TELECOM Digest     Fri, 16 Feb 2007 20:30:00 EST    Volume 26 : Issue 49

Inside This Issue:                            Editor: Patrick A. Townson

    Obituary: Inventer of TV Remote Dies (Shannon Dininny, AP)
    A Dangerous Internet Drug Mistake (Reuters News Wire)
    Re: Telephone Area Codes and Prefixes (hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com)
    Party Line Dialing, was Re: Telephone Area Codes and Prefix (Lisa Hancock)
    CommunicationsDirect News Daily Update (communicationsdirect_daily)
    Broadband Reaches Into Rural Areas (USTelecom dailyLead)
    Telecom Update #567, February 16, 2007 (Angus TeleManagement Group)
    Waiting For Fraud Reports (NOTvalid@Queensbridge.us) 

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Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2007 17:07:58 -0600
From: Shannon Dininny, Associated Press <ap@telecom-digest.org>
Subject: Inventer of TV Remote Dies


By SHANNON DININNY, Associated Press Writer

Hit the mute button for a moment of silence: The co-inventor of the TV
remote has died.

Robert Adler, who won an Emmy Award along with fellow engineer Eugene
Polley for the device that made couch potatoship possible, died
Thursday of heart failure at a Boise nursing home at 93, Zenith
Electronics Corp.  said Friday.

In his six-decade career with Zenith, Adler was a prolific inventor,
earning more than 180 U.S. patents. He was best known for his 1956
Zenith Space Command remote control, which helped make TV a truly
sedentary pastime.

The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences awarded Adler and
co-inventor Polley, another Zenith engineer, an Emmy in 1997 for the
landmark invention.

Adler joined Zenith's research division in 1941 after earning a
doctorate in physics from the University of Vienna. He retired as
research vice president in 1979, and served as a technical consultant
until 1999, when Zenith merged with LG Electronics Inc.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office published his most recent patent
application, for advances in touch screen technology, on Feb. 1.

Adler is survived by his wife, Ingrid.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. 

NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the
daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at
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For more news and headlines, please go to:
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------------------------------

Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2007 17:10:49 -0600
From: Reuters News Wire <reuters@telecom-digest.org> 
Subject: A Dangerous Internet Drug Mistake


A drug used to treat schizophrenia was mailed to some consumers who
had ordered other medications via the Internet, and several users had
to seek emergency treatment because they could not breathe,
U.S. health officials said on Friday.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said that instead of receiving
the products they ordered, some consumers were sent the prescription
drug haloperidol. Several patients had to seek emergency care after
taking the pills, the agency said without citing a specific number.

Sold legally as Haldol by Johnson & Johnson and in other generic
versions, the anti-psychotic drug is know to cause muscle spasms,
muscle stiffness, agitation and sedation.

Buying medication online has been controversial.

Sales of drugs from other countries over the Internet is illegal in
the United States, and the FDA has repeatedly warned consumers not to
buy them that way. At the same time, supporters say reputable
pharmacies abroad can offer safe medications at a cheaper price.

In the latest incident, the agency said, packages were postmarked from
Greece but it was not known where the pills were manufactured.

Consumers had been trying to order specific drugs online, including
Sanofi-Aventis' Ambien, Pfizer Inc.'s Xanax, Forest Laboratories
Inc.'s Lexapro and Ativan, sold by Baxter International Inc. and
Biovail Corp.

The agency said those who have received medications from an Internet 
seller should compare them to photos of the faulty orders, which can be 
seen on the FDA's Web site at 
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/news/photos/haloperidol.html.

"If the tablets received from an Internet seller resemble those in the
photos and haloperidol was not specifically ordered, do not take these
tablets," the agency said.

Copyright 2007 Reuters Limited.

NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the
daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at
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------------------------------

From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com
Subject: Re: Telephone Area Codes and Prefixes
Date: 16 Feb 2007 07:29:28 -0800
Organization: http://groups.google.com


TELECOM Digest Editor noted in response to Neal McLain 
<nmcl...@annsgarden.com>:

> When automation finally started, in 1938, Illinois Bell started
> printing all numbers (dialable or still manual) in the telephone
> directory as names plus FOUR digits, using leading zeros as required
> to complete the string. ...  from 1938 until 1946 Chicago was about
> 20-50 percent dial and the same amount manual. PAT]

Just wanted to a note another reason why they did this: The Bell
System plan for large cities was the "panel system".  They knew it
would not be converted to dial overnight.  Also, cities and suburbs
were growing and modest manual exchanges could soon grow into big
exchanges.  (In the 1920s the cities were developing new dense
neighborhoods rapidly).  The panel system was designed to provide for
all of this.

The panel system was 'common control' in that it had some intelligence
designed into it.  Unlike step-by-step where each dial pull controlled
the direct switch, panel stored the number in a register, translated
it to proper routing, and made a connection from the translation.
This gave the necessary flexibility for city networks.

Panel also provided automatic assist for dial-manual interconnections.
The idea was that dial customers would not need to know the type of
exchange they were calling, they would dial the 7 digit number in all
cases.  If they were calling a manual office, the system would route
the call to the exchange, and convert the last 4 digits to a readout
on the operator's switchboard.  The manual operator would make the
connection based on the readout.  For calls from a manual exchange,
the operator would merely dial the desired number.  (I'm simplifying
this quite a bit).

As an aside, for some reason I don't understand, panel could NOT be
used for Centrex service, though the older step-by-step could (along
with crossbar and ESS). In SxS, they merely wired the terminating
selectors to serve as the Centrex switch, very simple.  I don't know
why panel's logic circuits couldn't handle it.

In the literature, it says a manual exchange could have 10,500 numbers
and an extra digit was provided for that.  How often that was used in
reality I don't know; perhaps just in NYC with its very high density
calling.

Panel also provided meters to count up local calls to charge message-
rate service.

I believe (need to confirm) the meters were also used to time calls in
NYC, that is, after say five minutes, the meter incremented again.  As
to suburban calls, the meters would work out fine for message units,
but calls still may have been internally processed with full AMA
details even if the customer only saw a meter count, not itemization.

(To this day, city suburban calls are charged by message units or
"measured service", in which units are changed based on distance and
time.  The customer doesn't see itemization of a bunch of 15c and 25c
calls, rather just an accumulation.  In Phila, the Verizon reduced the
charges, widened the free area, and gives off peak discounts.
However, the basic system remains in place to this day unless you buy
a wide area calling package.  Consult the front of the Verizon
Philadelphia phone directory for details.)

(For myself, national unlimited was only a few dollars more than local
wide area, so I now have national unlimited.  For someone who
remembers when making a long distance call was serious business, free
calling is a bit strange and takes some getting used to.)


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: The single, isolated example I ever saw
of a manual phone with FIVE digits after the exchange name was in
Hammond, Indiana when I was about 11-12 years old. A payphone in the
parking lot of a grocery store carried the number 'Sheffield 10523'.
Note that was NOT 'Sheffield-1' but rather, a manual exchange
'Sheffield' followed by '10523' as the number within the exchange.
Hammond, the first of the Indiana cluster of Chicago southeast
suburban suburbs to 'go dial' about 1953-54 converted their Sheffield
exchange to WEstmore 1 and WEstmore 2; and their Russell exchange to
WEstmore 3 and TIlden 4. And in those days, WEstmore and TIlden
anything could seven digit dial Illinois-side south suburbs, and vice-
versa, but Chicago itself required the leading 219 to call Indiana. 
For many years, there was no 312-931, 312-932, or 312-933 since those
would have conflicted with Hammond's exchanges. Bell finally cut in
312-659 (Whiting, IN has 219-659) in 1982 and gave it to Cellular One for
cell phones. Now it is no longer '312'; I suppose now it is 773 or
maybe 630.  PAT]

------------------------------

From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com
Subject: Party Line Dialing, was Re: Telephone Area Codes and Prefixes
Date: 16 Feb 2007 07:38:25 -0800
Organization: http://groups.google.com


> I don't believe that eight-digit numbers have ever been used anywhere
> in the NANP.  

In cities, if you had a party line (2 or 4 party) you had a listed
number the same as anyone else.  If someone called you, they dialed
the listed number normally and only your phone rang.  The Bell System
used a special wiring technique to isolated the ringers of up to four
separate parties so only the desired party would ring.  (I believe it
was a combination of bias and grounding).  The independent companies
used different ringer frequencies to isolate ringers.

However, in many places, party lines had a letter suffix (J, R?).  In
the literature, the panel readout boards had that letter suffix.  Some
old telephone books show that letter listed after to the number.

I presume in some manual systems one gave the letter to the
operator.

But in dial systems, did one dial the suffix letter to reach party
lines so equipped?

Note -- the above is for party lines of up to 4 customers.  I believe
anything beyond 4 had to be on a manual system and had to use special
short-long ringing codes.  Everybody heard the other phones ringing
and had to listen if it was their code.  (Or they always answered to
listen in on other people's conversations.)


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: No, we did NOT dial the ending letter.
All those letters (-B,-J, -M and -R) were merged into seven digit
numbers, and tied together in the central office for individualized
ringing purposes only, sort of like the 'distinctive ring-ring'
numbers today. The parties still shared the same wire (that is, a
conversation by one would cause all to be 'busy') but at least the
ringing was mostly silenced since the polarity of the ringing was
swapped around. The intended party got a full-bodied ring, but the
others at best got a sort of 'tick-sound' from a feeble hammer hitting
the bell inside the phone. In the pre-dial days, the operator had four
buttons with the letters B,J, M and R printed on them on her board,
and she would press and hold one of the buttons while pulling the
ringing key.

My grandmother once told me about hot summer nights in Coffeyville in
the 1930's era. People would sit their phone inside or upon a
galvanized washtub, to amplify the 'tick-sound' when a 'party line
neighbor' got a phone call. All they had were those heavy-metal type
phones to use anyway. Hot summer night, all the old biddies sitting
outside on their front porch; suddenly in the background you could
hear the 'tick-tick ... tick-tick' sound, and after a few seconds to
be polite and not appear to be nosy, the old biddies would one by one
disappear inside their houses to quietly take the telephone receiver
off hook and listen to what the other two were discussing.

And while in high school, my best buddy Dennis Hill called me on the
phone one night for a juicy gossip session, replete with some crude
conversation about something or another. We had our own private phone
line, Dennis was on a party line. I heard the 'click' which warned
someone might be listening, and warned Dennis he better shut up for
that reason. Dennis replied, "oh, that's just Mrs. Murphy, our party
line neighbor; she has been on our line for over twenty years, if she
does not by now know all there is to know about our household, she
never will figure it out." After a few seconds, another 'click' 
when Mrs. Murphy decided to restore to us our privacy.

And telco used to also print an admonition to party line subscribers
in the phone book along with instructions on how to call your party
line neighbor: You told the operator you wished to call the (whichever
letter) side of your party line; then you would hang up. The operator
would ring that side of the line, and once the ringing stopped then
you were to pick up your phone and do the conversation. And if
_anyone_ broke into your conversation to say 'the line is needed for
an emergency call' you were to PROMPTLY disconnect and wait until the
emergency was concluded. And 'to claim that an emergency exists
requiring police, hospital, fire or doctor when in fact no such
emergency existed, (or refuse to surrender the line in case it did
exist) you have committed a class five felony under the law, and will
be punished accordingly, up to or including the loss of your telephone
service.' Things were different in those days. PAT]

------------------------------

Subject: CommunicationsDirect News Daily Update
From: communicationsdirect_daily <communicationsdirect_daily@communicationscom>
Reply-To: communicationsdirect_daily-owner@communicationsdirectnews.com
Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2007 09:48:45 EST


********************************
PricewaterhouseCoopers Presents
The CommunicationsDirect Daily Update
For February 16, 2007
********************************

Long Distance Goes Boingo Over Wi-Fi
http://communicationsdirectnews.com/do.php/150/22745?11228

     Wi-Fi hot-spot operator Boingo Wireless unveiled a $7.95-per-month
     global Wi-Fi VoIP roaming plan called 'Boingo Mobile'.
     The plan is believed to be the first in the industry that eliminates
     one of the major barriers to the use of VoIP over Wi-Fi in most
     places: the onerous daily fee, a sum that often is higher than ...

Telecommunications Firm Sonaecom Raises Bid for Portugal Telecom
http://communicationsdirectnews.com/do.php/120/22742?11228

     LISBON, Portugal - Portuguese telecommunications firm Sonaecom is
     raising its offer in a bid for larger rival Portugal Telecom (PT) to
     10.50 (US$13.50) per share from 9.50 (US$12.50), the company said
     late Thursday.  Under Portuguese securities law, Sonaecom had
     until Feb. 28 to adjust its offer before the bid expires on March
     9. ...

Vonage Narrows 4Q Loss to $65 Million
http://communicationsdirectnews.com/do.php/150/22739?11228

     NEW YORK - Internet phone company Vonage Holdings Corp. narrowed
     its fourth-quarter loss to $65 million as revenue nearly doubled
     with the addition of nearly 1 million customers during 2006.  The
     loss of 42 cents per share for the final three months of 2006 was
     in line with estimates of Wall Street analysts surveyed by
     Thomson ...

Orascom, Telenor Snag Warner Content
http://communicationsdirectnews.com/do.php/120/22735?11228

     Looking to increase revenue from legal music downloads, Warner
     Music Group has cut deals with mobile operators Orascom and
     Telenor.  The move will make Warner's content available to
     165 million mobile subscribers.  New York-based Warner will make
     its portfolio of mobile products available to both operators,
     which cover the ...

Your feedback on our e-letter is always welcome. Send email to:
CommunicationsDirect Editor <telecom_direct_editor@us.pwc.com>

Copyright (C) 2007 PricewaterhouseCoopers.

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2007 12:26:41 CST
From: USTelecom dailyLead <ustelecom@dailylead.com>
Subject: Broadband Reaches Into Rural Areas


USTelecom dailyLead
February 16, 2007
http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/gidUfDtusXmisjCibuddSBCU

TODAY'S HEADLINES


NEWS OF THE DAY
* Broadband reaches into rural areas
BUSINESS & INDUSTRY WATCH
* AT&T offers small businesses new services
* Alcatel-Lucent delivers mobile TV over 3G, broadcast
* Be delivers faster broadband in U.K.
* Judge issues stay in Sprint NSA case
* Cisco chief backs McCain
* Apple, Cisco continue to work toward iPhone settlement
TECHNOLOGY TRENDS
* Telephia expanding research on phone-line use to 75 cities
* Oscars show power of big-event TV
* European telecoms seek higher frequencies
IP DOWNLOAD
* Portugal Telecom sets IPTV pilot launch dates
* BroadSoft, Radvision offer VoIP with video
* Subscriber growth slows for Vonage
REGULATORY & LEGISLATIVE
* Editorial: Telecom must be free to compete

Follow the link below to read quick summaries of these stories and others.
http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/gidUfDtusXmisjCibuddSBCU

------------------------------

From: Angus TeleManagement Group <jriddell@angustel.ca>
Subject: Telecom Update #567, February 16, 2007
Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2007 10:29:54 -0800


Here is this week's issue of Telecom Update from Canada. I was unable
to convert the HTML to text.

http://www.angustel.ca/update/up.html

PAT]

------------------------------

From: www.Queensbridge.us <NOTvalid@Queensbridge.us>
Subject: Waiting for Fraud Reports
Date: 16 Feb 2007 15:40:00 -0800


See
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070216/ap_on_hi_te/mardi_gras_text_messages


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: So, it would appear our correspondent
feels this scheme may be vulnerable to fraud.  I am not so sure, and
decided to look up the URL he referenced and include it here. To be
certain, New Orleans has suffered incredibly in the past two years,
with Katrina and now the more recent tornado. I certainly agree they
need all the help they can receive, so, after reading the message
below via Associated Press (which is where the above URL links to) if
you feel inclined to help, then please do. PAT]


  Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2007 19:09:13 -0600
  Subject: New Orleans Seeks Text Message Donations
  From: BECKY BOHRER, Associated Press Writer

The cash-strapped city, which has borrowed heavily to continue
operating after Hurricane Katrina, is turning to text-messaged
donations in an effort to defray the costs of Mardi Gras, its premier
cultural event.

City officials are working with PayPal, a money-transfer Web site, to
raise cash via text-message and online giving. Costs of the Carnival
celebration, which concludes Tuesday, include $4 million to $5 million
for police overtime, trash pickup on parade routes and other public
expenses.

The Text to Give program is to retroactively pay for the costs; it
began Feb. 8 and is set to run for a year. The initial goal is to
raise $1 million.

People who want to donate using cell phone text messages would text
"NOLA5" or "NOLA10" to the number 78787 if they wanted to donate $5 or
$10, said Jamie Patricio, a PayPal spokeswoman. If people want to
donate another sum, they would text "NOLA" to the number and be
prompted for an amount, she said.

For security, messagers are prompted to enter the PINs they used to
set up a PayPal account, Patricio said. The donation is then drawn
from users' bank accounts via PayPal and sent to a special city
account.

Those who want to give online can go to the city's Web site at
http://www.cityofno.com and click on a link containing the "Text2Give"
logo to donate money via PayPal. The PayPal site also expects to have
a Mardi Gras link up in a few days, Patricio said.

"I think this is going to be a very strong and contagious, viral
campaign, especially among the people who have the technology and come
to New Orleans and love it here," said Ernest Collins, the city
marketing director. He added that he's not sure the city will reach
the $1 million goal.

On the Net:

PayPal: https://http://www.paypal.com/mobile

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press.

NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the
daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at
http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new
articles daily. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at
http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or)
http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html

For more news and headlines, please go to:
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------------------------------


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*   TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from                  *
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End of TELECOM Digest V26 #49
*****************************