in the UK - The Right Choice? (Richard Tomlinson) Re: New AM Band Violates No-Intercept Rule? (Arthur Rubin) Re: Dark Fibre (Richard Cox) Re: Information Wanted on AT&T Tech Journal (guy@intgp1.att.com) Re: International Videoconferencing Directory Available (Bob Frankston) Re: Call Trace is Bogus (Jeffrey Jonas) Re: Incoming Calls to Airphone? (Gordon Hlavenka) Re: What is This Number? (Jeffrey Jonas) Source For Old Telephones (David L Kindred) Re: Sources For Restoring Vintage Phone? (Ed Greenberg) Correction of Phone Number (Re: Cellular Propagation Simulator (C Moore) Re: Do We Have a Theme Song? (Martin McCormick) ---------------------- TELECOM Digest is an e-journal devoted mostly -- but not exclusively -- to discussions on voice telephony. The Digest is a not-for-profit public service published frequently by Patrick Townson Associates. PTA markets a no-surcharge telephone calling card and a no monthly fee 800 service. In addition, we are resellers of AT&T's Software Defined Network. For a detailed discussion of our services, write and ask for the file 'products'. The Digest is delivered at no charge by email to qualified subscribers on any electronic mail service connected to the Internet. To join the mail- ing list, write and tell us how you qualify: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu. All article submissions MUST be sent to our email address: telecom@eecs. nwu.edu -- NOT as replies to comp.dcom.telecom. Back issues and numerous other telephone-related files of interest are available from the Telecom Archives, using anonymous ftp lcs.mit.edu. Login anonymous, then 'cd telecom-archives'. At the present time, the Digest is also ported to Usenet at the request of many readers there, where it is known as 'comp.dcom.telecom'. Use of the Digest does not require the use of our products and services. The two are separate. All articles are the responsibility of the individual authors. Organi- zations listed, if any, are for identification purposes only. The Digest is compilation-copyrighted, 1993. **DO NOT** cross-post articles between the Digest and other Usenet or alt newsgroups. Do not compile mailing lists from the net-addresses appearing herein. Send tithes and love offerings to PO Box 1570, Chicago, IL 60690. :) Phone: 312-465-2700. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Re: Beware of "Toner-Phoners"! From: fred@page6.pinetree.org (Fred Ennis) Date: Tue, 27 Jul 1993 01:27:02 -0400 Organization: Page 6, Ottawa, Ontario +1 613-723-5711 > 3.Having (apparently) less than two brain cells to bang together, you > agree to purchase supplies at the inflated prices. > Where exactly is there fraud involved here? Has "caveat emptor" gone > entirely by the wayside; are Americans no longer willing to accept > even the slightest responsibility for their own actions? From the information given so far Laird, I can understand how you would ask these questions, so let me give you a little more info. 1. The phony "survey" or "checking our records" caller also gets the name of the person who orders supplies, but doesn't usually talk to that person. 2. They then call the receptionist and say the shipment that "insert name" ordered is ready, should they go ahead and ship it? They then get the receptionist's name. Now they have two names from the company. 3. The stuff arrives. It gets thrown into the supply room. Eventually the bill comes, the supplies have been used, and they get nasty about trying to collect the money. Now, no one has approved the shipment, but in a small business which doesn't often use purchase orders, they can't prove they didn't order it. Here's what every person who ever answers the phone in a small company should know: 1. Do not give any info about office equipment, especially model or serial numbers out to ANY caller for any reason. 2. Do not give permission to ship to anyone who calls, unless you, personally, have placed the order. 3. Check all incoming shipments against what you ordered, and from which supplier. Those three rules make it much more difficult for these scam artists to operate. Unfortunately, most small businesses are not that well organized, and these scams prey on that. While I am speaking of telecom scams, there's also the outfit in Europe that sends out bills for fax or telex directory listings, and if you pay the bill the fine print says you're agreeing to be listed in the NEXT directory and pay that bill as well! Fred Ennis, fred@page6.pinetree.org ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Jul 93 18:24 GMT From: 0003991080@mcimail.com Subject: Re: Connecting Site A to Site B Javier Henderson writes: > The company I work for has a main office in Ventura, CA, and a few > remote sites scattered around the state. We have an AT&T System 75 > switch at the main office, and various types of switches at the remote > locations. > Is there a way of making the extensions at this location that will get > new telephone hardware appear as if they were extensions of our 75 > switch in Ventura? The idea is to eliminate long distance charges when > we need to talk voice with that site. What hardware would we need at > each site? I assume another digital circuit will have to be set up > between the two sites. At what speed will this circuit have to be > rated? Dare I ask about cost? This is not hard. There are a couple of simple ways to do this. If you want OPX's (Off Premise Extensions) off of the System 75 to appear on CO line ports on the remote systems, you can add a Proctor 46222 Long Loop Adaptor for each extension, and connect it to an OL13C circuit ordered from the phone company. This will run to the other site, where it will appear as a standard 48 vdc tip and ring with standard 20 Hz ringing. This is then connected to its own CO line port on the other system, or it can just be hooked to a standard telephone. Anything that normally hooks to a regular telephone line can be hooked to the far end of this connection. When you order the OL13C circuit from the telco, it doesn't matter if they run it down the block or across the state. They will engineer the circuit so that it looks to each end like it is a short pair of wires running no more than a few miles. The 46222 Long Loop Adaptor provides the registered interface to this circuit, in addition to boosting DC voltage and ringing. If you just want a ringdown to run point to point as a tie line between PBX's, you can order up an O2AC2 circuit from the telco, which will connect dedicated CO ports over a similar dry cable pair. To drive this, use one Proctor 46220 Ringdown Circuit at either end ... it does not matter which end. Don't worry about speed or digital circuits. This is strictly a low-tech analog voice application. The 46222 will work wherever you need to boost DC line voltage and ringing from a standard two-wire telephone connection. The test for compatibility is, if you can plug in a standard single line phone, you can plug in a 46222 and extend that line anywhere through a loop that is under 1900 ohms. In addition, it also has a special connection on the input to hook to the TIE SLU cards used with some TIE key systems. Contact my employer for information on the 46222 or 46224. For multiple line applications, there are four-circuit versions of each product. Paul Cook 206-881-7000 Proctor & Associates MCI Mail 399-1080 15050 NE 36th St. fax: 206-885-3282 Redmond, WA 98052-5378 3991080@mcimail.com ------------------------------ From: Richard Tomlinson Subject: Re: Mercury in the UK - The Right Choice? Organization: EDS-Scicon, Milton Keynes, UK Date: Mon, 26 Jul 1993 16:58:30 GMT In article djcl@io.org (woody) writes: > The recent episode of Media Television, produced by City TV in > Toronto, features the wild world of media (ads, publications, > technologies, etc) and in particular, a spot for Mercury long distance > in the UK was shown. It appeared to be voice-dubbed excerpts from old > films, so that the characters talked about the wonders of British > Telecom's competitor. These are not excerpts from old films but new sequences made to look like an old film. They are based on sketches from "The Harry Enfield Television Programme" shown on BBC Television in the UK. The two actors are Harry Enfield and Jon Glover. I bet you're really glad I told you that! Richard Tomlinson EDS Scicon Ltd, Wavendon Tower, Milton Keynes, UK MK17 8LX rpt@edscom.demon.co.uk Tel: +44 908 284539 Amateur radio: G4TGJ All opinions expressed are mine, and are not necessarily those of my employer. ------------------------------ Subject: Re: New AM Band Violates No-Intercept Rule? From: a_rubin%dsg4.dse.beckman.com (Arthur Rubin) Date: 27 Jul 93 19:55:37 GMT Reply-To: a_rubin@dsg4.dse.beckman.com (Arthur Rubin) In daveb%jaws@dsinet.dgtl.com (David Breneman) writes: > Michael Covington (mcovingt@aisun3.ai.uga.edu) wrote: >> And many of us are sad about the ban on receivers that get the >> cellular frequencies, for two reasons: (1) The proper technical solution >> is to encrypt the signal at the _transmitter_; (2) Heretofore, >> Americans had been allowed to buy radios that would tune any frequency >> whatsoever; this is the very first peacetime ban on radio receivers >> that I know of. (Although the receivers still aren't illegal to own, >> merely illegal to market.) > A few states have banned automotive radar detectors. As far as I > know, this has never been seriously challenged in court. I recall an early radar-detector ban which was ruled (by a Federal Court) invalid ... but I think the ban was so written that it also banned the radar guns themselves; hence using a dectector was legal because it was only detecting illegal devices. Arthur L. Rubin: a_rubin@dsg4.dse.beckman.com (work) Beckman Instruments/Brea 216-5888@mcimail.com 70707.453@compuserve.com arthur@pnet01.cts.com (personal) My opinions are my own, and do not represent those of my employer. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Jul 93 22:14 GMT From: Richard Cox Subject: Re: Dark Fibre Reply-To: mandarin@cix.compulink.co.uk I have been interested to see the comments about Dark Fibre. Especially this one, from sspak@seas.gwu.edu (Steven L. Spak): > Carriers often lease dark fiber (at gunpoint :-) ) at a premium to > bypass types and large companies. Of course, we can't get Dark Fibre from any carrier over here. However AT&T have recently launched their Definity PABX over here -- and to use its remote shelf facility, does need Dark Fibre from the carrier (usually BT in the UK). So I wondered whether AT&T were so keen to offer customers Dark Fibre in the USA ? (PS sorry - we Brits spell it "fibre" - I know you prefer "fiber" ! Richard D G 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 - PGP2.2 public key available on request ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Jul 93 18:19:47 EDT From: guy@intgp1.att.com Subject: Re: Information Wanted on AT&T Tech Journal Organization: AT&T In article , decrsc!leesweet@uunet. UU.NET (Lee Sweet) writes: > This was mentioned about three weeks ago in reference to Operator > Service standards or some such. Is this a publically available > journal? This Telecom Manager would like to know! (This info is taken from the insied cover of a year old copy.) The AT&T technical Journal is published six times a year Individual subscriptions: 1yr $50, 2 $90 3 $120. Circulation group phone number (for current issues: 201-564-2582). Back issues: 1-800 432-6600, or find a library that has it. The Operator Services issue was Volume 68 Number 6. (Nov/Dec 1989) ------------------------------ From: Bob_Frankston@frankston.com Subject: Re: International Videoconferencing Directory Available Date: Tue, 27 Jul 1993 11:42 -0400 I just ordered the directory. The correct number is 800-426-8686 and the cost, including shipping is $7.24. As an aside, I've yet to figure out why order fulfillment takes "four to six weeks". Theories: 1) It'll arrive tomorrow but the "four to six weeks" phrase was coined by old Al Bell himself and they are loathe to change it. 2) They print each catalog to order and are still waiting to upgrade their 103 modems. 3) They transcribe each copy in a video conference to hordes of caligraphers in Korea to reduce the costs. 4) They attempt to float each one across the Mississippi and take into account the probability of success. 5) It's a big warehouse and they don't want to ship any copies till they fill it. 6) ATT is owned by Ronco. 7) They hand carry the order past 20 desks for approval but everyone is on vacation in August. 8) The directory doesn't exist but they'll create it if they get enough orders. 9) They are waiting to setup their video operator offices. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Jul 93 10:35:11 EDT Subject: Re: Call Trace is Bogus From: jeffj%jiji@krf.jvnc.net (Jeffrey Jonas) Re: Frank Hausman's posting about call return to a Spanish speaking person with an improperly programmed auto dial phone -- Thank you for sharing your adventure in call tracing. A posting that Pat didn't accept for publication asked the question: who pays when an annoying caller is caught? You paid several dollars for the return call and language operator for something that was ENTIRELY the other person's fault. Yes, you gained your sanity and re-gained peace at home, but am I correct that you have no way to get reimbursed for the expense incurred in stopping the harrassment? The telephone company don't help -- they just bill you, and the tariffs probably don't cover damages to the victim of the harassment. Hmmm -- perhaps Pat could set up some billing arrangement so you can back-bill the dope for the charges that SHE caused. That would be poetic justice. Jeffrey Jonas jeffj@panix.com [Moderator's Note: I'm sorry to say a quick check of my log records of autoreplies issued doesn't indicate your article ever got here. Do you have a copy? If so, it sounds interesting. When you are talking only a few dollars, as annoying as it might be, there is no real way to recoup your losses without incurring more in the meantime. When the problem really gets bad (for example, the family in Germany which got calls for two or three weeks running, several per night in the middle of the night from an errant fax machine at the First National Bank of Chicago attempting to transmit documents to a branch of the bank) then depending on whose deep pockets are involved and the extent of the expense, legal action may be indicated. In the case of the German family, they were terrorized by a dozen calls nightly resulting in a silent connection as the fax machine tried over and over to deliver to a number which was incorrect. Wouldn't you -- lacking telecom saavy -- be frightened by repeated calls from silence during the night? They got Bundepost to look into the matter who in turn asked AT&T for some assistance once Bundepost saw the calls were coming from the USA. AT&T ran the whole thing by Illinois Bell who tracked it back to the bank's phone system. Once they identified First National, IBT gave them such an earful; they gave FNB so much hell over the matter it warmed my heart. I guess IBT contacted the bank and ran the same gauntlet of droid-ism that anyone else gets when they call the bank. The calls finally stopped when the fax machine got reprogrammed, but would you believe that when FNB got around to reconciling their (otherwise massive) phone bill a couple months later, they saw over a hundred calls to this number in Germany and had the nerve to call telco to complain that 'AT&T must have screwed up on our bill, we want credit for all these calls!' ... About eight years ago, a FIDO sysop here had a wrong number listed in his system for a place he polled each night. His machine was calling some poor woman night after night for a couple weeks and when IBT traced it to him, they not only gave him hell, they told him to take down the BBS *or* get the phone disconnected; his choice. Moral of the story: all droids are created equal, but droids who operate big banks are created more equal than pitiful sysops of home computers. PAT] ------------------------------ From: cgordon@vpnet.chi.il.us (gordon hlavenka) Subject: Re: Incoming Calls to Airphone? Organization: Vpnet Public Access Date: Tue, 27 Jul 1993 02:52:42 GMT > I called the AT&T access number 1-800-321-0288. An operator came on > the line and asked what number I was calling from. > I suspect Airfone of intercepting the call and pretending that it is > AT&T. Hmmm ... GTE Airfone calls are placed directly onto the PSTN at the ground station the airplane is currently linked to. This would mean that to "intercept" a call the ground station software would have to place the call to some number other than what you dialed and this number would be a GTE operator who would have to know to pretend to be AT&T. This is technically feasible but so likely to be discovered that I don't think they'd do it. Even GTE. My guess would be that something is strange about the _type_ of lines GTE orders for their ground stations, and that this trips some security/fraud trigger at AT&T. > The domestic 800 Airfone rate + AT&T calling card rate for an > international call is less than the international Airfone rate, so > Airfone would have an financial incentive to do so. Anyone know if my > suspicions are justified? I don't think so. Call 1-800-AIR-FONE and ask them. I'd be interested in hearing their explanation. If you fly often, dial '0' from the plane instead -- it costs them more that way. Gordon S. Hlavenka cgordon@vpnet.chi.il.us ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Jul 93 10:28:49 EDT Subject: Re: What Is This Number? From: jeffj%jiji@krf.jvnc.net (Jeffrey Jonas) In article <22s7fu$7d5@cyberspace.com>, seth@cyberspace.com (Seth Warshavsky) writes: >> Whats this telephone #? 011-351-99-35510? It is some wierd >> international sex line, and I'm trying to figure out how they make >> money off of it, because there are no premium charges. Just long >> distance. Tarl Neustaedter (tarl@sw.stratus.com) replied: > They get a cut from the portugese phone company. Basically, international > long distance charges are frequently exhorbitant, and there is a lot of > profit to be shared with anyone who can boost line usage. Sex lines are > one way to use up idle capacity. Does this mean that somebody asking "Do you speak Portugese" is trying to pick me up or talk dirty to me? :-) Jeffrey Jonas jeffj@panix.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Jul 93 10:30 EDT From: kindred@telesciences.com (David L Kindred ) Subject: Source for Old Telephones In response the the recent requests for sources for old telephone equipment, I though I'd pass this along: I recently received a catalog that includes nothing but old telephone equipment: Catalog Name: Old Telephones Company: Phoneco, Inc. Address: 207 East Mill Road P.O. Box 70 Galesville, WI 54630 Phone: 608-582-4124 FAX: 608-582-4593 The catalog shows used and reproduction equipment from the 1890's to the present, from most manufacturers. Both North American and European manufacturers are represented. There are several pages of coin phones, some still usable for coin service. Also listed are many parts. As I have never ordered anything from this company, I can make no statement about their quality or reliability. Dave ------------------------------ From: edg@netcom.com (Ed Greenberg) Subject: Re: Sources For Restoring Vintage Phone? Organization: Netcom Online Communications Services (408-241-9760) Date: Tue, 27 Jul 1993 18:09:32 GMT In article molly!carl@uunet.UU.NET (Carl Shapiro) writes: > You can probably find any old phone parts you need at: > Phoneco, Inc. > Galesville, WI 54630 Does anybody know the name of the proprietor of Phoneco? Ed Greenberg edg@netcom.com Ham Radio: KM6CG ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Jul 93 10:29:23 EDT From: Carl Moore Subject: Correction of Phone Number (Re: Cellular Propagation Simulator) I take it the voice telephone number you provided is in area 415. 414 is in Wisconsin. > Recently, I received some brochures on a product called BONeS from > COMDISCO system, 919 E. Hillsdale Blvd, Foster city CA 94404. Tel 414 > 574-5800, fax 415 358-3601. ------------------------------ From: martin@datacomm.ucc.okstate.edu (Martin McCormick) Subject: Re: Do We Have a Theme Song? Organization: Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK Date: Tue, 27 Jul 1993 16:55:16 GMT Nobody has mentioned "Telephone Man" by Rickie Lee Jones. This song was popular in the late seventies on Top 40 stations and I even heard it once on Radio Australia. The song, for those who might not have heard it, is one gigantic double-entendre about a young lady who needs a telephone installed in her apartment and gets, shall we say, the full-service treatment from the installer. Martin McCormick WB5AGZ Stillwater, OK O.S.U. Computer Center Data Communications Group ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #517 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa08917; 28 Jul 93 5:22 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA17382 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Wed, 28 Jul 1993 02:47:36 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA05701 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Wed, 28 Jul 1993 02:47:01 -0500 Date: Wed, 28 Jul 1993 02:47:01 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199307280747.AA05701@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #518 TELECOM Digest Wed, 28 Jul 93 02:47:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 518 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Re: 1-800-COLLECT (Laurence Chiu) Re: 1-800-COLLECT (John R. Levine) Re: MCI Makes Buses? (Alan M. Gallatin) Re: MCI Makes Buses? (Ron Bean) Re: Dark Fibre (Eric Germann) Re: Big Rivers (Jack Winslade) Re: Why the AT&T True Voice Demo Asks For Your Number (David Leibold) Re: Beware of "Toner-Phoners"! (Brett Elliott) AT&T Billing on 5 July (Craig R. Watkins) T1s Versus Regular Lines For a FreeNet? (David Leibold) Picking on Lawyers? (Harold Hallikainen) High Speed Modem Connect Signals (Brett Elliott) Re: CONNECT BBS Edition (Patricia Snyder-Rayl) Re: Do We Have a Theme Song? (David Leibold) ---------------------- TELECOM Digest is an e-journal devoted mostly -- but not exclusively -- to discussions on voice telephony. The Digest is a not-for-profit public service published frequently by Patrick Townson Associates. PTA markets a no-surcharge telephone calling card and a no monthly fee 800 service. In addition, we are resellers of AT&T's Software Defined Network. For a detailed discussion of our services, write and ask for the file 'products'. The Digest is delivered at no charge by email to qualified subscribers on any electronic mail service connected to the Internet. To join the mail- ing list, write and tell us how you qualify: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu. All article submissions MUST be sent to our email address: telecom@eecs. nwu.edu -- NOT as replies to comp.dcom.telecom. Back issues and numerous other telephone-related files of interest are available from the Telecom Archives, using anonymous ftp lcs.mit.edu. Login anonymous, then 'cd telecom-archives'. At the present time, the Digest is also ported to Usenet at the request of many readers there, where it is known as 'comp.dcom.telecom'. Use of the Digest does not require the use of our products and services. The two are separate. All articles are the responsibility of the individual authors. Organi- zations listed, if any, are for identification purposes only. The Digest is compilation-copyrighted, 1993. **DO NOT** cross-post articles between the Digest and other Usenet or alt newsgroups. Do not compile mailing lists from the net-addresses appearing herein. Send tithes and love offerings to PO Box 1570, Chicago, IL 60690. :) Phone: 312-465-2700. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Re: 1-800-COLLECT From: uttsbbs!laurence.chiu@PacBell.COM (Laurence Chiu) Date: 27 Jul 93 22:21:00 GMT Organization: The Transfer Station BBS, Danville, CA - 510-837-4610/837-5591 Reply-To: uttsbbs!laurence.chiu@PacBell.COM (Laurence Chiu) In a article, Christopher Zguris had the following to say about 1-800-COLLECT: > So based on the comparison of charges Dave Niebuhr(dwn@dwn.ccd.bnl. > gov) posted in TELECOM Digest v13 #504 it looks like 800-COLLECT is > worthwhile. I noticed the AT&T ads against "other" companies > (obviously 800-COLLECT) only focus on the fact that a minimum of only > $.01 savings is guaranteed -- maximums and/or average savings are not > mentioned, I don't think the ads are very effective or strong. Can we > expect new 800-COLLECT ads to counter AT&T and then AT&T giving in and > lowering their rates? Does anyone know how well 800-COLLECT is doing, > is AT&T running ads against it as a precaution or are they losing > business? I thought I saw ads from AT&T advertising their competing service, 1-800-OPERATOR. Never having had the need to make collect calls, I don't know what the rates are but they seemed to indicate that it was competitive. Laurence Chiu The Transfer Station BBS (510) 837-4610 & 837-5591 (V.32bis both lines) Danville, California, USA. 1.5 GIG Files & FREE public Internet Access ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Jul 93 23:27 EDT From: johnl@iecc.com (John R. Levine) Subject: Re: 1-800-COLLECT Organization: I.E.C.C. >> 1-800-COLLECT .65 US > Gee ... I just got off the phone with them a few minutes ago and the > customer service rep told me the surcharge is $1.50. One of the most consistent problems I have had dealing with MCI is that they are totally unable to quote correct prices over the phone. The best I've found is to call five times and see if three of the answers disagree. I can't help but notice that somehow, when they quote wrong prices, the price the quote is invariably less than the actual price. Regards, John Levine, johnl@iecc.com, {spdcc|ima|world}!iecc!johnl ------------------------------ From: amg@north7.acpub.duke.edu (Alan M. Gallatin) Subject: Re: MCI Makes Buses? Date: 28 Jul 93 02:38:48 GMT Nigel Allen (ae446@freenet.carleton.ca) wrote: >> Do the city busses labelled "MCI" have anything to do >> with Microwave Communications, Inc.? > The MCI that makes buses is Motor Coach Industries, which I believe is > a subsidiary of Dial Corporation, a conglomerate which is best known > for its soaps and detergents. When I first read this, I couldn't help but laugh at the irony ... MCI long distance has *nothing* whatsoever to do with MCI bus manufacturer, but the latter is a subsidiary of *DIAL* corporation. Are you sure there isn't SOME link between the two? :-) ------------------------------ Subject: Re: MCI Makes Buses? Date: Tue, 27 Jul 1993 20:17:02 -0500 (CDT) From: Ron Bean hpa@ahab.eecs.nwu.edu (H. Peter Anvin N9ITP) writes: > Do the city busses labelled "MCI" have anything to do with Microwave > Communications, Inc.? I assume you mean *intercity* buses, although they are used for commuter runs in some areas. More about that in a minute. A few years ago I knew of FOUR different companies named "MCI" that had nothing to do with each other. One was some kind of paint factory. One was a subsidiary of Sony that made high-end tape decks for radio stations. One was the above-mentioned phone company. And one was Motor Coach Industries, a subsidiary of the Greyhound-Dial corporation (now called the Dial Corp. since they sold Greyhound, but as far as I know they still own MCI). MCI buses are built in Winnepeg as empty shells, and trucked across the border to Pembina, North Dakota for finishing. Buses for Greyhound have the running dog in place of the "MCI" logo. MCI's biggest competitor is Prevost, which is also in Canada. The group that bought Greyhound also bought Trailways, and nearly went bankrupt a few years ago. zaphod@madnix.UUCP (Ron Bean) uwvax!astroatc!nicmad!madnix!zaphod ------------------------------ From: Germann Associates Subject: Re: Dark Fiber? Organization: Ohio Academic Resources Network Date: Tue, 27 Jul 1993 20:45:30 GMT In article brettf@netcom.com (Brett Frankenberger) writes: > T1 = 24 DS0's (64KB connections), T3 = 28 T1's, or 28*24=672 DS0's. Trivia question from someone confused: I've recently received some literature from a company regarding multiplexing voice over broadband (re: CATV). They claim they support DS1 and DS2 interfaces for voice. Now I know what DS0, DS1 and DS3 are, but what is a DS2 interface, in terms of DS0 channels? Also, anyone know of any products which can insert a T1 or multiple T1's onto broadband? Please reply via e-mail as I will be out of town for the next two weeks. Thanks for the feedback. Regards, Eric Germann The Germann Associates eric@tga.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Jul 93 07:16:26 CST From: Jack.Winslade@axolotl.omahug.org (Jack Winslade) Subject: Re: Big Rivers Reply-To: jack.winslade%drbbs@axolotl.omahug.org Organization: DRBBS Technical BBS, Omaha In a message dated 21-JUL-93, Dave Niebuhr writes: > The Missouri did that in the 1800's with Iowa and Nebraska at Omaha. > Originally, the Missouri made an indentation into the Nebraska side, > but then (maybe due to flooding) moved to the east toward Iowa and > looped back in such a way the people having to go to the Omaha airport > from the south and west (correct me if I'm mistaken) had to go through > Carter Lake, Iowa and then back into Omaha. This is mostly correct. Abbott Drive which runs from downtown Omaha to Eppley crosses a small portion of Iowa which is just east of the town of Carter Lake. (BTW, Carter Lake's sewage system is a MESS. Sewage has been backing up into cellars and drains due to the high water.) The expressway, however, swings around to the north of Carter Lake and connects downtown to Eppley without passing through Iowa. There is some telecom folklore here, which has been discussed before but I'll summarize in brief. Carter Lake is served out of the Douglas-19th. CO in downtown Omaha and has the prefix 712-347. This office also handles 402-341,2,4,5,6,8 and many others. For a while, some claim that Carter Lake could be dialed from out of the area as either 402-347 or 712-347. This may have been the case years ago, but now the AC identities follow the political boundaries. Lines on the 347 office are only installed in the Iowa section just as the others are in Nebraska only. One interesting item is that the Omaha lines out of that office can call much further east into Iowa toll-free than can the 347 lines in Carter Lake, which can only call as far east as Council Bluffs and perhaps a few inner outlying communities. Good day. JSW DRBBS Technical BBS, Omaha (1:285/666.0) ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jul 93 00:27 EDT From: djcl@io.org (woody) Subject: Re: Why the AT&T True Voice Demo Asks For Your Number The TrueVoice Demo line works from Canada, though it's hard to tell the difference between regular and True (especially when trying this from a noisy subway platform :-)). Don't know what AT&T is going to do with Canadian numbers entered (though they do have part ownership in Unitel, Bell Canada's main competitor; one wonders if Unitel will pick up the voice enhancement). Still, they seem to accept 900 786.7737 as a number. David Leibold ------------------------------ From: belliot@eis.calstate.edu (Brett Elliott) Subject: Re: Beware of "Toner-Phoners"! Organization: Calif State Univ/Electronic Information Services Date: Wed, 28 Jul 1993 06:47:12 GMT I received a call at work (I work for PacBell) from a lady trying to reach a number in southern California. She represented a small business and was trying to reach a number left by someone "who represented Xerox". I pulled up the number and it was under a totally differnt company with a complex phone system. She said she heard of a scam (I hadn't heard anything before this call about the scam) regarding copy machines. I blew it off until I read this thread. It does happen _quite_ frequently. belliot@eis.calstate.edu ------------------------------ From: Craig R. Watkins Subject: AT&T Billing on 5 July Date: 27 Jul 93 21:40:47 EST Organization: HRB Systems, Inc. My calls on the 5th of July were billed at regular day rate. I thought that maybe they should have been billed as on a holiday. I called AT&T and they said they should have been and credited me. The bill was prepared by Bell of Pennsylvania; I don't know whose mistake it was. Did this happen to anyone else? Craig R. Watkins crw@icf.hrb.com HRB Systems, Inc. +1 814 238-4311 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jul 93 00:39 EDT From: djcl@io.org (woody) Subject: T1s Versus Regular Lines For a FreeNet? The Toronto FreeNet (TFN) mailings recently included a suggestion to look at getting T1 lines for the forthcoming FreeNet facility rather than individual POTS lines. There are apparently adapters that can connect a T1 line with a number of computer ports, in effect doing the function modems would be doing on each POTS line otherwise. The TFN folks would appreciate some insight as to whether T1 lines would be more cost-effective than separate trunks/POTS lines, especially considering that there would have to be the equivalent of 100 POTS lines access at the outset of the FreeNet (scheduled to begin operation by April 1994). Are there any difficulties with establishing a local number access if T1 lines are used? David Leibold ------------------------------ From: hhallika@tuba.calpoly.edu (Harold Hallikainen) Subject: Picking on Lawyers? Organization: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo Date: Wed, 28 Jul 1993 03:01:27 GMT > [Moderator's Note: I know what! Let's bash attornies. That is a new > and original idea; I don't think anyone ever does that, do they? To > close this issue, a 'lawyer joke' .... A recent Le Show (NPR program from KCRW) quoted some lawyer as saying that lawyer jokes were part of the cause for the lawyer shoot out in San Francisco. The lawyer suggested lawyer jokes be outlawed (or at least discouraged). So, Harry Shearer (the host, though I probably mis-spelled his name) ran about 15 minutes of lawyer jokes listeners called in. Probably the best stuff I've heard on that show was when he got a group of actors together and they read the police data radio transcripts the night of the Rodney King beating. Amazing to hear what the LA police were saying about the people they were serving. Harold [Moderator's Note: None of what the police said that night comes as any surprise to people who listen to police scanners. Between 460.050 and 460.600 are about twenty frequencies used by the Chicago Police and paramedics. Each 'radio zone' typically includes two police dis- tricts except for the busiest districts which have their own radio zone. There are several city-wide frequencies, and depending on what they have to say, these sometimes 'simulcast' with the local zones. They *never* stop talking, and when something on city-wide is to be simulcast those dispatchers walk through the locals cutting them off in mid-sentence, etc. Seriously, they never stop. The radio won't scan if the 'delay' feature is turned on because on any given police channel there is never the requisite period of a few seconds silence to cause the radio to move to the next frequency. They've been much better lately, but they used to be rather blunt in discussing 'the citizens'. I think that was before they realized how many 'citizens' listen to them. Still, I can't be very harsh with them. Some areas of Chicago are the most violent, criminal places you could imagine. But the police here could still improve their language/communication skills a little. PAT] ------------------------------ From: belliot@eis.calstate.edu (Brett Elliott) Subject: High Speed Modem Connect Signals Organization: Calif State Univ/Electronic Information Services Date: Wed, 28 Jul 1993 07:09:41 GMT Could some knowledgable source explain the signals involved in the modem connect sequence, more specificly v32bis or USR hst signaling? What I am not curious about is the handshaking but the interaction with the telephone network. (Does it send a signal to allow better signaling? Explain please, if you can answer this.) Thanks in advance, belliot@eis.calstate.edu ------------------------------ From: pegasus@cyberspace.org (Patricia Snyder-Rayl) Subject: Re: CONNECT BBS Edition Organization: GREX Public Access Unix +1 313 761 3000 Date: Wed, 28 Jul 1993 01:16:58 GMT JONC at the Continuum PCBoard asked why I didn't include the prices for subscribing to the CONNECT BBS Edition. I did that out of courtesy for the non-commericial nature of the Internet. What I posted was a press release, and to have included the prices would have made it an ad. There is no secret to the rates. Anyone who wishes to have more information about the CONNECT BBS Edition can either email me at PEGASUS@CYBERSPACE.ORG or contact Clint Bradford (Attention to Details BBS) at (909) 681-6210 voice and his BBS at (909) 681-6221 up to 14.4Kbps. Thank you for your time and trouble. Patricia Snyder-Rayl AOL: CONNECT voice: (313) 973-8825 Man. Ed., CONNECT magazine CIS: 70007,4640 fax: (313) 973-0411 "The Modem User's Resource" Delphi: UNICORNPUB BBS: (313) 973-9137 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jul 93 00:32 EDT From: djcl@io.org (woody) Subject: Re: Do We Have a Theme Song? The British Columbia-based band Chilliwack once had a song entitled "Tell it to the Telephone". A choice verse: "Now the telephone leaves a lot to be desired / For communication, I much rather be right by your side / When you owe a lot of money / And they're coming to collect / It's a long long distance / To get their hands around your neck". This was on an album released in 1981. David Leibold ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #518 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa02514; 28 Jul 93 19:34 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA06184 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Wed, 28 Jul 1993 17:03:11 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA03113 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Wed, 28 Jul 1993 17:02:32 -0500 Date: Wed, 28 Jul 1993 17:02:32 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199307282202.AA03113@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #519 TELECOM Digest Wed, 28 Jul 93 17:02:30 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 519 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Review From 2600: Inside the 5ESS (Mike King) Calls From Prison (Jean Airey) Have You Heard of TeleFriend Inc. or GFN??? (Ken Brucker) "County-Plus" Calling in Delaware (Carl Moore) HR1757 Now Available in Archives (Dave Banisar, CPSR via Monty Solomon) Flat-Rate Deals (Stephen Davis) Two Lines to One TAD (Steven A. Rubin) New Use For 211 (Tim Hogard) Re: Beware of "Toner-Phoners"! (David Hough) Re: Beware of "Toner-Phoners"! (Paul Cook) Re: Connecting Site A to Site B (Jon Carmichael) Re: When Will General Computing Conquer Telecom Switching? (F. Goldstein) Re: Dark Fiber? (Brett Frankenberger) Re: Lowest Cost 1-800 Number? (Russ McGuire) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 28 Jul 93 08:04:54 EDT From: mking@fsd.com (Mike King) Subject: Review From 2600: Inside the 5ESS The Summer '93 edition of {2600} magazine (V10, #2) has some interesting articles in it. The lead article is "A Guide to the 5ESS." The author discusses switch topology, hardware, software, and how to program it. As an example, the author shows how the RCF feature would be added to a line. The article is eleven pages long. Other items of interest in this issue include: * What happens when Britons attempt to get a copy of their credit report (they get a copy of reports for everyone who lived at the same address for the last six years). Brit creditors assume that if you live in a house formerly occupied by a deadbeat, then you're highly likely to be a deadbeat yourself. * (In the letters section) some COCOTs in Texaco stations in Washington (State) have no security -- dial 1-800 and wait; no keypad lockout and talk-path is not cut [I assume this implies dial tone is returned]. The editor suggested phreaking COCOTs is more dangerous than phreaking Ma because the owner could well be lurking nearby. * (Also in the letters) suggested ANAC numbers for 310/818 include: 114, 1223, 61056, 760, or 760+4D. This month's ANAC number for Albuquerque, NM [the NM in the US ;-)] is 990-4312. * (Letters...) one correspondent is in the process of fixing his credit report after declaring bankruptcy by disputing each derogatory item. After the credit bureau receives the challenge, they must contact the creditor and reverify the information. If the creditor doesn't respond within 15 days, then the item has to be deleted from the report. The writer suggests that as more and more people challenge negative reports, the creditors won't be able to keep up with the number of requests (so keep challenging). * A list of government BBSs. This is the third issue of {2600} I've purchased, and I think it's quite a bargain for $4 at the newstand -- assuming uou can find a newstand that sells it! Mike King * Software Sourcerer * Fairchild Space * +1 301.428.5384 mking@fsd.com or 73710.1430@compuserve.com * (usual disclaimers) ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jul 93 09:09:03 EDT From: jean@hrcce.att.com Subject: Calls From Prison Organization: AT&T Pat: WRT the recent discussion and your comments on the calls from prison being routed through AOS. That's not true just in Illinois, apparently it's true in other locations as well. A foster child of ours wound up in prison in Arizona (you can't win them all) and calls to talk to my husband (long story). I don't mind paying for the call (I handle the phone bills), but I strongly objected when the calls started coming through an AOS. I've found out that the prisons (at least many of them) want an automated-only system -- with no human intervention at all, ever. With (get this!) no access to "800" or "700" calls -- let alone a "call me" card! I called an AT&T contact to discuss this and was told that that is the case and that AT&T now does have equipment to handle the calls the way the prisons want them handled -- but is not having an easy time persuading the systems to use them. Now I don't know, but is it possible that the local systems get some kind of a kick-back or percentage of usage from the AOS? I agree, it just doesn't seem right that the families are paying for it. Now I fully recognize that there are prisoners who are calling people and discussing things that are not to the benefit of society, :-), but surely there are others for whom the chance to talk to someone "straight" on the outside might be important for any chance of rehabilitation they need. In my opinion, of course. Jean Airey [Moderator's Note: One thing you have to understand about the corrections industry in the United States is that many of the people employed in the industry are on the wrong side of the bars only by accident. I know a fellow who worked for Cook County Jail for a few years. He was frank in saying that as he interviewed the people who came past him day after day (his job title was 'intake technician'; he did initial inter- views with new prisoners as they arrived) that it was the easiest thing in the world to screw up and find yourself on the wrong side of the intake window. Very easy ... just slight changes in circumstances would do it. Corrections is a big, tasty pie with lots of people wanting to get a big slice for themselves. After all, where else can you get such a captive customer base? One AOS owner was quoted in the {Christian Science Monitor} saying, "I'm glad we have a war on drugs going on. The prisons and jails are more crowded than ever; this means more business for companies which contract with prisons for health care, food service, and telephone service ...". I think the reason AT&T is losing out where prison phone service is concerned is because they refuse to pay bribes to corrections management people who come looking for a personal slice of the pie. AT&T would like the business, although prisons are not the best type of accounts, profit-wise. On the other hand, the AOS's are glad to spread the loot around with personal gifts to prison officials; there is more than enough to go around, considering what they charge. If you don't subscribe to the {Monitor} you really should; it is a great newspaper. I've read it for 35 years, since I got my first subscription in high school. PAT] ------------------------------ From: kjb@cvsd.cv.com (Ken Brucker - VMS|Ultrix|Network System Manager) Subject: Have You Heard of TeleFriend Inc. or GFN??? Date: 28 Jul 93 09:29:49 -0800 Organization: Computervision, San Diego CA Has anyone ever heard of Global Wats, Global Family Network or TeleFriend, Inc.? Someone I know handed me a couple of brochures on this "new" network marketing company TeleFriend, Inc. that was started by Global Wats (supposedly a national long distance marketing company that I've never heard of) offering long distance telephone service via the Global Family Network (GFN). They offer a variety of benifits like five free hours of long distance a year, billing based on six second intervals instead of one minute and then they also have the network marketing bent that provides income based on your downline using the phone. Any comments on this service? Has anyone tried it or heard of it? I like the service I get from AT&T now but if these guys are cheaper and have good service then I'd consider giving them a try. Thanks, Ken Brucker -- VMS/Ultrix/Network Management -- Computervision -- San Diego kjb@cvsd.cv.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jul 93 13:33:51 EDT From: Carl Moore Subject: "County-Plus" Calling in Delaware I had occasion to call Diamond State Telephone on an unrelated matter (it turns out I had to say I was NOT ordering the Doylestown, Pa. directory despite sending a letter about some of the call-guide contents), when I heard (from that office) about yet-to-be-approved "county plus" calling. This is apparently an expansion from the "county" calling plan discussed in the digest earlier). This would include Dover to New Castle becoming a local call? (Dover calling area now goes as far north as Smyrna inclusive.) What I was actually asking about when the "county plus" was mentioned was what will happen to long-distance dialing within Delaware (the NNX area codes are coming). Once the misunderstanding was straightened out, the service rep. said she didn't know. I'll break here and send another message about long distance within Delaware (area 302). ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jul 1993 04:51:35 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: HR1757 Now Available in Archives Organization: Express Access Online Communications, Greenbelt, MD USA [Moderator's Note: This was passed on to us by Monty. PAT] Archive-name: auto/bit.listserv.govdoc-l/hr1757 The revised version of HR1757, the national information infrastructure bill introduced by Rep. Boucher is now available on the CPSR Internet Library. FTP/WAIS/GOPHER to cpsr.org /cpsr/nii/hr1757_july_1993.txt. if you do not have ftp/wais/gopher, email listserv@cpsr.org with the word "help" as the body of the text. Dave Banisar CPSR Washington Office ------------------------------ From: wolfgang@halcyon.halcyon.com (Stephen Davis) Subject: Flat-Rate Deals Date: 28 Jul 1993 02:33:18 -0700 Organization: "A World of Information at your Fingertips" I have just signed up for a flat-rate calling service. I'm paying $50 a month for 8 1/2 hours of time. I can call anywhere in the U.S., the time of day does not affect anything. I signed for this only after calling around to other 'telecommunication' companies in the area. My question is, are there perhaps some 800 services that have better prices than $.10 per hour? This seems pretty good to me, as I can make the calls anytime, anywhere. wolfgang@halcyon.com Director; Lispotheraputic Support Group, Int'l All implied insults, puns, and flames are (c) 1993 Screaming Radish Publishing Co. ------------------------------ From: sar1952@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu (Steven A Rubin) Subject: Two Lines to One TAD Date: Wed, 28 Jul 1993 12:21:37 -0400 Organization: Homewood Academic Computing, Johns Hopkins Univ Baltimore, Md Perhaps someone could shed some light on the following problem: I am trying to hook up two phone lines to one answering machine via a device purchased from Radio Shack. When the device is connected, each line produces a noticable hum when making, and during phone calls. The polarity of everything has been checked and is correct. I have tried three different boxes and all do the same thing. Both phone lines come out of the same CO, out of the same switch so it is unlikely there is some weird ground problem. Any ideas of what is causing this problem? I have an identical box going to two different lines from different COs and it works flawlessly. ------------------------------ From: thogard@wrdis01.robins.af.mil (Cont Tim Hogard) Subject: New Use For 211 Date: Wed, 28 Jul 1993 12:31:19 -0400 (EDT) I heard on the radio today that the people that run 911 want people to call into 211 to test their addresses and other information. They gave out a schedule for certain prefixes to call during a range of times over the next few days. This is in Southern Bell country in Houtson county (if you're from Texas you will not pronounce it like the locals). SB uses some ESS5 switches and the numbers are in the ranges of 912-74X-, 47X-, 78X-. Tim Hogard Robins AFB Warner Robins GA ------------------------------ From: dave@llondel.demon.co.uk (David Hough) Subject: Re: Beware of "Toner-Phoners"! Reply-To: dave@llondel.demon.co.uk Date: Wed, 28 Jul 1993 06:04:27 +0000 In article fred@page6.pinetree.org (Fred Ennis) writes: > While I am speaking of telecom scams, there's also the outfit in > Europe that sends out bills for fax or telex directory listings, and > if you pay the bill the fine print says you're agreeing to be listed > in the NEXT directory and pay that bill as well! What about the ones who don't even bother to publish a directory? There have been a few of those going around in the not too distant past. At least if they publish the thing it isn't quite so bad. Dave G4WRW @ GB7WRW.#41.GBR.EU AX25 dave@llondel.demon.co.uk Internet g4wrw@g4wrw.ampr.org Amprnet ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jul 93 17:38 GMT From: 0003991080@mcimail.com Subject: Re: Beware of "Toner-Phoners"! In the past few years these guys have switched to selling fax paper. For awhile I was getting lots of these calls, but they seem to have died off. We were getting so many that I asked our PBX attendant to switch them to me. The instructions were that I should get any call from anyone who started asking questions about either our fax or copy machines. After awhile I got familiar with their routine, so it was time to have a little fun. At our company, we cannot buy anything unless Purchasing issues a valid purchase order. So when the scam artist would call and breezily ask for information about our machines, or say that they were a regular supplier of ours, I would start asking questions. What I discovered was that when I asked even the most basic questions that a business would normally ask to identify a current or potential supplier, they would just hang up! Things like the NAME and ADDRESS of their company! This was such a common pattern that I started asking them to first promise me not to hang up before I started asking the questions. This was usually met with a puzzled response, but I would tell them that we were getting a lot of calls from fax paper suppliers who would suddenly and mysteriously hang up. When I asked where they were calling from, they would always give me a name that sounded "big", but was not anyone we had heard of. I would mention that I couldn't find them in our list of suppliers, and to please give me their address. Next would come a vague reference to their location being in "California." When asked again, they would say "L.A.". One poor guy was obviously new as a toner foner, and started covering up the handset to ask someone how to handle these incredibly "intrusive" questions ... experienced toner foners would have hung up long before. Finally I got him to promise me again not to hang up, and I asked again for their address ... in desperation finally saying, "No, Brad, I need the actual street address of the physical location that you are calling from." He hung up. On the occasions when I did get a phone number, it was always phoney. When I got them to tell me the city they were calling from, their company name was never listed with directory assistance. Maybe we got on some kind of list that they pass around of difficult people that they don't want to deal with. They haven't called in over a year, but we used to get called constantly. Paul Cook 206-881-7000 Proctor & Associates MCI Mail 399-1080 15050 NE 36th St. fax: 206-885-3282 Redmond, WA 98052-5378 3991080@mcimail.com ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Connecting Site A to Site B From: jon.carmichael@uplherc.upl.com (Jon Carmichael) Date: 27 Jul 93 21:34:00 GMT Organization: uuPCB - Demonstration Version Reply-To: cntinuum!jon.carmichael@uplherc.upl.com (Jon Carmichael) > We also have 56Kb digital circuits between the main office and each > of the remote locations, for data communications. Depending on the type of data you're carrying, there are multiplexors that will allow you to carry 40 terminal connections (async) while carrying two voice trunks (compressed) simultaneously. What that means is that you get two voice grade lines you can talk on without buying another 56K link. JONC The Continuum PCBoard -*- @9600+ call 818-441-2625 @2400- call 818-799-9633 ------------------------------ From: goldstein@isdnip.lkg.dec.com Subject: Re: When Will General Computing Conquer Telecom Switching? Organization: Digital Equipment Corp. Date: Wed, 28 Jul 1993 04:56:47 GMT In article nagle@netcom.com (John Nagle) writes: > The interesting thing is that COs still mostly follow the > model of a big dumb crosspoint run as a computer peripheral. One > would think by now that switches would be much more distributed, with > little CPUs all through the switch fabric. But given the amount of > trouble people still have designing distributed systems, it's not > clear that using lots of little CPUs would improve reliability, and > might well make it worse. Computer folks and telephone folks are a long way apart, that's fer sure. I do however have a passing familiarity with both disciplines. Distributing the logic in a telephone switch is a tricky proposition. In practice, you need ONE central system-wide state machine or the whole system won't work. This CPU has to keep track of all of the system's objects (to use a modern name). These are lines, trunks, numbers (.ne. lines), bandwidth, etc. Distributing all of the logic causes major grief. It is not a problem for POTS services: A stepper is fully distributed, and an electronic stepper-like switch is possible (and available ...) But if you want to be competitive and have real Centrex/PBX features, you need multi- line key telephone sets implemented in software. These have an arbitrary number of line buttons, each of which has a visual indication of status, accurate within a second or less. This is not terribly hard to implement when the keyset control process can poll the status of each monitored line or number. But when a switch is fully distributed, where do you look? You get into a messy information exchange problem that requires lots of bandwidth and tends to take oodles more programming, yet software is already most of the cost. That fully-distributed switching is a losing proposition (in the US market, where keysets count, but not necessarily Europe where the culture doesn't expect them) can be seen from industry experience. Northern's SL-1 and DMS switches always had single state CPUs. The DMS-100 has a bunch of little microprocessors chugging away at local real-time tasks, but one "big" CPU (often a 68020 but lately it might be a bigger Moto chip) runs the real generic. I think the source language is Protel, a specialized structured language. (The SL-1 was originally written in the SL-1 language.) These switches are very successful. The AT&T 5ESS was first announced with an almost-fully distributed processing model, but was withdrawn for three years or so and finally shipped with a lot more power than expected (read: state machine) in the central module. It does have a lot of distributed power, but at least there's one core. I think they've given up on trying to get rid of it, as per some early 5ESS literature which practically apologized for not being fully distributed. The Mitel SX-2000 has distributed real-time Motos surrounding a centralized state machine. It's fairly successful. But look... The ITT 1240 was fully distributed. It never worked in the US market and was pulled; ITT sold out to Alcatel. The 1240 is a big hit in Europe where there's no need for keysets. The Rolm VLCBX was fully distriubted and years late. The Wescom 580DSS divvied its CPU load into six processors and look how far they got. In any case, fully-distributed operation does not add reliability. A distributed stepper had no single failure point. But with processors, you can distribute all you want and still have a single bug in the code bring down all instances of it. Witness the famous event, chronicled here in the Digest, when AT&T's SS7 network crashed due to one misplaced "break" statement. Fred R. Goldstein goldstein@carafe.tay2.dec.com Opinions are mine alone; sharing requires permission. ------------------------------ From: brettf@netcom.com (Brett Frankenberger) Subject: Re: Dark Fiber? Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest) Date: Wed, 28 Jul 1993 13:04:13 GMT Germann Associates writes: > I've recently received some literature from a company regarding > multiplexing voice over broadband (re: CATV). They claim they support > DS1 and DS2 interfaces for voice. Now I know what DS0, DS1 and DS3 > are, but what is a DS2 interface, in terms of DS0 channels? DS2 = 4 DS1's. (Or 4*24=96 Voice Channels). (A DS3 then would be 7 DS2's, or 7*4=28 DS1's, etc.) Most multiplexing is done at the 24 DS0->DS1 and then 28 DS1->DS3 ... (i.e. they multiplex 24 DS0's to a DS1 with one box (or they have a much more fancy box that generates a T1, -or- it started out as a T1 (A T1 trunk port on a switch, for example), and then they put it into another box that takes 24 T1's and gives a T3 (or DS3)). The DS2 intermediate step is not commonly used. Brett (brettf@netcom.com) (formerly rfranken@cs.umr.edu) Brett Frankenberger ------------------------------ From: russ_mcguire@wiltel.com (Russ McGuire) Date: Wed, 28 Jul 93 08:00:01 -0500 Subject: Re: Lowest Cost 1-800 Number? pnta@warren.med (Patrick Nta) asked: > Which company offers the lowest 1-800 number for small business? According to the April issue of The Beacon Research Group's Business Consumer Guide, it depends on your specific situation. They did, however look at products from Allnet, AT&T, Cable&Wireless, LCI, LDDS, MCI, US Sprint, and WilTel. They produced a summary chart of "Real world 800 costs" based on call volume in minutes per month, identifying the least expensive reviewed product and the savings compared to AT&T's competitive products (Startline and Readyline). Briefly summarized, this was: Call Volume Least Expensive % savings minutes/month reviewed program over AT&T 100 LDDS Acclaim III 18% 250 LDDS Acclaim III 21% 500 LDDS Acclaim III 19% 1,000 Allnet Instantline 800 26% 2,500 WilTel Wilplus II 23% 5,000 Allnet Instantline 800 21% 10,000 Allnet Instantline 800 21% 25,000 Allnet Instantline 800 20% (for more details, contact the Beacon Research Group at 125 Walnut Street, Watertown, MA 02172). Phone numbers listed for the above companies are: Allnet: 800-783-2020 AT&T: 800-222-0400 LDDS: 800-456-4363 WilTel: 800-864-4060 Disclaimer: I am an employee of WilTel. I have no association with the Beacon Research Group. Although the above results reflect positively on my employer, they are merely a brief summary of information contained in a report by the Beacon Research Group. If you are interested in more detailed information about their study, I recommend that you contact them at the above address for a copy of the report. I certainly cannot vouch for the accuracy of their data nor the validity of their approach. Russ McGuire WilTel, Inc. russ_mcguire@wiltel.com ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #519 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa14455; 29 Jul 93 3:21 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA19941 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Thu, 29 Jul 1993 01:09:04 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA14871 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Thu, 29 Jul 1993 01:08:31 -0500 Date: Thu, 29 Jul 1993 01:08:31 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199307290608.AA14871@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #520 TELECOM Digest Thu, 29 Jul 93 01:08:15 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 520 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Online Congressional Hearing Postponed (Carl Malamud via Tom Lahey) Wanted: Novatel Cellular Phone Handset and Handset Cradle (Seng-Poh Lee) On-line Access to AT&T CIC Catalogue (David Leibold) Models For Opnet (mil3) (Mark Gregory) Use of DataPhone 2000 (Ed Gehringer) Caller ID Blocking in N.J. (John R. Levine) Lead in the Industry (Dave Carpentier) Frame Setup (Brett Elliott) Zoom VFX Modem (Todd L. Brooks) Is This Legal? (Gang Zhou) ADSI Specs Wanted? (Ray Berry) CNA Information For College Telcom Office (Matthew Harttree) Costs to Cable (Lynne Gregg) Tested For Busy Signal (Carl Moore) Press *4 (Carl Moore) What Changes For Delaware? (Carl Moore) Re: MCI Makes Buses? (Ed Greenberg) Re: MCI Makes Buses? (Fred) Re: Phone Number -> Name/Address (blake@hou2h.att.com) Re: Do We Have a Theme Song? (Garrett Wollman) Re: New AM Band Violates No-Intercept Rule? (Mark A. Terribile) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: tlahey@mac.avid.com (Tom Lahey) Organization: Avid Technology, Inc. Date: Wed, 28 Jul 1993 16:59:56 EST Subject: Online Congressional Hearing Postponed From another forum......... Online Congressional Hearing Postponed The Internet Town Hall depends on donations from many organizations, many of which are commercial entities. Given the cost of computers, software, and network links, this isn't surprising, and in fact, it's an example of how even competing companies can cooperate for the community good, much as people cooperate on the Internet. Along with everything else, the Online Congressional Hearing was going to transmit audio and video over the Internet, and to avoid destroying the standard links, ARPA volunteered the use of their high-speed experimental DARTNET, whose underlying facilities are operated by Sprint. The Internet Town Hall folks asked if Sprint would like to join, and in the process provide a high-speed link to the hearing room. Sprint expressed some concerns about the ethical considerations of donating the link to the government, even for this use alone, so the subcommittee postponed the hearing for several months. The problem is that donations to the underlying infrastructure of the congressional committee could be construed as expenses which the government would have to reimburse. The idea is to avoid it seeming as though the committee was beholden to a specific interest group. I have a feeling that things are not so squeaky clean in Washington as this may imply, but I approve of the Internet Town Hall folks making sure that the Internet is kept above any such impropriety. We hope this hearing will happen in a few months and not end up sucked into a giant black hole of government investigations. You can still email comments to to be forwarded to the Subcommittee staff. You can also ask to be added to a list that will be notified when the hearing is rescheduled. Information from: Carl Malamud -- carl@trystero.malamud.com =========================== Tom Lahey E-Mail: tlahey@avid.com Avid Technology, Inc. Phone: 508.640.3036 One Park West Fax: 508.640.1366 Tewksbury, MA 01876 ------------------------------ From: Seng-Poh Lee Subject: Wanted: Novatel Cellular Phone Handset and Handset Cradle Date: Wed, 28 Jul 1993 23:24:43 -0400 (EDT) I'm looking for a spare handset and speaker cradle for a Novatel Cellular phone. I don't need the base unit. The actual model is an HC 585P AP4, but I believe there were several similiar models around that time (two or three years ago) that used the same handset. If you happen to have one lying around, please contact me. Thanks, Seng-Poh Lee ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jul 93 23:40 EDT From: djcl@io.org (woody) Subject: On-line Access to AT&T CIC Catalogue Don Kimberlin posted another item of interest to the Fidonet. Since he doesn't seem to be hanging around the Digest much these days, I'm sending along an excerpt of what was said ... You can telephone (800) 432-6600 or (317) 322-6484 to get telephone assistance from the AT&T CIC staff, and place orders with them for publications to help you, and there's now an on-line searchable link to their catalog, so you can browse as you will at any hour of the day or night through all their many years of material. Here's some text from their announcement of the AT&T CIC on-line offering: "INTRODUCING THE MOST COMPLETE CATALOG OF AT&T DOCUMENTS AT&T's Customer Information Center (CIC) now offers a free on-line catalog where you can locate and order from over 380,000 documents using your PC terminal. Find documents using key word, title, subject or document number. Then use the on-line order form for simple and quick service! Access the CIC database using the directions below, then simply follow the prompts: AT&T Datakit Users Dial-Up Users At the "destination" prompt, enter: Telephone Sue Rea at 426/813/nik1.telnet..sunids 317-322-6491 for instructions and a logon ID and password. THROUGH THE CIC CATALOG YOU CAN LOCATE: o AT&T Plant and Engineering Practices o Product Manuals o User Guides o Installation and Service Manuals o Books o Brochures o Catalogs o Product Bulletins o Handbooks o Newsletters o Training Materials o Engineering Drawings o Technical Bulletins o Product Specifications o Administrative Forms o Employee Benefit Literature o International Telephone Directories Questions regarding the CIC catalog should be directed to Brenda Oeff at 317-322-6626." Origin: Borderline! BBS Kannapolis,N.C. (704) 938-6207 (1:379/37.0) ------------------------------ From: rcomg@cse.rmit.edu.au (Mark Gregory) Subject: Models For Opnet (mil3) Date: 29 Jul 1993 04:16:52 GMT Organization: Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Melbourne, Australia. Hi, I have just received opnet from Mil3 and would like to run a few laboratories based on small models of ISDN and B-ISDN (ATM). Would anyone who can help please reply. If you have any other interesting models that you would not mind passing on then I would appreciate you assistance. Thank you, Mark Gregory Lecturer m.gregory@rmit.edu.au PH(03)6603243 FAX(03)6621060 Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Department of Communication and Electronic Engineering, P.O. Box 2476V, Melbourne, Victoria, 3001. AUSTRALIA. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jul 93 19:20:46 -0400 From: gehringe@eos.ncsu.edu Subject: Use of DataPhone 2000 I recently tried to use a DataPhone 2000 to call my computer from my PC. First I tried to type the phone number, followed by a few pause characters, followed by the authorization code, into my terminal emulator. I failed to connect. I then called the operator, who gave me credit for the first call and tried it herself. Again I failed to connect. Then I found another DataPhone 2000 where the "help" function was working. It instructed me to dial the number manually, then hang up when the computer answers. I did so, waiting for the "whoosh" before hanging up. But I was disconnected. I tried once more, but this time hung up before hearing the whoosh. I still failed to connect. What are the proper incantations for using this kind of phone? Thanks, Ed ------------------------------ From: johnl@iecc.com (John R Levine) Subject: Caller ID Blocking in N.J. Date: Wed, 28 Jul 93 19:44:32 EDT The Privacy Journal notes that New Jersey Bell just started offering per-line and per-call CLID blocking. N.J. was the only state where blocking was unavailable. Another article notes that CLID has not been much of a marketing success. In places where it's been offered, rarely do as many as 5% of eligible customers subscribe and a lot of people who do subscribe drop the service. I was surprised to hear that Bell Canada says they're getting 15% signup in Ontario and Quebec. Regards, John Levine, johnl@iecc.com, {spdcc|ima|world}!iecc!johnl ------------------------------ From: dave.carpentier@oln.com Date: Wed, 28 Jul 1993 11:40:35 -0400 Subject: Lead in the Industry With all the concern over health hazards these days, I'd like to know how many teleco's still use lead sheathed cables and lead sleeves (closures). I routinely have to work with the stuff as a cable splicer. We no longer install lead sheathed cables, but have to maintain the existing ones. Lead sleeves are still the standard here for under- ground (ducted) splices, mostly due to design flexibilty/cost/reli- ability. Any info would be appreciated. Dave (ps: do we get OP people in here?) ------------------------------ From: belliot@eis.calstate.edu (Brett Elliott) Subject: Frame Setup Organization: Calif State Univ/Electronic Information Services Date: Thu, 29 Jul 1993 03:11:43 GMT I should be touring a CO soon so I would like to brush up on the terminology soon. After the MDF, the cable pair goes to the multiple side of the IDF where the calling info is recorded and goes through the local side to the equipment. Now, this information was found out from 100 year old books (OK -- maybe 20 years old). How much of this setup is correct and how are cable numbers and pair numbers located at the exchange side (vertical) of the MDF? Thanks in advance, belliot@eis.calstate.edu ------------------------------ From: tlb@carson.u.washington.edu (Todd L. Brooks) Subject: Zoom VFX Faxmodem Date: 28 Jul 1993 18:43:57 GMT Organization: University of Washington I would like to get some feedback on the quality and performance of the Zoom VFX v.32bis Faxmodem. Have you had any problems with it or the company? Please email. Thank you. ------------------------------ From: gzhou@pollux.usc.edu (Gang Zhou) Subject: Is This Legal? Date: 28 Jul 1993 19:13:42 -0700 Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA I'm living in an apartment owned by the USC housing service. I'm connected to Pacific Bell so far. But soon, USC will switch our phone lines to USC telephone service, so they have the absolute monopoly of my phone service. As you can guess, their long distance (especially international) rates are outrageously high. I'm wondering if it's legal that they disconnect me from the Pacific Bell without my agreement? They did give me a form for the disconnec- tion, but I refused to fill it. If it's legal, because they own the building, can they apply long distance rate as high as they want until the housing contract expires? Gang [Moderator's Note: Whenever the landlord makes substantial changes in the accomodations offered, or arranges things in such a way that the tenant winds up paying much more than before, the landlord is in viol- ation of the lease. You could probably vacate before the lease expired if you wished. Did the original housing contract call for phone service from Bell? If so, then switching the service also caused the lease to be broken. PAT] ------------------------------ From: rjberry@eskimo.com (Ray Berry) Subject: ADSI Specs Wanted Organization: Eskimo North (206) For-Ever Date: Wed, 28 Jul 1993 19:40:33 GMT I've read that CID operates in compliance with specs contained in a document called ADSI -- Analog Display Services Interface. This document goes beyond CID, e.g., spelling out ways for the end user to transmit info in the other direction. Is this document available to developers? Is it ftp'able? I haven't a clue where to look for it, but I think it would make for interesting reading. Ray Berry kb7ht ray@ole.cdac.com rjberry@eskimo.com 73407.3152@compuserve.com ------------------------------ From: HARTTREE@vax1.elon.edu (Matthew Harttree) Subject: CNA Information For College Telcom Office Date: 28 Jul 1993 21:08:06 GMT Organization: ELON COLLEGE ACADEMIC COMPUTING VAX1 Do any comapnies offer customer name and address information via the internet? I believe that this would be a helpful feature for colleges and universities that are in the service provider role and need to resolve billing issues and discover cases of fraud. I believe that I saw (long time ago) that one company was offering this information to service providers like college telcom offices directly via the internet. If you know of a service like this or are using one I would appreciate hearing from you. Thanks in advance for your time. Please reply via e-mail to: HARTTREE@vax1.elon.edu Thanks again, Matt Harttree Harttree@vax1.elon.edu system@vax1.elon.edu ------------------------------ From: Lynne Gregg Subject: Costs to Cable Date: Wed, 28 Jul 93 14:48:00 PDT Recently another reader posted a query on costs to run fiber. I'm seeking current costs on running various cable types: copper (varieties of coax), twisted pair, fiber. If you post directly to me, I'll sum for the Digest. For those of you who are interested in cable options, there is a good overview of the options and advantages of copper vs. fiber in 7/26 {ComputerWorld} (47). Regards, Lynne ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jul 93 10:24:32 EDT From: Carl Moore Subject: Tested For Busy Signal OK, I went to a pay phone on 410-273 prefix, and tested for busy signal with and without the Orange Card, but got the same result this time. (I did this yesterday, July 27.) I used calling cards to try to reach the phone's own number. 0 + 7D defaulted to C&P, and I used my AT&T card number. Then I tried the Orange Card. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jul 93 10:51:07 EDT From: Carl Moore Subject: Press *4 Seen November 1991 on northbound I-81 at pay phone 703-740-9804: CCI (Call Communications Inc.) 2221 Port Republic Road Harrisonburg, VA 22801 U.S. Link -- Press *4 -- attempts every 15 minutes for next eight hours -- $1.95 to MC,V,AE. Your message, your voice. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jul 93 13:42:01 EDT From: Carl Moore Subject: What Changes For Delaware? At the end of my "county-plus" message, I mentioned long distance within Delaware, which is still 1 + 7D (and 7D is still useable for local calls to PA and MD, although local calls FROM PA TO DE are 1 +302 + 7D now). I still don't know what Delaware will get for long distance within it when it is time to prepare for the NNX area codes. I do notice, however, that there is local service across the entire DE - PA border and also across parts of the 215/717 border. Also, those parts of 215 bordering 717 and bordering Delaware will go to 610. Perhaps Delaware and Pennsylvania are to have 7D for long distance within area code (and 1 + NPA + 7D for local calls to another area code), with Delaware and 717 waiting until area code 610 is useable? (Just my own guess.) If this is correct, then there have to be two stages: 1. change local calls to another area code from 7D to 1 + NPA + 7D. 2. remove the leading 1 for long distance within area code. ------------------------------ From: edg@netcom.com (Ed Greenberg) Subject: Re: MCI Makes Buses? Organization: Netcom Online Communications Services (408-241-9760 login: guest) Date: Wed, 28 Jul 1993 18:43:28 GMT In article amg@north7.acpub.duke.edu (Alan M. Gallatin) writes: > When I first read this, I couldn't help but laugh at the irony ... MCI > long distance has *nothing* whatsoever to do with MCI bus manufacturer, > but the latter is a subsidiary of *DIAL* corporation. Well, of course, telephone enthusiasts have used DIAL soap for years, but now, as we get more modern most are using TONE soap. 'Course, TONE soap is two bucks a month extra ... :-) Ed Greenberg edg@netcom.com Ham Radio: KM6CG ------------------------------ From: goldstein@isdnip.lkg.dec.com (Fred) Subject: Re: MCI Makes Buses? Organization: Digital Equipment Corp. Date: Thu, 29 Jul 1993 04:36:05 GMT > hpa@ahab.eecs.nwu.edu (H. Peter Anvin N9ITP) writes: > Do the city busses labelled "MCI" have anything to do with Microwave > Communications, Inc.? Speaking of the overlaid initials "MCI", here in the Bay State, the term means "Massachusetts Correctional Institution at", as in MCI Concord, MCI Norfolk, MCI Gardner ... I wonder what long distance company their pay phones are presubscribed to. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jul 93 09:44:13 EDT From: blake@hou2h.att.com Subject: Re: Phone Number -> Name/Address Organization: AT&T In article cgordon@vpnet.chi.il.us (gordon hlavenka) writes: > Okay, I've got a phone number. It's in the 815 area code. I'd like > the address that goes with it. > So I called (708) 796-9600, punched in the number, and got the message > "Information for area code 815 is not available." What's plan B? Is > 815 not served by Ameritech? (I thought they were, but ...) NUMBER TO NAME AND ADDRESS (Plan B) Call the UnDirectory service, 900-933-3330, from any U.S. touch-tone phone and enter any 10-digit U.S. phone number after the prompt. The cost is $1 a minute, and you can get up to three lookups a minute. The UnDirectory service gives name and address information for listed numbers only and cannot rebate for unsuccessful or inaccurate lookups. (I wrote a month ago that Clarity Inc, Red Bank, NJ, which then provided UnDirectory lookups for East Coast number would soon cover the whole country. That transition is now complete. The UnDirectory database includes Alaska and Hawaii.) Blake Patterson ------------------------------ From: wollman@UVM.EDU (Garrett Wollman) Subject: Re: Do We Have a Theme Song? Organization: University of Vermont, EMBA Computer Facility Date: Wed, 28 Jul 1993 19:24:11 GMT In article , woody wrote: > The British Columbia-based band Chilliwack once had a song entitled > "Tell it to the Telephone". A choice verse: "Now the telephone leaves > a lot to be desired / For communication, I much rather be right by > your side / When you owe a lot of money / And they're coming to > collect / It's a long long distance / To get their hands around your > neck". > This was on an album released in 1981. Have BC Tel's rates improved any in the past decade? That reminds me, though, of something I've been meaning to ask. Most of the readers on this Digest are probably fairly familiar with the historical development of the US telephone network, both before and after Judge Greene. Could some of our Canadian readers enlighten us with their knowledge of the parallel development of the Canadian telephone network, especially the relationships among the various local providers, the development of long-distance services, and connections with the various US telcos. I remember that Unitel was originally CNCP Telecommunications. Were they one of those providers who started out selling spare capacity on the railroad companies' plant? (I saw on Prime Time News last week, when Northern announced their big loss, how many US telcos have come to depend on being able to play off AT&T and NT to get the best pricing structure on new switches; several RBOCs now have large numbers of DMSes installed because of this, not to mention Sprint and MCI.) Garrett A. Wollman wollman@emba.uvm.edu uvm-gen!wollman UVM disagrees. ------------------------------ From: mat@mole-end.matawan.nj.us Subject: Re: New AM Band Violates No-Intercept Rule? Date: Wed, 28 Jul 1993 20:41:24 GMT In article , daveb%jaws@dsinet.dgtl.com (David Breneman) writes: > Michael Covington (mcovingt@aisun3.ai.uga.edu) wrote: >> ... the ban on receivers that get the cellular frequencies ... : >> (1) The proper technical solution is to encrypt the signal ...; (2) >> Heretofore, Americans had been allowed to buy radios that would tune >> any frequency whatsoever; this is the very first peacetime ban on >> radio receivers .. > A few states have banned automotive radar detectors. As far as I > know, this has never been seriously challenged in court. I believe that the ban is not on owning or using a radar receiver, but on operating a motor vehicle while using one. And I believe that many states have similar restrictions on operating a motor vehicle while listening to a scanner that receives the police bands. (This man's opinions are his own.) From mole-end Mark Terribile mat@mole-end.matawan.nj.us, Somewhere in Matawan, NJ ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #520 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa15041; 29 Jul 93 3:53 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA25366 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Thu, 29 Jul 1993 01:36:05 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA29810 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Thu, 29 Jul 1993 01:35:31 -0500 Date: Thu, 29 Jul 1993 01:35:31 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199307290635.AA29810@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #521 TELECOM Digest Thu, 29 Jul 93 01:35:30 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 521 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Re: When Will General Computing Conquer Telecom Switching? (Al Varney) Re: When Will General Computing Conquer Telecom Switching? (Floyd Davidson) Re: When Will General Computing Conquer Telecom Switching? (John Nagle) Re: 911 For Non-Emergencies? (was Re: Natwick 911 Drama) (M. Vandepas) Re: AT&T Billing on 5 July (Ed Greenberg) Re: SIMTEL 20 Closing Down (Graham Toal) Re: What is This Number? (Graham Toal) Re: AT&T Operator Terminal (David Breneman) Re: New AT&T Feature: TrueVoice (guy@intgp1.att.com) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 28 Jul 93 13:26:03 CDT From: varney@ihlpe.att.com Subject: Re: When Will General Computing Conquer Telecom Switching? Organization: AT&T Network Systems In article nagle@netcom.com (John Nagle) writes: > Chris_Brady@motsat.sat.mot.com (Chris Brady) writes: >> It seems as though the latest central office switches are still >> offered on proprietary software -- and frequently, hardware -- >> platforms. This appears to me to be due to the stringent real time >> expectations we have placed on telephony, combined with strict >> requirements for massive throughput, data integrity, system >> availability and environmental conditions. Nonetheless, there have >> been efforts in Bellcore and elsewhere to essentially reduce the CO >> switch to a peripheral of a general purpose computer, and thus enjoy >> the supposed benefits of riding more popular technology curves. I'd >> be interested in discussion on why this vision is not being realized >> in the CO market: do the technical constraints really demand >> proprietary computer implementations, or are there market forces that >> are disincenting major telecom providers from making this leap? Chris, we need all morning and a pot of coffee to get into all the issues raised by your concise paragraph. Let me just suggest that the implications of the paragraph, that CO switches are made up of "proprietary" software and hardware, differ somewhat from reality. Certainly the majority of the cost/volume of a CO switch today is tied up in "proprietary" hardware that would have to exist regardless of the architecture -- the "peripheral" you mentioned above. It seems then that your model of the CO switch is CPU + "switching fabric", and your question is "why isn't the CPU part a general purpose computer". In some newer digital COs, the "central" CPU is indeed a general purpose computer. For example, AT&T's 5ESS(rg.tm) switch uses a 3B20D(tm) computer that is (or at least was) available in commercial configurations. The 3B20D processor runs a version of UNIX(tm) on top of a message-passing kernal, and is used in many other products as a control or adjunct processor. However, the CPU + fabric model is not adequate to support large, multi-feature CO switches. Virtually all large switches today are either based on a distributed architecture, or use intelligent peripherals/adjuncts to off-load some of the CPU load. With ISDN, high-speed packet switching, multiple trunk signaling methods, SS7 signaling, etc., there's just too much going on in a feature-rich switch to use a single CPU. And small, specialized switches have a lot of trunking and economy-of-scale negatives, as well as feature limitations. I think it is just wishful thinking on the part of some to think that the productivity or cost of software for CO switches with be dramatically reduced by using a "general purpose" CPU. The truth is that new features are difficult to program on any CPU, in large part because of the interactions (mostly undocumented in the requirements) of with existing features. In some cases, TELCos use features in ways unintended by the original development, and then require that changes must continue to support the unintended use. Even if the call processing portion is well specified, the maintenance/provisioning/failure-modes/ measurements aspects are often incomplete. There are major research projects underway just looking at the feature interaction issue and ways of specifying new features in a more complete manner. I believe Bellcore is now examining general purpose "service creation environments" and adjuncts to support this concept, rather than placing the entire switch on general purpose computers. This allows the switch vendor to build and test a product that uses adjuncts at critical decision points in a call, but doen't require the TELCo to do a lot of programming that might reduce switch capacity or reliability. As a point of reference, the May/June 1992 issue of {AT&T Technical Journal} stated that the 5ESS switch that spring consisted of more than four million lines of source code, and that major features typically added more than 300K new lines of source to that base. In many cases, several interacting new features are designed, developed and tested in an overlapped manner and must all work as expected (that's requirements plus a lot more) when the software release is deployed. As to the popular technology curves, the Technical Journal referred to above also discusses the introduction of a RISC platform into the G3 DEFINITY(rg.tm) Communication System. CO switches have been constantly upgraded with newer/faster/larger technology when costs and needs dictated. So if by "popular technology" you mean today's microprocessors, they are in use all over the place. If you mean today's disk drives, optical and other high-speed interfaces, they are in use as well. If you mean modern programming techniques such as C++, object-oriented design/code, software engineering, automated testing, etc., it is also in use. On the other hand, if by "popular" technology, you mean MS-DOS, Windows or other Microsoft products, I think you can understand why they aren't used for real-time switching. If you mean water-cooled IBM/Amdahl mainframes or large DEC mainframes running in a "computer" environment, the CO environment just doesn't mesh well with these systems, and they are too much CPU for the I/O bandwidth in many cases. Most CO switches don't need hugh amounts of MIPS, just CPUs doing the right job in the right place. Don't get me wrong, we use all those products in development and support of the switches, just not in the switch itself. > The interesting thing is that COs still mostly follow the > model of a big dumb crosspoint run as a computer peripheral. One > would think by now that switches would be much more distributed, with > little CPUs all through the switch fabric. But given the amount of > trouble people still have designing distributed systems, it's not > clear that using lots of little CPUs would improve reliability, and > might well make it worse. John, that's exactly the distributed architecture many modern switch vendors use. In the case of the 5ESS switch, it is actually a hierarchy of CPUs and sizes, ranging from DSPs (they have to be programmed too) and small 8086-vintage chips to 680x0 CPUs to the 3B20D processor. Reliabililty is not greatly affected by such an architecture, but it does complicate "downtime" calculations if the switch can fail in degrees, such as 15% of the trunks out or all calls of only one type. > Still, it would be interesting to see something as distributed > as a step-by-step office implemented in modern hardware. Even > something designed like a #5 crossbar, where all common resources were > part of sizable resource pools and any resource could be taken out of > service without much trouble, would seem to be an improvement over > current designs. It ought to be possible to design something that can > equal the switch downtime record of the electromechanical era, but at > modern error rates. The downtime record of some vendor's switches is VERY low ... the longest-term switch failure I've observed AS A CUSTOMER was two days without ringing current on a step-by-step CDO (and all trunks were down as well, since the ice storm took out all the overhead toll lines). > The existing technologies reflect the design of the 1ESS, > which was a mainframe computer controlling a dumb switch fabric. Existing modern technologies reflect distributed designs, or they won't support newer capabilities. Al Varney - just my opinion ------------------------------ From: floyd@hayes.ims.alaska.edu (Floyd Davidson) Subject: Re: When Will General Computing Conquer Telecom Switching? Organization: University of Alaska Computer Network Date: Thu, 29 Jul 1993 05:35:25 GMT In article goldstein@isdnip.lkg.dec. com writes: > That fully-distributed switching is a losing proposition (in the US > market, where keysets count, but not necessarily Europe where the > culture doesn't expect them) can be seen from industry experience. > Northern's SL-1 and DMS switches always had single state CPUs. The > DMS-100 has a bunch of little microprocessors chugging away at local > real-time tasks, but one "big" CPU (often a 68020 but lately it might > be a bigger Moto chip) runs the real generic. I think the source > language is Protel, a specialized structured language. (The SL-1 was > originally written in the SL-1 language.) These switches are very > successful. Perhaps some added detail on the DMS design would put a little perspective on just how much distributed processing there is in a digital switching system. The DMS is a fault tolerant, real time, message passing computer system based on multi-processing peripheral processing modules. It just happens to be programmed to route data bits that are telephone calls. But one could very well be programmed to control every nuclear power plant in the country quite well! And while it did that it could also provide PBX services for the power company too. The original DMS "front end" design used a board level CPU (the NT-40) with a Harvard architecture (8 bit instruction bus and 16 bit data bus) and a segmented memory model similar to an 8088. The peripheral modules used 8085 cpu's for everything: tone generators, receivers, senders, test equipment, trunk controllers ... everything. Then came XPM's (eXperimental Peripheral Modules) which are 68000 based units. Generally each XPM (such as a DTC, or Digital Trunk Controller) has two units which operate in sync with one being active and the other standby and each unit has two 68000 cpu's. Such a DTC handles 480 trunks. Various other kinds of XPM are designed to do everything from lines to SS7 processing. A small switch might have 20 of the older PM's and ten of the XPM's, a huge switch might have near a hundred of each. Originally the 8085 PM's had 64K of RAM, and the first XPM's had something like 384Kb. Currently the XPM's have something like 2Mb of RAM. That sounds reasonable ... but there is more to it than meets the eye! Ten or twelve years ago it took a couple minutes to reload the memory in a PM (from tape, but only 64Kb). And the new XPM's took 10-15 minutes from disk. That was barely within an operating company's ability to live with it! The first time I heard about the development of a large memory version of the XPM it was in terms of how much trouble they were having re-designing everything to bring the load time down to a reasonable figure. And the worst horror story I've ever heard about a telco "cut" to something new relates to how NTI thought a switch with about 70 large memory model XPM's could be "crash loaded" all at once in an hour ... and *many* hours later the last XPM finally came back on line. (The disk buffers were too small ...) The NT-40 front end is being phased out by NTI, and the SuperNode front ends using the 68020/30 cpu's are the standard. There are actually two front end units running in sync with each other and comparing notes ... and each has two cpu's. And there are two characteristics that most computer people will find unusual. One is that *all* programs are in memory. Programs are not executed from disk (Some testing tools are not permanently loaded, but any software the operating company is expected to use is permanently loaded in memory.) The other unusual thing is that when you login on a terminal you are a background process. We usually associate whatever you can see output from on a terminal as being in the foreground, but on a switch call processing is the foreground. The operating system is a real-time message passing system based on distributed processing in multiple peripheral modules. The front end cpu does virtually none of the "switching"; it is the database controller for the configuration tables, the state machine data for calls, and the state machine data for devices; and it is a communications center for the peripheral modules. The hardware is dual redundant and fault tolerant. To date I've only seen one instance where a hardware failure caused the entire switch to fail. That was a slow failure of the power supply for the communications channels between the two front end units. The slow failure caused modules powered by the unit to transmit garble in both directions and each front end unit thought the other had lost sanity. The machine re-booted from scratch on both sides and came back up in three minutes. (No calls were lost, but no new ones could be setup in those three minutes.) It was suggested (in the article that Fred was responding to) that modern switches are NOT distributed, which isn't really the case. The "control" is centralized in one compute module, but the work of moving data bits from one line or trunk to another is totally distributed. In fact the front end computer can be re-booted without loosing the existing calls (or the AMA data records relating to them). It was also suggested that a lack of distributed processing was a cause for lower reliability than was true with mechanical switching systems ... I doubt it. My bet is at least one order of magnitude in the other direction! (I know of one example where a toll switch room once had more than 20 technicians working the evening shift, and one day I called there and found only a janitor ... with a number to call for AT&T's control center in Denver, many hundreds of miles away. That can't be an unreliable switch ... :-) Floyd floyd@ims.alaska.edu A guest on the Institute of Marine Science computer Salcha, Alaska system at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks. ------------------------------ From: nagle@netcom.com (John Nagle) Subject: Re: When Will General Computing Conquer Telecom Switching? Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest) Date: Wed, 28 Jul 1993 23:10:29 GMT goldstein@isdnip.lkg.dec.com writes: > Distributing all of the logic causes major grief. It is not a problem > for POTS services: A stepper is fully distributed, and an electronic > stepper-like switch is possible (and available ...) But if you want > to be competitive and have real Centrex/PBX features, you need multi- > line key telephone sets implemented in software. These have an > arbitrary number of line buttons, each of which has a visual > indication of status, accurate within a second or less. > The Mitel SX-2000 has distributed real-time Motos surrounding a > centralized state machine. It's fairly successful. But look ... the > ITT 1240 was fully distributed. It never worked in the US market and > was pulled; ITT sold out to Alcatel. The 1240 is a big hit in Europe > where there's no need for keysets. So THAT's the big problem: updating all the keyset lamps. Strange. > In any case, fully-distributed operation does not add reliability. A > distributed stepper had no single failure point. But with processors, > you can distribute all you want and still have a single bug in the > code bring down all instances of it. Witness the famous event, > chronicled here in the Digest, when AT&T's SS7 network crashed due to > one misplaced "break" statement. Interesting. It was possible to build a reliable distributed stepper because the thing was simple enough all the failure modes could be analyzed by hand. (There is an obscure book, perhaps still in the John Crerar Library in Chicago, where the full thinking behind Strowgear switching systems is detailed. No, I don't have the title.) But the feature collections are now so complex this is no longer possible. Will it be better with ATM, which in a sense is a return to a dumber model? John Nagle ------------------------------ From: mav@cscns.com (Michelle A. Vandepas) Subject: Re: 911 For Non-Emergencies? (was Re: Natwick 911 Drama) Organization: Community_News_Service Date: Wed, 28 Jul 1993 18:23:03 GMT > I don't know the accuracy of the story ... but, it seems > sometimes systems get a little inflexible. In Colorado Springs, they recently changed the 911 phone systems, so that ONLY emergency calls are taken through 911. I called 911 to report a broken into car, and they made me call back and dial a local phone number. It must be city specific! Michelle ------------------------------ From: edg@netcom.com (Ed Greenberg) Subject: Re: AT&T Billing on 5 July Organization: Netcom Online Communications Services (408-241-9760 login: guest) Date: Wed, 28 Jul 1993 18:45:29 GMT In article Craig R. Watkins writes: > My calls on the 5th of July were billed at regular day rate. I > thought that maybe they should have been billed as on a holiday. I > called AT&T and they said they should have been and credited me. The > bill was prepared by Bell of Pennsylvania; I don't know whose mistake > it was. I'll have to check tonight, and will, but I recall asking the operator about it, and was told that calls all day on the 5th should be billed at EVENING rates. Not night, not day. Ed Greenberg edg@netcom.com Ham Radio: KM6CG ------------------------------ From: gtoal@an-teallach.com (Graham Toal) Subject: Re: SIMTEL 20 Closing Down Organization: An Teallach Date: Wed, 28 Jul 1993 19:26:59 +0000 In article 0005066432@MCIMAIL.COM writes: > Mr. Petersen is trying to find a new home for the master archives. > Note that many of the older files are on CD-ROM, so it is not > absolutely necessary that a site dedicate two GB of disk space, as > perhaps 3/4 of this is on CDs, so the option would be to loan perhaps > 4 CD slots in an optical jukebox, along with perhaps 500 meg of disk > space. Disk space is *not* a problem -- look at all the sites that already mirror simtel -- any one of them (I'd suggest src.doc.ic.ac.uk because it's nearest to me ;-) ) would be capable of storing the data. The problem is the manpower to keep it up to date. Find volunteers for that job and the disk space will surely follow. Personal mail to gtoal@gtoal.com (I read it in the evenings) Business mail to gtoal@an-teallach.com (Be careful with the spelling!) Faxes to An Teallach Limited: 031 662 4678 Voice: 031 668 1550 x212 ------------------------------ From: gtoal@an-teallach.com (Graham Toal) Subject: Re: What Is This Number? Organization: An Teallach Date: Wed, 28 Jul 1993 19:31:18 +0000 > What's this telephone #? 011-351-xx-xxxxx? It is some wierd > international sex line, and I'm trying to figure out how they make > money off of it, because there are no premium charges. Just long > distance. Oh no, not again! This person has been posting this identical question to newsgroups left right and centre, and it has been answered at length. On his second posting to uk.telecom, someone voiced a suspicion that the 'question' was a subtle form of advertising by the poster, a suspicion that seems more and more plausible every time I see the damn thing. Personal mail to gtoal@gtoal.com (I read it in the evenings) Business mail to gtoal@an-teallach.com (Be careful with the spelling!) Faxes to An Teallach Limited: 031 662 4678 Voice: 031 668 1550 x212 [Moderator's Note: Good thinking, Graham! This time around I decided to eliminate the number from the message; after all, he got his question answered, that's what counts. PAT] ------------------------------ From: daveb%jaws@dsinet.dgtl.com (David Breneman) Subject: Re: AT&T Operator Terminal Date: 28 Jul 93 19:07:13 GMT Organization: Digital Systems International, Redmond WA PCA103@psuvm.psu.edu wrote: > I just got myself an AT&T Operator's Terminal , circa 1984, ... > send or receive data. If anyone has pinouts, or even an expaination of > the ports on the bottom (and the phone jack), I'd really appreciate > it. Thanks a lot! What do the ports look like? Ie, if they're RS-232, the pinouts should be standard. David Breneman Email: daveb@jaws.engineering.dgtl.com System Administrator, Software Engineering Services Digital Systems International, Inc. Voice: 206 881-7544 Fax: 206 556-8033 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jul 93 16:39:24 EDT From: guy@intgp1.att.com Subject: Re: New AT&T Feature: TrueVoice Organization: AT&T In article , lie6@midway.uchicago.edu (Jonathan Lieberman) writes: > In article jgreene@nyx.cs.du.edu > (Justin Greene) writes: >> I entered a pager number and it didn't care ... > I entered 212-555-1212 and it didn't care ... This could lead to some fun if they are using it to build a telemarketing database: (Auto dialer connects) "Direcotry assistance what city please?" (Telemarketing computer detects voice response and connects telemarketer ...) "Hi, I've called to talk to you about TrueVoi ..." ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #521 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa17367; 29 Jul 93 5:54 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA06832 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Thu, 29 Jul 1993 03:26:48 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA15352 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Thu, 29 Jul 1993 03:26:16 -0500 Date: Thu, 29 Jul 1993 03:26:16 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199307290826.AA15352@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #522 TELECOM Digest Thu, 29 Jul 93 03:26:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 522 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Victory For 900 Users: FTC Rules Announced (TELECOM Moderator) Re: High Speed Modem Connect Signals (Brett Elliott) Re: T1s Versus Regular Lines For a FreeNet? (Fred R. Goldstein) Re: Beware of the 'Toner-Phoners'! (Tony Pelliccio) Re: U.S. Cuts Off the Canadian-Cuban Connection (Wm Randolph Franklin) Re: Chicago Area Man Charged in Computer Porn Transmission (Ed Gehringer) Re: Area 205 to Split (Len E. Elam) Re: Two Lines to One TAD (Carl Oppedahl) Re: Escort Digital Cordless (Mark Steiger) Re: MCI Makes Buses? (Ron Bean) Used Cell Phone $ and Bundling (Steve Edwards) ---------------------- TELECOM Digest is an e-journal devoted mostly -- but not exclusively -- to discussions on voice telephony. The Digest is a not-for-profit public service published frequently by Patrick Townson Associates. PTA markets a no-surcharge telephone calling card and a no monthly fee 800 service. In addition, we are resellers of AT&T's Software Defined Network. For a detailed discussion of our services, write and ask for the file 'products'. The Digest is delivered at no charge by email to qualified subscribers on any electronic mail service connected to the Internet. To join the mail- ing list, write and tell us how you qualify: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu. All article submissions MUST be sent to our email address: telecom@eecs. nwu.edu -- NOT as replies to comp.dcom.telecom. Back issues and numerous other telephone-related files of interest are available from the Telecom Archives, using anonymous ftp lcs.mit.edu. Login anonymous, then 'cd telecom-archives'. At the present time, the Digest is also ported to Usenet at the request of many readers there, where it is known as 'comp.dcom.telecom'. Use of the Digest does not require the use of our products and services. The two are separate. All articles are the responsibility of the individual authors. Organi- zations listed, if any, are for identification purposes only. The Digest is compilation-copyrighted, 1993. **DO NOT** cross-post articles between the Digest and other Usenet or alt newsgroups. Do not compile mailing lists from the net-addresses appearing herein. Send tithes and love offerings to PO Box 1570, Chicago, IL 60690. :) Phone: 312-465-2700. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 29 Jul 1993 02:18:42 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Subject: Victory For 900 Users: FTC Rules Announced From the {Chicago Tribune} news wire, Wednesday, July 28, 1993: A victory for consumers of telephone 900 information services occurred Tuesday when the final regulations of the Federal Trade Commission were announced. Starting November 1, people who dial 900 services must be warned of the cost of the call and get a chance to hang up before being charged. In the twelve years since 900 numbers appeared, they have burgeoned into a $1 billion per year industry. But many services have attracted heavy criticism -- and in several instances legal action against their proprietors -- on account of their exorbitant cost, sexual orientation or fraudulent marketing practices among other complaints. The 900 industry has responded that a few shady operators gave companies dealing in sports scores, horoscopes or other innocuous information a bad name. Last October, Congress passed the Telephone Disclosure and Dispute Resolution Act and divided authority to enforce it between the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission. In addition, the regulations issued by the FTC this week will be enforce- able by state attorneys general. The new regulations require a warning at the very start of the call that details the fee and tells callers they 'have three seconds after the signal tone is heard to hang up if you do not wish to pay.' In addition, telephone companies must block access to 900 numbers from individual phone lines if so requested by the customer. In addition, 900 service providers *must* provide toll-free, pay per call information lines; customers must be sent pay-per-call disclosure statements annually; and the use of *any* prefix other than 900 for pay-per-call services is prohibited. In addition, the new rules provide that print and broadcast ads must carry details of the fees that callers will be charged for any call that would cost at least $2. In hearings earlier this year, representatives of the 900-number industry claimed that such regulation of their ads would effectively put them out of business. They claimed that as much as nine or ten seconds of a thirty second ad would be consumed by the warnings. About the same about of time -- nine or ten seconds -- would be consumed at the start of each call, although information providers would still be required to pay the carrier of their lines from the moment of connec- tion as occurs now. (Regulations note the manner of speech and speed in which the disclaimer must be presented both in advertising and at the start of the telephone connection upon which the charges-per-call will be imposed.) Major providers of 900 services have already responded by attacking the new rules. "They wasted a lot of people's time and a lot of people's money," said Bruce Fogel, chairman of Phone Programs, Inc., a big provider of sports services in New York. ------------------------------ From: belliot@eis.calstate.edu (Brett Elliott) Subject: Re: High Speed Modem Connect Signals Organization: Calif State Univ/Electronic Information Services Date: Thu, 29 Jul 1993 03:04:46 GMT belliot@eis.calstate.edu (Brett Elliott) writes: > Could some knowledgable source explain the signals involved in the > modem connect sequence, more specificly v32bis or USR hst signaling? > What I am not curious about is the handshaking but the interaction > with the telephone network. (Does it send a signal to allow better > signaling? Explain please, if you can answer this.) After conducting research I think I may have answered my own question. Echo supression cancels out energy in the 2010-2240Hz range. The CCIT standard is to blurt out a 2100Hz for at least 250ms, which will stop the EC equipment. I believe that this is correct, might be wrong. EC will re-activate after a 400ms squelch. belliot@eis.calstate.edu ------------------------------ From: goldstein@carafe.tay2.dec.com (Fred R. Goldstein) Subject: Re: T1s Versus Regular Lines For a FreeNet? Organization: Digital Equipment Corp., Littleton MA USA Date: Thu, 29 Jul 1993 05:19:22 GMT In article djcl@io.org (woody) writes: > The Toronto FreeNet (TFN) mailings recently included a suggestion to > look at getting T1 lines for the forthcoming FreeNet facility rather > than individual POTS lines. There are apparently adapters that can > connect a T1 line with a number of computer ports, in effect doing the > function modems would be doing on each POTS line otherwise. > The TFN folks would appreciate some insight as to whether T1 lines > would be more cost-effective than separate trunks/POTS lines, > especially considering that there would have to be the equivalent of > 100 POTS lines access at the outset of the FreeNet (scheduled to begin > operation by April 1994). Are there any difficulties with establishing > a local number access if T1 lines are used? What are the local Bell Canada tariffs? That's the first question to ask! In general, they should be happy to deliver on T1 for no more than analog, since as Telecom Digest readers know, ALL Toronto COs are digital (DMS) now. Heck, it saves Bell money. If you take digital delivery, you can get T1-size modems from Primary Access, which will cost more per channel than el cheapo 9600s but be a whole lot neater and more manageable. Each T1 is broken out into 24 separate ports on the user side, but never into analog lines. You can also take the calls at 56k! That's right: With a digital CO and T1 delivery, users with ISDN BRI (or Switched 56 if Bell allows it) can dial in to an ordinary "voice" number and have 56 kbps connectivity. Primary Access can enable this on selected channels, if Bell will let you designate a given phone number hunting across those channels while analog calls hunt across other channels. This is "poor man's PRI". Heck, you might get real PRI too, but that will probably cost more. Fred R. Goldstein goldstein@carafe.tay2.dec.com Opinions are mine alone; sharing requires permission ------------------------------ From: system@garlic.sbs.com Date: Wed, 28 Jul 93 15:32:48 EDT Subject: Re: Beware of "Toner-Phoners"! PAT notes: > [Moderator's Note: See my comments early Monday regards this. What > they are doing is not illegal or fraudulent -- just obnoxious. Of > equal concern to me are government agencies which like to make crimes > where none exist just to appease that segment of society which cannot > or will not observe Caveat Emptor. Remember the guy who was calling > pagers in New York City and asking them to call a 540 number? What > crime was he committing? Is asking people to return a call to a toll > number a crime? Suppose I left a message with your secretary asking > you to call me here in Chicago and you did not realize the call would > cost extra? It is too bad some businesses have such sleazy tactics, > but rarely will any be operating illegally. They know the law very > well and manage to stay inches inside it. PAT] To each his own. I know that I try to be fully aware of whats going to cost me money when I dial, and what isn't. And if you're not sure, simply call the operator first and check. That's one of the reasons we even have operators now. Remember, 0 or 00 and check first. Tony Pelliccio, KD1NR, Control Op 441.750+, ARRL VE system @ garlic.sbs.com Soon W5YI VE [Moderator's Note: Well since I wrote the above, a couple messages in the Digest have pointed out that some (most?, all?) of these bozos are claiming to be 'the regular supplier' for the firms they call. That does hinge on fraud I suppose, but barely. PAT] ------------------------------ From: franklin@ecse.rpi.edu (Wm Randolph Franklin) Subject: Re: U.S. Cuts Off the Canadian-Cuban Connection Date: 29 Jul 1993 14:26:28 +0800 Organization: ECSE Dept, RPI. Ask any Canadian. The US plays bully with Canada whenever it feels like it, and no American ever hears. E.g., you heard about American agents kidnapping the Mexican torture-doctor. However you may not have heard about the American bail bondsmen kidnapping -- from Canada -- the Canadian who'd jumped bond, and taking him back to Florida. Imagine if a Canadian kidnapped an executive of an American midwestern coal power plant for polluting Canadian air. Technically in the phone case, the US is telling an American company what to do. In the same way, the US tells American companies to tell their Canadian subsidiaries not to sell to Cuba. I liked the Argentinian response 20 years ago when the US told Ford to tell Ford of Argentina not to trade with Cuba. (This was during the Vietnam war, when North Vietnam was using American trucks built in Russia with American approval. However that was OK apparently.) The Argentinian government simply told Ford of Argentina to do the deal or it would be nationalized. It did the deal. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jul 93 18:17:16 -0400 From: gehringe@eos.ncsu.edu Subject: Re: Chicago Area Man Charged in Computer Porn Transmission Why should we be interested in helping the defense? I'd be much more interested in helping the prosecution (unless it's a case of mistaken identity, of course). There's far too much evidence of the harm of pornography. [Moderator's Note: Aside from the fact that there are studies which conclude that harm is caused by pornography, and aside from the fact that the gentleman apparently was caught with illegal contraband, and aside from the fact that he apparently was transmitting copyrighted material for which he had never been licensed, there still remains the question of exactly *how* the transmission took place: if he was decieved by the twelve year old user as to his age; if he transmitted it automatically to all users; if he made it available for transmission without verifying his users; etc. Granted, owing to the other circum- stances, he is hardly in a position to challenge his prosecution using a defense of 'sysop rights' without raising the ire of the court where the other quite proveable (and more serious, felony) matters are concerned. But there are many sysops who have gone to sleep one night and woke up the next day to find files on their system they did not put there which had already been downloaded by young innocents; phreaks, etc. only to wind up being accused of running a 'pedophile BBS' or a 'board for hackers', etc. I grant you sysops should have rights to go along with the responsibil- ities I've hammered on from time to time here and to this extent there should probably be a limited defense provided to him *if and only if* it is his contention that his young user either was deceptive or violated system security to obtain the file. The 12-year old *claims* -- note I emphasize that -- to have been very surprised by the contents of the file transmitted to him, thus his complaint to his mother. IMHO, that remains to be seen. I suggested that others might want to contact the sysop, if only to learn the exact sequence of events surrounding the transmission. No more or less. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jul 93 12:30:39 CDT From: lelam%kunson@Sun.COM (Len E. Elam) Subject: Re: Area 205 to Split In article cornutt@lambda.msfc. nasa.gov (David Cornutt) writes: > The split will be done at a line drawn from west to east across the > state, approximately halfway between Birmingham and Montgomery. I had > thought that they might do it this way, but much to my surprise, it is > the northern half of the state that will retain 205. (It surprises me > because I had thought that state politics would force SCB to keep > Montgomery in 205, that city being the state capitol.) Since Birmingham is probably still the biggest city in Alabama (it was when I was growing in Alabama) and since it seems to be the biggest business center in Alabama, it wouldn't surprise me if this were taken into account in determining which area would "keep" Area Code 205. Anyone have any idea what the number of South Central Bell customers, espcially big business customers, will be in the "new" Area Code 205 versus the "new" Area Code 334? I'll bet South Central Bell knows!!! :-) Who Am I?: Len E. Elam Disclaimer: Email: lelam%gdfwc3@central.sun.com I speak only or lelam@gdwest.gd.com for myself. ------------------------------ From: oppedahl@panix.com (Carl Oppedahl) Subject: Re: Two Lines to One TAD Date: 28 Jul 1993 18:38:50 -0400 Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC In sar1952@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu (Steven A Rubin) writes: > When the device is connected, each line produces a noticable hum when > making, and during phone calls. How do you stop it from humming? Teach it the words! Yuk, yuk. Carl Oppedahl AA2KW (patent lawyer) 1992 Commerce Street #309 Yorktown Heights, NY 10598-4412 voice 212-777-1330 [Moderator's Note: Some additional lawyer jokes may be indicated here, Carl. If all of *yours* are that bad ... well I have a few that might produce some laughter. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Mark.Steiger@tdkt.kksys.com (Mark Steiger) Date: Wed, 28 Jul 1993 17:53:54 -0600 Subject: Escort Digital Cordless Organization: The Dark Knight's Table BBS: Minnetonka, MN (Free!) > The Escort phone uses 100 different frequencies between 902 MHz and > 928 MHz. It switches among them pseudo-randomly more than 20 times > per second. This frequency agility and the fact that the audio is > digitized are the things that make it very hard to scan. Where I work, we sell a 100 channel Cobra phone. They don't digitize the signal, but "spread" it out over multiple frequencies to make it impossible to listen to. It sounds great and it's an "Intenna" phone. I don't have an item number for it, but we have it at Damark International (1-800-729-9000). Mark Steiger, Sysop, The Igloo BBS (612) 574-2079 Internet: mark@tdkt.kksys.com Fido: 1:282/4018 Simnet: 16:612/24 ------------------------------ Subject: Re: MCI Makes Buses? Date: Wed, 28 Jul 1993 19:00:59 CDT From: Ron Bean ae446@freenet.carleton.ca (Nigel Allen) writes: > MCI and Greyhound Bus Lines used to be a good example of vertical > integration, Bell System-style, in which MCI would build buses and > Greyhound would operate them. Both were subsidiaries of Greyhound > Corporation (which eventually merged with Dial Corporation) until > Greyhound Bus Lines' management responded to increasing competition > from discount air travel by trying to reduce the wages of drivers and > mechanics and, when the inevitable strike happened, using replacement > workers. Eventually, Greyhound Bus Lines filed for Chapter 11 > reorganization. They sold Greyhound *before* the strike; it was the new management that filed chapter 11. This was also complicated by trying to integrate the lower-paid Trailways drivers into the system. They are apparently doing OK now, although the combined fleet is less than 3000 buses (Greyhound alone used to operate over 5000 buses). > Greyhound Bus Lines is still in business, and I assume that virtually > all its buses are still built by MCI. They are right now, but when they bought Trailways (or they merged, I forget which) the deal included the Eagle factory in Texas (which built buses for Trailways), so they were using Eagles for a while. When they reorganized, they sold the factory and went back to buying (or leasing) MCI's. Another investor is trying to revive Eagle. MCI is now building a special model for Greyhound that is basically the previous model with some newer components, which makes it slightly cheaper than their current model. zaphod@madnix.UUCP (Ron Bean) uwvax!astroatc!nicmad!madnix!zaphod ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jul 1993 13:59:11 -0700 (PDT) From: Steve Edwards Reply-To: Steve Edwards Subject: Used Cell Phone $ and Bundling I live in California where bundling cell phones and activation is illegal. Thus, the price for a used cell phone is usually in the $200 to $400 range. In states that allow bundling and the price of a new phone may only be $50 or even free, what do used cell phones sell for? Steve Edwards Internet: steve@newline.uucp Voice: +1-619-723-2727 Newline CompuServe: 73677,3561 Fax: +1-619-731-3000 ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #522 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa14777; 29 Jul 93 19:04 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA05387 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Thu, 29 Jul 1993 16:36:20 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA10486 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Thu, 29 Jul 1993 16:35:31 -0500 Date: Thu, 29 Jul 1993 16:35:31 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199307292135.AA10486@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #523 TELECOM Digest Thu, 29 Jul 93 16:35:30 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 523 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Re: Victory For 900 Users: FTC Rules Announced (Tom Horsley) Re: Victory For 900 Users: FTC Rules Announced (John R. Levine) Re: Used Cell Phone $ and Bundling (Carl Oppedahl) Re: Used Cell Phone $ and Bundling (John R. Levine) Re: Networks in Sarejevo? (Jon Carmichael) Re: Caller ID Blocking in N.J. (Terry Kennedy) Re: ADSI Specs Wanted (Jonathan Rosenberg) Re: What is This Number? (Elana Beach) Re: What Changes For Delaware? (Al Varney) Re: Area 205 to Split (Carl Moore) Re: Is This Legal? (Gowri Narla) Radar Detectors (was Re: AM Band Violates ...) (A. Padgett Peterson) Mystery Caller (Leonard Erickson) K00L International Numbers (J. Philip Miller) Cordless Phones on a Four-Party Line? (George Despinic) Sparcstation/Telephone Integration (Andrew Howlett) US West is OK With Emergency Forwarding (David Dodell) Computer Access to Voice Mail (Ken Mandelberg) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: tom@travis.csd.harris.com (Tom Horsley) Subject: Re: Victory For 900 Users: FTC Rules Announced Date: 29 Jul 1993 11:33:48 GMT Organization: Harris Computer Systems Division > The new regulations require a warning at the very start of the call > that details the fee and tells callers they 'have three seconds after > the signal tone is heard to hang up if you do not wish to pay.' In > addition, telephone companies must block access to 900 numbers from > individual phone lines if so requested by the customer. So now I'm curious. How will uunet (or any other modem 900 line, but uunet is the one I am most familiar with) achieve this on their 900 lines that provide dial-in access to the archives? If they manage to do it, how many people's modems will hang up before the end of the warning when they attempt to dial-in? domain: tahorsley@csd.harris.com USMail: Tom Horsley uucp: ...!uunet!hcx1!tahorsley 511 Kingbird Circle Delray Beach, FL 33444 [Moderator's Note: They've got to send a message to your modem immed- iatly on connection which describes the cost for the call, advise the caller to disconnect if not willing to pay and ring the Bell a few times, then pause and wait about five seconds before they continue the transmission. If you wish, you reach over to keyboard and type whatever is needed to disconnect. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Jul 93 11:53 EDT From: johnl@iecc.com (John R Levine) Subject: Re: Victory For 900 Users: FTC Rules Announced Organization: I.E.C.C. > In addition, 900 service providers *must* provide toll-free, pay per > call information lines; This same badly worded sentence appeared in our local papers. I presume this means that there has to be an 800 number you can call to ask or complain about each 900 number. > the use of *any* prefix other than 900 for pay-per-call services is > prohibited. Now that's interesting. Does this affect prefixes like 976 and 540 which are presumably mostly used for in-state calls? Regards, John Levine, johnl@iecc.com, {spdcc|ima|world}!iecc!johnl [Moderator's Note: I assume there has to be a handy, convenient and toll-free way for consumers to reach the proprietor of a 900 service. I also wondered about 976 and 540 numbers; I think they are to be included, although $2 seems to be a magic number in the new regs. They talk about $2 as the point where anything above that amount falls under the rules, and a lot of 976 stuff (time, weather, etc) seems to be less than that amount. PAT] ------------------------------ From: oppedahl@panix.com (Carl Oppedahl) Subject: Re: Used Cell Phone $ and Bundling Date: 29 Jul 1993 08:32:29 -0400 Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC In Steve Edwards writes: > I live in California where bundling cell phones and activation is > illegal. Thus, the price for a used cell phone is usually in the $200 > to $400 range. > In states that allow bundling and the price of a new phone may only be > $50 or even free, what do used cell phones sell for? The store that sells a $400 cell phone for, say, $50 to someone who signs a one-year dial tone contract is, of course, getting a $350+ commission from the dial tone provider. So, you would think that if you walk in the door with a used one and ask to have the phone activated for a year, you would be able to talk them into giving you part of their $350 commission. I've never actually seen this, but you could ask. The closest I have come is to find a store that has commission relationships with both of the dial tone providers, and have the phone programmed with phone numbers (in the dual NAM) for each provider. The store gets commissions from both companies, and subtracts both from the retail price of the phone. Obviously, the *true* price of the phone is not what you pay to receive it, but the total cost from now till the end of the minimum service obligation that you have signed. Carl Oppedahl AA2KW (patent lawyer) 1992 Commerce Street #309 Yorktown Heights, NY 10598-4412 voice 212-777-1330 ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Jul 93 11:50 EDT From: johnl@iecc.com (John R Levine) Subject: Re: Used Cell Phone $ and Bundling Organization: I.E.C.C. > In states that allow bundling and the price of a new phone may only be > $50 or even free, what do used cell phones sell for? There's no market for them at all. Why would there be, if you can get a new one with a warranty for little or nothing? As far as I can tell, the phone rates you get as part of the bundle are no different than the ones you get if you walk in off the street with your own phone. Maybe the used ones get shipped to California to participate in the ongoing phraud phest. Regards, John Levine, johnl@iecc.com, {spdcc|ima|world}!iecc!johnl ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Networks in Sarejevo? From: jon.carmichael@uplherc.upl.com (Jon Carmichael) Date: 28 Jul 93 17:08:00 GMT Organization: uuPCB - Demonstration Version Reply-To: jon.carmichael@uplherc.upl.com (Jon Carmichael) > I was just asked to give ideas on how to establish email or network > connectivity into Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. The idea is to create a > portable set of equipment that could support a few users with e-mail, > or perhaps several users with full internet connectivity. I run a PCBoard in the Los Angeles area. I don't know how they are doing it, but about six months ago, I got three callers from Yugoslavia. One of them was online this morning. I thought it was B.S., so I chatted, and one of the callers asked if he could call me voice, which he did. Given his inability to speak English and his very heavy accent I'd have to say he's authentic. The cities they are calling from are Sreska and Indjija. You could write them a message on my board. If you leave me a comment, I will give you their names on my BBS. JONC The Continuum PCBoard -*- @9600+ call 818-441-2625 @2400- call 818-799-9633 ------------------------------ From: terry@spcvxb.spc.edu (Terry Kennedy) Subject: Re: Caller ID Blocking in N.J. Date: 29 Jul 93 06:01:57 EDT Organization: St. Peter's College, US In article , johnl@iecc.com (John R Levine) writes: > The Privacy Journal notes that New Jersey Bell just started offering > per-line and per-call CLID blocking. N.J. was the only state where > blocking was unavailable. Hmmm. I tried *67 here (from a residential class of service phone) and got a very strange recording: "We are sorry, your call cannot be completed as dialed. Please check your instruction manual or call the business office for assistance." That is *not* the normal "you can't get there/do that from here" recording. Even more strangely, that's the same recording used for Centrex class of service. If you try "return call" or something similar from a Centrex line, you either get " ... completed as dialed. Please ask your attendent for assistance." or "The feature is not available." Terry Kennedy Operations Manager, Academic Computing terry@spcvxa.bitnet St. Peter's College, Jersey City, NJ USA terry@spcvxa.spc.edu +1 201 915 9381 ------------------------------ From: Jonathan Rosenberg Subject: Re: ADSI Specs Wanted Organization: Bellcore Date: Thu, 29 Jul 93 13:07:08 GMT > I've read that CID operates in compliance with specs contained in a > document called ADSI -- Analog Display Services Interface. This > document goes beyond CID, e.g., spelling out ways for the end user to > transmit info in the other direction. Is this document available to > developers? Is it ftp'able? I haven't a clue where to look for it, > but I think it would make for interesting reading. ADSI was developed by Bellcore. I don't know what CID is, but ADSI is a specification intended for communicating with screen phones over the existing phone network (it allows mixed voice and commands). In the upstream direction, it simply uses DTMF tones. I don't have any relationship to the ADSI work, but I believe that the spec is available from Bellcore (unlikely to be ftp'able). If you'd like info on obtaining it let me know and I'll find out what to do. JR jxr@thumper.bellcore.com ------------------------------ From: elana@netcom.com (Elana Beach) Subject: Re: What is This Number? Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest) Date: Thu, 29 Jul 1993 13:57:54 GMT Will our dear Moderator PLEASE comment on this post from *alt.fan.mike-jittlov* of all places...! --------begin forwarded article-------- In article <234djk$2ut@nwfocus.wa.com> seth@halcyon.com (Seth Warshavsky) writes: >> What are these telephone numbers and ? I saw them >> in some magazine, I think it some sort of strange international sex line, >> and I was wondering if anyone knew how they make money off of it, it >> say's there is no premium charges, just long distance. It makes no >> sense to me how they make money off of it. If anyone know's what it is >> or knows how they make money off of it, please email me. > Seth has been pushing these numbers for several weeks now. I think > it's safe at this point to assume that they are a scam of some kind, > and that he's making money off of it. It might take a while for the > charges to get back to you, but they will. [Telecom Moderator's Note: Elana, we had a comment very similar (to whoever appended to Seth's remarks) in an issue of the Digest early Thursday. It appears this Seth-person has gone around all over the net asking people 'what is it?'. The people who actually call the number (I refuse to print the number itself any longer) should be assured all they will get charged for is an international call. No scams or other bills showing up, etc. But still, Seth has had enough free advertising for now. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Jul 93 09:33:51 CDT From: varney@ihlpe.att.com Subject: Re: What Changes For Delaware? Organization: AT&T Network Systems In article Carl Moore writes: > At the end of my "county-plus" message, I mentioned long distance > within Delaware, which is still 1 + 7D (and 7D is still useable for > local calls to PA and MD, although local calls FROM PA TO DE are 1 > +302 + 7D now). I still don't know what Delaware will get for long > distance within it when it is time to prepare for the NNX area codes. PA had a confusing arrangement in a town off Route 322 midway between Penn State and Harrisburg (right on the crease of my Rand McNally map). Used 555-1212 to reach DA for my sister's number in Harrisburg. No charge, no offer to complete the call (or maybe I hung up too fast?). However, confusing announcements resulted from attempts at variations on (10288) +0 + NPA + nxx-xxxx. Finally, I tried 0+ nxx-xxxx, and it worked! Are there still many places that require 0 + seven digits for intra-NPA toll calls? This was probably a 60-mile call, and was handled by Bell of PA. What reason would they have for blocking 0 + NPA + seven digits? Do non-coin phones in the same area also use 0 + seven digits? Al Varney ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Jul 93 10:34:27 EDT From: Carl Moore Subject: Re: Area 205 to Split There was a blurb about 512/210 split being set up so that San Antonio went to 210 and Austin (the Texas state capital) stayed in 512. But in Maryland (1991) and Virginia (1973), the state capitals went to new area codes (410 and 804 respectively) and the DC suburbs stayed in the old area codes (301 and 703 respectively). 201 covered all of New Jersey, according to what I hear, until the late 1950s, and Trenton ended up in area 609. Tallahassee, Florida moved from 305 to 904 in 1965. And if there was ever the "N0X in state having only 1 area code" rule, that means Nashville moved from 901 to 615. ------------------------------ From: narla@mace.cc.purdue.edu (Gowri Narla) Subject: Re: Is This Legal? Organization: Purdue University Date: Thu, 29 Jul 1993 15:41:13 GMT In article , gzhou@pollux.usc.edu (Gang Zhou) writes: > I'm living in an apartment owned by the USC housing service. I'm > connected to Pacific Bell so far. But soon, USC will switch our phone > lines to USC telephone service, so they have the absolute monopoly of > my phone service. As you can guess, their long distance (especially > international) rates are outrageously high. I lived in Michigan State University (E.Lansing, MI) housing for two years. The long distance carrier is AT&T by default. And the rates -- incomparably high! The reason people don't complain, I guess, is that there are no charges for installation or monthly flat rates or LEC fees. Some of the problems I faced? 1. Well, if I moved -- even if it were only to the next door apartment -- callers to the old number would not get any information about the change (the number changed, of course). 2. I could never get them to provide any asssitance in international directory services -- they would just say they have billing problems or the service doen't include this feature ... (When I'd offer my AT&T Calling Card for billing, she/he would say they cannot use it for some countries including India, Israel, and Pakistan). 3. Could not receive any collect calls. 4. Call waiting feature not offered -- even for a fee. 5. Cannot access 900 services. 6. CLASS features? Forget it, what do you expect?! Ram Narla Dept. of Telecommunications Michigan State University East Lansing, MI 48823 narla@egr.msu.edu [Moderator's Note: The various peculiarities in telephone service for students at universities (lack of reasonably priced long distance calls; no international service, etc) is one of the reasons I am actively seeking representatives for the Telepassport and Orange Card programs. These programs permit long distance calls to bypass the local facilities and are reasonably priced. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Jul 93 09:05:55 -0400 From: padgett@tccslr.dnet.mmc.com (A. Padgett Peterson) Subject: Radar Detectors (was Re: New AM Band Violates ...) mat@mole-end.matawan.nj.us wrote: > Michael Covington (mcovingt@aisun3.ai.uga.edu) wrote: >> A few states have banned automotive radar detectors. As far as I >> know, this has never been seriously challenged in court. > I believe that the ban is not on owning or using a radar receiver, but > on operating a motor vehicle while using one. And I believe that many > states have similar restrictions on operating a motor vehicle while > listening to a scanner that receives the police bands. Living in Florida, I do not have to worry (at least about radar detectors, cash now ...) but as I recall the states in question are Virginia and Conneticut (D.C. doesn't count 8*). In Virginia at least, mere possession of a radar detector seems to be grounds for confiscation (heard of one case in which a new unit, still in the box and wrapper was seized). Now whether or not this was legal is open for debate and certainly many other kinds of seizures are now being questioned. However, I recall that it came under something like possession of lock-picks, burglary tools, etc. and if a charge is made, it is "interfering with a police officer" but then as an attorney once told me after I received a ticket for "crossing a physical barrier" after pushing a dead motorcycle across a deserted street (the "physical barrier" was lines painted on the road and the policeman was on foot, writing parking tickets -- of course that was in Texas 8*) "There is no justice in traffic court." Of course, we have other strange laws such as it is illegal here to drive while wearing a headset but there is no law against using a cell-phone while driving so no-hand driving (knee-action ?) is a common sight as people on the interstate juggle pads and phones at 65+. At least the one-time law against using a turn signal for signalling a lane-change has been, if not repealed, totally ignored. Warmly, Padgett ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Jul 93 01:55:31 PDT From: Leonard.Erickson@f51.n105.z1.fidonet.org (Leonard Erickson) Subject: Mystery Caller I run a non-CM fidonet node. That means that I'm only *supposed* to get calls from other nodes during "Zone mail hour" each night, although other times can be arranged. I've been getting strange calls for about a week now. My modem connects at 9600/LAPM if I put it online. But the mailers don't handshake. I put a terminal program up and couldn't get a response. But I have determined that the system on the other end is *attempting* to handshake with a BREAK,pause, sequence. About 1/2 sec break, 1/2 sec pause. It repeats until it gives up af