Issue 117 was the first issue of 2002 due to my illness and absence from the Digest for a period of 18 months. The last Digest I produced was May 13, 2000 ... until now. See the archives files of miscellaneous messages for 2000-2001 for other messages. PAT From editor@telecom-digest.org Wed Jan 9 13:29:32 2002 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.9.1/8.9.1) id NAA20672; Wed, 9 Jan 2002 13:29:32 -0500 (EST) Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2002 13:29:32 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200201091829.NAA20672@massis.lcs.mit.edu> To: ptownson Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #117 TELECOM Digest Wed, 9 Jan 2002 13:00:00 EST Volume 20 : Issue 117 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Non Long Distance Calling Feature (John Shaver) Simultaneous Ring, Multiple Locations (A. E. Siegman) Pay Phone Numbers (walker@icircus.net) Re: Automatic Electric? (Fred Goldstein) Re: If No LD Carrier Can We Call 800/877 (Terry Knab) Lying About Al Gore (James Bellaire) Telegraph History (Hugh Barr) SIM Cards in US Cell Phones (Stuart Fanning) Gates Opens Windows to Wireless (Monty Solomon) California Telecom Taxes Info Needed (bruce13) Ringback on Panasonic DBS (John Alexander) Re: Recherche infos sociales (AP) Microwave Towers on Nantucket (WKeight@aol.com) Three in One - Handspring Treo (Monty Solomon) How to Reach Blocked Sites (nur10@lovemail.com) Seeking Someone to Restore Vintage Telephones (Peppajax@aol.com) Email on a Boat (Eric Friedebach) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 09 Jan 2000 12:00:00 CST From: Patrick Townson Subject: What Have I Been Doing the Past Two Years I've been in a nursing home following my brain aneurysm. That, which was not at all a fun experience was combined with some legal problems compliments of my good friends in the Skokie, IL Police Department. Over all, it was a very hellish way to start the new millenium, or end the old one. I expect now that I am back to stay around, but you never can tell. The first half-dozen or so messages in this issue of the Digest were left in the queue when I made my hasty departure back on May 14, 2000. I've redated them and inserted them in this issue with my apologies for their tardy appearance. Given a few issues to get my brain exercised a little, things should get back to normal for me. I'm going to be gathering up all the messages you posted during my absence and posting them in the archives as soon as I can. Thanks for your support over the past twenty years or so and in particular the past year and a half more or less. Patrick Townson ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 09 Jan 2002 12:23:53 -0700 From: John Shaver Subject: Non Long Distance Calling Feature Pat, I have that service on my data line. It does not permit me to call 800 numbers. Now this may be US West/Qwest's own technic, but it worked in Mountain Bell also. John ------------------------------ From: A. E. Siegman Subject: Simultaneous Ring, Multiple Locations Date: Wed, 09 Jan 2002 12:30:30 -0700 Organization: Stanford University Is there a standard telco service such that incoming calls to a certain number will ring two or more lines at two or more different locations (within the same area code, but not the same building or centrex system) and allow the call to be answered at any one of these locations? (I realize, I just should call my local telco and ask them about this, but I'm away from my home location on travel at the minute, and if anyone on this group has familiarity with such a service, I'll appreciate any information you can supply.) siegman@stanford.edu ------------------------------ From: walker@icircus.net Subject: Pay Phone Numbers Date: Wed, 09 Jan 2002 18:12:39 GMT I'm working on a project to demonstrate to the people that I work for that a database of pay phone numbers cross referenced to their location is something that can be done. To do this I'm building a sample database and I need a list of phone numbers and location. The list doesn't need to be anywhere near complete just enough just to show that it can be done without the database growing out of control. Does anyone know where I can get such a list? ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 09 Jan 2002 11:52:21 -0400 From: Fred Goldstein Subject: Re: Automatic Electric? L. Winson asks, > Does Automatic Electric still exist? If not, does GTE still manufacture > phones or switching systems? If not, when did they discontinue? Several years ago, GTE sold 80% of AE to AT&T. The joint venture was named AG Communications Systems. Lucent now owns all of it, or will imminently, and AGCS is still in business as a division of Lucent. It is a sales channel to the "independent" telcos (non-Bell, which includes GTE only until the Verizontal anschluss is done) and it also makes a few neat products, like Roameo and SuperLine. GTE has no manufacturing left (AFAIK), having sold AE, Sylvania and Government Systems (the latter to General Dynamics, so now it's GD-CS, maker of serious crypto boxes). ------------------------------ From: tknab@nyx.net (Terry Knab) Subject: Re: If No LD Carrier Can We Call 800/877 Organization: The Home Office Date: Wed, 09 Jan 2002 04:09:20 GMT Ed Ellers wrote: > PAT, the TELECOM Digest Editor, noted in reply: >> Yes, you will be able to use toll-free services, since the other end is the >> one paying for the call. However, telco will still charge for having 'none' >> as your carrier choice. Not as much as a carrier listed as default, but >> something. > 57 cents/month, last time I looked. So far I haven't found a better > deal for my mother (for 1+ service) than just paying this and using a > 101-XXXX carrier (in her case 101-0432, which comes from Quest and > charges 7 cents/minute off-peak with no minimums or monthly fees). And I've totally scrapped ld on my home phone (basically got sick of paying ATT's BS monthly fees) and now make all my ld calls from my cell phone. (Verizon sells me a plan with free ld anywhere in the US) Terry E. Knab News/Acting System Administrator Nyx Public Access Unix ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2002 13:41:33 -0700 From: bellaire@tk.com (James Bellaire) Subject: Lying About Al Gore Organization: WinStar GoodNet, Inc. It was some time ago in the past, and Gordon S. Hlavenka wrote in comp.dcom.telecom: > I, for one, miss the eighteen-paragraph "Moderator's comments" > that should be appended to these posts. Be careful what you wish for ... James Bellaire ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 09 Jan 2002 16:15:12 +0400 From: Hugh Barr Subject: Telegraph History Hi Patrick, I have just been reading Don's excellent article on the history of submarine cables. I came across it in my search for the history of a particular cable laid in 1864 between Europe and India via the Persian Gulf. Lots of people make fleeting references to it but I can get no substantial information. One source on the history of Oman says for example: "communications services can be said to begin with schemes to link India to Europe via a submarine cable connected to Muscat and onwards to Bushire in 1859. Following the failure of the first Red Sea Telegraph in 1860, a new line was proposed from Egypt to Aden, up the coast to Muscat and to Cape Mussandam and was agreed in 1868." Another short quote talks of the Indo European Company formed in Germany in 1868 to set up a new cable to replace: "communications provided by the Turkish state landlines which ran from Constantinople to Fao in the Persian Gulf via Baghdad." Don's article in the Digest indicates that Siemens in Germany was in a race to reach India overland while Charles Bright was trying to beat him with a submarine route. Who was Bright and in what year did this take place? Can you or any Digest readers help me sort this out? Hugh Barr ------------------------------ From: stuartfanning@hotmail.com (Stuart Fanning) Subject: SIM cards in US Cell Phones Date: 9 Jan 2002 00:58:03 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ Unlike here in the UK and other parts of Europe, US Cell Phones do not have an inter-changeable SIM card. I take it that it is built into the actual handset, and cannot be changed by the consumer. Is this the case? ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2002 12:22:26 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Gates Opens Windows to Wireless Gates Opens Windows to Wireless By Andy Patrizio LAS VEGAS -- Microsoft chairman and chief software architect Bill Gates kicked off the 2002 Consumer Electronics Show Monday evening with a trio of announcements for connecting wireless devices to Windows XP computers. The new technologies extend the company's vision of integrating mobile devices with desktop PCs. As is usual with any Gates announcement, Microsoft software is at every point in the connection. ... http://www.wired.com/news/wireless/0,1382,49558,00.html ------------------------------ From: bruce.nalepka@prgx.com (bruce13) Subject: California Telecom Taxes Info Needed Date: 8 Jan 2002 11:50:06 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ Hello. I am newly employed as an telecom auditor. We sign up companies and work on a contigency basis ... if we find billing errors, we get to keep part of the claim. Does anybody know of a good web site link that would provide state by state information on telecom service tax. For example, I have a pile of wireless invoices with California sales taxes, such as 911 tax, High Cost fee tax, Excise tax, and something called a TRS charge. Where can I verify what percentage of usage can be billed by a service provider for each individual tax? ------------------------------ From: juan_alessandri@hotmail.com (John Alexander) Subject: Ringback on Panasonic DBS Date: 8 Jan 2002 13:26:33 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ The PBX is a Panasonic DBS 576. A PRI ISDN is configured for DID. Callers receive no ring back when calling DID numbers. Who is supposed to provide the ringback, the PBX or the CO? Thanks for any suggestions ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2002 16:37:53 -0500 EST From: AP Subject: Re: Recherche infos sociales Pour infos, Voici un lien qui devrait repondre a un grand nombre de vos preoccupations : AP > -----Message d'origine----- > De : ptownson@lcs.mit.edu > mardi 17 decembre 2001 15:17 > : ap.sarl@freesurf.fr > Objet : Recherche infos sociales > Je recherche des infos sur : Grille salariale, Primes, Preavis, > Conges, Accords sur les 35 heures... Merci ------------------------------ From: WKeight@aol.com Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2002 16:56:50 EST Subject: Microwave Towers on Nantucket Are there any microwave towers on the island of nantucket? ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2002 22:38:41 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Three in One - Handspring Treo Three in one Meet the innovative force behind the new Handspring Treo, which combines PDA, wireless Internet access and a mobile phone. Vanessa Hua, Chronicle Staff Writer Sunday, January 6, 2002 A set of glass cases in Handspring's headquarters shows off not its successes, but its rejects. Along a corridor on the second floor, foam core and cardboard prototypes reveal the progression of its handheld devices -- screens oriented vertically and horizontally, antennas hidden and stubby, different constellations of buttons, convex versus concave shapes, and other what might have beens. Yet these dead ends speak to why Handspring is respected by its employees, consumers and industry analysts alike: What the Mountain View company values in design is refined -- again and again. Out of this evolution sprung Handspring's Visor line, which features an expansion slot; the VisorPhone, the first mobile phone attachment for personal digital assistants, or PDAs; and now the Treo, which combines wireless Internet access, an electronic organizer and a mobile phone. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2002/01/06/BU190190.DTL ------------------------------ Date: 5 Jan 2002 08:29:19 -0000 From: nur10@lovemail.com Subject: How to Reach Blocked Sites Please help me; how can I see blocked sites. _______________________________________________________________ Get FREE Email, Chat Rooms and Games at http://www.Lovemail.com ------------------------------ From: Peppajax@aol.com Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2002 12:50:31 EST Subject: Seeking Someone to Restore Vintage Telephones I'm looking for someone who restores vintage telephones. Actually, I have a (around 1940s) Western Electric 300 series telephone. I'm trying to find out how to repair it. I can receive a dial tone but, I can't dial out or hang it up. The handset is there as well as all the other pieces. I was wondering if there was some type of diagram for the wiring available or even a clear picture of the inside of a working 300 series telephone. I can't tell from the website if you restore old phones or not. I appreciate any help that you can give. If this is not something that you do, please excuse this email and I'm sorry for taking up any unnecessary time. Thank You. ------------------------------ From: Eric Friedebach Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2002 20:21:41 -0600 Subject: Email on a Boat A friend of mine would like to be able to send and receive email while on his 40' trawler anchored offshore in the Southern California area. A cell phone using WAP would not really be useful since he wants to use a Windows machine (and I have never heard a kind thing about WAP anyway). Basically, I can envision two methods: Either a connection via cell phone to an ISP; -or- One of the new DirecWay 2-way satellite dishes. Both have their good and bad points. Perhaps someone here on the list has had some experience with a situation such as this, or an idea we have not though of. Eric Friedebach Get your own FREE Web and POP E-mail Service in 14 languages at http://www.zzn.com. ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V20 #117 ****************************** TELECOM Digest Thu, 10 Jan 2002 00:18:18 EST Volume 20 : Issue 118 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Re: SIM Cards in US Cell Phones (Joseph Singer) Dummy Question About Digital Wireless Phones and Magnetism (Gail M. Hall) RE: TELECOM Digest V20 #116 (clowe@ofda.net) ATIS/INC Release Final Recommended Plan for Expanding NANP (Kevin Brewer) Re: California Telecom Taxes Info Needed (Scott) News Item- Wireless Security - Models, Threats and Solutions (CTO) ICB HeadsUp Headlines For January 10 (Judith Oppenheimer) Help Needed - NEAX 242 SDS (doctor_pippo) FS Tellab Shelf 291/292R 819291 (tony) Station Message-Detail Recording (SMDR) For Consumer Home Phone (user1) Yet Another One of Those Messages (mail02744@pop.net) TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not exclusively to telecommunications topics. It is circulated anywhere there is email, in addition to various telecom forums on a variety of networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest Post Office Box 50 Independence, KS 67301 Phone: 630-841-7174 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe/unsubscribe: subscriptions@telecom-digest.org This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/ mailing list on the internet in any category! 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Access to Premium (P) links requires upgrade to a paid subscription. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Only subscribers or registered users of ICB Toll Free News web site will be able to access all or some of the full text of URLs provided. LEGAL STUFF: TELECOM Digest (sm) is owned by Patrick Townson. Copyright 2000 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. In addition, a gift from Mike Sandman, Chicago's Telecom Expert has enabled me to replace some obsolete computer equipment and enter the 21st century sort of on schedule. His mail order telephone parts/supplies service based in the Chicago area has been widely recognized by Digest readers as a reliable and very inexpensive source of telecom-related equipment. Please request a free catalog today at http://www.sandman.com --------------------------------------------------------------- Finally, the Digest is funded by gifts from generous readers such as yourself who provide funding in amounts deemed appropriate. Your help is important and appreciated. A suggested donation of twenty dollars per year per reader is considered appropriate. See our address above. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. All opinions expressed herein are deemed to be those of the author. Any organizations listed are for identification purposes only and messages should not be considered any official expression by the organization. --------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Joseph Singer Subject: Re: SIM Cards in US Cell Phones Date: Wed, 09 Jan 2002 15:58:53 -0800 Organization: Drizzle Reply-To: joeofseattle@yahoo.com On 9 Jan 2002 00:58:03 -0800, stuartfanning@hotmail.com (stuartfanning) wrote: > Unlike here in the UK and other parts of Europe, US Cell Phones do not > have an inter-changeable SIM card. I take it that it is built into the > actual handset, and cannot be changed by the consumer. Is this the > case? Not true. GSM providers in the US such as VoiceStream, a T-Mobile International company, Cingular and soon AT&T use the same GSM as they do in Europe and in Asia and use the same interchangeable SIM cards. North American GSM is at 1900 Mhz as opposed to 900 and 1800 Mhz as is used in Europe, the Middle East and Australasia. If one has a tri-band handset you can travel world-wide with the same service and the same number. North American GSM was later coming into the game than Europe with its mandated implementation of GSM, but it's rapidly vamping up with players such as AT&T and Rogers/AT&T in Canada implementing GSM systems. Personal replies are likely not read. Please reply in the newsgroup. ------------------------------ From: Gail M. Hall Subject: Dummy Question About Digital Wireless Phones and Magnetism Date: Wed, 09 Jan 2002 19:09:10 -0500 Reply-To: gmhall@apk.net I've been wondering if the ringer on a digital wireless phone gives off magnetic fields when it rings. I sometimes carry floppy disks in my bag for my digital camera. If I also carry my digital wireless phone in my bag, will the magnetic waves from the phone ringing damage the floppy disks? By the same token, will magnetism from other sources damage the information in the wireless phone's memory, such as my phonebook and phone preferences? If so, what is a safe distance? My phone is a Nokia 6185, and I didn't see anything in the booklet about this subject. Gail from Ohio USA ------------------------------ From: clowe@ofda.net Subject: Re: Email on a Boat Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2002 17:56:20 -0500 Your friend wants Inmarsat. See http://217.204.152.210/news_story.cfm?id=167 > From: Eric Friedebach > Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2002 20:21:41 -0600 > Subject: Email on a Boat > A friend of mine would like to be able to send and receive email while > on his 40' trawler anchored offshore in the Southern California > area. A cell phone using WAP would not really be useful since he wants > to use a Windows machine (and I have never heard a kind thing about > WAP anyway). Basically, I can envision two methods: > Either a connection via cell phone to an ISP; > -or- > One of the new DirecWay 2-way satellite dishes. > Both have their good and bad points. Perhaps someone here on the list > has had some experience with a situation such as this, or an idea we > have not though of. ------------------------------ From: Kevin Brewer Subject: ATIS/INC Release Final Recommended Plan for Expanding NANP Date: Wed, 09 Jan 2002 17:45:06 -0500 Dear Pat and the Rest of the Telephone Enthusiasts Community, I don't know how many of you have noticed it yet, but a couple days ago I happened to see that the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions and the Telecommunications Industry Numbering Committee had released their final Recommended Plan for Expanding the Capacity of the NANP on December 13, 2001. It is located at the URL http://www.atis.org/pub/clc/inc/nanpe/NANPExpansionRecommendation.doc . Sincerely, Kevin J. Brewer ------------------------------ From: Scott Subject: Re: California Telecom Taxes Info Needed Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2002 13:28:30 -0700 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com The CA Commission's website is a good place to start: http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/ Every state commission has one. Here is a list: http://www.naruc.org/resources/state.html bruce13 wrote in message news:telecom20.117.10@telecom-digest.org... > Does anybody know of a good web site link that would provide state by > state information on telecom service tax. For example, I have a pile > of wireless invoices with California sales taxes, such as 911 tax, > High Cost fee tax, Excise tax, and something called a TRS charge. > Where can I verify what percentage of usage can be billed by a service > provider for each individual tax? ------------------------------ Reply-To: CTO From: CTO Subject: News Item- Wireless Security - Models, Threats and Solutions Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2002 20:08:00 -0500 Organization: INFOSEC Technologies, LLC Hi Patrick, I am proud to announce the publication of my newest book, "Wireless Security: Models, Threats and Solutions" by McGraw-Hill Telecom Professional Books, 2002 [ISBN: 0-07-138038-8]. The safeguarding of information traveling over wireless technology is perhaps one of the most important and contentious challenges that security managers face. We must protect the individuals' privacy and balance it with the interests of public safety and government interests. Moreover, business costs associated with providing the appropriate security measures are often substantial. They can be difficult to justify to our management. "Wireless Security" effectively covers a huge range of technologies and their associated vulnerabilities: satellites, telephones systems, WLANs, WAP, WTLS, Bluetooth, speech cryptology, cryptographic security, m-business, E2E, wireless information warfare, and embedded security designs with FPGAs and ASICs. "Wireless Security" addresses evolving security concerns by providing deep insights in a readable and effective manner. We have taken the approach of best practices to present our material - a balanced identification of state-of the-art technologies combined with a systems approach to the problem of wireless communications security. I am most grateful to my colleagues and students for their dedicated assistance and research. My best to all, Randall K. Nichols Professor, The George Washington University School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) Washington DC USA & Chief Technical Officer INFOSEC Technologies, LLC Cryptographic / Anti-Virus / Anti-Hacking Computer Security Countermeasures Carlisle PA USA Visit our website: www.infosec-technologies.com Email: cto@infosec-technologies.com Voice: 717-258-8316 Fax: 717-258-5693 Mobile: 717-329-9836 ------------------------------ From: j.oppenheimer@att.net (Judith Oppenheimer) Subject: ICB HeadsUp Headlines for January 10 Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2002 01:40:29 +0000 http://ICBTollFreeNews.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES from ICB Toll Free News - Covering the Political, Legal and Marketing Arenas of 800, ENUM and Dot Com. WELCOME BACK PAT! The Digest has not been the same sans your inimitable and euridite editing - you've been sorely missed. Happy New Year - Welcome Home. CONTENTS FOR THE PERIOD ENDING JANUARY 9, 2002 - NEUSTAR TRIMS BEEF, ADDS PORK - UDRP REDUX - THE PUBLIC INTEREST STANDARD: TOO INDETERMINATE TO BE CONSTITUTIONAL? - TELECOMS SKATING THIN REGULATORY ICE - QWEST CHAIR/CEO JOSEPH NACCHIO HEADS NRIC VI - SURINAME'S .SR THE LATEST CCTLD TO GO COMMERCIAL /=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= advertisement =-=-=-\ ENUM changes all the rules. Will you be ready? http://www.judithoppenheimer.com/enumsurvival.html \=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=/ - VERISIGN SPENDS THE BIG BUCKS ON TELECOM - VERISIGN ACQUIRES THE .TV CORPORATION - ICANN, AUERBACH AND AL-QAIDA - FORBES IS THUMBS UP ON 1-800 CONTACTS - A TOLL FREE SHORTAGE WE'VE NOT - 1-800 US REWARDS - STUDY SUGGESTS NET GROWTH CHALLENGES TOLL FREE ____________________________________________________ ARTICLE ACCESS CODE LEGEND ICB Toll Free News offers two valuable service options: F = Free - News and Features articles P = Premium - Unlimited Site Access including all Articles and Documents. Registration information is not sold, leased or rented. *** For additional information about topics and stories, keyword search here: http://www.icbtollfree.com/Search.cfm. ICB PREMIUM SALE EXTENDED THRU JAN. 11! Read all articles, get full site access, for twelve months! CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=5530 P - NEUSTAR TRIMS BEEF, ADDS PORK "... the company is taking a successful and profitable business and operation and plundering it to feed new business that the company thinks will have a bright future but which is very much untested." CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=5557 F - UDRP REDUX Is ICANN unnecessarily re-inventing the legal system for the use of domain name disputes? CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=5556 P - THE PUBLIC INTEREST STANDARD: TOO INDETERMINATE TO BE CONSTITUTIONAL? In today's environment of increasing "convergence," with competition emerging across communications sectors -- ENUM is a good example -- Congress should fulfill its responsibility to establish fundamental policy for an industry that is such an integral part of the overall economy. Congress should not wait to possibly be compelled by the courts to replace the public interest standard with more specific legislative guidance. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm? articleId=5555 P - TELECOMS SKATING THIN REGULATORY ICE Be candid with the public, its told, or risk more regulation. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=5554 F - QWEST CHAIR/CEO JOSEPH NACCHIO HEADS NRIC VI NRIC VI will work on traditional reliability issues with a strong emphasis on national security. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=5553 F - SURINAME'S .SR THE LATEST CCTLD TO GO COMMERCIAL A US-based company is marketing the ccTLD as the top level domain for businesses to use to reach Seniors. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=5552 /=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= advertisement =-=-=-\ -- Lost and Stolen Number Retrieval -- ENUM Survival Strategies -- Crisis Resolution -- Vanity Number Issues, Guidance & Navigation -- Tollfree Number Traces -- Representation at SNAC, ENUM & ICANN Forums -- Strategic Leadership + Competitive Intelligence -- Custom Research Reports -- Custom Problem Solving: disputes, litigation support, RespOrg issues, etc. ICB Consultancy -- http://1800TheExpert.com \=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=.=/ Looking for the best 800 and long distance rates available today? Choose from multiple programs - Rates as low as 2.9 cents per minute, with no monthly minimums or hidden service charges! Click here: http://WhoSells800.com \=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=/ P - VERISIGN SPENDS THE BIG BUCKS ON TELECOM VeriSign said it had agreed to pay about $340-million cash and stock to purchase H.O. Systems, which provides customer relationship services to wireless carriers. Last year VeriSign paid $1.2 billion for Illuminet, whose independent carrier-to-carrier switching network routes land-line and wireless calls and enables carriers to offer caller ID and other services. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=5551 F - VERISIGN ACQUIRES THE .TV CORPORATION VeriSign paid $45 million in cash. The acquisition closed on December 31, 2001. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=5550 P - ICANN, AUERBACH AND AL-QAIDA Would you feel comfortable stepping onto an airplane that had but one motor and but one pilot (and no co-pilot)? Many of us would consider that to be folly. So why are we running the Internet with only one DNS root? Particularly in light of a recent, ominous Canadian Government threat Analysis. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=5549 F - FORBES IS THUMBS UP ON 1-800 CONTACTS This company is actually making a profit. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=5545 P - A TOLL FREE SHORTAGE WE'VE NOT With enough toll free numbers to last until 2009, industry still seeks to spare out more 800-code numbers as "requests for assignment of these numbers are increasing." No doubt, given the lesser performance of non-800 code toll free numbers. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm? articleId=5547 P - 1-800 US REWARDS When it matters, its 800 and its Vanity: the U.S. State Department last month established a central toll-free telephone number -- 1-800 US REWARDS -- to help fight terrorism in "America's Most Wanted" style. Use of the 1-800 US REWARDS number is donated for the duration of the anti-terrorist campaign and investigation, to be returned on completion of the program. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=5546 P - STUDY SUGGESTS NET GROWTH CHALLENGES TOLL FREE Growth in Internet usage and e-commerce sales, including Web site marketing, is slowing customer dependence on toll-free numbers, according to report. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=5548 ICB PREMIUM SALE EXTENDED THRU JAN. 11! Order here, http://www.icbtollfree.com/order.cfm, today! EVERY 3.6 SECONDS SOMEONE DIES FROM HUNGER http://www.hungersite.com/ ABOUT ICB ICB HeadsUp Headlines is sent by request. Subscriptions to ICB HeadsUp Headlines are free to qualified applicants. Visit http://www.icbtollfree.com/reg.cfm?NextURL=Index.cfm to sign up. To unsubscribe mailto:editor@icbtollfree.com, subject: unsubscribe. (Unsubs are processed manually, approximately bi-weekly.) ADVERTISING For information on advertising in ICB HeadsUp Headlines, contact Vincent Lemma at Lake Interactive. Telephone: 914-925-2406 Email: http://www.roibot.com/w.cgi?R1764_LakIntEm Only subscribers or registered users of ICB Toll Free News web site will be able to access all or some of the full text of URLs provided. Copyright 2002 ICB, Inc. All rights reserved. ------------------------------ From: dpowell.st97@trinity.sa.edu.au (Doctor_Pippo) Subject: Help Needed - NEAX 242 SDS Date: 9 Jan 2002 18:13:53 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ Hi all! I'm a complete novice, but I work for a business with a NEAX 242 SDS and no on-hold music. I'd like to fix that situation and have the standard calming music while clients are on hold, but I'm not sure where to start - I'm not a phone engineer. There's a standard audio jack hanging out of one of the Krone boxes the NEAX is hooked up to, and my guess is that that could be the one I need to connect to an audio source (CD Player). Am I wrong? Where should I be looking? I can't be bothered to ring the people who put the system in, because I'm sure there must be a very simple answer. Thank you for any help or advice you can offer. D. Powell ------------------------------ From: tonyS2@aol.com (Tony) Subject: FS Tellab Shelf 291/292R 819291 Date: 9 Jan 2002 19:23:43 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ 10 shelves 70+ modules Leave FAX no for list if interested. Tony ------------------------------ From: user1 Subject: Station Message-Detail Recording (SMDR) For Consumer Home Telephone Date: Wed, 09 Jan 2002 20:43:06 -0800 Organization: Foothill.Net Is it possible to get a consumer type telephone system which has a local SMDR capabliity? I run a VERY small home business, and make lots of long distance calls. Don't need a switch, but just want to keep track of outbound calls, number called, date, time duration - basic statistics. Want to compare to telephone bill and track charges. Anything out there like that? Thanks. ------------------------------ From: mail02744@pop.net Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2002 23:21:17 -0600 Subject: Yet Another One of Those Messages... Welcome back, Pat. It's good to see you in print again. Wm ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V20 #118 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Thu Jan 10 22:25:21 2002 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.9.1/8.9.1) id WAA02049; Thu, 10 Jan 2002 22:25:21 -0500 (EST) Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2002 22:25:21 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200201110325.WAA02049@massis.lcs.mit.edu> To: ptownson Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #119 TELECOM Digest Thu, 10 Jan 2002 22:24:00 EST Volume 20 : Issue 119 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Re: Email on a Boat (John Bartley) Re: Email on a Boat (E. Cummings) Re: Email on a Boat (Kent Borg) Re: Station Message-Detail Recording (SMDR) For Consumer (Heywood Jaiblomi) Re: Station Message-Detail Recording (SMDR) For Consumer (John Tombs) Re: Station Message-Detail Recording (SMDR) For Consumer (Maurice) Network Installer-DS1/DS3/OC-3/Sonet (Patty Brletic) Re: Help Needed - NEAX 242 SDS (Ron Walter) Re: SIM Cards in US Cell Phones (Mark Crispin) Re: SIM Cards in US Cell Phones (Stuart Fanning) Re: Dummy Question About Digital Wireless Phones and Magnetism (Herb Stein) TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not exclusively to telecommunications topics. It is circulated anywhere there is email, in addition to various telecom forums on a variety of networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest Post Office Box 50 Independence, KS 67301 Phone: 630-841-7174 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe/unsubscribe: subscriptions@telecom-digest.org This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/ mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: hyperarchive.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives (or use our mirror site: ftp.epix.net/pub/telecom-archives) Email <==> FTP: telecom-archives@telecom-digest.org Send a simple, one line note to that automated address for a help file on how to use the automatic retrieval system for archives files. You can get desired files in email. ************************************************************************* * TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from * * Judith Oppenheimer, President of ICB Inc. and purveyor of accurate * * 800 & Dot Com News, Intelligence, Analysis, and Consulting. * * http://ICBTollFree.com, http://1800TheExpert.com * * Views expressed herein should not be construed as representing * * views of Judith Oppenheimer or ICB Inc. * ************************************************************************* ICB Toll Free News. Contact information is not sold, rented or leased. Access to Premium (P) links requires upgrade to a paid subscription. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Only subscribers or registered users of ICB Toll Free News web site will be able to access all or some of the full text of URLs provided. LEGAL STUFF: TELECOM Digest (sm) is owned by Patrick Townson. Copyright 2000 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. In addition, a gift from Mike Sandman, Chicago's Telecom Expert has enabled me to replace some obsolete computer equipment and enter the 21st century sort of on schedule. His mail order telephone parts/supplies service based in the Chicago area has been widely recognized by Digest readers as a reliable and very inexpensive source of telecom-related equipment. Please request a free catalog today at http://www.sandman.com --------------------------------------------------------------- Finally, the Digest is funded by gifts from generous readers such as yourself who provide funding in amounts deemed appropriate. Your help is important and appreciated. A suggested donation of twenty dollars per year per reader is considered appropriate. See our address above. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. All opinions expressed herein are deemed to be those of the author. Any organizations listed are for identification purposes only and messages should not be considered any official expression by the organization. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: John_Bartley@orb.uscourts.gov Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2002 10:19:13 -0800 Subject: Re: Email on a Boat While waiting on Wed, 9 Jan 2002 17:56:20 -0500 in da vastness of space to hitch a ride w/ Galen, clowe@ofda.net wrote: > Your friend wants Inmarsat. See http://217.204.152.210/news_story.cfm?id=167 Whoa. Do celfons work where your friend anchors? If so, then he could get any CDMA celfon & cable it to a Wintel laptop.www.kyocera-wireless.com lists cables for their celfons, and samsung has cables for their SPH-i300 PalmPhone which, yes, does work as a CDMA modem for laptops as well as being a full PalmOS machine (in color, with the Blazer browser). In fact, the SPH-i300 far transcends WAP and allows 2way email. How simple can it be? See the Handheld's Cellular Data FAQ http://celdata.cjb.net and the Wireless FAQ for PalmOS http://palmwireless.cjb.net for more info - the latter reviews the SPH-i300. >> From: Eric Friedebach >> Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2002 20:21:41 -0600 >> Subject: Email on a Boat >> A friend of mine would like to be able to send and receive email while >> on his 40' trawler anchored offshore in the Southern California >> area. A cell phone using WAP would not really be useful since he wants >> to use a Windows machine (and I have never heard a kind thing about >> WAP anyway). Basically, I can envision two methods: >> Either a connection via cell phone to an ISP; >> -or- >> One of the new DirecWay 2-way satellite dishes. Not installable on a boat. FCC forbids non-stationary installs. >> Both have their good and bad points. Perhaps someone here on the list >> has had some experience with a situation such as this, or an idea we >> have not though of. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2002 13:51:44 -0500 From: E.Cummings Subject: Email on a Boat The least expensive solution for maritime email is Cruisemail, a HF SSB radio-based system http://www.cruiseemail.com/ if your friend already has an HF SSB marine radio on his trawler (likely) all he'll need is a special modem and a ruggedized PC. a good book on maintaining a pc on a vessel is PC's on Board by Rob Buttress. Unfortunately salt air, salt water, and computers don't mix well! If your friend doesn't already have marine a HF SSB radio, many amateur (ham) HF SSB radios can be easily modified to work on maritime frequencies, and cost about half the price of commercial rigs. Unless he wants to spend a fortune an a gyroscopically-controlled satellite dish, DirecWay is definately not the way to go (besides, he'd lose connectivity if he left the satellite footprint, which primarily covers *land* on north america.) Orbcomm http://www.magellangps.com/wireless/satcom.htm has a satellite-based system that doesn't require a dish antenna pointed at a geosynchronous satellite (it uses LEO satellites.) Another option is an Iridium satellite phone -- I heard they were trying to get back on their feet after declaring bankruptcy. A PC can be connected to some iridium phone models for email, and antenna-pointing isn't an issue either since it also uses LEO satellites. -Ed Cummings At 01:35 AM 1/10/02 -0500, you wrote: From: clowe@ofda.net > Subject: Re: Email on a Boat > Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2002 17:56:20 -0500 > Your friend wants Inmarsat. See http://217.204.152.210/news_story.cfm?id=167 >> From: Eric Friedebach >> Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2002 20:21:41 -0600 >> Subject: Email on a Boat >> A friend of mine would like to be able to send and receive email while >> on his 40' trawler anchored offshore in the Southern California >> area. A cell phone using WAP would not really be useful since he wants >> to use a Windows machine (and I have never heard a kind thing about >> WAP anyway). Basically, I can envision two methods: >> Either a connection via cell phone to an ISP; >> -or- >> One of the new DirecWay 2-way satellite dishes. >> Both have their good and bad points. Perhaps someone here on the list >> has had some experience with a situation such as this, or an idea we >> have not though of. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2002 10:56:33 -0500 From: Kent Borg Subject: Re: Email on a Boat On Thu, Jan 10, 2002 at 01:35:24AM -0500, clowe@ofda.net wrote: > Your friend wants Inmarsat. Maybe. Take a look at , it talks about various options for use at sea. But if your friend is close to shore ("40' trawler anchored offshore in the Southern California area"), look at land-based wireless options, like CDPD. Look at for a sense of what wireless data is available. A satellite dish intended for fixed land use is not going to work well on a boat, you want a satellite service intended for boats -- if you want satellite at all. -kb ------------------------------ From: heywood@gloucester.com (Heywood Jaiblomi) Subject: Re: Station Message-Detail Recording (SMDR) For Consumer Home Telephone Date: 10 Jan 2002 21:44:59 GMT Organization: Uncle Heywood's Trousers of Fun user1@user1.net (user1) wrote > Is it possible to get a consumer type telephone system which has a > local SMDR capabliity? > I run a VERY small home business, and make lots of long distance > calls. > Don't need a switch, but just want to keep track of outbound calls, > number called, date, time duration - basic statistics. Radio Shack made one, at least in the 80's. looked like an adding machine, you plugged it on the line, it recorded every number dialed and you could enter a code after dialing to show which docket/client it involved. "I am NOT going to use a $20 million missle to blow up a $10 empty tent and hit a camel in the butt." George Bush, Sept 16, 2001 ------------------------------ From: John Tombs Subject: Re: Station Message-Detail Recording (SMDR) For Consumer Home Telephone Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2002 13:06:15 -0500 Organization: ECI Telecom Wire your phone through a modem, and use a TAPI application like PhoneMax to place your calls. John ------------------------------ From: Maurice Subject: Re: Station Message-Detail Recording (SMDR) For Consumer Home Telephone Organization: IdentaFone Software Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2002 18:29:18 GMT user1 wrote: > Is it possible to get a consumer type telephone system which has a > local SMDR capabliity? > I run a VERY small home business, and make lots of long distance > calls. > Don't need a switch, but just want to keep track of outbound calls, > number called, date, time duration - basic statistics. > Want to compare to telephone bill and track charges. Multi-line Caller ID boxes from Whozz Calling, YES Telecom and Rochelle can detect and time outbound calls. They have an rs232 port to allow direct printing or a PC interface. http://www.callerid.com/ http://www.yes-tele.com/ http://www.rochelle.com/ A two line version would be an economical solution Maurice IdentaFone - Caller ID Software With Speech, Paging, Email, SMS forwarding http://www.identafone.com ------------------------------ From: pbrletic@comsys.com (Patty Brletic) Subject: Network Installer-DS1/DS3/OC-3/Sonet Date: 10 Jan 2002 14:06:23 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ COMSYS is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, military status, or national origin or any other characteristic protected under federal, state, or applicable local law. We are currently seeking two Network Installers for six month contracts with the worlds largest commercial satellite communications services provider located in Washington, DC. Responsibilities include inventory of equipment, definition of installation rack, cabling and other specifications, installation of cable, facilities layout, tagging of equipment, specification of power requirements, installation and labeling of patch panels, assembly and anchoring of equipment racks and cabinets, wiring of data port patch panels, installation or routers, multiplexes, and cross connect switches, installation of DS1, DS3, SONET, SDH circuits and fiber optic cabling, and testing of DS1 and DS3s. Requires 3 years of experience building out technical facilities, 3 years of experience documenting technical facilities and system layouts, knowledge of various cabling interfaces, the ability to multi task and work independently, experience with MS Office products, experience with Visio, and experience with web publishing tools, graphics programs. CAD experience is highly desirable. If interested, please contact Patty Brletic at pbrletic@comsys.com. ------------------------------ From: Ron Walter Subject: Re: Help Needed - NEAX 242 SDS Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2002 16:55:42 -0600 > I can't be bothered to ring the people who put the system in, because > I'm sure there must be a very simple answer. So can you be bothered to learn how to program a NEAX 242 SDS system to enable music on hold once you have made the right connections? I don't know about on that switch but in most cases it's more than just plugging in an audio device. Be bothered, call them. It's a lot less hassle to press a few digits on your keypad and let your vendors do the job. ------------------------------ From: Mark Crispin Subject: Re: SIM Cards in US Cell Phones Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2002 22:57:20 -0800 Organization: Networks & Distributed Computing On Wed, 9 Jan 2002, Joseph Singer wrote: >> Unlike here in the UK and other parts of Europe, US Cell Phones do not >> have an inter-changeable SIM card. I take it that it is built into the >> actual handset, and cannot be changed by the consumer. Is this the >> case? > Not true. GSM providers in the US such as VoiceStream, a T-Mobile > International company, Cingular and soon AT&T use the same GSM as they > do in Europe and in Asia and use the same interchangeable SIM cards. However, it is the case that non-GSM phones (analog, TDMA, CDMA, iDEN) do not use SIM cards; instead, the handset is programmed. The handset's serial number (ESN, equivalent to the GSM IMEI number) is effectively the "password" for the phone number; a consumer using a non-GSM phone can not change his phone without negotiating an ESN change with the service provider. Some service providers, such as SPRINT PCS (CDMA), only permit handsets which they have sold, and lock out the handsets from reprogramming unless you know a secret code (similar to the SIM lock in the GSM world). Other providers will register any ESN from a compatible phone. None will register more than one ESN for the same phone number. Mark http://staff.washington.edu/mrc Science does not emerge from voting, party politics, or public debate. ------------------------------ From: stuartfanning@hotmail.com (Stuart Fanning) Subject: Re: SIM Cards in US Cell Phones Date: 10 Jan 2002 04:25:38 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ I have an LG Cell Phone on VERIZON. When the battry is taken off I cannot find a SIM card. Any suggestions? ------------------------------ From: Herb Stein Subject: Re: Dummy Question About Digital Wireless Phones and Magnetism Organization: Access US Internet Services Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2002 08:08:01 -0600 "Gail M. Hall" wrote in message news:telecom20.118.2@telecom-digest.org... > I've been wondering if the ringer on a digital wireless phone gives > off magnetic fields when it rings. I sometimes carry floppy disks in > my bag for my digital camera. If I also carry my digital wireless > phone in my bag, will the magnetic waves from the phone ringing damage > the floppy disks? > By the same token, will magnetism from other sources damage the > information in the wireless phone's memory, such as my phonebook and > phone preferences? > If so, what is a safe distance? > My phone is a Nokia 6185, and I didn't see anything in the booklet > about this subject. > Gail from Ohio USA I've got a Nokia 5165. I charge the battery laying on my office desk next to the monitor. Just before the first ring, the monitor goes crazy. Lots of jitter. I'd guess that that trong of a magnetic field wouldn't be real good for a floppy disk either. I've never had anything affect the phones memory (except for an inept user). Herb Stein The Herb Stein Group www.herbstein.com herb@herbstein.com 314 952-4601 ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V20 #119 ****************************** TELECOM Digest Fri, 11 Jan 2002 22:42:00 EST Volume 20 : Issue 120 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson FCC Imposes $1,107,500 Fine (Jim Weiss) Spaghetti-Os (Re: ATIS/INC Plan for Expanding NANP) (Fred Goldstein) Re: Station Message-Detail Recording (SMDR) For Consumer Home Phone (Carl Navarro) X21 Over RJ45 (Jo) Re: SIM Cards in US Cell Phones (Jason Lindquist) Re: SIM Cards in US Cell Phones (Joseph Singer) Re: SIM Cards in US Cell Phones (John Bartley) Re: Email on a Boat (Clarence Dold) Re: Dummy Question About Digital Wireless Phones and Magnetism (Kent Borg) Re: Dummy Question About Digital Wireless Phones and Magnetism (John R. Levine) Re: Dummy Question About Digital Wireless Phones and Magnetism (Stanley Cline) Re: SIM Cards in US Cell Phones (Paul Timmins) Re: City Identified on NPA-NXX List Does Not Exist (Carl Moore) Toll Free Number Can't be Reached From Your Area (Carl Moore) Re: Help Needed - NEAX 242 SDS (Justin Time) Need Help Finding Equipment/Source (John Meissen) Bitsurfer-Pro (was Re: Station Message-Detail Recording (SMDR)) (John R. Covert) LERG Portability Flags (Clarence Dold) No Third Party Billing the US? (Chris Kantarjiev) A Favorite Story Told Again: Information Please (Tom Z.) TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not exclusively to telecommunications topics. It is circulated anywhere there is email, in addition to various telecom forums on a variety of networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest Post Office Box 50 Independence, KS 67301 Phone: 630-841-7174 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe/unsubscribe: subscriptions@telecom-digest.org This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/ mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: hyperarchive.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives (or use our mirror site: ftp.epix.net/pub/telecom-archives) Email <==> FTP: telecom-archives@telecom-digest.org Send a simple, one line note to that automated address for a help file on how to use the automatic retrieval system for archives files. You can get desired files in email. ************************************************************************* * TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from * * Judith Oppenheimer, President of ICB Inc. and purveyor of accurate * * 800 & Dot Com News, Intelligence, Analysis, and Consulting. * * http://ICBTollFree.com, http://1800TheExpert.com * * Views expressed herein should not be construed as representing * * views of Judith Oppenheimer or ICB Inc. * ************************************************************************* ICB Toll Free News. Contact information is not sold, rented or leased. Access to Premium (P) links requires upgrade to a paid subscription. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Only subscribers or registered users of ICB Toll Free News web site will be able to access all or some of the full text of URLs provided. LEGAL STUFF: TELECOM Digest (sm) is owned by Patrick Townson. Copyright 2000 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. In addition, a gift from Mike Sandman, Chicago's Telecom Expert has enabled me to replace some obsolete computer equipment and enter the 21st century sort of on schedule. His mail order telephone parts/supplies service based in the Chicago area has been widely recognized by Digest readers as a reliable and very inexpensive source of telecom-related equipment. Please request a free catalog today at http://www.sandman.com --------------------------------------------------------------- Finally, the Digest is funded by gifts from generous readers such as yourself who provide funding in amounts deemed appropriate. Your help is important and appreciated. A suggested donation of twenty dollars per year per reader is considered appropriate. See our address above. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. All opinions expressed herein are deemed to be those of the author. Any organizations listed are for identification purposes only and messages should not be considered any official expression by the organization. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: NBJimWeiss@aol.com (Jim Weiss) Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2002 15:12:20 EST Subject: FCC Imposes $1,107,500 Fine IN THE MATTER OF 21ST CENTURY FAX(ES) LTD. A.K.A. 20TH CENTURY FAX(ES) APPARENT LIABILITY FOR FORFEITURE. Imposed a $1,107,500 fine against 21st Century Fax(es) Limited for faxing unsolicited advertisements to consumers in violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and the Commission's rules. Action by: Chief, Enforcement Bureau. Adopted: 01/09/2002 by Forfeiture Order. (FCC No. 02-2). Read these for details: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-02-2A1.doc http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-02-2A1.pdf http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-02-2A1.txt From the Offices of: Network Brokers, Inc. Providing Long Distance Services for Less Jim Weiss, nbjimweiss@aol.com 305-252-1822; Fax: 775-796-9973; Miami Fax: 305-252-1823; ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2002 11:00:08 -0500 From: Fred Goldstein Subject: Spaghetti-Os (Re: ATIS/INC Plan for Expanding NANP) As the headline says, ATIS/INC has released their "Recommended Plan" for expanding the NANP. To no big surprise, it is the same plan that they have been talking about for years. It is not a very good plan. It is actually, IMHO, a rather poor plan. Its end state is to migrate all telephone numbers to a uniform 12-digit length. That aspect is bad enough. If you think 10-digit overlay dialing is bad now, you ain't seen nuttin' yet! You might be in North Dakota and have been dialing four digits to reach your neighbors until recently, but it'll be 12 for everyone under this plan. The transition is done by adding 0 0 (two zeros) in between the current NPA and current prefix. So I hereby dub this the (oh oh) Spaghetti-Os's Plan. [Americans may remember that ad campaign from a couple of decades ago. Other readers need merely know that a meme was planted in America's psyche by a repetitive TV ad campaign for a child-oriented foodstuff, pasta rings in sweet sticky red sauce, called Spaghetti-Os. It slogan was, "oh oh, Spaghetti Os!", and I'm sorry that I can't play the tune here in a text digest.] So after Spaghetti-O-izing, say, Moderator Pat's 630-841-7174, it'll be 6300-0841-7174. And that's before 1+ toll barrier dialing, which many states are likely to continue to require. The ATIS/INC report justifies this mess in the usual way. It creates two straw horses that it conveniently knocks down. The three options are a) Transition in one step, b) Add the 0 to the NPA first, and c) Add the 0 to the NXX first. Now for various reasons, methods b and c would need to be started much sooner (roughly 5 vs. 16 years from now), and would require two transitions to end up at the same place anyway. These are obviously bad ideas so QED plan a is the Right Answer. This of course disregards any plan that isn't based on Spaghetti-Os. What could have been done, or potentially could be done if the FCC doesn't sign off on this: We could develop a North American Numbering Plan that is not simply an extension of 1947's. We could have a plan that has a few features that are missing from Spaghetti-Os's: - transition back to 7 or 8-digit local dialing, - clearer distinction for special services like pay-per-call, nongeographic, calling-party-pays, switched data, network-specific numbers, and other things that come along. - wider toll-free space than 800(8000), 888...822, to make all toll free numbers more distinctive. - clear distinction between USA and non-USA (especially costly Caribbean) area codes. But those aren't handled here. ATIS/INC instead seems to represent a consensus view of the IXCs and ILECs, who are collectively looking out for themselves and look at consumers as a collective adversary (ratepayers). Their plan wouldn't fly in a free market, but because network numbering is arguably something that requires monopoly regulation, they can ignore alternatives that might impose slightly higher transitional costs upon themselves en route to consumer benefits. Two alternative plans are James Bellaire's (which gets to 8-digit local dialing by adding a 0 in front of the NXX) and my own (which is a more comprehensive rework of the NANP to be more functionally based), which is on the web at http://people.ne.mediaone.net/fgoldstein/NewNANP.htm . Comments welcome. ------------------------------ From: Carl Navarro Subject: Re: Station Message-Detail Recording (SMDR) For Consumer Home Telephone Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2002 01:49:14 -0500 Reply-To: cnavarro@wcnet.org On Wed, 09 Jan 2002 20:43:06 -0800, user1 wrote: > Is it possible to get a consumer type telephone system which has a > local SMDR capabliity? > I run a VERY small home business, and make lots of long distance > calls. > Don't need a switch, but just want to keep track of outbound calls, > number called, date, time duration - basic statistics. > Want to compare to telephone bill and track charges. > Anything out there like that? This might do the trick :http://www.callmgmtprod.com/prod07.htm They made a box called CallCost that was a 2 line unit that connected to a PC for downloading. You could chain up to 4 units together for 8 lines on one serial port. IIRC the box bufferfed a couple of hundred calls and tracked both inward and outward calls with accounting codes. The list price of the box is $289. I assume they still make it, even though it's not listed on the website's home page. Call Management Products is in Colorado and the 800 number listed is 800-245-9933. Carl Navarro ------------------------------ From: Jo Subject: X21 Over RJ45 Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2002 13:00:43 +0100 Organization: -= Skynet Usenet Service =- I got a 128k leased line which needs to patched over RJ-45 panels. I like to know which pin I got to take with me. I know 2-4-9-11 are TX and Rx but regarding the others, I've no idea ... keep in mind that I've only 8 pins on a RJ-45. Txs, Johan ------------------------------ From: linky@bad-ass-motherfucker.com (Jason Lindquist) Subject: Re: SIM Cards in US Cell Phones Organization: SETEC Astronomy Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2002 03:31:04 GMT An infinite number of monkeys masquerading as Stuart Fanning wrote: > I have an LG Cell Phone on VERIZON. When the battry is taken off I > cannot find a SIM card. Any suggestions? Give up. There is no SIM card on an IS-95/2000 CDMA phone. :-) Jason Lindquist <*> "Mostly though, I think it gave us hope, linky{at}see/figure1/net That there can always be a new beginning. KB9LCL Even for people like us." -- Gen. Susan Ivanova, B5, "Sleeping In Light" ------------------------------ From: Joseph Singer Subject: Re: SIM Cards in US Cell Phones Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2002 07:19:01 -0800 Organization: Drizzle Reply-To: joeofseattle@yahoo.com On 10 Jan 2002 04:25:38 -0800, stuartfanning@hotmail.com (Stuart Fanning) wrote: > I have an LG Cell Phone on VERIZON. When the battry is taken off I > cannot find a SIM card. Any suggestions? SIM cards are only on GSM phones. Verizon is not a GSM operator, but rather a CDMA operator so you will not find a SIM card. Personal replies are likely not read. Please reply in the newsgroup ------------------------------ From: John_Bartley@orb.uscourts.gov Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2002 09:31:58 -0800 Subject: Re: SIM Cards in US Cell Phones While waiting on 10 Jan 2002 04:25:38 -0800 in da vastness of space to hitch a ride w/ Galen, stuartfanning@hotmail.com (Stuart Fanning) wrote: > I have an LG Cell Phone on VERIZON. When the battry is taken off I > cannot find a SIM card. Any suggestions? You won't find it. Verizon is a CDMA carrier and LG celfons are CDMA. Only GSM celfons have SIM cards. See http:://celdata.cjb.net for details. ------------------------------ From: dold@58.usenet.us.com Subject: Re: Email on a Boat Date: 11 Jan 2002 17:41:57 GMT Organization: Wintercreek Data E.Cummings wrote: > an HF SSB marine radio on his trawler (likely) all he'll need is a special > modem and a ruggedized PC. a good book on maintaining a pc on a vessel is My brother has a cheap AT-clone on his 74 foot fishing boat. He uses it to log his tracks via GPS, and other miscellaneous chores. It's been there long enough that it is an 8MB 80286 running Windows 3.1. Maybe he avoids rough seas ;-) When I saw it, it didn't look particularly protected from the elements. Clarence A Dold - dold@email.rahul.net - Pope Valley (Napa County) CA. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2002 09:55:55 -0500 From: Kent Borg Subject: Re: Dummy Question About Digital Wireless Phones and Magnetism In TELECOM Digest V20 #119 Herb Stein wrote: > I've got a Nokia 5165. I charge the battery laying on my office desk > next to the monitor. Just before the first ring, the monitor goes crazy. > Lots of jitter. I'd guess that that trong of a magnetic field wouldn't be > real good for a floppy disk either. I've never had anything affect the > phones memory (except for an inept user). I am guessing that is RF from the the phone's transmitter, not a powerful magnetic field. I get a similar (though less exciting) effect when my Palm VII is near my monitor and transmits. (And I hear funny noises on FM on my Sony ICF-SW100 when the Palm VII transmits right next to it.) I am thinking the Palm's carrier frequency is being unintentially demodulated down to monitor scan rates/FM radio freqencies by electronics in the monitor (and radio). I can also say that a cheap RF detector I have starts flashing its LEDs in the same circumstance (I.E. just before the phone rings). Fun/disturbing fact: I need to get a lot closer to the microwave here at work to make the RF detector go off than I do to my cellphone. kb, the Kent who would like to get access to field test screens in his current CDM9100SP Audiovox/Sprint PCS phone. ------------------------------ Date: 10 Jan 2002 23:10:50 -0500 From: johnl@iecc.com (John R. Levine) Subject: Re: Dummy Question About Digital Wireless Phones and Magnetism Organization: I.E.C.C., Trumansburg NY USA > I've got a Nokia 5165. I charge the battery laying on my office desk > next to the monitor. Just before the first ring, the monitor goes crazy. > Lots of jitter. I don't think that's a magnetic field, I think that's the TDMA signal that the phone's transmitting. Cell phones don't have magnetic ringers like traditional Bell phones do, so it's hard to see why they'd generate much of a magnetic field at all. John R. Levine, IECC, POB 727, Trumansburg NY 14886 +1 607 387 6869 johnl@iecc.com, Village Trustee and Sewer Commissioner, http://iecc.com/johnl, Member, Provisional board, Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial E-mail ------------------------------ From: Stanley Cline Subject: Re: Dummy Question About Digital Wireless Phones and Magnetism Date: 11 Jan 2002 07:09:59 GMT Organization: roamer1.org, Dunwoody (Atlanta), GA, USA Reply-To: sc1@roamer1.org In article , Gail M Hall wrote: > I've been wondering if the ringer on a digital wireless phone gives > off magnetic fields when it rings. I sometimes carry floppy disks in > my bag for my digital camera. If I also carry my digital wireless > phone in my bag, will the magnetic waves from the phone ringing damage > the floppy disks? No. Cell phones don't emit magnetic fields (even when ringing); they emit RF. In general, RF from cell phones or anything else doesn't cause problems with magnetic media; cell phones just affect hospital telemetry equipment, Alcatel 600E switches, etc. ;^) > By the same token, will magnetism from other sources damage the > information in the wireless phone's memory, such as my phonebook and > phone preferences? Again, no -- and X-rays won't, either (I've put my cell phones in carry-on baggage at airport security checkpoints more times than I can count and my phones are still as good as new.) Stanley Cline -- sc1 at roamer1 dot org -- http://www.roamer1.org/ ... "Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today. There might be a law against it by that time." -/usr/games/fortune ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2002 05:26:56 -0500 From: Paul Timmins Subject: Re: SIM Cards in US Cell Phones At 10:25 PM 1/10/2002, Mark wrote: > However, it is the case that non-GSM phones (analog, TDMA, CDMA, iDEN) do > not use SIM cards; instead, the handset is programmed. The handset's > serial number (ESN, equivalent to the GSM IMEI number) is effectively the > "password" for the phone number; a consumer using a non-GSM phone can not > change his phone without negotiating an ESN change with the service > provider. > Some service providers, such as SPRINT PCS (CDMA), only permit handsets > which they have sold, and lock out the handsets from reprogramming unless > you know a secret code (similar to the SIM lock in the GSM world). Other > providers will register any ESN from a compatible phone. > None will register more than one ESN for the same phone number. This is not necessarily true. AT&T wireless will if you are doing a phone swap. When you activate your phone upon receipt the other phone continues to operate for a period of time. I am assuming this is an artifact in the system, but it can be done. When called both phones ring (this is inconsistent of course, it doesn't work reliably in the least). Anyway, for the most part you're right, but I thought you might find that tidbit of information interesting. Paul ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2002 11:52:21 EST From: Carl Moore Subject: Re: City identified on NPA-NXX list does not exist "Marshall A. Levin" wrote in message dated 19 Aug 2001: > I have often wondered where identifier "Terrace, OH" came from. This is > what shows up on my phone bill when I call my parents (216-464-xxxx). This > is what is listed for 216-464 on many NPA-NXX lists. Clearly this is what > the phone companies think this place is called. www.thedirectory.org just now said "PEPPER PIKE (TERRACE)". There are several cases around the U.S. of nonpostal names being used, and there is a case somewhere near Cleveland of a BAINBRIDGE prefix which is not to be confused with the postal name Bainbridge, OH. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2002 12:14:15 EST From: Carl Moore Subject: Toll Free Number Can't be Reached From Your Area Years ago, you probably remember that tollfree numbers (area code 800) were set up to work only from certain areas; a common case would be having a number work only from out of state, with in- state calls using a different tollfree number or a toll number. On Dec. 27, I dialed a tollfree number from a payphone in New York (Manhattan), and got a recording telling me what number to call in area code 212 (with me detecting between the lines that that toll- free number didn't work within the 212 area). ------------------------------ From: a_user2000@yahoo.com (Justin Time) Subject: Re: Help Needed - NEAX 242 SDS Date: 11 Jan 2002 12:22:09 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ Ron Walter wrote in message news:... >> I can't be bothered to ring the people who put the system in, because >> I'm sure there must be a very simple answer. > So can you be bothered to learn how to program a NEAX 242 SDS system to > enable music on hold once you have made the right connections? I don't know > about on that switch but in most cases it's more than just plugging in an > audio device. Be bothered, call them. It's a lot less hassle to press a > few digits on your keypad and let your vendors do the job. Ah ... it's more fun to let them try it first and then spend four hours correcting their problems rather than the minimum T&M call to do it in the first place. ------------------------------ From: john@meissen.org Subject: Need Help Finding Equipment/Source Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2002 12:29:10 -0800 I have an EE friend who is doing power circuits for a remote facility, Somehow they dumped the data monitoring responsibility on him as well. Being that he's into power distribution he asked me to help. Of course, I'm a software type, so I don't know what I'm looking for either :-( Since this will go over the phone company wires my first thought was to ask the experts here. :-) Basically, we have a dedicated 4-wire circuit from Verizon. At each end we have some switches (4 or less) and we need to make the state of those circuits (open/short) available at the other end. I could probably come up with something kludgey, but this is a pretty trivial application. Seems like there ought to be something off-the-shelf to handle it. If anyone has a clue what I'm talking about and could point me in the direction of some answers I would greatly appreciate it. And welcome back, Pat. The place just hasn't been the same without you. john- john@meissen.org ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2002 16:34:20 -0500 EST From: "John R. Covert" Subject: Bitsurfer-Pro (was Re: Station Message-Detail Recording (SMDR)) This may be a more elegant solution that what you need, but it's what I use. Order an ISDN line (without the data option, if you can convince them to take the order that way, but that's not important). Locate a BITSURFER PRO ISDN TA (hard, but not impossible, to find). Plan to use just the two RJ-11 jacks it provides. In our region, this gives you two independent POTS lines for just slightly less than the cost of two separate lines, and for significantly less if you order LATA-wide calling, since you pay for it once and get it twice. Hook a serial line up to the RS-232 interface. Enter the command AT@P1=M From then on, you'll get the following output any time a call is made (except the time stamps are added by my VMS system): 11-JAN-2002 09:07:16.59 PHONE:2,1;40,2; 11-JAN-2002 09:07:16.79 CALL:0,2;3,1;9,0;7,; 11-JAN-2002 09:07:17.57 PHONE:2,1;42,N; 11-JAN-2002 09:07:17.77 PHONE:2,1;42,P; 11-JAN-2002 09:07:17.97 PHONE:2,1;42,A; 11-JAN-2002 09:07:18.17 PHONE:2,1;42,N; 11-JAN-2002 09:07:18.37 PHONE:2,1;42,X; 11-JAN-2002 09:07:18.57 PHONE:2,1;42,X; 11-JAN-2002 09:07:18.77 PHONE:2,1;42,X; 11-JAN-2002 09:07:18.97 PHONE:2,1;42,X; 11-JAN-2002 09:07:19.17 PHONE:2,1;42,X; 11-JAN-2002 09:07:19.37 PHONE:2,1;42,X; 11-JAN-2002 09:07:19.56 CALL:0,3;3,1;8,2;9,63;7,08010NPANXXXXXX; 11-JAN-2002 09:07:19.62 CALL:0,99;3,1;6,0;7,08010NPAXXXXXXX;10,0; 11-JAN-2002 09:07:19.65 CALL:0,4;3,1;8,8;9,1;7,08010NPANXXXXXX; 11-JAN-2002 09:07:27.49 CALL:0,5;3,1;4,NPAXXXXXXX; ... 11-JAN-2002 11:37:32.54 PHONE:2,1;40,1; 11-JAN-2002 11:37:21.49 CALL:0,0;3,1;6,0;9,63;7,; The 2,1;40,2 message is "off-hook", the 2,1;42 messages are the dialed digits, the 0,3 message is the acceptance of the call by the C.O., the 0,99 is probably DMS-100-specific, the 0,4 is the beginning of ringing, the 0,5 is the answer supervision, the 2,1;40,1 is the on-hook, and the 0,0 is the call going idle. There are other messages (including caller-id) for incoming calls, busy signals, etc. Most are fairly obvious. By default, it monitors the first SPID. AT*>Cn switches from the current SPID to SPID n. I wish it could monitor both at the same time. Here's a summary of what I know about the command set: AT@P1=M enables monitoring output from the selected port AT*>Cn selects port 1 or 2 for monitoring and control commands AT*@P1=N disables hook-switch recognition, automatic ringing, etc. AT*@P1=F reenables hook-switch recognition, automatic ringing, etc. Some of the commands work with F left on, others require being in N mode. In the output messages, the call appearance is in element 3. AT*I returns the status of all active call appearances AT*A/n answers the call currently ringing on call appearance n. AT*D can be issued with or without a dial string, and allocates a call appearance when issued AT*Dxxx/n sends additional digits to the digit receiver on call appearance n AT*H/n hangs up the call on call appearance n, or rejects an incoming call. AT*W/n puts call appearance n on hold. AT*R/n recalls call appearance n. AT*C/n attaches a three-port bridge to call appearance n. You then use AT*R/n commands to bring a new party into the conference. AT*K/n drops the most recently added bridged call on call appearance n AT*X/n seems to be the same as AT*H/n (both effect a transfer if bridged) if you find something unique about this, tell me. AT*T7/0 supplies call waiting tone to the selected port AT*T64/0 begins ringing, normal cadence, on the selected port AT*T65/0 begins ringing, double cadence, on the selected port AT*T66/0 begins ringing, triple cadence, on the selected port AT*T79/0 cancels ringing The Bitsurfer-Pro is a wonderful toy, and I haven't seen anything else as cool on the U.S. market. john ------------------------------ From: dold@85.usenet.us.com Subject: LERG Portability Flags Date: 11 Jan 2002 21:50:06 GMT Organization: Wintercreek Data Looking at my LERG 7, I see "SOF-38_LNP" indicating capability for LNP, as either "X" or "-". In LERG 6, I see "PORTABLE", with either "Y" or "N". I'm confused by the mismatches. What do these fields indicate? I wanted to know if a switch was non-LNP portable (I suppose primarily Wireless carriers), to know if I could port a number to mys switch. PORT LNP Count N - 50124 N X 11428 Y - 192 Y X 87898 Clarence A Dold - dold@email.rahul.net - Pope Valley (Napa County) CA. ------------------------------ From: Chris Kantarjiev Subject: No Third Party Billing the US? Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2002 10:46:48 -0800 Organization: Internet Software Consortium I seem to recall that there is some (tariff?) restriction in the US that prevents wireless carriers from charging for third party services and incorporating that in the wireless bill. That is, it's not legally possible to deploy an application where a cell phone carrier pays for a coke via their wireless phone and wireless bill. Is this true? If so, could someone please point me at a reference/detailed discussion? Thanks, chris ------------------------------ From: Tom Z. Subject: An Old Story Told Again: Information Please Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2002 22:43:19 GMT Organization: Hubris Communications (hubris.net) [TELECOM Editor's Note: This story was originally printed here in TD in 1985. I don't recall how often it has been used here, but it hasn't been now for a few years at least, so I'll let Tom Z tell it again and let the other NG take credit for it. PAT] Copied from another NG. When I was very young, my father had one of the first telephones in our neighborhood. I remember well, the polished old case fastened to the wall and the shiny receiver on the side of the box. I was too little to reach the telephone, but used to listen with fascination when my mother would talk to it. Then I discovered that somewhere inside the wonderful device lived an amazing person and her name was "Information Please" and there was nothing she did not know. "Information Please" could supply anybody's number and the correct time. My first personal experience with this genie-in-a-bottle came one day while my mother was visiting a neighbor. Amusing myself at the tool bench in the basement. I whacked my finger with a hammer. The pain was terrible but, there didn't seem to be any reason in crying because there was no one home to give me sympathy. I walked around the house sucking my throbbing finger finally arriving at the stairway, the telephone! Quickly, I ran for thefootstool in the parlor and held it to my ear. "Information Please," I said into the mouthpiece just above my head. A click or two and a small clear voice spoke into my ear. "Information." "I hurt my finger" I wailed into the phone. The tears came readily enoughnow that I had an audience. "Isn't your mother home? came the question. "Nobody's home but me," I blubbered. "Are you bleeding?" the voice asked. "No," I replied. "I hit my finger with a hammer and it hurts." "Can you open your icebox?" she asked. I said I could. "Then chip off a piece of ice and hold it to your finger," said the voice. After that, I called "Information Please" for everything. I asked her for help with my geography and she told me where Philadelphia was. She helped me with my math. She told me that my pet chipmunk, which I had caught in the park just the day before, would eat fruit and nuts. Then there was the time Petey, our pet canary died. I called "Information Please" and told her the sad story. She listened, then said the usual thing grown ups say to soothe a child. But, I was inconsolable. I asked her, "Why is it that birds should sing so beautifully and bring joy to all families, only to end up as a heap of feathers on the bottom of a cage?" She must have sensed my deep concern, for she said quietly, "You must remember that there are other worlds to sing in." Somehow, I felt better. Another day I was on the telephone. "Information Please". "Information," said the now familiar voice. "How do you spell fix?'" I asked. All this took place in a small town in the Pacific Northwest. When I was nine years old, we moved across the country to Boston. I missed my friend very much. "Information Please" belonged in that old wooden box back home and somehow I never thought of trying the tall, new shiny phone that sat on the table in the hall. As I grew into my teens, the memories of those childhood conversations never really left me. Often, in moments of doubt and perplexity I would recall the serene sense of security I had then. I appreciated now how patient, understanding and kind she was to have spent her time on a little boy. A few years later, on my way west to college, my plane put down in Seattle. I had about half-an-hour or so between planes. I spent 15 minutes or so on the phone with my sister, who lived there now. Then, without thinking about what I was doing, I dialed my hometown operator and said, "Information Please." Miraculously, I heard the small clear voice I knew so well. "Information." I hadn't planned this, but I heard myself saying, "Could you please tell me how to spell fix?" There was a long pause. Then came the soft spoken answer, "I guess your finger must be healed by now." I laughed, "So it's really still you," I said. "I wonder if you have any idea how much you meant to me during that time?" "I wonder," she said, "if you know how much your calls meant to me. I never had any children and I used to look forward to your calls." I told her how often I had thought of her over the years and asked if I could call her again when I came back to visit my sister. "Please do," she said. "Just ask for Sally." Three months later I was back in Seattle. A different voice answered, "Information." I asked for Sally. "Are you a friend?" she said. "Yes, a very old friend," I answered. "I'm sorry to have to tell you this," she said. "Sally had been working part time in the last few years because she was sick. She died five weeks ago." Before I could hang up she said, "Wait a minute. Are you Paul?" "Yes." "Well, Sally left a message for you. She wrote it down in case you called when she was too sick to work. Let me read it to you." The note said, "Tell him I still say there are other worlds to sing in. He'll know what I mean." I thanked her and hung up. I knew what Sally meant. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: That story, although good and very inspirational, has been around *s-o-o-o* long. When I first used it here in 1985 or so, it was old then. Still, it is always a good reminder of how the 'telephone company' used to be in the old days. Ask any long time operator, if any are still around. They can tell you a dozen stories like this. PAT] ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V20 #120 ****************************** TELECOM Digest Sat, 12 Jan 2002 12:55:00 EST Volume 20 : Issue 121 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Re: No Third Party Billing the US? (Linc Madison) Re: Spaghetti-Os (Re: ATIS/INC Plan for Expanding NANP) (Phil McKerracher) Advice Required for Setting up Call Centre (Rajkumar) Re: Toll Free Number Can't be Reached From Your Area (Steven Lichter) Re: Email on a Boat (Marcus Didius Falco) Re: Dummy Question About Digital Wireless Phones and Magnetism (David Clayton) Re: Need Help Finding Equipment/Source (David Clayton) I'm Looking For an Old Phone's Manual (Hesam) Re: X21 Over RJ45 (Ken) European Mobile Users Hit by Text Message Swindle (Danny Burstein) Last Laugh! Urgently Reply and Indicate Your Private Telephone No. (Juel Karim) TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not exclusively to telecommunications topics. It is circulated anywhere there is email, in addition to various telecom forums on a variety of networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest Post Office Box 50 Independence, KS 67301 Phone: 630-841-7174 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe/unsubscribe: subscriptions@telecom-digest.org This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/ mailing list on the internet in any category! 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Access to Premium (P) links requires upgrade to a paid subscription. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Only subscribers or registered users of ICB Toll Free News web site will be able to access all or some of the full text of URLs provided. LEGAL STUFF: TELECOM Digest (sm) is owned by Patrick Townson. Copyright 2000 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. In addition, a gift from Mike Sandman, Chicago's Telecom Expert has enabled me to replace some obsolete computer equipment and enter the 21st century sort of on schedule. His mail order telephone parts/supplies service based in the Chicago area has been widely recognized by Digest readers as a reliable and very inexpensive source of telecom-related equipment. Please request a free catalog today at http://www.sandman.com --------------------------------------------------------------- Finally, the Digest is funded by gifts from generous readers such as yourself who provide funding in amounts deemed appropriate. Your help is important and appreciated. A suggested donation of twenty dollars per year per reader is considered appropriate. See our address above. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. All opinions expressed herein are deemed to be those of the author. Any organizations listed are for identification purposes only and messages should not be considered any official expression by the organization. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Linc Madison Subject: Re: No Third Party Billing the US? Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2002 01:03:19 -0800 Organization: MindSpring Enterprises In article , Chris Kantarjiev wrote: > I seem to recall that there is some (tariff?) restriction in the US > that prevents wireless carriers from charging for third party > services and incorporating that in the wireless bill. > That is, it's not legally possible to deploy an application where a > cell phone carrier pays for a coke via their wireless phone and > wireless bill. > Is this true? If so, could someone please point me at a > reference/detailed discussion? I certainly *HOPE* it's true! A telephone is a telephone. A credit card is a credit card. I don't want the ability to speak into my credit card, and I don't want the ability to pay for things with my telephone. I may use the credit card to pay for the telephone call, but there is no reason I should have the ability to pay for something other than telephone calls with the telephone. If I can pay for a snack from a vending machine with my telephone, where does it stop? "Honey, the rent is due and I can't find my cellphone!"? So, in answer to those TV commercials with the tag line "wouldn't it be great?" I give a resounding "NO!!" At the VERY least, my provider had better give me the option to block all such charges from my phone, or I will find another provider. LincMad dot Com * North American Telephone Area Codes & Splits Preferred Reply Address: Telecom # LincMad * Com Unsolicited bulk e-mail will be reported to your admin or upstream. ------------------------------ From: Phil McKerracher Subject: Re: Spaghetti-Os (Re: ATIS/INC Plan for Expanding NANP) Organization: blueyonder (post doesn't reflect views of blueyonder) Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2002 14:52:38 GMT Fred Goldstein wrote in message news:telecom20.120.2@ telecom-digest.org ... > ...We could develop a North American Numbering Plan that is not simply an > extension of 1947's. We could have a plan that has a few features that are > missing from Spaghetti-Os's: > - transition back to 7 or 8-digit local dialing, > - clearer distinction for special services like pay-per-call, > nongeographic, calling-party-pays, switched data, network-specific numbers, > and other things that come along. > - wider toll-free space than 800(8000), 888...822, to make all toll free > numbers more distinctive. > - clear distinction between USA and non-USA (especially costly Caribbean) > area codes... From my (European) perspective, the importance of having a clear distinction between toll-free and premium-rate numbers is obvious, and in the UK we have endured a series of number changes during the last decade to achieve this. The importance of 8-digit local dialing and geographically-specific area codes is less obvious. Mobile phones are more popular here, and all calls to and from them must include the full "area" code. Also, most businesses have toll free or "local rate" numbers (starting 0800 or 0845) that can be called from anywhere in the country, and can even be used to call international destinations, including Australia (e.g. see www.telediscount.co.uk). So location-based tariffs are disappearing and most numbers are 11 digits or more. America will probably go the same way eventually. It's no big deal - if anything, people are probably dialling fewer digits on average because they program common numbers into a memory. Incidentally, untimed tariffs are beginning to appear here (at last!) so before too long it's quite possible we will pay a fixed monthly subscription, with the whole of Europe a "local" call. Phil McKerracher www.mckerracher.org ------------------------------ From: gcs@bgl.vsnl.net.in (Rajkumar) Subject: Advice Required for Setting up Call Centre Date: 11 Jan 2002 21:01:03 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ Hi All, I have ample, unutilised office space which I want to use it for setting up a call-centre training center. I am told it is a flourishing business nowadays. Can anybody provide me some valuable technical inputs, syllabus, investment required, infrastructure required, training material or free sites from where I can download from for Voice Call centers, for training and benchmarking. What are the quality processes involved ??? I shall be highly obliged if you could please provide me with all the information I had asked for at your earliest possible convenience directly to my email-id which is gcs@bgl.vsnl.net.in Hope you will do the needful. Regards, Rajkumar ------------------------------ From: stevenl11@aol.com (Steven Lichter) Date: 12 Jan 2002 05:12:43 GMT Organization: AOL http://www.aol.com Subject: Re: Toll Free Number Can't be Reached From Your Area cmoore addressed the group thusly, > On Dec. 27, I dialed a tollfree number from a payphone in New York > (Manhattan), and got a recording telling me what number to call in > area code 212 (with me detecting between the lines that that toll- > free number didn't work within the 212 area). Any 800 service can be set up most any way. Some years ago I had an 800 number set to my BBS phone number so that owners of the BBS prrogram I owned could call for support without having to make a long distance call. I had it set up for areas of the country and only those could call. Later on I had it set so that no calls could be made to it from a payhone; I got a lot of wrong numbers and most were from those and since it was a computer there was no need; I also had New York City blocked since I had a problem with a hacker there and a lot of fraud. Now that the system is linked to the net direct there is no need for the 800 line. Apple Elite II 909-359-5338. Home of GBBS/LLUCE, support for the Apple II 24 hours 2400/14.4. An OggNet Server. The only good spammer is a dead one!!! Have you hunted one down today? (c) ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2002 02:02:24 -0500 From: Marcus Didius Falco Subject: Re: Email on a Boat > Your friend wants Inmarsat. See http://217.204.152.210/news_story.cfm?id=167 >> From: Eric Friedebach >> Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2002 20:21:41 -0600 >> Subject: Email on a Boat >> A friend of mine would like to be able to send and receive email while >> on his 40' trawler anchored offshore in the Southern California >> area. A cell phone using WAP would not really be useful since he wants >> to use a Windows machine (and I have never heard a kind thing about >> WAP anyway). Basically, I can envision two methods: >> Either a connection via cell phone to an ISP; >> -or- >> One of the new DirecWay 2-way satellite dishes. >> Both have their good and bad points. Perhaps someone here on the list >> has had some experience with a situation such as this, or an idea we >> have not though of. Inmarsat has the best data service, particularly at higher speeds. The TV networks use them. Consider Iridium. Probably cheaper. $1000 for the phone and $20/month for service. plus $1.49/minute for originating calls; receiving is free. However, Iridium has a maximum speed of 2400 for data. Globalstar is faster for data, but there are holes in its coverage, and these may include areas where your friend wants to go. Prices about the same as Iridium. In Europe, Asia, and Africa, thuraya has GSM phones that also work with their satellite. But they have no coverage in the western hemisphere. I don't know their rates. ------------------------------ From: David Clayton Subject: Re: Dummy Question About Digital Wireless Phones and Magnetism Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2002 19:36:31 +1100 Organization: Customer of Connect.com.au Pty. Ltd. Reply-To: dcstar@acslink.net.au johnl@iecc.com (John R. Levine) contributed the following: >> I've got a Nokia 5165. I charge the battery laying on my office desk >> next to the monitor. Just before the first ring, the monitor goes crazy. >> Lots of jitter. > I don't think that's a magnetic field, I think that's the TDMA signal > that the phone's transmitting. Cell phones don't have magnetic > ringers like traditional Bell phones do, so it's hard to see why > they'd generate much of a magnetic field at all. The speaker has a significant magnetic field which can quite easily wipe the magnetic stripe on your credit card if you unfortunate enough to get them too close together, (don't ask me why I know this ... :-( ). Regards, David Clayton, e-mail: dcstar@acslink.net.au Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Dilbert's words of wisdom #18: Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level then beat you with experience. ------------------------------ From: David Clayton Subject: Re: Need Help Finding Equipment/Source Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2002 19:36:31 +1100 Organization: Customer of Connect.com.au Pty. Ltd. Reply-To: dcstar@acslink.net.au john@meissen.org contributed the following: > Basically, we have a dedicated 4-wire circuit from Verizon. At each > end we have some switches (4 or less) and we need to make the state of > those circuits (open/short) available at the other end. I could > probably come up with something kludgey, but this is a pretty trivial > application. Seems like there ought to be something off-the-shelf to > handle it. > If anyone has a clue what I'm talking about and could point me in the > direction of some answers I would greatly appreciate it. I remember seeing equipment a few years which converted "dry contact" inputs to data for remote PBX alarm monitoring, etc; these may be exactly what you need. These things could be programmed to dial out when particular conditions occurred (alarm data string received, contact closed etc). I can't remember the names of the manufacturers but Switchview used to use them in conjunction with SMDR recording, possibly a web search will bring something up? Regards, David Clayton, e-mail: dcstar@acslink.net.au Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Dilbert's words of wisdom #18: Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level then beat you with experience. ------------------------------ From: hesam369@yahoo.com (Hesam) Subject: I'm Looking For an Old Phone's Manual Date: 12 Jan 2002 00:53:48 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ Hi, I'm looking for a phone's manual.It's an old(at least before 1994)phone. It's a Panasonic EASA-PHONE Model KX-T2460. Can you help me where I can find it? THANKSALOT. ------------------------------ From: Ken Millar Subject: Re: X21 Over RJ45 Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2002 09:47:27 -0000 Organization: ntlworld News Service "Jo" wrote in message news:telecom20.120.4@telecom-digest.org... > I got a 128k leased line which needs to patched over RJ-45 panels. I > like to know which pin I got to take with me. I know 2-4-9-11 are TX > and Rx but regarding the others, I've no idea ... keep in mind that > I've only 8 pins on a RJ-45. X21 pin-outs (on a D15 connector) are - 1 Shield 2 Transmit data A 3 Control A 4 Receive data A 5 Indication A 6 Signal timing A 7 8 Ground 9 Transmit data B 10 Control B 11 Receive data B 12 Indication B 13 Signal timing B 14 15 As you can see, 8 wires aren't enough for all the lines. However, the Control and Indication lines may not be in use, or else they could be looped back at each end. Alternatively, you may consider using two separate links, with Transmit and Receive data on separate cables to reduce crosstalk. ------------------------------ From: dannyb@panix.com (Danny Burstein) Subject: European Mobile Users Hit by Text Message Swindle [Forward] Date: 12 Jan 2002 11:58:27 -0500 Found in alt.cellular.gsm. In <21l04uouukp5kr45n7qqo8u0p5j30kcbt0@4ax.com> Marcus Williamson writes: > http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/archive/11-1-19102-0-18-15.html > obile users hit by text message swindle - The Herald, Glasgow, UK > LORNA MARTIN > MOBILE phone users are being targeted by a text-messaging swindle > offering them the chance to win millions of pounds. > The scheme, which takes advantage of premium rate phone numbers, > involves unwitting customers being charged for receiving messages. > There are numerous legitimate "reverse charging services", such as > those offered by football clubs, which charge fans for providing them > with up-to-the-minute information about scores. (The article continues and explains that a bunch of not nice folk are sending out sms strings to mobile cellphones, and the recipients pay, big, for them. sigh.) > But in the latest hi-tech swindle, consumers are not informed they are > being charged for receiving messages and are able to "unsubscribe" > from the service only by getting a complete ban on the receipt of all > incoming texts. Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key dannyb@panix.com [to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded] [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I wonder if this is a subsidiary operation of the Prince from Nigeria, whose message appears elsewhere in this issue? PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2002 19:21:05 -0800 From: Juel Karim Subject: Last Laugh! Urgently Reply and Indicate Your Private Telephone Number FROM THE DESK OF PRINCE JUEL KARIM. OMPADEC HEADQUARTERS LAGOS - NIGERIA Dear Sir, I am the Chief Scribe of the Newly Constituted OMPADEC (Oil Minerals Producing Area Development Commission). This Commission was reconstituted in 1999 by the Federal Government of Nigeria as a result of consistent Environmental Neglect Agitated by the Oil and Minerals Producing States. This Commission received a budgetary allocation of US$1.5 Billion for Environmental Maintenance/ Management of Oil Producing State for the 1999/2002 Fiscal Year. In view of the present political situation in our country, I have agreed with my colleagues to withdraw the sum, of US$50m (Fifty Million United States Dollars). All modalities to ensure a hitch-free transfer of this fund into your account through the officials of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Federal Ministry of Finance (FMF) have been properly worked out. NOTE: There is no risks or dangers involved. I have agreed with my colleagues that you will retain 30% of the total fund, my colleagues and I will take 60% while the remaining 10% is mapped out to cover the International and Local Expenses that might be incurred by both parties in the course of this transaction. If this proposal interest you of which I hope it would, please forward to me immediately the following. 1. Your Bank informations (where the money will be lodged) such as the bank name and address, the account number, Telephone and fax numbers of the bank. 2. Your Private Telephone, Fax and home number for easy communication. 3. Your full company name and address. As soon as we receive the above informations from you, we shall immediately file up application for approvals and payment shall follow as soon as possible. NOTE: I shall not contact another person till I hear from you. I therefore request you to please maintain top most confidential of this transaction because we are top Civil Servants and would not want our reputable image dented after putting in Eightheen years of active service in the government. Thanks. Best Regards, PRINCE JUEL KARIM. http://newJoke.com/ <--- J O K E S ! ! ! [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Dear Prince, why should I have to call up to new.Joke.com when I can get all the laughs I want from you direct each day? I've already started looking for my bank routing number and account number, along with the bank's phone and fax number so you can get started dipping into it. Regards my private phone number, wouldn't you prefer the 800 number that's attached to my cell phone, so that not only can you call me with ease when you wish, but at no expense to yourself as well? Shall I tell SW Bell Telco to have the number honor calls coming from Nigeria? I would list the number here; but considering my posture regards toll-free numbers used on the internet, I'm not so sure that would be a wise idea. Not as wise as your idea for getting money, as outlined above. And regards your assurance of absolute privacy and your promise to contact no one else absolutely until I have provided you all the above info, I must say I have 'only' recieved ten copies of the above in the two or three weeks since I got back from the Sanitorium, so I have to assume you are trustworthy and above all, honest. Since I have many friends here who are total fools as you assume of me, I'm hoping by publishing your email here, they'll be encouraged to write to you and your post- master @37.com to express themselves. Readers: be sure to include all the information he requested when you write, including all your financial information, and any phone numbers where you can be contacted. Is anyone still editing the Business Directory these days. If so, be sure to include the Prince under the category 'fraud'. PAT] ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V20 #121 ******************************

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From editor@telecom-digest.org Mon Jan 14 11:30:46 2002 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.9.1/8.9.1) id LAA26449; Mon, 14 Jan 2002 11:30:46 -0500 (EST) Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2002 11:30:46 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200201141630.LAA26449@massis.lcs.mit.edu> To: ptownson Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #123 Status: R TELECOM Digest Mon, 14 Jan 2002 10:31:18 EST Volume 20 : Issue 123 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Telecom Update (Canada) #315, January 14, 2002 (Angus TeleManagement) Siemens Gigaset 2415 Question (Bob Fry) All That Dark Fiber (Tad Cook) Re: Email on a Boat (Dave Close) Re: An Old Story Told Again: Information Please (Jay R. Ashworth) Re: How Do Radios Work, in General? (Phil McKerracher) Re: Spaghetti-Os (Re: ATIS/INC Plan for Expanding NANP) (John David Galt) Re: Spaghetti-Os (Re: ATIS/INC Plan for Expanding NANP) (James Bellaire) TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not exclusively to telecommunications topics. It is circulated anywhere there is email, in addition to various telecom forums on a variety of networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest Post Office Box 50 Independence, KS 67301 Phone: 630-841-7174 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe/unsubscribe: subscriptions@telecom-digest.org This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/ mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: hyperarchive.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives (or use our mirror site: ftp.epix.net/pub/telecom-archives) Email <==> FTP: telecom-archives@telecom-digest.org Send a simple, one line note to that automated address for a help file on how to use the automatic retrieval system for archives files. You can get desired files in email. ************************************************************************* * TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from * * Judith Oppenheimer, President of ICB Inc. and purveyor of accurate * * 800 & Dot Com News, Intelligence, Analysis, and Consulting. * * http://ICBTollFree.com, http://1800TheExpert.com * * Views expressed herein should not be construed as representing * * views of Judith Oppenheimer or ICB Inc. * ************************************************************************* ICB Toll Free News. Contact information is not sold, rented or leased. Access to Premium (P) links requires upgrade to a paid subscription. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Only subscribers or registered users of ICB Toll Free News web site will be able to access all or some of the full text of URLs provided. LEGAL STUFF: TELECOM Digest (sm) is owned by Patrick Townson. Copyright 2000 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. In addition, a gift from Mike Sandman, Chicago's Telecom Expert has enabled me to replace some obsolete computer equipment and enter the 21st century sort of on schedule. His mail order telephone parts/supplies service based in the Chicago area has been widely recognized by Digest readers as a reliable and very inexpensive source of telecom-related equipment. Please request a free catalog today at http://www.sandman.com --------------------------------------------------------------- Finally, the Digest is funded by gifts from generous readers such as yourself who provide funding in amounts deemed appropriate. Your help is important and appreciated. A suggested donation of twenty dollars per year per reader is considered appropriate. See our address above. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. All opinions expressed herein are deemed to be those of the author. Any organizations listed are for identification purposes only and messages should not be considered any official expression by the organization. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2002 10:08:34 -0500 From: Angus TeleManagement Subject: Telecom Update (Canada) #315, January 14, 2002 TELECOM UPDATE published weekly by Angus TeleManagement Group http://www.angustel.ca Number 315: January 14, 2002 Publication of Telecom Update is made possible by generous financial support from: ** AT&T CANADA http://www.attcanada.com ** BELL CANADA http://www.bell.ca ** GROUP TELECOM http://www.gt.ca ** LUCENT TECHNOLOGIES CANADA http://www.lucent.ca ** PRIMUS CANADA: http://www.primustel.ca ** Q9 NETWORKS: http://www.Q9.com ** TELUS: http://www.telus.com ** UNISPHERE NETWORKS: http://www.unispherenetworks.com IN THIS ISSUE: ** Bell Raises $500 Million ** Pat Russo to Head Lucent ** CRTC Toughens Winback Rules ** Vancouver Telemarketer Collapses ** Bell Tests Multimedia Centrex Server ** Internet Providers Slam Rogers Ads ** Union Sues Telus ** Telesystem Buyback in Trouble ** Conference to Discuss Community Networks ** SaskTel to Offer TV Over DSL ** Mindready Buys Nortel Testing Operations ** Sprint Wins Vancouver Data Contract ** North-of-60 First Nation to Get High-Speed Internet ** Wi-LAN Wins $9 Million Order ** U.S. RIM Carrier Seeks Bankruptcy Protection ** Avaya Reports Falling Revenue ** Layoff Watch: 724 Solutions ** How to Get the Best Cellphone Deal BELL RAISES $500 MILLION: On January 8, Bell Canada sold $500 million worth of 10-year bonds, 25% more than originally projected. Most of the funds are to finance last year's purchases of wireless spectrum (see Telecom Update #269). Bell plans to raise another $300 million by the end of June. PAT RUSSO TO HEAD LUCENT: Lucent Technologies has named Pat Russo as CEO, replacing Henry Schacht, who will continue as Chairman for up to a year. Russo led Lucent's carrier networks division until April 2001, when she became President and COO of Eastman Kodak. CRTC TOUGHENS WINBACK RULES: CRTC Decision 2002-1 prohibits telcos from attempting to win back a residential customer for any service for three months after the customer has transferred local phone service to a different provider. For business customers, the winback prohibition applies, as before, only to primary phone service. http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2002/dt2002-1.htm VANCOUVER TELEMARKETER COLLAPSES: GrowthExperts, which described itself as "the first proactive market maker for business-to-small- business sales," has closed its doors, throwing 490 people out of work. The company operated outbound call centres in Vancouver, Nanaimo, and Victoria; its biggest unsecured creditor is Bell Intrigna, owed $2.4 million. BELL TESTS MULTIMEDIA CENTREX SERVER: Bell Canada says that its "largest enterprise Centrex customers" will begin testing Nortel's Interactive Multimedia Server this month. The Voice over IP device provides a variety of new features including video calling and computer conferencing. INTERNET PROVIDERS SLAM ROGERS ADS: The independent members of the Canadian Association of Internet Providers say that Rogers Cable is illegally using its cable channels to promote its Internet service. They have asked the CRTC to stop the ads and order Rogers to give equal time to competitors. Rogers says the ads are allowable public service announcements about e-mail changes associated with the Excite@Home collapse. UNION SUES TELUS: The Telecommunications Workers Union, which represents 17,000 Telus employees, is suing the company to force disclosure about pension funds. The suits seek $460 million in damages, representing the union's estimate of the surplus in the funds. TELESYSTEM BUYBACK IN TROUBLE: Most holders of Telesystem International Wireless bonds have rejected a company proposal to buy back the debentures for 30% of their face value. The company has extended the offer to January 15. CONFERENCE TO DISCUSS COMMUNITY NETWORKS: The City of Fredericton, New Brunswick, is organizing Community Connect, a conference on how to develop and manage a community-owned broadband network, to be held in Fredericton April 29-30. http://www.connectconference.com SASKTEL TO OFFER TV OVER DSL: SaskTel has completed its test of TV delivered over phone lines and plans to launch commercial service this year (see Telecom Update #275). SaskTel is using technology from iMagicTV of Saint John, New Brunswick. ** iMagicTV reports September-October revenues of $337,000, compared to $803,000 the previous quarter and $2.2 million the previous year. Net loss: $4.1 million. MINDREADY BUYS NORTEL TESTING OPERATIONS: Nortel Networks has agreed to sell Montreal-based Mindready Solutions the instrument calibration and test process support activities related to Nortel's Saint-Laurent facility. SPRINT WINS VANCOUVER DATA CONTRACT: The City of Vancouver has awarded Sprint Canada a five-year contract to provide a data network linking the city's libraries, fire halls, and community centres. NORTH-OF-60 FIRST NATION TO GET HIGH-SPEED INTERNET: Quick Link Communications, Chevron Canada, and ADK Corporate Group have agreed to develop satellite- and wireless-based high- speed Internet access for the Acho Dene Koe band near Fort Liard, Northwest Territories. WI-LAN WINS $9 MILLION ORDER: Calgary-based Wi-LAN Communications has received a $9 million order for wireless broadband equipment from Wi-Comm United Communications of Beijing, China. U.S. RIM CARRIER SEEKS BANKRUPTCY PROTECTION: Motient, one of two network carriers that provide RIM Blackberry service in the United States, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Motient says that service will continue without interruption; it hopes to reorganize and emerge from protection by April. AVAYA REPORTS FALLING REVENUE: Avaya estimates revenue of US$1.3 billion for the last quarter of 2001, down 10% from the previous quarter and 28% from last year. LAYOFF WATCH -- 724 SOLUTIONS: 724 Solutions, which makes wireless-commerce software, says fourth-quarter revenue will be about 20% less than expected. It plans to lay off about 100 staff during the first quarter. (See Telecom Update #303) HOW TO GET THE BEST CELLPHONE DEAL: In the January issue of Telemanagement, John Riddell and Mike Dunne explain how to lay the groundwork for the best possible deal for corporate cellphone service. Also in Telemanagement #191: ** Ian Angus: "Who Put the Con in Convergence?" ** Henry Dortmans: "It's Telecom Tune-Up Time" ** John Riddell: "Nortel Seeks Better Ties to Enterprise Customers" Single copies of Telemanagement #191 are $75 each: call 905-686-5050 ext 500 and charge to Visa, American Express, or Mastercard. Save 49% with a 10-issue subscription -- go to http://www.angustel.ca/teleman/tm.html. HOW TO SUBMIT ITEMS FOR TELECOM UPDATE E-MAIL: editors@angustel.ca FAX: 905-686-2655 MAIL: TELECOM UPDATE Angus TeleManagement Group 8 Old Kingston Road Ajax, Ontario Canada L1T 2Z7 HOW TO SUBSCRIBE (OR UNSUBSCRIBE) TELECOM UPDATE is provided in electronic form only. There are two formats available: 1. The fully-formatted edition is posted on the World Wide Web on the first business day of the week at http://www.angustel.ca 2. The e-mail edition is distributed free of charge. To subscribe, send an e-mail message to: TelecomUpdate@add.postmastergeneral.com To stop receiving the e-mail edition, send an e-mail message to: TelecomUpdate@remove.postmastergeneral.com Sending e-mail to these addresses will automatically add or remove the sender's e-mail address from the list. Leave subject line and message area blank. COPYRIGHT AND CONDITIONS OF USE: All contents copyright 2002 Angus TeleManagement Group Inc. All rights reserved. For further information, including permission to reprint or reproduce, please e-mail rosita@angustel.ca or phone 905-686-5050 ext 500. The information and data included has been obtained from sources which we believe to be reliable, but Angus TeleManagement makes no warranties or representations whatsoever regarding accuracy, completeness, or adequacy. Opinions expressed are based on interpretation of available information, and are subject to change. If expert advice on the subject matter is required, the services of a competent professional should be obtained. ------------------------------ From: bobfry@e-mailanywhere.com (Bob Fry) Subject: Siemens Gigaset 2415 Question Date: 13 Jan 2002 14:06:24 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ Have a Siemens Gigaset 2415 base and one additional handset with another ordered. Been using it for a year and thought I'd finally clear up some questions: The manual (not the greatest one written) says nothing about the item under Menu->Mobile->Local->Auto Call Accept. What is this? I'm still puzzled at their usage of Base when it comes to naming the handsets. In practice it seems each handset has two names, one set with Base which is display at "rest", the other with System which is displayed when using the Intercom functions. Can somebody explain this further? Thanks, Bob ------------------------------ From: Tad Cook Subject: All That Dark Fiber Date: Sun, 13 Jan 2002 18:51:56 -0800 Fiber-optic lines languish under scarred city streets By Alwyn Scott Seattle Times business reporter The 321 Hair Design salon stands at one of Seattle's busiest intersections. But rather than help business, the heavy traffic has chased away customers for more than a decade. The traffic is data, billions of Web pages, music files and phone calls pulsing through fiber-optic cable buried below Seneca Street between Third and Fourth avenues. With the fiber outside her door, Pam Thurston, 321's owner, could have created an online appointment book and beamed in movies for clients. But the salon isn't wired. Instead, it lost business as jackhammers ripped up the asphalt to install lines 28 times since 1990. "We get absolutely no benefit from it," Thurston says. Empty pipes Fiber-optic cable was the bold new promise of the 1990s, designed to link us at cyber speed. Goaded by ambitious forecasts, easy money and deregulation that opened the streets to all comers, telecom companies spent billions of dollars laying millions of miles of fiber cable to slake the thirst for high-speed Internet connections. But before they could hook the network to their customers, they ran out of money. Today an estimated 95 percent of that cable lies "dark", completely unused. Often just yards from the homes and businesses it was supposed to connect. After paying $1 million a mile or more to build their networks, many telecom companies are going bust and can't afford to wire the "last mile." http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/134390552_darkfiber130.html ------------------------------ From: dave@compata.com (Dave Close) Subject: Re: Email on a Boat Organization: Compata, Costa Mesa, California Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2002 04:00:41 GMT dold@58.usenet.us.com writes: > My brother has a cheap AT-clone on his 74 foot fishing boat. I always heard those things were good as boat anchors ... Dave Close, Compata, Costa Mesa CA "Politics is the business of getting dave@compata.com, +1 714 434 7359 power and privilege without dhclose@alumni.caltech.edu possessing merit." - P. J. O'Rourke ------------------------------ From: Jay R. Ashworth Subject: Re: An Old Story Told Again: Information Please Reply-To: jra@baylink.com Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2002 06:40:08 GMT Organization: RoadRunner - TampaBay > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: That story, although good and very > inspirational, has been around *s-o-o-o* long. When I first used it > here in 1985 or so, it was old then. Still, it is always a good > reminder of how the 'telephone company' used to be in the old days. > Ask any long time operator, if any are still around. They can tell > you a dozen stories like this. PAT] Yeah, but no one can pick 'em like you, Pat. Welcome back. Cheers, Jay R. Ashworth jra@baylink.com Member of the Technical Staff Baylink The Suncoast Freenet The Things I Think Tampa Bay, Florida http://baylink.pitas.com +1 727 647 1274 I'm stranded all alone in the gas station of love, and I have to use the self service pumps. -- Weird Al Yankovic [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Regards 'picking em' it is just that I am better, I guess, at speed reading through 1940-50's back issues of Reader's Digest, that's all. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Phil McKerracher Subject: Re: How Do Radios Work, in General? Organization: blueyonder (post doesn't reflect views of blueyonder) Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2002 10:57:20 GMT "Mary Mathiasen" wrote in message news:telecom20.122.6@ telecom-digest.org: > I am looking for basic information about what makes radios work ( the > guts) and then onto applications in a network. I am new to a company > that uses radios to transmit information to lottery machines and I > just want a working knowledge of what is happening ... The best introduction I know of was published by the American Radio Relay League (see www.arrl.org). Phil McKerracher www.mckerracher.org ------------------------------ From: John David Galt Subject: Re: Spaghetti-Os (Re: ATIS/INC Plan for Expanding NANP) Date: Sun, 13 Jan 2002 04:07:14 -0800 Organization: Diogenes the Cynic Hot-Tubbing Society Fred Goldstein wrote: > So after Spaghetti-O-izing, say, Moderator Pat's 630-841-7174, it'll be > 6300-0841-7174. And that's before 1+ toll barrier dialing, which many > states are likely to continue to require. It's worse than that. The first part of ATIS' document clearly points out that since new numbers would be allowed to begin with 0 or 1, all use of 0 or 1 before an area code would have to be eliminated (forcing all calls to be dialed as 10 digits, no more, no less) before permissive dialing of the new 12-digit numbers can even begin. > - wider toll-free space than 800(8000), 888...822, to make all toll free > numbers more distinctive. How about 800 + 9-digit numbers? Thus allowing the owners of 800 vanity numbers based on words of 9 or more letters to keep using them. (OTOH, 888 and 877 would be phased out, and 800-FLOWERS would have to put something in those two extra digits...) > - clear distinction between USA and non-USA (especially costly Caribbean) > area codes. There's no sensible way to do that without breaking up the NANP, since the non-US numbers are such a tiny fraction of the whole. Indeed, one of the things I found short-sighted about the ATIS plan was its attempt to allow for proposals to give Canada distinctive numbering within the NANP. > But those aren't handled here. ATIS/INC instead seems to represent a > consensus view of the IXCs and ILECs, who are collectively looking out for > themselves and look at consumers as a collective adversary (ratepayers). > Their plan wouldn't fly in a free market, but because network numbering is > arguably something that requires monopoly regulation, they can ignore > alternatives that might impose slightly higher transitional costs upon > themselves en route to consumer benefits. > > Two alternative plans are James Bellaire's (which gets to 8-digit local > dialing by adding a 0 in front of the NXX) and my own (which is a more > comprehensive rework of the NANP to be more functionally based), which is > on the web at http://people.ne.mediaone.net/fgoldstein/NewNANP.htm . > > Comments welcome. The "9 + 3" plan discussed here earlier makes MUCH mo