From editor@telecom-digest.org Mon Jul 26 14:13:22 2004 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p3/8.11.3) id i6QIDMp09372; Mon, 26 Jul 2004 14:13:22 -0400 (EDT) Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2004 14:13:22 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200407261813.i6QIDMp09372@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V23 #351 TELECOM Digest Mon, 26 Jul 2004 14:11:00 EDT Volume 23 : Issue 351 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Regulating VoIP in the US (VOIP News) 911, Only Simple 911 at Best (johndee) Dedicated Internet Line (mike3) Network Usage Friendly PC to PC Voice Software (RJANKIR) Re: In Regards to Help - Please (Mike Sutter) (John Levine) Re: Hot-Button Issue (Tony P.) Re: Hot-Button Issue (Frank@Nospam.com) Re: Motorola and AT&T Wireless Bringing 3G/UMTS to No. America (Warnock) MyDoom Virus Search Engine Use (Monty Solomon) Re: Area Code Unavailable For Vonage (John Covert) Re: Area Code Unavailable For Vonage (Frank@Nospam.com) National Cell Phone Courtesy Month (Carl Moore) Re: Meridian Norstar - Caller ID (Marise_A_Klapka@withheld on request) Re: Truth or Fiction? Osama Found Hanged (Hammond of Texas) Re: Senate Committee Guts VoIP Bill (Paul Vader) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. =========================== Addresses herein are not to be added to any mailing list, nor to be sold or given away without explicit written consent. Chain letters, viruses, porn, spam, and miscellaneous junk are definitely unwelcome. We must fight spam for the same reason we fight crime: not because we are naive enough to believe that we will ever stamp it out, but because we do not want the kind of world that results when no one stands against crime. Geoffrey Welsh =========================== See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: VOIP News Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2004 11:47:53 -0400 Subject: Regulating VoIP in the US Reply-To: VoIPnews@yahoogroups.com http://www.out-law.com/php/page.php?page_id=regulatingvoipint1090836687&area=news The influential US Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee effectively re-wrote a draft bill dealing with the regulation of VoIP on Thursday, transferring some powers from federal to state regulators. The draft VoIP Regulatory Freedom Act, introduced into the Senate in April by Republican Senator John Sununu, was intended to reserve the right to regulate IP telephony, also known as VoIP or Voice over Internet Protocol, to Federal Government. But two amendments, introduced respectively by Republican Senator Conrad Burns and Democrat Senator Byron Dorgan, mean that US states will now be able to force VoIP companies to provide emergency 911 services, to contribute to the funding of low income or rural-based subscribers, through what are known as universal service fees, and to pay intra-state access charges. Full story at: http://www.out-law.com/php/page.php?page_id=regulatingvoipint1090836687&area=news http://commerce.senate.gov/pdf/s2281report.pdf How to Distribute VoIP Throughout a Home: http://michigantelephone.mi.org/distribute.html If you live in Michigan, subscribe to the MI-Telecom group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MI-Telecom/ ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 25 Jul 2004 18:47:37 -0500 From: johndee Subject: 911, Only Simple 911 at Best Its my impression the only 911 you can get is you are forwarded to a 7 digit number in the center which defeats the system, its just a phone call on a line that administrators use to call for pizza and get calls from their children you could get a busy if they are using it. I called it here and it took 15 rings and it had no caller ID so if I couldn't speak I would be dead. They said ATT and others would not spend the money to get in the "system". Oh, they said it took so long to answer because they were on E911 calls. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: First, let me say my circumstances here may be somewhat different, in a town of 8800 residents and a mostly rural county of 28,000 people. The *ONE* person (per shift, per day of the week) who takes 911 calls (one or two per day, always on a priority basis should various calls arrive at the same time) is also the police department receptionist/phone operator (on general non-emergency calls) and radio dispatcher. That person also responds for Montgomery County (of which we here in Independence, KS are the 'county seat') Sheriff 911 calls. The Montgomery County Detention Center (which many folks refer to as the 'jailhouse' has a capacity of 50-55 inmates, and rarely if ever is close to capacity. In summary, ours is not a busy 911 center. The mother of our police chief lives directly across the street from my house. I often times see Lee, her son, over in his mother's yard cutting the grass in the summer. With all the above in mind, I would like to say the administrative line for police (620-332-1700) and sheriff (620-330-1000) works just fine for Vonage-style '911' calls. That may not work everywhere, but in our case, the dispatchers are **very well trained** at knowing every nook and cranny in our county -- especially our town -- and the database they refer to on calls has every address listed. If you go in the basement of City Hall (where the 'communications center' is located) the phones never ring twice without a courteous answer. PAT] ------------------------------ From: mike4ty4@yahoo.com (mike3) Subject: Dedicated Internet Line Date: 25 Jul 2004 19:29:49 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com Hi, Is it possible, physically, to build a dedicated hard line directly into the Internet? ------------------------------ From: rjankir@hotmail.com (RJANKIR) Subject: Network Usage Friendly PC to PC Voice Software Date: 26 Jul 2004 08:34:09 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com My friend recently subscribed to broadband service in India which restricts the number of bytes that can be transfered (upload and download) per month (255 MB per month). Sofware like Yahoo and MSN take up about 12 MB for single hour of conversation. I was wondering if there are any PC to PC voice software that does a better job of compression and optimize on the number of bytes exchanged. I read about the GSM 6.10 codec that can be used. Please advice. TIA ------------------------------ Date: 25 Jul 2004 22:48:04 -0000 From: John Levine Subject: Re: In Regards to Help - Please (Mike Sutter) Organization: I.E.C.C., Trumansburg NY USA > Posted to comp.dcom.telecom > Subject: Re: Senate Committee Guts VoIP Bill > From: Mike_The_Bike > Reply-To: DaGroup How do you expect the ack-bot to send you an acknowledgement if you give it a forged return address? It's not clairvoyant. > Again, I did not get the auto-ack. I guess we should feel complimented that he expects the automatic response-bot to know how to turn the forged return address in his message into his actual return address. If you look at the mail logs on the MIT machine, you will doubtless find mail to mjs2032@helpivefallenrochester.rr.com, the forged address that he puts on his newsgroup messages. Some people think that putting fake return addresses in messages is benign. They are mistaken. R's, John ------------------------------ From: Tony P. Subject: Re: Hot-Button Issue Organization: ATCC Date: Sun, 25 Jul 2004 23:37:45 GMT In article , monty@roscom.com says: > With the FCC issuing fines in record numbers to everyone from Howard > Stern to Bubba the Love Sponge, the "dump" button, like this one at > WEEI, has taken on newfound importance because it allows for a > 10-second delay to censor out naughty words. Never mind %!*$ or #%*@ > -- even the word "effin' " is off-limits. But is this the government's > job? > By Charles P. Pierce, Globe Staff | July 18, 2004 > http://www.boston.com/news/globe/magazine/articles/2004/07/18/hot_button_issue/ Having started an eight year on/off career in broadcasting in 1985 I can tell you how the technology changed. First radio station I was at didn't have a gate (That's what the device is known as by the way.) so whatever was said was said and no big deal made of it. But by 1990 or so the gate became a common feature at all radio stations. I believe the FCC should be stripped of it's censorial powers and quickly. Squelching that which the opposing political party finds distasteful is scary. I should also mention this in my post: Why don't we take advantage of the FCC's liberal complaint procedures. Complain that radio is so bland and homogenous now that we find it offensive. Were enough of us to do such a thing, perhaps the FCC would see the error of its ways. How does the saying go, if you can't dazzle them with the truth you can always bury them in bullshit. ------------------------------ From: Frank@Nospam.com Subject: Re: Hot-Button Issue Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2004 06:25:17 -0700 Organization: Cox Communications Monty Solomon wrote: > With the FCC issuing fines in record numbers to everyone from Howard > Stern to Bubba the Love Sponge, the "dump" button, like this one at > WEEI, has taken on newfound importance because it allows for a > 10-second delay to censor out naughty words. Never mind %!*$ or #%*@ > -- even the word "effin' " is off-limits. But is this the government's > job? It's *this* government's job, just like all the other facist governments that have preceded them throughout the world. If the country (re)elects Bush it will only get worse. ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Motorola and AT&T Wireless Bringing 3G/UMTS to North America Organization: Rob Warnock, Consulting Systems Architect From: rpw3@rpw3.org (Rob Warnock) Date: Sun, 25 Jul 2004 23:25:59 -0500 > Can someone clarify, isn't UMTS the EDGE technology ATTWS has already > rolled out? No, UMTS is somewhat faster than the current EDGE offering, though not nearly as fast as the EV-DO that Verizon is currently field-testing in Washington and San Diego. Here's what AT&T WS claims for UMTS: ...average download speeds of 220-320 kbps with bursts up to 384 kbps, compared to an average of 25-40 kbps for GPRS. So on the chart at , this would place their UMTS offering in the "EDGE Phase 2 / GERAN" box. [But look at the "1xEV-DO Phase 1" box!! Rates of 500kb/s to 1 Mb/s would seem more EV-DO's speed.] > I thought EDGE currently is only about 115Kbps and might max out > practically speaking at 230Kbps if they allocate enough "slots" per > user at the tower (which has been debated may not happen for a long > time for various technical and business reasons). I think it depends a lot on where you are. I've been using ATTWS EDGE for several months now in the San Francisco Bay area [mostly in the Redwood City/Menlo Park/Palo Alto areas]. Some time ago I upgraded the firmware on my EDGE card (using a download from the Ericsson site) from GPRS Class 8 (3 slots down + 1 up) to Class 10 (4 down + 2 up). Since then, I've been routinely seeing large-file downloads with peaks [5-second sliding averages] just over 230 kb/s (once I even saw 240 kb/s), though I definitely didn't get rates that good before upgraded the firmware. [I have no hard data on large-file upload speeds, except that I saw frequent ~100 kb/s one-second peaks during a 780 KB upload once.] But that's just one user in one part of one metro area ... > When I did research on this a couple months ago, from what I read > about EDGE on ATT's own customer forums, the initial implementation > does not sound good (slow and buggy). Well, I do have to say that the interactive round-trip time (e.g., "ping" times or typing-to-echo when using "vi" or "emacs") is simply *terrible*, especially the first few packets after any period of more than a few seconds without traffic: % ping rpw3.org # my home system PING rpw3.org (66.93.131.53): 56 data bytes 64 bytes from 66.93.131.53: icmp_seq=0 ttl=53 time=1594.527 ms 64 bytes from 66.93.131.53: icmp_seq=1 ttl=53 time=659.644 ms 64 bytes from 66.93.131.53: icmp_seq=2 ttl=53 time=580.201 ms 64 bytes from 66.93.131.53: icmp_seq=3 ttl=53 time=530.536 ms 64 bytes from 66.93.131.53: icmp_seq=4 ttl=53 time=610.537 ms 64 bytes from 66.93.131.53: icmp_seq=5 ttl=53 time=560.538 ms ... [Note: They seem to be doing some sort of fast-connect circuit-switching on the transitions from idle to traffic and back, rather than true packet-switching.] But as one who once-upon-a-time had to deal with the "rubber-band" feeling of 110-baud full-duplex ASR-33 Teletype (on a PDP-10), I've gotten somewhat used to it again ... ;-} ;-} [And as it happens, I'm composing this reply in "vi" while logged into my home system with SSH. It's usable for such. Mostly.] And except for that initial ~1 sec. startup delay, web browsing is more-or-less unaffected. The browsing speed for complex pages is *certainly* way better than dialup! The EDGE plan, while somewhat expensive ($80/month), is at least "flat-rate" (with nationwide free roaming), unlike some GPRS plans that are $0.02/KB!! At the latter rate, you would burn $80 with only 4 MB! [I use more than that on a single busy day.] Rob Warnock 627 26th Avenue San Mateo, CA 94403 (650)572-2607 ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2004 13:47:36 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: MyDoom Virus Search Engine Use http://www.searchenginejournal.com/index.php?p=700 http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/07/26/1649245&tid=217&tid=1 http://isc.sans.org/diary.php?date=2004-07-26 ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2004 12:07:51 EDT From: John R. Covert Subject: Re: Area Code Unavailable For Vonage In Pat's note at the end of the original question, Pat wrote: > Vonage allows the minutes to be spread over all the various virtual > numbers" Except for "800 Service" numbers, there are no minutes at all associated with any incoming calls to Vonage numbers. Vonage does not charge Vonage customers (either the called Vonage customer or the calling party if also a Vonage customer) anything for calls to regular or virtual Vonage numbers. Each virtual number assigned in geographic area codes costs $4.99 per month plus a $1.50 regulatory recovery fee. (Vonage charges $1.50 as a regulatory recovery fee per assigned number regardless of the type of service associated with the number.) Calls by non-Vonage subscribers to Vonage geographic numbers (virtual or regular) are billed at whatever rate would be charged by the caller's carrier for a call to that geographic location, as determined by the area code plus first three digits of the number. Each Vonage "800 Service" number costs $4.99 per month plus a $1.50 regulatory recovery fee. Additional incoming minutes are 4.9 cents per month. I do not see any indication that the minutes are pooled if you have more than one 800 number, but they might be. However, additional minutes on a single 800 number are only $4.90 for another 100, and you pay only for those you use, whereas another 800 number would be $6.49 for 100 minutes, whether you use them all or not. /john ------------------------------ From: Frank@Nospam.com Subject: Re: Area Code Unavailable For Vonage Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2004 06:23:08 -0700 Organization: Cox Communications arjay wrote: > My area code is not available for Vonage. I can choose another, but I > assume that anyone who calls from within my own area code will be > charged for long distance. Is that correct? > I have been unable to get an answer from Vonage. Don't know why? The answer is pretty simple. You have to ask yourself: Why do I want Vonage? To be the only telephone in my home? Or, is it to have unlimited calling and a second line? I have had Vonage since March of 2003 and receive calls on it from only one person. Other than that it is an outgoing line only. And, I'd sure hate to have it as my only phone, because it is so much more vunerable to failures than my primary inbound line from SBC. Just last week carpet installers cut my cable service, so I was out of Vonage for two days. I tired plugging everything into my remaining cable outlet that was still working but the signal wasn't sufficent there for the cable modem. With DSL you're a little better off, but still dependent upon household electrical power being up and running. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Couldn't the carpet installers just as easily have sliced your telephone line and left you without SBC service for a couple days? Or consider last Saturday here when a drunk driver on Second Street crashed his car into a utility pole, knocked it over completely and left an entire city block on Second and Walnut Streets without electricity or phone or cable for a couple hours after police arrived and took the man away with them in a drunken stupor. Crews from SBC, electric and CableOne came out and uprighted the pole and re-established their services an hour or two later. Stuff happens. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2004 10:30:15 EDT From: Carl Moore Subject: National Cell Phone Courtesy Month I just found (via KYW news-radio site) that July is National Cell Phone Courtesy Month. It says to make sure your environment is comfortable for you to make a cell call (considering yourself, others near you and the person you are calling). And it suggests shutting your cell phone off if you are away from your office and "not involved with business and with other people". And it says "don't pick up your cell phone and carry on a conversation with someone else standing there"; it sounds stupid to me to use a cell phone when the other person is physically right there. ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Meridian Norstar - Caller ID Install for Only One Line From: Marise_A_Klapka@Withheld on request Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2004 10:04:44 -0500 Please do not print my address. rich@virtuallearning.net (Rich) wrote about Meridian Norstar - Caller ID Install For Only One Line on 22 Jul 2004 08:59:35 -0700: > Hello, > I have eight(8) lines coming into my Meridian phone system. The 8th > line is going directly to a phone set bypassing the Vmail and the > Autoattendant. > The user of the phone set wants Caller ID. I have called the BELL and > had them install it on the line. However, I can't seem to get Call > ID/Call Display to work on the set. > I have used Feature 811 but it only shows me the name of the line that > the incoming call is using. > I don't know how to set the Call ID/Call Display in the Admin Console > for Meridian. > Can anyone help me out? > Thanks, > Rich Rich -- In addition to using the feature code, the trunk cards must be Caller ID capable. We recently added Caller ID to a Norstar MICS 4.0. The label on the trunk card will have the letters "C I" on it. If it doesn't, you won't get caller ID no matter what info the LEC sends. Marise ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2004 08:20:10 -0700 From: Hammond of Texas Subject: Re: Truth or Fiction? Osama Found Hanged Ray wrote: > It does contain a virus ... beware ... NO! Really? Ya think? ------------------------------ From: pv+usenet@pobox.com (Paul Vader) Subject: Re: Senate Committee Guts VoIP Bill Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2004 15:53:14 -0000 Organization: Inline Software Creations anonfwd774@witheld at request writes: > I'm not really sure how handheld GPS receivers work and I've never > owned one, but I'm guessing they don't work too well inside buildings! They don't work AT ALL inside buildings. As you guessed, they need an unobstructed line-of-sight to the satellite. * * PV something like badgers--something like lizards--and something like corkscrews. ------------------------------ 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, Yahoo Groups, 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: 620-402-0134 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 530-309-7234 Fax 3: 208-692-5145 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@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 oldest e-zine/mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.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. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2004 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. ************************ DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE JUST 65 CENTS ONE OR TWO INQUIRIES CHARGED TO YOUR CREDIT CARD! REAL TIME, UP TO DATE! SPONSORED BY TELECOM DIGEST AND EASY411.COM SIGN UP AT http://www.easy411.com/telecomdigest ! ************************ Visit http://www.mstm.okstate.edu and take the next step in your career with a Master of Science in Telecommunications Management (MSTM) degree from Oklahoma State University (OSU). This 35 credit-hour interdisciplinary program is designed to give you the skills necessary to manage telecommunications networks, including data, video, and voice networks. The MSTM degree draws on the expertise of the OSU's College of Business Administration; the College of Arts and Sciences; and the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology. The program has state-of-the-art lab facilities on the Stillwater and Tulsa campus offering hands-on learning to enhance the program curriculum. Classes are available in Stillwater, Tulsa, or through distance learning. Please contact Jay Boyington for additional information at 405-744-9000, mstm-osu@okstate.edu, or visit the MSTM web site at http://www.mstm.okstate.edu ************************ In addition, gifts from Mike Sandman, Chicago's Telecom Expert have 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 fifty 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. If you donate at least fifty dollars per year we will send you our two-CD set of the entire Telecom Archives; this is every word published in this Digest since our beginning in 1981. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V23 #351 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Mon Jul 26 20:43:25 2004 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p3/8.11.3) id i6R0hPA13662; Mon, 26 Jul 2004 20:43:25 -0400 (EDT) Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2004 20:43:25 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200407270043.i6R0hPA13662@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V23 #352 TELECOM Digest Mon, 26 Jul 2004 20:43:00 EDT Volume 23 : Issue 352 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Telecom Update (Canada) #441, July 26, 2004 (Angus TeleManagement) Re: Dedicated Internet Line (Scott Dorsey) Re: Dedicated Internet Line (John R. Levine) Re: Dedicated Internet Line (T. Sean Weintz) Re: Dedicated Internet Line (Barry Margolin) Re: Dedicated Internet Line (DevilsPGD) Re: Dedicated Internet Line (Hammond of Texas) Re: Phone for Noisy Environment (J Kelly) Re: Senate Committee Guts VoIP Bill (CharlesH) Re: In Regards to Help - Please (Mike Sutter) (News Feed) Re: Phone Card Inquiry (T. Sean Weintz) Clarification on 'Vonage Not in my Area Code' Thread (Patrick Townson) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. =========================== Addresses herein are not to be added to any mailing list, nor to be sold or given away without explicit written consent. Chain letters, viruses, porn, spam, and miscellaneous junk are definitely unwelcome. We must fight spam for the same reason we fight crime: not because we are naive enough to believe that we will ever stamp it out, but because we do not want the kind of world that results when no one stands against crime. Geoffrey Welsh =========================== See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2004 16:19:01 -0400 From: Angus TeleManagement Subject: Telecom Update (Canada) #441, July 26, 2004 ************************************************************ TELECOM UPDATE ************************************************************ published weekly by Angus TeleManagement Group http://www.angustel.ca Number 441: July 26, 2004 Publication of Telecom Update is made possible by generous financial support from: ** ALLSTREAM: www.allstream.com ** BELL CANADA: www.bell.ca ** CISCO SYSTEMS CANADA: www.cisco.com/ca ** CYGCOM INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGIES: www.cygcom.com ** GROUP TELECOM: www.360.net ** JUNIPER NETWORKS: www.juniper.net ** PRIMUS CANADA: www.primustel.ca ** SPRINT CANADA: www.sprint.ca ** TELUS: www.telus.com ************************************************************ IN THIS ISSUE: ** Sprint Launches Internet Phone Service ** Telus Extends Microcell Offer Again ** Primus to Offer Wireless Phones ** Bell Techs to Vote on "Final Offer" ** MTS to Operate as MTS Allstream ** Allstream Offers Wholesale VoIP ** EastLink Loses Bundling Complaint ** VoIP Hearing Extended ** Reverse Search Directory Service Permitted ** Telesat Launches Largest Communications Satellite ** Rogers Begins "Road Runner" Phase-Out in Nfld. ** GT Exec Moves to Vonage ** No Buyer for AT&T's Rogers Shares ** Rogers Wireless Offers Yahoo Internet Suite ** Bell Sued Over Modem Hijacking ** Telcos and Affiliates Subject to Same Rules ** Court Denies Landlord Appeal ** BCE Sells Yellow Pages Stake ** Telecom Conference Announces Speakers ** Should VoIP Be Regulated? ============================================================ SPRINT LAUNCHES INTERNET PHONE SERVICE: Sprint Canada's new Internet Phone Service, designed for residential and small/home-office customers, is available on six price plans, ranging from $19.95 to $31.95 a month. Numbers are available from Ontario area codes 416, 647, 905, and 519. A gateway device sells for $75, including four months of basic service. ** Sprint President Bill Linton describes the services as "Canada's first Competitive Local Exchange Carrier (CLEC) compliant broadband phone service." TELUS EXTENDS MICROCELL OFFER AGAIN: Telus has extended its offer to purchase all Microcell Telecommunications shares to August 20. By the last deadline, July 22, Telus had been offered 288 class A restricted voting shares, 15,785 class B non-voting shares, 71,917 Warrants 2005, and 51,080 Warrants 2008. ** Microcell says it "continues to seek maximization of value to security holders by actively considering strategic and financial alternatives to the Telus offers." PRIMUS TO OFFER WIRELESS PHONES: Primus Telecommunications Canada and Microcell Solutions have signed a multi-year deal giving Primus access to Microcell's national PCS network as a Mobile Virtual Network Operator. Primus says it will begin offering wireless service in the fall. BELL TECHS TO VOTE ON "FINAL OFFER": The bargaining committee representing 7,097 Bell Canada technicians is recommending rejection of a contract proposal the company describes as a "final offer." Results of the membership vote will be announced August 16. ** Earlier this month, the union members rejected a previous offer and approved strike action. MTS TO OPERATE AS MTS ALLSTREAM: Manitoba Telecom Systems has asked the CRTC to change all tariff references to its operating units -- MTS Communications, MTS NetCom, and Manitoba Telephone System -- to MTS Allstream Inc. ALLSTREAM OFFERS WHOLESALE VoIP: Allstream's VoIP Access service allows VoIP service providers to connect to the public telephone network. It includes 9-1-1, 7-1-1, 4-1-1, Local Number Portability, and Operator services. EASTLINK LOSES BUNDLING COMPLAINT: The CRTC has rejected an EastLink complaint about Aliant's "value packages," because the telco no longer requires customers receiving the services to subscribe to its local phone service. (See Telecom Update #440) www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2004/dt2004-44.htm VoIP HEARING EXTENDED: To accommodate all the parties who want to speak at the CRTC's public consultation on VoIP, the hearing will now take place over three days, September 21-23. www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Notices/2004/pt2004-2-1.htm REVERSE SEARCH DIRECTORY SERVICE PERMITTED: The CRTC will allow telcos to offer a "reverse search directory assistance" service that provides the city, town, or postal code associated with a given telephone number, but not the street address. Only one search per call will be permitted and subscribers' express consent must be obtained. www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2004/dt2004-49.htm TELESAT LAUNCHES LARGEST COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE: After several delays, the world's largest commercial communications satellite, Anik F2, was successfully launched on July 17. Telesat says the satellite will provide two-way broadband Internet service as well as television. ROGERS BEGINS "ROAD RUNNER" PHASE-OUT IN NFLD: Rogers Cable has begun converting the e-mail addresses of its "Road Runner" Internet customers in Newfoundland to "@nl.rogers.com" addresses. The change is the first step in migrating customers to the Rogers Hi-Speed service offered elsewhere in Canada. GT EXEC MOVES TO VONAGE: Bill Rainey, formerly Senior VP of Commercial Services at Group Telecom, has been named president of Vonage Canada. He reports to Jeffrey Citron, CEO of the U.S. parent company. NO BUYER FOR AT&T'S ROGERS SHARES: When the deadline expired June 18, AT&T Wireless had failed to find a buyer for its 34% interest in Rogers Wireless. AT&T cannot now sell the shares without once again offering Rogers an opportunity to make an offer. (See Telecom Update #431, 434) ROGERS WIRELESS OFFERS YAHOO INTERNET SUITE: Rogers Wireless now offers a suite of Yahoo Internet services, including e-mail, instant messaging, and news reports, all with no additional charges. BELL SUED OVER MODEM HIJACKING: An Ontario customer has launched a class action suit against Bell Canada, charging that the telco should have known about and prevented the modem hijacking scams that have resulted in thousands of dollars in long distance charges for many customers. (See Telecom Update #439) TELCOS AND AFFILIATES SUBJECT TO SAME RULES: In its follow-up to Decision 2002-76, the CRTC has confirmed that telco affiliates are subject to the same tariffing and bundling rules as the incumbent telco itself. www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2004/dt2004-50.htm COURT DENIES LANDLORD APPEAL: The Federal Court has dismissed an appeal by the Canadian Institute of Public and Private Real Estate Companies and the Building Owners and Managers Association against the CRTC's statement that it can order access to buildings if carriers and building owners cannot agree on terms. The Court said that the statement, in Decision 2003-45, can't be appealed because the CRTC has not actually made such an order. http://decisions.fca-caf.gc.ca/fca/2004/2004fca243.shtml BCE SELLS YELLOW PAGES STAKE: BCE Inc. has sold its 11.1 million remaining shares of Yellow Pages Income Fund for approximately $123 million. The telco sold 90% of the company in 2002. TELECOM CONFERENCE ANNOUNCES SPEAKERS: Nearly forty speakers have been confirmed for Telemanagement Live!, which be held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, October 20-21. Details on the program and registration are available at www.telemanagementlive.com. ** Telemanagement Live! is organized and presented by Angus Dortmans Associates and PW Ritchie & Associates. SHOULD VoIP BE REGULATED? The current issue of Telemanagement features Lis Angus's exclusive review and analysis of the telecom industry's debate on CRTC proposals for regulation of Voice over IP phone service. Also in this issue: ** Planning for High Availability Networking ** Is There a Future for Frame Relay and ATM Networks? ** Key Issues for Telecom Disaster Recovery To become a Telemanagement subscriber -- including unlimited access to Telemanagement's extensive online content -- visit www.angustel.ca/teleman/tm-sub-online.html or call 800-263-4415 ext 500. ============================================================ 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 www.angustel.ca 2. The e-mail edition is distributed free of charge. To subscribe, send an e-mail message to: join-telecom_update@nova.sparklist.com To stop receiving the e-mail edition, send an e-mail message to: leave-telecom_update@nova.sparklist.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. We do not give Telecom Update subscribers' e-mail addresses to any third party. For more information, see www.angustel.ca/update/privacy.html. =========================================================== COPYRIGHT AND CONDITIONS OF USE: All contents copyright 2004 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: kludge@panix.com (Scott Dorsey) Subject: Re: Dedicated Internet Line Date: 26 Jul 2004 15:44:42 -0400 Organization: Former users of Netcom shell (1989-2000) mike3 wrote: > Is it possible, physically, to build a dedicated hard line directly > into the Internet? Sure. Most sites do. Why? Scott "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." ------------------------------ From: johnl@iecc.com (John R. Levine) Subject: Re: Dedicated Internet Line Date: 26 Jul 2004 15:52:02 -0400 Organization: I.E.C.C., Trumansburg NY USA > Is it possible, physically, to build a dedicated hard line directly > into the Internet? Considering that "the Internet" doesn't exist as a single physical thing, no. It's easy enough to get a dedicated line to any of the ISPs and NSPs that comprise the Internet, of course. ------------------------------ From: T. Sean Weintz Subject: Re: Dedicated Internet Line Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2004 17:24:37 -0400 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com mike3 wrote: > Hi, > Is it possible, physically, to build a dedicated hard line directly > into the Internet? That question does not actually make sense. Firstly, there is no single object known as the "internet" - it is a collection of many many many different networks that are all interconnected. Taking my above point into account, you could argue that any leased line connection to an ISP is exactly that - a dedicated hard line to the internet. I mean wouldn't a T1 line (not frame - pt to pt) to a major ISP qualify as exactly that? Esp if you run BGP over it? One could even argue that if you are running BGP, you not only have a direct hard line to the internet, but that your local network actually is part of the internet. ------------------------------ From: Barry Margolin Subject: Re: Dedicated Internet Line Organization: Symantec Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2004 19:35:23 -0400 In article , mike4ty4@yahoo.com (mike3) wrote: > Hi, > Is it possible, physically, to build a dedicated hard line directly > into the Internet? Yes. Just run a serial or ethernet cable directly from an ISP's router to your computer. Barry Margolin, barmar@alum.mit.edu Arlington, MA *** PLEASE post questions in newsgroups, not directly to me *** [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: To those of you who have participated in this particular thread ('dedicated hard line to the Internet') shouldn't we define our terms? For example how many folks know the difference between the 'Internet' (with an uppercase /I/) and the 'internet' (with a lowercase /i/) and what we frequently refer to just as the 'net', I have always heard that the 'internet' consists of many interconnected networks, of which the 'Internet' (itself a collection of networks) is but one part. I have always assumed I was hardwired to the net because of my 'always on' cable or DSL connection as opposed to what we all used to do years ago, with dial-up. Any comments? PAT] ------------------------------ From: DevilsPGD Subject: Re: Dedicated Internet Line Reply-To: bond-jamesbond@crazyhat.net Organization: EasyNews, UseNet made Easy! Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2004 20:28:32 GMT In message mike4ty4@yahoo.com (mike3) wrote: > Is it possible, physically, to build a dedicated hard line directly > into the Internet? What is "the Internet" A DSL line could easily qualify, depending on what exactly you're trying to do. Nobody ever lost money underestimating the human intelligence. -- P.T.Barnum ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2004 13:53:39 -0700 From: Hammond of Texas Subject: Re: Dedicated Internet Line mike3 wrote: > Hi, > Is it possible, physically, to build a dedicated hard line directly > into the Internet? No. If it were, the Matrix would have you in minutes. ------------------------------ From: J Kelly Subject: Re: Phone for Noisy Environment Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2004 14:16:58 -0500 Organization: http://newsguy.com Reply-To: jkelly@newsguy.com On Thu, 22 Jul 2004 17:22:44 -0600, Clark W. Griswold, Jr. <73115.1041@compuserve.com> wrote: > J Kelly wrote: >> Can anyone recommend a GOOD quality phone for use in a noisy >> environment? Most phones sold today are total pieces of crap. >> Requirements are a volume control for the earpiece, be able to >> withstand a reasonable amount of abuse (dropping the handset, etc, not >> purposely abusing it), works with a POTS line, and hopefully costs >> less than $50. Don't need speaker phone, memory dialing, etc, but >> some of that might be nice, as would be noise cancelling. This is >> used in an area that has a lot of very large fans and motors running >> making a lot of noise. Even the 'office area' in this facility has a >> lot of noise and I'm half deaf besides. > Back in the days of TPC ("The Phone Company"), you could get something > called a "Confidencer" that was a replacement screw on transmitter for > standard handsets. It worked very well by reducing the sidetone (ie > noise) from the area you were in. > Standard phones and TPC have gone the way of the Dodo bird, so I have > no idea where you would go now. Reducing sidetone would be a BIG help. Good phones just do not seem to exsist anymore. On Sat, 24 Jul 2004 23:09:27 -0600, Phil Earnhardt wrote: > On 22 Jul 2004 12:27:01 -0700, a_user2000@yahoo.com (Justin Time) > wrote: >> The best answer for you is a headset. Lots of cabled headsets are >> available that will work in your price range, but you will probably >> want one with a noise-cancelling microphone if the noise level is such >> that can be heard over a normal phone. > I just noticed that there's a new headset option out there (new to me, > anyhow). > The only thing this headset (earset?) doesn't cover is the noise > you'll pick up from your other ear. A headset is not the solution I was hoping to find. I do far to much running around this facility to be able to monkey with putting on and taking of a headset, I want to grab the phone, hear the message, tell them what I'm doing, set it down and go about my business. If I need to walk around to look at some piece of equipment I want to just quickly set the phone on the desk and do so. 99% of the time I am not on the phone, so I can't just leave the thing on. I'm half deaf in one ear, so that helps a little. ------------------------------ From: hoch@exemplary.invalid (CharlesH) Subject: Re: Senate Committee Guts VoIP Bill Date: 26 Jul 2004 20:01:44 GMT Organization: http://newsguy.com In article , Paul Vader wrote: > anonfwd774@witheld at request writes: >> I'm not really sure how handheld GPS receivers work and I've never >> owned one, but I'm guessing they don't work too well inside buildings! > They don't work AT ALL inside buildings. As you guessed, they need an > unobstructed line-of-sight to the satellite. * Some cell phones (e.g., Verizon, Nextel) use something called aGPS (assisted GPS). With this, the cell site the phone is talking to does the complicated part of the GPS protocol, and feeds information to the phone so that the phone can get some timings for specific GPS satellites. The phone feeds this info back to the cell site, which computes the location of the phone and reports it to the E911 center. With the cell site doing most of the work, and knowing the location of the cell site, one can get a location fix on the phone with a much weaker signal and fewer satellites than required for a standalone GPS unit, allowing it to work indoors and between tall buildings. The "assisting" site has to be physically near to the phone (as is the case for a phone talking to a cell site), so it and the phone are "seeing" the same satellites and with nearly the same timings. See www.snaptrack.com. Of course this has nothing to do with VOIP, since with IP, you don't have anything like a "cell site" which is geographically close to the phone which could "assist" it. ------------------------------ From: News Feed Subject: Re: In Regards to Help - Please (Mike Sutter) Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2004 17:18:53 -0400 My stupid. I've got that in there because I post a couple of un-moderated groups and I'm trying to avoid becoming a "harvesting" victim. Sorry to take up your time. Regards, Mike Sutter PS - I don't suppose even a NAK-BOT could have gotten back to me under these circumstances. :) John Levine noted: > How do you expect the ack-bot to send you an acknowledgement if you > give it a forged return address? It's not clairvoyant. > Regards, > John Levine, postmaster@telecom-digest.org > (and postmaster of about 200 other domains) ------------------------------ From: T. Sean Weintz Subject: Re: Phone Card Inquiry Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2004 17:31:41 -0400 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Robert Bonomi wrote: > Such an animal probably *doesn't* exist. =UNLESS= they have _local_ > (i.e., _non_ toll-free access numbers in the area(s) you'd be calling > _from_) And, since you didn't specify _where_ you would be calling > from, nobody can tell if there's anything like that in your area. > The reason: > For *EVERY* call to a 'toll free' number from a pay-phone, the > toll-free number operator must pay the pay-phone operator something in > the range of 25-35 cents (I don't have the exact figure off the top of > my head), for the 'use' of the pay-phone for that call. > Either the card issuer (a) charges a surcharge for those pay-phone > originated calls that incur the extra costs, or (b) builds recovery of > those costs into the charges for *every* call. Guess which one lets > them advertise lower rates? > The card issuer surcharge for pay-phone calls =is= more than the > pass-thru cost, because they have to pay the pay-phone operator > _even_if_ the call doesn't complete to the far end. And for 'wrong > numbers', and for calls where the calling-card number is entered > wrong, and for calls where the calling card doesn't have enough money > on it to place the call, etc. etc. > Plus the additional administrative overhead of tracking the pay-phone > billings. That's where knowing ways of bypassing ANI come in handy. Used to be you could get around it by dialing 10-10-ATT, then hitting zero and convincing the ATT op to dial the 800 number (definitely a social engineering challenge) for the phone card for you -- the ANI would come up with an ATT number, not the payphone number. Doesn't work with ATT any more, but may work with other carriers. ------------------------------ From: TELECOM Digest Editor Subject: Clarification on 'Vonage Not in my Area Code' Thread Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2004 20:00:00 EDT John Covert commented on my earlier response to the fellow who wondered what do do since Vonage had no service (as of yet) in his specific area code. I suggested getting a 'virtual toll free' number so his friends and family could call him with ease, at no charge to them. I said that Vonage allowed me to combine all my minutes and use them. John noted, rightly, that Vonage did not charge for incoming calls except in the case of toll free, in which they gave you an allotment of 100 minutes per toll-free number/month. But unlike many of you with Vonage 'unlimited useage' accounts, I have a 500 minutes per month account -- older style plan -- for $15.00 per month, which is plenty for me. 500 minutes per month on outbound (which is all funnelled through the area 620 number) plus the charges per month on the virtual Chicago 773 number and the charges on the virtual toll- free 888 number. I do get 100 incoming minutes toll free and 500 minutes outbound. PAT] ------------------------------ 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, Yahoo Groups, 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: 620-402-0134 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 530-309-7234 Fax 3: 208-692-5145 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@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 oldest e-zine/mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.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. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2004 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. ************************ DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE JUST 65 CENTS ONE OR TWO INQUIRIES CHARGED TO YOUR CREDIT CARD! REAL TIME, UP TO DATE! SPONSORED BY TELECOM DIGEST AND EASY411.COM SIGN UP AT http://www.easy411.com/telecomdigest ! ************************ Visit http://www.mstm.okstate.edu and take the next step in your career with a Master of Science in Telecommunications Management (MSTM) degree from Oklahoma State University (OSU). This 35 credit-hour interdisciplinary program is designed to give you the skills necessary to manage telecommunications networks, including data, video, and voice networks. The MSTM degree draws on the expertise of the OSU's College of Business Administration; the College of Arts and Sciences; and the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology. The program has state-of-the-art lab facilities on the Stillwater and Tulsa campus offering hands-on learning to enhance the program curriculum. Classes are available in Stillwater, Tulsa, or through distance learning. Please contact Jay Boyington for additional information at 405-744-9000, mstm-osu@okstate.edu, or visit the MSTM web site at http://www.mstm.okstate.edu ************************ In addition, gifts from Mike Sandman, Chicago's Telecom Expert have 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 fifty 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. If you donate at least fifty dollars per year we will send you our two-CD set of the entire Telecom Archives; this is every word published in this Digest since our beginning in 1981. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V23 #352 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Tue Jul 27 16:20:44 2004 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p3/8.11.3) id i6RKKiS23314; Tue, 27 Jul 2004 16:20:44 -0400 (EDT) Date: Tue, 27 Jul 2004 16:20:44 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200407272020.i6RKKiS23314@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V23 #353 TELECOM Digest Tue, 27 Jul 2004 16:21:00 EDT Volume 23 : Issue 353 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Avaya Unveils New Wireless IP Telephony Products (Monty Solomon) AT&T Wireless to Provide Wireless Priority Service (Monty Solomon) Cingular Customers Get Wireless E-Mail in New York Minute (M Solomon) Verizon Communications Report 6% Second-Quarter Revenue Growth (Solomon) Motorola's OFDM Field Tests and Research Prove Capability (M Solomon) Motorola Reports Second-Quarter 2004 Financial Results (Monty Solomon) Motorola and Apple Bring iTunes Music Player to Motorola (Monty Solomon) Motorola Makes Seamless Mobility Real (Monty Solomon) Re: Hot-Button Issue (Michael D. Sullivan) Re: 911, Only Simple 911 at Best (charlie3) Re: Area Code Unavailable For Vonage (Frank@Nospam.com) Re: Phone for Noisy Environment (Justin Time) Re: Phone for Noisy Environment (SELLCOM Tech support) Are NorVergence MATRIX Leases to be Voided? (David O. Rodriguez) Re: More on 1970s British Numbering (Paul Coxwell) Re: VOIP-Based IVR Broadcasting?? (bingoo) Will the FCC Let VOIP Flourish? (VOIP News) Will Internet Chat be Forced to Pay the Tax Man? (Jack Decker) Last Laugh! Re: Truth or Fiction? Osama Found Hanged (Linc Madison) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. =========================== Addresses herein are not to be added to any mailing list, nor to be sold or given away without explicit written consent. Chain letters, viruses, porn, spam, and miscellaneous junk are definitely unwelcome. We must fight spam for the same reason we fight crime: not because we are naive enough to believe that we will ever stamp it out, but because we do not want the kind of world that results when no one stands against crime. Geoffrey Welsh =========================== See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 27 Jul 2004 13:33:31 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Avaya Unveils New Wireless IP Telephony Products For Converged Avaya Unveils New Wireless IP Telephony Products For Converged Mobility Throughout - and Beyond - an Enterprise * New Voice-over-Wireless Gateway and Access Points Are Key Components of Converged Mobility Solution Delivering Seamless Communications Across Private WLANs and Public Cellular Networks * New Avaya Converged Mobility Products Drive Increased Security, Reliability and Voice Quality in Enterprise Wireless Communications BASKING RIDGE, N.J., July 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Avaya (NYSE:AV), a leading global provider of business communications software, systems and services, today unveiled new converged mobility products that help extend the key advantages of office communications to employees traveling throughout - and beyond - an enterprise. These products play a critical role in the converged Wi-Fi and cellular solution architecture Avaya is developing with Motorola and Proxim. Avaya's new products seamlessly extend IP telephony - a software-based technology that uses voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) to transmit voice over a data network - to wireless networks. The new products are designed to improve the delivery of IP applications and voice communications for a mobile workforce, driving enhanced productivity, new cost efficiencies and greater security in enterprise wireless communications. The new products -- the Avaya W310 WLAN Gateway and Avaya W110 WLAN Access Points -- incorporate co-developed technologies from Avaya and Proxim. The gateway and access points, along with Avaya's award-winning IP telephony software, Communication Manager, deliver a voice over wireless LAN (VoWLAN) solution that will support the Motorola CN620, a new dual-network Mobile Office Device announced today by Motorola. Avaya has been collaborating with Motorola and Proxim on the creation of an enterprise seamless mobility solution, which supports continuous communications to users across business wireless networks and public cellular networks. This enterprise seamless mobility solution helps organizations boost productivity by enabling employees to use the Motorola dual-network device to conduct wireless conversations that will not fade or drop as they move to various locations throughout a work campus, as well as away from their office building. Users of the enterprise mobility solution will also have seamless access to advanced IP capabilities, such as listening to e-mail, accessing corporate directories and overseeing multi-party teleconferences, as they move across a WLAN and onto public cellular networks. Seamless mobility can also drive greater cost-efficiency for enterprises through device consolidation and centralized management of an organization's WLAN infrastructure. For example, highly mobile employees who switch between office phones, cell phones or other devices for communications can now use one Motorola dual-network device to make VoIP-based calls as they travel within an enterprise or to an outside destination. The Avaya W310 Wireless LAN Gateway and W110 Access Points also let information technology (IT) administrators centrally manage and monitor an enterprise's wireless networking capabilities from one location, resulting in lower labor and administration costs. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=42721747 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Jul 2004 13:37:01 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: AT&T Wireless to Provide Wireless Priority Service Service Helps National Security and Emergency Preparedness Personnel Communicate in Emergencies BASKING RIDGE, N.J., July 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AT&T Wireless announced today that it has signed a contract to provide Wireless Priority Service (WPS), which helps national security officials, emergency responders, and those in critical infrastructure industries communicate during times of emergency. WPS works by giving a limited number of government-authorized wireless phone users priority access to the wireless network. If wireless network capacity is strained during an emergency, the authorized users' emergency calls are the first to go through. In essence, these calls are moved to the "front of the line" so that they may be completed using the next available wireless channel. The National Communications System (NCS) oversees the WPS program. The NCS approves key personnel for WPS in accordance with criteria approved by the Federal Communications Commission. In order to take advantage of WPS, the government-authorized users simply dial *272 before placing a call. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=42719964 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Jul 2004 13:40:40 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Cingular Customers Can Get Wireless E-Mail in a New York Minute Cingular's Xpress Mail(SM) With BlackBerry(R) Goes Retail; Locations in Metro NYC to Feature New Products for Mobile Professionals NEW YORK, July 27 /PRNewswire/ -- The days of spending your daily commute staring out the train window, teeth grinding, worried about the e-mail piling up in your inbox are over. Now, thanks to Cingular Wireless, you can have instant access to your e-mail anytime - and getting the service is as simple as walking into any Cingular store in New York City. To meet demand from small businesses and mobile professionals, Cingular Wireless is now offering in retail stores its flagship wireless e-mail and phone offering, Xpress Mail(SM) with the BlackBerry 6280(TM) and BlackBerry 7280(TM) wireless handhelds. Because BlackBerry handhelds maintain a constant connection to Cingular's wireless network, customers don't have to "dial up" to get their e-mail. Retail locations throughout the metro area will have retail space dedicated to these and other business products. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=42717133 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Jul 2004 13:44:00 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Verizon Communications Reports 6% Second-Quarter Revenue Growth, Verizon Communications Reports 6% Second-Quarter Revenue Growth, Led by Wireless Revenue Growth of 25% Results from Growth Businesses and Continued Strong Operating Margins Produce Quarterly Earnings of $1.8 Billion, or 64 Cents per Diluted Share SECOND-QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS * Total Company: 6.0 percent growth in operating revenues; 64 cents in diluted earnings per share; consolidated operating income margin (operating income divided by operating revenues) of 20.9 percent * Free Cash Flow (non-GAAP, cash from operating activities less capital expenditures and dividends): $1.6 billion in the quarter, up 25.2 percent * Wireless: industry-record 1.5 million total net customer additions, 40.4 million total customers; 25.0 percent growth in total revenues; company-record margins, up 570 basis points; company record-low churn (customer turnover) of 1.45 percent per month * Broadband DSL (digital subscriber lines): 280,000 net additions in the quarter, contributing to 5.7 percent growth in total data revenues; more than 1 million net additions over the past year, for a total of more than 2.9 million lines * Long-Distance: 14.7 percent growth in revenues Notes: Growth percentages cited above compare second-quarter 2004 with second-quarter 2003. See the schedules accompanying this news release and http://www.verizon.com/investor for reconciliations to generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) for the non-GAAP financial measures mentioned in this announcement. NEW YORK, July 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) today reported second-quarter 2004 earnings of $1.8 billion, or 64 cents per diluted share. The results were driven by top-line consolidated revenue growth of 6.0 percent compared with second-quarter 2003 and 25.0 percent revenue growth for Verizon Wireless over the same period. Consolidated operating revenues were $17.8 billion in the second quarter 2004, compared with $16.8 billion in the second quarter 2003. Growth businesses, such as wireless, data and broadband, accounted for 52 percent of Verizon's second-quarter 2004 revenues, compared with 46 percent of the company's second-quarter revenues last year. Wireless total revenues were $6.8 billion in the second quarter 2004, compared with $5.5 billion in the second quarter 2003. This was the eighth consecutive quarter of double-digit, year-over-year wireless revenue increases. Domestic Telecom operating revenues were $9.6 billion in the second quarter 2004, a 2.9 percent decrease compared with the second quarter 2003 and a slight increase compared with the first quarter 2004. Second-quarter results included an increase of 14.7 percent in revenues from all long- distance services, which were $1.0 billion compared with $0.9 billion in the second quarter 2003, and an increase of 5.7 percent in total data revenues, which were $1.9 billion compared with $1.8 billion in the second quarter 2003. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=42714069 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Jul 2004 13:45:03 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Motorola's OFDM Field Tests and Research Prove Capability Motorola's OFDM Field Tests and Research Prove Capability to Achieve 300 Mbps Mobile Broadband Data Rates Pioneers development of Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) solutions for ultra high-speed next generation wireless networks. SCHAUMBURG, Ill., July 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Motorola Inc. (NYSE:MOT), by combining results from field experiments and research conducted by Motorola Labs, has proven existing Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) technology can support high-speed mobile networks with a peak downlink speed of up to 300 Mbps. This research demonstrates that future all-IP mobile networks using OFDM technology have the capability to provide a broadband user experience that was previously thought to be unattainable. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=42711073 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Jul 2004 13:29:01 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Motorola Reports Second-Quarter 2004 Financial Results - Second-quarter 2004 sales of $8.7 billion, up 41 percent compared to second-quarter 2003 sales of $6.2 billion. - Second-quarter 2004 GAAP pre-tax earnings of $800 million, up 614 percent compared to second-quarter 2003 GAAP pre-tax earnings of $112 million. - Second-quarter 2004 GAAP loss of $203 million, or ($.09) per share(1), compared to second-quarter 2003 GAAP earnings of $119 million, or $.05 per share. Second-quarter 2004 GAAP results include: (1) a non- cash tax expense of $898 million, or ($.38) per share, related to the establishment of a deferred tax asset valuation reserve associated with the initial public offering of Freescale Semiconductor, Inc., an entity comprised of the company's semiconductor operations, (2) a tax benefit of $197 million, or $.08 per share, resulting from the reversal of tax reserves due to the settlement of certain tax audit items, and (3) other items described in this release. - Second-quarter 2004 positive operating cash flow of $994 million, allowing the company to complete the quarter with net cash of $1.8 billion, compared to net debt of $41 million at the end of 2003.(2) SCHAUMBURG, Ill., July 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Motorola, Inc. (NYSE:MOT) today reported sales of $8.7 billion in the second quarter of 2004. This is a 41 percent increase from sales of $6.2 billion in the second quarter of 2003. Motorola reported pre-tax earnings of $800 million, presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), up 614 percent compared to second quarter 2003 pre-tax earnings of $112 million. Motorola reported a GAAP net loss of $203 million, or ($.09) per share, in the second quarter of 2004 as second-quarter 2004 results include: (1) a non-cash tax expense of $898 million, or ($.38) per share, related to the establishment of a deferred tax asset valuation reserve associated with the initial public offering of Freescale Semiconductor, Inc., (2) a tax benefit of $197 million, or $.08 per share, resulting from the reversal of tax reserves due to the settlement of certain tax audit items, (3) income of $22 million pre-tax resulting from the reversal of reserves relating to exit and severance costs, income of $21 million pre-tax resulting from the reversal of loan reserves relating to uncollected receivables, and income of $20 million pre-tax resulting from the reversal of reserves relating to the previous sale of a business, totaling $63 million pre-tax, or $.02 cents per share, (4) expense of $41 million pre-tax, or ($.02) per share, for separation costs relating to the company's semiconductor operations, (5) income of $20 million pre-tax, or $.01 per share, relating to the partial recovery of a previously impaired investment, and (6) expense of $15 million pre-tax, or ($.01) per share, relating to in-process research and development costs from an acquisition. Motorola reported GAAP net earnings of $119 million, or $.05 per share, in the second quarter of 2003. As reported in Motorola's second-quarter 2003 earnings release, second-quarter 2003 earnings included income of $100 million after-tax, or $.04 per share, relating to special items. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=42609155 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Jul 2004 13:29:57 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Motorola and Apple Bring iTunes Music Player to Motorola's Motorola and Apple Bring iTunes(R) Music Player to Motorola's Next-Generation Mobile Phones ROSEMONT, Ill., and CUPERTINO, Calif., July 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Motorola, Inc. (NYSE:MOT) and Apple(R) (Nasdaq: AAPL) today announced they are partnering to enable millions of music lovers to transfer their favorite songs from the iTunes(R) jukebox on their Mac(R) or PC, including songs from the iTunes Music Store, to Motorola's next-generation 'always with you' mobile handsets, via a USB or Bluetooth(R) wireless connection. Apple will create a new iTunes mobile music player, which Motorola will make the standard music application on all their mass-market music phones, expected to be available in the first half of next year. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=42709096 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Jul 2004 13:52:53 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Motorola Makes Seamless Mobility Real Company Announces World's First Integrated, Dual-Network Phone, Slimmest Clam, Apple iTunes(TM) Alliance, Home Remote Control, His-and-Hers TV, and Fingerprints-on-Demand - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=42711006 Motorola and Apple Bring iTunes(R) Music Player to Motorola's Next-Generation Mobile Phones - Jul 26, 2004 09:05 PM (PR Newswire) - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=42709096 Motorola A780 Helps Mobile Professionals Gain Significant Edge - Jul 27, 2004 01:10 AM (PR Newswire) - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=42711031 Untether Yourself With the New Motorola MPx220 - Jul 27, 2004 01:10 AM (PR Newswire) - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=42711038 Introducing the Motorola RAZR V3 - Jul 27, 2004 01:10 AM (PR Newswire) - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=42711045 Motorola Announces New V551 -- The Hard-Working Handset With a Playful Edge - Jul 27, 2004 01:10 AM (PR Newswire) - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=42711052 Motorola Takes 3G Technology to the Masses - Jul 27, 2004 01:10 AM (PR Newswire) - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=42711059 Your Phone. Your Mail. Your Plans. Sync it With MOTOSYNC(TM) - Jul 27, 2004 01:10 AM (PR Newswire) - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=42711066 Motorola's OFDM Field Tests and Research Prove Capability to Achieve 300 Mbps Mobile Broadband Data Rates - Jul 27, 2004 01:10 AM (PR Newswire) - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=42711073 Motorola Turns Enterprise Business Communications Inside Out - Jul 27, 2004 01:10 AM (PR Newswire) - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=42711020 Motorola Wins VIVO Award for All Its Near Term Mobile Switching Center (MSC) Deployments in Brazil; Commercial Deployment Already Underway in Londrina - Jul 27, 2004 01:10 AM (PR Newswire) - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=42711021 Media Event Hosted by Chairman and CEO Ed Zander and Presentation by Motorola Executives to be Webcast - Jul 21, 2004 03:04 PM (PR Newswire) - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=42637178 ------------------------------ From: Michael D. Sullivan Subject: Re: Hot-Button Issue Date: Tue, 27 Jul 2004 02:07:46 GMT In article , Frank@Nospam.com says: > Monty Solomon wrote: >> With the FCC issuing fines in record numbers to everyone from Howard >> Stern to Bubba the Love Sponge, the "dump" button, like this one at >> WEEI, has taken on newfound importance because it allows for a >> 10-second delay to censor out naughty words. Never mind %!*$ or #%*@ >> -- even the word "effin' " is off-limits. But is this the government's >> job? > It's *this* government's job, just like all the other facist > governments that have preceded them throughout the world. If the > country (re)elects Bush it will only get worse. The only problem with the latter position is that the biggest advocate on the FCC for fining stations for profanity is Commissioner Copps, a Democrat, rather than the Republicans who respond to Bush. Rumor has it that Copps would be in line for the Chairmanship under Kerrey. Michael D. Sullivan Bethesda, MD, USA Delete nospam from my address and it won't work. ------------------------------ From: charlie@cdsdetroit.com (charlie3) Subject: Re: 911, Only Simple 911 at Best Date: 26 Jul 2004 20:20:53 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com Cell phones have been around for years and have similar problems to VOIP phones; more and more cell phones and VOIP phones are going into use and many will replace traditional copperline phones, regardless of 911 concerns. Public officials will find solutions to 911 calls originating from cell and internet phones. I'm simply no longer willing to pay for a 100 year old POTS phone when I can get five times the functionality and unlimited US minutes for a lower price from Vonage. With a cell phone for backup my internet phone does not have perform exactly like a traditional phone. ------------------------------ From: Frank@Nospam.com Subject: Re: Area Code Unavailable For Vonage Date: Tue, 27 Jul 2004 01:39:28 -0700 Organization: Cox Communications TELECOM Digest Editor noted in response to Frank@Nospam.com: > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Couldn't the carpet installers just > as easily have sliced your telephone line and left you without SBC > service for a couple days? Or consider last Saturday here when a > drunk driver on Second Street crashed his car into a utility pole, > knocked it over completely and left an entire city block on Second > and Walnut Streets without electricity or phone or cable for a > couple hours after police arrived and took the man away with them > in a drunken stupor. Crews from SBC, electric and CableOne > came out and uprighted the pole and re-established their services an > hour or two later. Stuff happens. PAT] No. Telco inside wiring is normally twisted pair well up inside the wall, not along the baseboard. Plus, line charateristics for a POTS line are a lot less critical than signal strength on cable for broadband. Although I still had a working cable outlet providing acceptable television it would not support the cable modem. And, had one convention telco jack gone bad chances are another one (or more) would still be working. As to damage to outside plant like you mention, that was fixed in a few hours. You're right, stuff does happen. But, you're far more apt to have a Vonage go down for local reasons than you are a POTS telco line. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: But if security of local, inside wiring is an important issue, then why not stuff the cable wire in the wall also or at least leave it somewhere besides running across the carpet or tacked on the wall. Basically all one can do is protect the stuff within your own local reach, and hope the outside plant otherwise stays together as it should. For instance, my own cable (television and internet and radio line) comes from the drop to the side of my house, is mounted securely on the outside wall to the base of the house, then goes to the lightning protector and from there to two demarcs; one goes immediatly through a hole drilled for it under a window into the computer room area; the other side of the wire (outside line) goes under the house to the front of the house where it enters through a hole drilled under a window and into the bedroom and another tap: to the bedroom television and the tap goes to the main living room area for the other television set and the radio. The phone does a lot the same: from the demarc on the side of the house to under the house where it splits in various directions to serve the three phone outlets (computer room, bedroom and dining room/kitchen area.) I try to protect all my wiring for the reasons you mention. PAT] ------------------------------ From: a_user2000@yahoo.com (Justin Time) Subject: Re: Phone for Noisy Environment Date: 27 Jul 2004 06:15:54 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com J Kelly wrote in message news:: > On Thu, 22 Jul 2004 17:22:44 -0600, Clark W. Griswold, Jr. > <73115.1041@compuserve.com> wrote: >> J Kelly wrote: >>> Can anyone recommend a GOOD quality phone for use in a noisy >>> environment? Most phones sold today are total pieces of crap. >>> Requirements are a volume control for the earpiece, be able to >>> withstand a reasonable amount of abuse (dropping the handset, etc, not >>> purposely abusing it), works with a POTS line, and hopefully costs >>> less than $50. Don't need speaker phone, memory dialing, etc, but >>> some of that might be nice, as would be noise cancelling. This is >>> used in an area that has a lot of very large fans and motors running >>> making a lot of noise. Even the 'office area' in this facility has a >>> lot of noise and I'm half deaf besides. >> Back in the days of TPC ("The Phone Company"), you could get something >> called a "Confidencer" that was a replacement screw on transmitter for >> standard handsets. It worked very well by reducing the sidetone (ie >> noise) from the area you were in. >> Standard phones and TPC have gone the way of the Dodo bird, so I have >> no idea where you would go now. > Reducing sidetone would be a BIG help. Good phones just do not seem > to exsist anymore. > On Sat, 24 Jul 2004 23:09:27 -0600, Phil Earnhardt > wrote: >> On 22 Jul 2004 12:27:01 -0700, a_user2000@yahoo.com (Justin Time) >> wrote: >>> The best answer for you is a headset. Lots of cabled headsets are >>> available that will work in your price range, but you will probably >>> want one with a noise-cancelling microphone if the noise level is such >>> that can be heard over a normal phone. >> I just noticed that there's a new headset option out there (new to me, >> anyhow). >> The only thing this headset (earset?) doesn't cover is the noise >> you'll pick up from your other ear. > A headset is not the solution I was hoping to find. I do far to much > running around this facility to be able to monkey with putting on and > taking of a headset, I want to grab the phone, hear the message, tell > them what I'm doing, set it down and go about my business. If I need > to walk around to look at some piece of equipment I want to just > quickly set the phone on the desk and do so. 99% of the time I am not > on the phone, so I can't just leave the thing on. > I'm half deaf in one ear, so that helps a little. Well, you used to be able to get PTT - pusb to talk - handsets, but they kind of died out when cheap phones started flooding the market and people wouldn't pay for quality. ------------------------------ From: SELLCOM Tech support Subject: Re: Phone for Noisy Environment Organization: www.sellcom.com Reply-To: support@sellcom.com Date: Tue, 27 Jul 2004 17:15:09 GMT J Kelly posted on that vast internet thingie: > A headset is not the solution I was hoping to find. I do far to much > running around this facility to be able to monkey with putting on and > taking of a headset, I want to grab the phone, hear the message, tell > them what I'm doing, set it down and go about my business. If I need > to walk around to look at some piece of equipment I want to just > quickly set the phone on the desk and do so. 99% of the time I am not > on the phone, so I can't just leave the thing on. It appears that your enemy here might be physics. (I am trying to be helpful here so please don't misunderstand.) If the vibration and sound pressure is so high tht you can't use a phone then you might want to consider what that sound pressure is doing to your ears. The only thing that I can think of would be a head set designed for such an environment which would also have the advantage of hearing protection. Steve at SELLCOM http://www.sellcom.com Discount multihandset cordless phones by Siemens, AT&T, Panasonic, Motorola Vtech 5.8Ghz; TMC ET4000 4line Epic phone, OnHoldPlus, Beamer, Watchguard! Brick wall "non MOV" surge protection. Mini-Splitter log splitter! If you sit at a desk www.ergochair.biz you owe it to yourself. ------------------------------ From: David O. Rodriguez Date: Tue, 27 Jul 2004 11:02:37 -0500 Subject: Are NorVergence MATRIX Leases to be Voided? Pat, I read a post on ripoffreport.com that states that a judge may void all of the leases for NorVergence's MATRIX boxes. I am trying to confirm this. Hopefully someone has information and will reply. David [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: But in the interim, while waiting for the court to void all the paper, (effectively forcing the bank/lender/ loan-leasing companies who prepaid Vonage for some period of time to get in line with the Bankrupty creditor's commitee) be certain to **freeze all accounts payable to Norvergence until advised otherwise by your attorney or a judge. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Paul Coxwell Subject: Re: More on 1970s British Numbering Date: Tue, 27 Jul 2004 14:34:47 +0100 > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: My thanks to Paul Coxwell for this very > interesting and comprehensive report on 1970's British dialing. This > report will be filed in our archives in the history section, for > further rereference as needed. PAT] Pat, Glad you found this interesting enough to archive. This being the case, perhaps I should add a couple of other points which I didn't mention in my first post. An arrangement known as the "Linked Numbering Scheme" was also very common by the 1970s. This was a system where two or more exchanges which had separate local numbering in the past were combined into a kind of shared numbering space. This was often done as numbers had digits added to make them up to 5 or 6 digits in length. A subscriber on any of the linked exchanges could then dial any of the others with just the listed number. This had the advantage of eliminating local routing codes for a lot of calls, but made calls within one's own office longer as the full number had to be dialed. It was very common with neighboring small-to-medium sized towns, then spread to include the linking of village UAX offices into the nearby town's numbering range. I'll continue with the Truro area as an example. I've already mentioned that there were several small village UAXs served from Truro, each with a 5x routing code and 3-digit local numbers, and each having access to Truro trunks by dialing 9. One such exchange had been Three Waters, located about 5 miles from Truro itself, with the local routing 56 and the usual 3-digit UAX numbering. The shop my parents ran still had rubber stamps and other items which showed the old exchange and number: Three Waters 305. By the time we moved there in 1980, however, Three Waters had already been changed into a linked scheme with Truro. All numbers had been changed to 6 digits, 560xxx, and the official exchange and number was then Truro 560305. As far as dialing was concerned, calls from the Three Waters office were then placed exactly as if dialing from Truro itself, i.e. you called Truro as just the 4, 5, or 6-digit number, no 9 first. This amalgamation of numbers would continue in the years that followed. I used Zelah as an example before, when in 1980 it was still a UAX with 3-digit local numbers, reached from Truro with the local routing code 54. If you look at that area today, you'll see that Zelah numbers are listed as (01872) 54xxxx. As I mentioned, quite often neigboring towns would also use a linked numbering scheme. A few miles west of Truro, for example, are two almost-combined towns of Redruth and Camborne. By 1980 they were also using a linked numbering scheme with, as I recall, 7xxxx numbers being Camborne and 2xxxx being Redruth. (I think there were mixed 5- and 6-digit numbers at that time, and I believe Redruth might have had 3xxxx and/or 4xxxx numbers as well, but it's been a few years!). Redruth/Camborne also shared an STD code: 209 (or 0209 as it was always printed here). Note that in some cases a small office "swallowed up" by a larger one took the parent name, as in the case of Three Waters which became part of the Truro numbering range. But, many small exchange names continued after their inclusion into a linked scheme. The village of St. Day, for example, had previously been a dependent of Redruth. In typical UAX fashion, it had had 3-digit local numbers, reached its parent exchange by dialing 9, and Redruth subscribers called St. Day with a local routing code: 82. Callers from elsewhere in the country would have been told to call St. Day as (0209-82) plus the 3-digit number. But by 1980 this had also been added to the Redruth/Camborne linked numbering scheme, numbers in the village then being listed as St. Day 820xxx. That meant that calls within the village then had to be dialed as 6-digits, but they could call Redruth and Camborne with just the 2xxxx or 7xxxx number and no 9 first. Quite what criteria were used to determine whether an exchange linked in this way kept its name or adopted the name of the larger town, I don't know. Both Three Waters and St. Day exchanges served rural villages, yet Three Waters was converted to Truro 560xxx while St. Day was still listed as St. Day 820xxx, not Redruth 820xxx. If anyone has any ideas on what determined the choice of whether to rename or not, I'd be very interested. The fact that the required local routing codes varied depending upon which exchange one was calling from resulted in the GPO issuing separate dialing code booklets to all subscribers, different editions of the book for each location. There was generally a page which would show all the local routings needed. For example, the Truro booklet would tell subscribers to dial 92 plus the number to call St.Day, whereas the Redruth booklet would say something like "St. Day ... Dial number only." As well as the local routings, the booklets at this point in time also indicated which STD areas were callable at the reduced long-distance rate. By the late 1970s, there were just three basic charge rates. Anything outside the local calling area up to about 35 miles distant was STD "a" rate. Beyond the 35-mile limit, calls were charged at "b" rate, no matter whether calling 40 miles or to other end of the country. So the dialing code booklet for a given exchange would also list which STD codes were located in the "a" zone, and then point out that calls to all other STD codes would be charged at the "b" rate. (Note that anything dialed via the local routing codes would automatically be a local call, although of course in the U.K. in the 1978/79 period local calls were already charged and timed!) Although I touched briefly on the concept of dependent exchanges and the group switching centers, there were in fact many other designations used, and also some minor exchanges which were somewhat in between in terms of hierarchy (but which still largely depended upon the GSC to handle STD calls). The development of STD and the trunk transit network in Britain is quite a complex subject. There's some more information on it at the excellent Light Straw website for anyone who's interested, starting at this page: http://www.lightstraw.co.uk/ate/main/inland/index.html One final note with regard to the dialing of calls in the 1970s. DTMF, or "TouchTone" dialing did not yet exist in Britain. The GPO had in fact had push-button phones available for some years, but all they did was store the digits and dial-pulse them out. The buttons on those early GPO phones were also very large and took a hefty stab to push. DTMF dialing was not to appear until the 1980s, after the privatization of the network and the coming of BT in place of GPO Telephones. Regards, Paul Coxwell [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Thanks very much for this additional report on 1970's dialing in the UK. It will be filed as an archives update along with your first report. PAT] ------------------------------ From: box11@udyog.com (bingoo) Subject: Re: VOIP-Based IVR Broadcasting?? Date: 27 Jul 2004 10:47:00 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com Thanks, Steven, for the suggestion. If we use Asterisk, which VOIP gateway does it use? --B11 Steven J Sobol wrote in message news:: > bingoo wrote: >> We are currently using an IVR application to dial numbers and play a >> recorded message thru a dial-up telephone line. >> We are looking for a VoIP solution by which our PC/software (connected >> to DSL/T1 line) could dial a telephone number through a VoIP gateway >> and, when connected, play the recorded message. > Asterisk can do this. I'd use Asterisk, but there are probably a number > of other IP-based PBXen that can do it just as easily. > JustThe.net Internet & New Media Services, http://JustThe.net/ > Steven J. Sobol, Geek In Charge / 888.480.4NET (4638)/sjsobol@JustThe.net > PGP Key available from your friendly local key server (0xE3AE35ED) > Apple Valley, California Nothing scares me anymore. I have three kids. ------------------------------ From: VOIP News Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2004 23:48:28 -0400 Subject: Will the FCC Let VOIP Flourish? Reply-To: VoIPnews@yahoogroups.com http://www.techcentralstation.com/072704D.html By Kevin Werbach The 1996 Telecommunications Act was hailed as a dramatic update to the musty sixty-year Communications Act. With the worlds of communications and computing rapidly converging through a great digital migration, the World Wide Web taking off, and new technologies promising to transform the very meaning of telecom, such a rewrite was certainly necessary. It's hard not to conclude that the 1996 Act as been a failure. New technologies such as VOIP are indeed poised to revolutionize communications. The promised local phone competition, however, has largely failed to materialize. The central thrust of the 1996 Act was to complete the 1984 breakup of the old monopoly AT&T, opening up local markets to competition while freeing the Baby Bell incumbents to compete in other markets such as long-distance and video. Eight years in, the industry is still fighting in courts over regulatory arcana, with no end in sight. Local competition, such as it is, has developed largely on the basis of the unbundled network element platform (UNE-P) rules adopted by the FCC and state regulators. Thanks to a series of court and FCC decisions, however, UNE-P may well disappear by the end of this year. Where did the authors of the 1996 Act go wrong? Contrary to the line the Bells are promoting, the flaw in the Act wasn't its requirement that incumbents open their networks. Simply eliminating rules designed to address market power, without addressing the reality of that market power, produces nothing more than unregulated monopolies. That was true in 1996, and it's true today. Full story at: http://www.techcentralstation.com/072704D.html How to Distribute VoIP Throughout a Home: http://michigantelephone.mi.org/distribute.html If you live in Michigan, subscribe to the MI-Telecom group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MI-Telecom/ ------------------------------ From: VOIP News Date: Tue, 27 Jul 2004 13:19:51 -0400 Subject: Will Internet Chat be Forced to Pay the Tax Man? Reply-To: VoIPnews@yahoogroups.com http://comment.silicon.com/0,39024711,39122623,00.htm by Declan McCullagh If the US Congress has its way, yes ... New US legislation would require businesses to pay taxes for offering internet chat and collaboration -- even if they're located outside the US. CNET News.com's Declan McCullagh asks: Does the government have any right to do this? Tiago Bittencourt Silva started an ambitious programming project last month: an open-source utility that lets small groups of internet users communicate through instant messages, video links and audio chat. Silva's project, called p2pCommunity, is designed to appeal to groups of 2 to 100 people who want to collaborate on writing papers or designing software applications. He's already made a pre-alpha release available at no cost on the SourceForge distribution site. Thanks to a bizarre move by the US Congress last week, p2pCommunity and hundreds of similar projects could end up paying taxes to state governments to prop up the antediluvian scheme of running copper wires to rural households for analog phone service. Existing law imposes those taxes on cellular and landline customers to subsidize rural customers, and state officials are hungrily eyeing the internet as a rich additional source of untapped revenue. "Open-source software like mine can't pay any taxes, so the audio chat features of the program may need to be taken off of the program, or the users will need to pay the tax to use it," Silva says. It's not clear why programmers like Silva and companies offering commercial voice software must subsidize rural telephone companies. By that logic, Congress should have forced Henry Ford to pay for horse troughs. It should have also extorted cash from laser printer manufacturers on behalf of the dying manual-typewriter industry. Full story at: http://comment.silicon.com/0,39024711,39122623,00.htm ------------------------------ Subject: Last Laugh! Re: Truth or Fiction? Osama Found Hanged Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2004 23:31:38 -0700 From: Linc Madison Reply-To: lincmad@suespammers.org Organization: California resident; nospam; no unsolicited e-mail allowed In article , Linc Madison wrote: > In article , > wrote: >> Osama Bin Ladin was found hanged ... >> http:// ... /OsamaFoundDead.zip > I haven't checked the file myself, but a report in uk.telecom > indicates that the file contains the "HackArmy" (a.k.a. "HacArmy") > virus. > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I wonder, Linc ... If I were to start > a message going around on the net saying that Mr. Hitler was in fact > alive in Brazil ..., how many viruses do you suppose I could foist > off? I wouldn't dare sign my name to it; everyone knows I am a > cracked pot. Could I use your name for the message, Linc? PAT] Hitler is working at a 7-11 in upstate Michigan; he trades shifts with Elvis. In any case, it has now been revealed that the body found hanged was incorrectly identified. It was *NOT* Osama bin Laden. It was actually California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, confirmed by the suicide note found alongside the body. It must be true -- I found it on Usenet, pointing to the same servers that hosted the earlier incorrectly identified photos. Just remember: everything you read on the Internet must be true, or else it wouldn't be there. Linc Madison * San Francisco, California * lincmad@suespammers.org * primary e-mail: Telecom at LincMad dot com All U.S. and California anti-spam laws apply, incl. CA BPC 17538.45(c) This text constitutes actual notice as required in BPC 17538.45(f)(3). DO NOT SEND UNSOLICITED E-MAIL TO THIS ADDRESS. You have been warned. ------------------------------ 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, Yahoo Groups, 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: 620-402-0134 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 530-309-7234 Fax 3: 208-692-5145 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@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 oldest e-zine/mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.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. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2004 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. ************************ DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE JUST 65 CENTS ONE OR TWO INQUIRIES CHARGED TO YOUR CREDIT CARD! REAL TIME, UP TO DATE! SPONSORED BY TELECOM DIGEST AND EASY411.COM SIGN UP AT http://www.easy411.com/telecomdigest ! ************************ Visit http://www.mstm.okstate.edu and take the next step in your career with a Master of Science in Telecommunications Management (MSTM) degree from Oklahoma State University (OSU). This 35 credit-hour interdisciplinary program is designed to give you the skills necessary to manage telecommunications networks, including data, video, and voice networks. The MSTM degree draws on the expertise of the OSU's College of Business Administration; the College of Arts and Sciences; and the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology. The program has state-of-the-art lab facilities on the Stillwater and Tulsa campus offering hands-on learning to enhance the program curriculum. Classes are available in Stillwater, Tulsa, or through distance learning. Please contact Jay Boyington for additional information at 405-744-9000, mstm-osu@okstate.edu, or visit the MSTM web site at http://www.mstm.okstate.edu ************************ In addition, gifts from Mike Sandman, Chicago's Telecom Expert have 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 fifty 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. If you donate at least fifty dollars per year we will send you our two-CD set of the entire Telecom Archives; this is every word published in this Digest since our beginning in 1981. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V23 #353 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Wed Jul 28 13:15:11 2004 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p3/8.11.3) id i6SHFA104327; Wed, 28 Jul 2004 13:15:11 -0400 (EDT) Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2004 13:15:11 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200407281715.i6SHFA104327@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V23 #354 TELECOM Digest Wed, 28 Jul 2004 13:13:00 EDT Volume 23 : Issue 354 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Avaya Reports Increased Revenues, Operating Income (Monty Solomon) Akamai Reports Record Revenue and Profits (Monty Solomon) Comcast Adds New 4Mbps ('4Meg') Speed Option to High-Speed (M Solomon) Telefonica Reports Solid Growth of 5.6% in Operating Revenues (Solomon) Comcast Reports Second Quarter 2004 Results (Monty Solomon) Wi-Fi Service Expands Its Reach (Monty Solomon) PluggedIn: Back-to-School Gadget Prices Take a Fall (Monty Solomon) Re: Will the FCC Let VOIP Flourish? (John McHarry) Cell Phones Using Wi-Fi; How Will Hotspots Cope? (Phil Earnhardt) Telecommunications: Blogs, Bloggers, and Blogging (Day Bird Loft) Any Good, Simple Home Phone Systems? (John) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. =========================== Addresses herein are not to be added to any mailing list, nor to be sold or given away without explicit written consent. Chain letters, viruses, porn, spam, and miscellaneous junk are definitely unwelcome. We must fight spam for the same reason we fight crime: not because we are naive enough to believe that we will ever stamp it out, but because we do not want the kind of world that results when no one stands against crime. Geoffrey Welsh =========================== See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2004 11:41:50 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Avaya Reports Increased Revenues, Operating Income and Cash Flow Avaya Reports Increased Revenues, Operating Income and Operating Cash Flow From Continuing Operations in Third Fiscal Quarter Of 2004 -Revenues Increased Nine Percent Year-Over-Year to $1.016 Billion -Operating Income and Cash Flow Show Strong Improvements BASKING RIDGE, N. J., July 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Avaya Inc., (NYSE:AV) a leading global provider of business communications software, systems and services, reported income from continuing operations of $58 million or earnings of 12 cents per diluted share in the third fiscal quarter. Included in the 12 cents was a four cents per diluted share charge for the repurchase of senior secured notes in the third fiscal quarter. The company reported its sixth straight year-over-year increase in quarterly operating income, an increase driven by profitable results from all three business segments. In the same quarter last year, the company said it reported a loss from continuing operations of $3 million or a loss of one cent per diluted share. Included in those results was a three cent per diluted share gain from the extinguishment of debt and a gain on an asset sale. Third fiscal quarter 2004 revenues increased nine percent to $1.016 billion compared to $929 million in the same period last year. The company noted higher revenues and gross margin, coupled with lower selling general and administrative (SG&A) expenses contributed to a 53 percent sequential increase to $92 million in operating income, bringing operating margin to nine percent of sales. This is up from break even operating income a year ago. Operating cash flow from continuing operations in the quarter was $215 million. Gross margin increased year-over-year to 48 percent from 43 percent, and SG&A expenses were 30 percent of sales, down two percentage points from the second fiscal quarter of 2004. The company said including results from discontinued operations, net income for the third fiscal quarter of 2004 was $61 million or 13 cents per diluted share compared to net income of $8 million or two cents per diluted share in the third fiscal quarter of 2003. Avaya said discontinued operations includes its former Connectivity Solutions segment, substantially all of which had been completely divested as of June 30, 2004, and the segments of the Expanets business it had divested. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=42730487 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2004 11:42:36 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Akamai Reports Record Revenue and Profits CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 27, 2004-- -- Revenue of $50.8 million, up 5 percent over previous quarter and up 35 percent year-over-year -- GAAP net income more than doubles over previous quarter to $6.8 million, or $0.06 per share -- Normalized net income(a) of $10.4 million, or $0.08 per share, an increase of 89 percent over previous quarter Akamai Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:AKAM), the global leader of distributed computing solutions and services, today reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2004. Revenue for the second quarter 2004 was $50.8 million, a 5 percent increase over first quarter 2004 revenue of $48.4 million, and a 35 percent increase over second quarter 2003 revenue of $37.8 million. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=42730338 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2004 11:49:04 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Comcast Adds New 4Mbps (`4Meg') Speed Option to High-Speed Comcast Adds New 4Mbps ('4Meg') Speed Option to High-Speed Internet Service Offering Comcast Also Increasing e-mail Storage to 1.7GB PHILADELPHIA, July 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Comcast brings speed to the market. Today the company officially announced a 4Mbps speed tier as a new option for its High-Speed Internet service. This announcement comes within a year of Comcast doubling customer downstream speed to 3Mbps, at no additional cost - and establishing an industry benchmark. Comcast High-Speed Internet customers now can choose between two high- speed options: 4Mbps and 3Mbps. Combined with Comcast's world-class content and built-for-broadband applications, these two speed tiers empower users to enjoy the broadband experience that is best for them and their families. The new 4Mbps option is particularly ideal for households engaged in numerous high-speed-enabled activities, such as: streaming audio; multi-player and online gaming; large file downloads; and networking. Upon selecting their speed, customers can then choose between standard High-Speed Internet service (one connection) or Comcast Home Networking (up to five devices), now available on both speed tiers, at no additional monthly service cost. The 3Mbps and 4Mbps services are available for $42.95 and $52.95* per month, respectively, for current cable television customers. [Prices may vary slightly by market.] The new '4Meg' (4Mbps) speed tier will be available to all Comcast High- Speed Internet customers by September, when it is expected to be rolled out system-wide. Comcast 4Meg is already available in a number of Comcast markets, including: Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=42725945 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2004 12:21:25 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Telefonica Reports Solid Growth of 5.6% in Operating Revenues Telefonica Reports Solid Growth of 5.6% in Operating Revenues and 6.9% in EBITDA * The annual impact of the Headcount Reduction Programme, which the company has charged in full to 1H accounts, leaves net profit at 1,254.2 million euros (-12%). Stripping out this effect, net profit growth would reach 15.9%. * The company boosts its profitability in 1H 2004 with an EBITDA margin of 44.5% * Growth of operating revenues (+5.6%) to 14,324,5 million euros and EBITDA (+6.9%) to 6,367.3 million euros reflects the steady expansion of Group operations. On a comparable basis excluding fx and changes in the consolidation perimeter, revenues would have risen by 9.4% and EBITDA by 8.2%. * Free cash flow generation (EBITDA-CapEx) amounts to 5,016.9 million euros year to date, a 13.4% increase on the same period in 2003. * First-half operating profit was 3,421 million euros, 21.4% more than in the year-ago period. * Telefonica enlarged its worldwide customer base by 12.6% to 103.8 million. Of this total, 55.8 million are cell phone clients. * ADSL connections surged to 3.7 million from 1.9 million in June last year. Two million lines are now operative in Spain and more than 1 million in Latin America. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=42740704 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2004 12:23:12 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Comcast Reports Second Quarter 2004 Results Cable Revenue Increased 10.4% to $4.839 Billion Cable Operating Cash Flow Increased 20.1% to $1.920 Billion 2004 Guidance for Cable Operating Cash Flow Increased to Approximately $7.5 Billion or 18% Growth Consolidated Operating Income Doubled to $852 Million $750 Million of Stock Repurchased Stock Repurchase Program Increased by $1 Billion PHILADELPHIA, July 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) today reported results for the quarter ended June 30, 2004. Comcast will discuss second quarter results on a conference call and webcast today at 8:30 AM Eastern Time. A live broadcast of the conference call will be available on the investor relations website at http://www.cmcsa.com and http://www.cmcsk.com . - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=42742776 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Jul 2004 17:12:18 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Wi-Fi Service Expands Its Reach BUSINESS TRAVEL By JANE L. LEVERE Wi-Fi is finally rolling into America's airports. In the last couple of years, Wi-Fi, or high-speed wireless Internet access, has invaded Starbucks stores and McDonald's restaurants as well as Marriott and Wyndham hotels. But it has been hard to find in airports, the one place that business travelers are most likely to have time on their hands. That is partly because so many potential users - not only the throngs of passengers passing through airports, but also airlines and tenants like retailers and restaurants - have had to jockey for access to wireless networks. http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/27/business/27wifi.html ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Jul 2004 14:48:06 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: PluggedIn: Back-to-School Gadget Prices Take a Fall By Caroline Humer NEW YORK, July 27 (Reuters) - Students hoping to fill their backpacks with notebook-sized computers, portable DVD players, digital personal assistants and other gadgets are getting a pleasant surprise. Many of these popular items are now more affordable. Back-to-school sales and promotions kick off the consumer electronics buying season, which runs through the December holidays, and go a long way toward livening up the otherwise-slow summer period. Because many popular electronics products have been around for a few years, their prices are dropping and their quality is improving, making them both more attractive and more affordable for students, analysts said. Overall prices for hot consumer electronics gadgets like handheld digital assistants, digital music players and keychain-sized flash data storage devices have declined 5 percent to 10 percent from a year ago, said Stephen Baker, director of industry analysis for market research firm NPD Group. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=42725850 ------------------------------ From: John McHarry Subject: Re: Will the FCC Let VOIP Flourish? Date: Tue, 27 Jul 2004 23:22:51 GMT Organization: EarthLink Inc. -- http://www.EarthLink.net VOIP News wrote: > Where did the authors of the 1996 Act go wrong? Contrary to the line > the Bells are promoting, the flaw in the Act wasn't its requirement > that incumbents open their networks. Simply eliminating rules designed > to address market power, without addressing the reality of that market > power, produces nothing more than unregulated monopolies. That was > true in 1996, and it's true today. I don't think that was a flaw. I think it was the intent. The Bells spent a lot of money to get that law written the way it was, and the IXCs spent enough themselves that the Congress could not plausibly plead unintended consequences. ------------------------------ From: Phil Earnhardt Subject: Cell Phones Using Wi-Fi; How Will Hotspots Cope? Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2004 08:20:46 -0600 Organization: Kaos OnLine Coalition Yesterday, Motorola announced a GSM phone that also works with Wi-Fi. From the 7/27 Wall Street Journal: > Motorola Inc. yesterday unveiled a phone that combines cellular > and wireless Internet-calling capabilities. The device, called the > CN620, which could be the first mobile phone that combines > wide-area GSM cellular technology with shorter-range technology > known as Wi-Fi, or wireless fidelity, could open the floodgates for > users to steal away significant minutes from cellular networks > and place free calls over the Internet. I was talking with the owner of a local cafe that provides Wi-Fi for its customers about this yesterday. I was wondering how these little shops would cope with such phones when they start to become widely available. Will they have to buy new base stations that will disable their network for such devices? Start limiting bandwidth to each MAC address? Do any reasonably-cheap base stations provide such capabilites today? --phil ------------------------------ From: loft@pigeons.ws (Day Bird Loft) Subject: Telecommunications: Blogs, Bloggers, and Blogging Date: 28 Jul 2004 07:34:16 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com Telecommunications: Blogs, Bloggers, and Blogging From newspapers to television shows, from small business to the world's largest corporations, and from religion to politics, everyone is riding the blog power sphere. WASHINGTON DC (IPR Wire) 28 July 2004 --- With the coming of age in blogging, people can demonstrate strength in numbers. With the power of blogs it is apparent that it's time for personal knowledge to be recorded and published. In the past five years, blogs have gone from the backroom to the boardroom. More recently during the previous six months, blogs have begun to dominate the information highway. Lately, blogs have become the mainstay of grassroots' politics. However, on the subject of blogging, one might ask "What about business applications?" According to Hans Schnauber, Internet Web Guru, "Blogs are the future of online business . . . they are a structure of communication that will change the way people come together." Mr. Schnauber stated "With news articles in the press appearing hourly on the subject of blogs, it is time for everyone to join the power of blogging, the power of numbers, the power of the people. Blogs can revolutionize the web and blogging presents an opportunity for social networking in topics where knowledge and innovation play an important role." After discovering in 2001 that hyphens work great for blog technology, Mr. Schnauber waited patiently and then began registering more than six thousand blogs on Blogger (Google's free service) and as a result has created the world's largest mega-blog. The mega-blog guarantees that everybody will be treated equally and without favoritism. It is a proven formula that assures every person a voice in the future. As an 1998 ISOC nominee, he has centered the focal point of the mega-blog on subjects that span business, education, and politics. With Google's free Blogger and Feedburner service, it is time for everyone to register their own blog and connect to friends, family, and familiar faces. Business blogs include: http://auto-dealers.blogspot.com, http://corporate-law.blogspot.com, and http://newspaper-publishers.blogspot.com Educational blogs include: http://business-schools.blogspot.com, http://law-schools.blogspot.com, and http://state-university.blogspot.com Political blogs include: http://democratic-party.blogspot.com, http://republican-party.blogspot.com, and http://election-coverage.blogspot.com Mr. Schnauber will reveal his plans for the global mega-blog in the upcoming Fall of 2004. Many will remember this cunning individual as the driving force in the domain name craze utilizing hyphenated domains and registering thousands of names at a price of $100 per domain. Telecommunications: Blogs, Bloggers, and Blogging see: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2004/7/prweb144837.htm Technology Editor / IPR Wire http://iprwire.net ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2004 16:59:40 GMT From: John Subject: Any Good Simple Home Phone Systems? Reply-to: dejolaNOSPAM@optonline.net Organization: Optimum Online I'd like to learn about any good and simple telephone systems for my home. Looking for one that is user-friendly and that won't require a service call for every little problem. Looking for a system up to maybe 3 x 10. Thanks. ------------------------------ 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, Yahoo Groups, 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: 620-402-0134 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 530-309-7234 Fax 3: 208-692-5145 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@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 oldest e-zine/mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.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. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2004 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. ************************ DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE JUST 65 CENTS ONE OR TWO INQUIRIES CHARGED TO YOUR CREDIT CARD! REAL TIME, UP TO DATE! SPONSORED BY TELECOM DIGEST AND EASY411.COM SIGN UP AT http://www.easy411.com/telecomdigest ! ************************ Visit http://www.mstm.okstate.edu and take the next step in your career with a Master of Science in Telecommunications Management (MSTM) degree from Oklahoma State University (OSU). This 35 credit-hour interdisciplinary program is designed to give you the skills necessary to manage telecommunications networks, including data, video, and voice networks. The MSTM degree draws on the expertise of the OSU's College of Business Administration; the College of Arts and Sciences; and the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology. The program has state-of-the-art lab facilities on the Stillwater and Tulsa campus offering hands-on learning to enhance the program curriculum. Classes are available in Stillwater, Tulsa, or through distance learning. Please contact Jay Boyington for additional information at 405-744-9000, mstm-osu@okstate.edu, or visit the MSTM web site at http://www.mstm.okstate.edu ************************ In addition, gifts from Mike Sandman, Chicago's Telecom Expert have 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 fifty 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. If you donate at least fifty dollars per year we will send you our two-CD set of the entire Telecom Archives; this is every word published in this Digest since our beginning in 1981. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V23 #354 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Thu Jul 29 02:28:34 2004 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p3/8.11.3) id i6T6SYV09793; Thu, 29 Jul 2004 02:28:34 -0400 (EDT) Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2004 02:28:34 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200407290628.i6T6SYV09793@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V23 #355 TELECOM Digest Thu, 29 Jul 2004 02:27:00 EDT Volume 23 : Issue 355 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson PayPal Notice: Pendency of Class Action; Proposed Settlement (M Solomon) Dial 411 for a Category Search (Monty Solomon) Bare-Bones DNC Coverage Draws Lower Ratings (Monty Solomon) Inside Wiring (was Area Code Unavailable For Vonage) (Neal McLain) How Does Vonage Sound (Ed Abbott) Samsung DS616? (John) Re: 911, Only Simple 911 at Best (Mike Donnelly) Re: Any Good Simple Home Phone Systems? (SELLCOM Tech support) Re: Cell Phones Using Wi-Fi; How Will Hotspots Cope? (John Levine) Re: Virtual PBX Competitors (Paul the phone guy) Calling a Stolen Cell Phone (Carl Moore) Special Request For Berrien County, Michigan Residents Only (Scrapper-D) Last Laugh! Interesting Origins (Lisa Minter) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. =========================== Addresses herein are not to be added to any mailing list, nor to be sold or given away without explicit written consent. Chain letters, viruses, porn, spam, and miscellaneous junk are definitely unwelcome. We must fight spam for the same reason we fight crime: not because we are naive enough to believe that we will ever stamp it out, but because we do not want the kind of world that results when no one stands against crime. Geoffrey Welsh =========================== See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2004 16:39:43 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: PayPal Notice of Pendency of Class Action and Proposed Settlement https://www.paypal.com/settlement/ http://www.settlement4onlinepayments.com/ Welcome to the In re PayPal Litigation Settlement Website You have reached the website of the claims administrator for the class action settlement in In re PayPal Litigation, Case No. 02 1227 JF PVT, pending in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California in San Jose. On July 12, 2004 the Court preliminarily approved the proposed settlement and directed that class members be given notice of the settlement. Copies of the settlement documents, as well as a list of Frequently Asked Questions and Answers, are available through the navigation bar on the left side of this page. Claims for settlement payments must be submitted through this website. Please review the Notice of Pendency of Class Action and Proposed Settlement to determine which Claim Form you should submit, then click on the appropriate link on the left side of this page. Please note that online claim forms must be completed by October 23, 2004 in order to qualify for payment. http://www.settlement4onlinepayments.com/ FAQ http://www.settlement4onlinepayments.com/faq.php3 [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I strongly recommend everyone with a PayPal account review this class action settlement file. You might very well wind up with **fifty dollars** credited to your Paypal account, if you get to that site and can make certain statements about your dealings with PalPal or PayPal Debit/Credit cards, etc. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2004 16:16:53 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Dial 411 for a Category Search Need a Florist in Freehold or Fort Worth? Dial 411 for a Category Search No Need to Ask for a Specific Listing; Operators Will Offer Choices Based on the Business Category and Locality NEWARK, N.J., July 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Customers in New Jersey can now dial Verizon's Local and National 411 and ask for a bookstore in Morristown or a caterer in Cincinnati, without a specific name or street address, using Verizon's Business Category Search service. With the new service, customers can ask for a type of business in a locality or city, and the Verizon operator will offer three choices randomly selected from telephone listings for the area. For $1.25 per request, customers can get the number and street address for any one or all three choices. Non-published numbers will not be provided via this service. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=42752562 ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2004 00:41:50 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Bare-Bones DNC Coverage Draws Lower Ratings By Steve Gorman LOS ANGELES, July 28 (Reuters) - Fewer Americans are tuning into the Democratic National Convention than did four years ago as the major broadcast networks treat the event as hardly worth watching, according to ratings issued on Wednesday. But gavel-to-gavel coverage offered by CNN, the Fox News Channel and MSNBC is drawing bigger audiences than in 2000, a sign that broadcasters are losing politically minded viewers to the cable news outlets. Critics say that's no surprise given that ABC, CBS and NBC are limiting coverage of the Democratic and Republican conventions to just three hours a night for three nights -- and skipping one evening of the event altogether. At the same time, the journalists themselves continually convey the message that conventions have evolved into little more than political advertisements and that viewers are better off watching "Fear Factor," "Big Brother" or summer reruns. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=42765577 [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I remember very well the 1952 conventions, which were the first ones to be on television. We had four TV channels in those days in Chicago (2-5-7-9) or maybe it was 4-5-7-9, I don't remember, but in any event they had total coverage on all four channels afternoon and evening sessions each of the four days of the convention. There was nothing else to watch even if you had wanted to. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2004 14:11:28 -0500 From: Neal McLain Subject: Inside wiring (was Area Code Unavailable For Vonage) Frank@Nospam.com wrote: > Just last week carpet installers cut my cable service, so I was > out of Vonage for two days. I tired plugging everything into my > remaining cable outlet that was still working but the signal > wasn't sufficient there for the cable modem. With DSL you're a > little better off, but still dependent upon household electrical > power being up and running. Then PAT wrote: > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Couldn't the carpet installers > just as easily have sliced your telephone line and left you > without SBC [DSL] service for a couple days? ... And Frank@Nospam.com responded: > No. Telco inside wiring is normally twisted pair well up inside > the wall, not along the baseboard. Not necessarily: it depends on the age of the building. In the early years of the 20th century, few buildings were prewired for any kind of electrical service. Wiring in these buildings was almost always installed after construction was completed, often surface-mounted. Sometime around 1910 or 1920, builders began prewiring new residential and commercial buildings with hidden electric power and telephone wiring (a hallmark of the arts-and-crafts bungalow was a wood-framed telephone alcove in the hall, complete with a 42A block discretely placed nearby). This pattern continued through WWII, and well into the postwar home-construction boom of the 50s and 60s. By the late 60s, cable television was gaining popularity. In existing buildings, cable wiring was often surface-mounted, either on the outside of the building or internally, in basements and attics, along baseboards, or under carpets. Cable television companies began offering prewire service for new construction. At the outset, most cable companies did the prewiring work themselves because the traditional electrical contractors of the day simply couldn't understand why cable companies insisted on such things as 75-ohm coax, 100% shielding, and home-run wiring. But as time passed, electrical contractors learned the requirements for coax wiring, and eventually took over the job of prewiring new buildings. Today, virtually all new residential buildings, and most new commercial buildings, are prewired for coax during initial construction, often by the same contractors that install power and telephone wiring. Note the shift in terminology in the previous paragraph: coax wiring inside buildings is no longer "cable TV" wiring. It's all generic coax, available for use by any video provider: cable TV company, "private cable" company, OVS operator, MMDS operator, backyard-dish installer, or DBS installer. Even if a cable TV company originally installed it, competitive video providers now have the right to use it. . So it's not necessarily true that coax wiring is normally exposed, while telco wiring is hidden inside walls. It all depends on the age of the building. Footnote: many college towns have "student ghettos": blocks of pre-WWII frame houses that have been chopped up into student apartments. Coax wiring in such buildings is often run around the outside of the building -- partly because it's easier to install that way; partly because it's easier to make the once-a-semester changes when students move; and partly to deter signal theft (wiring on outside walls is more difficult for students to tamper with, and easier for the cable company to inspect). Cable companies call these installations "MUFH jobs" (as in Multi-Unit Frame House), aptly pronounced "muff job." Neal McLain nmclain@annsgarden.com ------------------------------ From: poepauv@yahoo.com (Ed Abbott) Subject: How Does Vonage Sound Date: 28 Jul 2004 12:35:30 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com > I'm simply no longer willing to pay for a 100 year old POTS phone when > I can get five times the functionality and unlimited US minutes for a > lower price from Vonage. With a cell phone for backup my internet > phone does not have perform exactly like a traditional phone. Hi Charlie, As a Vonage user, how is the sound? I have 3 questions in this regard: Is the sound as good as a POTS line? Or is it somewhere between POTS and a cell phone in terms of audio clarity? Or is the sound quality as bad as a cell phone? I'm interested in finding out how clear phone calls are via VoIP. Perhaps you would be willing to enlighten me. Anyone else who has used VoIP who would like to chime in please do so. I'm seriously thinking of going in this direction. Any Lingo or Vonage users out there? Thanks in advance, Ed Abbott [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: My experience with Vonage has been that the quality is generally decent; about the same as POTS. I've had POTS lines that sounded pretty awful with Vonage lines that sounded great and vice-versa. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2004 01:32:16 GMT From: John Subject: Samsung DS616? Organization: Optimum Online Samsung DS616 ... Any good for a home installation? Thanks. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2004 18:15:13 GMT From: Mike Donnelly Subject: Re: 911, Only Simple 911 at Best charlie@cdsdetroit.com (charlie3) wrote in news:telecom23.353.10@telecom-digest.org: > Cell phones have been around for years and have similar > problems to VOIP phones; more and more cell phones and VOIP > phones are going into use and many will replace traditional > copperline phones, regardless of 911 concerns. Public > officials will find solutions to 911 calls originating from > cell and internet phones. > I'm simply no longer willing to pay for a 100 year old POTS > phone when I can get five times the functionality and > unlimited US minutes for a lower price from Vonage. With a > cell phone for backup my internet phone does not have > perform exactly like a traditional phone. Hope you never need emergency services any time in the near future. BTW, what happens to VOIP when there is a power outage? Is there anything similar to "lifeline service"? My 100 year old POTS phone still works. I know because I have had to use it several times during outages. Mike Donnelly [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Well there is no reason one cannot use a battery backup with a Vonage phone. The same kind of battery backups used to provide for an orderly shutdown of computers when the power goes out could be installed on the Vonage unit as well. Obviously, limit your useage to emergency calls until the power comes back on. And regards emergency services be sure your Vonage phone is registered in your local community's database which Vonage encourages you to do when you first get your adapter box. PAT] ------------------------------ From: SELLCOM Tech support Subject: Re: Any Good Simple Home Phone Systems? Organization: www.sellcom.com Reply-To: support@sellcom.com Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2004 19:17:12 GMT John posted on that vast internet thingie: > I'd like to learn about any good and simple telephone systems for my > home. Looking for one that is user-friendly and that won't require a > service call for every little problem. Looking for a system up to > maybe 3 x 10. A very popular system for us has been the TMC ET4000 system. It has optional modules to add features like a cordless phone port and other optional addons. It has very nice intercom and paging built in. You can have 16 devices in the system. http://www.sellcom.com/tmc.html Steve at SELLCOM http://www.sellcom.com Discount multihandset cordless phones by Siemens, AT&T, Panasonic, Motorola Vtech 5.8Ghz; TMC ET4000 4line Epic phone, OnHoldPlus, Beamer, Watchguard! Brick wall "non MOV" surge protection. Mini-Splitter log splitter! If you sit at a desk www.ergochair.biz you owe it to yourself. ------------------------------ Date: 28 Jul 2004 20:36:07 -0000 From: John Levine Subject: Re: Cell Phones Using Wi-Fi; How Will Hotspots Cope? Organization: I.E.C.C., Trumansburg NY USA >> Motorola Inc. yesterday unveiled a phone that combines cellular >> and wireless Internet-calling capabilities. The device, called the >> CN620, which could be the first mobile phone that combines >> wide-area GSM cellular technology with shorter-range technology >> known as Wi-Fi, or wireless fidelity, > I was talking with the owner of a local cafe that provides Wi-Fi for > its customers about this yesterday. I was wondering how these little > shops would cope with such phones when they start to become widely > available. Will they have to buy new base stations that will disable > their network for such devices? I wouldn't worry about it anytime soon. The Moto phone is is intended to do WiFi on a corporate LAN-based PBX, not on the public Internet. A phone that knew how to contact Vonage or a similar retail VoIP carrier would be somewhat more complicated both to build and to administer, at least until cell carriers and VoIP carriers sell combo plans. On the other hand, I know people who plug a USB phone into their laptop now and make all their calls from public hotspots, and it doesn't seem to have killed them. Phone calls take a lot of bandwidth, but I suspect the ones that people will make from hotspots will be relatively short. John R. Levine, IECC, POB 727, Trumansburg NY 14886 +1 607 330 5711 johnl@iecc.com, Mayor, http://johnlevine.com, Member, Provisional board, Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial E-mail ------------------------------ From: paulthephonewiz@yahoo.com (Paul the phone guy) Subject: Re: Virtual PBX Competitors Date: 28 Jul 2004 17:00:15 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com There are lots of hosted communications services. VirtualPBX.com has been around the longest and has a great business service with advanced ACD capabilities. If you want to run a serious company -- these guys are well worth talking too. They recently won the Commweb award for 2004. Some drawbacks like no voip yet, but calls rates seem low compared to others Other vendors like gotvmail, freedomvoice, accessline offer services that are suited for a very small group of people where you really want a follow me service and dont need the more sophisticated capibilties. Paul the phone guy John Bartley wrote in message news:: > Who are the major competitors to Virtual PBX, for folks who don't want > to maintain their own phone switch? > Anyone here have experience with the Virtual PBX service? > Thank you kindly. > John Bartley K7AAY > Talk More, Pay Less with Net2Phone Direct(R), up to 1500 minutes free! > http://www.net2phone.com/cgi-bin/link.cgi?143 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2004 15:48:50 EDT From: Carl Moore Subject: Calling a Stolen Cell Phone This came in from KYW news-radio in Philadelphia: A woman's purse was swiped, then "within minutes" a store employee brought the missing purse in. A cell phone and money were missing from it. The store manager did his own investigation, and called the cell phone, and it started ringing in that employee's pocket (which turns out also to have the missing money). The employee was fired, arrested, freed on bail, then did not appear in court, so police are looking for him per arrest warrant. ------------------------------ Subject: Request For Berrien County, Michigan, Residents Only From: Scrapper-D Reply-To: daryl@qtm.net Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2004 04:53:46 GMT I'm so glad I was able to put this on the Internet. I've never done this before. If I upset someone for the cross posting ... please understand that I will never be doing this again. This is a desperate plea for help. All I ask is that if you are from Berrien County, Michigan, then please visit http://www.edheyn.com and please vote for him in the Primaries on August 3rd of this year. Ed is my new Son-in-Law and he needs the job. Happy news grouping ... All the best, Daryl [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: This one time only, Daryl. Please, and thank you. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2004 20:01:35 PDT From: Lisa Minter Subject: Last Laugh! Interesting Origins A few thousand years agom as incredible as it sounds, men and women took baths only twice a year (May and October)! Women kept their hair covered, while men shaved their heads (because of lice and bugs) and wore wigs. Wealthy men could afford good wigs made from wool. They couldn't wash the wigs, so to clean them they would carve out a loaf of bread, put the wig in the shell, and bake it for 30 minutes. The heat would make the wig big and fluffy, hence the term "big wig." Today we often use the term "here comes the Big Wig" because someone appears to be or is powerful and wealthy. In more recent years, common entertainment included playing cards. However, there was a tax levied when purchasing playing cards but only applicable to the "Ace of Spades." To avoid paying the tax, people would purchase 51 cards instead. Yet, since most games require 52 cards, these people were thought to be stupid or dumb because they weren't "playing with a full deck." In the heyday of sailing ships, all war ships and many freighters carried iron cannons. Those cannons fired round iron cannon balls. It was necessary to keep a good supply near the cannon. However, how to prevent them from rolling about the deck? The best storage method devised was a square-based pyramid with one ball on top, resting on four resting on nine, which rested on sixteen. Thus, a supply of 30 cannon balls could be stacked in a small area right next to the cannon. There was only one problem ... how to prevent the bottom layer from sliding or rolling from under the others. The solution was a metal plate called a "Monkey" with 16 round indentations. However, if this plate were made of iron, the iron balls would quickly rust to it. The solution to the rusting problem was to make "Brass Monkeys." Few landlubbers realize that brass contracts much more and much faster than iron when chilled. Consequently, when the temperature dropped too far, the brass indentations would shrink so much that the iron cannonballs would come right off the monkey. Thus, it was quite literally, "Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey." (All this time, you thought that was an improper expression, didn't you.) ------------------------------ 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, Yahoo Groups, 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: 620-402-0134 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 530-309-7234 Fax 3: 208-692-5145 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@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 oldest e-zine/mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.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. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2004 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. ************************ DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE JUST 65 CENTS ONE OR TWO INQUIRIES CHARGED TO YOUR CREDIT CARD! REAL TIME, UP TO DATE! SPONSORED BY TELECOM DIGEST AND EASY411.COM SIGN UP AT http://www.easy411.com/telecomdigest ! ************************ Visit http://www.mstm.okstate.edu and take the next step in your career with a Master of Science in Telecommunications Management (MSTM) degree from Oklahoma State University (OSU). This 35 credit-hour interdisciplinary program is designed to give you the skills necessary to manage telecommunications networks, including data, video, and voice networks. The MSTM degree draws on the expertise of the OSU's College of Business Administration; the College of Arts and Sciences; and the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology. The program has state-of-the-art lab facilities on the Stillwater and Tulsa campus offering hands-on learning to enhance the program curriculum. Classes are available in Stillwater, Tulsa, or through distance learning. Please contact Jay Boyington for additional information at 405-744-9000, mstm-osu@okstate.edu, or visit the MSTM web site at http://www.mstm.okstate.edu ************************ In addition, gifts from Mike Sandman, Chicago's Telecom Expert have 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 fifty 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. If you donate at least fifty dollars per year we will send you our two-CD set of the entire Telecom Archives; this is every word published in this Digest since our beginning in 1981. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V23 #355 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Thu Jul 29 23:10:10 2004 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p3/8.11.3) id i6U3AAO19710; Thu, 29 Jul 2004 23:10:10 -0400 (EDT) Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2004 23:10:10 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200407300310.i6U3AAO19710@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V23 #356 TELECOM Digest Thu, 29 Jul 2004 23:10:00 EDT Volume 23 : Issue 356 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Group Warns DVRs Endangered (Monty Solomon) Attention, Shoppers: You Can Speed Straight Through Checkout (M Solomon) FBI CALEA Petition on FCC Agenda for August 4 (Jack Decker) Telco Video & VOIP Stakes Rising (Jack Decker) Grand Haven, Michigan, Cuts the Cord (Jack Decker) AT&T CallVantage (2000) Re: 911, Only Simple 911 at Best (Jack) Re: 911, Only Simple 911 at Best (Fritz Whittington) Vonage Compared to AT&T CallVantage? (Chip G) Anyone Using Avaya Communication Manager API? (Chip G) Re: Bare-Bones DNC Coverage Draws Lower Ratings (Paul Coxwell) Re: How Does Vonage Sound (Rob Levandowski) Re: Dial 411 for a Category Search (Joseph) Re: PayPal Notice of Pendency: Class Action; Proposed Settle (Joseph) Re: Cell Phones Using Wi-Fi; How Will Hotspots Cope? (Scott Dorsey) Re: Telecommunications: Blogs, Bloggers, and Blogging (Day Bird Loft) New Jersey Labor Board page for NorVergence Employees (David Rodriguez) Problem With Recycled Cell-Phone Numbers (jmayson@nyx.net) Re: Last Laugh! Interesting Origins (Henry) Re: Last Laugh! Interesting Origins - Ship High In Transit (Jack Adams) Re: Last Laugh! Interesting Origins (Bill Turlock) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. =========================== Addresses herein are not to be added to any mailing list, nor to be sold or given away without explicit written consent. Chain letters, viruses, porn, spam, and miscellaneous junk are definitely unwelcome. We must fight spam for the same reason we fight crime: not because we are naive enough to believe that we will ever stamp it out, but because we do not want the kind of world that results when no one stands against crime. Geoffrey Welsh =========================== See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2004 08:48:49 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Group Warns DVRs Endangered By Katie Dean Television fans who like to choose when and where they watch their favorite programs are in for a rude awakening next year when new copy controls encoded in digital television streams will limit such freedoms. Broadcasters have been steadily moving from broadcasting content in analog to digital format over the past several years, as required by the Telecommunications Act of 1996. To protect this digital content from piracy, the Federal Communications Commission adopted a rule that digital television tuners recognize copy controls, called the broadcast flag (PDF), encoded in content streams. Digital video-recording devices would detect the broadcast flag, and the flag would prevent users from making multiple high-quality copies of the programs for illegal distribution. As of July 1, 2005, it would be illegal to manufacture or import devices that can receive digital programming without responding to the broadcast flag. To fight the impending rule and to stoke backlash from TV viewers, the Electronic Frontier Foundation earlier this month launched the Digital Television Liberation Project to guide people on how to make their own personal video recorders from off-the-shelf parts. The digital-rights group is encouraging people to buy digital TV, or DTV, tuner cards for their PCs, and is distributing instructions on how to build TiVo-like digital video recorders. The idea is to get people hooked on the charms of time-shifting -- recording a program and then watching it at a later time -- and to help them understand what they would be missing once the broadcast flag rule goes into effect. http://www.wired.com/news/digiwood/0,1412,64309,00.html ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2004 09:05:11 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Attention, Shoppers: You Can Now Speed Straight Through Checkout Radio-frequency chips are retail nirvana. They're the end of privacy. They're the mark of the beast. Inside the tag-and-track supermarket of the future. By Josh McHugh Issue 12.07 - July 2004 http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/12.07/shoppers.html ------------------------------ From: VOIP News Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2004 12:59:03 -0400 Subject: FBI CALEA Petition on FCC Agenda for August 4 Reply-To: VoIPnews@yahoogroups.com This is from The Jeff Pulver Blog at: http://192.246.69.231/jeff/personal/index.html July 29, 2004 FBI CALEA Petition on FCC Agenda for August 4 The August 4th FCC Meeting may be a historic one, now that the FBI/DOJ/DEA CALEA Petition has made it to the meeting agenda. The FCC's ruling on this petition will have a direct effect on the state of IP Communications in the US and will influence pending the VoIP legislation in the House and Senate. Posted by jeff at 10:13 AM ------------------------------ From: VOIP News Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2004 13:49:21 -0400 Subject: Telco Video & VOIP Stakes Rising Reply-To: VoIPnews@yahoogroups.com http://www.boardwatch.com/document.asp?doc_id=57021 Traditional telcos are gearing up for the battle of the century, and triple-play service over DSL is the main weapon of choice, according to new research from Heavy Reading, Light Reading's research service. The capability to build and deploy new services such as VOIP and video over copper networks is already here, thanks in part to vast improvements in DSL technology. And with the cable competition coming fast, telcos see their DSL triple-play strategies as the key to this fight, according to the report -- Telco Triple Play: the DSL Imperative. Already this week, financial results have backed up this view. Service provider Goliath Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) logged a solid quarter this week, citing DSL services as one of its new engines of growth to counter the erosion of legacy voice services (see Verizon Boosted by DSL, Wireless). Heavy Reading says this is likely to be an acclerating trend in 2004 and 2005, given that the largest local providers in the U.S. are only just now starting to realize the business benefits of a long-term investment in broadband. They're now likely to focus on more revenue per broadband customer, through the bundling of new services such as video and VOIP. What's driving the new urgency? Quite simply, competition. VOIP and broadband services have driven the collision betwween cable MSOs (multiple systems operators) and traditional telcos, a war that's likely to grow more intense in the next few months. Full story at: http://www.boardwatch.com/document.asp?doc_id=57021 How to Distribute VoIP Throughout a Home: http://michigantelephone.mi.org/distribute.html If you live in Michigan, subscribe to the MI-Telecom group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MI-Telecom/ ------------------------------ From: VOIP News Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2004 13:47:30 -0400 Subject: [VoIP News] Grand Haven, Michigan, Cuts the Cord Reply-To: VoIPnews@yahoogroups.com http://wifinetnews.com/archives/004039.html Grand Haven, Mich., makes splash with full-city Wi-Fi coverage: This seems like yet another city announcement, but it might be the first city with this scale of access that 100-percent live and commercially available. (Dissenters, please write in.) While there are plans for Cerritos, Santa Clara, and Chaska (Minnesota) to have full coverage, Grand Haven may have beaten them to full deployment. The folks at Ottawa Wireless sent out a press release full of the technical details, such as their support for 802.11a, b, and g, and the fact that their service extends 15 miles into Lake Michigan, providing access for boaters and marinas. The coverage extends six square miles across the town, and its optimized to handle VoIP; a beta test is in progress right now that will cost $30 per month for unlimited calling nationwide. The service has 300 subscribers at its formal launch out of a local population of 12,000. However, the town sees two million -- yes, million -- visitors a year. Customers include the city, and public safety and health groups will eventually use the network. [Comment: And I think about 1½ million of those visitors all try to jam into the town during the Coast Guard Festival the first part of August. That would create problems in any small town, but Grand Haven is basically surrounded on three sides by water (Lake Michigan on the west, the Grand River on the north and east) and there is only ONE aging drawbridge across the river, and every so often it gets stuck open and you have to go about 15 miles east-southeast to get to the next river crossing at Allendale. US-31 goes right through the center of the city but it is a divided highway with traffic lights; there are plans to build an expressway bypass that would go to the east of the city but the Granholm administration temporarily put that project on hold, virtually assuring something close to gridlock conditions continue to exist during the Coast Guard Festival for the foreseeable future.] Full story at: http://wifinetnews.com/archives/004039.html ------------------------------ From: 2000@osaf.org (2000) Subject: AT&T CallVantage Date: 29 Jul 2004 12:24:26 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com AT&T CallVantage (broadband phone) service does not support Motorola and Siemens phones. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2004 04:07:02 -0400 From: Jack wrote: > charlie@cdsdetroit.com (charlie3) wrote in > news:telecom23.353.10@telecom-digest.org: >> Cell phones have been around for years and have similar >> problems to VOIP phones; more and more cell phones and VOIP >> phones are going into use and many will replace traditional >> copperline phones, regardless of 911 concerns. Public >> officials will find solutions to 911 calls originating from >> cell and internet phones. >> I'm simply no longer willing to pay for a 100 year old POTS >> phone when I can get five times the functionality and >> unlimited US minutes for a lower price from Vonage. With a >> cell phone for backup my internet phone does not have >> perform exactly like a traditional phone. > Hope you never need emergency services any time in the near > future. You know, every time I read a comment like this, my gut reaction is to want to strangle the writer (figuratively speaking, of course). First for the obvious reason that he is trying to impose his own sense of values on others, but also because it's such a pathetically stupid statement. I mean, to me people who say things like this sound like they want us to live in a rubber room with a 100% reliable phone with a big red speed dial button programmed for "911." One could just as easily say "I hope you never go outside to check your mail without taking a cordless phone along" or "I hope you never decide to take a walk in the woods." The point I am making, in case it isn't obvious, is that (if we are reasonably normal people) we ALL have times -- and probably many more than we think about -- where we are NOT near enough to a telephone that it would do us any good if we had a heart attack or some other emergency. I don't have a wireless phone (in my situation I really have no pressing need for one). I sometimes take walks in the woods, I go out to the outside shed and putz around or do some task outside, and I never have a phone with me and am often out of view of anyone else. Oh the horror, I might have a heart attack and not be able to call 911! Well you know what, if that's my time to go, it's my time to go, and I don't need any goody two-shoes know-it-alls trying to tell me that I am being irresponsible by not having the level of communica- tions that they think I should have. In fact, people like that sometimes almost make me wish I could check out a bit sooner. If they succeed in making the world a perfectly safe place to live, but one in which you have no options left because someone else has dictated all aspects of how you must live, why would I want to keep on living? I don't know about anyone else, but I couldn't escape a world like that fast enough! I'm just waiting for these people to start trying to get "unsafe" recreational activities banned, like hang-gliding or rock climbing or motorcycling or any of the hundreds of other things people enjoy doing but that have the potential to get them killed. > BTW, what happens to VOIP when there is a power outage? Is there > anything similar to "lifeline service"? My 100 year old POTS phone > still works. I know because I have had to use it several times during > outages. Bully for you. No one is asking you to give up your 100 year old POTS phone if that's what floats your boat. But you have absolutely no right to decide that I or anyone else needs to have that level of service. I don't WANT to be 100% safe 100% of the time. A life like that would be boring as hell, not to mention that the cost of living would be far higher. What about the Amish people who don't even have telephones, nor for that matter cars to drive to a hospital at 70 MPH in an emergency? Would you be the one to tell them that they need to conform to your acceptable way of living? If I, or anyone else wants to have phone service from VoicePulse or Vonage or any of those companies, and we know what the limitations of 911 are and are willing to accept them, it is none of your damn business! Take your finger-wagging to someplace where it's appreciated, though I cannot imagine where that might be. Sorry if the above seems a bit strong, but sometimes I just get really sick of hearing from people who want to suck all the LIFE out of living because all they can think about is safety, and not only for themselves, but they want to pass their obsession on to others. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Well Jack, the possible, but unlikely problem of 'what to do in an emergency when all you have is Vonage' is just a red herring anyway. The main problem with so many of those people is that they are shills for an old, dying method of communi- cations where 'the telephone company' is the be-all, end-all way of doing business. They have such a love affair with POTS; a system which won't die soon enough IMO. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Fritz Whittington Subject: Re: 911, Only Simple 911 at Best Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2004 20:48:24 GMT Organization: AT&T Worldnet On or about 2004-07-28 13:15, Mike Donnelly whipped out a trusty #2 pencil and scribbled: > charlie@cdsdetroit.com (charlie3) wrote in > news:telecom23.353.10@telecom-digest.org: >> Cell phones have been around for years and have similar >> problems to VOIP phones; more and more cell phones and VOIP >> phones are going into use and many will replace traditional >> copperline phones, regardless of 911 concerns. Public >> officials will find solutions to 911 calls originating from >> cell and internet phones. >> I'm simply no longer willing to pay for a 100 year old POTS >> phone when I can get five times the functionality and >> unlimited US minutes for a lower price from Vonage. With a >> cell phone for backup my internet phone does not have >> perform exactly like a traditional phone. > Hope you never need emergency services any time in the near > future. > BTW, what happens to VOIP when there is a power outage? Is there > anything similar to "lifeline service"? My 100 year old POTS phone > still works. I know because I have had to use it several times during > outages. > Mike Donnelly My POTS phones were out for 6 hours this morning, along with the electric service. That's because in my neighborhood, groups of a few blocks are served by an ONU (Optical Network Unit) in the alley. It's basically a mini-CO with a fiber connection back to the traditional CO. Done because there is so much demand for copper pairs that don't exist. (The upside is, I could have a great xDSL connection, since I'm only 300 feet from the CO. Downside is having to pay a one-time fee of $200 for SBC to install a DSL modem at the ONU.) In any case, this whole ONU CO runs off of the regular power lines, so if the transformer running it quits, so does your phone. Oddly, we still had battery on the line, because they use real batteries in the ONU so you don't get hum. But there's no dial tone. That's why we have one cell phone for each person in the house. Well, one of the reasons, anyway. ------------------------------ From: Chip G Subject: Vonage Compared to AT&T CallVantage? Organization: Comcast Online Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2004 21:00:25 GMT I recently received solicitation from AT&T to join their CallVantage program which appears to be similar to the Vonage offering. I am trying to decide which (if either to try). If you have experience with both of these and could provide commentary, I would truly appreciate your insights. Thank you, Chip [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: First of all, I do hand out Vonage e-coupons for a month of free service. I don't come anywhere close to earning a living from it, so I hope that does not cloud what I say here. But regards Vonage customer service, I have never caught them lying to me or trying to stall me or prod me for personal infor- mation. With AT&T on the other hand, with their audacious voicemail hell system (you never ever get the same rep twice), I have had them lie to me, pry for personal information, insist I did not know what I was talking about, tell me I did not know who my local phone company was or how much I had to pay, etc. They in most cases refuse to discuss their service unless you tell them your local phone number first (an unlimited, blanket plan should be an unlimited blanket plan; what difference does it make *who* my local carrier is), and they are just like SBC in the sense that one rep makes you promises on something then the next rep denies ever hearing of such a plan. Do as you wish, but for what little phone service I need these days, Vonage works just fine. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Chip G Subject: Anyone Using Avaya Communication Manager API? Organization: Comcast Online Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2004 21:00:26 GMT I am considering shifting my application development efforts from TSAPI to the new Avaya CMAPI since all of my business seems to be with Avaya switches lately. Does anyone have experience with the CMAPI? Please let me know what your take is on it. I know TSAPI works with multi-vendor systems and the CMAPI only works with Avaya but it seems like CMAPI opens up a lot of capability that I have wanted but not been able to get from TSAPI. Here is all the info I have found so far about the CMAPI. If you have any other info, please post it or send it to me. http://www1.avaya.com/enterprise/sig/devconnect/cmapi.html Thanks! Chip ------------------------------ From: Paul Coxwell Subject: Re: Bare-Bones DNC Coverage Draws Lower Ratings Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2004 11:41:20 +0100 > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I remember very well the 1952 > conventions, which were the first ones to be on television. We > had four TV channels in those days in Chicago (2-5-7-9) or maybe > it was 4-5-7-9, I don't remember, but in any event they had total > coverage on all four channels afternoon and evening sessions each > of the four days of the convention. There was nothing else to > watch even if you had wanted to. PAT] Pat, It looks as though station WBKB was on channel 4 around that time. I found this rather fascinating site on the history of TV in the Chicago area: www.chicagotelevision.com Regards, Paul [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Yes, there was a channel 4 in Chicago in the early 1950's, and no channel 2. Then eventually Channel 2 started as WBBM-TV, and Channel 4 was taken away and given to the Milwaukee Journal newspaper where it became WTMJ and what had been on Channel 4 (WENR) then became WBKB; Balaban and Katz movie theatre chain) operating on Channel 7. Channel 5 remained on 5 as the NBC outlet in Chicago, and Channel 9 was (and still is) WGN, since the Chicago Tribune is and always was the (W)orld's (G)reatest (N)ews- paper. No one would hear of Channel 11 -PBS- (W)indow (T)o (T)he (W)orld for a few more years, until it went on the air about 1955 as an exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry, broadcasting five or six hours from the auditorium of the museum Monday through Friday. A couple years prior to the 1952 politcal conventions which were full time coverage on all channels daily, they had a similar commotion on television daily on all channels for several *months* without interuption: the 1950 'Senator McCarthy Hearings'. Those damn things went on five days per week from about 9 AM Central to around 3 PM central time, with a break for lunch around noon central, at which point channel 9 would run 'Bozo Circus' for about 30-45 minutes then back to the McCarthy hearings. Joe McCarthy, as older readers will recall, was the deluded Republican Senator from Wisconsin who found 'Communists' everywere he looked and in his daily congressional hearings must have grilled and interogated every public servant in Washington, DC. His belief was everyone working for the federal government was either a 'Communist' or a homosexual or both which he said was often the case. One thing we could count on was McCarthy recessing his lurid Congressional hearings each day about 3 central/4 eastern when he grew bored and wanted to get on with his own life which meant going out to cruise all the gay bars (in those days) in Our Nation's Capitol. McCarthy and his foolishness has been well documented in many places. Then the television stations could get back to their regular programming. Poor Senator McCarthy ... deluded old man. When Channel 11 first started broadcasting they were on Monday to Friday only, I think a few hours each afternoon with classroom lessons for school kids. They were dark -- off the air -- on weekends with the exception of Sunday evening from 7:55 PM to 9:05 PM. They would turn on their power at 7:55 PM, play the National Anthem, and the announcer would give their call sign and say, "Now, this weeks program from Chicago Sunday Evening Club at Orchestra Hall." After that religious service ended at 9 PM, the same announcer would come back on and sign the station off the air with the obligitory announcements about station, owner, frequency, power, etc and again the National Anthem. They stayed at Museum of Science and Industry until the early or middle 1960's when one of their major patrons, Edward L. Ryerson, then chairman of Inland Steel Company gave them money to build the 'Edward Ryerson Television Center' on the campus of Northern Illinois University on the northwest side of Chicago. With their move to NIU and the Ryerson Television Center, WTTW went on the air full time and their original weekend program (Sunday Evening Club) is still with them. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Rob Levandowski Subject: Re: How Does Vonage Sound Organization: MacWhiz Technologies Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2004 12:22:47 GMT In article , poepauv@yahoo.com (Ed Abbott) wrote: > I'm interested in finding out how clear phone calls are via VoIP. > Perhaps you would be willing to enlighten me. > Anyone else who has used VoIP who would like to chime in please do so. > I'm seriously thinking of going in this direction. In general, the audio quality is indistinguishable from a standard phone line. In some cases, it's better quality, because your analog "local loop" is six feet instead of a few miles. Vonage seems to have added a small amount of artificial noise since I first started using the service -- fewer people now wonder if I've hung up if I stop talking. However, I do have one complaint about the call quality. The echo cancelling is hit-or-miss. Some calls are just fine. Every once in a while, I'll have a call where I can hear the other party fine, but when I speak, my voice is echoed back to me on about a 0.75-second delay, sometimes at a loud volume. The other party doesn't hear this, but it sure can interrupt your train of thought. If it's really bad, hanging up and re-dialing usually fixes it. It seems more common on calls I place rather than calls I receive. I believe this is an artifact of the analog-to-digital devices that Vonage and its ilk use. When I worked for Global Crossing, we used the Cisco VoIP desk sets internally, and they had no such problem. Of course, you may also have call-quality issues if you're hammering your broadband line with other traffic. I understand the newer Vonage adapters are supposed to help with this. If your router supports any form of QoS, that may help you as well. I've also had difficulty getting timely technical support from Vonage. Thankfully, other than initial setup issues -- as the first person in my exchange, I got to discover that Vonage's CLEC and the ILEC hadn't set up call routing 'twixt each other right -- I've not had much need to get technical support. Rob Levandowski robl@macwhiz.com ------------------------------ From: Joseph Subject: Re: Dial 411 for a Category Search Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2004 07:23:29 -0700 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Reply-To: JoeOfSeattle@yahoo.com On Wed, 28 Jul 2004 16:16:53 -0400, Monty Solomon wrote: > Need a Florist in Freehold or Fort Worth? Dial 411 for a Category > Search > No Need to Ask for a Specific Listing; Operators Will Offer Choices > Based on the Business Category and Locality > NEWARK, N.J., July 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Customers in New Jersey can now > dial Verizon's Local and National 411 and ask for a bookstore in > Morristown or a caterer in Cincinnati, without a specific name or > street address, using Verizon's Business Category Search service. > With the new service, customers can ask for a type of business in a > locality or city, and the Verizon operator will offer three choices > randomly selected from telephone listings for the area. T-Mobile's "T-Mobile connect" (411) service has had this service for a good while now. In addition they will connect your call to a local two state area included in the cost of the call in addition to normal airtime charges. They also include directory information for Canada as well. remove NONO from .NONOcom to reply ------------------------------ From: Joseph Subject: Re: PayPal Notice of Pendency of Class Action; Proposed Settlement Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2004 07:27:19 -0700 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Reply-To: JoeOfSeattle@yahoo.com On Wed, 28 Jul 2004 16:39:43 -0400, Telecom Digest Editor noted in response to Monty Solomon's posting: > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I strongly recommend everyone with a > PayPal account review this class action settlement file. You might > very well wind up with **fifty dollars** credited to your Paypal > account, if you get to that site and can make certain statements > about your dealings with PalPal or PayPal Debit/Credit cards, etc. PAT] And as in other class action suits you can bet your bippy that the lawyers will buy a new Lexus with what *they* get. Class action suits only put a hardship on companies. The end "user" usually gets close to bupkes (zero.) remove NONO from .NONOcom to reply ------------------------------ From: kludge@panix.com (Scott Dorsey) Subject: Re: Cell Phones Using Wi-Fi; How Will Hotspots Cope? Date: 29 Jul 2004 11:42:18 -0400 Organization: Former users of Netcom shell (1989-2000) Phil Earnhardt wrote: > Yesterday, Motorola announced a GSM phone that also works with Wi-Fi. > From the 7/27 Wall Street Journal: >> Motorola Inc. yesterday unveiled a phone that combines cellular >> and wireless Internet-calling capabilities. The device, called the >> CN620, which could be the first mobile phone that combines >> wide-area GSM cellular technology with shorter-range technology >> known as Wi-Fi, or wireless fidelity, could open the floodgates for >> users to steal away significant minutes from cellular networks >> and place free calls over the Internet. > I was talking with the owner of a local cafe that provides Wi-Fi for > its customers about this yesterday. I was wondering how these little > shops would cope with such phones when they start to become widely > available. Will they have to buy new base stations that will disable > their network for such devices? Start limiting bandwidth to each MAC > address? Do any reasonably-cheap base stations provide such > capabilites today? Any of the cheap base stations that have "firewalls" will do the job already. You can easily filter whatever port is being used. Already they should be filtering a lot of traffic to and from the outside, most notably forcing outgoing e-mail through a filtering server to prevent spammers from taking advantage of their services, and blocking the Microsoft network ports for security reasons. --scott "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." ------------------------------ From: loft@pigeons.ws (Day Bird Loft) Subject: Re: Telecommunications: Blogs, Bloggers, and Blogging Date: 29 Jul 2004 09:39:03 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com New Drinking Game [ A little Humor ] Thanks to the Telcom post yesterday [ see below ] Net Fusion has come up with a new game on counting the number of times blog is used in their article. see http://www.nwfusion.com/weblogs/layer8/005801.html#005801 Cheers :-) Telcom Post 28 July 04 loft@pigeons.ws (Day Bird Loft) wrote in message news:: > Telecommunications: Blogs, Bloggers, and Blogging > From newspapers to television shows, from small business to the > world's largest corporations, and from religion to politics, everyone > is riding the blog power sphere. > WASHINGTON DC (IPR Wire) 28 July 2004 --- With the coming of age in > blogging, people can demonstrate strength in numbers. > With the power of blogs it is apparent that it's time for personal > knowledge to be recorded and published. > In the past five years, blogs have gone from the backroom to the > boardroom. More recently during the previous six months, blogs have > begun to dominate the information highway. Lately, blogs have become > the mainstay of grassroots' politics. > However, on the subject of blogging, one might ask "What about > business applications?" According to Hans Schnauber, Internet Web > Guru, "Blogs are the future of online business . . . they are a > structure of communication that will change the way people come > together." > Mr. Schnauber stated "With news articles in the press appearing hourly > on the subject of blogs, it is time for everyone to join the power of > blogging, the power of numbers, the power of the people. Blogs can > revolutionize the web and blogging presents an opportunity for social > networking in topics where knowledge and innovation play an important > role." > After discovering in 2001 that hyphens work great for blog technology, > Mr. Schnauber waited patiently and then began registering more than > six thousand blogs on Blogger (Google's free service) and as a result > has created the world's largest mega-blog. > The mega-blog guarantees that everybody will be treated equally and > without favoritism. It is a proven formula that assures every person a > voice in the future. > As an 1998 ISOC nominee, he has centered the focal point of the > mega-blog on subjects that span business, education, and politics. > With Google's free Blogger and Feedburner service, it is time for > everyone to register their own blog and connect to friends, family, > and familiar faces. > Business blogs include: http://auto-dealers.blogspot.com, > http://corporate-law.blogspot.com, and > http://newspaper-publishers.blogspot.com > Educational blogs include: http://business-schools.blogspot.com, > http://law-schools.blogspot.com, and > http://state-university.blogspot.com > Political blogs include: http://democratic-party.blogspot.com, > http://republican-party.blogspot.com, and > http://election-coverage.blogspot.com > Mr. Schnauber will reveal his plans for the global mega-blog in the > upcoming Fall of 2004. > Many will remember this cunning individual as the driving force in the > domain name craze utilizing hyphenated domains and registering > thousands of names at a price of $100 per domain. > Telecommunications: Blogs, Bloggers, and Blogging > see: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2004/7/prweb144837.htm > Technology Editor / IPR Wire > http://iprwire.net ------------------------------ From: David O. Rodriguez Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2004 11:38:56 -0500 Subject: New Jersey Labor Board Page for NorVergence Employees This may now be old news, but the following link is a page that was set up by the New Jersey Labor and Workforce Development Department exclusively for (former) NorVergence employees. http://www.state.nj.us/labor/press/2004/0707NorvRapidResponse.htm ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2004 14:53:35 -0500 From: jmayson@nyx.net Subject: Problem With Recycled Cell-Phone Numbers Organization: Nyx Net, The Spirit of the Night http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article838263.ece A 16-year-old Hokksund girl has received text messages meant for Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik and is constantly being called by journalists. She says she has been tempted to pretend to be the PM's secretary, but so far has just fielded the calls with a smile, newspaper Drammens Tidende reports. John Mayson Austin, Texas, USA ------------------------------ From: henry999@eircom.net (Henry) Subject: Re: Last Laugh! Interesting Origins Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2004 10:05:50 +0300 Organization: Elisa Internet customer Lisa Minter wrote: > Thus, it was quite > literally, "Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey." An expression I've always liked even better -- because very very few people have ever heard it before -- is 'as cold as Blue Flujin'. It comes from a Herman Melville novel called _White Jacket_, and refers to a far-away (i.e., mythical) place where it is so cold that even _fire_ freezes! Cheers, Henry ------------------------------ From: adamsjac@telcordia.com (Jack Adams) Subject: Re: Last Laugh! Interesting Origins - Ship High In Transit Date: 29 Jul 2004 11:58:09 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com Yet another interesting origin of a phrase, this time as reported in Harry Newton's Telecommunication Dictionary: Edited for brevity ... In the 16th and 17th centuries, most things were shipped by boat. Among the products so shipped was dried manure (tightly bailed) as commercial manufactured fertilizers weren't yet invented. Shipping it dry reduced its weight yet produced another problem. Once the bails of manure got wet, the fermentation process started with the byproduct of methane gas (highly flammable). Several accidents occurred as the result of bails of manure being stowed low in the hold of the ship and getting wet due to water in the low part of the ship. These accidents usually occurred when a crewman decended into the hold with a lantern ... ka BOOM! Investigations soon revealed that these manure bail should be kept out of the water, or on the upper or higher decks. The labeling used on the bails was Ship High In Transit, which became S.H.I.T., which became .... Lisa Minter wrote in message news:: > A few thousand years agom as incredible as it sounds, men and women > took baths only twice a year (May and October)! Women kept their hair > covered, while men shaved their heads (because of lice and bugs) and > wore wigs. Wealthy men could afford good wigs made from wool. They > couldn't wash the wigs, so to clean them they would carve out a loaf > of bread, put the wig in the shell, and bake it for 30 minutes. The > heat would make the wig big and fluffy, hence the term "big wig." > Today we often use the term "here comes the Big Wig" because someone > appears to be or is powerful and wealthy. > In more recent years, common entertainment included playing > cards. However, there was a tax levied when purchasing playing cards > but only applicable to the "Ace of Spades." To avoid paying the tax, > people would purchase 51 cards instead. Yet, since most games require > 52 cards, these people were thought to be stupid or dumb because they > weren't "playing with a full deck." > In the heyday of sailing ships, all war ships and many freighters > carried iron cannons. Those cannons fired round iron cannon balls. It > was necessary to keep a good supply near the cannon. However, how to > prevent them from rolling about the deck? The best storage method > devised was a square-based pyramid with one ball on top, resting on > four resting on nine, which rested on sixteen. Thus, a supply of 30 > cannon balls could be stacked in a small area right next to the > cannon. There was only one problem ... how to prevent the bottom layer > from sliding or rolling from under the others. The solution was a > metal plate called a "Monkey" with 16 round indentations. > However, if this plate were made of iron, the iron balls would quickly > rust to it. The solution to the rusting problem was to make "Brass > Monkeys." Few landlubbers realize that brass contracts much more and > much faster than iron when chilled. Consequently, when the temperature > dropped too far, the brass indentations would shrink so much that the > iron cannonballs would come right off the monkey. Thus, it was quite > literally, "Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey." (All > this time, you thought that was an improper expression, didn't you.) ------------------------------ From: Bill Turlock Subject: Re: Last Laugh! Interesting Origins Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2004 14:19:57 -0700 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Lisa Minter wrote: > A few thousand years agom as incredible as it sounds, men and women > took baths only twice a year (May and October)! Women kept their hair > covered, while men shaved their heads (because of lice and bugs) and > wore wigs. Wealthy men could afford good wigs made from wool. They > couldn't wash the wigs, so to clean them they would carve out a loaf > of bread, put the wig in the shell, and bake it for 30 minutes. The > heat would make the wig big and fluffy, hence the term "big wig." > Today we often use the term "here comes the Big Wig" because someone > appears to be or is powerful and wealthy. > In more recent years, common entertainment included playing > cards. However, there was a tax levied when purchasing playing cards > but only applicable to the "Ace of Spades." To avoid paying the tax, > people would purchase 51 cards instead. Yet, since most games require > 52 cards, these people were thought to be stupid or dumb because they > weren't "playing with a full deck." > In the heyday of sailing ships, all war ships and many freighters > carried iron cannons. Those cannons fired round iron cannon balls. It > was necessary to keep a good supply near the cannon. However, how to > prevent them from rolling about the deck? The best storage method > devised was a square-based pyramid with one ball on top, resting on > four resting on nine, which rested on sixteen. Thus, a supply of 30 > cannon balls could be stacked in a small area right next to the > cannon. There was only one problem ... how to prevent the bottom layer > from sliding or rolling from under the others. The solution was a > metal plate called a "Monkey" with 16 round indentations. > However, if this plate were made of iron, the iron balls would quickly > rust to it. The solution to the rusting problem was to make "Brass > Monkeys." Few landlubbers realize that brass contracts much more and > much faster than iron when chilled. Consequently, when the temperature > dropped too far, the brass indentations would shrink so much that the > iron cannonballs would come right off the monkey. Thus, it was quite > literally, "Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey." (All > this time, you thought that was an improper expression, didn't you.) http://www.snopes.com/language/stories/brass.htm [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Well I found this rather incredible and hard to believe but some plumbers in speaking about the process of inserting air pressure into old, clogged up lime encrusted hot water pipes to make them a little more useable refer to the process of blasting air pressure into the pipes as 'giving a blow job' (!! ?) PAT] ------------------------------ 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, Yahoo Groups, 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: 620-402-0134 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 530-309-7234 Fax 3: 208-692-5145 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@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 oldest e-zine/mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.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. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2004 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. ************************ DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE JUST 65 CENTS ONE OR TWO INQUIRIES CHARGED TO YOUR CREDIT CARD! REAL TIME, UP TO DATE! SPONSORED BY TELECOM DIGEST AND EASY411.COM SIGN UP AT http://www.easy411.com/telecomdigest ! ************************ Visit http://www.mstm.okstate.edu and take the next step in your career with a Master of Science in Telecommunications Management (MSTM) degree from Oklahoma State University (OSU). This 35 credit-hour interdisciplinary program is designed to give you the skills necessary to manage telecommunications networks, including data, video, and voice networks. The MSTM degree draws on the expertise of the OSU's College of Business Administration; the College of Arts and Sciences; and the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology. The program has state-of-the-art lab facilities on the Stillwater and Tulsa campus offering hands-on learning to enhance the program curriculum. Classes are available in Stillwater, Tulsa, or through distance learning. Please contact Jay Boyington for additional information at 405-744-9000, mstm-osu@okstate.edu, or visit the MSTM web site at http://www.mstm.okstate.edu ************************ In addition, gifts from Mike Sandman, Chicago's Telecom Expert have 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 fifty 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. If you donate at least fifty dollars per year we will send you our two-CD set of the entire Telecom Archives; this is every word published in this Digest since our beginning in 1981. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V23 #356 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Fri Jul 30 21:27:33 2004 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p3/8.11.3) id i6V1RWD00607; Fri, 30 Jul 2004 21:27:33 -0400 (EDT) Date: Fri, 30 Jul 2004 21:27:33 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200407310127.i6V1RWD00607@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V23 #357 TELECOM Digest Fri, 30 Jul 2004 21:28:00 EDT Volume 23 : Issue 357 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Jeff Pulver's Planned Opening Remarks For Panel I of FCC (VOIP News) Gatekeeper to Gatekeeper in Linux (kelvinkmk) Re: History of TV (was Bare-Bones DNC Coverage) (Paul Coxwell) Re: Last Laugh! Interesting Origins - Ship High In Transit (Ted Klugman) Re: Last Laugh! Interesting Origins (Paul Vader) Re: Last Laugh! Interesting Origins (Charles Cryderman) Re: PayPal Notice of Pendency of Class Action (William Robison) Re: PayPal Notice of Pendency of Class Action (K9TOOLS@aol.com) Money Tranfer, was Re: PayPal Notice of Pendency (Del9L@aol.com) Re: Any Good Simple Home Phone Systems? (John) Experience of a New Primus VoIP Customer (Ted Koppel) For Sale: Cisco VoIP Gateways, Gatekeepers, IP Phones (Frank Kim) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. =========================== Addresses herein are not to be added to any mailing list, nor to be sold or given away without explicit written consent. Chain letters, viruses, porn, spam, and miscellaneous junk are definitely unwelcome. We must fight spam for the same reason we fight crime: not because we are naive enough to believe that we will ever stamp it out, but because we do not want the kind of world that results when no one stands against crime. Geoffrey Welsh =========================== See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: VOIP News Date: Fri, 30 Jul 2004 11:50:05 -0400 Subject: Jeff Pulver's Planned Opening Remarks for Panel I of FCC Forum Reply-To: VoIPnews@yahoogroups.com This is from The Jeff Pulver Blog at: http://192.246.69.231/jeff/personal/index.html July 30, 2004 My Testimony at the FCC Global Forum: Panel I - July 30, 2004 The following are my planned opening remarks for panel I of the FCC Global Forum taking place later today at the FCC in Washington, D.C. The entire event will be available for viewing via the FCC webcast. ------------------------ Thank you for inviting me to participate today in the Commission's Global IP Forum. I'm Jeff Pulver. As the President and CEO of pulver.com, I oversee about 20 operating companies, each of which is involved, in one way or another, in promoting IP communications. I manufacture IP communications devices, both wireless and wireline; I produce software to help facilitate IP communications; I publish VON Magazine, a magazine devoted to exploring the issues surrounding Voice on the Net. I also host the Voice on the Net Conferences. Each VON Conference draws thousands of attendees from dozens of countries and hundreds of companies around the world. I like to think that, through the VON Conferences, pulver.com has helped to spur the growth of IP communications and has provided essential thought leadership for the emerging industry, spurring innovation and more rapid adoption of IP communications. I became a full-time VoIP hobbyist in 1995, combining my passion for community and technology and connecting my Ham Radio to the Internet to communicate with people around the world. This overall perspective drives my passion for Free World Dialup, which over the years has evolved into a peer-to-peer IP communications application. Today Free World Dialup provides IP-based communications services to more than a quarter-million Internet enthusiasts in some 185 countries around the world. Free World Dialup was, in fact, the subject of the Commission's first order, and perhaps the world's first positive regulatory statement, on IP communications. I applaud this Commission for its timely adoption of the pulver Order. If other countries would follow the lead established by the pulver Order, I am optimistic about the future and possibilities that IP communications affords. I, however, am concerned that many countries might not follow the lead established by this Commission. Frankly, I am even concerned that this country might backtrack from the forward-looking thinking that inspired the pulver Order. I see Canada's CRTC taking a critical looking at VoIP and suggesting that some carriers should not be allowed to take full advantage of IP technology to provide innovative services. I see the European Union suggesting that VoIP services might be subjected to onerous regulatory restriction. A similar proceeding has been opened in Australia and more will follow around the world. And now there are rumblings here in the United States, both at the state and Federal level, that the nascent industry should be subject to archaic telecom regulations that never contemplated the empowering capabilities of IP communications. Just last week, in a bizarre last-minute procedural maneuver, an amendment was attached to what was intended to be the Sununu VoIP Freedom Bill, that would, arguably, subject even X-Boxers to paying into the universal service and intercarrier compensation support systems, simply because X-Box utilizes a voice application. This certainly runs counter to the logic of the pulver Order, and will only serve to stifle the growth of IP communications. This leaves me in the position to lead the charge against the bill if it were to be put up to vote as amended. I expect the 2005/2006 season to be a pivotal one for IP Communication regulation around the world. Finally, I want to mention at the outset of this discussion, that I have established the Global IP Alliance, an international consortium of IP-based communications providers committed to realizing the promise of interconnecting IP-based communications. Among other things, the Global IP Alliance is committed to establishing industry-based solutions to the operational hurdles and social issues confronting the emerging IP communications industry. It is my hope that regulators around the World will look to the Global IP Alliance and recognize that the IP industry is capable of self-governance and will not feel compelled to intercede before a clear demonstration of a problem that cannot be fixed by industry and competitive market forces. Thank you for allowing me to participate here today. I look forward to your questions and this discussion. Posted by jeff at 07:03 AM How to Distribute VoIP Throughout a Home: http://michigantelephone.mi.org/distribute.html If you live in Michigan, subscribe to the MI-Telecom group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MI-Telecom/ ------------------------------ From: kevinkmk@hotmail.com (kelvinkmk) Subject: Gatekeeper to Gatekeeper in Linux Date: 30 Jul 2004 03:30:27 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com Dear all, I have two gatekeepers (GNUGK) running on Linux in different locations. And now I want to connect both two so that both gatekeeprs can talk and divert calls to respective zones. I dunno how to configure the gatekeeper. The only one related parameter I can find is Gatekeeper in [Endpoint]. However, I have no idea how to configure it properly.Hope someone can give me a hand. Thanks. Regards, Kelvin ------------------------------ From: Paul Coxwell Subject: Re: History of TV (was Bare-Bones DNC Coverage Draws Lower Ratings) Date: Fri, 30 Jul 2004 11:55:13 +0100 I find it fascimating to read about the history of radio and TV broadcasting. It's interesting enough here in Britain, but obviously much more restricted due to very tight state-control that existed then. American broadcast history has so many more interesting turns to investigate thanks to the multitude of companies and networks that were operating. > Chicago Tribune is and always was the (W)orld's (G)reatest (N)ews- > paper. No one would hear of Channel 11 -PBS- (W)indow (T)o (T)he > (W)orld for a few more years, until it went on the air about 1955 as > an exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry, broadcasting five or > six hours from the auditorium of the museum Monday through Friday. Presumably WTTW-TV was an independent station for the museum at that time. Didn't PBS start sometime around the late 1960s? > When Channel 11 first started broadcasting they were on Monday to > Friday only, I think a few hours each afternoon with classroom lessons > for school kids. They were dark -- off the air -- on weekends with > the exception of Sunday evening from 7:55 PM to 9:05 PM. They would > turn on their power at 7:55 PM, play the National Anthem, and the > announcer would give their call sign and say, "Now, this weeks program > from Chicago Sunday Evening Club at Orchestra Hall." After that > religious service ended at 9 PM, the same announcer would come back > on and sign the station off the air with the obligitory announcements > about station, owner, frequency, power, etc and again the National > Anthem. They stayed at Museum of Science and Industry until the early What exactly were the FCC rules regarding required announcements in those days? Obviously stations had to announce their call signs at appropriate times (a practice which still leaves many British tourists not used to U.S. broadcasting somewhat confused!), but what about other details? Were station, power etc. required at regular intervals, or just at start-up and closedown? Paul [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I do not know the history of PBS/NPR (the later is the radio version of PBS. PBS = public television and NPR = public radio.), but I know it has changed a lot over the years also. Maybe someone who knows PBS/NPR history better than I could comment? I *think* WTTW, Channel 11 began as a project of the Museum of Science and Industry, as an endowed exhibit. At some point or another ownership transferred to PBS. I cannot say for sure, but I think PBS in Chicago got started as the result of a gift from Mr. Ryerson. What was called WBOE (as in Board of Education [of the City of Chicago]) became an NPR affiliate about the same time in the late 1960's. I do know that the earliest PBS stuff was black and white (like all television) and even when they moved into the Ryerson Televison Center they still had only limited hours of operation. In the late 1950's when WTTW, Channel 11 broke away from their almost constant schedule of classroom teaching programs (very, very dull IMO) and 'remote' broadcasting was still relatively a new concept, WTTW did three or four 'remote' programs each week, almost exclusively from Orchestra Hall, Michigan and Adams Sts. in downtown Chicago. They did the Symphony every Thursday night; the 'Allied Arts' piano recitals every Sunday afternoon, and the Sunday Evening Club programs, which were all at the Hall. You always knew they were going to do some live broadcast from the Hall, because in the alley behind Michigan Avenue between Adams and Jackson Blvd. every Thursday evening and most of the day on Sunday you would always see the rather humongous trailer truck with 'Illinois Bell Telephone Company' on its side, and the very thick (like your wrist) cable come snaking out the stage door of Orchestra Hall into the trailer truck, then out of the trailer truck and down into a manhole on Adams Street. Somewhere in the same alley was always a truck which said 'WTTW, Window to the World' on its side as well, also with cables running from it to the 'remote' cameras they had installed in two 'boxes' (formerly patron seating areas) in the mezzanine area. No cameramen around, the units were run remotely from the truck in the alley. Regards station ID and such, the rules have changed some also, and I do not know exactly how it works, but at least once per day when they are broadcasting, stations have to give details about themselves and at other regular intervals they need to say their call signs, etc. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 30 Jul 2004 14:49:50 +0000 (GMT) From: Ted Klugman Subject: Re: Last Laugh! Interesting Origins - Ship High In Transit Organization: Optimum Online On 29 Jul 2004 11:58:09 -0700, adamsjac@telcordia.com (Jack Adams) wrote: > Yet another interesting origin of a phrase, this time as reported in > Harry Newton's Telecommunication Dictionary: > ....labeling used on the bails was Ship High In Transit, which became > S.H.I.T., which became .... Bogus. http://www.snopes.com/language/acronyms/shit.asp > Lisa Minter wrote in message > news:: >> ....literally, "Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey." (All >> this time, you thought that was an improper expression, didn't you.) Also bogus. http://www.snopes.com/language/stories/brass.htm ------------------------------ From: pv+usenet@pobox.com (Paul Vader) Subject: Re: Last Laugh! Interesting Origins Date: Fri, 30 Jul 2004 15:17:17 -0000 Organization: Inline Software Creations Lisa Minter writes: > However, if this plate were made of iron, the iron balls would quickly > rust to it. The solution to the rusting problem was to make "Brass > Monkeys." Few landlubbers realize that brass contracts much more and At least this one is a definite urban legend, as has been amply researched on the net. Beware pithy origin stories - most of them are complete fabrications. adamsjac@telcordia.com (Jack Adams) writes: > Yet another interesting origin of a phrase, this time as reported in > Harry Newton's Telecommunication Dictionary: There's this little icon on your desktop that runs an internet browser. Check it out! > In the 16th and 17th centuries, most things were shipped by boat. The word in question, which I won't use to avoid content filters, has it's origins in English at least 300 years earlier than that. Research people, research! * -- * PV something like badgers--something like lizards--and something like corkscrews. ------------------------------ From: Cryderman, Charles Subject: Re: Last Laugh! Interesting Origins Date: Fri, 30 Jul 2004 11:42:08 -0400 Another acronym from days of old that is now considered a word: In England many years ago to procreate you had to have the permission of the King. Once received you placed a sign on the door of your dwelling: "Fornication Under Consent of King." I am sure you can figure out what the word used today is. Chip Cryderman ------------------------------ From: William Robison Subject: Re: PayPal Notice of Pendency of Class Action; Proposed Settlement Organization: Universitry of Iowa Date: Fri, 30 Jul 2004 17:50:44 GMT On Thu, 29 Jul 2004 07:27:19 -0700, Joseph wrote: > On Wed, 28 Jul 2004 16:39:43 -0400, Telecom Digest Editor noted in > response to Monty Solomon's posting: >> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I strongly recommend everyone with a >> PayPal account review this class action settlement file. You might >> very well wind up with **fifty dollars** credited to your Paypal >> account, if you get to that site and can make certain statements >> about your dealings with PalPal or PayPal Debit/Credit cards, etc. PAT] > And as in other class action suits you can bet your bippy that the > lawyers will buy a new Lexus with what *they* get. Class action suits > only put a hardship on companies. The end "user" usually gets close > to bupkes (zero.) Putting a "hardship" on the offending company is EXACTLY what the lawsuit is intended to do. We don't enter into these suits to recover our trivial lost funds, but to encourage the defendant to avoid and eliminate the offensive behaviour (from what I've seen of PayPal, the judgement is well deserved). -Willy ------------------------------ From: K9TOOLS@aol.com Date: Fri, 30 Jul 2004 10:38:36 EDT Subject: Re: Paypal Settlement It is impossible for me to fill out a claim form if I can not fill out the forms. It says there is an error in finding the web site. Michelle [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Trouble is, Michelle, the web site is **totally swamped** most times in these early days of the settlement. They have responded to your complaint (and that of many other users) on their web site today saying you do not have to submit the claim until sometime late in September and you are invited to try sometime next week or maybe early morning, etc after the traffic has slowed down a little bit. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Del9L@aol.com Date: Fri, 30 Jul 2004 10:49:42 EDT Subject: Money Transfer via Paypal I don't know if I am at the right place but I had a problem with the money transfer with Paypal where I was charged double. How do I get info on the class action settlement? [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Follow the crowds to the Paypal settlement site. Use Google and type in 'PayPal Settlement' and as explained to Michelle in the other message in this issue on it, allow *lots of time* to get through to them where you fill out a form, etc. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 30 Jul 2004 01:15:10 GMT From: John Subject: Re: Any Good Simple Home Phone Systems? Organization: Optimum Online Thanks for the info, Steve. Looks a lot like the AT&T 954, but probably better. I'll keep it in mind as I continue my research. On Wed, 28 Jul 2004 19:17:12 GMT, SELLCOM Tech support wrote: > John posted on that vast internet > thingie: >> I'd like to learn about any good and simple telephone systems for my >> home. Looking for one that is user-friendly and that won't require a >> service call for every little problem. Looking for a system up to >> maybe 3 x 10. > A very popular system for us has been the TMC ET4000 system. It has > optional modules to add features like a cordless phone port and other > optional addons. It has very nice intercom and paging built in. You > can have 16 devices in the system. > http://www.sellcom.com/tmc.html > Steve at SELLCOM > http://www.sellcom.com > Discount multihandset cordless phones by Siemens AT&T Panasonic, Motorola > Vtech 5.8Ghz; TMC ET4000 4line Epic phone, OnHoldPlus, Beamer, Watchguard! > Brick wall "non MOV" surge protection. Mini-Splitter log splitter! > If you sit at a desk www.ergochair.biz you owe it to yourself. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2004 21:35:36 -0400 From: Ted Koppel Subject: Experience of a New Primus VoIP Customer Did my homework and narrowed down my choices to the only two VOIP retailers who (a) could service area code 540 (b) would let me port my old phone number and (c) weren't ridiculously priced for benefits received (as in, no Verizon and no AT&T). I chose Primus. I filled out the new customer form on their web site last Saturday night. Had an email within 24 hours *as well as* a phone call confirming the particulars. Had an email with a number porting PDF document (for signature and faxing) on Tuesday. Was given access to customer web site on Tuesday was well (in order to check on order status and billing). Was sent email Wednesday morning with UPS tracking number. ATA Adapter arrived Thursday (next day, but then I live only about 50 miles from their office!). Plugged in the adapter behind my router. Waited for adapter to synch and get assigned an address - it took 4 seconds. (Primus instructions say to wait as long as 15 minutes). Dial tone. Piece of cake. Works like a charm. No hassle on outgoing calls, can't complain about voice quality. Have made several phone calls; they immediately post to the Primus web site for examination. FUnctionally just fine. Minor complaints/problems: a. Nowhere do their instructions say how to pick up voice mail. That took a phone call. b. Outgoing calls do not carry callerID information (mixed blessing, I want mine to do so.) c. Incoming calls only carry caller ID numbers not names d. Once (so far) incoming call was diverted to voice mail despite phone being on hook. Unplugged adapter, it reset OK. My suspicion is that the adapter and my router are somehow failing to communicate. I may experiment with putting the adapter in front of the router or increasing the router's DHCP lease periods for its ports. None of these are major issues yet. Still to be established: a. do all the other features (call wait, call forward, etc., work)? b. What does the "LINE" phone jack on the back of the adapter actually do? (There is a PHONE 1 jack, a PHONE 2 jack, and a LINE jack) SO, after 24 hours, the important stuff works and there are a few things to be figured out. Ted ------------------------------ Subject: For Sale: Cisco VoIP Gateways, Gatekeepers, IP phones From: frank@loudpacket.com (Frank Kim) Organization: Comcast Online Date: Fri, 30 Jul 2004 09:49:38 GMT For Sale: Cisco VoIP Gateways, Gatekeepers, IP phones All prices are negotiable. If you need other items that are not on this list, let me know so I can send you a quote. These AS5350, AS5400 and AS5400HPx gateways are in stock, ready to ship. Our CCIE VoIP Guru will configure these gateways for you for FREE to get you running right away. Also, we will give you these equipment in exchange for termination minutes. For example, if you have Cuba, Thailand, Jamaica, Costa Rica and so on, let us pump those minutes and we will ship you any of these equipment that has parallel monetary value. ## in stock, ready to ship (5) Cisco CP-7935 IP phone $700/each (NEW) (25) ATA186-I1 $145/each (NEW) ## These will arrive in two weeks. (50) CP-7960G $285/each (NEW) (50) CP-7940G $235 (NEW) (25) CP-7912G $185 (NEW) ###Perfect for Gatekeepers and edge-routers$$$$$$ Cisco 7204VXR NPE300 IO-FE controller with Fast Ethernet Single AC power supply 256meg dram, 128meg flash 12.2 ios enterprise Rackmount kit and cables Condition: Brand new with accessories Price: $5250/each Cisco 7204VXR NPE400 I/O-2FE controller Single AC power supply 256meg dram, 128meg flash 12.2 ios enterprise Rackmount kit and cables Condition: Brand new with accessories Price: $8150/each Cisco 7204VXR NPE-G1 Single AC power supply 256meg dram, 64meg flash 12.2 ios enterprise Rackmount kit and cables Condition: Brand new with accessories Price: $11,950/each ### Two weeks lead time on these$$$$ Cisco 7206VXR NPE300 IO-FE controller with Fast Ethernet Single AC power supply 256meg dram, 128meg flash 12.2 ios enterprise Rackmount kit and cables Condition: Brand new with accessories Price: $5650/each Cisco 7206VXR NPE400 I/O-2FE controller Single AC power supply 256meg dram, 128meg flash 12.2 ios enterprise Rackmount kit and cables Condition: Brand new with accessories Price: $9150/each Cisco 7206VXR NPE-G1 Single AC power supply 256meg dram, 64meg flash 12.2 ios enterprise Rackmount kit and cables Condition: Brand new with accessories Price: $12,450/each (2) NPE-225 w/ 128meg dram, $1500/each (new pulls) ### Used with 90 days warranty**** (1) PA-MC-2T3+ $7000/each (2) CISCO3662, DUAL AC, $5000/each **DC power supplies are optional.** **We can upgrade you to dual power supplies for AC or DC.** AS535-2T1-48-AC-V With 2T1 And 48 Voice Channels 128mb Of DRAM, 32mb Of Flash (1) AS5350-AC= (1) AS535-DFC-2CT1= (1) AS535-DFC-60NP= Condition: Brand New In Cisco Box With Accessories Price: $7,500.00 AS535-4T1-96-AC-V With 4T1 And 96 Voice Channels 128mb Of DRAM, 32mb Of Flash (1) AS5350-AC= (2) AS535-DFC-2CT1= (1) AS535-DFC-108NP= Condition: Brand New In Cisco Box With Accessories Price: $12,500.00 AS535-8T1-192-AC-V With 8T1 And 192 Voice Channels 128mb Of DRAM, 32mb Of Flash (1) AS5350-AC= (1) AS535-DFC-8CT1= (2) AS535-DFC-108NP= Condition: Brand New In Cisco Box With Accessories Price: $21,500.00 AS535-2E1-60-AC-V With 2E1 And 60 Voice Channels 128mb Of DRAM, 32mb Of Flash (1) AS5350-AC= (1) AS535-DFC-2CE1= (1) AS535-DFC-60NP= Condition: Brand New In Cisco Box With Accessories Price: $7,750.00 AS535-4E1-120-AC-V With 4E1 And 120 Voice Channels 128mb Of DRAM, 32mb Of Flash (1) AS5350-AC= (1) AS535-DFC-4CE1= (2) AS535-DFC-60NP= Condition: Brand New In Cisco Box With Accessories Price: $12,950.00 AS535-8E1-210-AC-V With 8E1 And 216 Voice Channels 128mb Of DRAM, 32mb Of Flash (1) AS5350-AC= (1) AS535-DFC-8CE1= (2) AS535-DFC-108NP= Condition: Brand New In Cisco Box With Accessories Price: $22,000.00 AS54-8T1-192-AC With 8T1 And 192 Voice Channels 256mb Of DRAM, 32mb Of Flash (1) AS5400-AC= (1) AS54-DFC-8CT1= (2) AS54-DFC-108NP= Condition: Brand New In Cisco Box With Accessories Price: $24,500.00 AS54-12T1 288 AC With 12 T1 And 288 Voice Channels 256mb Of DRAM, 32mb Of Flash (1) AS5400-AC= (1) AS54-DFC-8CT1= (1) AS54-DFC-4CT1= (5) AS54-DFC-60NP= Condition: Brand New In Cisco Box With Accessories Price: $30,500.00 AS54-16T1-384-AC With 16T1 And 384 Voice Channels 256mb Of DRAM, 32mb Of Flash (1) AS5400-AC (2) AS54-DFC-8CT1= (3) AS54-DFC-108NP (1) AS54-DFC-60NP Condition: Brand New In Cisco Box With Accessories Price: $35,500.00 AS54-8E1-240-AC With 8E1 And 240 Voice Channels 256mb Of DRAM, 32mb Of Flash (1) AS5400-AC= (1) AS54-DFC-8CE1= (4) AS54-DFC-60NP= Condition: Brand New In Cisco Box With Accessories Price: $26,500.00 AS54-8E1-240-AC With 8E1 And 240 Voice Channels 256mb Of DRAM, 32mb Of Flash (1) AS5400-AC= (1) AS54-DFC-8CE1= (2) AS54-DFC-108NP= (1) AS54-DFC-60NP= Condition: Brand New In Cisco Box With Accessories Price: $27,500.00 AS54-16E1-480-AC With 16E1 And 480 Voice Channels 256mb Of DRAM, 32mb Of Flash (1) AS5400-AC= (2) AS54-DFC-8CE1= (4) AS54-DFC-108NP= (1) AS54-DFC-60NP= Condition: Brand New In Cisco Box With Accessories Price: $39,500.00 AS54-CT3-648-AC With Channelized T3 And 648 Voice Channels 256mb Of DRAM, 32mb Of Flash (1) AS5400-AC= (1) AS54-DFC-CT3= (6) AS54-DFC-108NP= Condition: Brand New In Cisco Box With Accessories Price: $42,500.00 AS54HPX-8E1-240-AC With 8E1 And 240 Voice Channels 256mb Of DRAM, 32mb Of Flash (1) AS5400HPX-AC= (1) AS54-DFC-8CE1= (4) AS54-DFC-60NP= Condition: Brand New In Cisco Box With Accessories Price: $31,500.00 AS54HPX-8E1-240-AC With 8E1 And 240 Voice Channels 256mb Of DRAM, 32mb Of Flash (1) AS5400HPX-AC= (1) AS54-DFC-8CE1= (2) AS54-DFC-108NP= (1) AS54-DFC-60NP= Condition: Brand New In Cisco Box With Accessories Price: $32,500.00 AS54HPX-10E1-300-AC With 10E1 And 300 Voice Channels 256mb Of DRAM, 32mb Of Flash (1) AS5400HPX-AC= (1) AS54-DFC-8CE1= (1) AS54-DFC-2CE1= (5) AS54-DFC-60NP= Condition: Brand New In Cisco Box With Accessories Price: $30,500.00 AS54HPX-16E1-480-AC With 16E1 And 480 Voice Channels 256mb Of DRAM, 32mb Of Flash (1) AS5400HPX-AC= (2) AS54-DFC-8CE1= (4) AS54-DFC-108NP= (1) AS54-DFC-60NP= Condition: Brand New In Cisco Box With Accessories Price: $44,500.00 Cisco AS5400HPX (High Performance) Series Voice Gateways - (T1 Options): AS54HPX-8T1-192-AC With 8T1 And 192 Voice Channels 256mb Of DRAM, 32mb Of Flash (1) AS5400HPX-AC= (1) AS54-DFC-8CT1= (2) AS54-DFC-108NP= Condition: Brand New In Cisco Box With Accessories Price: $28,500.00 AS54HPX-12T1 288 AC With 12 T1 And 288 Voice Channels 256mb Of DRAM, 32mb Of Flash (1) AS5400HPX-AC= (1) AS54-DFC-8CT1= (1) AS54-DFC-4CT1= (5) AS54-DFC-60NP= Condition: Brand New In Cisco Box With Accessories Price: $32,500.00 Cheers, Frank Kim Loud Packet, Inc. / TelePacket, Inc. 27455 Tierra Alta Way, Suite A. Temecula, CA 92590 Mobile: 909-757-2248 [Note: new number ] Direct: 714-263-9099 Fax: 909-494-4425 Email: frank@loudpacket.com frank@telepacket.com Web: http://www.loudpacket.com http://www.telepacket.com ***Free 5mbps tier 1 internet bandwidth at One Wilshire, Los Angeles*** http://www.telepacket.com/docs/Free_Internet.doc ### Discussion for VoIP related topics ### *** http://www.VoIP-Forums.com *** *** http://www.SIP-Forums.com ** ------------------------------ 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, Yahoo Groups, 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: 620-402-0134 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 530-309-7234 Fax 3: 208-692-5145 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@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 oldest e-zine/mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.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. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2004 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. ************************ DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE JUST 65 CENTS ONE OR TWO INQUIRIES CHARGED TO YOUR CREDIT CARD! REAL TIME, UP TO DATE! SPONSORED BY TELECOM DIGEST AND EASY411.COM SIGN UP AT http://www.easy411.com/telecomdigest ! ************************ Visit http://www.mstm.okstate.edu and take the next step in your career with a Master of Science in Telecommunications Management (MSTM) degree from Oklahoma State University (OSU). This 35 credit-hour interdisciplinary program is designed to give you the skills necessary to manage telecommunications networks, including data, video, and voice networks. The MSTM degree draws on the expertise of the OSU's College of Business Administration; the College of Arts and Sciences; and the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology. The program has state-of-the-art lab facilities on the Stillwater and Tulsa campus offering hands-on learning to enhance the program curriculum. Classes are available in Stillwater, Tulsa, or through distance learning. Please contact Jay Boyington for additional information at 405-744-9000, mstm-osu@okstate.edu, or visit the MSTM web site at http://www.mstm.okstate.edu ************************ In addition, gifts from Mike Sandman, Chicago's Telecom Expert have 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 fifty 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. If you donate at least fifty dollars per year we will send you our two-CD set of the entire Telecom Archives; this is every word published in this Digest since our beginning in 1981. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V23 #357 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Sun Aug 1 02:22:47 2004 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p3/8.11.3) id i716MkG11834; Sun, 1 Aug 2004 02:22:47 -0400 (EDT) Date: Sun, 1 Aug 2004 02:22:47 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200408010622.i716MkG11834@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V23 #358 TELECOM Digest Sun, 1 Aug 2004 02:23:00 EDT Volume 23 : Issue 358 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Australia: New Phone Technology is Voice of Tomorrow (VOIP News) POTS' Dirty Little Secret: Big-Time Downtime (VOIP News) Thanks for Vonage Info. What about Lingo? (Ed Abbott) Killer Phone Numbers in Nigeria (jmayson@nyx.net) Cheapest Incoming-Only Phone Service? (Westchester, NY) (Joel Hoffman) Re: History of TV (was Bare-Bones DNC Coverage) (Garrett Wollman) Re: History of TV (was Bare-Bones DNC Coverage)(Michael D. Sullivan) Re: Voice Logic VP 206 Manual Addendum - Internal Battery (Roger Jacobs) Re: 911, Only Simple 911 at Best (Fred Atkinson) Re: 911, Only Simple 911 at Best (Mike Donnelly) Re: Last Laugh! Interesting Origins (Bill Burns) Visit www.VOIPSupply.com for Cisco, Sipura, Grandstream (Cory Andrews) Latest Conspiracy: Nick Berg Alive (jasonhardy@washingtonpost.com) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. =========================== Addresses herein are not to be added to any mailing list, nor to be sold or given away without explicit written consent. Chain letters, viruses, porn, spam, and miscellaneous junk are definitely unwelcome. We must fight spam for the same reason we fight crime: not because we are naive enough to believe that we will ever stamp it out, but because we do not want the kind of world that results when no one stands against crime. Geoffrey Welsh =========================== See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: VOIP News Date: Sat, 31 Jul 2004 12:54:46 -0400 Subject: Australia: New Phone Technology is Voice of Tomorrow Reply-To: VoIPnews@yahoogroups.com http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/07/31/1091080487356.html By Richard Webb August 1, 2004 A Melbourne-developed technology is set to revolutionise the home phone, allowing users to talk for free over the internet, any time, anywhere. The idea of the Surrey Hills-based Freshtel is simple and cheap: it costs $89 for a handset, takes less than 20 minutes to set up, and uses any broadband or asymmetric digital subscriber-line internet connection. Freshtel will begin promoting the new phone to the home market from mid-August. It already has 96,000 users through word of mouth and limited media exposure since the product was trialled six months ago. It is adding new users at a rate of 1000 a day, according to chief executive Michael Carew. While the internet phone system is not new, what appears to be making Freshtel's Firefly "softphone", short for software telephone, attractive is that you don't sound like a Dalek when you speak through it -- it's as clear as a bell -- and it's a doddle to set up and activate. Independent telecommunications consultant Paul Budde said he believes the underlying technology, called voice over internet protocol (VoIP), is the way of the future. "The technology has come to maturity," he said. "The quality and reliability is all there; it's become a serious alternative." Mr Budde said the attractive price would enable the product to quickly establish itself on the market and would soon come packaged with many more services than a standard telephone service could offer. "The technology is going to overtake the current technology very quickly," he said. "There is no doubt in my mind that this is the way phones are going to go." Full story at: http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/07/31/1091080487356.html (Free registration required) How to Distribute VoIP Throughout a Home: http://michigantelephone.mi.org/distribute.html If you live in Michigan, subscribe to the MI-Telecom group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MI-Telecom/ ------------------------------ From: VOIP News Date: Sat, 31 Jul 2004 18:27:10 -0400 Subject: POTS' Dirty Little Secret: Big-Time Downtime Reply-To: VoIPnews@yahoogroups.com As you probably know, one of the claims often made by the shills for the big phone companies is that VoIP is less reliable that POTS ("Plain Old Telephone Service"). Well, it turns out that's not necessarily true -- it depends a lot on where you live and which incumbent telephone company provides service in your area. In this thread on BroadbandReports.com, participants take turns commenting on the reliability of traditional phone service, and for several it's not exactly the "five nines" (99.999% uptime) that the phone companies would like you to believe. http://www.broadbandreports.com/forum/remark,10914037~mode=flat How to Distribute VoIP Throughout a Home: http://michigantelephone.mi.org/distribute.html If you live in Michigan, subscribe to the MI-Telecom group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MI-Telecom/ ------------------------------ From: poepauv@yahoo.com (Ed Abbott) Subject: Thanks for Vonage Info. What about Lingo? Date: 31 Jul 2004 06:47:02 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com Rob, Thanks so much for your detailed reply. Much obliged. Can anyone answer threeq questions about Lingo VoIP telelphone service? I'm trying to decide between Lingo, Vonage, and other VoIP providers. 1 -- Does Lingo sound as bad as a cell phone? 2 -- Does Lingo sound better than a cell phone but worse than regular telelphone service (POTS)? 3 -- Does Lingo sound as good as a POTS line? Thanks so much to anyone who takes the time to reply, Ed ------------------------------ From: jmayson@nyx.net Reply-To: jmayson@nyx.net Subject: Killer Phone Numbers in Nigeria Date: Sun, 01 Aug 2004 01:09:28 GMT Organization: Road Runner High Speed Online http://www.rr.com http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3906607.stm John Mayson Austin, Texas, USA ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 01 Aug 2004 01:16:56 GMT From: joel@exc.com (Dr. Joel M. Hoffman) Subject: Cheapest Incoming-Only Phone Service? (Westchester, NY) Organization: Excelsior Computer Services I just moved to a building that requires a local phone number for the door-intercom system to work. Everyone knows my old (cell) phone number, and I have no reason to change it or stop using it, and I have no need for any home telephone service other than my cell phone, but I need a local number. So I'm wondering: what's the cheapest way to get a local phone number which will forward to my cell? Thanks. -Joel [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Telcos which provide (Enterphone) service or private contractors which provide (Interphone) service usually generally have it rigged up so that door-to-apartment calls *cannot* be forwarded off premises. You probably would not want to have someone be able to remotely open your door when you were not there; it is a security matter, that is why no forwarding is available on Enter (Inter) phone service. If telco is supplying the service, it works sort of like a gerry-rigged centrex. The lobby phone gets dial tone from the central office and the caller dials usually a two or three digit number associated with your name in the lobby directory. You must tell your visitor your apartment number; it is not obvious from the dialed code number. When you agree to admit the caller and dial a '4' or '6' or whatever, the central office pulses the front door latch to allow it to open so the caller can hang up the phone and walk into the building. If you do not have external phone service, then telco's contract with the building management (which pays for the service) calls for telco to provide you with a phone to operate the door only. Now if your building has the service from a private contractor it is called Interphone since the telco (at least years ago) had a patent on 'Enterphone'. The private contractor usually has a 'computer like box' in the basement or wherever telco enters the premises and the 'box' functions like a little switchboard sort of like telco and all the house pairs terminate in this box with the outside trunk lines coming in. It is quite transparent in that the 'box' just sits there silently when you make an outgoing call; but when an incoming call **from the front door** comes in the box does two things: it tests your line for busy; if you are not talking it gives you a distinctive ring (same as telco; to aid you in identifying the source of the call) and if your line *is* busy it sends you a distinctive call waiting tone (again, same as telco, even if you do not already have call-waiting) so you can flash, the box puts your outside call on hold and gives you the door call. Like telco's (non-subscriber) service where any old phone can be plugged into the place on the wall where the phone plugs in, **no actual phone number is needed** since telco (or the private contractor) provides battery as needed to operate the phone when it gets called from the door. So if your building has one of those two types of service (Enter/Interphone) don't bother with calling telco to get phone service; just plug some cheap phone into the jack; it will ring as needed and allow talking as needed for the front door intercom function. When there is not someone at the door talking to you, the phone will otherwise be dead. In any event (Enter or Inter) **call forwarding will not work**. Contractor's box won't do it and telco won't provide it, mainly for security reasons. But there is a *third* type of front door service, always private contractor. Sort of cheesy, IMO. In that system, front door person dials your code (never actual apartment number) and the premises 'box' does a quick look up of your real seven-digit number then places a phone call to that seven-digit number and bridges them together when you answer (if you are home and do answer). Its sort of like a fancy speed dial type thing. On that kind, you *can* do what you want and have it call forwarded or run to an answering machine or wherever, although IMO it is ill advised for security reasons. Do you want the visitor to know you are not home because the door (speed dial type phone) forwards to wherever? There is an exception to the **no for- warding** rule: If you have a telco centrex type system (the first one, above) fully connected and taking incoming/outgoing calls, etc then TRUE incoming calls (not front door calls) can be call forwarded. Turn call forwarding on as desired, but the front door will still give its funny little ring-ring on the phone and not forward. I guess that is because the programming decision whether or not to forward is made at telco long before the decision as the origin of the call. So find out from your new landlord **what kind** of front door intercom service they have. If it is 'cheap' you want then you may be able to get by just plugging a dead phone into a modular jack and letting the front door do its own thing (types one and two above). If you have to have an *actual phone number* (as in type three) then bear in mind the front door will be as limited as the cheap phone service is. If your line is busy (cheap phones do not get call waiting) then the front door will get a busy signal also, and this 'cheap phone you never use since everyone has your cell phone' may turn out to be sort of expensive as you install call waiting (to pamper the front door) and call waiting to forward everyone else (but hopefully not a bad guy burglar, etc) to your cell phone when you are away from home. If you are dealing with type three above and absolutely must get a working phone number from telco, then I would say never give the number out to anyone (the people who matter would have your cell phone anyway). Just let the phone sit there idly 99 percent of the time. At this point you probably know more about Front Door Intercom Service than most landlords and building managers. Oh, and regards repairs: standard telco contracts on these devices call for a *thirty minute* repair time turnaround if/when the front door intercom goes out of order. Various reasons; all the pairs from central office to the building and the jumpers, etc are *supposed to be dedicated and plainly marked in the c.o.* and in the building basement, but it is not uncommon to get a dorkus installer tech who rips off pairs in older neighborhoods, nor is it uncommon for the cellanoids unlatching the front door to go bad, and telco understands it is a rush/24 hour per day repair job. Hopefully private contractors sense the urgency also. If the landlord does not understand what kind of front door intercom system he has, then try plugging in a dead phone to a jack first and see if it works; if it does then all is cool. Some of them say 'oh, you gotta have a phone to make the door work' and they don't really know what they are saying. Then get back to us as needed. PAT] ------------------------------ From: wollman@lcs.mit.edu (Garrett Wollman) Subject: Re: History of TV (was Bare-Bones DNC Coverage Draws Lower Ratings) Date: Sat, 31 Jul 2004 02:32:34 UTC Organization: MIT Laboratory for Computer Science In article , Paul Coxwell wrote: > comment? I *think* WTTW, Channel 11 began as a project of the Museum > of Science and Industry, as an endowed exhibit. At some point or > another ownership transferred to PBS. PBS does not own any stations, and never has. It is a membership cooperative. WTTW and WFMT are owned by WTTW, Inc., a self-perpetuating non-profit corporation. > Regards station ID and such, the rules have changed some also, The rules haven't changed significantly in many years. Stations are required to announce their callsign and community of license hourly, and at sign-on and sign-off of the transmitter. They were formerly required to identify on the half-hour as well, but this was considered such a burden (particularly to non-commercial stations broadcasting classical music) that the rules were changed about thiry years ago to halve the frequency.[1] The legal form of a station identification is the callsign (as shown on the license), followed optionally by the name of the licensee (as shown on the license) and/or the frequency and/or channel number of the station, followed by the community of license (as shown on the license), followed (except at sign-off) by program material (which may include the names of other communities served by the station). In the words of section 73.1201, ``No other insertion is permissible.'' In a small number of cases, announcement of the frequency or channel is not optional (although many stations which are required to do it, don't, and vice versa). > do not know exactly how it works, but at least once per day when they > are broadcasting, stations have to give details about themselves and No, there is no such requirement (except during the public-comment period while a license renewal or station sale is pending). Some TV stations still choose to do this; most full-time radio stations don't. -GAWollman [1] Stations are only required to identify 'as close to the hour as feasible, at a natural break' in programming. Some program directors mistakenly interpret this requirement (assuming they are even aware of it) as meaning that they can define a 'natural break' as the interval between the tenth and eleventh spots in a 16-unit stop set running at :42 after the hour. Garrett A. Wollman | As the Constitution endures, persons in every wollman@lcs.mit.edu | generation can invoke its principles in their own Opinions not those of| search for greater freedom. MIT, LCS, CRS, or NSA| - A. Kennedy, Lawrence v. Texas, 539 U.S. ___ (2003) ------------------------------ From: Michael D. Sullivan Subject: Re: History of TV (was Bare-Bones DNC Coverage Draws Lower Ratings) Date: Sat, 31 Jul 2004 05:57:47 GMT In article , paulcoxwell@tiscali.co.uk says: > I find it fascimating to read about the history of radio and TV > broadcasting. It's interesting enough here in Britain, but obviously > much more restricted due to very tight state-control that existed > then. American broadcast history has so many more interesting turns > to investigate thanks to the multitude of companies and networks that > were operating. >> Chicago Tribune is and always was the (W)orld's (G)reatest (N)ews- >> paper. No one would hear of Channel 11 -PBS- (W)indow (T)o (T)he >> (W)orld for a few more years, until it went on the air about 1955 as >> an exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry, broadcasting five or >> six hours from the auditorium of the museum Monday through Friday. > Presumably WTTW-TV was an independent station for the museum at that > time. Didn't PBS start sometime around the late 1960s? There were noncommercial educational stations long before there was a PBS. I believe PBS emerged in the late 1960s (or possibly early 1970s), after the major educational stations, such as WNET (NY), WGBH (Boston), WETA (Washington), etc. had begun exchanging high-quality program content, and there was interest in Washington to get some of that programming onto educational stations in cities that didn't produce programming. As I recall, it started out with some government funding, but that subsequently dried up. >> When Channel 11 first started broadcasting they were on Monday to >> Friday only, I think a few hours each afternoon with classroom lessons >> for school kids. They were dark -- off the air -- on weekends with >> the exception of Sunday evening from 7:55 PM to 9:05 PM. They would >> turn on their power at 7:55 PM, play the National Anthem, and the >> announcer would give their call sign and say, "Now, this weeks program >> from Chicago Sunday Evening Club at Orchestra Hall." After that >> religious service ended at 9 PM, the same announcer would come back >> on and sign the station off the air with the obligitory announcements >> about station, owner, frequency, power, etc and again the National >> Anthem. They stayed at Museum of Science and Industry until the early > What exactly were the FCC rules regarding required announcements in > those days? Obviously stations had to announce their call signs at > appropriate times (a practice which still leaves many British tourists > not used to U.S. broadcasting somewhat confused!), but what about > other details? Were station, power etc. required at regular > intervals, or just at start-up and closedown? Station ID announcements (call sign, city, channel) were ordinarily required every half hour. I think there was a requirement of a more detailed announcement (ownership, mainly) once a day, which was typically done at either startup or shutdown, or both. The inclusion of specific frequencies (beyond the channel), power, and other information was not required by FCC rules, as far as I can recall. Nor was there any FCC requirement of a national anthem. The anthem plus the detailed announcement was a tradition widely followed, however. > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I do not know the history of PBS/NPR > (the later is the radio version of PBS. PBS = public television and > NPR = public radio.), but I know it has changed a lot over the years > also. Maybe someone who knows PBS/NPR history better than I could > comment? I *think* WTTW, Channel 11 began as a project of the Museum > of Science and Industry, as an endowed exhibit. At some point or > another ownership transferred to PBS. I cannot say for sure, but I > think PBS in Chicago got started as the result of a gift from Mr. > Ryerson. What was called WBOE (as in Board of Education [of the City > of Chicago]) became an NPR affiliate about the same time in the > late 1960's. I do know that the earliest PBS stuff was black and > white (like all television) and even when they moved into the Ryerson PBS doesn't own any stations. It is a funding mechanism for program development and distribution. PBS, likewise. They are the functional equivalent of networks, but without any owned and operated stations. The stations are owned by local nonprofits. For example, WETA in Washington is not owned by PBS; it is owned by the Washington Educational Television Association. WTTW was started in 1955 by the Chicago Educational Television Association; the organization is now "Window To The World Communications, Inc., a not-for-profit corporation governed by 45 trustees representing the greater Chicago community." . According to the website, its first broadcast was from a temporary studio in the Banker's Building in Chicago, not the museum. It worked with the Board of Ed to produce college courses and other educational programs. Michael D. Sullivan Bethesda, MD, USA Delete nospam from my address and it won't work. ------------------------------ From: raj@lauhala.com (Roger Jacobs) Subject: Re: Voice Logic VP 206 Manual Addendum Internal Battery Replacement Date: 31 Jul 2004 00:20:34 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com More good news: The lead acid backup battery was worn out -- I successfully replaced it with a RadShack #23-952 6V 600 mAh and the unit can now survive a power failure without forgetting it's settings. raj@lauhala.com (Roger Jacobs) wrote in message news:: > I bought a VP 206 on eBay and was pretty confused until I found this > very helpful manual addendum. It was in google cache and might not be > around for long, so I have reposted it here: > http://omnisphere.com/support-docs/voice-pro-manual-addendum.pdf ------------------------------ Reply-To: Fred Atkinson From: Fred Atkinson Subject: Re: 911, Only Simple 911 at Best Date: Sat, 31 Jul 2004 09:55:28 -0400 As for the power outage effect on Vonage, I've thought about that issue as well. However, you can probably come up with a lot less expensive solution than a full universal power supply. The Vonage unit doesn't require much power. I'd suggest that you also use the backup power to power the cable modem. It won't do you any good to backup the power on the Vonage unit and not do it to the cable modem, too. I worked for a company that sent data over a satellite. They spent an enormous amount of money to install a diesel generator to support their computers (the ones that were primarily for sending data to the satellite link. They were linked to the satellite uplink site via a telco provided leased data line. When the day finally came that the commercial power failed, the computers kept right on processing. Then we got calls from the customers who weren't getting their data. It appeared that the satellite uplink had failed. Upon investigation, they discovered a telco station package in the basement. It was plugged into commercial power only. The truth was, they had anticipated this. And to that end, they had run an AC receptacle from the generator to the telephone room in the basement and had telco plug their station package into it. But, apparently some telco guy had come in there at a later time and for some unknown reason, he'd moved the unit from the orange receptacle to a standard receptacle on the building power. By the time they figured out what had happened, the commercial power was already restored. All that money had been spent only to suffer another outage. They moved telco's station package back to the orange receptacle and put up a sign cautioning the telco guys not to move the unit off the generator to standard commercial power (perhaps it would have been better to remove the commercial receptacles from the wall altogether leaving only the orange receptacle from the generators as a source of AC power). But, there was not a repeat performance, thankfully. People don't think about the fact that the providers of these services have to run their equipment on the same power when they consider redundant power for their equipment. Speaking of forethought, I once worked for a paging company that had paging transmitters deployed in a lot of different places across the country. When we would employ an electrician to run a new AC breaker to our transmitter, we insisted on single gang receptacles (not duplex) on each circuit. Why? Because someone comes into that area and sees an available plug (on a duplex receptacle) wouldn't think anything about plugging into it. Suddenly, the power requirements of whatever he has plugged into it (a utility light or equipment that pulls a few amps of current) and our transmitter operating on the same breaker is now over the current rating of the AC breaker and the breaker blows. Now, your paging transmitter is down and your customers are unhappy. All because some workman came along and plugged into your power circuit. Of course, you still run the risk of having someone unplug it to use the receptacle (they may not realize the impact of unplugging your equipment) and your equipment is down. But, we rarely experienced someone unplugging someone else's equipment. For the most part, workmen and other radio technicians working in the same area tend to shy away from unplugging equipment not belonging to them. You may not think these things are all that important during the planning stages. But when the day comes that you suffer an outage because you didn't think about it up front, it can be painful. And even if you did consider these issues, there is always the chance that there was something you didn't consider. Fred ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 01 Aug 2004 02:53:32 +0000 (GMT) From: Mike Donnelly Subject: Re: 911, Only Simple 911 at Best Pat, I am not interested in starting a flame war in your newsgroup. Feel free to pass this along to Jack at address withheld. Jack Pat, please conceal my e-mail address. > On Wed, 28 Jul 2004 18:15:13 GMT, Mike Donnelly > wrote: >> charlie@cdsdetroit.com (charlie3) wrote in >> news:telecom23.353.10@telecom-digest.org: >>> problems to VOIP phones; more and more cell phones and >>> VOIP phones are going into use and many will replace >>> traditional copperline phones, regardless of 911 >>> concerns. Public officials will find solutions to 911 >>> calls originating from cell and internet phones. >>> I'm simply no longer willing to pay for a 100 year old >>> POTS phone when I can get five times the functionality >>> and unlimited US minutes for a lower price from Vonage. >>> With a cell phone for backup my internet phone does not >>> have perform exactly like a traditional phone. >> Hope you never need emergency services any time in the >> near future. > You know, every time I read a comment like this, my gut > reaction is to want to strangle the writer (figuratively > speaking, of course). First for the obvious reason that he > is trying to impose his own sense of values on others, but > also because it's such a pathetically stupid statement. > I mean, to me people who say things like this sound like > they want us to live in a rubber room with a 100% reliable > phone with a big red speed dial button programmed for > "911." One could just as easily say "I hope you never go > outside to check your mail without taking a cordless phone > along" or "I hope you never decide to take a walk in the > woods." The point I am making, in case it isn't obvious, > is that (if we are reasonably normal people) we ALL have > times -- and probably many more than we think about -- > where we are NOT near enough to a telephone that it would > do us any good if we had a heart attack or some other > emergency. > I don't have a wireless phone (in my situation I really > have no pressing need for one). I sometimes take walks in > the woods, I go out to the outside shed and putz around or > do some task outside, and I never have a phone with me and > am often out of view of anyone else. Oh the horror, I might > have a heart attack and not be able to call 911! Well you > know what, if that's my time to go, it's my time to go, and > I don't need any goody two-shoes know-it-alls trying to > tell me that I am being irresponsible by not having the > level of communica- tions that they think I should have. > In fact, people like that sometimes almost make me wish I > could check out a bit sooner. If they succeed in making > the world a perfectly safe place to live, but one in which > you have no options left because someone else has dictated > all aspects of how you must live, why would I want to keep > on living? I don't know about anyone else, but I couldn't > escape a world like that fast enough! I'm just waiting for > these people to start trying to get "unsafe" recreational > activities banned, like hang-gliding or rock climbing or > motorcycling or any of the hundreds of other things people > enjoy doing but that have the potential to get them killed. >> BTW, what happens to VOIP when there is a power outage? Is >> there anything similar to "lifeline service"? My 100 year >> old POTS phone still works. I know because I have had to >> use it several times during outages. > Bully for you. No one is asking you to give up your 100 > year old POTS phone if that's what floats your boat. But > you have absolutely no right to decide that I or anyone > else needs to have that level of service. I don't WANT to > be 100% safe 100% of the time. A life like that would be > boring as hell, not to mention that the cost of living > would be far higher. I didn't decide anything for you or anyone else. I am responsible only for what I imply. YOU are responsible for what YOU infer. I am only suggesting that people need to understand the limitations of the newer technologies. > What about the Amish people who don't even have telephones, > nor for that matter cars to drive to a hospital at 70 MPH > in an emergency? Would you be the one to tell them that > they need to conform to your acceptable way of living? > If I, or anyone else wants to have phone service from > VoicePulse or Vonage or any of those companies, and we know > what the limitations of 911 are and are willing to accept > them, it is none of your damn business! Take your > finger-wagging to someplace where it's appreciated, though > I cannot imagine where that might be. > Sorry if the above seems a bit strong, but sometimes I just > get really sick of hearing from people who want to suck all > the LIFE out of living because all they can think about is > safety, and not only for themselves, but they want to pass > their obsession on to others. Nope, not at all. I'm just arguing for informed consent. I am sure Vonage customers are told what they are getting in the way of new features, but do all of them realize what they are doing without? If you want to live on the edge KNOWLINGLY, that's OK. I don't really care. I am not the one with the obsession. > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Well Jack, the possible, but unlikely > problem of 'what to do in an emergency when all you have is Vonage' > is just a red herring anyway. The main problem with so many of > those people is that they are shills for an old, dying method of > communications where 'the telephone company' is the be-all, > end-all way of doing business. They have such a love affair with > POTS; a system which won't die soon enough IMO. PAT] Heck I'm no shill for anybody. Been retired for five years. I just suspect that not all Vonage customers have the technical understanding of the folks in this group. Mike Donnelly [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: That is a good point. I think as a worst case scenario some people discover the power line behind their house is down and they cannot use Vonage 911 'automatically' to call authorities tp report it. I've suggested before that 'there outta be a law' requiring *everyone* to take a year or so of lessons at telephone school as part of their general education. The world would be a better place as a result. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Bill Burns Subject: Re: Last Laugh! Interesting Origins Date: 31 Jul 2004 16:19:09 GMT Organization: FTL Paul Vader wrote: > Lisa Minter writes: >> In the 16th and 17th centuries, most things were shipped by boat. > The word in question, which I won't use to avoid content filters, > has its origins in English at least 300 years earlier than that. > Research people, research! The first cite of the word in the Oxford English Dictionary is dated Y1K -- the year 1000! Bill Burns, Long Island, NY, USA mailto:billb@ftldesign.com Undersea Cable History Website: http://atlantic-cable.com ------------------------------ From: sales@b2llc.com (Cory Andrews) Subject: Visit www.VOIPSupply.com for Cisco, Sipura, Grandstream, VOIP Gear Date: 31 Jul 2004 09:57:20 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com www.VOIPSupply.com offers a wide selection of VOIP related hardware at great discounts. www.VOIPSupply.com ------------------------------ From: jasonhardy@washingtonpost.com Subject: Latest Internet Rumor: Nick Berg Alive Date: Sun, 01 Aug 2004 02:12:38 GMT Organization: Cox Communications Conspiracy theories of Nick Berg being alive and well in Iraq have today been proven true. Aljazeera have released video footage of the supposedly beheaded American captive. The clip was first "discovered" on an Islamic website in Malaysia and has now been released by American Journalists colaborating with Aljazeera. The evidence speaks for itself and can be viewed firsthand here. http://www.greentea.625.co.kr/NickBerg.zip [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Not only can the evidence speak for itself and can be viewed, as a special gift to new readers at greentea.625.co.kr we will give you -- whether you ask for it or not -- a virus and add you to our spam mailing list. PAT] ------------------------------ 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, Yahoo Groups, 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: 620-402-0134 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 530-309-7234 Fax 3: 208-692-5145 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@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 oldest e-zine/mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.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. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2004 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. ************************ DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE JUST 65 CENTS ONE OR TWO INQUIRIES CHARGED TO YOUR CREDIT CARD! REAL TIME, UP TO DATE! SPONSORED BY TELECOM DIGEST AND EASY411.COM SIGN UP AT http://www.easy411.com/telecomdigest ! ************************ Visit http://www.mstm.okstate.edu and take the next step in your career with a Master of Science in Telecommunications Management (MSTM) degree from Oklahoma State University (OSU). This 35 credit-hour interdisciplinary program is designed to give you the skills necessary to manage telecommunications networks, including data, video, and voice networks. The MSTM degree draws on the expertise of the OSU's College of Business Administration; the College of Arts and Sciences; and the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology. The program has state-of-the-art lab facilities on the Stillwater and Tulsa campus offering hands-on learning to enhance the program curriculum. Classes are available in Stillwater, Tulsa, or through distance learning. Please contact Jay Boyington for additional information at 405-744-9000, mstm-osu@okstate.edu, or visit the MSTM web site at http://www.mstm.okstate.edu ************************ In addition, gifts from Mike Sandman, Chicago's Telecom Expert have 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 fifty 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. If you donate at least fifty dollars per year we will send you our two-CD set of the entire Telecom Archives; this is every word published in this Digest since our beginning in 1981. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V23 #358 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Mon Aug 2 01:11:41 2004 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p3/8.11.3) id i725Bew20596; Mon, 2 Aug 2004 01:11:41 -0400 (EDT) Date: Mon, 2 Aug 2004 01:11:41 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200408020511.i725Bew20596@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V23 #359 TELECOM Digest Mon, 2 Aug 2004 01:10:00 EDT Volume 23 : Issue 359 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Time Warner Cable Loses Sports Channels (Monty Solomon) South Korea's Daum to Buy Lycos (Monty Solomon) Lingo (Michael Hynes) SIP and TAPI (JustSomeGuy) Re: Latest Internet Rumor: Nick Berg Alive (KarlJ) Re: Latest Internet Rumor: Nick Berg Alive (SELLCOM Tech support) Re: History of TV (was Bare-Bones DNC Coverage) (Paul Coxwell) Re: POTS' Dirty Little Secret: Big-Time Downtime (Dr. Joel M. Hoffman) Re: The Convention in 1904, One Hundred Years Ago (Russell Blau) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. =========================== Addresses herein are not to be added to any mailing list, nor to be sold or given away without explicit written consent. Chain letters, viruses, porn, spam, and miscellaneous junk are definitely unwelcome. We must fight spam for the same reason we fight crime: not because we are naive enough to believe that we will ever stamp it out, but because we do not want the kind of world that results when no one stands against crime. Geoffrey Welsh =========================== See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 1 Aug 2004 11:16:52 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Time Warner Cable Loses Sports Channels NEW YORK, August 1 (Reuters) - New York sports channels Fox Sports New York and MSG were dropped from Time Warner Cable systems on Sunday after it failed to reach a deal with channel owners, leaving more than 1.4 million New York area cable customers without popular baseball, basketball and hockey game broadcasts. Time Warner said it plans to pay a $2.00 rebate a month to subscribers. Cablevision Systems Corp (NYSE:CVC), which owns the two regional sports channels demanded hikes on rates it charges operators to carry its networks that were as high as 38 percent for channels targeting New York customers, a source familiar with the talks said. The two channels broadcast the games of New York Mets baseball, the New York Knicks basketball and the New York Rangers hockey teams. The disagreements also include a third channel, Metro Channel, which carries local news and some sports. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=42832416 ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 1 Aug 2004 23:52:38 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: S.Korea's Daum to Buy Lycos for $95 Mln By Jean Yoon and Rhee So-eui SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's top Web site operator Daum Communications Corp., said on Monday it would acquire Lycos Inc., the U.S. business of Spain's Terra Lycos, owner of popular sites such as Wired News and Tripod, for $95 million. ... http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=internetNews&storyID=5839577 ------------------------------ From: Michael Hynes Subject: Lingo Date: Sun, 1 Aug 2004 03:17:38 -0400 I would avoid Lingo at all costs. The service never worked. I called tech support at which they promised to call me back within 48 hours (48 hours!) but in point of fact it took them 6 days days days to return my call. I cancelled and sent everything back for a refund. Which I haven't recieved yet. I've recontacted them about same. No response. I'll be contacting my credit card company next ... avoid them. Oh -- PS -- my Vonage service hasn't exactly been great lately either ... [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Lingo I cannot help you with. And although I am not employed by Vonage, I can only make some suggestions about them now and them. What exactly is your problem with Vonage? PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 01 Aug 2004 17:04:18 GMT From: JustSomeGuy Subject: SIP and TAPI Organization: Shaw Residential Internet I'm sorta new to the VoIP standards. I see there is SIP and H.323. As I understood it H.323 was a video teleconfrencing standard. Reading more I see that it can also be used to do an IP to PSTN session. I have found Microsofts TAPI 3.0 and I am wondering if I need to study SIP in detail as well or is TAPI sufficient? ------------------------------ From: kjones0509@aol.com (KarlJ) Subject: Re: Latest Internet Rumor: Nick Berg Alive Date: 1 Aug 2004 02:41:09 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com Virus. Just a virus and nothing else. Rather lame one though isnt it, got about as far as the door mat before getting trod over. Look forward to be added to your spam list, though god knows how your gonna figure out my email addy ;) sonhardy@washingtonpost.com wrote in message news:: > Conspiracy theories of Nick Berg being alive and well in Iraq have > today been proven true. Aljazeera have released video footage of the > supposedly beheaded American captive. The clip was first "discovered" > on an Islamic website in Malaysia and has now been released by > American Journalists colaborating with Aljazeera. The evidence speaks > for itself and can be viewed firsthand here. > http://www.greentea.625.co.kr/NickBerg.zip > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Not only can the evidence speak for > itself and can be viewed, as a special gift to new readers at > greentea.625.co.kr we will give you -- whether you ask for it or not -- > a virus and add you to our spam mailing list. PAT] ------------------------------ From: SELLCOM Tech support Subject: Re: Latest Internet Rumor: Nick Berg Alive Organization: www.sellcom.com Reply-To: support@sellcom.com Date: Sun, 01 Aug 2004 16:54:06 GMT jasonhardy@washingtonpost.com posted on that vast internet thingie: > Conspiracy theories of Nick Berg being alive and well in Iraq have > today been proven true. Are you sure? http://www.allahislam.com shows different Steve at SELLCOM (Opinions expressed are not necessarily the opinions of those who disagree or of the staff management or affiliates of the major networks express or implied.) http://www.sellcom.com Discount multihandset cordless phones by Siemens, AT&T, Panasonic, Motorola Vtech 5.8Ghz; TMC ET4000 4line Epic phone, OnHoldPlus, Beamer, Watchguard! Brick wall "non MOV" surge protection. Uniden 2line 5.8GHz cordless If you sit at a desk www.ergochair.biz you owe it to yourself. ------------------------------ From: Paul Coxwell Subject: Re: History of TV (was Bare-Bones DNC Coverage) Date: Sun, 1 Aug 2004 08:36:14 +0100 Thanks for the replies everyone. > There were noncommercial educational stations long before there was a > PBS. I believe PBS emerged in the late 1960s (or possibly early > 1970s), after the major educational stations, such as WNET (NY), WGBH > (Boston), WETA (Washington), etc. had begun exchanging high-quality > program content, and there was interest in Washington to get some of > that programming onto educational stations in cities that didn't > produce programming. As I recall, it started out with some government > funding, but that subsequently dried up. In recent years I've also seen quite a few documentaries which indicate they're a joint production between WGBH Boston and the BBC. Paul. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 01 Aug 2004 13:48:07 GMT From: joel@exc.com (Dr. Joel M. Hoffman) Subject: Re: POTS' Dirty Little Secret: Big-Time Downtime Organization: Excelsior Computer Services > As you probably know, one of the claims often made by the shills for > the big phone companies is that VoIP is less reliable that POTS > ("Plain Old Telephone Service"). Well, it turns out that's not > necessarily true -- it depends a lot on where you live and which Once again, I feel compelled to comment on "VOIP News," which continues to look like propaganda for VoIP. This time, the "news" story being reporting is merely one person's post in a chat room. I think c.d.t is a wonderful place for dialog, and the VoIP vs. POTS debate is clearly the defining telco debate of our time, but it helps no one to hide opinion behind the title "news." In this case, suppose all of the posters "VOIP News" refers to *never* had any service. Suppose even that there are 75 such people with 100% downtime rates. I don't know how many POTS lines are in use in the U.S., but let's supose that there are only 10 million. Then we'd have a collective downtime from these 75 hypothetical people of 0.00075% (yes, percent, also known as a downtime of 0.0000075). In other words, even 75 reports of intermittent failure in the U.S. doesn't bring the reliability rating below what the OP called "the 5 nines." Seventy-five reports of 100% downtime doesn't even bring the reliability rating below those 5 nines. (And, as it happens, the posts in the chatroom are roughly divided between which is more reliable, POTS or VOIP.) In short, a handful reports in a random forum is statistically irrelevant for downtime rates. This is not news. And VOIP went one step further by taking the story out of context and misinterpreting it for us. To be clear, I have no problem with a poster doing this to advoate VOIP. But hiding behind "news" is disingenuous. Everyone else uses their real name here. Why can't "VOIP news"? -Joel [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Well, not everyone here uses their real name or real email address. FYI, for those who do not know it, 'VOIP News' is Jack Decker, of Michigan, a long time correspondent here. Occassionally he uses his real name and invariably asks for his email address to be munged which I do. He and I have an agreement where the news items in (his) VoIP-related news group in Yahoo are concerned, and that is that when each item of his newsgroup gets here, I am to automatically delete the entire 'From:' line and replace it with the phrase 'VOIP News' so he does not have to go along message by message repeatedly asking me to delete his email address. So, there is no such entity as 'VOIP News'; it is a figment of my imagination designed to cooperate with Jack Decker as much as I can. But -- Monty Solomon also sends me a lot of news and uses his true name and email. I know Monty gets spammed out of existence sometimes, all of us who use real names do. But Jack tries to avoid it in his case. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Russell Blau Subject: Re: The Convention in 1904, One Hundred Years Ago Date: Sun, 1 Aug 2004 16:28:43 -0400 Pat - A few weeks ago you printed a vividly detailed description of the communications arrangements at the 1904 Republican Convention, at which Theodore Roosevelt was nominated for his second term. I assume you weren't there, or at least weren't old enough at the time to remember all those details , but you didn't identify the source of your information. Your narrative included the following: > But in 1904, a hundred years ago, things were different when Theodore > Roosevelt was nominated at Chicago Colliseum. On the stage sat the > band, the song leader, the master of ceremonies and of course, Mr. > Roosevelt. > The first row of seats and the > area in front of the stage were reserved for the most important people > there: the stenographers, the telegraph operators and the telephone > operator. The delegates got to sit behind the ladies and gentlemen who > communicated the whole thing to the rest of the world. In those long > ago days before tape recording equipment, etc it was up to > stenographers to copy it all down. *They* of course got priority since > they had to hear it all correctly. > Speeches were made, Roosevelt was nominated, and made his acceptance > speech. Then the master of ceremonies declared that "as we close our > convention, Mr. Zundel will lead us as we rise to sing 'Battle Hymn of > the Republic' then following our dismissal, Mr. Roosevelt will linger > at the steps leading from the stage so that delegates who wish to do > so may personally greet him or ask questions." Mr. Zundel began to > lead the singing and Mr. Roosevelt studied his program through the > owl-shaped style eye glasses he wore. Then something must have crossed > his mind, because he looked over his glasses at the stenographers and > telegraphers who filled the first row of seats, and decided to visit > with them and made his way down the stairs from the stage. > He approached the ladies, sort of courteously acknowleged them and > began greeting them. The stenographers as a group stood to acknowledge > him also and shook hands with him. They represented various newspapers > and magazines, etc which would print his entire acceptance speech in > their next issues, etc. Then his attention went to the nearby > telephone operator with a switchboard and he must have been curious > about how telephones worked or what they did, because the operator > explained that the overflow crowd of people who had not been able to > get in the coleseum to hear him speak were all at the Central Music > Hall downtown where his voice could be heard over loudspeakers "at the > very same time you are speaking here, Mr. Roosevelt, citizens at the > Music Hall, about two miles away are hearing you." Then the telegraph > operators rose to greet him, and he apparently asked them something > about their work and how their devices operated also, which they > demonstrated for him. By this point, the singing of 'Battle Hymn' was > concluding and the master of ceremonies walked over to him and > motioned for him to stand in a certain place where the delegates and > members of the public fortunate enough to get a seat could come by and > speak to him as they filed out. > Mr. Roosevelt must have been suitably impressed by all the 'fancy' > equipment there that history states he was the first president to > install a switchboard in the White House, and he insisted that it be > located right outside his office, where the 'girl' could bring him any > messages received promptly. Earlier telephones in the White > House had been single line magneto crank instruments. All this is quite fascinating, and the description of Roosevelt's speech, his visit to the stenographers and telegraphers, and particularly the opportunity for delegates to walk by and shake the President's hand at the end of the session were all most intriguing. There is just one, slight problem. President Roosevelt did not attend the Republican National Convention in 1904. According to Edmund Morris' biography, _-Theodore Rex_ (Random House 2001), Roosevelt "received the news of his nomination ... just after lunch, as he sat with Edith [his wife] and Alice [his daughter] on the White House portico. ... With kisses on his cheeks, he walked happily to his office and met a congratulatory crowd of newsmen." (p.337.) Sources for this passage are Alice's journal and the New York Times of 24 June 1904. For Roosevelt to have attended the convention in person would have been a terrific breach of protocol. To have made an acceptance speech in person would have been unheard-of. (Both of these traditions were later violated by TR's distant cousin, FDR.) Roosevelt did not formally accept the nomination until 27 July (when he was officially notified by a party delegation), over a month after the convention ended. The first GOP nominee to make an acceptance speech at a convention was Dewey in 1944. An interesting telecom note from that 1904 Republican convention, though -- "Long before proceedings began on Tuesday, word spread that the President would monitor every minute of every session, via a special telephone line running direct from his office to the basement of the Coliseum. Delegates began to get uneasy feelings of remote control." (Morris, p. 332.) [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: No I was not quite that old, thank you! I had previously heard this same conflict (did he or did he not attend 1904 convention), but then a book I read some time ago mainly dealing with the history of the Bull Moose party, (which Teddy Roosevelt defected to when he got angry at the Republicans) said he *did* attend 1904 and speak up. But your Alice Roosevelt diary and the NY Times report from the same year are very powerful sources also. I dunno. Thanks for writing me on it however. PAT] ------------------------------ 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, Yahoo Groups, 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: 620-402-0134 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 530-309-7234 Fax 3: 208-692-5145 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@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 oldest e-zine/mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.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. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2004 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. ************************ DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE JUST 65 CENTS ONE OR TWO INQUIRIES CHARGED TO YOUR CREDIT CARD! REAL TIME, UP TO DATE! SPONSORED BY TELECOM DIGEST AND EASY411.COM SIGN UP AT http://www.easy411.com/telecomdigest ! ************************ Visit http://www.mstm.okstate.edu and take the next step in your career with a Master of Science in Telecommunications Management (MSTM) degree from Oklahoma State University (OSU). This 35 credit-hour interdisciplinary program is designed to give you the skills necessary to manage telecommunications networks, including data, video, and voice networks. The MSTM degree draws on the expertise of the OSU's College of Business Administration; the College of Arts and Sciences; and the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology. The program has state-of-the-art lab facilities on the Stillwater and Tulsa campus offering hands-on learning to enhance the program curriculum. Classes are available in Stillwater, Tulsa, or through distance learning. Please contact Jay Boyington for additional information at 405-744-9000, mstm-osu@okstate.edu, or visit the MSTM web site at http://www.mstm.okstate.edu ************************ In addition, gifts from Mike Sandman, Chicago's Telecom Expert have 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 fifty 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. If you donate at least fifty dollars per year we will send you our two-CD set of the entire Telecom Archives; this is every word published in this Digest since our beginning in 1981. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V23 #359 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Mon Aug 2 23:43:45 2004 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p3/8.11.3) id i733hi401418; Mon, 2 Aug 2004 23:43:45 -0400 (EDT) Date: Mon, 2 Aug 2004 23:43:45 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200408030343.i733hi401418@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V23 #360 TELECOM Digest Mon, 2 Aug 2004 23:44:00 EDT Volume 23 : Issue 360 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson VoIP Provider Vonage Suffers Outage (VOIP News) Sprint Expands VoIP Reach (VOIP News) TiVo Slumps as Rival DVR Maker Has DirecTV Deal (Monty Solomon) Vonage Service Interruption (Peter Pearson) Re: POTS' Dirty Little Secret: Big-Time Downtime (Jack Decker) Re: POTS' Dirty Little Secret: Big-Time Downtime (Ron Chapman) Re: POTS' Dirty Little Secret: Big-Time Downtime (Carl Navarro) Re: POTS' Dirty Little Secret: Big-Time Downtime (Lisa Hancock) Re: POTS' Dirty Little Secret: Big-Time Downtime (Tim Shoppa) Re: POTS' Dirty Little Secret: Big-Time Downtime (Charles B. Wilber) Re: The Convention in 1904, One Hundred Years Ago (Lisa Hancock) MCHSI Fibre/Fire Outage? (Clarence Dold) Re: S.Korea's Daum to Buy Lycos for $95 Mln (Scott Dorsey) Re: History of TV (was Bare-Bones DNC Coverage) (Scott Dorsey) Re: The Convention in 1904, One Hundred Years Ago (Lisa Hancock) Re: Cheapest Incoming-Only Phone Service? (T. Sean Weintz) Re: Last Laugh! Interesting Origins (T. Sean Weintz) Re: Last Laugh! Interesting Origins (Paul Vader) Re: Last Laugh! Interesting Origins - Ship High In Transit (Bart) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. =========================== Addresses herein are not to be added to any mailing list, nor to be sold or given away without explicit written consent. Chain letters, viruses, porn, spam, and miscellaneous junk are definitely unwelcome. We must fight spam for the same reason we fight crime: not because we are naive enough to believe that we will ever stamp it out, but because we do not want the kind of world that results when no one stands against crime. Geoffrey Welsh =========================== See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: VOIP News Date: Mon, 02 Aug 2004 15:02:10 -0400 Subject: VoIP Provider Vonage Suffers Outage Reply-To: VoIPnews@yahoogroups.com http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1105_2-5293439.html By Ben Charny and Robert Lemos CNET News.com Net phone service provider Vonage confirmed that it suffered its first outage in 18 months on Monday, due to problems at partner Global Crossing. Customers could still receive calls, but a small percentage of Vonage's 200,000 total subscribers couldn't make outbound calls from around 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. PDT, at which time the problem was fixed. The outage didn't sit well with at least one Vonage customer. Jay Ackerman was thinking of doing exactly what the company wants: dropping his traditional landline for Vonage's voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)-based service. Now, he said in an e-mail to CNET News.com, he's not so sure. Full story at: http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1105_2-5293439.html How to Distribute VoIP Throughout a Home: http://michigantelephone.mi.org/distribute.html If you live in Michigan, subscribe to the MI-Telecom group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MI-Telecom/ ------------------------------ From: VOIP News Date: Mon, 02 Aug 2004 15:05:59 -0400 Subject: Sprint Expands VoIP Reach Reply-To: VoIPnews@yahoogroups.com http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1103_2-5293231.html By Matt Hines CNET News.com Telecommunications giant Sprint has signed a deal with regional cable and Internet service provider USA Companies to provide voice services in three states. Under the five-year agreement, announced Monday, USA Companies will offer voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone services to some 62,000 customers in California, Montana and Nebraska. Executives at Kearney, Neb.-based USA Companies lauded the deal as giving it the ability to introduce VoIP without being forced to construct its own infrastructure. Financial terms of the agreement were not immediately disclosed. Full story at: http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1103_2-5293231.html ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 2 Aug 2004 18:41:47 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: TiVo Slumps as Rival DVR Maker Has DirecTV Deal NEW YORK, Aug 2 (Reuters) - TiVo Inc. (NASDAQ:TIVO) shares slipped 6 percent on Monday after a rival said it would next year supply television recording device technology to satellite television company DirecTV Group Inc. (NYSE:DTV), TiVo's biggest source of new customers. British digital TV technology firm NDS Group Plc (NASDAQ:NNDS), which like DirecTV is controlled by media conglomerate News Corp. Ltd., told Reuters on Monday that it plans to ship digital video recorder technology to DirecTV in the first quarter of 2005. The increasing NDS-DirecTV partnership follows several events that have shaken investors' confidence in Tivo's relationship with DirecTV, including DirecTV's sale of its stake in TiVo in June, and the resignation of DirecTV's chairman from TiVo's board. TiVo, which has a contract to supply digital video recorders (DVRs) to satellite firm DirecTV (NYSE:DTV) through 2007, has previously said that given a choice, DirecTV subscribers would pick TiVo's DVR service, which has unique features, programming and home networking options. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=42854843 ------------------------------ From: Peter Pearson Subject: Vonage Service Interruption Date: Mon, 02 Aug 2004 16:10:20 -0700 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Reply-To: ppearson@are.see.enn.com According to a Vonage bulletin, at 10:45 EDT today Global Crossing "experienced a data routing issue," which resulted in a variety of malfunctions. In my case, a couple of voice messages appear to have vanished. A bulletin visible to Vonage users who log into the Vonage server says, ... individual customers' success of [sic] making and receiving calls remained sporadic depending on where a particular customer was located on the Internet. The systems which were effected [sic] during the outage were: voicemail, voicemail email notification, vonage web login and network availability number. Overall, I'm quite happy with Vonage service. There are occasional audio quality problems (dropout, echo), but cell phones have forced us to adapt to such problems and worse. It is indescribably delightful to be able to report a problem to one's phone company and, within minutes, be speaking with a technically knowledgeable person who really cares about fixing the problem. - Peter To email me, replace the three words with the letters R, C, and N. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 02 Aug 2004 05:07:39 -0400 From: Jack Decker Subject: Re: POTS' Dirty Little Secret: Big-Time Downtime Pat, please conceal my e-mail address as usual. On Sun, 01 Aug 2004 13:48:07 GMT, joel@exc.com (Dr. Joel M. Hoffman) wrote: >> As you probably know, one of the claims often made by the shills for >> the big phone companies is that VoIP is less reliable that POTS >> ("Plain Old Telephone Service"). Well, it turns out that's not >> necessarily true -- it depends a lot on where you live and which > Once again, I feel compelled to comment on "VOIP News," which > continues to look like propaganda for VoIP. This time, the "news" > story being reporting is merely one person's post in a chat room. > I think c.d.t is a wonderful place for dialog, and the VoIP vs. POTS > debate is clearly the defining telco debate of our time, but it helps > no one to hide opinion behind the title "news." I quess I should point out that VoIP News is the title of the Yahoo Group in which these posts originate. I picked that title because it was originally my thought that most of the posts would be pointers to news items that mention VoIP from various online sources. Now, in many towns near where I live, there is a publishing company that puts out a product called a "newspaper." Some of these products even have the word "news" in the title, such as the Detroit News, the Ann Arbor News, or the Saginaw News. Every one of these carries news from various sources, but also a variety of other things that are arguably not news - including, usually, at least one or two pages of opinions. And that's not even counting things like movie reviews, which are also opinion. But is Mr. Hoffman picking at them because they have the word "news" in the title? As for Mr. Hoffman's assertion that some of my posts "look like propaganda for VoIP", well you see, it's a group about VoIP (from which Pat selects articles to repost in the Telecom Digest) and I don't think very many people would want to read it if I was constantly knocking VoIP, now would they? But "propaganda" is an interesting word. I went to look it up on Google, using their "define:" feature, and it presented a wide range of definitions, which anyone interested can view at: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=define%3Apropaganda But the definition I liked the best, for probably obvious reasons, was this one: n. All utterances by the opposition, particularly if true. In describing my own posts, I would simply say that I am an advocate of the VoIP option, but only for so long as I actually believe it's a good option for consumers. I realize it's not for everyone, and particularly it's not for those who have no need or desire for broadband Internet service. But, the shills for the big phone companies are trying to spread a lot of FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt) about VoIP right now, and it seems to me that if they had their way, they'd simply remove the VoIP option from the consumer (at least until they can come out with their own VoIP offerings). The only point I was really trying to make is that you cannot generalize about reliability -- that is, you cannot say that for any given customer, or that in every situation a POTS line will be more reliable than VoIP. Some customers seem to have gold-plated POTS service and lousy cable broadband service, so for them POTS might indeed be far more reliable. But others, particularly those living in rural areas or in big cities where the wiring is so old that Mr. Watson might have helped inspect it, may find that VoIP is more reliable, particularly if (as is not infrequently the case) the cable company has recently strung all new fiber optic cable throughout the area so they could offer broadband and digital cable. > In this case, suppose all of the posters "VOIP News" refers to *never* > had any service. Suppose even that there are 75 such people with 100% > downtime rates. I don't know how many POTS lines are in use in the > U.S., but let's supose that there are only 10 million. Then we'd have > a collective downtime from these 75 hypothetical people of 0.00075% > (yes, percent, also known as a downtime of 0.0000075). In other > words, even 75 reports of intermittent failure in the U.S. doesn't > bring the reliability rating below what the OP called "the 5 nines." > Seventy-five reports of 100% downtime doesn't even bring the > reliability rating below those 5 nines. (And, as it happens, the > posts in the chatroom are roughly divided between which is more > reliable, POTS or VOIP.) So let me get this straight, Mr. Hoffman is willing to allow us to count those who posted to that thread (which was on BroadbandReports.com, not in VoIP News) as having had 100% downtime, but only if we let him count everyone else who did not post in that thread (including everyone who has never even heard of that particular forum) as having had 100% uptime? Give us a break -- we didn't all just fall off the turnip truck yesterday, you know! > In short, a handful reports in a random forum is statistically > irrelevant for downtime rates. This is not news. And VOIP went one > step further by taking the story out of context and misinterpreting it > for us. Who was talking statistics? I was simply reporting that this thread existed, and that at least some of those who posted were apparently not getting the fabled 99.999% uptime. Mr. Hoffman is setting up a straw man here. Perhaps I should have run a disclaimer saying that the statements expressed in that thread were those of the people who posted them, but I guess I thought that any reasonably intelligent person could figure that out. > To be clear, I have no problem with a poster doing this to advoate > VOIP. Why do I have a hard time swallowing that statement? > But hiding behind "news" is disingenuous. Everyone else uses > their real name here. Why can't "VOIP news"? Pat has already explained this and he pretty much said what I would have said, so I'll let his answer stand. I will ask, however, why Mr. Hoffman is so interested in someone's name? I've always figured that a post should stand or fall on its own merits. If he had known who I was, would he have perhaps responded with an ad hominem attack, instead of being forced to respond to the content of the post itself? Anyway, I have always said, no one is forced to read my "propaganda" if that's what they think it is. That's what kill filters are for; people should feel free to use them if they don't like what I write, or don't find the information useful. But just as Pat sometimes adds comments to articles that are sent directly to him, or sometimes writes his own commentary, I likewise sometimes add comments to items that appear in VoIP News, and sometimes even write a message that is primarily my own commentary. If that doesn't sit well with anyone, they should feel perfectly free to ignore anything and everything that has "VoIP News" or my name in the message headers. Jack ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 2 Aug 2004 08:06:11 -0400 From: Ron Chapman Subject: Re: POTS' Dirty Little Secret: Big-Time Downtime In article , joel@exc.com (Dr. Joel M. Hoffman) wrote: > Once again, I feel compelled to comment on "VOIP News," which > continues to look like propaganda for VoIP. This time, the "news" > story being reporting is merely one person's post in a chat room. > I think c.d.t is a wonderful place for dialog, and the VoIP vs. POTS > debate is clearly the defining telco debate of our time, but it helps > no one to hide opinion behind the title "news." I read this through the Usenet, and I killfiled "VoIP News" a long time ago. The Digest became a much more pleasant read. In fact, I forgot all about that guy -- until I read the above. ------------------------------ From: Carl Navarro Subject: Re: POTS' Dirty Little Secret: Big-Time Downtime Reply-To: cnavarro@wcnet.org Date: Mon, 02 Aug 2004 15:33:54 GMT Organization: Road Runner High Speed Online http://www.rr.com On Sun, 01 Aug 2004 13:48:07 GMT, joel@exc.com (Dr. Joel M. Hoffman) wrote: >> As you probably know, one of the claims often made by the shills for >> the big phone companies is that VoIP is less reliable that POTS >> ("Plain Old Telephone Service"). Well, it turns out that's not >> necessarily true -- it depends a lot on where you live and which > Once again, I feel compelled to comment on "VOIP News," which > continues to look like propaganda for VoIP. This time, the "news" > story being reporting is merely one person's post in a chat room. > I think c.d.t is a wonderful place for dialog, and the VoIP vs. POTS > debate is clearly the defining telco debate of our time, but it helps > no one to hide opinion behind the title "news." <> > To be clear, I have no problem with a poster doing this to advoate > VOIP. But hiding behind "news" is disingenuous. Everyone else uses > their real name here. Why can't "VOIP news"? The noise to signal ratio in c.d.t. has pretty much doubled with VOIP news being added to it. Never mind that this group is getting those postings over one of the other 48,000 plus newsgroups. I have already suggested to the moderator that VOIP News would fit better in the voice-over-IP group. It fell on deaf ears so I have a very fast delete key. In fact, lately, I can read the 3 or so messages that interest me and bulk delete the rest. FWIW if I had poor telephone service, I'd call the one place where someone cares, not post it to 5000 or 10,000 people on the internet who could care less about the weather or quality of phone service in an apartment building in Manhattan. Perhaps that poster should spend some time reading the phone book instead of the chat room mail :-) My last call to the Public Utilities Commission must have made Verizon (nee GTE) flag their account, but my parents get excellent service from Verizon to this day. As far as using an alias or not, I guess the more you post the more you get spammed. Mailwasher lets me bounce mail before it is filtered and it seems to know what is spam. Carl Navarro [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Carl did make that suggestion; I mentioned to Jack Decker, but the decision reached was to keep those messages (which originate with people posting to Yahoo Groups) here. I think it was based on the volume of readers here as opposed to Voice Over IP. Jack did want to have those messages appear in a moderated news group. But the Voice Over IP group is a good choice as well if there was a moderator there; a job which Jack could probably handle. PAT] ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com (Lisa Hancock) Subject: Re: POTS' Dirty Little Secret: Big-Time Downtime Date: 2 Aug 2004 09:42:14 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com joel@exc.com (Dr. Joel M. Hoffman) wrote > Once again, I feel compelled to comment on "VOIP News," which > continues to look like propaganda for VoIP. This time, the "news" > story being reporting is merely one person's post in a chat room. I have to agree. Certainly the VOIP people are entitled to their opinion, but it does seem there's a constant flood of messages that are rather shrill in their support of VOIP and criticizing existing lines, and without much substantiation to them. If there are problems that would knock out POTS, it is likely the same problems will knock out VOIP. When the errant truck knocks down a utility pole, all the wires on it -- POTS, fibre, cable, etc., all come down and go out of service. My cable TV, served by fibre-optic lines, is definitely not that reliable. > In short, a handful reports in a random forum is statistically > irrelevant for downtime rates. This is not news. And VOIP went one > step further by taking the story out of context and misinterpreting it > for us. Also true. It seems too many posts refer to a single example of someone liking their VOIP, but that in itself is not meaningful. FWIW, my own experiences with VOIP have been most unsatisfactory-- terrible unreliable connections. ------------------------------ From: shoppa@trailing-edge.com (Tim Shoppa) Subject: Re: POTS' Dirty Little Secret: Big-Time Downtime Date: 2 Aug 2004 10:06:43 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com VOIP News wrote in message news:: > As you probably know, one of the claims often made by the shills for > the big phone companies is that VoIP is less reliable that POTS > ("Plain Old Telephone Service"). Well, it turns out that's not > necessarily true -- it depends a lot on where you live and which > incumbent telephone company provides service in your area. In this > thread on BroadbandReports.com, participants take turns commenting on > the reliability of traditional phone service, and for several it's not > exactly the "five nines" (99.999% uptime) that the phone companies > would like you to believe. > http://www.broadbandreports.com/forum/remark,10914037~mode=flat Unfortunately the availability of the switch isn't the same as the availability of the service. But the many-nines numbers always refer to switch availability. Depending on the model/frame the availability for making a call is probably lower than the availability for keeping a connected call connected. When I had dial-up net access via a 24x7 dedicated analog-line modem several years ago, I had one call that was continuously connected for over six months. When it did disconnect it was because my ISP was upgrading its modem banks. The switch(es) I was going through probably went through several upgrades and reconfigurations in those six months. Tim. ------------------------------ Date: 02 Aug 2004 15:57:06 EDT From: Charles.B.Wilber@Dartmouth.EDU (Charles B. Wilber) Subject: Re: POTS' Dirty Little Secret Even more telling and sly was the title of the posting. Calling the opinion piece "POTS' Dirty Little Secret: Big-Time Downtime" is apparently an effort to predispose readers to a certain point of view. I have read many interesting posts in this forum but have learned to treat them as opinion, never as fact, unless I can verify them myself. That sort of "yellow journalism" is the reason why. Charlie Wilber Dartmouth College --- You wrote: In short, a handful reports in a random forum is statistically irrelevant for downtime rates. This is not news. And VOIP went one step further by taking the story out of context and misinterpreting it for us. --- end of quote --- ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com (Lisa Hancock) Subject: Re: The Convention in 1904, One Hundred Years Ago Date: 2 Aug 2004 07:33:26 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com I wonder how many telephone lines, if any at all, were installed and used for the convention? The Bell System used to always announce the big installation jobs it had to do for each political convention -- hundreds of telephones and lines for the politicians and press. I wonder what is involved today. I presume they still need a number of conventional land line telephone circuits. But they likely also get high speed data lines. I wonder if any additional cellular capacity is added; I presume a good number of delegates and press are on the cellphones, either talking about the latest political gossip or ordering in pizza. > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Isn't it really bizzarre that an event > like a political convention -- allegedly a democratic process -- and > a 'public' event is totally closed to the general public? Our political system is not a pure "democracy" (where everyone gets to participate) but rather a _representative_ republic. That is, we elect representatives who act on our behalf. Actually, with the widespread use of the primary election, the conventions are more public and open than ever, since everyone can express their view in the primaries. Years ago, the party itself would choose the nominees and the primaries could be ignored. What troubles me is the tolerance of disruptive behavior. In 2000, protesters made it quite clear their objective was to disrupt, even shut down if they could, the conventions. That was the end objective in itself. The pundits seemed to excuse this behavior as a healthy exercise of free speech even though no one had a clue as to what message the protesters were sending. To me, it sounded like mob rule. Of course, when such shutdown protests are aimed at the pundits themselves (as happened when a newspaper was picketed by a big crowd), then it's another story. ------------------------------ From: dold@MCHSIXfibr.usenet.us.com Subject: MCHSI Fibre/Fire Outage? Date: Mon, 2 Aug 2004 14:59:09 UTC Organization: a2i network My MCHSI cable internet has been out since Saturday. I called and the service number notes that there is an outage in my area. This morning I stayed on hold, and they tell me that there is an area-wide outage caused by a fire, and it is affecting the AT&T feed into the cable headend. Okay. That's not their fault. But, MCHSI has no status page, AT&T doesn't have a status page that I can find, and searching the local news pages doesn't mention a fire or large AT&T outage near Lakeport/Clear Lake, CA. Is there a status page that I can check? I used to have a PacBell status page, but that doesn't work anymore. Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley (Lake County) CA USA 38.8-122.5 ------------------------------ From: kludge@panix.com (Scott Dorsey) Subject: Re: S.Korea's Daum to Buy Lycos for $95 Mln Date: 2 Aug 2004 11:25:08 -0400 Organization: Former users of Netcom shell (1989-2000) Monty Solomon wrote: > By Jean Yoon and Rhee So-eui > SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's top Web site operator Daum > Communications Corp., said on Monday it would acquire Lycos Inc., > the U.S. business of Spain's Terra Lycos, owner of popular sites > such as Wired News and Tripod, for $95 million. Daum being one of the ten major spam sources (slightly behind Korea's Kornet and Hananet), does this mean Lycos is now going to turn into a spam factory as well? --scott "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." ------------------------------ From: kludge@panix.com (Scott Dorsey) Subject: Re: History of TV (was Bare-Bones DNC Coverage) Date: 2 Aug 2004 11:27:34 -0400 Organization: Former users of Netcom shell (1989-2000) Paul Coxwell wrote: > Thanks for the replies everyone. >> There were noncommercial educational stations long before there was a >> PBS. I believe PBS emerged in the late 1960s (or possibly early >> 1970s), after the major educational stations, such as WNET (NY), WGBH >> (Boston), WETA (Washington), etc. had begun exchanging high-quality >> program content, and there was interest in Washington to get some of >> that programming onto educational stations in cities that didn't >> produce programming. As I recall, it started out with some government >> funding, but that subsequently dried up. > In recent years I've also seen quite a few documentaries which > indicate they're a joint production between WGBH Boston and the BBC. And can anyone explain to me what ITV was? I remember seeing a lot of documentaries (clearly film-to-tape jobs) when I was a kid, which claimed to be from ITV and had the ITV logos. This is no relation to the British outfit of the same name, but was the "Instructional Television" operation, whose programming was broadcast by the PBS affiliate. --scott "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com (Lisa Hancock) Subject: Re: The Convention in 1904, One Hundred Years Ago Date: 2 Aug 2004 09:35:01 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com TELECOM Digest Editor wrote > I've got a hunch -- just a hunch -- that the Republican convention > this time around will be as much of a 'riot' as the Democratic > one in 1968 was. I strongly doubt it. I don't think the interest is there. > just as Chicago police considered everyone an 'anti-war protestor' > in 1968 as they cracked heads open assembly line style as they > gassed them and dragged them off to Cook County Jail. Many thousands > of gentle people whose crime was they disagreed with those in power. Several good books ("The Century" by Peter Jennings and Todd Brewster and "Reds" by Ted Morgan) discussed the 1968 riots. Both books describe in detail how the protest (riot) organizers worked hard to train their followers to provoke a police response -- that was their goal. I'm not sure calling the protesters merely "gentle people" is accurate. It was not right for the cops to react so violently, but it was also not right for the protesters to go to such extremes to intentionally provoke the cops. In 2000, protesters again attempted to riot at the convention. Again, their purpose was not to express a political message, but rather disrupt the convention and the host city. The police were extremely well trained and refused to react even when directly assaulted -- TV news showed protesters shoving cops off their bikes and slaming the bikes down onto the cops. There was considerable damage to private property, much of it owned by poor people. Ironically, the protesters supposedly were concerned about the poor, but none of them offered to pay to replace the damages. When I express these views, people criticize me for being "a facist" or "suppressing all dissent". Not true at all. What bothers me is that there are plenty of legal ways to protest, but protesters avoid them because they're boring. Supporters of mob rule think it was how social reforms were made; but this isn't true. It was the assault on _totally peaceful strollers_ in Birmingham that outraged the nation; and it was mob rule in the 1870s that overturned Reconstruction in the South. > and the telephone operator. ... Then his attention went to the > nearby telephone operator with a switchboard [I missed this part in my other post.] ------------------------------ From: T. Sean Weintz Subject: Re: Cheapest Incoming-Only Phone Service? (Westchester, NY) Date: Mon, 02 Aug 2004 17:26:46 -0400 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Dr. Joel M. Hoffman wrote: > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Telcos which provide (Enterphone) > service or private contractors which provide (Interphone) service > usually generally have it rigged up so that door-to-apartment calls > *cannot* be forwarded off premises. You probably would not want to > have someone be able to remotely open your door when you were not > there; it is a security matter, that is why no forwarding is > available on Enter (Inter) phone service. If telco is supplying the > service, it works sort of like a gerry-rigged centrex. The lobby > phone gets dial tone from the central office and the caller dials > usually a two or three digit number associated with your name in > the lobby directory. You must tell your visitor your apartment number; > it is not obvious from the dialed code number. When you agree to > admit the caller and dial a '4' or '6' or whatever, the central > office pulses the front door latch to allow it to open so the caller > can hang up the phone and walk into the building. If you do not have > external phone service, then telco's contract with the building > management (which pays for the service) calls for telco to provide > you with a phone to operate the door only. > Now if your building has the service from a private contractor it > is called Interphone since the telco (at least years ago) had a patent > on 'Enterphone'. The private contractor usually has a 'computer like > box' in the basement or wherever telco enters the premises and the > 'box' functions like a little switchboard sort of like telco and > all the house pairs terminate in this box with the outside trunk > lines coming in. It is quite transparent in that the 'box' just sits > there silently when you make an outgoing call; but when an incoming > call **from the front door** comes in the box does two things: it > tests your line for busy; if you are not talking it gives you a > distinctive ring (same as telco; to aid you in identifying the source > of the call) and if your line *is* busy it sends you a distinctive > call waiting tone (again, same as telco, even if you do not already > have call-waiting) so you can flash, the box puts your outside call > on hold and gives you the door call. > Like telco's (non-subscriber) service where any old phone can be > plugged into the place on the wall where the phone plugs in, **no > actual phone number is needed** since telco (or the private > contractor) provides battery as needed to operate the phone when it > gets called from the door. So if your building has one of those two > types of service (Enter/Interphone) don't bother with calling telco to > get phone service; just plug some cheap phone into the jack; it will > ring as needed and allow talking as needed for the front door intercom > function. When there is not someone at the door talking to you, the > phone will otherwise be dead. In any event (Enter or Inter) **call > forwarding will not work**. Contractor's box won't do it and telco > won't provide it, mainly for security reasons. > But there is a *third* type of front door service, always private > contractor. Sort of cheesy, IMO. In that system, front door person > dials your code (never actual apartment number) and the premises > 'box' does a quick look up of your real seven-digit number then places > a phone call to that seven-digit number and bridges them together when > you answer (if you are home and do answer). Its sort of like a fancy > speed dial type thing. On that kind, you *can* do what you want and > have it call forwarded or run to an answering machine or wherever, > although IMO it is ill advised for security reasons. Do you want the > visitor to know you are not home because the door (speed dial type > phone) forwards to wherever? There is an exception to the **no for- > warding** rule: If you have a telco centrex type system (the first > one, above) fully connected and taking incoming/outgoing calls, etc > then TRUE incoming calls (not front door calls) can be call forwarded. > Turn call forwarding on as desired, but the front door will still > give its funny little ring-ring on the phone and not forward. I guess > that is because the programming decision whether or not to forward > is made at telco long before the decision as the origin of the call. > So find out from your new landlord **what kind** of front door > intercom service they have. If it is 'cheap' you want then you may > be able to get by just plugging a dead phone into a modular jack and > letting the front door do its own thing (types one and two above). If > you have to have an *actual phone number* (as in type three) then > bear in mind the front door will be as limited as the cheap phone > service is. If your line is busy (cheap phones do not get call > waiting) then the front door will get a busy signal also, and this > 'cheap phone you never use since everyone has your cell phone' may > turn out to be sort of expensive as you install call waiting (to pamper > the front door) and call waiting to forward everyone else (but > hopefully not a bad guy burglar, etc) to your cell phone when you are > away from home. If you are dealing with type three above and > absolutely must get a working phone number from telco, then I would > say never give the number out to anyone (the people who matter would > have your cell phone anyway). Just let the phone sit there idly 99 > percent of the time. > At this point you probably know more about Front Door Intercom Service > than most landlords and building managers. Oh, and regards repairs: > standard telco contracts on these devices call for a *thirty minute* > repair time turnaround if/when the front door intercom goes out of > order. Various reasons; all the pairs from central office to the > building and the jumpers, etc are *supposed to be dedicated and > plainly marked in the c.o.* and in the building basement, but it is > not uncommon to get a dorkus installer tech who rips off pairs in > older neighborhoods, nor is it uncommon for the cellanoids unlatching > the front door to go bad, and telco understands it is a rush/24 hour > per day repair job. Hopefully private contractors sense the urgency > also. If the landlord does not understand what kind of front door > intercom system he has, then try plugging in a dead phone to a jack > first and see if it works; if it does then all is cool. Some of them > say 'oh, you gotta have a phone to make the door work' and they don't > really know what they are saying. Then get back to us as needed. PAT] I am in the property management business, and in my experience the most common type of these building entry systems are made by a company called "doorking". The base models (they do make a "NO phone bill" system which I do not discuss here) simply have 1 outgoing phone line. These are "option 3" as you note above. There is a database of phone numbers mapped to entry codes (or apartmenet numbers). When you enter the code (or apt number) on the panel, all it does is call the number that matches it it's database. No special contracts with the telco, no special switching equipment on site. And the kicker is, if you know the number of ther phone line it dials out from, you can call into it and press whatever DTMF is assigned to open the door. (And also you can program the database by dialing in, if you know the security code assigned. 9999 is the default I think.) Lousy security, very low tech, and, unfortunately, VERY common. And bottom line is you MUST have telco service for it to work for your apartment. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I know that at the time of divestiture, telco was forbidden (under divestiture) to actively solicit new subscribers to the Enterphone Front Door Security System, but all existing customers were grandfathered, and there are still some of those older (20 years) systems. Interphone is also a classy type of system and not too many buildings can (or want to) afford them, so regretfully, the 'option 3' systems are in use a lot. The Enterphone set up from Illinois Bell used build in the wall style nice looking stainless steel plates and armored handsets. Cheap they weren't, but extremely good security. Mr. Weintz, are your tenants aware of just how insecure, how woefully lacking in security their downstairs front door is? And who comes around to maintain it as needed? PAT] ------------------------------ From: T. Sean Weintz Subject: Re: Last Laugh! Interesting Origins Date: Mon, 02 Aug 2004 17:15:41 -0400 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Bill Burns wrote: > Paul Vader wrote: >> Lisa Minter writes: >>> In the 16th and 17th centuries, most things were shipped by boat. >> The word in question, which I won't use to avoid content filters, >> has its origins in English at least 300 years earlier than that. >> Research people, research! > The first cite of the word in the Oxford English Dictionary is dated > Y1K -- the year 1000! > Bill Burns, Long Island, NY, USA > mailto:billb@ftldesign.com > Undersea Cable History Website: > http://atlantic-cable.com Most "S" word likely derives from the germanic Scheisse. A lot of words that are considered vulgar today were ordinary regular words 1000 years ago. True for most vulgar words connected with anatomy and body functions. It was only later when the Latin speaking nobility began to excercise some control of the local (ie: english) language that we got the current latin derived words for these same body parts and body functions - and now they are considered the "proper" words to use for these, while the earlier germanic derived words are now considered vulgar. ------------------------------ From: pv+usenet@pobox.com (Paul Vader) Subject: Re: Last Laugh! Interesting Origins Date: Mon, 02 Aug 2004 22:09:08 -0000 Organization: Inline Software Creations Bill Burns writes: >> has its origins in English at least 300 years earlier than that. >> Research people, research! > The first cite of the word in the Oxford English Dictionary is dated > Y1K -- the year 1000! I wish I had an OED handy (they have a ridiculously expensive subscription service -- I don't see paying it just to tell neophiles who wrong they are on word origins), but I did find references on the web to the 1300's, which was good enough to blow the stupid "ship high in transit" thing out of the water. Who makes up this crap anyway? So to speak. * * PV something like badgers--something like lizards--and something like corkscrews. ------------------------------ From: Bart Subject: Re: Last Laugh! Interesting Origins - Ship High In Transit Date: Mon, 02 Aug 2004 07:33:19 -0700 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Reply-To: spam@icpage.com On 29 Jul 2004 11:58:09 -0700, adamsjac@telcordia.com (Jack Adams) wrote: > Yet another interesting origin of a phrase, this time as reported in > Harry Newton's Telecommunication Dictionary: > Edited for brevity ... > In the 16th and 17th centuries, most things were shipped by boat. > Among the products so shipped was dried manure (tightly bailed) as > commercial manufactured fertilizers weren't yet invented. Shipping it > dry reduced its weight yet produced another problem. Once the bails > of manure got wet, the fermentation process started with the byproduct > of methane gas (highly flammable). Several accidents occurred as the > result of bails of manure being stowed low in the hold of the ship and > getting wet due to water in the low part of the ship. These accidents > usually occurred when a crewman decended into the hold with a lantern > ... ka BOOM! Investigations soon revealed that these manure bail > should be kept out of the water, or on the upper or higher decks. The > labeling used on the bails was Ship High In Transit, which became > S.H.I.T., which became .... > Lisa Minter wrote in message > news:: >> A few thousand years agom as incredible as it sounds, men and women >> took baths only twice a year (May and October)! Women kept their hair >> covered, while men shaved their heads (because of lice and bugs) and >> wore wigs. Wealthy men could afford good wigs made from wool. They >> couldn't wash the wigs, so to clean them they would carve out a loaf >> of bread, put the wig in the shell, and bake it for 30 minutes. The >> heat would make the wig big and fluffy, hence the term "big wig." >> Today we often use the term "here comes the Big Wig" because someone >> appears to be or is powerful and wealthy. >> In more recent years, common entertainment included playing >> cards. However, there was a tax levied when purchasing playing cards >> but only applicable to the "Ace of Spades." To avoid paying the tax, >> people would purchase 51 cards instead. Yet, since most games require >> 52 cards, these people were thought to be stupid or dumb because they >> weren't "playing with a full deck." >> In the heyday of sailing ships, all war ships and many freighters >> carried iron cannons. Those cannons fired round iron cannon balls. It >> was necessary to keep a good supply near the cannon. However, how to >> prevent them from rolling about the deck? The best storage method >> devised was a square-based pyramid with one ball on top, resting on >> four resting on nine, which rested on sixteen. Thus, a supply of 30 >> cannon balls could be stacked in a small area right next to the >> cannon. There was only one problem ... how to prevent the bottom layer >> from sliding or rolling from under the others. The solution was a >> metal plate called a "Monkey" with 16 round indentations. >> However, if this plate were made of iron, the iron balls would quickly >> rust to it. The solution to the rusting problem was to make "Brass >> Monkeys." Few landlubbers realize that brass contracts much more and >> much faster than iron when chilled. Consequently, when the temperature >> dropped too far, the brass indentations would shrink so much that the >> iron cannonballs would come right off the monkey. Thus, it was quite >> literally, "Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey." (All >> this time, you thought that was an improper expression, didn't you.) ------------------------------ 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, Yahoo Groups, 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: 620-402-0134 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 530-309-7234 Fax 3: 208-692-5145 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@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 oldest e-zine/mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.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. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2004 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. ************************ DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE JUST 65 CENTS ONE OR TWO INQUIRIES CHARGED TO YOUR CREDIT CARD! REAL TIME, UP TO DATE! SPONSORED BY TELECOM DIGEST AND EASY411.COM SIGN UP AT http://www.easy411.com/telecomdigest ! ************************ Visit http://www.mstm.okstate.edu and take the next step in your career with a Master of Science in Telecommunications Management (MSTM) degree from Oklahoma State University (OSU). This 35 credit-hour interdisciplinary program is designed to give you the skills necessary to manage telecommunications networks, including data, video, and voice networks. The MSTM degree draws on the expertise of the OSU's College of Business Administration; the College of Arts and Sciences; and the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology. The program has state-of-the-art lab facilities on the Stillwater and Tulsa campus offering hands-on learning to enhance the program curriculum. Classes are available in Stillwater, Tulsa, or through distance learning. Please contact Jay Boyington for additional information at 405-744-9000, mstm-osu@okstate.edu, or visit the MSTM web site at http://www.mstm.okstate.edu ************************ In addition, gifts from Mike Sandman, Chicago's Telecom Expert have 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 fifty 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. If you donate at least fifty dollars per year we will send you our two-CD set of the entire Telecom Archives; this is every word published in this Digest since our beginning in 1981. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V23 #360 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Tue Aug 3 13:57:48 2004 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p3/8.11.3) id i73Hvmc08819; Tue, 3 Aug 2004 13:57:48 -0400 (EDT) Date: Tue, 3 Aug 2004 13:57:48 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200408031757.i73Hvmc08819@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V23 #361 TELECOM Digest Tue, 3 Aug 2004 13:57:00 EDT Volume 23 : Issue 361 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Telecom Update (Canada) #442, August 3, 2004 (Angus TeleManagement) In a Surprising Turn of Events (johndee) Norvergence Bankruptcy Leads to Charges of Scam (David O. Rodriguez) Vonage Hit by Nationwide Calling Disruption (VOIP News) Re: The Convention in 1904, One Hundred Years Ago (Gary Novosielski) Re: The Convention in 1904, One Hundred Years Ago (Hammond of Texas) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. =========================== Addresses herein are not to be added to any mailing list, nor to be sold or given away without explicit written consent. Chain letters, viruses, porn, spam, and miscellaneous junk are definitely unwelcome. We must fight spam for the same reason we fight crime: not because we are naive enough to believe that we will ever stamp it out, but because we do not want the kind of world that results when no one stands against crime. Geoffrey Welsh =========================== See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 03 Aug 2004 10:38:39 -0400 From: Angus TeleManagement Subject: Telecom Update (Canada) #442, August 3, 2004 ************************************************************ TELECOM UPDATE ************************************************************ published weekly by Angus TeleManagement Group http://www.angustel.ca Number 442: August 3, 2004 Publication of Telecom Update is made possible by generous financial support from: ** ALLSTREAM: www.allstream.com ** BELL CANADA: www.bell.ca ** CISCO SYSTEMS CANADA: www.cisco.com/ca ** CYGCOM INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGIES: www.cygcom.com ** GROUP TELECOM: www.360.net ** JUNIPER NETWORKS: www.juniper.net ** PRIMUS CANADA: www.primustel.ca ** SPRINT CANADA: www.sprint.ca ** TELUS: www.telus.com ************************************************************ IN THIS ISSUE: ** Nortel Needs More Cost Cutting ** Videotron Promises VoIP by Mid-2005 ** Bell Offers Secure IP Net to Small Business ** Sirois Replaced as TIW Chair ** CRTC Outlines VoIP Hearing Process ** Telus Union Wins a Round ** CRTC Okays Bell IP Centrex Tariff ** Local Interconnection Simplified ** Wireless Internet Expands in Rural N.B. ** Persona Ups Internet Speed ** CRTC Deregulates SaskTel EMI Services ** Phone Prefix in 819 to Be Reclaimed ** Rutherford to Head Cygnal Network Group ** Call-Net Sales Rise ** Strike Cuts Into Aliant Profits ** Avaya Revenues, Profits Rise ** Keeping Your Network Alive ============================================================ NORTEL NEEDS MORE COST CUTTING: Nortel Networks CEO Bill Owens says he expects the company's revenues to grow faster than the market this year, but that its costs remain too high. He says he will provide information on "the actions that we will be taking to put into place an improved cost structure" by mid-August. ** There are widespread rumours that Nortel will move its headquarters from Brampton to Ottawa this year. VIDEOTRON PROMISES VoIP BY MID-2005: Videotron Ltee and Videotron Telecom Ltd say they will launch VoIP-based residential telephone service in Quebec during the first half of 2005. The company, which expects to spend $80 million to roll the service out over the next four years, plans to bundle phone service with digital TV and high-speed Internet. BELL OFFERS SECURE IP NET TO SMALL BUSINESS: Bell Canada today announced ProConnect, a managed private IP network service for connecting the offices of small and medium businesses. A basic package starts at $150/month, including equipment, connectivity and management. SIROIS REPLACED AS TIW CHAIR: Charles Sirois, founder of Telesystem International Wireless, has resigned as Chairman to "pursue other business interests." CEO Bruno Ducharme assumes the post of TIW Chairman; Al Tolstoy becomes President and COO. ** TIW reports second quarter revenue of $286.5 million and net income of $13.9 million. CRTC OUTLINES VoIP HEARING PROCESS: The CRTC has issued direction on the process to be followed at the VoIP public hearing September 21-23, along with a list of parties who will submit oral views, in order of their appearance. The list will be posted on the CRTC site this week. www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/process/2004/sep21_t.htm TELUS UNION WINS A ROUND: The Federal Court of Appeal has denied Telus's application for a stay of the order that made the Telecommunications Workers Union the bargaining agent for Telus Mobility employees in Ontario and Quebec. (See Telecom Update #434, 439) http://decisions.fca-caf.gc.ca/fca/2004/2004fca268.shtml CRTC OKAYS BELL IP CENTREX TARIFF: CRTC Telecom Order 2004- 256 approves Bell Canada's tariff for Managed Internet Protocol Telephony (MIPT) service. Centrex customers will receive volume discounts based on the total number of their Centrex lines and MIPT ports in service. ** The CRTC turned down the telco's proposal to waive MIPT installation fees until the end of 2004, because such promotions are being reviewed under Public Notice 2003-1-1. www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Orders/2004/o2004-256.htm LOCAL INTERCONNECTION SIMPLIFIED: In mid-July, the CRTC ruled that local competitors no longer have to interconnect with incumbents' networks in every exchange, but can do so at a single point within larger "local interconnection regions." Competitors have long argued that such a change would significantly reduce their costs. www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2004/dt2004-46.htm WIRELESS INTERNET EXPANDS IN RURAL N.B.: Wireless Internet provider Aernet Wireless says it now offers 1 Mbps service in 23 rural communities across New Brunswick. www.aernet.ca PERSONA UPS INTERNET SPEED: Persona Communications, which serves 220,000 cable subscribers in seven provinces, has increased Internet download speeds for most Ontario customers to 5 Mbps. ** A deal for Persona's sale to a group of investors headed by TD and CIBC has received CRTC approval. (See Telecom Update #418) CRTC DEREGULATES SASKTEL EMI SERVICES: The CRTC has forborne from regulating SaskTel's electronic messaging and information services (providing transmission, storage, and retrieval of text communications), subject to some conditions. www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2004/dt2004-51.htm PHONE PREFIX IN 819 TO BE RECLAIMED: CRTC Telecom Decision 2004-52 is too complex to be summarized here, but it should be required reading for anyone who suggests: (a) that managing phone numbers is easy; or (b) that the telecom industry would run smoothly if we just got rid of interfering regulators and subcommittees. www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2004/dt2004-52.htm RUTHERFORD TO HEAD CYGNAL NETWORK GROUP: Todd Rutherford, head of marketing for Cygnal's Network Solutions Group, has been named the division's President. He earlier served with Norstan, Lucent, and White Radio. CALL-NET SALES RISE: Call-Net sales, which had been flat for two quarters, rose in the second quarter to $200.8 million, 4% higher than a year ago. Call-Net's loss for the quarter was $33.1 million, $6.4 million of which was due to shifts in foreign exchange rates. Call-Net ended the quarter with $27.3 in cash or cash equivalents. STRIKE CUTS INTO ALIANT PROFITS: Aliant reports second quarter revenues of $526 million and net income of $50.1 million, down 18.2% from the same period last year. The telco says costs linked to the strike of 4,300 employees, which began April 23, reduced profits by $13.9 million. AVAYA REVENUES, PROFITS RISE: Avaya had April-June revenues of US$1,016 million, a 9.4% increase from the same period a year ago. Income from continuing operations was $58 million, compared to a $3 million loss a year ago. Net income increased to $61 million from $8 million. KEEPING YOUR NETWORK ALIVE: The July-August issue of Telemanagement features an in-depth report for enterprise network managers on "defining, measuring, and improving availability in your network." It's one of three reports on network survival in 2004: the others look at planning for telecom disaster recovery, and the future of networks based on Frame Relay or ATM. ** Telemanagement is available by subscription only. To become a Telemanagement subscriber--including unlimited access to Telemanagement's extensive online content--visit the Telemanagement website or call 800-263-4415 ext 500. ============================================================ 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 www.angustel.ca 2. The e-mail edition is distributed free of charge. To subscribe, send an e-mail message to: join-telecom_update@nova.sparklist.com To stop receiving the e-mail edition, send an e-mail message to: leave-telecom_update@nova.sparklist.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. We do not give Telecom Update subscribers' e-mail addresses to any third party. For more information, see www.angustel.ca/update/privacy.html. =========================================================== COPYRIGHT AND CONDITIONS OF USE: All contents copyright 2004 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. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 03 Aug 2004 11:38:05 -0500 From: johndee Subject: In a Surprising Turn of Events A well-publicized piece of legislation -- sponsored by U.S. Senator John Sununu (R-NH) and backed by IP voice providers -- intended to deregulate VoIP services was radically changed during a mark-up session by the Senate Commerce Committee last week. In a surprising turn of events, the Committee voted 13-9 to amend the bill to require VoIP providers to be subject to intrastate access charges, universal service obligations, E-911 and CALEA responsibilities. The action taken by the senators is an important step toward ensuring the long-term stability of the universal service system and the overall fairness of intercarrier compensation. It also signifies a subtle shift in focus from technology interests to public interests. Prior to the mark-up, Senator Sununu was expected to be successful in passing his bill. The amended version of S. 2281 -- the "VoIP Regulatory Freedom Act of 2004" -- reflects many concessions to rural consumers. Important among these concessions is the amendment by Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) preserving state commissions' authority over intrastate universal service and access funding. This amendment helps ensure that all carriers, regardless of the technology they use, will support universal service and pay for their use of other companies' networks to reach their customers. ------------------------------ From: David O. Rodriguez Date: Tue, 03 Aug 2004 01:52:21 -0500 Subject: Norvergence Bankruptcy Leads to Charges of Scam Pat, Just wanted to make sure you received a copy of this. David ----- Original Message ----- > Novergence bankruptcy leads to charges of scam > Sunday, August 1, 2004 By MARTHA McKAY STAFF WRITER At the center > of a massive New Jersey bankruptcy that dealt a blow to 11,000 small > businesses in more than 20 states is a small box called "The Matrix." > Newark-based NorVergence, a privately held phone-service reseller, > boasted that the box was packed with enough of the very latest > telecommunications technology to deliver cheap, unlimited local and > long-distance phone, cell service, and high-speed Internet access. > In fact, the box was a gimmick. In some cases, it had no practical > use at all. > "It's an unbelievable scam," said Meredith Wood, who runs an > industrial services business in West Milford. "I wish I'd thought > of it," she said with a rueful laugh. "I'd be calling you from my > private island." Wood bought unlimited long-distance and cellphone > service from NorVergence last year and signed a lease for a Matrix > box that NorVergence never even plugged in. > Now, Wood is stuck owing a five-year, $45,000 equipment lease to > U.S. Bancorp for her Matrix, a piece of gear worth about $600. The > story of how Wood and thousands of other small-business owners were > victimized began to unfold last month, when NorVergence flamed out > in a Chapter 7 liquidation in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Newark. The > company, which once boasted $200 million in annual revenues, left > 1,300 employees without jobs, large phone companies such as Qwest, > Sprint, and T-Mobile owed at least $30 million, and lawyers > wondering where all the money went. Qwest has received the court's > permission to shut off service to NorVergence's former customers, > leaving Wood and the thousands of other business owners potentially > without phone service but still owing hundreds of millions in > payments to banks and finance companies who paid NorVergence > millions for the leases. > Christopher Menkin, editor of Leasing News, believes the NorVergence > case is "one of the biggest leasing scandals in the last 25 years." > Corporate culture Drawn in by NorVergence's deeply discounted phone > service and slick, reassuring marketing materials, many > small-business owners probably didn't think to delve into the > company's background. > If they had, they might have turned up court records showing the man > who ran NorVergence, Thomas N. Salzano, had piloted another > telecommunications company that ended in bankruptcy, where creditors > accused him of illegally funneling $2.7 million of company funds > into a Swiss bank after filing for Chapter 11 protection. By all > accounts, Salzano, who was NorVergence's chief managing officer and > was listed as a director in a Securities and Exchange Commission > filing, ran the company despite the CEO title of his brother, Peter > J. Salzano. He's described by those who know him as a high-energy > executive with a quirky style who rarely wore ties, instead favoring > white leisure suits and colorful printed shirts. He's got "a lot of > marketing savvy" and "a lot of ego," those people said - an arrogant > charmer with a creative business mind. > Neither of the Salzano brothers responded to requests for an > interview. By mid-2003, just two years after it was founded, > NorVergence was buying millions of dollars worth of phone and > Internet service from some of the nation's largest carriers, > including Qwest, Sprint, and T-Mobile, and reselling at a deep > discount to thousands of small businesses. > The company hired hundreds, packing so many workers onto two floors > at 550 Broad St. in Newark that the building's air conditioning was > overwhelmed and NorVergence had to rent more floors. Salespeople, > many of whom had previously worked in the telecommunications > industry, were attracted by promises of hefty commissions. The > sales teams followed a pitch based on a series of scripts hammered > home during a two-week sales tryout in Newark. Kirk Dennis, a top > salesman in the Chicago area, recalls a boot camp-like atmosphere > where memorizing the script made the difference between getting a > job and getting kicked out. > The NorVergence trainers made you sweat with their intimidating > behavior, said Dennis, describing how they would "catch you in a > hallway and say, 'Give me your script.'Y" Anyone who floundered was > escorted out. Of the 90 people who began with Dennis, only 30 were > offered a job. Described by customers as highly polished and > aggressive, NorVergence salespeople fanned out across the country as > their employer rapidly opened well-appointed offices in 36 cities. > The pitch, the catch Armed with their sales pitch, and backed up by > a flashy Web site, the company went after small-business owners with > good credit records, most of whom did not have a telecommunications > expert on staff. The salespeople, known as screening managers, used > dense, acronym-rich telecommunications jargon in their descriptions > of the cheap, unlimited phone services that the "MATRIX unlimited > calling solution" would deliver. According to a sales script > obtained by The Record, a screening manager would tell a prospective > customer "because we're swamped with so many new requests, my job is > to screen for only qualified applicants down to just the few allowed > for each area." > "They let you know if they were going to accept you > as a customer -- that was their marketing gimmick," said Carol > Marubio, owner of an Illinois roofing company that signed up. But > by far the bigger gimmick was the Matrix box. To sell phone service > to their small-business customers, NorVergence, a reseller, bought > it wholesale from large carriers such as Qwest and Sprint. But when > the sales team pitched the company's "solution" to customers, the > Matrix box was key. What many eager customers apparently missed was > the fact that the "unlimited" phone and Internet service NorVergence > sold them had no direct relation to the box, which performed a > limited function in some customers' cases (it allocated bandwidth > over a T1 line), and no function in others. > Many apparently believed that the box could be used by other phone > providers. Most customers didn't think NorVergence would go out of > business. One former salesman said they were told that if a customer > asked what would happen if the company ran into trouble, to "just > say nothing" and dismiss the possibility. And some customers > interviewed had no idea that NorVergence would sell their Matrix > lease -- for cash -- to banks and finance companies, in much the same > way a bank might sell a mortgage to a third party. Those sales > funneled millions to NorVergence, and locked its customers into > long-term relationships with a bank. > "In my opinion, [NorVergence's] whole setup was designed to sell > equipment leases," said Dan Baldwin, spokesman for TelecomAgent, a > non-profit organization that represents sales agents in the > telecommunications business, who has been looking into NorVergence's > business since early last year. As for the box, David Silverman, a > NorVergence salesman based at the company's Broad Street > headquarters, told the U.S. Bankruptcy Court at a recent hearing > that the Matrix box was useless. "These boxes serve no purpose; > they're worthless," he told the court. Scores of local companies > and organizations -- even the New Jersey Republican State Committee > offices in Trenton -- signed up for NorVergence service, lured by > those promises of deep discounts. It was hard to turn down. The > company installed customers at the rate of 350 a week -- averaging > about $6 million in weekly sales -- practically up to the bankruptcy > filing, said Oscar Delatorre, a former NorVergence employee who > oversaw installations. That's an estimated $132 million in sales > for the first five months of 2004 alone. > According to a former NorVergence vice president who supplied sales > figures to The Record, new customers signed contracts for $409 > million worth of phone systems from January through June 4. Of that, > an estimated 40 percent actually were installed, bringing the total > sales closer to about $164 million. > Last gasp: The whole company was focused on marketing and sales, > former employees said. As its debts rose, NorVergence ratcheted up > its sales effort, and other parts of the business began to > deteriorate, they said. "Customer service and installation was an > afterthought," said Jeff Carlsen, vice president of facilities > engineering. Around January, the company told employees it was > looking for investors, but that effort apparently failed. On the > seven floors at 550 and 570 Broad St., the signs of disorganization > were disturbing. "There were tables stacked with piles of folders; > there was no particular order to customer files," said Carlsen. "It > was unbelievably unorganized." > Technical problems arose with a new 800 service the company tried to > introduce. It had to pay its mounting bills to Qwest and others -- > nearing $2 million a week toward the end -- to cover service for its > existing customer base. So it kept adding more and more new > customers, selling their leases to banks, and collecting the cash. > It pushed its sales staff hard. By some estimates, NorVergence > signed up as many as 4,000 customers over the last six months, > without connecting their phone service. > After it fell behind in its payments to Qwest, the Colorado-based > carrier shut off service for two days in mid-June. Several days > later, NorVergence bounced hundreds of payroll checks, but asked its > employees to keep working. As creditors closed in, the normally > feisty Tom Salzano appeared defeated, according to one person who > met with him then. On June 30, the company was forced into an > involuntary Chapter 11 filing by three banks. > It laid off about 1,000 people that day, owing hundreds back pay and > commissions. As the Salzanos moved to get the word out, the news > spread to other floors and a few angry, now ex-employees tried to > leave the building with office equipment, former employees said. > Two days later, in bankruptcy court again after a failed attempt by > some banks to inject cash to prop up the operation, NorVergence > converted to a Chapter 7, closing for good and liquidating assets. > The aftermath: Qwest received permission from the judge to shut off > service to NorVergence customers, setting off a mad scramble among > customers to find new phone service. A trustee took possession of > NorVergence offices and began the process of selling any assets. (It > remains to be seen if there will be anything left. So far, Qwest is > the largest unsecured creditor, with at least $15 million owed, > followed by Sprint with at least $10 million. But before they get > anything, secured creditors will get paid, along with former > employees who file claims.) About two weeks ago, frustrated > customers began to receive letters from banks and finance companies > holding the Matrix leases that they'd better keep paying. Dozens of > NorVergence customers have formed a legal co-op, hiring a lawyer to > fight the banks and get them out of their leases. There is talk of a > class-action suit. > Meanwhile, it's still not clear whether the banks and finance > companies that bought the Matrix leases understood what they were > getting. One source said it appears that some of the finance > companies were not aware, for example, that the Matrix box could not > be used by another phone provider in the event NorVergence shut > down. One source familiar with the group of 35 banks and finance > companies said they purchased at least $220 million worth of > NorVergence customers' leases. Some banks are trying to line up new > phone-service providers for NorVergence customers. A spokeswoman for > Adtran, which made the boxes and sold them to NorVergence, said her > company was working with the banks to try to fix the problem. > "Transferring telecommunications services from NorVergence to a > different carrier likely requires modification or replacement of > equipment [the Matrix box] owned primarily by equipment leasing > companies," she said. A spokeswoman for Popular Leasing, a finance > company owned by Banco Popular, said the company had no comment on > the NorVergence situation. So did Wells Fargo. And the CIT Group. > Also unclear is the role Robert J. Fine played in the NorVergence > debacle. Fine was NorVergence's director of bank relations, who > apparently made the connections between the banks and > NorVergence. He recently resigned as president of the trade group > Eastern Association of Equipment Lessors (EAEL), according to > Leasing News. Before joining NorVergence, Fine held numerous > positions in the leasing industry. The EAEL did not return repeated > phone calls, and Fine could not be reached for comment. > On the last day of NorVergence's existence last month, Tom Salzano > did not appear in court but his brother Peter, the CEO, did. His > face beaded with perspiration, Salzano left the courtroom to jeers > by former employees who came to the hearing. He kept his head down > and walked away. > * * * NorVergence mastermind no stranger to bankruptcy > Sunday, August 1, 2004 > By MARTHA McKAY STAFF WRITER > Running a phone company into bankruptcy is nothing new for Thomas N. > Salzano. Before his ill-fated venture, Newark-based NorVergence, > folded last month, Salzano headed up a different phone company. In > the early 1990s, after running a freight consulting business, > Salzano founded Minimum Rate Pricing Inc. in Bloomfield, a reseller > of residential long-distance phone service that eventually hired > hundreds of people but ran afoul of federal regulators in 1998 when > customers complained that MRP illegally switched their > long-distance, a technique known as slamming. A settlement was > reached, and MRP agreed to pay a $1.2 million fine to the Federal > Communications Commission. But over the next few months, MRP's > business imploded. The company, which bought its long-distance > service wholesale from WorldCom (now MCI), racked up $67 million in > debt, according to court papers, and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy > protection, along with some related companies, in February 1999. > "It was out of control," recalled Brian Engle, a turnaround > specialist brought in by the creditors. "They weren't looking at > their costs; the philosophy was, more revenue will solve the > problem." Months later, creditors battled in court for the > remaining scraps, saying in court papers that Salzano set up "The > Telecom Education Trust," a college trust fund for Salzano's five > children, into which was funneled $250,000 in company funds. Warren > Martin, a New Jersey lawyer who represented the creditors' > committee, said a judge ordered that money returned. Creditors also > accused Salzano of transferring $2.7 million in company funds to a > Swiss bank while the company was in bankruptcy proceedings. But the > creditors decided it wasn't worth the cost and effort to pursue > those charges, Martin recalled. > "Essentially, the business went away and there was nothing left but > a bunch of lawsuits," he said. In the end, the bankruptcy court > allowed WorldCom, the largest creditor, to buy the remaining MRP > customers, using part of its debt as payment, Engle said. MRP > customers became WorldCom customers. And Salzano started to plan > his next venture: NorVergence. > Martha McKay Staff Writer The Record > 150 River St. Hackensack, NJ 07601 201-646-4326 *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This Internet discussion group is making it available without profit to group members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of literary, educational, political, and economic issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. I believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner, in this instance, The Record and other sources. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: And everyone, it seems, is living in misery, former employees without a job or a paycheck, banks and leasing companies unable to collect their money because most of the former customers of Norvergence who have probably formed legal coop- eratives to fight them and at the very least have **FROZEN ALL ACCOUNTS PAYABLE** to Norvergence pending decisions by the lawyers and the judges involved, the customers who went without phone service for however long or waited in an endless queue for 'customer service' about the time this bad joke got rolling, etc. Everyone, that is, except the Solzano people who had an extra glass of wine with their steaks for dinner last night and debated where to strike next. If nothing else positive happens as a result of this spectacle, this debacle, I hope people learn more about their phone service and how telephones work. PAT] ------------------------------ From: VOIP News Date: Tue, 03 Aug 2004 00:31:54 -0400 Subject: Vonage Hit by Nationwide Calling Disruption Reply-To: VoIPnews@yahoogroups.com http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=internetNews&storyID=5850476 Vonage Hit by Nationwide Calling Disruption LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Subscribers to telephone services over high-speed Internet connections provided by privately held Vonage suffered widespread outages across the United States on Monday due to a routing problem with network carrier Global Crossing, a Vonage spokeswoman said. Edison, New Jersey-based Vonage, which has over 200,000 customer lines, told subscribers on their account Web pages the problem lasted for about 90 minutes and attributed the outage to an error in Global Crossing's network that had data being routed to the wrong places. "We had an issue with Global Crossing, one of our carrier partners," spokeswoman Brooke Schulz told Reuters, adding the problem primarily affected outgoing calls. But Global Crossing denied any problems on their end. Full story at: http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=internetNews&storyID=5850476 How to Distribute VoIP Throughout a Home: http://michigantelephone.mi.org/distribute.html If you live in Michigan, subscribe to the MI-Telecom group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MI-Telecom/ ------------------------------ From: Gary Novosielski Subject: Re: The Convention in 1904, One Hundred Years Ago Date: Tue, 03 Aug 2004 04:23:57 GMT Lisa Hancock wrote: > Several good books ("The Century" by Peter Jennings and Todd Brewster > and "Reds" by Ted Morgan) discussed the 1968 riots. Both books > describe in detail how the protest (riot) organizers worked hard to > train their followers to provoke a police response -- that was their > goal. I'm not sure calling the protesters merely "gentle people" is > accurate. Well, I was pretty plugged in to the movement back then, and I don't recall any such training sessions on how to provoke the cops. That would be idiotic. Oh, and I don't remember seeing Peter Jennings there, either. It's just more revisionist b.s. trying to justify the '68 Police Riots. Give it up. The whole world WAS watching, and saw what happened. The Big Lie isn't gonna work on this one. And speaking of provocation, if we don't get back to telecom stuff soon we all know where this thread is going, right? ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 03 Aug 2004 08:35:30 -0700 From: Hammond of Texas Subject: Re: The Convention in 1904, One Hundred Years Ago Lisa Hancock wrote: > TELECOM Digest Editor wrote: >> I've got a hunch -- just a hunch -- that the Republican convention >> this time around will be as much of a 'riot' as the Democratic >> one in 1968 was. > I strongly doubt it. I don't think the interest is there. And suddenly, this has what-all to do with the telecom ... [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Pretty much nothing, except that the 1968 Democratic National Convention *still has not* (now 35 years later) ever paid their phone bill to the Illinois Bell Telephone Company or its successor companies. After the convention ended, they split town leaving several local merchants holding the bag. PAT] ------------------------------ 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, Yahoo Groups, 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: 620-402-0134 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 530-309-7234 Fax 3: 208-692-5145 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@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 oldest e-zine/mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.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. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2004 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. ************************ DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE JUST 65 CENTS ONE OR TWO INQUIRIES CHARGED TO YOUR CREDIT CARD! REAL TIME, UP TO DATE! SPONSORED BY TELECOM DIGEST AND EASY411.COM SIGN UP AT http://www.easy411.com/telecomdigest ! ************************ Visit http://www.mstm.okstate.edu and take the next step in your career with a Master of Science in Telecommunications Management (MSTM) degree from Oklahoma State University (OSU). This 35 credit-hour interdisciplinary program is designed to give you the skills necessary to manage telecommunications networks, including data, video, and voice networks. The MSTM degree draws on the expertise of the OSU's College of Business Administration; the College of Arts and Sciences; and the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology. The program has state-of-the-art lab facilities on the Stillwater and Tulsa campus offering hands-on learning to enhance the program curriculum. Classes are available in Stillwater, Tulsa, or through distance learning. Please contact Jay Boyington for additional information at 405-744-9000, mstm-osu@okstate.edu, or visit the MSTM web site at http://www.mstm.okstate.edu ************************ In addition, gifts from Mike Sandman, Chicago's Telecom Expert have 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 fifty 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. If you donate at least fifty dollars per year we will send you our two-CD set of the entire Telecom Archives; this is every word published in this Digest since our beginning in 1981. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V23 #361 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Tue Aug 3 15:02:49 2004 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p3/8.11.3) id i73J2nX10237; Tue, 3 Aug 2004 15:02:49 -0400 (EDT) Date: Tue, 3 Aug 2004 15:02:49 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200408031902.i73J2nX10237@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V23 #362 TELECOM Digest Tue, 3 Aug 2004 15:03:00 EDT Volume 23 : Issue 362 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Book Review: "Know Your Enemy", Honeynet Project (Rob Slade) Opportunity to Become an Embedded Professional (Sagar Singh) Re: POTS' Dirty Little Secret (Frank@Nospam.com) Re: History of TV (was Bare-Bones DNC Coverage) (Joseph) Computer Programmers in Telecom (Sumit Chawla) Share Day for August, 2004 (TELECOM Digest Editor) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. =========================== Addresses herein are not to be added to any mailing list, nor to be sold or given away without explicit written consent. Chain letters, viruses, porn, spam, and miscellaneous junk are definitely unwelcome. We must fight spam for the same reason we fight crime: not because we are naive enough to believe that we will ever stamp it out, but because we do not want the kind of world that results when no one stands against crime. Geoffrey Welsh =========================== See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Rob Slade Organization: Vancouver Institute for Research into User Date: Tue, 3 Aug 2004 07:59:29 -0800 Subject: Book Review: "Know Your Enemy", Honeynet Project BKKNYREN.RVW 20040618 "Know Your Enemy", Honeynet Project, 2004, 0-321-16646-9, U$49.99/C$71.99 %A Honeynet Project project@honeynet.org www.honeynet.orb/book/ %C P.O. Box 520, 26 Prince Andrew Place, Don Mills, Ontario M3C 2T8 %D 2002 %G 0-321-16646-9 %I Addison-Wesley Publishing Co. %O U$49.99/C$71.99 416-447-5101 fax: 416-443-0948 %O http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0321166469/robsladesinterne http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0321166469/robsladesinte-21 %O http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/0321166469/robsladesin03-20 %P 768 p. + CD-ROM %T "Know Your Enemy, Second Edition: Learning About Security Threats" The first edition of "Know Your Enemy" was a lot of fun, and it also contained some valuable advice if you were brand new to the idea of a honeypot, and wanted to get started quickly. This second edition has taken advantage of another couple of years in the development of honeypots and honeynets, and provides guidance on a new generation of the technology. More than that, it promises, and mostly provides, more detailed information on the analytical aspects of honeynet operation, including the all-too-often neglected topic of network forensics. The page count has more than doubled. I have frequently said that any book with "hack," or any variant thereof, in the title is automatically suspect. This work helps prove my point, first, because the Honeynet Project members have not used the term (they refer to attackers as blackhats), and the text also notes the problems with "exploit" type books: they list old and known attacks, most of which are protected against, and say nothing about the attackers and how they work. Part one describes the honeynet. Chapter one points out the value of "knowing the enemy" and the history of the Honeynet Project. Chapter two explains what a honeypot is, leading to details on how a honeynet works, in terms of architecture, policies, and the risks and responsibilities of operating one, in chapter three. Building a first generation honeynet, in chapter four, presents specific details, although a number of concepts have already been given. The lessons from the early years of the project have led to a second generation of design, which is outlined in chapter five. Using a single machine to create a virtual network of simulated machines is described in chapter six. Chapter seven extends all of this into distributed networks of machines. A number of legal issues are discussed in chapter eight: specific citations are primarily from US laws, but general concepts are also examined. Part two concerns the analysis of data collected from the Honeynet. Chapter nine looks at the various sources of evidence. Network forensic ideas and tools are reviewed in chapter ten, although the material does tend to jump abruptly from Networking 101 to an assumption that the reader can parse Snort captures. Fundamentals of the data recovery aspects of computer forensics are given in chapter eleven, leading to the specifics of UNIX recovery in chapter twelve, and Windows in thirteen. (These chapters contain details of up to date tools not available in most of the standard computer forensic texts.) I was delighted to see that chapter fourteen addresses reverse engineering, although only in a limited subset of the full range of software forensics. Chapter fifteen reiterates the sources from chapter nine, and suggests centralized collection and management of data. Part three explains what the project has determined about "the enemy" by the types of attacks that have been launched and detected. Chapter sixteen takes a random crack at several topics related to the blackhat community: a number of points are interesting, but few are very helpful. A general overview of attacks in given in chapter seventeen. Specific attacks, and analyses, on Windows, Linux, and Solaris are detailed in chapters eighteen to twenty. Future trends are projected in chapter twenty one. The repetition of material that plagued the first edition has been cleaned up to a great extent, although the text would still benefit from a tightening up of the material in some chapters. In addition, the early examples are not thoroughly explained, making the reader initially feel that only a firewall audit log specialist would be able to understand what is being said. However, as with the first edition, most of the book is written clearly and well, and it is certainly worth reading. In addition, the new material definitely makes this not merely an interesting read, but something that has the potential to be a serious reference in the forensic field. copyright Robert M. Slade, 2004 BKKNYREN.RVW 20040618 rslade@vcn.bc.ca slade@victoria.tc.ca rslade@sun.soci.niu.edu The genius of you Americans is that you never make clear-cut stupid moves, only complicated stupid moves which make us wonder at the possibility that there may be something to them we are missing. - Gamel Abdel Nasser http://victoria.tc.ca/techrev or http://sun.soci.niu.edu/~rslade ------------------------------ From: Sagar Singh Date: Mon, 2 Aug 2004 23:27:56 PDT Subject: [telecom-news] Opportunity to Become an Embedded Professional Reply-To: telecom-news@yahoogroups.com Embedded Systems 'The Future Lies Here' The Embedded Technology sector is currently amongst the fastest growing sectors within the IT segment, and is likely to remain for a long time to come. As a consequence, there is a rising demand in this field for Professionals who can deliver on the challenging requirements in this field. Professionals trained in embedded systems technologies happen to be a rare commodity in the recruitment marketplace. Considering the vast scope of the field, ranging from telecom to consumer electronics to aerospace, the demand for embedded systems engineers for product development and application, will continue to grow in the years to come. According to an IDC report the international market as a whole expects product development worth $75 billion, which will require as many as 150,000 trained professionals in embedded systems development by the year 2005. While India is a known player in the software services space, the image of the country has been so far as a low-cost service provider. This is where embedded software development, which requires specialised skill sets, can make the difference. It is a sector promising a fast track career, which is only for the brightest and the best. From handheld devices like personal digital assistants (PDAs) and smart cell phones, to automobiles and rocket propellers, embedded computing systems are in the heart of all. The demand for embedded systems is in fact rising in the areas of integrated embedded solutions spanning across various industry verticals. "As the world is experiencing groundbreaking research in the area of hardware technology (e.g. Nano technology and Quantum Mechanics), packing more power into a single chip will become possible in the near future. Researchers are trying to implement more than one core in a single chip. Once these kinds of chips become a reality, it will lead to further miniaturisation of the ICs. This in turn will pave the path for the development of SOC's (System on Chip)," Embedded Systems Training in Bangalore: United Technologies offers a four-month full-time course consisting of two levels and an industry relevant project work. The students of electronics and computer engineers picked out through an entrance test. The test focuses on electronics concepts and C language. It is necessary for all candidates to have good understanding of basic electronics and C programming. Career sectors for embedded systems engineers Telecom/ Mobile communications Industrial engineering Computers/ Peripherals Consumer electronics Aerospace Military Automotive/ Transportation Medical equipment Electronic equipment Fresh batch starts on 9th Aug 2004. For details contact Sanish@utltraining.com ------------------------------ From: Frank@Nospam.com Subject: Re: POTS' Dirty Little Secret Date: Tue, 03 Aug 2004 06:03:41 -0700 Organization: Cox Communications So, what do you think the traditional telcos do about VOIP? Charles B. Wilber wrote: > Even more telling and sly was the title of the posting. Calling the > opinion piece "POTS' Dirty Little Secret: Big-Time Downtime" is > apparently an effort to predispose readers to a certain point of > view. I have read many interesting posts in this forum but have > learned to treat them as opinion, never as fact, unless I can verify > them myself. That sort of "yellow journalism" is the reason why. > Charlie Wilber > Dartmouth College > --- You wrote: > In short, a handful reports in a random forum is statistically > irrelevant for downtime rates. This is not news. And VOIP went one > step further by taking the story out of context and misinterpreting it > for us. > --- end of quote --- [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: The traditional telcos and their shills hate VOIP. Admittedly, the VOIP News 'story' had some problems with it to say the least, but Traditional Bell hardly has its hands clean, either, just a 125 year head start at going to the toilet in our drinking water. A century ago when Bell took a very agressive attitude against any new comers and 25 years ago when Bell renewed and reaffirmed its hatred, now they have started on VOIP in the same way. The original enemies in 1900 had become bosum buddies by the 1970's when they recruited them (original enemies of 1900) in a fight against the two newest interlopers, MCI and Sprint. Now, Traditional Bell, which has been there/done that, seen it all many times around, and its original enemies (the independent telephone cooperaties of the 1900's), along with its newer enemies Sprint and MCI, have chosen to gang up on Vonage and the little players on its team. The '911 angle' is just a new side to the whole thing, but will soon pass away also, just as the "our phone company won't interconnect with your phone company" argument around 1900 eventually went away, or the "get one over on Bell with our cheaper rates" argument went away a few years ago. And just as Traditional Bell always has had its cheer-leaders and cheering squad -- for it is the furthest back any of us can remember; none of us living today were around to take sides in the phone wars of the Ted Vail dynasty at AT&T -- Vonage will also have its cheer- leaders -- some would call them 'shills' as time marches on. In fifty or seventy five years from now -- let's say 2050 or 2060 -- when the latest new comers have gotten integrated into the game and thoroughly joined with the 'Traditional Bell' to fight off the interlopers of the 22nd century, what will we read in the issue of TELECOM Digest for August 3, 2075? Probably the main story that day will be how the government is trying to split up Vonage, getting them divested after they successfully bought up all the little players in the VOIP business 'back in 2040' by threatening them with refusal to connect to them if they did not go along. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Joseph Subject: Re: History of TV (was Bare-Bones DNC Coverage Draws Lower Ratings) Date: Tue, 03 Aug 2004 08:04:00 -0700 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Reply-To: JoeOfSeattle@yahoo.com On Sat, 31 Jul 2004 05:57:47 GMT, Michael D. Sullivan wrote: > I believe PBS emerged in the late 1960s (or possibly early > 1970s), after the major educational stations, such as WNET (NY) WNET (13) was originally WNDT and is the flagship station of PBS. remove NONO from .NONOcom to reply ------------------------------ From: sumitkchawla@rediffmail.com (Sumit Chawla) Subject: Computer Programmers in Telecom Date: 3 Aug 2004 07:35:52 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com I'm a computer engineer. I want to pursue a career in the telecom sector. Please suggest diffrent options (programming for telecom sector) and various resources available. You can mail me direcly on sumitkchawla@rediffmail.com ------------------------------ From: TELECOM Digest Editor Subject: Share Day For August, 2004 Date: Tue, 3 Aug 2004 2:00:00 EDT During the summer months, when our readership is lower than usual and more people are on vacation and holiday breaks, contributions to the Digest run slower than at other times in the year. So I am asking if you have not made a contribution recently to please consider doing so at this time. And just a couple days ago I was approached by Google asking me to go along with their system of advertising presented based on reader's keystrokes. I think you know the routine: You enter some phrase in our search engine and Google pops back an 'appropriate' advertising message along with the answers. It was very tempting to say the least. Instead of changing the Digest over to an advertising supported forum, I have always elected to keep it as a user supported forum, and for the most part keep it spam and virus free. I am *only* able to do this because of financial support from readers here, and if you would rather not see these Google Advertising-messages every month, then please pitch in and help now and then! Consider it sort of like public radio, which goes on for days at a time trying to raise money ... and maybe I should adopt the same system. Turn over the entire Digest once or twice a year to fund raising (entire issues, etc) and stop doing it when the budget for the year has been raised. But for now, I will stick with the present system of devoting a few messages at the some time each month to raising money for the Digest publication expenses. Out of 400-500 messages per month, in a spam, virus free environment, two or three (only) devoted to fund raising. You know who you are; please provide some help here financially. You can use Pay Pal to donate with a credit/debit card by going to our web site http://telecom-digest.org and at the bottom of the home page look for the PayPal 'donate' button. Or if you prefer, send a check or money order to Patrick Townson/TELECOM, Post Office Box 50, Independence, Kansas 67301-0050. The amount you send is entirely up to you. You know best how much you can afford and whether or not this Digest has any value for you. Thank you very much. Patrick Townson, Editor/Publisher TELECOM Digest ------------------------------ 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, Yahoo Groups, 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: 620-402-0134 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 530-309-7234 Fax 3: 208-692-5145 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@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 oldest e-zine/mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.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. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2004 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. ************************ DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE JUST 65 CENTS ONE OR TWO INQUIRIES CHARGED TO YOUR CREDIT CARD! REAL TIME, UP TO DATE! SPONSORED BY TELECOM DIGEST AND EASY411.COM SIGN UP AT http://www.easy411.com/telecomdigest ! ************************ Visit http://www.mstm.okstate.edu and take the next step in your career with a Master of Science in Telecommunications Management (MSTM) degree from Oklahoma State University (OSU). This 35 credit-hour interdisciplinary program is designed to give you the skills necessary to manage telecommunications networks, including data, video, and voice networks. The MSTM degree draws on the expertise of the OSU's College of Business Administration; the College of Arts and Sciences; and the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology. The program has state-of-the-art lab facilities on the Stillwater and Tulsa campus offering hands-on learning to enhance the program curriculum. Classes are available in Stillwater, Tulsa, or through distance learning. Please contact Jay Boyington for additional information at 405-744-9000, mstm-osu@okstate.edu, or visit the MSTM web site at http://www.mstm.okstate.edu ************************ In addition, gifts from Mike Sandman, Chicago's Telecom Expert have 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 fifty 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. If you donate at least fifty dollars per year we will send you our two-CD set of the entire Telecom Archives; this is every word published in this Digest since our beginning in 1981. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V23 #362 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Wed Aug 4 17:12:38 2004 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p3/8.11.3) id i74LCcb25526; Wed, 4 Aug 2004 17:12:38 -0400 (EDT) Date: Wed, 4 Aug 2004 17:12:38 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200408042112.i74LCcb25526@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V23 #363 TELECOM Digest Wed, 4 Aug 2004 17:13:00 EDT Volume 23 : Issue 363 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Google Queries Provide Stolen Credit Cards (Monty Solomon) RFID Hack Could Allow Retail Fraud (Monty Solomon) Phone-PDA Combo That Works On Wi-Fi Is Bulky but a Winner (M Solomon) Two Million Scans Uncover 55 Million Instances of Spyware (M Solomon) T-Mobile Sidekick II (Monty Solomon) Qwest Communications Introduces Flexible Wireless Plans (Monty Solomon) Credit Firms Resist Anti-ID Theft Measure (Monty Solomon) It's BlackBerry Season, but Maybe Not for Long (Monty Solomon) Obituary: Richard Gabel Dead at 84 (Marcus Didius Falco) Trying to Identify 1940's Equipment (Prison Phone?) (John Stafford) Re: POTS' Dirty Little Secret (Lisa Hancock) Re: Computer Programmers in Telecom (Jack Adams) Re: Computer Programmers in Telecom (Bit Twister) Re: Cheapest Incoming-Only Phone Service? (Lisa Hancock) Re: In a Surprising Turn of Events (John McHarry) Free Broadband Service in our Country Now! (Jason) Re: Opportunity to Become an Embedded Professional (Nathan Strom) Re: Last Laugh! Interesting Origins (Brian Inglis) VoIP Reach Goes Rural (Jack Decker - VOIP News) Why VoIP Regulation Looks Dead This Year (Jack Decker - VOIP News) Jeff Pulver: FCC Adopts the CALEA NPRM (Jack Decker - VOIP News) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. =========================== Addresses herein are not to be added to any mailing list, nor to be sold or given away without explicit written consent. Chain letters, viruses, porn, spam, and miscellaneous junk are definitely unwelcome. We must fight spam for the same reason we fight crime: not because we are naive enough to believe that we will ever stamp it out, but because we do not want the kind of world that results when no one stands against crime. Geoffrey Welsh =========================== See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 4 Aug 2004 01:17:58 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Google Queries Provide Stolen Credit Cards By Robert Lemos Staff Writer, CNET News.com Simple queries using the Google search engine can turn up a handful of sites that have posted credit card information to the Web, CNET News.com learned on Tuesday. The lists of financial information include hundreds of card holders' names, addresses and phone numbers as well as their credit-card data. Much of the credit-card data that appears in the lists found by Google may no longer be valid, but CNET called several people listed and verified that the credit cards numbers were authentic. The query, the latest example of "Google hacking," highlights increasing concern that knowledgeable Web surfers can turn up sensitive information by mining the world's best-known search engine. http://news.com.com/2100-1029-5295661.html ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 4 Aug 2004 02:02:50 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: RFID Hack Could Allow Retail Fraud By Mark Hachman LAS VEGAS-A German consultant has released a tool that its creator says will allow modifications of the code stored within RFID tags, theoretically allowing consumers to wreak havoc in future retail deployments. The RFDump software allows a user equipped with an RFID reader, a laptop or PDA, and a power supply to rewrite the data stored in ISO 15693 tags, the most common tags used to host the EPC (Electronic Product Code) information traditionally stored in bar codes. Although each RFID tag carries with it a unique product ID, the EPC is stored in the "user area" portion of the chip, which allows it to be rewritten. That poses problems to both consumers and retailers, RFDump's author, Lukas Grunwald, a senior consultant with Hildesheim, Germany-based DN-Systems Enterprise Solutions GmbH, said: On one hand, consumers could defraud a retailer by reprogramming a premium item as a cheap commodity. On the other hand, consumers would have to worry about the items in their shopping carts being read by "Big Brother," or at least the many retailers in a shopping mall. The tool was released as part of a talk at the Black Hat Briefings here, dedicated to IT security. http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1628696,00.asp ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 4 Aug 2004 02:10:43 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Phone-PDA Combo That Works On Wi-Fi Is Bulky but a Winner By WALTER S. MOSSBERG For people who rely on a smart phone or wireless PDA to do e-mail and access the Web, the Holy Grail has been to get a device that can work on both a cellphone network and on faster Wi-Fi wireless networks. The idea is that when you are near a Wi-Fi transmitter, your device will work at high speed, and when you're not, you still will be able to get online, albeit at slower speeds, via the much more widespread cellphone network. The cellphone industry has been working on such combo devices, and Nokia and Motorola have announced specific models. But this week, Hewlett-Packard, the computer giant, and T-Mobile, the cellphone carrier, announced what they say will be the first combined Wi-Fi/cellphone to reach the public. A wireless PDA that can also make phone calls, rather than a traditional cellphone, it's called the HP iPAQ h6315. The device is a Microsoft-based Pocket PC with an antenna on top. It goes on sale Aug. 26 for $499, plus either $79.99 or $89.99 a month, depending on which T-Mobile rate plan you choose. I tested the 6315 over the past few days. It worked very well and was smart enough to switch smoothly between the Wi-Fi and cellphone networks for Internet access with little or no input from me. http://ptech.wsj.com/archive/ptech-20040729.html ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 4 Aug 2004 09:00:46 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Two Million Scans Uncover 55 Million Instances of Spyware EarthLink and Webroot Release Six-Month SpyAudit Report CoolWebSearch Identified as the Most Virulent Adware Program ATLANTA and BOULDER, Colo., Aug. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Today EarthLink (Nasdaq: ELNK), one of the nation's leading Internet service providers, and, Webroot Software, a producer of award-winning privacy, protection and performance software, released their third SpyAudit Report, which has tracked the growth of spyware on consumer PCs for the first half of 2004. Since the SpyAudit report's inception on January 1, 2004, more than two million scans have been performed. The scans discovered approximately 54.8 million instances of spyware, for an average of 26.5 traces per SpyAudit scan. Scans nearly doubled from the first to the second quarter. For each category, the instances of adware increased month-over-month, while adware cookies, system monitors and Trojans decreased slightly overall. The complete report is available at . - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=42899777 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 4 Aug 2004 09:01:55 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: T-Mobile Sidekick II T-Mobile USA Flips the Lid Open on the T-Mobile Sidekick II HOLLYWOOD--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 4, 2004-- Building on Success of first Sidekick(TM), Marquee Device Features Slimmer Design, Integrated Camera and Built-In Speakerphone, Some of the Many Upgraded Features Some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment will be walking the red carpet here tonight. But the brightest spotlight will be squarely focused on the biggest star -- the T-Mobile(R) Sidekick II -- successor to the original hit of Hollywood and action sports stars -- the original Sidekick from T-Mobile. One of the most highly anticipated sequels to hit Hollywood this year, the T-Mobile Sidekick II will be making its debut at an exclusive, VIP party featuring a performance from The Black Eyed Peas. In conjunction with the beginning of the ESPN X Games X, this star-studded event will feature celebrity Sidekick fans from sports, television and film and musicians from all over. The public will be able to get its hands on the T-Mobile Sidekick II this fall. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=42899600 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 4 Aug 2004 09:12:59 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Qwest Communications Introduces New Flexible Wireless Plans DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 4, 2004--Qwest Communications International Inc. (NYSE:Q) today introduced business shared plans -- a new set of wireless calling plans for medium-sized and large-business customers. Available to customers in Qwest's local service region, the plans offer shared nationwide wireless service to help business customers improve communication with their customers and colleagues. Qwest's business shared plans offer customers unique bundling of wireless services with their existing Qwest wireline and data services, resulting in convenient billing and competitive pricing. The plans start as low as $220.49 for 3,500 minutes when customers combine their wireless service with any other Qwest service on a single bill. Studies indicate Qwest wireless business customers use nearly 29 percent of their minutes to call colleagues' and employees' wireless phones. To help customers save on those costs, Qwest's business shared plans include free, unlimited nationwide calling between plan members while on the network. Additionally, when customers combine their office and wireless services on one bill, Qwest offers free, unlimited calls between their main office numbers and their wireless phones while on the network. The primary use location of all phones on the plan must be within the same local service area. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=42901204 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 3 Aug 2004 15:51:00 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Credit Firms Resist Anti-ID Theft Measure By Brian Bergstein, AP Technology Writer | August 1, 2004 NEW YORK --Little by little, a weapon against identity theft is gaining currency -- but few people know about it. It's called the security freeze, and it lets individuals block access to their credit reports until they personally unlock the files by contacting the credit bureaus and providing a PIN code. The process is a bit of a hassle, and the credit-reporting industry believes it complicates things unnecessarily. But it appears to be one of the few ways to virtually guarantee that a fraudster cannot open an account in your name. The freeze became an option in California and Texas last year, and Louisiana and Vermont will allow it beginning next July. However, the Texas and Vermont laws apply only to people who already have been victimized by identity theft. Only 2,000 Californians and 150 Texans have taken advantage of the freeze, according to Experian Inc., one of the three major credit bureaus. But identity theft watchdogs say usage is low simply because the credit bureaus don't publicize the option. With identity theft apparently growing, the advocates hope the freeze gains national momentum. Congress resisted calls for a freeze rule during debate over a major credit law last year. http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2004/08/01/credit_firms_resist_anti_id_theft_measure/ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 3 Aug 2004 14:05:26 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: It's BlackBerry Season, but Maybe Not for Long By RANDALL STROSS MAXWELL SMART could hold his shoe to his ear and talk quite naturally. But he was the inimitable Agent 86, and the shoe phone -- the original Smart phone =- was a running gag in the 1960's television comedy "Get Smart." (Operator: "What is the number of your shoe?" Smart: "It's an unlisted shoe, operator!") Its phone-in-disguise successor is the BlackBerry, the squat, rectangular gizmo that provides e-mail on the go, and includes, incidentally, a cellphone. Holding it to the ear to make a call feels like calling with a wallet, which is about the same size. But when held in both hands to read and fire off e-mail, it works like a dream. Introduced in 1999, the BlackBerry brand has become synonymous with the concept of ultraportable e-mail. More than one million subscribers are paying for the service, which costs between $35 and $50 a month. BlackBerry's maker, Research in Motion, based in Waterloo, Ontario, is profitable, and the gadget has been touted by celebrities.Oprah, for one, has stated her personal opinion of the BlackBerry forthrightly: "Love it! Love it! Love it! Love it!" That all said, it's not too early to point out that, looking down the road a bit, the hand-held BlackBerry's future is dim. http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/01/business/yourmoney/01digi.html ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 04 Aug 2004 03:01:37 -0400 From: Marcus Didius Falco Subject: Obituary: Richard Gabel Dead at 84 Richard "Dick" Gabel died Sunday at age 84. He was active until shortly before the end, despite serious health problems for some years. As you may recall, he got his start in telephony with the Army Signal Corps during WW II. After the war he became the first employee of the Telephone Division of the Rural Electrification Administration. In this capacity he helped establish rural telephone cooperatives and small telephone companies throughout the western United States. Then he went to the General Services Administration where he helped establish the first federal telephone system. He also worked briefly at the Federal Communications Commission. He worked in the White House during the Nixon Administration. I believe it was during this period that he did a lot of the work involved in the sale of "White Alice" to RCA Alascom. "White Alice" was the telephone system the Air Force had built in Alaska during the second World War. It was used partly by civilians by the time it was privatized. He then went to the Brookings Institution where he wrote his classic book, "The Development of Separations Principles in the Telephone Industry." This remains the most comprehensive discussion of the financial arrangements that led to the enormous expansion and great success of the telephone industry between World War II and the divestiture (Consent Decree) in 1982. For those who are too young to remember, "separations" was the allocation of the telephone companies' costs into "intrastate" and "interstate" pools. On the basis of this allocation, the Bell Companies engaged in "division of revenues," and also conducted "toll settlements" with the non-Bell "independents." Because of niceties in the way costs were measured and allocated, settlements were actually quite lucrative for small telephone companies. Much of the current controversy in access charges (the system that supplanted settlements after divestiture) has to do with eliminating some of the hidden subsidies that developed during the years after 1949. Mr. Gabel helped develop the 1974 antitrust case against AT&T, and retired from government so he could help the government's witnesses. He was also scheduled to be a witness. After leaving the government Mr. Gabel acted as a consultant and witness for state commissions and consumer counsels, and also for a variety of consumer organizations. Much of this work was done pro bono. Those of us who knew him and benefited from his experience and knowledge and friendship will miss him. The death notice in the Washington Post for Monday, August 2, 2004, p. B4, reads: Gabel, Richard On Sunday August 1, 2004 at Arlington VA. Loving Husband of Louise, father of Susan (Donald) Poretz, Jon (Judith) Gabel, Carol (Chuck) Barlin and David (Janet) Gabel; brother of Harold (Addie) Gabel; grandfather of Jeffrey, Michelle, Stephen, Joshua, Brad, Karen, Eric, Deborah and Terrence. He is also survived by six great-grandchildren and loving neices and nephews. A Funeral Service [was] held on Tuesday, August 3, 1:30 PM at Beth El Hebrew Congregation, 3830 Seminary Rd., Alexandria, VA. Interment King David Memorial Gardens. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to the Amnesty International, USA, 304 Pennsylvania Ave., SE, Washington DC 20003; the Arlington YMCA, 3422 N. 13th St., Arlington VA 22201, and/or Doctors without Borders, USA, PO Box 1856, Merrifield VA 22116-8056. ------------------------------ From: usenet.persona@earthlink.net (John Stafford) Subject: Trying to Identify 1940s Equipment (Prison Phone?) Date: 4 Aug 2004 08:40:52 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com I'm trying to identify a piece of telecom equipment that appears to be from the 1940s. It consists of a suitcase with dividers that contains two Stromberg Carlson telephones and a battery-operated amplifier. The phones plug into the amplifier using one quarter inch plugs. The amplifier has a rotary off/on volume control, a speaker, and an output jack (marked record). When both phones are taken off hook they're connected to each other and can be used like ordinary phones, both sides of the conversation are also audible through the amplifier speaker. The amplifier is powered by a six volt "battery" that is a cardboard box that indicates that it contains 4 AA cells, as well as by a "standard" 9 volt battery. There are no markings that I can see on any of the equipment (other than on the phones). It does appear that the suitcase was custom-made because the rivets that hold the dividers are the same as those that hold the suitcase together. The suitcase handle does say made in the USA on one side and has the numeral 6 (or 9) on the other. The latches are marked with a flying airplane logo. Please see pictures at http://www.flortraits.com/wii/ My current guess is that it is some sort of "portable prisoner to outside phone". I will summarize and post any information I received. Thank you. John "but then I've been wrong before" Stafford ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com (Lisa Hancock) Subject: Re: POTS' Dirty Little Secret Date: 4 Aug 2004 07:24:19 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: The traditional telcos and their shills > hate VOIP. Admittedly, the VOIP News 'story' had some problems with it > to say the least, but Traditional Bell hardly has its hands clean, > either, just a 125 year head start at going to the toilet in our > drinking water. Given everything that's been discussed here lately -- from apt house intercoms to Norvergence -- I'm surprised to read this. I am not connected with the phone company nor do I consider myself a "shill" for them. I look at their record as a subscriber and what "competition" has done for me. To be truly HONESTLY competitive: 1) VOIP users may not have any traditional lines as "backup". 2) VOIP providers must provide the same service reliability as the baby bells. That is, if a flood washes out lines, they must be replaced in the same time frame. The service must continue in the event of a commercial power failure. 3) VOIP subscribers must pay all the taxes that traditional subscribers pay such as 911 fees, deaf relay fees, etc. 4) VOIP providers must provide the same reports to state and federal regulators that other companies provide on their services. 5) The networks must have adequate spare capacity so that major events generating lots of phone calls will not cause call delays. As mentioned in the apt house calling system, the Bell System had developed a wide array of excellent products and services but then got shackled by arbitrary rules to sell them. The System successors couldn't sell that stuff so they withered away (such as Lucent and AT&T). Customers, instead of having strong sturdy reliable and maintainable equipment, got junk instead. Earlier Pat described the dedication and resourcefulness of telephone company employees -- a monopoly -- in keeping service going in difficult conditions. Today in a competitive environment, do you think those people and their employers would do that? I don't. I note the big fire and lack of watchmen occured AFTER divesture. Literally thousands of customers decided it was too expensive to pay Baby Bell prices so they jumped to a cheaper alternative -- Norvergence. No such thing as a free lunch, and all those people are screwed. (Of course, we didn't see Qwest being concernred about Norvengence's future fiscal health when it gladly offered to support them.) MCI was a scam from day one. It was unregulated while AT&T was regulated, so it could take the high profit cream and leave AT&T with the high overhead waste (like any call needing operator service). Then of course it wiped out its stockholder and lenders when it filed for a huge bankruptcy. No such thing as a free lunch, and all those people are screwed. Remember, one of Enron's big entities was cheapo electric power generation. When Enron went broke, some PUCs ordered that the existing power company take over its customer as the cheaper Enron rate. Was that fair to existing companies? There were good reasons to establish a chartered regulated monopoly to a utility like telephone service. In my town, thanks to competition, they had to double the size of the phone central office building, destroying some historic houses in the process. This was to provide room to house competitive line termination equipment in separate locked rooms. It didn't add new capacity or provide us any new or better services. That 125 year head start -- that people think is a bad thing -- is years of experience doing things right and doing the right things. Of course it wasn't always perfect. But being a chartered regulated monopoly gave it some breathing room to provide that extra measure of service and stability. When Norv ran into trouble, it shutdown immediately, leaving its employees unpaid and its customers screwed. When NY Telephone ran into trouble, it brought it Bell System people nationwide on an emergency project to clean up its troubles. People think "competition" will always work better than a regulated monopoly because of the magic of the marketplace. That is economic garbage. The marketplace finds an equilibrium, but that level is not at all necessarily where people might want it to lie -- as we are learning the hard way, the marketplace equilibrium (match point of demand and supply of cost) can be quite high. Norvergence and MCI took advtg of competition by undercutting its competitors and look what we got. ------------------------------ From: adamsjac@telcordia.com (Jack Adams) Subject: Re: Computer Programmers in Telecom Date: 4 Aug 2004 07:34:00 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com This is a fairly broad question. In fact, a comprehensive answer would consume far too much bandwidth within this newsgroup. My suggestion is do some more research about the industry and formulate a more focused question(s). To start with, lurking around this (and other) newsgroups will reveal much information, albeit over a period of time. Try perusing the archives as well. Good luck to you. sumitkchawla@rediffmail.com (Sumit Chawla) wrote in message news:: > I'm a computer engineer. I want to pursue a career in the telecom > sector. Please suggest diffrent options (programming for telecom sector) > and various resources available. You can mail me direcly on > sumitkchawla@rediffmail.com ------------------------------ From: Bit Twister Subject: Re: Computer Programmers in Telecom Organization: home user Date: Tue, 03 Aug 2004 19:08:33 GMT On 3 Aug 2004 07:35:52 -0700, Sumit Chawla wrote: > I'm a computer engineer. I want to pursue a career in the telecom > sector. Move to China, Vietnam, India where the outsourcing is going. I wish you luck; ALCATEL France, came over, bought a telecom company, took the good projects back to Europe, outsourced other jobs, layed everyone else off except enough to keep the sales/service office up and running. Suggest moving your expertise into the medical field. ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com (Lisa Hancock) Subject: Re: Cheapest Incoming-Only Phone Service? (Westchester, NY) Date: 3 Aug 2004 13:58:31 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com T. Sean Weintz wrote > I am in the property management business, and in my experience the > most common type of these building entry systems are made by a company > called "doorking". The base models ... simply have 1 outgoing phone line. > These are "option 3" as you note above. There is a database of phone > numbers mapped to entry codes (or apartmenet numbers). When you enter > the code (or apt number) on the panel, all it does is call the number. My mother lived in a facility served by the cheapo system. It took the place forever to add her name to the directory (handled by the security dept at the main facility in another location). Until then I would just wait until someone walked out and opened the door. When she moved out, we waited for the movers. They called and announced their arrival. We punched in the access code. They kept calling back and said the door wouldn't unlock. Finally I went down to get them. It turned out they were calling us on their cell phone, not the entry phone on the wall. The cheapo system is lousy when you call someone and they're on the phone -- you get a busy signal. Lots of people do NOT have caller ID. Apt. bldg. security isn't that good. As mentioned, in most you can easily walk in when someone else leaves. (As we left the aforementioned NYC bldg, some people came in doing just that, I hope they weren't burglars.) I've dialed the wrong unit and got buzzed in anyway. My place has a private entrance and that's a good asset over a hallway even when shared by only a few people. > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I know that at the time of divestiture, > telco was forbidden (under divestiture) to actively solicit new > subscribers to the Enterphone Front Door Security System, Pat, thanks for the history of this fine Bell System product. I've used it to get into nicer apt houses. My first exposure was back in 1968 in a NYC building, and the lobby unit had a Touch Tone pad which was a novelty at the time. The residents dialed (rotary phone) a 4 for admission. It's quite a shame the companies were not allowed to continue marketing it after divesture as it clearly offers superior service to the other cheapo service more widely used. I remember another large apt building with a 1960s Bell System auto dialer. It was a small desktop unit, about 1" high with a window showing a name and a red index ine, and about 5" wide and deep. To use it, you pressed a key to start a motor that whirled the directory and used the index line for the alpha letter desired. You then used a manual wheel to select the exact name. You pressed a button and the party was dialed. I wonder what dialer this was? (I've also seen them at airport motel directory displays, which had ads for multiple traveler services, and a similar unit to autodial the desired one.) It seemed these dialers had a high capacity in a compact unit; I don't know how they stored the number. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Oh, there is no doubt, IMO, that the *old* Bell System was a class act, with very good products. There were 'some problems' (to put it politely) with customer service but the equipment and network was superb. The old, entirely central office- based Enterphone service was a very good example. Older, more elegant apartment buildings still using it (who would have gotten it installed prior to 1983 or so, when the rules were changed) still have the best system. In those days (pre-1983) Illinois Bell as one example, charged *the building* fifty dollars per month for the system and nothing to individual tenants who either had phones of their own or not. Typically, an 'extension' of the door system also went to the management office so the person in the office could also admit a visitor to the building, and some long, obscure string of digits on the lobby phone functioned like a 'ringback code' which would click once or twice in the caller's ear then unlatch the door automatically. I think it was called 'Fire Department Service' and was intended to admit emergency entrance to firemen as needed. That same string of digits would also ring a designated phone (such as the building manager) to advise that an emergency enter had occurred. PAT] ------------------------------ From: John McHarry Subject: Re: In a Surprising Turn of Events Date: Tue, 03 Aug 2004 22:19:44 GMT Organization: EarthLink Inc. -- http://www.EarthLink.net johndee wrote: > A well-publicized piece of legislation -- sponsored by U.S. Senator > John Sununu (R-NH) and backed by IP voice providers -- intended to > deregulate VoIP services was radically changed during a mark-up > session by the Senate Commerce Committee last week. In a surprising > turn of events, the Committee voted 13-9 to amend the bill to require > VoIP providers to be subject to intrastate access charges, universal > service obligations, E-911 and CALEA responsibilities. The action > taken by the senators is an important step toward ensuring the > long-term stability of the universal service system and the overall > fairness of intercarrier compensation. It also signifies a subtle > shift in focus from technology interests to public interests. This sounds like incumbent telco propaganda. I suppose the other side would say it is a major attempt to kill off an infant industry before it can become a serious threat. ------------------------------ From: lovzy@hotmail.com (Jason) Subject: Free Broadband Service in Our Country Now! Date: 3 Aug 2004 21:50:17 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com Enjoy free broadband here in our country!absolutely no gimmicks. All you need is a telephone line. Click on link to find out more on this service! Limited application available! http://www.juiceboosted.com/index.php?RequestId=1&Id=xc3ns [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: It sounds like some kind of a trick to me. PAT] ------------------------------ From: nstrom@ananzi.co.za (Nathan Strom) Subject: Re: Opportunity to Become an Embedded Professional Date: 4 Aug 2004 06:31:40 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com Sagar Singh wrote in message news:: > Fresh batch starts on 9th Aug 2004. For details contact > Sanish@utltraining.com Don't confuse this "United Technologies" from India with the real United Technologies, http://www.utc.com/. I fear they're trying to capitalize on a well-known company name in the United States. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 04 Aug 2004 06:45:34 GMT From: Brian Inglis Subject: Re: Last Laugh! Interesting Origins Organization: Systematic Software On Fri, 30 Jul 2004 11:42:08 -0400 in comp.dcom.telecom, Cryderman, Charles wrote: > Another acronym from days of old that is now considered a word: > In England many years ago to procreate you had to have the permission > of the King. Once received you placed a sign on the door of your > dwelling: > "Fornication Under Consent of King." > I am sure you can figure out what the word used today is. Rubbish! Most of the so-called four letter or swear words were normal Anglo-Saxon words, not too different from modern German, which were considered vulgar by the French and Latin speaking Norman lords and bishops who invaded England, presumably as the phrases were addressed to them by the previous landowners. Thanks. Take care, Brian Inglis Calgary, Alberta, Canada Brian.Inglis@CSi.com (Brian dot Inglis at SystematicSw dot ab dot ca) fake address use address above to reply ------------------------------ From: Jack Decker Date: Tue, 03 Aug 2004 12:24:57 -0400 Subject: VoIP Reach Goes Rural Reply-To: VoIPnews@yahoogroups.com http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/business/9304543.htm Phone companies outside Twin Cities to offer Internet phone connections BY LESLIE BROOKS SUZUKAMO Pioneer Press VoIP, the telecommunications technology most often associated with the trendy and cutting edge, is about to go country. St. Louis Park-based Onvoy Inc. says it will launch a service called "Bandwagon" starting next month that will allow small rural phone companies to offer VoIP, the acronym for "Voice over Internet Protocol" a way for customers to make phone calls over their high-speed Internet connections. The service is another sign that the "digital divide" between rural and urban Minnesota is shrinking, even while the telephone market itself is fleeing from the nation's more than century-old analog phone system. "Our customers are no different from anybody else," said Rick Keane, manager of the Pine Island Telephone Co., a small local phone company north of Rochester, Minn., that has been testing Bandwagon for several months. Full story at: http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/business/9304543.htm (Free registration required) How to Distribute VoIP Throughout a Home: http://michigantelephone.mi.org/distribute.html If you live in Michigan, subscribe to the MI-Telecom group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MI-Telecom/ ------------------------------ From: Jack Decker Date: Tue, 03 Aug 2004 11:59:07 -0400 Subject: Why VoIP Regulation Looks Dead This Year Reply-To: VoIPnews@yahoogroups.com http://www.americasnetwork.com/americasnetwork/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=108413 By: Al Senia America's Network Enews The latest debate over VoIP and the role federal and state regulators should play with the technology underscored the point that there is little chance Congress is going to do much with the divisive and thorny VoIP issue this year. Just a little over a week ago, a sharply divided Senate Commerce Committee approved the VoIP Regulatory Freedom Act, which in its original form would have protected VoIP services from any regulation, by a 13-9 vote. Problem is, the lawmakers amended the final bill to preserve some regulatory authority for the states, essentially allowing them to impose taxes on VoIP calls to pay for universal service and for line access charges. That action divided not just the committee, but also much of the industry itself. State regulators were jubilant at maintaining at least partial access to an important tax revenue source. Executives from VoIP companies such as Vonage, however, expressed disappointment with the result, noting that the last-minute amendments were very problematic for their industry. Full story at: http://www.americasnetwork.com/americasnetwork/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=108413 ------------------------------ From: Jack Decker Date: Wed, 04 Aug 2004 12:43:53 -0400 Subject: Jeff Pulver: FCC Adopts the CALEA NPRM Reply-To: VoIPnews@yahoogroups.com This is from The Jeff Pulver Blog at http://192.246.69.231/jeff/personal/index.html As expected, they adopted the CALEA NPRM at their August 4th meeting. Below are the words of FCC Chairman Powell regarding CALEA: STATEMENT OF CHAIRMAN MICHAEL K. POWELL Re: In the Matter of Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act and Broadband Access and Services, RM-10865, ET Docket No. We are entering a dynamic space in the evolution of Internet voice services and applications. As technologies re-shape communications, this Commission must continually assess the needs of the law enforcement community under the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA). More and more people are taking advantage of these new and exciting competitive voice offerings, and we are starting to see substantial consumer and economic benefits emerge. The development and success of the Internet has been a result, in part, of our desire to maintain its minimally regulated status. Above all, law enforcement access to IP-enabled communications is essential. CALEA requirements can and should apply to VoIP and other IP enabled service providers, even if these services are information services for purposes of the communications Act. The NPRM we issue today demonstrates that the interests of the law enforcement community can be fully addressed for potential information ser vices and these interests need not be an excuse for imposing onerous common carrier regulations on vibrant new services. Previous Commission action on CALEA has focused primarily on circuit-mode technology. Today's item takes a major step in implementing CALEA, particularly with respect to new packet-mode technologies, by tentatively concluding that broadband Internet access services and managed voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) services are subject to CALEA. The item also tentatively concludes that non-managed, or disintermediated, VoIP and Instant Messaging are not subject to CALEA, and that it is unnecessary to identify future services and entities subject to CALEA. Additionally, the item addresses important compliance and cost issues, and requests comment on (1) the feasibility of carriers relying on a trusted third party to manage their CALEA compliance obligations; and (2) whether standards for packet technologies are deficient and preclude carriers relying on them as safe harbors for complying with CALEAs capability requirements. Finally, in the companion Declaratory Ruling grants in part a Law Enforcement request in the Petition and clarifies that commercial wireless push-to-talk services are subject to CALEA, regardless of the technologies that Commercial Mobile Radio Service providers choose to apply in offering them. I write to make clear that our tentative conclusion is expressly limited to the requirements of the CALEA statute and does not indicate a willingness on my part to find that VoIP services are telecommunications services under Title II of the Communications Act. We have before us a pending rulemaking and several petitions for declaratory ruling that address themselves to the classification of VoIP services and nothing in this item prejudices the outcome of those proceedings. Our support for law enforcement is unwavering; it is our goal in this proceeding to ensure that law enforcement agencies have all of the electronic surveillance capabilities that CALEA authorizes to combat crime and terrorism and support Homeland Security. The Commission will devote the necessary resources to expeditiously and responsibly complete this task. In the interim, carriers, the law enforcement community and the Commission must continue to work in partnership to ensure that law enforcement retains access to the information they have now and to ensure that they have the tools they need in this ever changing environment. Posted by jeff at 10:16 AM ------------------------------ 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, Yahoo Groups, 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: 620-402-0134 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 530-309-7234 Fax 3: 208-692-5145 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@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 oldest e-zine/mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.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. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2004 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. ************************ DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE JUST 65 CENTS ONE OR TWO INQUIRIES CHARGED TO YOUR CREDIT CARD! REAL TIME, UP TO DATE! SPONSORED BY TELECOM DIGEST AND EASY411.COM SIGN UP AT http://www.easy411.com/telecomdigest ! ************************ Visit http://www.mstm.okstate.edu and take the next step in your career with a Master of Science in Telecommunications Management (MSTM) degree from Oklahoma State University (OSU). This 35 credit-hour interdisciplinary program is designed to give you the skills necessary to manage telecommunications networks, including data, video, and voice networks. The MSTM degree draws on the expertise of the OSU's College of Business Administration; the College of Arts and Sciences; and the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology. The program has state-of-the-art lab facilities on the Stillwater and Tulsa campus offering hands-on learning to enhance the program curriculum. Classes are available in Stillwater, Tulsa, or through distance learning. Please contact Jay Boyington for additional information at 405-744-9000, mstm-osu@okstate.edu, or visit the MSTM web site at http://www.mstm.okstate.edu ************************ In addition, gifts from Mike Sandman, Chicago's Telecom Expert have 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 fifty 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. If you donate at least fifty dollars per year we will send you our two-CD set of the entire Telecom Archives; this is every word published in this Digest since our beginning in 1981. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V23 #363 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Wed Aug 4 18:45:39 2004 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p3/8.11.3) id i74Mjcp26680; Wed, 4 Aug 2004 18:45:39 -0400 (EDT) Date: Wed, 4 Aug 2004 18:45:39 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200408042245.i74Mjcp26680@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V23 #364 TELECOM Digest Wed, 4 Aug 2004 18:46:00 EDT Volume 23 : Issue 364 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Net Phone calls Must be Able to be tapped - U.S. FCC (Monty Solomon) Cingular Wireless Can Now Help You 'Escape-A-Date' (Monty Solomon) Tivo Gets Nod For Users to Share Digital Shows (Monty Solomon) FCC Moves to Ban Spam on Mobile Phones (Monty Solomon) Internet Considered Crucial For Educational Success (Monty Solomon) U.S. FCC Deregulates Fiber Optics to Apartments (Monty Solomon) US Looks to be Master of Aussie IP (Monty Solomon) Re: Cheapest Incoming-Only Phone Service? (T. Sean Weintz) Re: SIP and TAPI (T. Sean Weintz) Socially Responsible Use of Your Cellphone Camera (David Blumenstein) Share Day, August 2003 (TELECOM Digest Editor) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. =========================== Addresses herein are not to be added to any mailing list, nor to be sold or given away without explicit written consent. Chain letters, viruses, porn, spam, and miscellaneous junk are definitely unwelcome. We must fight spam for the same reason we fight crime: not because we are naive enough to believe that we will ever stamp it out, but because we do not want the kind of world that results when no one stands against crime. Geoffrey Welsh =========================== See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 4 Aug 2004 16:28:23 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Net Phone Calls Must be Able to be Tapped - U.S. FCC WASHINGTON, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Internet phone carriers such as Vonage should set up their systems so U.S. law enforcers can monitor suspicious calls, the Federal Communications Commission tentatively ruled on Wednesday. By a vote of 5-0, the FCC said "voice over Internet protocol," or VoIP, providers should be subject to the 1994 Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act, which ensures that law enforcers will be able to keep up with changing communications technologies. VoIP service is likely to replace much traditional phone service over the coming years, the commission said. The Justice Department, FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration have argued that they must be able to monitor suspicious calls no matter how they are made. Technology advocates have worried that the fast-growing service, which promises to slash costs by routing phone calls over the Internet, could be harmed by excessive regulation. The ruling does not affect other regulatory questions surrounding VoIP service, such as how it should be taxed, FCC Chairman Michael Powell said. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=42904448 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 4 Aug 2004 16:34:05 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Cingular Wireless Can Now Help You 'Escape-A-Date' New service gives daters the perfect alibi if things go sour. DALLAS, Aug. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Ever have a blind date where all your hopes and dreams for the perfect match came crashing down at your feet? We've all been there at one time or another. The dilemma for most "dates gone bad" is you have no choice but to endure the situation until you can find an opportunity to call it a night. Cingular Wireless has taken its Voice Connect service where no other wireless carrier has dared to tread with "Escape-a-Date," one of several new options that are part of the company's Voice Connect line of information services. "Escape-A-Date" is the perfect service to use when you are afraid that your blind date may not be just right for you. This new service allows you to schedule a "rescue" phone call at a pre-set time. That way, you'll be called at the time you specify. The service tells you exactly what to say to set the tone for a speedy escape. There are eight randomly generated humorous scripts. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=42906692 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 4 Aug 2004 16:35:36 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Tivo Gets Nod For Users to Share Digital Shows By Jeremy Pelofsky WASHINGTON, Aug 4 (Reuters) - TiVo Inc. (NASDAQ:TIVO), maker of popular digital television recording devices, on Wednesday received approval for technology that would permit users to send copies of digital broadcast shows over the Internet to a few friends. The Federal Communications Commission voted to certify digital protections on TiVoToGo, which is not yet available but would enable a user to record and send a digital broadcast television show to up to nine other registered people who have a key allowing them to see it. The approval came despite concerns by the Motion Picture Association of America and the National Football League about the risks of unfettered distribution of copyrighted shows and illegally airing sports games outside of authorized markets. The FCC last year adopted rules to limit distribution of digital, over-the-air television programs over the Internet in an effort to prevent mass illegal copying and sharing, a problem plaguing the music industry. Most current television shows are shown in an analog format and can lose some quality when recorded. But recorded digital programs do not suffer from that problem, leading to industry concerns about unfettered mass redistribution on the Internet. The FCC last November required companies to develop measures to prevent consumers from indiscriminately distributing the higher quality digital television shows over the Web. In addition to approving TiVo's application, the FCC certified 11 other technologies proposed, including ones by software giant Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT), Sony Corp. (TOKYO:6758), and RealNetworks Inc. (NASDAQ:RNWK) for protecting distribution of digital television broadcasts. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=42905617 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 4 Aug 2004 16:39:39 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: FCC Moves to Ban Spam on Mobile Phones WASHINGTON, Aug 4 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Communications Commission said on Wednesday it would set up a list of Internet domains used by mobile-phone carriers to help keep unwanted "spam" messages off consumers' phones. Marketers that don't want to run afoul of a national anti-spam law will be able to check the list to make sure they're not sending unsolicited messages to mobile phones, the FCC said in a rule that was adopted by a unanimous vote. Congress passed a law last year that prohibits spamming mobile phones unless consumers have given permission first. The FCC was assigned to figure out how to implement that law. The Federal Trade Commission determined in June that a "do not e-mail" list would only lead to an increase in spam, but the FCC said such a list would work in the wireless world if it only consists of domain names such as sprintpcs.com, and not the names of individual accounts, such as customer@sprintpcs.com. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=42908363 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 4 Aug 2004 16:45:33 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Internet Considered Crucial For Educational Success National Survey Finds Kids Give High Marks To High Speed; Internet Considered Crucial For Educational Success SAN ANTONIO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 4, 2004-- Students overwhelmingly turn to the Internet to find information not provided in school books; majority seek fast connections to complete homework assignments Children credit teachers for Internet knowledge, teens think they know best From elementary to high school, the Internet has revolutionized how and where kids learn, and enhanced their success rate in school. According to a new survey of 6- to 17-year-old students, high-speed Internet access has become a valuable and sought-after resource for schoolwork, with nearly 90 percent of all school-aged children considering a broadband connection like DSL either important or very important for completing school assignments. The national survey of 1,002 6- to 17-year-olds, conducted for SBC Communications Inc. (NYSE:SBC) was designed to identify usage patterns and attitudes about the Internet for educational purposes. The survey reveals changes in how the Internet is used throughout elementary to high school, providing a unique and in-depth look at their Internet habits and attitudes as they get older. Internet Helps Kids Succeed in School Across all age groups, students overwhelmingly believe that having Internet access helps them succeed in school with more than 70 percent of all kids surveyed saying it helps them make better grades and be stronger students. As children grow older, the Internet becomes even more integral for schoolwork. The survey finds that nine in 10 teens use the Internet to look for information for class assignments and more than 70 percent of 6- to 11-year-olds use it for that purpose. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=42905982 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 4 Aug 2004 16:46:42 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: U.S. FCC Deregulates Fiber Optics to Apartments WASHINGTON, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Local U.S. telephone carriers may deploy fiber optic networks for high-speed Internet services to residential apartment complexes without having to share the connections with rivals, U.S. regulators ruled on Wednesday. The Federal Communications Commission voted to free fiber networks built to predominantly residential buildings by carriers like Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) from access requirements that apply to existing copper telephone networks. Carriers like Verizon hope to roll out fiber to residential buildings to improve the reach of their high-speed Internet service and better compete against cable companies, which already have made significant inroads at apartment buildings. Verizon and SBC Communications Inc. (NYSE:SBC), two of the four big local telephone companies known as the Baby Bells, have said they plan to spend several billions of dollars on building new fiber optic networks across the country. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=42905274 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 4 Aug 2004 17:19:58 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: US Looks to be Master of Aussie IP By Ashlee Vance in Chicago Australia has edged closer to embracing some of the least favorable aspects of US intellectual property law, including the DMCA, by agreeing to a trade agreement between the two countries. Aussie Prime Minister John Howard and US President George Bush today promoted the free trade pact that will remove tariffs on a number of goods, affecting sales of manufactured products, medicine, film and television and intellectual property Down Under. The IP issue is of particular concern to some technophiles who do not want Australia to be restricted by the DMCA, which is basically what the agreement requires. It is, however, the pharmaceutical and media issues that appear to have Australian legislators more concerned than the IP measures. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/08/03/us_aussie_tradepact/ ------------------------------ From: T. Sean Weintz Subject: Re: Cheapest Incoming-Only Phone Service? (Westchester, NY) Date: Wed, 04 Aug 2004 17:10:46 -0400 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com T. Sean Weintz wrote: > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Mr. Weintz, are your tenants aware of > just how insecure, how woefully lacking in security their downstairs > front door is? And who comes around to maintain it as needed? PAT] One of the things done under my watch (not my dept - I'm the IT guy, but I like to think my input had something to do with it) was to rip out the "option 3" type system and replace it with what Door King calls their "no phone bill" system, basically a barebones PBX type thing. There is a switch that sits between the pairs going up to each apt and the telco demarc -- all calls from the front panel are handled via that switch. If the tenant has phone service, the switch passes the regular pots line thru when no call is coming for that apartment from the panel. The switch has a call waiting type feature built in, so that if a call comes from the panel and there is already a call in progress on the pots lines, the tenant hears a call waiting tone and can asnwer the panel, even if they do not subscribe to call waiting from the local telco. STILL not the system I'd have chosen, but it was a big improvement, especially since in some of our buildings as many as 30% of the tenants had no phone service. And an "option 3" type system won't work for those tenants. We also used to have issues with tenants getting their phone service cut off and not telling us -- not THAT big a deal, until the telco re-assigns the number to someone else (they seem to re-assign numbers after only about three months or so here) -- One time this happened, we didn't know about it, the number was still in the database of the panel. People would go to visit that tenant at some pretty odd hours (ie: 3:00am - I think the tenant was likely a drug dealer), press the number on the panel, and some poor sod on the other end who just happens to have a new phone number gets woken up. That person who had been re-assigned the number finally filed a complaint with the police, who contacted us (because the calls of course were coming from our phone line). HOWEVER the police refused to tell us the phone number of the person complaining, so there was no way to know what number needed to be deleted from the database. 250 tenants in the building and we were supposed to figure out magically which one had had their service cut and never bothered to tell us about it. Positively SCARY. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Congratulations on your upgrade to what is essentially Interphone service. Since you did not have Enterphone (telco-style front door service) prior to 1983 you can't have it now. Telco not permitted to be in that business any longer, but they do have grandfathered customers around from more than twenty years ago. (although I do not know why in one sense: Ameritech had (and still has) a Security Alarm business as a separate subsidiary which guards stores, etc via customer premise equipment. It is still around today, even though the phone side has gone to SBC. I think it has something to do with rules against subsidiary companies having access to central office equipment, which is a no-no, since there could be 'unfair competition' as a result. But Interphone, originally a Canadian company (or whoever owns the name 'Interphone') does these things the way they should be done, which is via the **house pairs** to each apartment with no regard to the phone numbers. Up until 1983 or so, when apartment buildings went with the 'competitor' Interphone instead of telco's Enterphone Service, they naturally had to get an okay from telco for bridging into the house pairs, which according to the law in those days also belonged to telco. Sometime in the middle 1980's as divestiture was being slowly and surely implemented in this very technical business, telco (in theory at least) 'abandoned' the house pairs to the owner of the property who then became responsible for maintaining them. But the precise spot where the 'demarc' occurs in large apartment buildings has always been a matter of debate. Is it the box on the wall in the tenant's apartment (which is all the tenant really has control over) or is it a (house inside terminal box) down the hall somewhere for all the phones on that floor; or is it the big inside terminal box on the first floor or the basement (which telco claims in recent years has now been wired 'straight through' on a permanent basis to all apartments, or where Interphone has interjected their box in the basement to 'camp on to' all the house pairs, or where? When apartment dwellers call to report their phone out of order, some of the older (who are the only ones with any brains) techs come out to the premises and are puttering around down in the basement of the building trying to unravel the spaghetti like bundles of wires and deciphering the ancient tags tied onto pairs by other techs long since passed from this world. I recall this **very old, very ancient** high rise apartment building in Chicago where I used to live many years ago where I installed an intercom (an old Melco PBX actually) to a friend nearby. In a phone box on the first floor I found a cluster of pairs which disappeared down through the floor with a little paper tag and a string tying them all together. The tag had handwritten on it in old, elegant early 1900's handwriting, a note saying "This fifty pairs services the building switchboard at 7456 North Greenview" (a half block away). The switchboard at that address had been gone for many years. And the tagged note was dated 'January, 1922' and signed by a man who I am sure had long since gone to telco-tech heaven. Obviously, rules about 'before the demarc our problem, after the demarc your problem' would not apply. But its a good testimony to the way Bell System used to operate that 80 year old outside plant is still around and in use many times. PAT] ------------------------------ From: T. Sean Weintz Subject: Re: SIP and TAPI Date: Wed, 04 Aug 2004 17:18:02 -0400 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com JustSomeGuy wrote: > I'm sorta new to the VoIP standards. > I see there is SIP and H.323. As I understood it H.323 was a video > teleconfrencing standard. Reading more I see that it can also be used > to do an IP to PSTN session. I have found Microsofts TAPI 3.0 and I > am wondering if I need to study SIP in detail as well or is TAPI > sufficient? It depends on what you want to do. If you are only going to be working in the Micro$oft Windoze world, TAPI may suffuce for a lot of things. But TAPI is not a protocol, it's an API. If you are looking to write VOIP software, TAPI won't do it for you. You need to decide whether your VOIP will use SIP or H.323, and learn one of those. MOST emerging VOIP applications seem to be using SIP, but there are exceptions. The Inter-tel PBX VOIP phone sitting on my desk right now, for instance, uses H.323. More recent versions of the same phone, however, offer a choice between h.323 and SIP. ------------------------------ From: david.blumenstein@gmail.com (David Blumenstein) Subject: Socially Responsible Use of Your Cellphone Camera Date: 4 Aug 2004 14:01:48 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com Let me upfront about this. I make no money off of this. In conjunction with YAHOO, there is an opportunity to possibly earn $10,000 in the name of your favorite charity by taking pictures and uploading them with your camera phone. I have put a banner on my website: www.david.com It links back to the YAHOO information page with all of the necessary information. This is a great use of mobile technology and an even greater idea. Thank you for your indulgence. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Are any cellular picture phones at the point of producing good enough pictures yet to make them worthwhile? Now I suppose if I was trying to sneak a few pictures out of a men's locker room, I would take what I could get and be grateful for that limited quality. But can even the newest and most expensive cell phones with built in cameras produce decent digital photos or .jpg images as of yet? I have not seen one yet I was very impressed with. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 4 Aug 2004 17:26:10 EDT From: TELECOM Digest Editor Subject: Share Day, August 2003 I have recently been approached by Google asking me if I wanted to participate in their cooperative advertising program. That is where when you use our search engine at http://telecom-digest.org the Google people put up 'appropriate' advertising for you to see. And according to Google, I would make lots of money by giving them this forum (Digest OnLine, and search engine) to use. I do not think I want to do that, but it is tempting. Instead of changing the Digest over to an advertising supported forum, I have always elected to keep it as a user supported forum, and for the most part keep it spam and virus free. I am *only* able to do this because of financial support from readers here, and if you would rather not see these messages every month, then please pitch in and help now and then! Consider it sort of like public radio, which goes on for days at a time trying to raise money ... and maybe I should adopt the same system. Turn over the entire Digest once or twice a year to fund raising (entire issues, etc) and stop doing it when the budget for the year has been raised. But for now, I will stick with the present system of devoting a few messages at the end of each month to raising money for the Digest publication expenses. Out of 400-500 messages per month, in a spam, virus free environment, two or three (only) devoted to fund raising. You know who you are; please provide some help here financially. You can use Pay Pal to donate with a credit/debit card by going to our web site http://telecom-digest.org and at the bottom of the home page look for the PayPal 'donate' button. Or if you prefer, send a check or money order to Patrick Townson/TELECOM, Post Office Box 50, Independence, Kansas 67301-0050. The amount you send is entirely up to you. You know best how much you can afford and whether or not this Digest has any value for you. Thank you very much. Patrick Townson, Editor/Publisher TELECOM Digest ------------------------------ 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, Yahoo Groups, 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: 620-402-0134 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 530-309-7234 Fax 3: 208-692-5145 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@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 oldest e-zine/mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.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. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2004 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. ************************ DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE JUST 65 CENTS ONE OR TWO INQUIRIES CHARGED TO YOUR CREDIT CARD! REAL TIME, UP TO DATE! SPONSORED BY TELECOM DIGEST AND EASY411.COM SIGN UP AT http://www.easy411.com/telecomdigest ! ************************ Visit http://www.mstm.okstate.edu and take the next step in your career with a Master of Science in Telecommunications Management (MSTM) degree from Oklahoma State University (OSU). This 35 credit-hour interdisciplinary program is designed to give you the skills necessary to manage telecommunications networks, including data, video, and voice networks. The MSTM degree draws on the expertise of the OSU's College of Business Administration; the College of Arts and Sciences; and the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology. The program has state-of-the-art lab facilities on the Stillwater and Tulsa campus offering hands-on learning to enhance the program curriculum. Classes are available in Stillwater, Tulsa, or through distance learning. Please contact Jay Boyington for additional information at 405-744-9000, mstm-osu@okstate.edu, or visit the MSTM web site at http://www.mstm.okstate.edu ************************ In addition, gifts from Mike Sandman, Chicago's Telecom Expert have 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 fifty 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. If you donate at least fifty dollars per year we will send you our two-CD set of the entire Telecom Archives; this is every word published in this Digest since our beginning in 1981. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V23 #364 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Thu Aug 5 00:32:16 2004 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p3/8.11.3) id i754WG529754; Thu, 5 Aug 2004 00:32:16 -0400 (EDT) Date: Thu, 5 Aug 2004 00:32:16 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200408050432.i754WG529754@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V23 #365 TELECOM Digest Thu, 5 Aug 2004 00:32:00 EDT Volume 23 : Issue 365 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Re: POTS' Dirty Little Secret (Jack Decker) Old Bell System TTY Guys? (Jim Haynes) T Writes Down Assets (Anonymous) Re: FCC Moves to Ban Spam on Mobile Phones (Joseph) US West History (Doug Faunt N6TQS) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. =========================== Addresses herein are not to be added to any mailing list, nor to be sold or given away without explicit written consent. Chain letters, viruses, porn, spam, and miscellaneous junk are definitely unwelcome. We must fight spam for the same reason we fight crime: not because we are naive enough to believe that we will ever stamp it out, but because we do not want the kind of world that results when no one stands against crime. Geoffrey Welsh =========================== See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 04 Aug 2004 21:52:33 -0400 From: Jack Decker Subject: Re: POTS' Dirty Little Secret Pat, please conceal my e-mail address. On 4 Aug 2004 07:24:19 -0700, hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com (Lisa Hancock) wrote: >> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: The traditional telcos and their shills >> hate VOIP. Admittedly, the VOIP News 'story' had some problems with it >> to say the least, but Traditional Bell hardly has its hands clean, >> either, just a 125 year head start at going to the toilet in our >> drinking water. > Given everything that's been discussed here lately -- from apt house > intercoms to Norvergence -- I'm surprised to read this. > I am not connected with the phone company nor do I consider myself > a "shill" for them. Lisa, you may not consider yourself a shill for them, but if one were to apply the "duck test" ... well, let's just say that sometimes it would be awfully hard to discern the difference between what you write and what a shill for the phone company might write. > I look at their record as a subscriber and what "competition" has > done for me. If you feel that competition has not helped you, you are certainly entitled to stick with the traditional telephone company. What I can't understand is why you feel the need to try and pull the rest of us back into the same lobster pot along with you. > To be truly HONESTLY competitive: > 1) VOIP users may not have any traditional lines as "backup". Not sure what you mean here -- if this is a statement of fact, in other words, if you are saying that a person might have VoIP as their sole form of voice communication, I would say that is correct, and wonder why you would want to limit their choice if that is their choice. Are you against freedom of choice? On the other hand, if this is something you would like to see enacted into policy or law, saying that a person who has VoIP is not entitled to have any traditional lines as backup, I would definitely wonder where you were coming from. I'm going to assume that the first interpretation is what you meant. > 2) VOIP providers must provide the same service reliability as the > baby bells. That is, if a flood washes out lines, they must be > replaced in the same time frame. The service must continue in > the event of a commercial power failure. Why? Because you say so? Do I not have the right to choose a provider with less reliability than the Baby Bells, if there is some other factor that would make me feel that's a good choice for me? Why are you trying to limit my freedom of choice? Besides, you know full well that a VoIP company that uses the public Internet has absolutely zero control over how reliable the customer's ISP is. You might as well say that automobile manufacturers must be held responsible if potholes and road washouts are not fixed within a specified timeframe, even though the automakers don't legally own the roads and are not permitted to work on them! > 3) VOIP subscribers must pay all the taxes that traditional subscribers > pay such as 911 fees, deaf relay fees, etc. Why? Because you have decided we need a nanny state? Personally, I think that taxes on phone lines are the least fair way to fund such things. Even the telephone industry apparently agrees on that point, at least here in Michigan where I live -- see http://www.telecommich.org/Documents/911_white_paper.pdf > 4) VOIP providers must provide the same reports to state and federal > regulators that other companies provide on their services. Why? So they are burdened by paperwork? Because you say so? Maybe the paperwork is another thing that should go away for all providers, but in any case, maybe I don't care if my voice service provider has to file a bunch of ridiculous paperwork or not. > 5) The networks must have adequate spare capacity so that major events > generating lots of phone calls will not cause call delays. Sure, this is desirable. But maybe I'm willing to not have phone service available for a few hours on Christmas and Mother's Day if it makes my phone service more affordable. Who are you to tell me I should not have that choice? Why are you trying to limit my freedom of choice? > As mentioned in the apt house calling system, the Bell System had > developed a wide array of excellent products and services but then got > shackled by arbitrary rules to sell them. The System successors > couldn't sell that stuff so they withered away (such as Lucent and > AT&T). Customers, instead of having strong sturdy reliable and > maintainable equipment, got junk instead. Maybe they consider it acceptable. Some people say that a lot of phones on the market are junk now, yet a lot of people buy them. Why? Because they are inexpensive and provide an acceptable, though not gold-plated, level of service. If people were willing to pay more for better phones, manufacturers would make better phones. But people exercise their freedom of choice, and buy cheap phones. Maybe they could be characterized as "junk" but it's the customer's choice. > Earlier Pat described the dedication and resourcefulness of telephone > company employees -- a monopoly -- in keeping service going in > difficult conditions. Today in a competitive environment, do you > think those people and their employers would do that? I don't. You're just speculating. The truth is that some would be more dedicated to restoring service than others. Those who develop a reputation for having poor service would start to lose customers. Those who develop a reputation for providing great service might be able to charge more. But who are you to say that no one should be allowed to buy the less reliable, but less expensive service? > I note the big fire and lack of watchmen occured AFTER divesture. > Literally thousands of customers decided it was too expensive to pay > Baby Bell prices so they jumped to a cheaper alternative -- > Norvergence. No such thing as a free lunch, and all those people > are screwed. Norvergence wasn't the only cheaper alternative, and most of those who have chosen cheaper alternatives have done just fine. Yes, there was a bad apple out there, but there were all sorts of big red flags on the way that company did business from the very beginning. People got suckered in by greed and by not doing their homework. But it's always been like that. I've bought a couple used cars in my lifetime where if I'd had them inspected first, I'd have saved myself a lot of grief, but you don't hear me saying that the sale of used cars should be banned. I happen to believe that consumers should be able to choose which risks they will take in the marketplace, although when outright fraud is involved then the government has a legitimate interest in bringing the perpetrators to justice, in order to discourage further outright scams. > (Of course, we didn't see Qwest being concernred about Norvengence's > future fiscal health when it gladly offered to support them.) > MCI was a scam from day one. It was unregulated while AT&T was > regulated, so it could take the high profit cream and leave AT&T > with the high overhead waste (like any call needing operator > service). You just don't like any sort of competition in the telecommunications market, do you, Lisa? I remember when I lived in Northern Michigan and it cost about 35 cents a minute to call anywhere else in the state. I am very glad those days are long gone. As for saying that MCI was a scam from the very beginning, absent some hard evidence to the contrary I would strongly disagree with you. They were no more of a scam than AT&T. You may not have liked the way they did business, but it was because of MCI (and Sprint and all the others who came after) that now most of us don't have to worry about what a long distance call is going to cost anymore. In fact I remember when I got my mother on MCI -- she was finally willing to call her sisters who lived in other states once a week, instead of only on special occasions like Christmas and their birthdays. Later on I had to switch her off of MCI, when they started charging a ridiculous monthly minimum, but for many years MCI was the best deal out there and their low rates (compared to AT&T) made a lot of people very happy. But you don't like happy people, do you, Lisa? You'd rather see them all pay through the nose just so your principles can be enforced. > Then of course it wiped out its stockholder and lenders when it filed > for a huge bankruptcy. No such thing as a free lunch, and all those > people are screwed. So a good organization went bad. It happens. I'm not minimizing the tragedy for those who were wiped out, but do you really think MCI started their business some quarter of a century ago with the intent of someday coming to financial ruin? All I am saying is that I think you attribute a lot of undeserved malice to that company. I do think that once they went into bankruptcy, they should not have been allowed to emerge from it until they paid every creditor every last cent they owed, but unfortunately that's not how our bankruptcy laws work (which brings up a whole other subject - why is it that large corporations can get away with doggone near anything? - but I'll spare you that tirade). > Remember, one of Enron's big entities was cheapo electric power > generation. When Enron went broke, some PUCs ordered that the > existing power company take over its customer as the cheaper Enron > rate. Was that fair to existing companies? Al Capone used to force small business owners to buy "protection" from him -- was that fair to the small business owner? What has any of this got to do with VoIP? You're grasping at straws to make a point here, because you don't really have one - you simply want to see VoIP companies taxed or regulated out of existence, so you're dragging in every sort of wrongdoing in business you can think of in the hope that some of the guilt will rub off by association. > There were good reasons to establish a chartered regulated monopoly > to a utility like telephone service. Maybe in 1930 there was. Those reasons are no longer valid. [... more of Lisa's cheering for the old Bell System snipped ...] > People think "competition" will always work better than a regulated > monopoly because of the magic of the marketplace. That is economic > garbage. So you admit you don't like competition, but prefer a regulated monopoly. You apparently do not care that this has historically resulted in very high prices for end users, as well as innovation that moves at about the pace of a constipated snail. > The marketplace finds an equilibrium, but that level is not at all > necessarily where people might want it to lie. People = Lisa Hancock in the above sentence. Oh, sure, I know you could find a few others who would agree with you, many of whom probably benefited in some way from the old Bell System monopoly. But I think the majority of Americans place a high value on low prices. When you think of the largest chain store in America (Wal-Mart), the average consumer associates them with low prices. People moan and cry about how Wal-Mart and similar "box store" retailers put the smaller merchants out of business, but in the end they opt to pay the lower prices rather than shop on principle (and, candidly, they may admit that they think the smaller merchants have been overcharging them all along). > -- as we are learning the hard way, the marketplace equilibrium > (match point of demand and supply of cost) can be quite high. > Norvergence and MCI took advtg of competition by undercutting its > competitors and look what we got. Again, you're taking two of the worst examples and holding them up as though they are the norm. They are not. There are probably hundreds, if not thousands of competitive local and long distance phone companies in America that are doing right by their customers. Pat has talked often about his good experiences with Prairie Stream (I think that's the name of the company he uses). But in Lisa's world, everyone would be forced to buy phone service from the incumbent local phone company whether they want to or not. I've been accused of being too positive toward VoIP -- well, if that is true, it isn't as though Pat doesn't run opposing viewpoints, because I doubt that any two people could hold more opposing views than Lisa and I. Lisa seems to hate VoIP with a passion, to the point that she tries to smear the industry by referencing the misdeeds in other parts of the telecommunications industry. Neither Norvergence nor MCI were VoIP companies (at least not in the way that we think of VoIP companies today). Once you get beyond that, we are left with a laundry list of all the nasty things Lisa would impose on VoIP if she had her way. In some cases these are things that aren't even currently being imposed on the cellular telephone industry, and perhaps ought to be done away with altogether. What really bothers me about Lisa's posts is that she really seems to be against the consumer having freedom of choice in the marketplace. Whatever Lisa's choice is, ought to be everyone's choice, I guess, or maybe she just wants the government to tell us all what level of service we must buy. Sorry, but I disagree in the strongest possible way. Jack ------------------------------ Subject: Old Bell System TTY Guys? Reply-To: jhaynes@alumni.uark.edu Organization: University of Arkansas Alumni From: haynes@alumni.uark.edu (Jim Haynes) Date: Thu, 05 Aug 2004 01:35:53 GMT In my youth one of my telephone company friends sometimes went out to a customer site to work on the Teletype. I never saw the site or the equipment, but some of the stuff he took with him included a couple of vacuum tubes, commercial types 35L6 and 50Y6. I've always wondered what the equipment was and what the tubes had to do with it. Anybody know? jhhaynes at earthlink dot net ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 05 Aug 2004 02:08:19 GMT From: Anonymous Subject: T Writes Down Assets Organization: Optimum Online Bloomberg News AT&T May Write Down Assets, Record 3rd-Qtr Expense August 4, 2004 17:07 EDT -- AT&T Corp., the largest U.S. long distance company, may write down the value of assets after its decision to stop seeking new residential customers. ------------------------------ From: Joseph Subject: Re: FCC Moves to Ban Spam on Mobile Phones Date: Wed, 04 Aug 2004 19:22:32 -0700 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Reply-To: JoeOfSeattle@yahoo.com On Wed, 4 Aug 2004 16:39:39 -0400, Monty Solomon wrote: The article states: > WASHINGTON, Aug 4 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Communications > Commission said on Wednesday it would set up a list of Internet > domains used by mobile-phone carriers to help keep unwanted "spam" > messages off consumers' phones. > Marketers that don't want to run afoul of a national anti-spam law > will be able to check the list to make sure they're not sending > unsolicited messages to mobile phones, the FCC said in a rule that was > adopted by a unanimous vote. Gee, why doesn't the government give the spammers which office codes are for each carrier? If you're going to make it easy for spammers to spam you might as well not make it inconvenient for them! remove NONO from .NONOcom to reply ------------------------------ From: Doug Faunt N6TQS Subject: US West History Date: 04 Aug 2004 23:47:05 -0400 Organization: at home, in Oakland, California Am I correct in believing that US West was one of the "baby bells"? And what happened to the company, if so? 73, doug ------------------------------ 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, Yahoo Groups, 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: 620-402-0134 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 530-309-7234 Fax 3: 208-692-5145 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@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 oldest e-zine/mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.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. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2004 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. ************************ DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE JUST 65 CENTS ONE OR TWO INQUIRIES CHARGED TO YOUR CREDIT CARD! REAL TIME, UP TO DATE! SPONSORED BY TELECOM DIGEST AND EASY411.COM SIGN UP AT http://www.easy411.com/telecomdigest ! ************************ Visit http://www.mstm.okstate.edu and take the next step in your career with a Master of Science in Telecommunications Management (MSTM) degree from Oklahoma State University (OSU). This 35 credit-hour interdisciplinary program is designed to give you the skills necessary to manage telecommunications networks, including data, video, and voice networks. The MSTM degree draws on the expertise of the OSU's College of Business Administration; the College of Arts and Sciences; and the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology. The program has state-of-the-art lab facilities on the Stillwater and Tulsa campus offering hands-on learning to enhance the program curriculum. Classes are available in Stillwater, Tulsa, or through distance learning. Please contact Jay Boyington for additional information at 405-744-9000, mstm-osu@okstate.edu, or visit the MSTM web site at http://www.mstm.okstate.edu ************************ In addition, gifts from Mike Sandman, Chicago's Telecom Expert have 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 fifty 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. If you donate at least fifty dollars per year we will send you our two-CD set of the entire Telecom Archives; this is every word published in this Digest since our beginning in 1981. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V23 #365 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Thu Aug 5 14:32:05 2004 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p3/8.11.3) id i75IW5N09336; Thu, 5 Aug 2004 14:32:05 -0400 (EDT) Date: Thu, 5 Aug 2004 14:32:05 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200408051832.i75IW5N09336@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V23 #366 TELECOM Digest Thu, 5 Aug 2004 14:32:00 EDT Volume 23 : Issue 366 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Net Phone Calls Must be Able to be Tapped -U.S. FCC (Jack Decker-VOIP) FCC Takes Step Toward VOIP Wiretapping Regulations (Jack Decker-VOIP) FCC: Web Phone Calls Must Allow Wiretaps (GuitarMan) FCC Rules on Wireless Outage Reporting and CALEA Compliance (Jack Adams) EPIC Alert 11.15 (Monty Solomon) Comcast Video Mail (Monty Solomon) HP and Philips Begin Licensing Video Content Protection (Monty Solomon) Old Bell System TTY Guys? (jsw@ivgate.omahug.org) Re: Trying to Identify 1940s Equipment (Prison Phone?) (John Stafford) Re: Trying to Identify 1940s Equipment (Prison Phone?) (jdj) Re: Trying to Identify 1940s Equipment (Prison Phone?) (Bart Lederman) Re: Trying to Identify 1940s Equipment (Prison Phone?) (Scott Dorsey) Re: US West History (Steven J Sobol) Re: US West History (John Levine) Re: US West History (Jack Adams) Re: US West History (Hammond of Texas) Re: US West History (Joseph) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. =========================== Addresses herein are not to be added to any mailing list, nor to be sold or given away without explicit written consent. Chain letters, viruses, porn, spam, and miscellaneous junk are definitely unwelcome. We must fight spam for the same reason we fight crime: not because we are naive enough to believe that we will ever stamp it out, but because we do not want the kind of world that results when no one stands against crime. Geoffrey Welsh =========================== See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Jack Decker Date: Thu, 05 Aug 2004 02:27:37 -0400 Subject: Net Phone Calls Must be Able to be Tapped - U.S. FCC Reply-To: VoIPnews@yahoogroups.com http://finance.lycos.com/qc/news/story.aspx?story=42904448 WASHINGTON, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Internet phone carriers such as Vonage should set up their systems so U.S. law enforcers can monitor suspicious calls, the Federal Communications Commission tentatively ruled on Wednesday. By a vote of 5-0, the FCC said "voice over Internet protocol," or VoIP, providers should be subject to the 1994 Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act, which ensures that law enforcers will be able to keep up with changing communications technologies. VoIP service is likely to replace much traditional phone service over the coming years, the commission said. Full story at: http://finance.lycos.com/qc/news/story.aspx?story=42904448 How to Distribute VoIP Throughout a Home: http://michigantelephone.mi.org/distribute.html If you live in Michigan, subscribe to the MI-Telecom group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MI-Telecom/ ------------------------------ From: Jack Decker Date: Thu, 05 Aug 2004 02:29:05 -0400 Subject: FCC Takes Step Toward VOIP Wiretapping Regulations Reply-To: VoIPnews@yahoogroups.com http://www.itworld.com/Man/2697/040804fccvoip/ Grant Gross, IDG News Service, Washington Bureau The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Wednesday took the first step toward requiring voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) providers to comply with law enforcement wiretapping requests. The FCC voted to begin an examination of the policies needed to ensure that VOIP providers comply with the 1994 Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA), which allows U.S. law enforcement agencies to listen in on telephone conversations. The commission's decision on Wednesday included a tentative finding that communications services offered over broadband pipes, including VOIP, are subject to CALEA requirements to comply with law enforcement wiretap requests. The tentative rules would also cover managed communications services offered over broadband connections, including managed instant message or video services, said Ed Thomas, chief of the FCC Office of Engineering and Technology. Nonmanaged peer-to-peer (P-to-P) services, including consumer-grade instant messaging services and noncommercial VOIP services, would likely not be subject to CALEA regulations under the proposed order, FCC staff said. Full story at: http://www.itworld.com/Man/2697/040804fccvoip/ ------------------------------ From: GuitarMan Subject: FCC: Web Phone Calls Must Allow Wiretaps Date: Thu, 05 Aug 2004 12:21:58 GMT Here's some more interesting news concerning VoIP: WASHINGTON - Internet phone carriers such as Vonage should set up their systems so U.S. law enforcers can monitor suspicious calls, the Federal Communications Commission tentatively ruled on Wednesday. More Here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5603020/ ------------------------------ From: adamsjac@telcordia.com (Jack Adams) Subject: FCC Rules on Wireless Outage Reporting and CALEA Compliance Date: 5 Aug 2004 10:31:36 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com See the following: http://www.ctia.org/news_media/daily/pub_view.cfm?pub_id=1&issue_id=1927&type=html for the full report from CTIA. In brief, the FCC voted unanimously to require wireless service providers to provide network outage statistics just as their wireline brethren have been doing since Hector was pup. Separately, they also said that ALL service providers (broadband, wireless, VoIP, etc.) must comply with CALEA (Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Agencies). ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 5 Aug 2004 09:59:09 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: EPIC Alert 11.15 ======================================================================= E P I C A l e r t ======================================================================= Volume 11.15 August 4, 2004 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Published by the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) Washington, D.C. http://www.epic.org/alert/EPIC_Alert_11.15.html ====================================================================== Table of Contents ====================================================================== [1] EPIC Report: Homeland Security Given Census Data on Arab Americans [2] White House Responds to 9/11 Commission Report [3] Court Rejects Agency Effort to Withhold CAPPS II Info From EPIC [4] Agencies Issue Rules on Homeless Tracking; Bank Customer ID [5] Congress Considers Bills to Strengthen E-Mail Privacy [6] News in Brief [7] EPIC Bookstore: A Little Knowledge [8] Upcoming Conferences and Events http://www.epic.org/alert/EPIC_Alert_11.15.html ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 5 Aug 2004 13:47:31 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Comcast Video Mail Comcast Introduces Video Mail - An Exciting New Way to Connect With Family and Friends Comcast Announces `Great American Getaway' Sweepstakes Sharing Special Moments Has Never Been Easier - Just Record, Preview and Send PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Comcast, the nation's number one broadband Internet provider, today announced the launch of Comcast Video Mail, a fresh and electrifying new way to communicate online. Comcast Video Mail enables Comcast High-Speed Internet customers to easily create video messages up to 45 seconds in length, using their personal computer and a webcam. Customers can also use Comcast Video Mail to send personalized video greeting cards and to share their digital photos via narrated photo slideshows. Imagine sending a unique video message to celebrate the birthday of an oldest childhood friend -- or being able to share the experience of baby's first tooth with grandparents 3,000 miles away. With Comcast Video Mail, users can connect with families and friends online like never before. Comcast Video Mail is available to all Comcast High-Speed Internet customers at no additional charge, and the service is designed to be easy to use and enjoy. Sending Video Mail messages is as simple as 1-2-3 - that is, record, preview and send. With the Greeting Card feature, customers can insert their special video message into more than 50 different cards covering various occasions and sentiments, including birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays. Video Mail's Photo Narrator function allows users to import up to 10 of their digital photos and narrate their own personal slideshow, with the ability to get creative and toggle between a live recorded image of themselves and the actual pictures. Comcast Also Makes It Easy to Connect with Webcams Comcast has also made it easy for customers who do not already own a webcam to obtain one. Current High-Speed Internet customers will have the opportunity to purchase select webcams at discounts of up to 35 percent, beginning with Logitech's popular QuickCam Messenger and QuickCam Pro4000 models. Free shipping and free toll-free support are included, and additional brands will be available soon. Details are available at: http://www.comcast.net/products/webcamoffer/ . Additionally, users who sign up for Comcast High-Speed Internet service throughout the month of August will receive a free Logitech webcam, as supplies last. Details are available at: http://www.comcast.net/freewebcam/ . - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=42927483 ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 5 Aug 2004 13:50:52 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: HP and Philips to Begin Licensing Video Content Protection System PALO ALTO, Calif. & AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 5, 2004-- Technology Enables Recording of Digital Television Broadcasts with the Broadcast Flag HP (NYSE:HPQ)(Nasdaq:HPQ) and Philips (NYSE:PHG) today announced that their Video Content Protection System (VCPS), formerly called Vidi, has received approval from the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and will now be offered to manufacturers through a license program. VCPS-enabled products will allow consumers to record video from digital television (DTV) broadcasts under the FCC's Broadcast Flag regulation. VCPS is designed to be used with DVD+R, DVD+RW and DVD+R DL optical discs. The FCC adopted the Broadcast Flag rules as a content protection mechanism for digital broadcast television. The Broadcast Flag is a digital code that can be embedded into a digital broadcasting stream and signals DTV reception equipment to prevent indiscriminate redistribution of digital broadcast content over the Internet. The use of VCPS in digital video discs and recorders makes it possible for consumers to record digital broadcasts that are protected by the Broadcast Flag onto a DVD+R/+RW disc, and enjoy TV programming protected by the FCC rules. After July 2005, FCC regulations require manufacturers of digital video recorders to use FCC-approved content protection technology when recording U.S. digital television broadcasts that are marked with the Broadcast Flag. VCPS provides a transparent solution for consumers -- there is no change in how the customer records and views their favorite TV program -- while automatically adhering to these regulations. VCPS is easily integrated in PCs, DVD recorders and players and in optical discs. The use of this technology does not increase the cost of the manufacturing process of DVD+R/+RW discs. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=42922053 ------------------------------ Subject: Old Bell System TTY Guys? Date: Thu, 5 Aug 2004 11:22:22 CDT From: jsw@ivgate.omahug