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Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa24794;
24 Aug 93 20:32 EDT
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Date: Tue, 24 Aug 1993 17:59:00 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
Message-Id: <199308242259.AA08910@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #601
TELECOM Digest Tue, 24 Aug 93 17:59:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 601
Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson
Free 'Carte France Telecom' in Germany :-) (Juergen Ziegler via Condat)
Network General Founder to Head Smart Valley Regional Incentive (H. Saal)
ATM Information Wanted (Voravit Euavatanakorn)
Re: Questions About Regular Old 'Snail Mail' (Dave Niebuhr)
Re: Questions About Regular Old 'Snail Mail' (Lars J|rgen Poulsen)
Re: CWA Blasts Mass Shutdown of Operator Centers (Andrew Finkenstadt)
Re: Should I Get a Separate Line For Modem (Rajappa Iyer)
Re: Should I Get a Separate Line For Modem (Gary Breuckman)
Re: New Service: The Net ADvertiser (Doug Sewell)
Re: Cellular Conversation Results in Arrest (TELECOM Moderator)
Re: FCC Equal Access Order (Christian Weisgerber)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: cccf@email.teaser.com (Jean-Bernard Condat)
Date: Tue, 24 Aug 1993 08:05:31 GMT
Subject: Free 'Carte France Telecom' in Germany :-)
In reaction of my article <telecom13.559.14@eecs.nwu.edu>, Juergen Ziegler
<juergen@jojo.sub.org> wrote me:
You wont believe it, but German customers can also get a 'Carte France
Telecom' from the German DBP Telekom.
How comes?
The DBP Telekom (formely Post) and France Telecom started a project
several years ago to offer the French 'Carte Pastel' to German
'TeleKarte' customers. BTW, the German 'TeleKarte' is the counterpart
to the French 'Carte Pastel'. Since I am a 'TeleKarte' customer since
September last year, I immediately applied for the French 'Carte
Pastel' when I heard about this project, since I live ten miles from
the German-French border in Alsace.
The card arrived shortly and I have used it several times to call home
from Alsace. On night in January, I called around by 2:00 (early mor-
ning) several relatives in the USA from an Alsacian pay phone near the
border.
Why?
Because the rates for such calls are wonderfully low, and if you want
to call for around 45 minutes, it is definitively worth it. That are
the first light signs of competition. Great!
I almost forget to mention, that I got the French 'Carte Pastel' at
*no extre* charge!!!! The call charges appear on my German phone bill.
Unfortunatley I do not know, if French customers can also get a German
'TeleKarte'. You should ask France Telecom's card operations.
-------------
[JB Condat: I have ask the general direction of France Telecom in Paris
and I don't receive an answer at this time. And to obtain a German
'TeleKarte' linked with my new-received 'Carte France Telecom', I receive
only a name and a fax number: Herrn Granzin, DBP Telekom Nueremberg,
Fax: +49 911 15239-69!]
Jean-Bernard Condat
General Secretary
Chaos Computer Club France, B.P. 155, 93404 St-Ouen Cedex, France
Private Address: P.O. 8005, 69351 Lyon Cedex 08, France
Phone: +33 1 40101764, Fax: +33 1 47877070
InterNet: cccf@altern.com or cccf@email.teaser.com
For a free subscription to _Chaos Digest_, send a message to:
linux-activists-request@niksula.hut.fi
with a mail header or first line containing the following information:
X-Mn-Admin: join CHAOS_DIGEST
and you will put freely on the ChaosD mailing list. Don't hesitate!
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 23 Aug 93 16:39:29 PDT
From: harrys@vegas.NGC.COM (Harry Saal)
Subject: Network General Founder to Head Smart Valley Regional Incentive
NETWORK GENERAL FOUNDER TO HEAD SMART VALLEY REGIONAL INITIATIVE
Harry J. Saal Named President and Chief Executive Officer of
Smart Valley, Inc.
MENLO PARK, CALIF. August 19, 1993 - Smart Valley, Inc. announced
today the appointment of Network General founder Harry J. Saal, 49, as
President and Chief Executive Officer.
A founder of Network General Corporation, Dr. Saal will begin his
responsibilities as Chief Executive of Smart Valley, Inc. effective
September 1. Smart Valley, Inc. was created as a result of the Joint
Venture: Silicon Valley effort and is a broad coalition of business,
government and community leaders. Dr. Saal will continue to serve as
Chairman of the Network General Board of Directors.
"We're working from the grass roots level to create on electronic
community in the San Francisco Bay Area that will change the way we
work, live and learn," said John Young, Chairman of the Smart Valley
Board of Directors. "And the best way to do it is with one of
America's most successful high technology entrepreneurs. Harry's
experience and reputation in the data networking industry, combined
with his personal involvement with community activities, is truly
unique."
Dr. Saal has led Network General since 1986. Over the past seven years
the company has grown to $85 million in revenue with 400 employees.
In 1989, the company completed a successful IPO. As the company
approaches the $100 million revenue mark, Dr. Saal named a successor
CEO, Les Denend, to manage Network General's next phase of growth.
"I am excited about the challenge of being in 'start-up mode' again,"
said Dr. Saal. "This opportunity to serve our community is the
perfect balance between my philanthropic involvement and industry
experience. I have no doubt that we can make our region the role
model for unique and effective applications of network technology.
Through the cooperation and good will of diverse sectors of our
community, we will revitalize and enhance our overall competitiveness,
the local economy, and quality of life."
"We are truly fortunate to have an experienced individual of Dr.
Saal's talent to lead JVSV's Smart Valley project," said Becky Morgan,
incoming President/CEO of Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network. "His
leadership will go far toward linking the other Joint Venture
initiatives into a powerful electronic network, and will propel the
region into a 'smart 21st century'."
The Company
Smart Valley, Inc., will facilitate the implementation of a data
superhighway in conjunction with easy-to-use information services that
will benefit all sectors of the community. Smart Valley, a non-profit
501(c)(6) organization, will assist technology and service providers,
application developers, and end users to implement this vision. For
more information call 415/473-2728 or contact Dr. Saal on the Internet
at HarryS@ngc.com.
[Press Contact: Robert Berger 415. 473. 2914]
------------------------------
From: voravit@nwg.nectec.or.th (Voravit Euavatanakorn)
Subject: ATM Information Wanted
Date: 24 Aug 1993 15:23:06 +0700
Organization: Academic and research support host at NECTEC, Bangkok, THAILAND
I'm looking for a good book on ATM, SONET and related topics.
Thanks in advance for any help given.
Voravit Euavatanakorn voravit@nwg.nectec.or.th fax (662) 216-4875
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 23 Aug 93 09:43:36 EDT
From: dwn@dwn.ccd.bnl.gov (Dave Niebuhr)
Subject: Re: Questions About Regular Old 'Snail Mail'
In TELECOM Digest V13 #595 roy@sendai.cybrspc.mn.org (Roy M.
Silvernail) writes:
> The thread about SnailMail reminds me of an incident when I still
> lived in Nome, Alaska.
> My girlfriend's mother sent her a note, but forgot to put the Zip code
> on the envelope. After several weeks, it had not arrived. (Her mother
> even called to see what the problem might be.)
> Some two months after it had been mailed, the letter finally arrived.
> We got quite a kick out of the envelope, which was backstamped in
> Arabic. The letter had been misrouted to Saudi Arabia. It took three
> World Atlases to finally locate the city that backstamped and returned
> it.
My tale of woe with the USPS concerns a tax payment that had to be
made before January 10, 19xx (forgot the year).
I live on Long Island and the bank holding my mortgage was in
Rochester, NY and the taxing authority is located about 20 miles from
my home.
Having received my bill in late December, I promptly forwarded it to
the bank via Certified Mail. In the bill's travels it went from Lon
Island to Baranquila, Columbia, to Fort Wayne, Indiana, to Syracuse,
NY and then to Rochester. All of this was dutifully recorded on the
receipt at each stop.
Luckily, the bank got the bill and made the payment in time.
I complained to the USPS and filled out a complaint form which
promptly went into File 13, the bit bucket, circular file, etc.
Dave Niebuhr Internet: niebuhr@bnl.gov / Bitnet: niebuhr@bnl
Brookhaven National Laboratory Upton, LI, NY 11973 (516)-282-3093
Senior Technical Specialist: Scientific Computer Facility
------------------------------
From: lars@login.dkuug.dk (Lars J|rgen Poulsen)
Subject: Re: Questions About Regular Old 'Snail Mail'
Organization: DKnet
Date: Mon, 23 Aug 1993 22:43:38 GMT
Peter Rukavina (caprukav@atlas.cs.upei.ca) wrote:
>> (3) When I send mail to a U.S. address that is incorrect ...
>> [it comes back with a sticker saying] ...
>> 'ADDRESS INCORRECT: Forwarding Order Expired' and then lists a
>> different address below.
Jonathan Haruni <jharuni@micrognosis.co.uk> writes:
> Well, they probably just charge people by the month for the forwarding
> service. It probably is inefficient to return the mail to you with
> the forward address on it, but if they just forwarded it, their mail
> forwarding business would go down the tubes; people would pay for one
> month and then get it for free. I find it odd that they provide you
> with the address rather than just return it to you. The recipient may
> have moved a second time without telling the first post office.
Since I have just moved, I have this fresh in mind. In the U.S.A.,
there is no charge for forwarding, but (at least in Santa Barbara, CA)
the forwarding order lasts only for six months. After that time, the
mail gets returned but with information about the forwarding address.
Thus, the postal patron gets the opportunity to tell his/her
corrrespondents about the new address, but if s/he fails to do that,
they will eventually be told.
However, forwarding is only possible within the US. So when you move
out of the country (as I did) you have to find someone within the
country to forward the mail to you.
On the other hand, forwarding of telephones is less straightforward.
When I moved, I wanted to reserve my number (since I expect to come
back in a year). This was not offered by GTE. The best they could
offer was to set up a remote call forwarding line. This was prices
such that it would have been cheaper to leave the line connected with
an answering machine in the crawlspace.
I negotiated with my employer to leave my voicemailbox active, and I
then put a referral to that on my disconnect notice. (Yes, at no
charge they will intercept and refer to a new number, but for love or
money they will not extend that beyond 90 days.) After I moved to
Europe I discovered that while they had indeed left the voicemailbox
active, they had disconnected the DID number that led to it, so the
only way to the voicemail was via the company switchboard operator. I
was not surprised that there were never any messages on the voice mail.
I am now settling in to a work-at-home routine in Copenhagen Denmark,
where local calls are about five US cents per minute (no flat rate
plans available), and even then, leased lines are not cost-effective
unless you have over two hours of connect time per day. Even GTE looks
good in comparison.
Lars Poulsen CMC Network Products
on temporary duty in Copenhagen Denmark
------------------------------
From: andy@vistachrome.com (Andrew Finkenstadt)
Subject: Re: CWA Blasts Mass Shutdown of Operator Centers
Reply-To: andy@vistachrome.com
Organization: Vista-Chrome, Inc.
Date: Tue, 24 Aug 1993 04:49:35 GMT
phil@rochgte.fidonet.org (Phillip Dampier) writes:
> CWA BLASTS MASS SHUTDOWN OF AT&T OPERATOR CENTERS;
> PLANS GRASSROOTS PUBLIC AWARENESS AND ACTION CAMPAIGN
> (Communications Workers of America)
> "There is simply no justification for such devastating shutdowns and
> layoffs of thousands of workers, who have dedicated their careers to
> AT&T, from a business unit that made almost one billion dollars profit
> last year," said CWA Vice President James Irvine, whose office serves
> some 100,000 represented AT&T workers.
> "At what point is enough profit enough profit? At what point do
> people begin to count as much as dollar bills?" Irvine commented.
Perhaps the CWA should take that issue up with the stockholders of
AT&T who obviously {like} the profit that shows up as increased stock
price, dividends, equity, and the like? It certainly would be a more
appropriate forum than a grassroots movement amongst the american (and
international) public who can be misled easily by statements taken out
of context, and out of truth, too.
General Electric made more PROFIT than many of the FORTUNE 1000 had in
REVENUE. Does that mean that GE Lightbulbs should be free, or that GE
Jet Engines should be free to help the ailing airline community, or
that the GE GEnie service should be free because it's "just" a few
billion dollars?
> The latest wave of shutdowns would affect as many as 4,000 jobs at
> locations in 26 states.
Yes, it is a shame that AT&T is taking a business pose, but I think it
was nice that they were going to pay a $6,000 BONUS to people who
chose, along with a lucrative relocation package to move to Phoenix
Arizona including housing, spousal, and other benefits.
Or was that not something they should have done?
> Instead of using operators for telemarketing, AT&T maintains a pool of
> more than 3,000 contract telemarketers who are poorly paid and receive
> no benefits, according to union officials.
Another good business decision, especially appropriate for those
persons who don't want to work full-time, or need benefits. My
employer does this, and finds far more flexibility than hardness in
scheduling, and we have just 18 people, not the hundreds of thousands
AT&T does.
Speaking not for my employer but just myself
Andrew Finkenstadt | andy@{homes.com,vistachrome.com,genie.geis.com}
Systems Analyst | Vista-Chrome, Homes & Land Publishing Corporation
| 1600 Capital Circle SW, Tallahassee Florida 32310
+1 904-575-0189 | GEnie Postmaster, Unix & Internet RoundTables Sysop
------------------------------
From: Rajappa Iyer <iyer@npg-sd.sandiegoca.NCR.COM>
Subject: Re: Should I Get a Separate Line For Modem
Date: 23 Aug 93 15:28:28 GMT
Organization: NCR Corp., Network Products - San Diego
I wrote earlier:
> What are the pros and cons of using the same telephone number for both
> the modem and voice? I really don't want to miss calls while I am on
> the modem. Would call waiting help? Any input on this will be apprec-
> iated.
Ok! I'm convinced that I need a separate telephone number for modem.
Unfortunately, the wiring in my building is pretty screwed up and I
barely managed to get my current telephone number wired in. So my next
question: is it possible to use the same physical wire for two numbers
and use some sort of demultiplexor in my unit?
Thanks,
Rajappa Iyer (iyer@npg-sd.ScrippsRanchCA.NCR.COM - on assignment at NCR)
#include <std_disclaimer.h>
------------------------------
From: puma@netcom.com (Gary Breuckman)
Subject: Re: Should I Get a Separate Line For Modem
Date: Mon, 23 Aug 1993 16:31:12 GMT
In article <telecom13.595.10@eecs.nwu.edu> dave.carpentier@OLN.COM writes:
> Rajappa Iyer <iyer@npg-sd.sandiegoca.NCR.COM> writes:
>> What are the pros and cons of using the same telephone number for both
>> the modem and voice? I really don't want to miss calls while I am on
>> the modem. Would call waiting help? Any input on this will be apprec-
>> iated.
> One solution is to get Voice-Mail and Call Forwarding. I had this
> setup for a while on my modem line. Before you go online, just forward
> the calls to the voice-mailbox. The problem with this setup is the
> memory work involved with constantly setting/cancelling the call
> forwarding. Voice-mailboxes can sometimes be setup to call you back
> (at any ph#) to inform you of a message waiting ... a nice feature IMHO.
> Stay away from the Call-waiting. As Pat said, it'll knock you offline.
> Some Call-waiting systems can be disabled with a special code (such as
> *70 ?), but this wouldn't solve your problem, as calls would again go
> unanswered.
A nice touch, if you purchase voicemail from your telephone company,
is that they use the 'busy/no answer' forward that is set permanently
on your line, so you don't have to set and reset it. They also
provide a stutter dialtone when there are messages waiting, so you do
not need to call in to find out whether there are any or not.
They can also answer more than one call at a time. The only thing
your answering machine can do better is screen calls, something I do a
lot. We get SO many wrong numbers, folks selling things, etc ... you
can listen to the start of the message and pick up if you want to
talk.
puma@netcom.com
------------------------------
From: doug@cc.ysu.edu (Doug Sewell)
Subject: Re: New Service: The Net ADvertiser
Date: 23 Aug 1993 19:03:35 GMT
Organization: Youngstown State University
This note has been posted to at least four bit.* newsgroups (actually
the message-ID was like that of amailer, so it may have been sent to
the related mailing lists and/or to a mail-news gateway).
Just what we need ... another Seth/Warren/etc.
NetAdvertiser (netad@uds01.unix.st.it) wrote:
> Are you trying to sell your car, your home, your drums, your whole
> Jimi Hendrix's bootlegs collection? Are you going to rent your flat
> at Aspen for the summer time? Or maybe you are looking for a car, or
> for a new job, or for friends to spend all the nights watching Peter
> Greenaways's movies or playing Diplomacy. Even if you are offering
> jobs and managing a commercial company you can enter the world of:
<remainder mercifully deleted>
Doug Sewell, Tech Support, Computer Center, Youngstown State University
doug@cc.ysu.edu doug@ysub.bitnet <internet>!cc.ysu.edu!doug
[Moderator's Note: Well, I was really glad to help inform people about
this since for all intents and purposes it will be free to most of
the users, and be an excellent place for all those Seth/Warren type
messages. This should prove to be a most valuable mailing list IMHO. PAT]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 23 Aug 93 11:16:11 CDT
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom@eecs.nwu.edu>
Subject: Re: Cellular Conversation Results in Arrest
A contact at Motorola Cellular recently gave me the scoop on this,
as it is being related at Motorola to employees.
It was a Motorola EMX2500 in Charlotte run by ALLTEL Mobile that led
athorities to the arrest of the two alleged murderers of James Jordan.
The information was derived from the CDR (Call Detail Records) on
James Jordan's phone.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 23 Aug 1993 15:54:30 +0200
From: naddy@mips.ruessel.sub.org (Christian Weisgerber)
Reply-To: naddy@mips.ruessel.sub.org
Subject: Re: FCC Equal Access Order
In <08.15.93.1@eecs.nwu.edu>, TELECOM Moderator wrote:
> Here is the copy of the Equal Access Order which was promised. First
> read it and make sure *you* understand it, then show it to telecom
> administrators at your school if you feel they are not in compliance.
Is there an English translation available? :->
Christian 'naddy' Weisgerber, Germany naddy@ruessel.sub.org
[Moderator's Note: Do you mean a German translation, or are you making
mock of American bureaucrats and the way they write things in the
hopes no one quite understands for sure what the law is, thus making
them more likely to break it? Remember, the government depends on
having a steady stream of law-breakers to be puninshed. Thousands of
employees in the criminal justice system here have a vested interest
in making sure crime in the USA stays quite high. Every little bit of
gobbledy-good regulations (on any topic) insures there will always
be something for the bureaucrats to deal with. :) PAT]
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V13 #601
******************************
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25 Aug 93 16:38 EDT
Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA32393
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(5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Wed, 25 Aug 1993 13:19:59 -0500
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1993 13:19:59 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
Message-Id: <199308251819.AA00516@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #602
TELECOM Digest Wed, 25 Aug 93 13:20:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 602
Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson
Symposium Notice - Human Factors in Telecommuncations (John Craick)
CRIS (BBS Direct) (Jim Wenzel)
New Sprint Product for Students (John D. Gretzinger)
Caller ID vs. SMDI Data Link (Michael D. Corbett)
DTMF/MF ==> EIA Decoder (Jimmy Lin)
CATV Company Announces Connection to the Internet (Les Reeves)
Calling Canadian 800 Numbers From the US (E. Drew Einhorn)
ISDN Costs in OBT-Land (Ken Hester)
Large Scale IVR Systems (Matt Holdrege)
Octothorpe: Is That the Right Name? (Fred Smith)
Information Needed on Watson (Otto L. Miller)
The One True Dialing Plan (Bob Goudreau)
Comparison of Salaries in Telecom Industry (David M. Perri)
Last Laugh! MCI Friends: The Bobbit Family (Bert Roseberry)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Craick, John <JCraick@VTRLMEL1.TRL.OZ.AU>
Subject: Symposium Notice - Human Factors in Telecommuncations
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 93 16:59:00 EST
HFT '95
15th International Symposium on Human Factors In Telecommunications
Melbourne (Australia) - March 6 - 10, 1995
PRELIMINARY NOTICE
This is a preliminary notice concerning the 15th International
Symposium on Human Factors in Telecommunications which will be held in
Melbourne, Australia, March 6 - 10th, 1995.
These symposia are held every two or three years to provide a forum
for human factors experts to exchange information, views and
experiences in research and application of human factors principles in
telecom products, equipment and services. These experts are generally
employed by telecommunications administrations, manufacturers and
related research or development organizations, or they may be members
of the academic community. Publication of papers and posters are the
basis for open discussion of human factors issues at the symposium.
The symposium will be widely publicized in appropriate publications
and by electronic means, but please bring it to the attention of other
interested persons who may otherwise not hear about it.
PARTICIPANTS
Attendance is limited to a maximum of 200 people. This is the first of
these symposia to be held outside North America and Europe and
attendees are expected from those areas, Australasia and the Pacific
rim.
PAPERS
Papers will be accepted for inclusion in the symposium on the basis of
300-500 word abstracts.
Proceedings will be distributed before the symposium, giving
participants a chance to read them in preparation for discussion.
Presentation times will be kept short to enable more discussion. A
formal poster session will be included in the time table, and posters
will be displayed throughout the symposium. There will be no parallel
sessions.
Requirements for papers, including layout guidelines and submission
dates will be provided later (see Timetable, below).
PROGRAM TOPICS
Papers are invited which address all aspects of the definition, design
and evaluation of telecommunications systems, for example:
Definition of new services
Assessment methods and multi-disciplinary interactions necessary to
new service evaluation and definition
System optimization
Person-machine interactions and interfaces
Design of user procedures and strategies for service implementation
System quality factors, e.g. transmission performance
System flexibility and user programming factors
Human factors in software design
Methods for system optimization
Optimization of user terminal design
Person-machine interactions and interfaces
Terminals (voice and data)
Data systems maintenance
Instructions
Training and performance aids
Methods
LANGUAGE
The symposium language will be English. Interpreting services will not
be provided.
TIMETABLE
Second Preliminary Notice December, 1993
Formal Call for Papers (first and final) June, 1994
Closing Date for Abstracts September,1994
Acceptances to Authors October, 1994
Closing Date for Papers December, 1994
Distribution of Proceedings February, 1995
Symposium in Progress March, 1995
TRAVEL AND ACCOMODATION ARRANGEMENTS
We are negotiating with QANTAS, the Australian national airline, to
offer you the best travel deals. A range of accomodation will be
available.
CONTACTS IN AUSTRALIA
If additional contacts in Australia could help strengthen your case to
attend the symposium, we might be able to help. Please, inform us as
soon as you can if you need to locate people with specific interests,
institutions or companies here, and we will do our best to assist you.
ELECTRONIC AND OTHER COMMUNICATIONS WITH HFT'95
A local organizing committee has been established in Melbourne and
welcomes communications concerning HFT'95. Postal communications
should be to the address given below.
HFT'95 now has an internet e-mail address and we intend later to
establish an ftp facility. Subject to certain limitations, we hope to
accept abstracts, final papers and conference registrations through
these electronic means. For more information, please e-mail us at the
internet address shown below.
Electronic communication with the organizing committee is particularly
encouraged.
ACTIVITIES AND TOURIST INFORMATION
We are planning an activities program for people who are accompanying
symposium participants. The activities will be designed to highlight
the internationally acclaimed natural features of Melbourne and its
surrounding areas that both adults and children would enjoy.
To assist us in this planning, it would be appreciated if you could
contact the local HFT'95 committee with a preliminary indication of
how many people you think may accompany you to Australia, should you
attend. Also, please inform us if you think you would consider
extending your stay in Australia, either before or after the
symposium, so tourist information can be prepared. We welcome postal,
fax and e-mail correspondence on these matters.
CONTACTING HFT'95
Convenor of local organizing committee : Dr. Gitte Lindgaard
Postal Address :
IHFT,
c/o Telecom Research Laboratories,
770 Blackburn Rd.,
Clayton,
VIC 3168,
AUSTRALIA
Phone : + 613 253 6723
Fax : + 613 253 6352
E-mail : ihft@trl.oz.au
Permanent Steering Committee
John Clegg, Norman Gleiss, Michel Nael, Leon van Noorden,
Charles Rubinstein,Terry Cooper, Guglio Modena
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1993 02:09:00 -0500
From: jim.wenzel@grapevine.lrk.ar.us (Jim Wenzel)
Subject: CRIS (BBS Direct)
Reply-To: jim.wenzel@grapevine.lrk.ar.us (Jim Wenzel)
Organization: The GrapeVine BBS *** N. Little Rock, AR *** (501) 753-8121
Since several people emailed me for more information concerning BBS
Direct (CRIS) I will post a summary of what information I have on it.
CRIS is part of Sprintnet, Sprint Corporations X.25 Network.
Concentric Research Corporation (CRC) is a telecommunications and
computer services company that designed, developed and operates the
CRIS Information and Entertainment Network.
CRIS's flexible system architecture permits users access through
virtually any independent network. The system supports not only
today's prevalent packet switched network but also the recently
introduced frame relay and ATM telecommunications technologies. CRIS
also supports ISDN and other digital WAN technologies for extremely
high speed delivery of data products.
In keeping with the non-commercial nature of UseNet if you have any
questions regarding BBS Direct please write to Simon@cris.com or call
1-800-745-CRIS and ask to speak to James Rector.
I am not connected to CRIS / Sprint / or CRC in anyway and am
quoting/paraphrasing from a fax I received upon my own inquiry.
Other information I gleamed from a voice conversation is that UseNet
mail is coming soon with independent domains (ie.. a BBS would have
their own domain name) as well development is under way to provide
BBS's (dos based) the ability to provide TelNet and FTP access to
their users. I was told that their shoot date is the end of the year
but, they hope to have it online by October. They also plan on having
Chat-Based Interlink Services (allows a local BBS to connect its
"chat" users to a national link-up of other systems).
All in all it looks very interesting and we will probably go ahead and
become a part of this network here at this BBS.
The GrapeVine / Ferret Face BBS (501) 753-8121
PGP Distribution Site, UseNet, RIME, ThrobNet, MediaNet, U'niNet, ForthNet
RecoveryNet, MetroLink. Putting Communications back in Telecommunication
------------------------------
From: JOHN.D.GRETZINGER@sprint.sprint.com
Date: 24 Aug 93 19:18:31-0400
Subject: New Sprint Product for Students
The following press release is forwarded as general information.
SPRINT OFFERS COLLEGIATE FONCARD(sm) TO STUDENTS
KANSAS CITY, Mo., Aug. 23, 1993 -- Sprint today introduced the
Collegiate FONCARD(sm), a calling card designed for college students
that gives them Moonlight Madness(sm) domestic calling rates of just 9
cents per minute between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., every day of the week.
For example, on a 10-minute call from Chicago to Los Angeles
between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., students save 35 percent with the
Moonlight Madness rate when compared with AT&T's basic calling card
rate. In addition to the Moonlight Madness rate, normal phone card
surcharges apply to all calls made with the Collegiate FONCARD.
Students with a Collegiate FONCARD automatically earn Sprint
Priority Collegiate Rewards(sm) for every $100 in long distance calls.
Sprint will give students rewards, absolutely free, just for using the
Collegiate FONCARD.
The Collegiate FONCARD also offers Sprint Priority Party
Call(sm), a conference call capability that allows college students to
call two friends, in two different places, and talk to them both at
once. When the Sprint Priority Party Call is made during Moonlight
Madness hours, students get the 9 cents per minute rate on both calls.
"This is the first time college students have been offered a
special calling card that includes late night discounts to fit their
lifestyle," said Dave Schmieg, president of Sprint's Consumer Services
Group. "Most college students are very careful about how they spend
their money, but our low Moonlight Madness rate makes balancing their
budget easier. Sprint has made it convenient and affordable for
students to keep in touch without breaking the bank."
College students may call Sprint at 1-800-795-5971 to sign up
for the Collegiate FONCARD. The first Sprint Priority Collegiate
Reward is on Sprint as soon as students make the first call. New
Sprint customers who sign up also receive a complimentary Sprint
Priority Party Call, good for up to 10 minutes of three-way party
calling.
Sprint is a diversified international telecommunications
company with more than $10 billion in annual revenues and the United
States' only nationwide all-digital, fiber-optic network. Its
divisions provide global long distance voice, data and video products
and services, local telephone services to nearly 6 million subscriber
lines in 19 states, and cellular operations that serve 42 metropolitan
markets and more than 50 rural service areas.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<end of forwarded message>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Pat - I know you have the Orange Cards also, but thought this was
worth passing along.
John D. Gretzinger | I may work for Sprint but I don't
Network Engineer | speak for anyone but myself.
Sprint | +1.310.797.2126 (FAX)
j.gretzinger@sprint.sprint.com | +1.310.797.1187 (voice)
[Moderator's Note: Yes, I still market the Orange Calling Card as an
affinity service or product for readers of TELECOM Digest and the
income from Orange is used to help defray production costs of this
journal. But the Digest is intended as an open forum for the discussion
of all telecom services and industry events; not as an electronic
storefront for my services. But the competition is tough, I can tell
you that. There are all sorts of products available today which were
not on the market a couple years ago for telecom consumers. PAT]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 24 Aug 1993 14:54:24 -0700
From: Michael D. Corbett <mcorbett@halcyon.com>
Subject: Caller ID vs. SMDI Data Link
Hello,
I work for a PC based voice processing company and am responsible for
integrating our systems with various PBX's. Most are some form of
proprietary data packet using a RS232 link which provides (to varying
degree) calling and called party id, trunk id, forward RNA, forward
busy etc.
The only CO based implementation (that we use or I personally know of)
is called Simplified Message Desk. We deal with the (I)nterface, and
in the voice processing industry anyway, it has become known as SMDI.
The CO provides a Bell 202 modem (discussed previously in this Digest)
to send information pertaining to a call for a port on the voice
processing system. Once the integration has collected both ringing
voltage from the loop start card we use, and RS232 data, the port is
told to go off-hook, and what appropriate greeting to speek. It all
worked great until about a week ago. :(
Now for the kicker. Caller ID has just been activated in a few CO's
that we have SMDI integrations installed, and it seems we now get both
the SMDI packet, and a packet with the Caller ID information. It
appears that the Caller ID information has been (re)formatted to be a
"valid" SMDI data packet as per Belcore TR-TSY-000283 Issue 1, July
1985. Needless to say, our system has no clue what to do with the
second message and I believe the first spoken greeting a caller hears
is now "invalid mailbox" Cool, huh.
Is this issue addressed in the Belcore spec for Caller ID? At this
point I'm still collectng data, so pointers in completely irrelevant
directions would probably be appreciated. :)
You may e-mail me directly at the address below.
Thanks in advance,
Mike Corbett Internet: mcorbett@halcyon.com
Applied Voice Technology Voice: 206 820 6000 x3368
P.O. Box 97025 Fax: 206 820 4040
Kirkland WA 98083 I speak only for myself, not AVT!
------------------------------
From: jlin@fang.att.com (Jimmy Lin)
Subject: DTMF/MF ==> EIA Decoder
Organization: AT&T Tax Systems Development, Maitland FL
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1993 02:54:05 GMT
DTMF (Dual Tone Multiple Frequency) <==> EIA (RS232) Decoder, and
MF (Multiple Frequency) ==> EIA (RS232) Decoder.
If anyone on the net knows where I can find these products, please
e-mail me the product name, manufactors, and their telephone number.
Thank you,
e-mail: jlin@fang.att.com
Jimmy Lin, Database Consultant at ATT
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 24 Aug 1993 19:42:56 -0400 (EDT)
From: LESREEVES@delphi.com
Subject: CATV Company Announces Connection to the Internet
Cable company plans to connect to the Internet. Continental
Cablevision Inc. announces plans to provide a direct linkup to the
Internet, bypassing local phone and other special hookups. {Wall
Street Journal}, "Technology," 8/24/93, p. B1
------------------------------
From: einhorn_d@apsicc.aps.edu (E. Drew Einhorn)
Subject: Calling Canadian 800 Numbers From the US
Date: 24 Aug 1993 17:57 MST
Organization: Albuquerque Public Schools - Career Enrichment Center
A long time ago I saw a number that Canadians could call and then dial
out from a US phone line to access American 800 numbers.
I'm looking for the same thing in reverse a long distance number I
could call and then be able to dial out from a Canadian phone line to
access a Canadian 800 number. I'd try to get the regular phone number
but I really don't know what city or even which province they are in.
Thanks,
Drew
[Moderator's Note: The message you saw circulating on some newsgroups
gave a number used for fraudulent access into and out of the phone
system of an institution in the Pacific Northwest. It was *not*
intended for use as a 'method for Canadians (or people from the UK or
Brazil or anywhere else for that matter) to access 800 numbers in the
USA ...'. It was used that way, among other abuses made of it. It was
(is) the private DISA number into a PBX system which some phreak(s)
found and started circulating en-masse. The reason you cannot find
such a 'number in reverse' is because you are not supposed to make
such calls. 800 numbers have specific limitations placed upon who
(from what geographic location) may call them. The way you find out
which is which is you dial the 800 number directly from your phone.
If you get connected, your call via that number is welcome. If your
call is rejected by the network, then your call via 800 is not
welcome, meaning the owner of the 800 number does not wish to pay for
your call. If the merchant or whoever is too dumb to advertise his
POTS number as part of his message, then that's his problem. If the
merchant wants international 800 service, it *is* available without a
lot of dialing rigamarole going through some third sucker's unprotected
DISA port fraudulently. PAT]
------------------------------
Date: 25 Aug 93 15:12 GMT
From: CSC.PARTNERS@AppleLink.Apple.COM (CSC, CSC Partners,APD)
Subject: ISDN Costs in OBT-Land
In <telecom13.433.2@eecs.nwu.edu> CSC.PARTNERS@applelink.apple.com
(Ken Hester), I wrote about my experiences with Ohio Bell's ISDN
Direct service. Many of you have requested I post the charges for OBT
and AT&T. The information below is based on my bills, documentation,
and phone calls to the corresponding providers.
***OHIO BELL
Monthly Charges:
ISDN CKT SW VOICE B CHANNEL 3.00
ISDN CKT SW DATA ON B CHANNEL 8.00
2B1Q 1 WIRE U INTERFACE 7.10
ISDN DIRECT LINE 11.75
ACCESS CHARGE PER FCC ORDER 3.50
9-1-1 SERVICE CHARGE .12
---------
TOTAL 33.47
Measured Service per call:
8AM to 9PM, Mon - Fri, Full Rate as stated below in table
9PM to 8AM, All day Sat & Sun, and Holidays, 50% discount
Miles First minuteEa. add. min.
0-10 0.04 0.01
11-22 0.045 0.015
23+ 0.05 0.02
***AT&T
I am not posting AT&T voice call rates as they are the same as a
non-ISDN line.
Data calls on AT&T are carried by their ACCUNET service, which are
distance-sensitive measured rates. They are roughly $0.25 the first
minute and $0.15 each additional minute, YMMV! :-)
Miles First 30 seconds Ea. add. 6 sec.
56-124 0.1465 0.0133
125-292 0.1565 0.0153
293-430 0.1660 0.0172
431-925 0.1775 0.0195
926-1910 0.1815 0.0203
I recommend that anyone needing further detail of costs contact the
appropriate provider. ISDN BRI service costs vary widely among the
LECs. Some LECs still target ISDN BRI for business users only and
they price their service at significantly higher rates. The best deal
on ISDN BRI today can be had in the State of Tennessee. Their PUC has
shown remarkable wisdom in promoting the widespread use of ISDN.
Ken Hester
CSC Partners, A Company of Computer Sciences Corporation
Internet: CSC.PARTNERS@applelink.apple.com
IMHO, all opinions expressed are mine and CSC can borrow them if they ask.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 24 Aug 1993 17:20:25 -0800 (PST)
From: Urban Surfer <HOLDREGE@DCV4KD.PHS.COM>
Subject: Large Scale IVR Systems
We are outgrowing our IVR system. We have a DECvoice cluster which
does great speech synthesis, but is limited by Q-bus technology. I've
heard talk about TAPI, but that sounds like it is a good ways off.
I'd like to solicit information from others who run large scale IVR
systems. I'm looking for systems that handle several thousands of
calls per day, and can handle call supervision. The system needs to
have the smarts to talk to a back-end database over a network.
I know other folks are doing this kind of stuff. How do you do it?
Thanks!
Matt Holdrege holdrege@phs.com MH235
------------------------------
From: Fred Smith <FSMITH@isnov.ab.umd.edu>
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1993 14:37:46 EDT
Subject: Octothorpe: Is That the Right Name?
I seem to recall that there was some discussion about a year ago about
the octothorpe here on the Digest. I've gone and opened my big mouth
and unless I can come up with some factual information I'm doomed to
buying dinner for my uncle. Being a big trivia buff, I asked him if
he knew what the '#' symbol was called other than the pound symbol.
When I told him it was called an octothorpe at one time, he wasn't
buying it ... even when I tried to explain that octo = 8, 8 being the
number of points etc. So now he's called my bluff and wants to see
some hard evidence or else it's my treat.
Does anyone know where I might be able to find a blurb about this in
some old manuals or something. Anything even remotely valid will get
me off the hook and I'll be enjoying dinner!
Thanks in advance for any information you can.
Frederick W. Smith University of MD at Baltimore
Manager, Communications and Networking 100 N. Greene St. Rm. 519
fsmith@comm1.ab.umd.edu Balto, MD 21201 410-706-8337
[Moderator's Note: There was a brief discussion of the octothorpe a
while back here; the main discussion was about four years ago or more
when a special issue of the Digest was published 'The Octothorpe Gets
Its Name'. I remember that issue well, it was full of trivia comments
on 'the pound sign'. I suggest you look in the Telecom Archives. You
might also check the index of subjects for volumes 9-10-11. You can grep
this file, find the volume and issue numbers, then pull the file of
back issues in which the word 'octothorpe' appears in the title. PAT]
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 93 06:28:02 EDT
From: Otto L.Miller <olm@washington.ssds.COM>
Subject: Information Needed on Watson
Good day all,
I have a need to contact the vendor of the Watson product line.
Several years ago there was some discussion here about its
capablilities. I am interested in the base product and the
development environment. I want to to video switching based on DTMF
input. Any help is appreciated. Thank you in advance.
Otto L. Miller olm@ssds.com
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1993 23:15:49 -0400
From: goudreau@dg-rtp.dg.com (Bob Goudreau)
Subject: The One True Dialing Plan
In article <telecom13.598.1@eecs.nwu.edu> johnl@iecc.com writes:
> calls within the area code are dialed with seven digits, whether
> they're local, intra-LATA toll, or inter-LATA toll, and inter-NPA
> calls are dialed 1-NXX-NXX-NXXX. As has previously been noted, this
> is the One True Dialing Plan.
I beg to differ. It seems to me that more places are using the *real*
One True Dialing Plan (OTDP), in which all long-distance calls
(intra-NPA included) are dialed with 11 digits, and only local,
intra-NPA calls can use seven-digit dialing. As I recall, the
Bellcore recommendations were neutral as to which of these OTDPs had
to be in effect by 1995 (when the first NNX area code, 334 in Alabama,
appears). However, I've heard of more areas using the latter OTDP
than the former (including here in NC, where we ditched 8-digit
dialing of intra-NPA LD calls two or three years ago). Its advantage
is that people who've had "1 means toll" hammered into their heads
over the years won't be able to get themselves into a tizzy by dialing
7D toll calls that they thought were local calls.
Bob Goudreau Data General Corporation
goudreau@dg-rtp.dg.com 62 Alexander Drive
+1 919 248 6231 Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
[Moderator's Note: Uh oh ... just what we need! A schism here in the
Digest over The One True Dialing Plan. I shall have to censor and
excomumunicate all non-believers and heretics. PAT]
------------------------------
From: perri@wpi.WPI.EDU (David M Perri)
Subject: Comparison of Salaries in Telecom Industry
Date: 25 Aug 1993 17:03:41 GMT
Organization: Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Please excuse my ignorance, but I am a second year student of
electrical engineering and I am having trouble deciding whether I
should go into hardware or software. I have a great interest in both
so I guess my deciding factor will be whichever one pays better. I
dont want to make a decision based on this, but I think it will be of
some importance in the final decision. Could someone please tell me
what the average salaries are of hardware and software engineers in
the data communications field?
Please email to perri@wpi.wpi.edu
Thank you in advance,
Dave
------------------------------
From: Bert Roseberry <ROSEBERRY@Eisner.DECUS.Org>
Subject: Last Laugh! MCI Friends: The Bobbit Family
Organization: Digital Equipment Computer Users Society
Date: 25 Aug 93 10:53:06 -0400
Organization: DECUServe
Last night on the local NBC affiliate there was a commercial for the
MCI "Friends and Family" program. One family featured was the
"Bobbit"s of Leesburg, VA.
Wasn't "John Bobbit" of Manassas, VA the man who recently had his --
ahem -- "member" cut off by his wife and later surgically reattached ?
Interesting coincidence?
Bert roseberry@eisner.decus.org
[Moderator's Note: Well you see Bert, it all started one day when John
Bobbit suggested to his wife that they change their default one-plus
carrier to AT&T. Mrs. Bobbit was furious about this and told her hus-
band in no uncertain terms she would teach him to f--- around with the
family phone service. MCI corporate was so inspired by the loyalty
shown by Mrs. Bobbit that they decided to make it a commercial on TV
in the hopes other Americans would be similarly inspired into changing
their carrier to MCI. Knowing the <N>itwits <B>roadcasting <C>ompany as
well as I do, I'm surprised they didn't make the whole thing into a 13
week series beginning with Mrs. B's first reaction to Mr. B's perverted
proposition to her. PAT]
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V13 #602
******************************
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Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1993 22:47:06 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
Message-Id: <199308260347.AA05487@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #603
TELECOM Digest Wed, 25 Aug 93 22:47:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 603
Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson
AT&T's Strange Attitude on 800 Numbers (TELECOM Moderator)
AT&T Announces New Internet Connectivity (Gail M. Silver)
Volume Level of Tropez 900DL? (Ed J. Gurney)
Help: Telephone Rates Database (Michael G. Whitlock)
Pioneer Radio Listing (Barry Mishkind)
Bell Canada, POTS and Modem Charges (Fred Ennis, FIDO via Dixon Kenner)
Any Good COCOTs? (In Rural Areas) (Roddy Erickson)
Air Amplifiers, aka Fans (was Re: Radar and Acronyms) (John Schmidt)
Computer <-> Phone Interface in Germany (Michael Clark)
----------------------
TELECOM Digest is an e-journal devoted mostly -- but not exclusively --
to discussions on voice telephony. The Digest is a not-for-profit
public service published frequently by Patrick Townson Associates. PTA
markets a no-surcharge telephone calling card and a no monthly fee 800
service. In addition, we are resellers of AT&T's Software Defined
Network. For a detailed discussion of our services, write and ask for
the file 'products'.
The Digest is delivered at no charge by email to qualified subscribers on
any electronic mail service connected to the Internet. To join the mail-
ing list, write and tell us how you qualify: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu.
All article submissions MUST be sent to our email address: telecom@eecs.
nwu.edu -- NOT as replies to comp.dcom.telecom.
Back issues and numerous other telephone-related files of interest are
available from the Telecom Archives, using anonymous ftp lcs.mit.edu.
Login anonymous, then 'cd telecom-archives'. At the present time, the
Digest is also ported to Usenet at the request of many readers there,
where it is known as 'comp.dcom.telecom'. Use of the Digest does not
require the use of our products and services. The two are separate.
All articles are the responsibility of the individual authors. Organi-
zations listed, if any, are for identification purposes only. The
Digest is compilation-copyrighted, 1993. **DO NOT** cross-post articles
between the Digest and other Usenet or alt newsgroups. Do not compile
mailing lists from the net-addresses appearing herein. Send tithes and
love offerings to PO Box 1570, Chicago, IL 60690. :) Phone: 312-465-2700.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1993 22:08:04 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom@eecs.nwu.edu>
Subject: AT&T's Strange Attitude on 800 Numbers
Maybe some readers who work for AT&T in their long distance services
and their 800 number service can explain to me why Mother is taking
the stance she is with reference to customers who try to get an 800
number installed on a POTS line.
Most of you know by now that among other things I do, I resell 800
numbers from a couple sources. These are actual 800 numbers, not the
deal MCI offers where you have to put in a PIN, etc. I resell the AT&T
Software Defined Network through a major aggregator/reseller.
AT&T is refusing to hook up a customer of mine. Here are the circum-
stances; maybe someone can tell me what is going on:
AT&T and I have a mutual customer. The customer has had for some time
an 800 'Ready Line' style number from AT&T which terminates on a
certain phone in his office. He is happy with the service, but decided
to shop around. He came to me for advice. I was able to reserve for
him and obtain a *very desirable* 800 number; it spells out the name
of his business. It took me a long time to merely get the number; it
was not in service but AT&T had it 'reserved' for a customer whose
name they were unable or unwilling to provide. The day the sixty day
hold came off the number, someone literally jumped on it and got it
for me and my customer. Now *I* have the number in reserve and am
holding it for my customer, who still remains with AT&T on a different
800 number.
My order went in to AT&T saying to park the new 800 number on the same
phone line where his other 800 number (that he gets from AT&T) is
routed. He needs it this way because the phone accepting his 800
calls is itself routed into an auto-attendant and voicemail. There is
no reason in the world you cannot dump as many things as you want on
same POTS line. I've seen cases of three or four different 800 numbers
terminating on the same POTS. There is no technical problem whatsoever.
The customer does not want to have to install (or take over) a second
POTS line for this.
He would have simply dropped the AT&T number and taken mine instead
because of the better rates I got him and the fact that the number
spells out his business name ... but he was worried if I would be
able to produce or not, or give good service, etc ... so I was able
to convince him to try my service by keeping both numbers for awhile
and phasing out his AT&T 800 number ONLY WHEN HE WAS SURE my service
was good. He cannot afford to be without 800 service; I cannot expect
telecom managers to just hand over stuff to me sight unseen; and since
my service involves no contracts, no minimums, etc, I suggested he
take it, try it for a month or two, and if he did not like my service,
cancel me! *And* snatch the 'good' number and revert it to AT&T if
he chose to do so.
That seemed fair and he agreed to try my service, while keeping his
AT&T 800 number 'just in case' I couldn't produce and to allow for
a smooth transistion if/when he decided to go with me entirely.
So what does AT&T say? Since this new 800 number is actually their
service being resold by me, they are *refusing* to terminate it on
the same POTS line. They just flatly say it is against their policy
to terminate two 800 numbers on the same POTS.
I asked them if they had ever heard of the term 'multi-POTS' (which
is what the termination of multiple 800's on the same line is
called.) Yes, they said, we heard of it but we are not gonna do it.
We *will* do it provided *we* get his account on both numbers (old
existing 800 and new number also). But they won't do it with their
own number and someone's else's 800.
I asked specifically for their tariff authority to refuse to connect
the customer in the manner in which he wishes to be connected. They
admitted they have no authority to refuse the connection, but still
have no intention of doing it. It's not like there was anything going
on at the POTS level which would mess up or misidentify the billing
on calls; now-days the carrier just picks up the 800 call and outdials
it to wherever. Plus, they said they would do it *if the mutual cus-
tomer was totally their customer*.
Now I stand to lose the largest customer who has patronized me to
date because AT&T is refusing to route his new 800 (from me, which I
resell from them) to the POTS of his choice. The choices at this
point seem to be:
I turn the customer over to AT&T and lose my commission and ongoing
residuals -- which would I suspect pay my rent in full each month;
The customer takes a giant leap of faith and says 'okay Townson,
I am giving you authority to tell AT&T to yank *their* 800 number
out concurrent with installing the new one through your service;
The customer installs another POTS line and re-programs his auto-
attendant and voicemail stuff to accomodate a second 800 line
working on a second POTS line at considerable trouble to himself;
and anyway, trouble or not, why should he have to????
I keep pursuing this on up the corporate ladder with my next stop
being an appeal to the Chairman's Office to be followed if needed
with a Commission complaint. Of course I have no money or resources
to carry this fight on very long unless some attorney who practices
communications law and knows the ins-and-outs will do it for me.
Why does AT&T conduct business in this way? We know that ever since
portability started in May, the company has been in a snit about all
the business they are losing, despite press releases to the contrary.
Are they detirmined to kill all the small telecom businesses one way
or another?
If anyone from AT&T can tell me what possible legitimate reasons there
could be for refusing to hook a reseller's 800 number to the same POTS
where Mother has one of her own 800 numbers working, I would appreciate
knowing the reason. It cannot be a technical reason since AT&T will do
it for as many 800 numbers as *their exclusive customer* wants.
Answers please.
Patrick Townson
------------------------------
From: gsilver@attmail.com (Gail M. Silver)
Date: 25 Aug 93 13:13:26 GMT
Subject: AT&T announcment
Carolyn Tommie AT&T Business Communications Services
908-221-8541 (office) 201-366-0655 (home) Carolyn.Tommie@ATT.COM (Internet)
Gail Silver AT&T EasyLink Services
201-331-4132 (office) 908-218-0422 (home) Gail.Silver@ATT.COM (Internet)
AT&T Announces New Internet Connectivity Options
BASKING RIDGE, N.J -- AT&T today announced new options that
will provide a single-vendor solution for accessing both the global
Internet and enhanced messaging services. These new options will be
available in the first quarter of 1994 to customers of AT&T InterSpan
(R) Services, AT&T EasyLink Services and the millions of people
worldwide who use the Internet.
There will be new connections to the Internet from AT&T
InterSpan Frame Relay Services and Information Access Services. There
also will be new connections from AT&T EasyLink Services to the
Internet through AT&T InterSpan Services.
Customers of InterSpan Services will gain a variety of
convenient, cost-effective options to access the global Internet. At
the same time, InterSpan customers and all global Internet users will
be able to subscribe to the full range of messaging services from AT&T
EasyLink Services including electronic mail, text-to-fax delivery and
telex, and will be able to communicate with subscribers of non-Internet
commercial network services worldwide.
AT&T InterSpan Frame Relay Service customers will have
access to the Internet by simply adding a single permanent virtual
circuit to their existing connections.
Similarly, InterSpan Information Access Service customers will
be able to access the Internet at speeds ranging from 300 - 14400 bps
with a nationwide toll-free, seven-digit number (950-1ATT).
"Increasingly, organizations need to reach beyond their own
boundaries to access the information and computing resources they
need," said Jayne Fitzgerald, product line director, InterSpan Data
Communications Services. "With these new options, our customers will
have the opportunity to simplify their premises equipment needs and
vendor interface requirements, as well as streamline their network
management issues."
For customers of AT&T EasyLink Services, who already have
access to the global Internet, the new connections will mean improved
reliability and performance for their Internet communications.
"More and more people, including AT&T customers, want to have
the option to communicate on the global Internet," said Sal Noto,
product management vice president, AT&T EasyLink Services. "In
providing that option, we're increasing the ease with which millions
of people can access each other as well as the information they want
and need."
The new AT&T options will include a naming service based on
the Domain Name System (DNS), a widely used method for naming and
translating addresses on the Internet. With this service, AT&T
customers will be able to register an Internet name of their choice --
one that reflects their corporate identity, for example -- and use
that name for their communication on the Internet. AT&T also will
offer to assist customers with selection, registration and maintenance
of their names on the Internet.
All of the new AT&T Internet connectivity options will support
TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/ Internet Protocol), the primary
method for transferring information across various networks on the
Internet.
Customers of the new Internet connectivity options will be
able to tap into the InterNic directory and database services.
Provided by AT&T since April under a cooperative agreement with the
National Science Foundation, these services make it easier for all
Internet users to find available Internet resources.
AT&T InterSpan Frame Relay Service and InterSpan Information
Access Service are members of a comprehensive new family of
high-quality, innovative data connectivity solutions designed to make
it easier to link people, locations and information. The InterSpan
Services facilitate faster, more efficient distributed computing for
business through customized data services flexible enough to change
and grow as a company evolves.
AT&T EasyLink Services serves more than 160 countries and has
sales and support offices in three dozen countries. AT&T EasyLink
Services offers one of the broadest arrays of electronic messaging
services in the market, including electronic data interchange,
gateways from LAN-based e-mail systems and telex, in addition to
electronic mail, enhanced fax and information services.
# # #
Editors' notes: The global Internet is a system of approximately
14,000 interconnected data networks, reaching more than 100 countries
and serving commercial organizations, research organizations,
governments and universities. By the end of 1993, more than two
million computers, terminals and other devices will be accessible on
the Internet.
950 access is currently available in 90% of the U.S. market. Where
950 access is not available and as back-up, an 800 number is provided.
--------------
TELECOM Moderator's Note: Sprint made their announcement of a product
like this recently also. Looks like things are gonna get crowded
around here; more than ever before, big changes are in store for the
net as we know it. PAT]
------------------------------
From: egurney@hpvclq.vcd.hp.com (Ed J. Gurney)
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1993 14:14:16 -0700
Subject: Volume level of Tropez 900DL?
Greetings!
I just picked up a Tropez 900DL (for $196 from Incredible Universe, a
super-store in Wilsonville, Oregon, for everyone's information.)
I'm wondering if anyone has any information on increasing the volume
of the person on the other end of the call via the Tropez 900DL. I
*DO* realize that there is a digital volume control on the handset
[which appears to have four discrete "levels"], but all it seems to do
is increase the volume of the _sidetone_. :-( Unfortunately, I don't
want to hear MY voice louder!
I called VTech's tech-support line and the <ahem> drone told me take
it back and exchange it. Since Incredible Universe is about an hour
drive each way, I'd prefer to just tweek a pot in either the base or
the handset to increase the volume. :-) If there is no such pot, then
I'm afraid that replacing the unit with another will sound the same,
and I'll have to go AGAIN to take it back for a refund!
So ... I'm wondering if anyone has any information on increasing the
volume. If not, should I just return the phone and look into another
brand? I've heard that AT&T's new 900MHz phone is a re-packaged
Tropez. Are there other digital phones (mostly for security reasons)
available at the $200 price-point?
Other than the volume problem, I'm impressed with the Tropez,
especially the range. Plus, when I attempted to "listen" to my calls
on my scanner, all I heard was what sounded like white noise. :-) [I
like that aspect of preventing casual eavesdropping on my
conversations.]
Any information on the above, or recommendations on other 900MHz
digital phones would be most appreciated.
Thanks and regards!
Eddy J. Gurney N8FPW Hewlett-Packard Company, Vancouver (USA!) Division
egurney@vcd.hp.com #include <std/disclaimer.h>
------------------------------
From: mgw@moscow.cc.bellcore.com (whitlock,michael g)
Subject: Help: Telephone Rates Database
Organization: Bellcore, Livingston, NJ
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 93 19:45:19 GMT
I am trying to locate vendors who can provide information on telephone
rates in an electronic format (i.e., a database). So far I have found
only one company that maintains much of the information I need in
machine readable form:
Tele-Tech Services
P.O. Box 757
McAfee, NJ 07428
I am looking for tariffed rates filed with the Federal Communications
Commission and/or State Public Utility Commissions. These rates must
be updated regularly to ensure that outdated information is not used.
The rates must be available in machine readable form (magnetic tape,
floppy disks, via modem, etc.).
I need toll rates filed by the Interexchange Carriers (AT&T, MCI, and
SPRINT, etc.) and the Local Exchange Carriers (Pacific Bell, GTE,
etc.). I am also interested in rates for switched and special access
(private lines, DS1, DS3, T1, etc.).
If you know of other vendors who can currently supply some or all of
the above data in machine readable form, please forward the names of
those companies (and a way to reach them) to me. I will gladly
summarize the results and share them with this group.
Thanks for your help.
Michael G. Whitlock Bellcore (LCC-1E130) I only speak for
Tel: (201) 740-4178 290 W. Mt. Pleasant Ave. myself, NOT
mgw@cc.bellcore.com Livingston, NJ 07039-0486 my employer.
------------------------------
From: barry%coyote@noao.edu
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1993 00:28:00 -0700
Subject: Pioneer Radio Listing
Well, Version 1 of OLDRADIO is ready to be loosed on the world.
This is a listing of the Pioneer stations on the air as of November
11, 1928, with their successor frequencies and calls listed, as far as
known (there are still some that died in the early 30's that we don't
have deletion dates for as yet).
Put together with a lot of (continuing) help from readers of BROADCAST
on FidoNet, this is an interesting look at some of the early owners,
and tidbits we are accumulating on the stations. 1928 was chosen for
the first effort because it was the date of the great FRC channel
change, after the great rush to get on the air in the early 20's (some
stations lasted as little as three months), and before the depression
set it.
Some of the information already gathered is quite interesting.
Did you know one station was sold by a Republican Club in NYC to a Ku
Klux Klan publication in VA? It's now a 50 kW station in DC.
Another station started as a way for a bootlegger to communicate with
his ships off the west coast.
Still another was under a "mobile" license and operated in at least
five states before "landing".
Some stations moved frequency three to five times before settling down.
Many stations that shared a frequency either combined, or bought
someone else out and moved.
Version 1 of OLDRADIO is available as shareware ... just to cover the
cost of diskette and shipping and handling. Registered users will
receive the next version -- as we are even now continuing to gather
more information on the stations listed - as well as information on
broadcast history, call letter origins, frequently asked questions and
more.
I'm sure we'll be adding further information, including biographies of
many of the nation's most familiar stations.
OLDRADIO is set up as an infobase with instant search capability. It
is available for the IBM PC type machines. It may be made available
for other machines if there is enough interest and time allows (!).
Send $7.50 to:
Barry Mishkind
2033 S. Augusta Place
Tucson, AZ 85710
You may also FREQ this file on FidoNet at 1:300/11 outside of ZMH.
Comments are welcome ...
Barry Mishkind barry@coyote.datalog.com Tucson, Arizona
------------------------------
Subject: Bell Canada, Pots and Modem Charges
From: dixon@fourfold.ocunix.on.ca (dixon kenner)
Reply-To: dixon@fourfold.ocunix.on.ca (dixon kenner)
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1993 22:52:57 -0400
Organization: FourFold Symmetry - Nepean, Ontario, Canada
A recent message implied that Bell Canada was considering requesting
permission from the CRTC to charge for phone lines for modems running
at higher than 4800 baud. Below is a cross post of a message that
appeared in the Region 12 FidoNet sysop newsgroup on this subject.
By: Fred Ennis
To: all
Re: CRTC and Bell
I have spoken to both Bell Canada and the CRTC. The "Bell wants to
force the use of data lines" post is bullshit, pure and simple. There
is no such tariff filing, or any other business pending that is
remotely connected with this. I would also urge anyone who sees such
a post to check it out or send a message back to the author asking for
more information before passing it along to a wider audience. Fidonet
and the internet are famous for being able to spread false information
very quickly, and I am appalled that people will do so without
stopping to think.
I have spoken to Bill Allen, the head of Public Information at the
CRTC, and with Bell Canada's Public Affairs people. I've written about
it in my newspaper column as well.
The thing apparently originated with Martin Ouelette at 167/290.21.
I've asked him for more info and haven't heard a thing back from him.
dixon kenner, dixon@fourfold.ocunix.on.ca
FourFold Symmetry, Nepean, Ontario, Canada
------------------------------
From: Roddy Erickson <erickson@well.sf.ca.us>
Subject: Any Good COCOTs? (In Rural Areas)
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1993 22:35:04 -0700
We've all read the ongoing COCOT horror stories, but there must be the
occasional business owner who wants decent pay-phone service. (After
all, the money made from a COCOT is small compared to the lost business
to a store from angry customers.)
Are there actually any COCOT vendors out there who offer well-programmed
machines that don't rip people off? We'd like to find one for a retreat
center in Southern Oregon.
A year or two ago, the Digest had a single posting about one such
vendor, but they turned out not to be able to handle our rural
location (Alltel is local provider).
Roddy Erickson erickson@well.sf.ca.us
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1993 11:54:47 EDT
From: JOHN SCHMIDT <schmidt@auvax1.adelphi.edu>
Subject: Air Amplifiers, aka Fans (was Re: Radar and Acronyms)
Some time not too long after I started working for ABC TV (my daytime,
paying employer), I was looking at a blueprint for some racks of
equipment in ABC's Master Control, and several one rack unit spaces
were labeled "Air Amplifier".
This made me rather curious. I knew of Line Amplifiers, Program
Amplifiers, Mic Preamplifiers, RF Amplifiers, Distribution Amplifiers
(of many flavors), etc., But what the H%$# was an AIR AMPLIFIER????
So I went and looked.
It turns out they were each a one rack unit panel, kind of like a rack
shelf when pushed in the rack, with six Muffin fans bolted to them!
Trade Name _Air Amplifier_ !!! This appeared to be the solution when
you crammed too much equipment into a rack and the forced air cooling
was no longer adequate.
BTW -- Hi Bryan (bdboyle) (Bryan used to work for ABC, and I never get
around to replying to his e-mail :-(.. )
John H. Schmidt, P.E. Internet: schmidt@auvax1.adelphi.edu
Technical Director, WBAU Phone--Days (212)456-4218
Adelphi University Evenings (516)877-6400
Garden City, New York 11530 Fax-------------(212)456-2424
------------------------------
From: mdc%aisg@concert.net (Michael Clark - Gateway Conversion Technologies )
Subject: Computer <-> Phone Interface in Germany
Date: 25 Aug 1993 12:00:41 GMT
Organization: Gateway Conversion Tech.
Reply-To: mdc@aisg.com
I will be traveling to Germany (Berlin) in September. Does anyone
know the connector standard and pinout for interfacing my computer to
the local telco?
TIA,
Michael Clark Gateway Conversion Technologies
Research Triangle Park, NC mdc@aisg.com
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V13 #603
******************************
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Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1993 23:49:16 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
Message-Id: <199308260449.AA09950@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #604
TELECOM Digest Wed, 25 Aug 93 23:49:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 604
Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson
Re: Email < - > Telex (B. Pevzner)
Re: Email < - > Telex (David Josephson)
Re: Email < - > Telex (John D. Gretzinger)
Re: Cellular Phone Catches More Crooks (Arthur Rubin)
Re: What is RASCOM and S.I.T.? (Chris Ambler)
Re: Free French Phone Information From Publiphone (Ray Normandeau)
Re: Busy Signals, Tone Plants, etc. (Terry Kennedy)
Re: Psychological Effect of "Busy" Signal (H. Shrikumar)
Re: GTE Adopts New Numbering Plan (Carl Moore)
Re: Looking For Cordless Headset Phone (Gary Merinstein)
Re: Old Panel CO9s and Their Tones (Eric N. Florack)
Re: Remotely Accessible Answer Machines May Grant Too Much Access (C Jones)
Re: Access to Telco White Pages (Andy Sherman)
Re: AT&T Buys McCaw (Cellular One) (Erik Ramberg)
Re: UUNet 900 Seems to be a Bad Idea (Bill Bogstad)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: pevzner@clockwise.att.com
Date: Wed, 24 Aug 93 19:16:58 EDT
Subject: Telex <-> Internet Email?
Reply-To: clockwise!pevzner@clockwise.att.com
TELECOM Moderator noted:
> [Moderator's Note: Both MCI Mail and ATT Mail have telex gateways and
> both have Internet gateways. Trouble is, you can't send from Internet
> to Telex via either one: they want someone to pay, and collection is
> hard to deal with on our net. You could take a couple of accounts on
> one of those services, setting one account to forward incoming mail to
> !telex!number and setting the other to forward mail to !internet!name.
> You would write to one address from internet, the mail would forward
> to telex at your expense, and the recipient would telex to the other
> account and it would in turn forward to your net account. PAT]
A note of caution:
Everything that arrives into your ATTMAIL->Telex account (including
ATTMAIl administrativia messages, etc.) will be automatically
forwarded to that "Less Developed Country," and you'll be billed for
that.
B. Pevzner pevzner@clockwise.att.com
------------------------------
From: davidj@rahul.net (David Josephson)
Subject: Re: Email < - > Telex
Organization: a2i network
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1993 00:00:27 GMT
In <telecom13.593.4@eecs.nwu.edu> Paul Robinson <TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM>
writes:
>> I'm trying to learn if anyone offers a (two-way) gateway between
>> Telex and Internet Email.
> The only reasonably priced service for this is MCI Mail. AT&T Mail
> (Easylink) raised its rates for a telex number from an expensive $29
> per month plus usage, to a whopping $99 per month plus usage.
For many years I had a hookup with Graphnet, which charged about $15 a
month for 800-number access. I had to provide a teletype or emulator
with autoanswer and answerback (I used a 35 ASR teletype and it never
failed). I was provided a telex number which routed directly to my
ten-digit number and derived its answerback physically from my
machine, no store-and-forward. This was essential at the time since I
was doing a lot of work in areas that had no international phone
service, let alone IDDD (1984-87 China mostly). Outgoing messages were
charged at the tariffed international telex rate which was 20c to
$1.50 a minute. In either case you get a realtime keyboard-to-keyboard
typing link for that price, and we troubleshot many strange electronic
systems problems over a telex that way.
The other IRCs (International Record Carriers), ITT, WU, TRT, etc.
also provided dialup service.
BTW, telex by definition is almost exclusively 50 baud, not 75, 110 or
any other speed. But you get a little faster transmission than you
would at 50 baud ASCII because the words are five bits rather than ten
or eleven.
Graphnet now lists an 800 number, 800-316-8839, but a fax machine
answers so who knows what they are doing today.
This still doesn't answer the problem of robust telex-to-Internet
linkage but it would seem to me that someone could write a process
that would live on an Internet-connected machine without too much
trouble that would do this.
David Josephson <david@josephson.com>
------------------------------
From: JOHN.D.GRETZINGER@sprint.sprint.com
Date: 25 Aug 93 22:16:05-0400
Subject: Re: Email <-> Telex
Paul Robinson <TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM> writes in part:
>> I'm trying to learn if anyone offers a (two-way) gateway between
>> Telex and Internet Email.
> The only reasonably priced service for this is MCI Mail. AT&T Mail
> (Easylink) raised its rates for a telex number from an expensive $29
> per month plus usage, to a whopping $99 per month plus usage.
Sprint offers the ability to send and receive TELEX messages as a part
of it's SprintMail offering. Naturally, there is a charge for this,
but it is there.
If a person/company needed enhanced electronic mail capabilities, this
might be worth a look. Signing up for SprintMail just to be able to
occasionally send/receive TELEX is probably not cost justifiable.
** Blatant Commercial Plug follows: **
You might want to talk to your local Sprint rep and see if the service
can do what you need it to do at a cost that is good for you.
** End Commercial Plug **
It's obvious that SprintMail can also get to Internet, since that's
what I use to get here.
John D. Gretzinger Network Engineer Sprint
+1.310.797.1187 J.Gretzinger@sprint.sprint.com
* I don't speak for Sprint, and they don't speak for me. *
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Cellular Phone Catches More Crooks
From: a_rubin%dsg4.dse.beckman.com (Arthur Rubin)
Date: 25 Aug 93 19:24:39 GMT
Reply-To: a_rubin@dsg4.dse.beckman.com (Arthur Rubin)
In <telecom13.592.11@eecs.nwu.edu> don@io.org (Don Cleghorn) writes:
> I just heard of another instance of a cellular phone resulting in a
> criminal arrest. The mother of a good friend of mine lost her purse
> and cellphone when her car was broken into in front of her house. The
> police asked her _not_ to cancel her cellphone service right away, and
> only a few days later they found the thieves renting a place nearby,
> based on their phone calls. I don't know if they just used call
> records, or if they got the cellphone company to locate the device (or
> at least narrw it down?), but the technique seems to work well.
Did she have to pay for the calls? :-)
Arthur L. Rubin: a_rubin@dsg4.dse.beckman.com (work) Beckman Instruments/Brea
216-5888@mcimail.com 70707.453@compuserve.com arthur@pnet01.cts.com (personal)
My opinions are my own, and do not represent those of my employer.
[Moderator's Note: I doubt it. PAT]
------------------------------
From: cambler@cymbal.calpoly.edu (Chris Ambler -- Fubar)
Subject: Re: What is RASCOM and S.I.T.?
Organization: The Phishtank
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1993 23:51:06 GMT
itbkl@puknet.puk.ac.za (Keith Laaks) says:
> Does anybody know what the abbreviations RASCOM and S.I.T. mean?
I'm not sure if it's what you're looking for, as acronym reuse is a
plague upon humanity :-) but SIT is also known as "booo boo boop" that
you hear when you reach a telco recording. They are used to identify
the type of recording you've hit to the telco equipment.
Brings up an anecdote (grin). I was told this by a friend who works in
a CO. Seems that they had to verify a block of numbers by hand when
moving them (he was vague as to why). They called one, and got "booo
boo boop ... the number you have reached has been disconnected ..." and
were dismayed. The SIT tones were right on, but the number showed as
current and in use. A week later, they found out that the subscriber
was out of town and his answering machine had that as the outgoing
message. In most cases, the recording would be a bit off, tipping the
telco off as to the situation, but in this case the subscriber was an
audio pro and had sampled the recording into his digital answering
machine. Precise tones :-)
cambler@zeus.calpoly.edu | Christopher J. Ambler
chris@toys.fubarsys.com | Author, FSUUCP 1.4
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Free French Phone Information From Publiphone
From: ray.normandeau@factory.com (Ray Normandeau)
Date: 25 Aug 93 20:52:00 GMT
Organization: Invention Factory's BBS - New York City, NY - 212-274-8298v.32bis
Reply-To: ray.normandeau@factory.com (Ray Normandeau)
> Yes, I am also aware of Minitel, out here in Santa Maria, California,
> USA. While on a Paris BBS a while back, I downloaded an IBM emuation
> of Minitel, and enables you to log onto the service via your IBM.
> The Minitel Emulator is very well designed and iconified. I'm
> looking, right now, for a Minitel access number in France. Can you
> help me out?
Minitel emulators have been on USA BBS's for several years as some USA
users were using it to access a service in NYC that woudl connect them
to Minitel.
[Moderator's Note: The Telecom Archives has several files discussing
Minitel. The archives is accessible using anonymous ftp lcs.mit.edu.
When logged in, do 'cd telecom-archives'. PAT]
------------------------------
From: Terry Kennedy <TERRY@spcvxa.spc.edu>
Subject: Re: Busy Signals, Tone Plants, etc.
Organization: St. Peter's College, US
Date: 25 Aug 93 05:06:31 EDT
In article <telecom13.595.6@eecs.nwu.edu>, Jack.Winslade@axolotl.
omahug.org (Jack Winslade) writes:
> By far the funkiest tones from Ma Bell came from a #101 ESS (the #101
> 'steamship anchor' as a Ma Bell person called it) that we were
> 'served' from at work until the mid 1980's.
201-962 was a Community Dial Office (CDO) until the late 70's or so.
It had the oddest tone generators I've ever heard. Ring was a "braaap"
sound which I've also heard on some 800-series PBX's. Busy was utterly
different from anything before or since -- it sort of went "bneeeowwit".
I really have to wonder about the equipment involved (and the people
who designed it!).
Terry Kennedy Operations Manager, Academic Computing
terry@spcvxa.bitnet St. Peter's College, Jersey City, NJ USA
terry@spcvxa.spc.edu +1 201 915 9381
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 93 14:43:54 -0400
From: shri@freal.cs.umass.edu
Subject: Re: Psychological Effect of "Busy" Signal
Organization: UMass, Amherst MA + Temporal Sys & Computer Networks Bombay India
In article <telecom13.595.8@eecs.nwu.edu> varney@ihlpe.att.com wrote:
> While it is tempting to suppose such a coupling between ringing
> current and audible ring tone, one should be aware of the problems of
> such arrangements. ... A second problem is that, while coupled,
> the voice frequency paths need to be separated to prevent someone from
> talking over an "unanswered" line during the silent intervals. Also,
> all the calling parties had to be isolated from each other to prevent
> an unintended "chat line" service.
There is a small "blue-box" style device that I have seen back in
India which works if you have a certain type of mechanical exchange
serving you. Its called a "popat" or "parrot" in the local lingo. And
works using a loophole like the one mentioned above.
The device connects in series with your phone, and is made from a
couple of diodes and caps. If any toll call arrives and you switch it
on, the box behaves such that the ringing tone is cut out, as is the
ring back, but yet does not allow enough loop current to let the
exchange to think that the call has been answered. So the caller does
not get any toll charges on his bill, tho' you could talk.
Its been found already :-)
shrikumar (shri@legato.cs.umass.edu, shri@shakti.ncst.ernet.in)
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 93 20:49:04 EDT
From: Carl Moore <cmoore@BRL.MIL>
Subject: Re: GTE Adopts New Numbering Plan
I would NOT say GTE is jumping the gun in announcing dialing changes.
The archive file history.of.area.splits deals with this topic, and it
includes a reference to already-announced area code 334. You fail to
say what will take the place of 1 + seven digits (it could be 1 + area
code + seven digits or just the seven digit number) or where you are
located (i.e. what areas are affected by this notice); please fill
these in so I can consider updates to said archive file.
------------------------------
From: gmerin@panix.com (Gary Merinstein)
Subject: Re: Looking For Cordless Headset Phone
Date: 25 Aug 1993 20:56:26 -0400
Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC
In <telecom13.594.11@eecs.nwu.edu> tijc02!djm408@uunet.UU.NET (David
Marks) writes:
> I am looking for a cordless headset phone. I have seen plenty of
> _CORDED_ headsets that cost $25-$40 as add-ons to regular phones.
> Since middle of the road cordless phones run $100-$150, a cordless
> phone with a cordless headset shouldn't cost much more. I have had no
> luck except for one from Radio Shack. It was a cordless phone that
> costs $225 and nearly $300 with the addition of a cordless headset.
> This seems a bit much. It should use similar technology of a cordless
> microphone and they now can be found for reasonable prices.
"Hello Direct" lists a cordless headphone in their cataloge. I don't
have the number, but 800-555-1212 has it. the last time I looked, the
headset was selling for approximatly $300.00.
gmerin@panix.com mci: 489-6979 ci$ 74035,1232
[Moderator's Note: Hello Direct's phone number is 800-HI-HELLO. PAT]
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1993 06:50:51 PDT
From: Eric_N._Florack.cru-mc@xerox.com
Subject: Re: Old Panel CO9s and Their Tones
Speaking of such things as busy and ring tomes from old CO's, we used
to have some interesting items around here, in Rochester Tel land.
Out to our northwest we used to have Ogden Telephone, which was
comprised of 716-392, 716-352, and 716-594.
These were all old Xbar style switches, which had the very mechanical
type tones, both in ringdown, and in busy. Time was, on thee when you
could tell how many extensions one had attached to the line by the
'roughness' of the ring. The ring would get more 'raspy' as the ring
load on the trunk increased.
Also, if you called into any of these, you'd know, since you could
hear the train moving your call. As touch-tone became available, Ogden
must have felt the pressure to upgrade ... one could imagine a new box,
on the front end of the switch, doling out pulses to the switch, after
touch-tone dialing your number. Some of the loudest clickings and
busings you've ever heard on a phone line, came from that switch.
Funny thing; you never heard the pulses going to the Xbar; they must
have had some kind of silencer on it. But as soon as the pulses were
fed, you'd hear the train moving ... and this was regardless of
your being outside calling in, or inside calling out of the switch.
Even after TT was up and running on those switchs, we didn't get a
standard busy signal out of it for a long time ... still the older
style BAW, BAW, BAW at standard cadence. Made running a BBS a real
treat.
When they got the new generator up and running, with the now standard
two tone busy, you'd still get some realy weird results ... about half
the time, you'd get a ringdown, followed by a few clicks, folowed by
the busy... as if the thing was having problems trying to figure out
if it wanted to route you to the busy generator or not.
Once connected, though, the lines were as clean or cleaner (by actual
measurements. We had a few remote broadcasts out in that service
area through the dial-up network) then the ESS they shoe-horned in
their a few years ago. Perhaps the old one was more forgiving of load
mis-matches, I dunno.
A similar situation must have been occurring in the Southern teir, and
still is, by all accounts. Touch-tone is available on the old Xbar
running in 716-243 and 245, which is a part of the old Iraquois phone
system., but on this one, (unlike Ogden) you can hear the pulse
generator working after dialing your number. Then the train moving to
whatever you need ... no, make that 'to whatever it's able'. Makes
dialing long distance a real thrill ... and you need to know the
unique 'features' of the old bugger since just about all populated
areas are LD to it; like the call to the Fire Dept, for example, was
long distance for many years.
(Makes one feel really safe, ya know?)
As you can imagine, in both these sitautions, trying to use direct
dial access to a lot of areas, particularly using an LDC you were not
directly assigned to, was a real trip on both these systems ... though
to their credit, the problems have been largely fixed by this writing.
Rochester Tel has bought up both of these old companies.
[Moderator's Note: Generally in the past when the sheriff or the rural
Fire Protection District (or whatever it was called) was a toll call to
many subscribers served by it, there would be a free 'Enterprise' num-
ber, or in more recent years, an 800 number. The last CO in Chicago
to be converted from SXS directly to ESS was 312-561; LOngbeach-1. At
a time when half our city was ESS, and the rest reasonably good crossbar
stuff, LOngbeach-1 sat there doing its thing. With so much ESS, we had
grown accustomed to very fast, very quiet connections, but a call to
someone on 312-561 would cause a loud crashing noise in your ear -- we
had all but forgotten about that old equipment -- as soon as your call
left the serving ESS and got to LOngbeach. The ESS which sent the call
would feed pulses to the old switch. How old was that CO? So old that
earlier, when everyone in town was converted to 911 service for the
police from the old POLice-5-1313 number, the inside cover of the
phone book announced the change in big letters and numerals, only to
add in somewhat smaller print below it, 'except subscribers whose
numbers begin 561 must dial 765-1313 or call the operator and tell her
where help is needed.' They could not even put 911 on it! PAT]
------------------------------
From: clj@ksr.com (Chris Jones)
Subject: Re: Remotely Accessible Answer Machines May Grant Too Much Access
Date: 25 Aug 93 09:38:05 EDT
Reply-To: clj@ksr.com (Chris Jones)
Organization: Kendall Square Research Corp
This article reminded me of a feature of my answering machine which
makes it particularly easy to crack. This machine allows one to
choose the three digit code which enables all of the remotely-controlled
goodies. When I recently was on vacation, I was dismayed to find that
the machine wouldn't respond to the code I had programmed. After
thinking for a bit, I recalled we had had a power failure in the
neighborhood about a week before, and I hadn't checked the access code
afterward. Thinking that it was likely to have reset to something
obvious, I guessed the code on my first try. I don't recall the exact
state of the machine after the power came back on (e.g., whether I had
to manually turn it back on), but it certainly seems plausible to me
that a dedicated phandal would be able to troll the answering machines
of a neighborhood after a power failure and gain unauthorized access
(though I'm unfamiliar enough with the ease of cracking the access
code that this could easily be uninteresting if it turns out it's
simple enough to bust in without the inconvenience of waiting for a
power outage).
Chris Jones clj@ksr.com
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 93 11:06:07 EDT
From: andys@internet.sbi.com (Andy Sherman)
Subject: Re: Access to Telco White Pages
In article 8@eecs.nwu.edu, jog@world.std.com (James Gleick) writes:
> Do local telephone companies have any obligation to provide, or sell,
> access to their database of customer white-pages listings?
> That is, can their competitors (or other information service
> providers) demand this?
In a word, no. The courts have stripped the telcos of their copyright
interest is listings of names and telephone numbers, so you can
publish a directory without their permission and without paying
royalties. However, the lack of a copyright does not obligate them to
do your work for you.
Andy Sherman Salomon Inc - Unix Systems Support - Rutherford, NJ
(201) 896-7018 - andys@sbi.com or asherman@sbi.com
------------------------------
From: esl!SMTP!erik_ramberg@ames.arc.nasa.gov (Erik Ramberg)
Subject: Re: AT&T Buys McCaw (Cellular One)
Date: 25 Aug 93 17:36:11 GMT
Organization: ESL Inc.
In article <telecom13.595.11@eecs.nwu.edu>, oberman@ptavv.llnl.gov wrote:
> In Article <telecom13.585.11@eecs.nwu.edu> garym@alsys.com (Gary
> Morris @ignite) writes:
>> In <telecom13.580.10@eecs.nwu.edu> bdboyle@erenj.com (Bryan D. Boyle)
>> writes:
>>> So, AT&T, rather than fighting, bought McCaw Communications today for
>>> $12 billion. Now, this is interesting news.
>> Also in the news yesterday was an interesting item about McCaw and
>> PacTel getting approval to combine their cellular systems in a joint
>> venture. PacTel Mobile Services will merge with the McCaw operation
>> in the Bay Area, PacTel will buy McCaw's systems in the Wichita and
>> Topeka, and also merge in their 34% ownership of a Dallas cellular
>> system.
> I know this gets confusing, but Cellular One and PacTel Cellular ARE
> the same carrier. PacTel Cellular simply sells Cellular One services
> where Cellular One is a joint operation of McCaw and Pacific Telesis.
> The other carrier in the SF Bay area is GTE MobilNet. Since GTE and
> Pac$Bell both operate as LECs in parts of the Bay area, I'm not too
> sure who is A and who is B, but GTE was there first.
As I understand it PacTel was sued several years back because they
were local wireline providers who owned approximatly 42% of the stock
in the local non-wireline cellular provider. The judgment was that
they had to reduce their holdings to zero by a certain future time
(which ends about now), but I think a side deal was made so that their
holding really just shifted to some other service area where they do
not provide wireline service.
Incidently, about 8% percent is owned by a single investor who paid
some hundred or so thousands of dollars in the late eighties lottery,
let the money sit for a couple of years, and recently has refused many
hundreds of millions of dollars for his interest as he waits for a
LARGER offer. This is an outrageous return on an investment in which
one sat on the wayside. Oh well, I had to say that.
> Now, is everyone confused? I am.
Me too.
Erik
Nothing that I say can be construed as the opinion of my employer.
------------------------------
From: bogstad@blaze.cs.jhu.edu (Bill Bogstad)
Subject: Re: UUNet 900 Seems to be a Bad Idea
Organization: The Johns Hopkins University CS Department
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1993 17:35:53 GMT
In article <telecom13.591.8@eecs.nwu.edu>, <Bob_Frankston@frankston.
com> wrote:
> A 900 call is credit. If you are afraid of credit cards, copy the
> number down and melt the card. You can then use the credit without the
> card. ...
Why single out 900 numbers? Just about any phone all you make
that isn't made from a payphone using coins is "credit" in some form.
As for melting his card, this won't stop someone from possibly
obtaining his number through some other means and illegally making use
of his credit line. It's a little harder to do that with the credit
extended by "The Phone Company". If you avoid calling cards, about
all they can do is to tap into your line to make their calls.
> Callbacks are also problematic and the point of 900 numbers is to
> avoid having registrations.
Exactly. The whole idea is that some other large organization
("The Phone Company") manages your billing, deals with the credit
risk, etc. Sounds wonderful for an entrepreneur who wants to set
themselves up in the information business. Unfortunately, this
potentially wonderful billing service (1-900) has received a very bad
reputation as a result of the actions and business of its most well
known clients. It's a shame that services like UUNet's anonymous
sources archives which can really use this kind of billing may not be
able to do so because of the restrictions that result from this bad
reputation.
Bill Bogstad bogstad@cs.jhu.edu
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V13 #604
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Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1993 01:32:03 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
Message-Id: <199308260632.AA32355@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #605
TELECOM Digest Thu, 26 Aug 93 01:32:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 605
Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson
Re: The One True Dialing Plan (Ethan Miller)
Re: The One True Dialing Plan (Carl Moore)
Re: The One True Dialing Plan (John Macdonald)
Re: What's With 201-299? (Terry Kennedy)
Re: What's With 201-299? (Jack Winslade)
Re: Should I Get a Separate Line For Modem (Gary Breuckman)
Re: Should I Get a Separate Line For Modem (Russell Sharpe)
Re: Should I Get a Separate Line For Modem (John Gilbert)
Re: AT&T Truvoice Demo (Al Varney)
Re: TrueVoice (tm) - The True Story (Al Varney)
Hong Kong Charges For Fax Lines (Wm Randolph Franklin)
What to do With the Archives (TELECOM Moderator)
Administrivia: Many Messages Lost in Accident (TELECOM Moderator)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: elm@cs.berkeley.edu (ethan miller)
Subject: Re: The One True Dialing Plan
Date: 25 Aug 93 12:53:02
Reply-To: elm@cs.berkeley.edu
In article <telecom13.602.12@eecs.nwu.edu> goudreau@dg-rtp.dg.com (Bob
Goudreau) writes:
> I beg to differ. It seems to me that more places are using the
> *real* One True Dialing Plan (OTDP), in which all long-distance
> calls (intra-NPA included) are dialed with 11 digits, and only
> local, intra-NPA calls can use seven-digit dialing.
This works fine, as long as all calls are either "local" or
"non-local." In the SF Bay Area, all phone numbers are either
non-local, or in one of three approximately concentric zones (1, 2,
and 3). Calls to Zones 1 and 2 are free for unlimited service
subscribers, and cost $.04/first + $.01/min for measured service
subscribers. Calls to Zone 3 (the farthest away) cost $.10/first +
$.04/min for *everyone*. Measured service customers get a $3/month
credit towards local calls. Since Pac Bell considers Zone 3 calls
local, they can be covered by this credit. Unlimited subscribers,
however, *always* pay for them separately. Are calls to Zone 3 really
local if unlimited service subscribers must pay for them? Would they
require eleven digits or seven under the above dialing suggestion?
ethan miller--cs grad student
elm@cs.berkeley.edu #include <std/disclaimer.h>
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 93 17:37:23 EDT
From: Carl Moore <cmoore@BRL.MIL>
Subject: Re: The One True Dialing Plan
The history.of.area.splits file also has notes on dialing instructions
in areas which have had to program for N0X/N1X prefixes. Now it is
starting to get similar information for areas which have not needed
N0X/N1X prefixes, but which need to change to accommodate the NNX area
codes. For direct-dial long distance in your own area code, I am
seeing 7D in use or coming into use in California and in the north-
eastern United States. Elsewhere, I am seeing 1 + NPA + 7D instead.
(I don't know about Illinois, and if 1 + 7D is still in use, the area
has not made the necessary changes yet.)
------------------------------
From: jmm@Elegant.COM (John Macdonald)
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1993 19:33:03 -0400
Organization: Elegant Communications Inc.
Subject: Re: The One True Dialing Plan
In article <telecom13.602.12@eecs.nwu.edu> TELECOM Moderator noted:
> [Moderator's Note: Uh oh ... just what we need! A schism here in the
> Digest over The One True Dialing Plan. I shall have to censor and
> excomumunicate all non-believers and heretics. PAT]
Yes, but which OTDP group is the heretics and which is the non-
believers? :-)
John Macdonald jmm@Elegant.COM
[Virtual Moderator's Note: Well it depends on who you ask, of course.
Are you asking me? Poet Edwin Markham once addressed the topic of
heretics and rebels with this little verse: "They drew a circle which
shut me out / A heretic, rebel, a thing to flout / But Love and I had
the wit to win / We drew a circle which took them in." You meditate
on that for a few minutes as we go on to the next item in the telecom
mailbox today. PAT]
------------------------------
From: Terry Kennedy <TERRY@spcvxa.spc.edu>
Subject: Re: What's With 201-299?
Organization: St. Peter's College, US
Date: 26 Aug 93 00:59:56 EDT
In article <telecom13.598.4@eecs.nwu.edu>, dave@westmark.com (Dave
Levenson) writes:
> Why do intra-LATA calls from 201-299 still show up as OUT-OF-AREA ?
> Does anybody out there know why this switch (serving Boonton and
> surrounding parts of Morris County) is still not participating in this
> service?
If this is the switch I'm thinking of, it's a crossbar switch
without stored program control. That _would_ explain it.
Terry Kennedy Operations Manager, Academic Computing
terry@spcvxa.bitnet St. Peter's College, Jersey City, NJ USA
terry@spcvxa.spc.edu +1 201 915 9381
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 93 09:25:22 CST
From: Jack.Winslade@axolotl.omahug.org (Jack Winslade)
Subject: Re: What's With 201-299?
Reply-To: jack.winslade%drbbs@axolotl.omahug.org
Organization: DRBBS Technical BBS, Omaha
In a message dated 23-AUG-93, Dave Levenson writes:
> Why do intra-LATA calls from 201-299 still show up as OUT-OF-AREA ?
> Does anybody out there know why this switch (serving Boonton and
> Surrounding parts of Morris County) is still not participating in this
> service?
It's probably something like we have here in Omaha. Every office in
the area except one, the Manawa office serving the south end of
Council Bluffs, is SS7 connected. The remaining office is supposedly
an older DMS-10 which is connected to the other offices by analog MF
trunks. Manawa was the last remaining SxS office in the area and was
cut to the DMS in 1985 if I am correct. The SxS was one of the few
'directorized' offices and was touch-tone equipped. (For those who
care, it had one of the 'fog horn' tone generators for ring and busy,
but normal dial tone. I assume it had a funky dial tone as well
before the conversion was made.)
Since it's a smaller office and a fairly recent conversion, they don't
want to convert it again until there's a major need to do so. CLID
will have to wait, I guess. We get OUT OF AREA on the CLID boxes from
712-366 until this is upgraded.
Note that the Omaha LATA as well as the metro Omaha dialing area
crosses state lines as well as area code boundaries. 7 digit dialing
is seamless in the areas whose toll-free areas include portions of the
other state. As has been mentioned many times before, there is one
physical office in downtown Omaha that has one NNX in Iowa (AC 712)
with the others in Nebraska (AC 402).
Good day. JSW
DRBBS (1:285/666.0)
------------------------------
From: puma@netcom.com (Gary Breuckman)
Subject: Re: Should I Get a Separate Line For Modem
Organization: organized?? me?
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1993 04:12:32 GMT
In article <telecom13.601.7@eecs.nwu.edu> Rajappa Iyer <iyer@npg-sd.
sandiegoca.NCR.COM> writes:
> I wrote earlier:
>> What are the pros and cons of using the same telephone number for both
>> the modem and voice? I really don't want to miss calls while I am on
>> the modem. Would call waiting help? Any input on this will be apprec-
>> iated.
> Ok! I'm convinced that I need a separate telephone number for modem.
> Unfortunately, the wiring in my building is pretty screwed up and I
> barely managed to get my current telephone number wired in. So my next
> question: is it possible to use the same physical wire for two numbers
> and use some sort of demultiplexor in my unit?
Telcos with a shortage of 'real' pairs use something called 'subscriber
carrier' which piggybacks a second line on a copper pair. They use
rackmount equipment in the office, and a stand-alone unit at your
location that separates the two lines. The 'virtual' line often
suffers from problems, including low battery voltage and bandwidth
problems for modems. I don't recommend this, and most places don't
offer it, especially for a copper shortage problem that's YOUR
problem.
puma@netcom.com
------------------------------
From: sharpe_r@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz (russell sharpe)
Subject: Re: Should I Get a Separate Line For Modem
Date: 25 Aug 1993 04:50:30 GMT
Organization: Wellington City Council, Public Access
Reply-To: sharpe_r@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz
> Rajappa Iyer <iyer@npg-sd.sandiegoca.NCR.COM> writes:
> What are the pros and cons of using the same telephone number for both
> the modem and voice? I really don't want to miss calls while I am on
> the modem. Would call waiting help? Any input on this will be apprec-
> iated.
We have a facility in New Zealand called 1 + 1 (one voice + one voice).
It is usually used when Telecom has run out of cable pairs.
Basically it consists of a physical POTS line with a high pass filter
(>10kHz) and a carrier, a POTS line modulated up 10kHz.
Two pieces of equipment, effectively CODECS (Coder/Decoder), are
needed, one at the switch site, and one at the customers premises.
Up to 9600 can be reliably run over the physical, but quality reduces
on the carrier, the higher the speed, but speech is still very
intelligible (sounds a little like low 'white noise').
For obvious reasons data over the carrier is not very reliable.
Russell Sharpe: email: sharpe_r@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz
Voice: +64 4 5637779 snailmail: 171 Holborn Drive
Stokes Valley 6008
New Zealand
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 93 10:39:02 EDT
From: news@pts.mot.com
From: johng@ecs.comm.mot.com (John Gilbert)
Subject: Re: Should I Get a Separate Line For Modem?
Organization: Motorola Inc, LMPS
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1993 14:38:57 GMT
I forward my voice line to my cellular phone during data calls. This
way I don't miss any calls and don't have the added expense of the
second telephone line. I would have the cellular portable even if
wasn't using it as a second line at home.
[Moderator's Note: True, but would you have the additional air time
charges incurred when it gets calls forwarded to it? PAT]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 93 00:16:28 CDT
From: varney@ihlpe.att.com
Subject: Re: AT&T Truvoice Demo
Organization: AT&T
In article <telecom13.600.5@eecs.nwu.edu> rudholm@aimla.com (Mark
Rudholm) writes:
> deej@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (david.g.lewis) writes:
>> In article <telecom13.586.9@eecs.nwu.edu> rudholm@aimla.com (Mark
>> Rudholm) writes:
>>> But wait a second, isn't demonstrating Truvoice over an ostensibly
>>> non-truvoice line (they haven't installed it yet) like demonstrating
>>> HDTV via a regular NTSC broadcast?
>> No. There is no such thing as a "TrueVoice line" or a "Non-TrueVoice
>> line". The enhancement is applied to the voice signal in the network.
>> This enhanced signal then propagates to the listener, wherever he or
>> she may be, whatever types of trunks or lines the signal is carried
>> over.
> As I've already explained to another AT&T employee in e-mail, I know.
> My point was really that this demo is evidence that the signal
> processing can be done at an endpoint of a call and doesn't neccess-
> arily have to be done anywhere in between. I was also making a joke.
Actually, the processing has to be done BEFORE the endpoint,
assuming an analog POTS line is involved. It is true that (in
concept) it could be done anywhere in the digital path of the call.
But there are a lot more end-user digital encoders than there are
long-distance circuits. From a system cost perspective, it makes more
sense to apply this enhancement in the long-distance network.
(Historically, these kinds of enhancements have always been first
introduced into the long-distance network.)
>>> Makes you wonder if anyone in marketing anywhere understands simple
>>> logic.
OK. I'm not in marketing -- tell me a better way to advertise the
capability. Wait till deployment and then suggest calling through
other IXCs and AT&T on alternate calls? I don't think so ...
> My backround is EE, so I think I have some understanding of real-time
> signal processing. By the way, I read the patent and wasn't
> impressed. I think at best it is a gimmick and at worst could lessen
> intelligibilty. It may be reason enough for me to switch my lines to
> another carrier. If there was some big public outcry about the
> quality of voices over long distance telephone, I missed it.
So do you insist your cassette drives not have Dolby(tm) noise
reduction, or any of those funny "bias" metal tape capabilities? Did
you object to FM stations putting out "stereo", and reducing the
dynamic range and SNR of mono FM? You don't listen to radio/TV that
"enhances" or boosts their broadcast sound signal? No bass/ treble
adjustments (or graphic "equalizer") on you radios? Do you travel to
Europe to enjoy the slightly better quality of A-law vs. mu-law
encoding?
{Note: Every one of the above "improvements" in sound quality had
those that objected that it ruined (or ruins) sound. Want to go back
to TUBE amplifiers because the sound is "warmer" than those solid-
state ones produce?}
> ... If you make it sound like a local, static-free call, I'm happy.
> I really don't need my carriers second-guessing how I want things to
> sound.
And, since the Bellcore (and old Bell System) rules specifically
mandate that "long-distance" calls not sound like a local line-to-line
call (using Via Net Loss rules), it sounds to me like you are actually
ASKING AT&T to apply TrueVoice to your calls -- it's major intent is
to make long-distance calls sound AS GOOD AS LOCAL calls, by
compensating for the mandated locally-applied loss.
> If you really want to improve the sound of calls, why not send out
> envelope-compatible condenser microphones to all AT&T Long Distance
> customers who are still using old, packed carbon granule microphones.
> Now _that_ would be a big improvement and I don't think anybody would
> argue.
Shareholders, perhaps? In fact, replacing the Fisher-Price(tm)
cheap telephones and crummy inside wiring would probably yield (on
average) a more substantial improvement. But AT&T doesn't own the
telephones or the wiring anymore -- so we're just doing what we can to
improve telephony.
Just give it a try this fall. I'm told that in testing, eight out
of ten believe TrueVoice(tm) sounds better. I hope you're one of
them. But that's your decision.
> Mark D. Rudholm Philips Media Electronic Publishing
Now, can I complain about the electronic publishing business, and
its impact on REAL fonts and typesetting? I didn't see anyone
complaining about the typography in real books, but then out comes all
this stuff with Postscript and copy-cat fonts and people thinking they
can set type at 300 DPI. I really don't need publishers second-
guessing the fonts and media I want, and pushing those new-fangled
CD-ROM, etc. It doesn't have the beauty of real METAL type, ya' know.
Besides, the quality of the writing itself is just made worse
when people can just type stuff in on the fly and edit it with some
spell-check thingy and then the next thing you know it shows up on
people's screens without an editor or typesetter to put some artistic
effort into the word spacing and
page breaks and widow lines.
And you think changing the sound of a telephone call, typically a
fleeting, temporary thing, is so bad. Publishing is much more
permanent Shouldn't it be the constant in our changing world???
Somewhat in jest ...
Al Varney
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 93 00:46:43 CDT
From: varney@ihlpe.att.com
Subject: Re: TrueVoice (tm) - The True Story
Organization: AT&T
In article <telecom13.600.6@eecs.nwu.edu> hhallika@tuba.calpoly.edu
(Harold Hallikainen) writes:
> In article <telecom13.582.3@eecs.nwu.edu> dcg5662@hertz.njit.edu (Dave
> Grabowski) writes:
>> Patent Number: EP-48953-A2 [US-5195132-A]
>> "... as a result of the aforementioned signals attenuation that is
>> introduced by a telephone station set, the quality of the voice signals
>> that the station transmits will be greatly diminished and, therefore,
>> will not represent the speaker's true voice signals."
>> ^^^^^^^^^^ Cute, eh?
> So, it appears they are using equalization to fix the
> shortcomings in the telephone instrument. Perhaps we should fix the
> instrument? I wonder why RS-470 suggests attenaution of signals below
> 300 Hz.
I believe the reason has more to do with wanting a cut-off above
the 180 Hz (60 cycle * 3) harmonic -- 300 Hz should give reasonable
protection for this, but going much lower let more through.
> I also think they are interested in gettint 60 Hz and 120 Hz as far
> down as possible to minimize crosstalk from power lines. ...
Yup. [deleted FDM rationale.]
> Now that we've gone to PCM TDM multiplexing, there appears to be
> limited need for low frequency attenuation. There is still the need
> to get rid of power line hum, but with well balanced lines, that
> should be minimized. .... So, it appears to me, the way to
> get "truer" voice would be to remove any high pass filters on CO line
> cards, or at least lower the corner frequency.
One does have to worry about distortion on phones that are
expecting less than 300 Hz is never sent to the speaker. And the
minor expense of changing out the CO line cards. Wonder what the PUCs
would think is a fair rate increase to cover that cost?
> If indeed the telephone instruments are doing a fair amount of
> filtering, we could just get flatter response phones. I'd rather fix
> a response problem where it exists instead of trying to compensate
> somewhere else ...
Harold, I AGREE 100%. We could make the typical call today sound
better if we redesigned the instruments, the encoding/companding rules
(A-law/mu-law) and didn't worry about those few remaining analog
trunks. Heck, CCITT even has it all laid out, in the specs for 7KHz
audio. That's right -- you can get 7KHz audio over (effectively) a
64Kbps channel. So no need to redesign anything. Just force everyone
to buy a new telephone and update every end office line card or A/D
trunk unit. Of course, CCITT says the line should be a DSL (ISDN
line), so we speed up ISDN deployment somewhat. And it even
interworks with the old mu-law system, if you use SS7 signaling.
But just in the interim, could we use TrueVoice(tm) to give a small
improvement while we wait for suppliers to catch up with the heavy
demand for 7KHz ISDN telephones?? (ANSI T1 has a little work to do
with some unresolved North American standards issues, as well.)
Al Varney - just MY opinion
------------------------------
From: wrf@ecse.rpi.edu (Wm Randolph Franklin)
Subject: Hong Kong Charges For Fax Lines
Date: 26 Aug 1993 05:47:27 GMT
Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy NY
In article <telecom13.597.3@eecs.nwu.edu> on Sun, 22 Aug 1993 22:27:42
GMT, CXEO <CXEO@MUSICA.MCGILL.CA> writes:
> I've seen rumors cropping up on local BBSs here in Montreal,
> Canada that Bell Canada is planning to pass legislation (of some sort)
> requiring that any computer for fax users transmitting data at rates
> faster than 4800bps lease "data"-grade lines instead of using normal
> voice-quality lines.
Hong Kong has apparently charged extra for phone lines used by fax
machines for some time. These are completely normal phone lines. It
was in the HK paper two weeks ago because some regulatory agency
finally told the phone company to stop it. The argument was that
since the phone company wasn't providing any extra service, then they
shouldn't get any extra money. Novel concept. Wish it would catch on
over here.
Wm. Randolph Franklin, wrf@ecse.rpi.edu, (518) 276-6077; Fax: -6261
ECSE Dept., 6026 JEC, Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst, Troy NY, 12180 USA
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1993 00:40:36 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom@eecs.nwu.edu>
Subject: What to do With the Archives
A couple weeks ago, I put out a note asking for user's opinions on the
best way to make the Archives available to the growing number of users
who do not have Internet ftp/gopher/etc type services available to
them. There were numerous replies -- far too many to use here -- but
the suggestions came in basically three flavors:
I had suggested a collection of diskettes. Because doing 'du' on the
archives results in a total of about sixty megs at present, and this
grows all the time, I suggested about a set of about sixty diskettes.
Many of you pointed out that 33.5 inch diskettes hold more than a meg,
and that if much of the data was compressed, we could probably do it
in 30 disks. Even so, that makes for an expensive product for many
folks. If only reproduction costs and postage were involved, it still
might be a couple dollars per disk.
The suggestion of CD Rom came up in a few notes. Obviously the whole
thing could go on a single CD Rom with much less effort and expense.
If the CD Rom sold for $20-30, it would still be less expensive and
less cumbersome that a whole bunch of diskettes. This is true, but
how many of our readers have CD Rom attachments to their computers?
I know I don't, as one example. So while diskettes would be more
expensive and more cumbersome, at least we can be pretty assured that
everyone has a disk drive on their computer, and would have no problem
in inserting a diskette and reading its contents.
Several readers in fact wrote to say they would not be able to use
CD Roms ... :( for lack of equipment. So, who do I please on this?
A third option I brought up was to run a BBS-style machine. I have an
old machine here with a hundred meg hard drive on it. The archives
could be loaded on there with new issues arriving all the time using
my UUCP site 'telecom.chi.il.us', and people could call in to that
taking what they wanted from time to time and leaving the rest. A
Procom-style BBS would sit there and dispense files to callers
including each current issue of the Digest as it was published. This
machine would be simply a mirror of what is at lcs.mit.edu, but with
dialup as the way to get in, and operating on MS-DOS instead of Unix.
My *sole* problem with this -- the only thing that is keeping me from
implementing it and announcing it is not knowing for sure where things
are going where my telephone lines are concerned. Yes, I am still
having 'that same problem'; Illinois Bell does not like deadbeats,
and they tend to cut me off now and then until I run down to the
central cashier with a fistful of one, five and ten dollar bills
received in that day's mail. I do not want to commit to the net to run
this mirror of the archives until I am reasonably certain the phones
(and thus retrieval of stuff from the archives) are not in jeopardy
every two or three weeks. If I do get it up and running, it might be
possible to share the space with other small archives of interest if
those Moderators wanted to do so. It seems to me this would be the
ideal solution; make the archives available on dialup and let people
help themselves.
Why not have a dialup at MIT, I hear some of you say ... well there
is of course; there are the terminal servers for the University on
dialup lines and anyone can call in *who has a user account on any of
the machines at MIT, or Boston University or other places in town they
allow anonymous telnet to via the dialups. I have asked if a single
phone line could be terminated directly on lcs.mit.edu with a *very
limited, restricted shell* responding to callers on that line. It
would dump them in the archives, give them five minutes or so before
timing out, allow them to get files, and that's it.
"No way, not possible, end of subject, period" was the answer I got
the last time I asked about this. They do not like 'rsh' (restricted
shells) at lcs.mit.edu. They feel they are too full of holes and
bugs of all sort which would allow callers to run rampant, su to root
and do all kinds of mischief. Friends of the Digest would probably
arrange to put the modem there and pay the phone bill, but MIT says
no. Nor do they wish the terminal servers busy all the time with non-
MIT people calling from all over to use a buggy rsh to 'loot the
archives'.
So what is the solution? Probably someday I will put a mirror up
over here in my little offioce when I am pretty sure IBT won't yank
it down a few days later based on my 'willingness but inability' to
pay the bill as quickly as they like. Until then, any improvement in
archives accessibility is probably on hold. I do not have the time to
work on creating diskettes for people until things improve just a
little more financially, and as for CD Roms, I'm ambivilent; still
thinking about it. I guess more and more people are getting those
things for their systems.
Thanks to everyone who wrote me to share their thoughts on the status
of the Archives and plans for improvement. I am now working on the
summer edition of the 'Archives Help File', including a full index of
files available, etc. Maybe a special issue this weekend will come
out to you with it.
Patrick Townson
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1993 00:44:28 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom@eecs.nwu.edu>
Subject: Administrivia: Many Messages Lost in Accident
I am sorry to report about a hundred messages in the queue for
processing over the past two days got deleted by accident Wednesday
night. What you got Wednesday overnight/Thursday morning is what was
left. If you sent me a message anytime Tuesday or Wednesday and it has
not appeared as of this issue, and your autoreply was dated earlier
than 8/26 12:05 AM then it is lost due to the accidental deletion. If
it was a reply, bear in mind we have probably seen enough on the topic
anyway. If you feel it was important, or it was a new article for
publication, please send it again with my apologies for the inconven-
ience.
Patrick Townson
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V13 #605
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Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1993 11:36:12 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
Message-Id: <199308261636.AA13024@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #606
TELECOM Digest Thu, 26 Aug 93 11:36:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 606
Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson
Newton Bug: Calling in/to/From Canada (Monty Solomon)
OSS Vendor Data Needed (Fast Response) (Robert Rosenberg)
Operator From Atlanta (was Re: Interesting 800 Number) (Joe George)
Telecom Tariffs - Fast Answer Please (Peter Tkansson)
Connect Credit Card Reader to IBM PC (Johnson C. Lee)
Modem Transmission Over One Way Radio (Alfredo Cotroneo)
Re: Orange Card Woes (Paul Robinson)
Re: Octothorpe: Is That the Right Name? (Michael D. Sullivan)
TruVoice? Nah ... (Eric N. Florack)
Re: Volume Level of Tropez 900DL? (Dean McDermott)
Re: Wait! Let me Get a Pen! (Joe George)
Anybody Know of Connecticut Citizen? (Tom Olin)
Re: International Date Line Change (Liron Lightwood)
----------------------
TELECOM Digest is an e-journal devoted mostly -- but not exclusively --
to discussions on voice telephony. The Digest is a not-for-profit
public service published frequently by Patrick Townson Associates. PTA
markets a no-surcharge telephone calling card and a no monthly fee 800
service. In addition, we are resellers of AT&T's Software Defined
Network. For a detailed discussion of our services, write and ask for
the file 'products'.
The Digest is delivered at no charge by email to qualified subscribers on
any electronic mail service connected to the Internet. To join the mail-
ing list, write and tell us how you qualify: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu.
All article submissions MUST be sent to our email address: telecom@eecs.
nwu.edu -- NOT as replies to comp.dcom.telecom.
Back issues and numerous other telephone-related files of interest are
available from the Telecom Archives, using anonymous ftp lcs.mit.edu.
Login anonymous, then 'cd telecom-archives'. At the present time, the
Digest is also ported to Usenet at the request of many readers there,
where it is known as 'comp.dcom.telecom'. Use of the Digest does not
require the use of our products and services. The two are separate.
All articles are the responsibility of the individual authors. Organi-
zations listed, if any, are for identification purposes only. The
Digest is compilation-copyrighted, 1993. **DO NOT** cross-post articles
between the Digest and other Usenet or alt newsgroups. Do not compile
mailing lists from the net-addresses appearing herein. Send tithes and
love offerings to PO Box 1570, Chicago, IL 60690. :) Phone: 312-465-2700.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 93 08:33:28 EDT
From: Monty Solomon <roscom!monty@Think.COM>
Subject: Newton Bug: Calling in/to/From Canada
Organization: Bell Northern Research, Ottawa
Looks like Apple screwed up a bit on internationalization (at least as
far as the Frozen North is concerned). I've reported these to Apple
but thought others might be interested.
1) Preferences bug: Canadians do not usually write dates as MM/DD/YY -
most do it British style (DD/MM/YY).
2) Phone number bug: Newton is smart enough, based on your area code,
to dial <1 + areacode + number> if you're calling long distance, or
just <number> if you're calling locally. This works OK in the US (I
configured my Newton to pretend I was in Minneapolis and pretended to
call Washington), but not in Canada (set up myself in Ottawa and
pretended to call Winnipeg).
Transborder dialing is also screwed up -- Canada is part of the North
American numbering plan, therefore one should not have to dial <011 +
1 + area code + number> to dial here from the US.
Kevin Chapman BNR Ottawa
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 93 09:16:26 EDT
From: Robert Rosenberg <bob@insight-corp.com>
Subject: OSS Vendor Data Needed (Fast Response)
I'm doing some research on the convergence of telco and cable TV
operations, so I'm looking for any data that would describe the OSS
(operations support systems) being developed by any of the companies
noted below. A product name and a few paragraphs that describe any
operations, administration maintenance, or provisioning systems
provided by these vendors to either telcos or cable TV operators would
be ideal. And though customer billing is not strictly an OAM&P
function, I'd be interested in an overview of billing products as
well.
EDS (especially EDS PCC) Microsoft KPMG Peat Marwick
Arthur Anderson Nolan Norton Ernst & Young
NEC Fujitsu Cable Data
Motorola Erickson Cincinnati Bell Info Systems
Much thanks,
Robert Rosenberg Insight Research Corporation bob@insight-corp.com
------------------------------
From: jgeorge@whiffer.mese.com
Subject: Operator From Atlanta (was Re: Interesting 800 Number Response)
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1993 02:39:52 EST
Organization: The Waffle Whiffer, Atlanta, GA
In comp.dcom.telecom, Rhorer@medics.jsc.nasa.gov writes:
>> [Moderator's Note: They all used that nice lady from down in Atlanta
>> for many years. Maybe some still do. PAT]
> I thought they used some sort of covox technology to "clone" that nice
> lady's voice so that she would sound forever young :-) Seriously,
> though, don't they do that?
A Southern Bell(e) employee? I thought she was from somewhere in the
midwest ... Anybody know who she is?
Joe George (jgeorge@whiffer.mese.com,emory!indigo!whiffer!jgeorge)
Actually, I _do_ speak for The Waffle Whiffer
[Moderator's Note: She is/was not an employee of telco. She is/was
a resident in the area who did the work on a contract basis. PAT]
------------------------------
From: peter@mail.swip.net (Peter Tkansson)
Subject: Telecom Tariffs - Fast Answer Please
Organization: VolvoData
Date: Wed, 18 Aug 1993 15:23:15 GMT
Dear netters,
You saved me before; I hope you can do it again.
I need a price idea of a proposed connection between the Los Angeles
area and Greensboro in North Carolina. I can use voice line in the
range of 2400-19.200 baud (I guess that Netblazers or similiar can be
used on voice lines?) What is the cost per minute for this distance?
And is it feasable as regards to error rate line stability etc?
My second alternative is X.25 from some provider. Living outside the
area (sweden) i have no easy way of finding either provider or what
tariff they use. Information in this area is welcome.
If i have missed a third, please let me know.
Reply by mail (peter@volvo.se) if possible.
Thanks in advance,
Peter H<aring>kanson VolvoData Dep 2230 phone +46 31 66 74 27
"Speaking for myself 'cause noone else does'"
------------------------------
From: jclee@us.oracle.com (Johnson C. Lee)
Subject: Connect Credit Card Reader to IBM PC
Organization: Oracle Corporation
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1993 06:00:58 GMT
Hi,
Does anybody know if it is possible to connect a credit card
reader to an IBM PC? Is there any application programming interface
for it? It is very important to my current project and I will
appreciate any info.
Please send response to: jclee@us.oracle.com
I will post a summary of the response.
Thank you very much,
Johnson Lee Oracle Corporation
------------------------------
From: A.Cotroneo@it12.bull.it (Alfredo Cotroneo)
Subject: Modem Ttransmissions Over One Way Radio
Date: 26 Aug 1993 03:31:47 -0500
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway
I am going to experiment with TX only data transmissions using standard
modems (e.g. ZyXel/USR Robotics) over a one way radio link. I just
wonder if that would be possible at all with which parameter(s)
setting since there will be no modem on the other side of the line to
*negotiate* the protocol with.
Very basically imagine a system where a broadcast station would
transmitt data for short periods of the day using e.g. V22bis or
higher speed over the air, and from the other side there would be
radio receivers connected to your PC modems which would decode the
data.
Would that be technically and cheaply possible at all, on both RX and
TX side? The advantage would obviously be that no special equipment is
required at least at the receiver's end.
Any comment gladly appreciated, before I start my own experiments (g).
If there is interest I will summarize. Please e-mail directly since I
do not receive all feeds over this group. Thanks.
Alfredo E. Cotroneo, Bull HN Italia, I-20010 Pregnana MI, Italy
work: A.Cotroneo@it12.bull.it personal: 100020.1013@compuserve.com
phone: +39-2-6779 8314 / 8427 fax: +39-2-6779 8289
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1993 02:04:14 -0400 (EDT)
Reply-To: 0005066432@MCIMAIL.COM
Subject: Re: Orange Card Woes
From: Paul Robinson <TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM>
Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring, MD USA
David Ash <ash@sumex-aim.stanford.edu>, writes:
> In article <telecom13.588.5@eecs.nwu.edu> dlr@daver.bungi.com (Dave
> Rand) writes:
>> Calls to Canada are "not supported", according to the (very
>> hard to reach) customer service people. This is not true.
>> Calls to Canada are supported, at slightly less than double
>> the AT&T daytime calling card rate. There is no indication
>> that the call made is not at the $0.25 rate of the Orange Card
>> calls to US destinations.
> I would like to point out that this is not completely
> accurate. I have placed Orange calls to Canada and they have
> been billed at four quite different rates:
> 1. free of charge
Well, you can't get a lower rate than that, can you? :)
> 2. at the U.S. domestic rate of 25c per minute.
> 3. at about 53c per minute.
> 4. at about 62c per minute.
> All these calls were from the SF Bay Area to southern Ontario, so
> it is a mystery what actually determines the rate. I don't think
> even 62c is anywhere near double the AT&T rate for calls to Canada,
> though.
Picking out a number at random from a list of calls made, from
Washington, DC to 519-351 was 54c for the first minute, 53c each
additional minute for calls placed during daylight hours, according to
the 00 operator for AT&T.
Paul Robinson - TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM
------------------------------
From: avogadro@well.sf.ca.us (Michael D. Sullivan)
Subject: Re: Octothorpe: Is That the Right Name?
Date: 26 Aug 93 05:03:04 GMT
Organization: The Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link, Sausalito, CA
In <telecom13.602.10@eecs.nwu.edu> Fred Smith <FSMITH@isnov.ab.umd.
edu> writes:
> I seem to recall that there was some discussion about a year ago about
> the octothorpe here on the Digest. I've gone and opened my big mouth
> and unless I can come up with some factual information I'm doomed to
> buying dinner for my uncle. Being a big trivia buff, I asked him if
> he knew what the '#' symbol was called other than the pound symbol.
> When I told him it was called an octothorpe at one time, he wasn't
> buying it ... even when I tried to explain that octo = 8, 8 being the
> number of points etc. So now he's called my bluff and wants to see
> some hard evidence or else it's my treat.
> Does anyone know where I might be able to find a blurb about this in
> some old manuals or something. Anything even remotely valid will get
> me off the hook and I'll be enjoying dinner!
Two suggestions: Look up old issues of the Bell System Technical
Journal for articles on DTMF (Touch Tone) dialing and Princess (R)
phones, in the early '60s; and look up copies of "Distance Dialing
Notes" or its successor, "Notes on the Network", from Bell Labs, from
the '60s, '70s, or early '80s.
Michael D. Sullivan <avogadro@well.sf.ca.us (MIME capable)>
<74160.1134@compuserve.com> <mikesullivan@bix.com>
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1993 06:58:16 PDT
From: Eric_N._Florack.cru-mc@xerox.com
Subject: TruVoice? Nah ...
> My backround is EE, so I think I have some understanding of real-time
> signal processing. By the way, I read the patent and wasn't
> impressed. I think at best it is a gimmick and at worst could lessen
> intelligibilty. It may be reason enough for me to switch my lines to
> another carrier. If there was some big public outcry about the
> quality of voices over long distance telephone, I missed it.
So do you insist your cassette drives not have Dolby(tm) noise
reduction, or any of those funny "bias" metal tape capabilities? Did
you object to FM stations putting out "stereo", and reducing the
dynamic range and SNR of mono FM? You don't listen to radio/TV that
"enhances" or boosts their broadcast sound signal? No bass/ treble
adjustments (or graphic "equalizer") on you radios? Do you travel to
Europe to enjoy the slightly better quality of A-law vs. mu-law
encoding?
I've spent 15 years as a broadcaster, before woking at my current
position, most of that in production, so I have some idea of what
real-time processing is about, as well. The fact of the matter is that
the kind of modification TruVoice proposes to the audio path, would
drasticly increase distortion levels, assuming that refrence audio
levels remain constant. It would do this in the following ways:
1: Phase distortion. There's certainly quite a bit of it on LD lines
to begin with, but a 12db/octave boost would make even more wild phase
shifts ... given that phase is a function of frequency. Why intention-
ally make an already bad situation all the worse?
2: By adding a low bass range that most phones were simply not
designed to handle, distortion at the ear will increase, regardless of
there being, or not being, distortion on the line. Think I'm kidding?
Try your favorite boom box on for size. Flatten the bass response out,
and then crank it up to just shy of clipping. Now, kick the bass up
full. Listen to the THD go through the roof. Some improvement, eh?
This is what AT&T is proposing with TruVoice. The thing here is that
the majority of what we get from speech, comes in the 300-3000Hz
area... the 'Intelligence' area, if you will. This area will suffer
when the low end is added.
3: This ignores all of the processing equpment in between the two
callers, which also may or may not be able to handle the new amounts
of LF energy without compromising the 'intelligence' area of
300-3000Hz. You may well ask why, in both these situations, why LF
energy is such a problem. The reason is simple: As the frequncy goes
down, the longer the wavelength. The longer the wavelength, the more
current is needed to deliver a set sound pressure level at the ear.
Now, AT&T is talking about a 12db/octave boost. At those frqs, a rule
of thumb is that the current needed to produce an added 3db of signal
is 2x. Obviously, their 12db of boost requires far more of every bit
of equipment, to say nothing of the power supplies driving said
equipment. So, not only is the phone distorting the audio, (as in
Number 2) Not only are there phase shifts going on(as in number one)
but now the telco itself is going to have problems with the audio
levels on it's lines. They'll have to lower the amount of audio level
on the lines to compensate for the added current required for their
bass boost. Assuming they do,(A large assumption) This means:
4: Higher signal to noise ratios. When you lower the overall level of
signal, you by nature, move the 100% level closer to the noise floor.
WIth 12db worth of boost, (assumming typical voice quality) we're
dealing with around an added 6db of overall audio level, on average.
(Keep in mind; every three db doubles the amount of power needed!) So,
in short, we're talking about 6db of added noise floor. This, up
against a floor that was already only around 40down, in some of the
/better/ cases. Consider, too, that most LD noise is 'white noise',
right smack dab in the middle of the intelligence area. So, any noise
increase caused by raising the floor, will be multiplied by this
effect.
Gee, noisier lines, more distortion, less intelligable. /Real/
improvement, there, guys!
Your suggestions that Mr. Rudholm is sticking in the past are amusing,
if slightly insulting. Perhaps he is, and perhaps so am I. But
consider: All of the other things you mention in your post, offer
improvement. TruVoice offers little more than a trade-off ... bigger
bass, for more distortion, and higher noise factors. Thank you very
much, but I'll stick with anything BUT AT&T.
(You think my employer would PAY me for this drivel?)
/E
------------------------------
From: dbm@cats.njit.edu (Dean McDermott - WB2CMN)
Subject: Re: Volume level of Tropez 900DL?
Organization: New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1993 06:00:32 GMT
In article <telecom13.603.3@eecs.nwu.edu> egurney@hpvclq.vcd.hp.com
(Ed J. Gurney) writes:
> I'm wondering if anyone has any information on increasing the volume
> of the person on the other end of the call via the Tropez 900DL. I
> *DO* realize that there is a digital volume control on the handset
> [which appears to have four discrete "levels"], but all it seems to do
> is increase the volume of the _sidetone_. :-( Unfortunately, I don't
> want to hear MY voice louder!
> I called VTech's tech-support line and the <ahem> drone told me take
> it back and exchange it. Since Incredible Universe is about an hour
> drive each way, I'd prefer to just tweek a pot in either the base or
> the handset to increase the volume. :-) If there is no such pot, then
> I'm afraid that replacing the unit with another will sound the same,
> and I'll have to go AGAIN to take it back for a refund!
Don't take the time to swap out for a replacement phone. I have the
same problem with my Tropez. At least when I called the company they
said that if I send it back to them they will increase volume. I
offered to "turn the pot" but they said it required a value change and
they would NOT tell me any more. So far I am just living with the
problem.
Dean dbm@cats.njit.edu
------------------------------
From: jgeorge@whiffer.mese.com
Subject: Re: Wait! Let me Get a Pen!
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1993 10:31:49 EST
Organization: The Waffle Whiffer, Atlanta, GA
In comp.dcom.telecom, russ@bbx.basis.com writes:
> Someone once posted a story about someone who moved and got a new
> number. They then called the old number, got the forwarding message
> and added it to their answering machine replacing the old number with
> the new number in the recorded message. This gave a message on their
> answering machine exactly like the message that you got.
> As I recall they got a call from the local phone folks saying
> something like "cut it out". Seems the phone company was getting a
> lot of trouble calls from folks getting the message from the answering
> machine. I think that there was some resistance to the changing of
> the answering machine, but the user eventually relented when the phone
> company made mention of potential line problems in the new location.
My girlfriend has a voice that can match that of Miss Southern Belle
closely enough where it is impossible for the casual observer to tell
the difference. After adding the correct intercept tones on the OGM
she stated:
The number you have reached, 123-4567, is still in service. No further
information is available about 123-4567.
It only took a few takes to get the pauses down pat, and I had an OGM.
Nobody complained, but I did get a few people that called me at work
to tell me that they had received a message saying my phone number was
'still in service' but they couldn't figure out what that meant. :-)
Joe George (jgeorge@whiffer.mese.com,emory!indigo!whiffer!jgeorge)
Actually, I _do_ speak for The Waffle Whiffer
[Moderator's Note: Actually, 'still in service' *is* a valid intercept
message under certain conditions. Here is why: If what you actually
dial causes you to go to intercept and the equipment is able to tell
what you dialed, the recording will read the number you dialed and
tell you it is not in service. But there are times when the number
you actually dialed is either forgotten or for some reason is not given
to the intercept equipment. In those cases, an operator will come on
the line and ask what number you dialed. You tell her of course the
number you *think* you dialed (even though you mis-dialed and went to
intercept), and the operator bubbles in whatever you tell her. The
number you told her; ie the number you wanted and the number you
*thought* you dialed, is a good number. You would have gotten it had
you not misdialed.
Had the equipment recognized what you actually dialed, it would have
read that number back and you would have noted the error in your
dialing. The operator however has to take your word for 'what you
(thought you) dialed', so when she puts it in and releases it for a
mechanical answer from intercept, the answer which comes back is "the
number you dialed, xxx-xxxx is a working number. Please try your call
again." As more and more COs exchange data between themselves as part
of the call set up process, there are fewer and fewer instances where
a live operator must come on the line to ask what number (you think)
you dialed, thus instances of 'it is in service' are relatively rare
the past few years. PAT]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 93 09:49:18 EDT
From: adiron!tro@uunet.UU.NET (Tom Olin)
Subject: Anybody Know of Connecticut Citizen?
I have read news reports that GTE is selling or has already sold many
of its New York State local telephone services, including mine, to a
company called Connecticut Citizen. I have not received any
information from GTE about the transaction, and I know little about
the buyer, other than that the company apparently is all-digital.
(Not after they buy THESE CO's, they're not! :)
If any readers know anything about Connecticut Citizen or more details
about this transaction, please post or email.
Tom Olin (tro@partech.com)
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1993 22:05:53 +1000
From: Liron Lightwood <liron@zikzak.apana.org.au>
Subject: Re: International Date Line Change
In comp.dcom.telecom is written:
> This past weekend, according to what I heard on radio, part of the
> republic of the Marshall Islands switched from one side of the
> International Date Line to the other. In the affected area, Friday
> was followed immediately by Sunday. (You jump forward one day in going
> west across that line.)
I wonder what would happen if you are Jewish. The Sabbath normally starts
on Friday night and ends Saturday night. Would that Sabbath be very
short (a few hours) or very long (about a week)?
Also, what if you are a Seventh Day Adventist and you celebrate the
Sabbath on Saturday?
Liron Lightwood liron@zikzak.apana.org.au
Zikzak public access UNIX, Melbourne, Australia.
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V13 #606
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Date: Fri, 27 Aug 1993 00:57:02 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
Message-Id: <199308270557.AA07818@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #607
TELECOM Digest Fri, 27 Aug 93 00:57:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 607
Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson
Re: AT&T's Strange Attitude on 800 Numbers (Jon Edelson)
Re: AT&T's Strange Attitude on 800 Numbers (Doug Rorem)
Re: AT&T's Strange Attitude on 800 Numbers (Paul Wallich)
Re: AT&T's Strange Attitude on 800 Numbers (Dave Ptasnik)
Re: AT&T's Strange Attitude on 800 Numbers (Bob Schwartz)
Re: AT&T's Strange Attitude on 800 Numbers (Hans Lachman)
Re: The One True Dialing Plan (Bob Goudreau)
Re: The One True Dialing Plan (Hans Lachman)
Re: Modem Tax in Canada? (Eric N. Florack)
Re: Email: Internet to IBM Info Network? (Sander J. Rabinowitz)
Re: AT&T Announces New Internet Connectivity (Theodore M.P. Lee)
Re: Large Scale IVR Systems (Al Varney)
Re: Radar and Acronyms (about LATA) (Mark A. Cnota)
Re: Comparison of Salaries in Telecom Industry (John J. Butz)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: winnie@phoenix.princeton.edu (Jon Edelson)
Subject: Re: AT&T's Strange Attitude on 800 Numbers
Organization: Princeton University
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1993 13:20:06 GMT
In article <telecom13.603.1@eecs.nwu.edu> telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
(TELECOM Moderator) writes:
> The customer installs another POTS line and re-programs his auto-
> attendant and voicemail stuff to accomodate a second 800 line
> working on a second POTS line at considerable trouble to himself;
> and anyway, trouble or not, why should he have to????
I am sidestepping your original question, because I really have no
idea how the Death Star (tm) operates ...
However, I wonder just how difficult this option would be. It would
be the cost of installing the second POTS line, plus some device that
would swap connections so as to make the two incoming lines appear as
one to the call answering devices. If the customer's usage is going
to be so large that the residuals will pay the rent, then the cost of
this equipment should be 'noise level'.
I am pretty much thinking of a simple system involving a couple of
relays, I am sure that someone in the field could design something
solid state.
Jon
[Moderator's Note: This is a poor solution. If one line on the 'device'
was occupied with a call it was pushing through to the voicemail or
whatever, an incoming call on the other line would just ring unanswered
until the first call finished and the second one could seize the routing
or control box. Won't work. PAT]
------------------------------
From: rorem@eecs.uic.edu (Doug Rorem)
Subject: Re: AT&T's Strange Attitude on 800 Numbers
Organization: University of Illinois at Chicago
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1993 17:42:41 GMT
TELECOM Moderator <telecom@eecs.nwu.edu> writes:
> I asked specifically for their tariff authority to refuse to connect
> the customer in the manner in which he wishes to be connected. They
> admitted they have no authority to refuse the connection, but still
> have no intention of doing it. It's not like there was anything going
> on at the POTS level which would mess up or misidentify the billing
> on calls; now-days the carrier just picks up the 800 call and outdials
> it to wherever. Plus, they said they would do it *if the mutual cus-
> tomer was totally their customer*.
Pat,
I once was up against the wall against ITT when I first tried to get
1+ and 950 long distance service from them. They refused to provide an
account without my revealing my social security number to them (to do
a credit check I presume). I persisted without success until I got the
FCC in Washington, D.C. involoved via a common carrier complaint.
This got them (ITT) to admit that they would provide service if I
provided a $100 (I think) deposit on the account which would be
refunded (with interest) after six months of satisfactory payments.
I would suggest you try the same avenue, but unfortunately it took
several months to complete. It's stories like yours and mine (when I
tried to obtain a schematic drawing for an AT&T answering machine
[which they refused to provide -- they said their only obligation was
to provide a means to repair it at $90] that reinforce my impression
that AT&T are trying to reclaim their previous arrogance.
Doug Rorem
[Moderator's Note: That's right, it takes months or years before any-
thing will happen. Is the customer to stand around and wait? PAT]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1993 14:21:39 -0400
From: Paul Wallich <pw@panix.com>
Subject: Re: AT&T's Strange Attitude on 800 Numbers
In comp.dcom.telecom you write:
> Maybe some readers who work for AT&T in their long distance services
> and their 800 number service can explain to me why Mother is taking
> the stance she is with reference to customers who try to get an 800
> number installed on a POTS line.
Not an AT&T person, but I believe the term you are looking for is
"anticompetitive practices." Personally I'd suggest taking this one up
to the top and asking if anyone remembers the phrase "triple damages."
Good luck,
paul
[Moderator's Note: That doesn't phase them at all. They know all they
have to do is sit it out longer than you can. They know you will event-
ually go away. PAT]
------------------------------
From: davep@carson.u.washington.edu (Dave Ptasnik)
Subject: Re: AT&T's Strange Attitude on 800 Numbers
Date: 26 Aug 1993 23:09:04 GMT
Organization: University of Washington
TELECOM Moderator <telecom@eecs.nwu.edu> writes:
> Maybe some readers who work for AT&T in their long distance services
> and their 800 number service can explain to me why Mother is taking
> the stance she is with reference to customers who try to get an 800
> number installed on a POTS line.
To make more money. Geez.
> So what does AT&T say? Since this new 800 number is actually their
> service being resold by me, they are *refusing* to terminate it on
> the same POTS line. They just flatly say it is against their policy
> to terminate two 800 numbers on the same POTS.
Try this, have the customer establish a custom ringing number on the
existing POTS line. Tell AT&T that a new line has been established.
Do not tell them that it is a custom ringing number. Assign the new
800 number to the new custom ringing number. Your calls will zoom in
slick as a whistle. My C&W 800 number is assigned to a custom ringing
number at my house. Custom ringing numbers can can be the lead number
in a regular hunt group (but not a terminal hunt group). Should work
OK.
Hell, if the business means that much to you. Have a real phone line
installed somewhere and have that line forwarded to the existing POTS
number. Put your cool 800 # on the new forwarded line (make sure to
get IBT to adjust the number of forwarded calls correctly).
All of the above is nothing more than the personal opinion of -
Dave Ptasnik davep@u.washington.edu
[Moderator's Note: Well, this is worth a try. A custom ringing number
only costs $4-5 per month most places. Since the Customer is in fact
out there reading this message, let me suggest he do it. Call telco
please on Friday, get a custom ring number for the lead number in
your hunt group. Ask them to tell you the number being assigned and
get it to me ASAP, okay? (This is being done under protest however,
as a short term solution.) PAT]
------------------------------
Subject: Re: AT&T's Strange Attitude on 800 Numbers
From: bob@bci.nbn.com (Bob Schwartz)
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 93 16:26:07 PDT
Organization: Bill Correctors, Inc., Marin County, California
Pat, I see such abuse frequently. Your aproach here may work because
of your clout by way of the DIGEST so it is a clever aproach which I
in=magine will work, this is a pretty public plase here isn't it and
you do have many at&t subscribers (Lower case used because it is not
how the company is *supposed* to be therefore not really AT&T).
In any event an informal complaint with the FCC costs little more than
time and postage. Actually nothing more than time and postage. Come to
think of it you can log an informal complaint by phone. Problem is
timing, it would take months or even longer and your client/customer
would lose interest. Still it is a cheap and effective approach that
you might use while terminating the 800 number on another POTS line
(which you "own") and forwarding calls to the client line.
Yes, the usage charge would eat profits but you did say the $ amount
you stand to earn was substantial. This could allow you to eliminate
the current service while awaiting either the results of a complaint
or the ability to install your 800 number when the other one is
removed.
Now, here's my revolutionary idea. I, and perhaps many other DIGEST
readers would gladly send messages to a high ranking official at AT&T
informing them of this *unusual* situation and giving our opinion on
the matter. This would be even easier if you helped us by posting a
message suitable for forwarding; one copy to AT&T and another copy to
some newspaper reporter so that the number of sympathizers would gain
notice. Has such an aproach been used in the past?
Best regards,
Bob Schwartz bob@bci.nbn.com
Bill Correctors, Inc. +1 415 488 9000 Marin County, California
[Moderator's Note: That's okay, I will do the letter writing. The
trouble with having a separate line and forwarding the calls is this
will virtually DOUBLE the cost! I am in Chicago; the customer is on
the east coast. You want me to take in 800 calls for him, push them
back out to the east coast and pay the difference? At that rate, why
bother to have a customer? Even if the line was installed on his
premises, it would be a measured service business line with a charge
for each and every call forwarded of a few cents. A penny or two per
minute is all I stand to make on this customer, which will still be
an important account for me, dollar wise. I am not going to pay all my
commission to some other telco for a forwarding line on his behalf
though. Who knows how long that would last before AT&T caved in, if
ever? PAT]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 93 11:31:52 -0700
From: lachman@netcom.com (Hans Lachman)
Subject: Re: AT&T's Strange Attitude on 800 Numbers
Organization: Netcom
In article <telecom13.603.1@eecs.nwu.edu> TELECOM Moderator wrote:
> AT&T is refusing to hook up a customer of mine....
> My order went in to AT&T saying to park the new 800 number on the same
> phone line where his other 800 number (that he gets from AT&T) is
> routed....
> The customer does not want to have to install (or take over) a second
> POTS line for this ...
> So what does AT&T say? Since this new 800 number is actually their
> service being resold by me, they are *refusing* to terminate it on
> the same POTS line ...
Why not have the customer get a second POTS line, and YOU absorb the
cost of that. Then park the new 800 number on the new POTS line.
And, get Call Forwarding from the new POTS line to the existing POTS
line.
If he still objects to the second POTS line, then put the second POTS
line on YOUR premises, and have all calls forwarded to his existing
POTS line or existing 800 number. Later, have the mappings between
800 numbers and POTS numbers reversed, and after he's convinced he no
longer needs the old 800 line as a backup, drop it.
(There might be some issue about whether customers are more likely to
get a busy signal via a Call Forwarded line, e.g., if two callers call
at almost the same time, than when calling a non-forwarded line.)
Hans Lachman lachman@netcom.com
[Moderator's Note: Read the earlier messages sir! The customer is on
the east coast; I am in Chicago. Now I should pay for a constant stream
of calls all day to him from a forwarded line here? Even with a line
on his premises I can add what? Three or four cents per minute to the
cost of his calls? I should eat it? PAT]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1993 14:03:25 -0400
From: goudreau@dg-rtp.dg.com (Bob Goudreau)
Subject: Re: The One True Dialing Plan
In article <telecom13.605.1@eecs.nwu.edu> elm@cs.berkeley.edu writes:
>> I beg to differ. It seems to me that more places are using the
>> *real* One True Dialing Plan (OTDP), in which all long-distance
>> calls (intra-NPA included) are dialed with 11 digits, and only
>> local, intra-NPA calls can use seven-digit dialing.
> This works fine, as long as all calls are either "local" or
> "non-local." In the SF Bay Area, all phone numbers are either
> non-local, or in one of three approximately concentric zones ...
But this is hardly a new phenomenon -- plenty of areas that have
always had 1 + 7D for intra-NPA long distance also have various
gradations of "local" calls, using things like special calling areas,
rate bands, message units, etc. For instance, in the Boston area, New
England Telephone offers (or used to offer) a choice of plans. Under
one plan, the subscriber has unlimited local calling only to nearby
towns, and calls to places a little farther away (such as from
Lexington to downtown Boston, say) incur message units. These calls
were still dialed as local calls, since even with the additional costs
they are priced far lower than intra-NPA long distance calls (say,
Boston to Provincetown before the 617/508 split).
> Are calls to Zone 3 really local if unlimited service subscribers
> must pay for them? Would they require eleven digits or seven under
> the above dialing suggestion?
Seven. My point wasn't that people would get upset about 7D calls
that continue to incur the same charges they always have. The point
was that in places where 1+7D used to be required for intra-NPA LD,
some people will squawk if it's replaced by 7D rather than by 1+10D,
because they object to losing the "1 means toll" concept. I don't
personally care one way or the other, but my observation has been that
more places seem to be adopting the 11-digit plan than the 7-digit
plan. My only personal preference on the issue is that whatever kind
of 7D zone is used (local vs. NPA-wide), 11-digit dialing of those
numbers should *also* be supported.
Bob Goudreau Data General Corporation
goudreau@dg-rtp.dg.com 62 Alexander Drive
+1 919 248 6231 Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
------------------------------
From: lachman@netcom.com (Hans Lachman)
Subject: Re: The One True Dialing Plan
Organization: Netcom
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1993 19:35:54 GMT
In article <telecom13.605.1@eecs.nwu.edu> elm@cs.berkeley.edu writes:
> In article <telecom13.602.12@eecs.nwu.edu> goudreau@dg-rtp.dg.com (Bob
> Goudreau) writes:
>> I beg to differ. It seems to me that more places are using the
>> *real* One True Dialing Plan (OTDP), in which all long-distance
>> calls (intra-NPA included) are dialed with 11 digits, and only
>> local, intra-NPA calls can use seven-digit dialing.
> This works fine, as long as all calls are either "local" or
> "non-local." In the SF Bay Area, all phone numbers are either
> non-local, or in one of three approximately concentric zones (1, 2,
> and 3) ...
So there are three kinds of calls, according to how you get charged:
(1) local
(2) quasi-local quasi-long-distance (like Pac Bell's Zone 3)
(3) long distance
and two kinds of calls, according to area code boundaries:
(1) intra-NPA
(2) inter-NPA
and two kinds of calls, according to LATA boundaries:
(1) intra-LATA
(2) inter-LATA
That makes for 3*2*2 (or 12) kinds of domestic calls. Any "One True
Dialing Plan" worth its salt must specify the dialing procedure in
each of the 12 cases. Any takers?
Regarding the So-Called *Real* One True Dialing Plan (SC*R*OTDP)
mentioned above, it seems a bit silly to dial the area code for an
intra-NPA call. (Likewise, wouldn't you feel silly to dial a country
code when calling someone in the same country?) If the argument in
favor of this silliness is "dialing the area code is a reminder that
you're making a toll call", then the argument breaks down in the case
of local inter-NPA calls, like between Mountain View (415) and
Sunnyvale (408), California, in which case you must dial the area
code, but it is not a toll call.
Hans Lachman lachman@netcom.com
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1993 05:13:03 PDT
From: Eric_N._Florack.cru-mc@xerox.com
Subject: Re: Modem Tax in Canada?
dixon@fourfold.ocunix.on.ca (dixon kenner)says, in #603:
> I have spoken to both Bell Canada and the CRTC. The "Bell wants to
> force the use of data lines" post is bullshit, pure and simple. There
> is no such tariff filing, or any other business pending that is
> remotely connected with this. I would also urge anyone who sees such
> a post to check it out or send a message back to the author asking for
> more information before passing it along to a wider audience. Fidonet
> and the internet are famous for being able to spread false information
> very quickly, and I am appalled that people will do so without
> stopping to think.
With all respect, to Fred, (is this the same person, who I listen to
from the CBC frequently?), I'm not so sure.
Check, for example, the posts of a similar nature, which were traced
abck to two NPRM's put forward by the FCC, here in the states. (The
second came up after the first was so soundly trounced ... and the
second seems to be not a rule in effect, but at least a basis for
future commission policy. I speak of 87-215; the second is 91 something.)
Both these had provisions which, it seems to me, would have required
the local telco's to not only sample for modem traffic, but they would
be taxed, based on the amount of modem traffic they carried ... and of
course that tax would be passed onto the customer.
The ensuing argument quickly broke down into: Was it a modem tax or
not, since the customer wouldn't see it.
This situation in Canada seems fairly similar, with the twist this
time that it involved not data, but FAX lines. (How anyone would tell
the difference, I've not yet figured out, since anything I can think
of would involve line monitoring -- a grey area at best -- and even
greyer, when you consider that both fax and data 'lead' with the same
tones at handshake time.)
>> Martin Ouelette at 167/290.21. <<
Assuming you're talking about area 1, that number would indicate a
'point' which is little more than an offline mail reader, not really a
BBS, so it may be a while before he even sees your note.
/E
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 93 12:10 GMT
From: Sander J. Rabinowitz <0003829147@mcimail.com>
Subject: Re: Email: Internet to IBM Info Network?
In followup to my earlier inquiry on connectivity between the Internet
and the IBM Information Network, I learned from someone who was
successfully able to send mail to my mailbox at work that the
addressing method is as follows:
nnnnn@ibmmail.com
Where nnnnn represents the five-digit code assigned to a particular
user.
My thanks to Mike T. Regan and Mike O'Connor for their assistance.
Sander J. Rabinowitz, sjr1@mcimail.com, Franklin, Tennessee.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1993 09:01:34 -0600
From: tmplee@TIS.COM (Theodore M.P. Lee)
Subject: Re: AT&T Announces New Internet Connectivity
Does anyone have any representative pricing information? Details on
exactly what kind of connection you get when you dial 950-1ATT?
(straight terminal? Slip/PPP? X25? or what?) Is the internet
"connectivity" competitive with other providers of dial-up access?
Ted Lee 612-934-5424 tmplee@tis.com
Trusted Information Systems, Inc.
PO Box 1718 Minnetonka, MN 55345
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 93 09:06:15 CDT
From: varney@ihlpe.att.com
Subject: Re: Large Scale IVR Systems
Organization: AT&T
In article <telecom13.602.9@eecs.nwu.edu> Urban Surfer <HOLDREGE@DCV4KD.
PHS.COM> writes:
> We are outgrowing our IVR system. We have a DECvoice cluster which
> does great speech synthesis, but is limited by Q-bus technology. I've
> heard talk about TAPI, but that sounds like it is a good ways off.
> I'd like to solicit information from others who run large scale IVR
> systems. I'm looking for systems that handle several thousands of
> calls per day, and can handle call supervision. The system needs to
> have the smarts to talk to a back-end database over a network.
> I know other folks are doing this kind of stuff. How do you do it?
Well, some of them run AT&T Conversant(tm) Voice Information
Systems units. These support some of the largest IVR applications in
the world. American Transtech uses these to handle lots of internal
call traffic. Other applications are even more sophisticated,
involving data retrieval and update of large databases, as well as the
ability to transfer "stuck" callers to live operators, etc. I don't
know how many of these applications can be described in public; give
them a call and ask.
If you don't really want to buy new hardware and your application
tends to be seasonal or one-shot, AT&T InfoWorx(tm) Interactive Voice
Services can customize and operate the Conversant system for you,
using hardware located on AT&T property. They are experts in
developing such applications.
AT&T Conversant Systems uses our Regional account executives for
sales -- but I don't know where you (or your application) are. They
list 614-860-5950 as a contact for referral to the appropriate party.
(8-5 EST, Mon-Fri)
My only contact for AT&T InfoWorx is Ron DeBlock in New Jersey.
Ron is at 908-805-2248, and should be able to give you an appropriate
contact.
Al Varney - just MY opinion
------------------------------
From: mac@rci.chi.il.us (Mark A. Cnota)
Subject: Re: Radar and Acronyms (about LATA)
Organization: Ripco Communications Incorporated
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1993 01:53:38 GMT
Leo Nederlof (lned@alcbel.be) wrote:
> M. Otto otto@vaxb.acs.unt.edu asked about the meaning of LATA:
>> LATA - Lousy A**h*les Treating you Arrogantly :-)
>> [Moderator's Note: Local Area Transport something ...
> While of course everyone knows that it is local access and transit
> area,
This thread is kind of old, but for the record it's Local Access
Transport Area.
------------------------------
From: John.J.Butz@att.com
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 93 09:44:22 EDT
Subject: Re: Comparison of Salaries in Telecom Industry
> Please excuse my ignorance, but I am a second year student of
> electrical engineering and I am having trouble deciding whether I
> should go into hardware or software. I have a great interest in
> both so I guess my deciding factor will be whichever one pays better.
> I dont want to make a decision based on this, but I think it will be
> of some importance in the final decision. Could someone please tell me
> what the average salaries are of hardware and software engineers in the
> data communications field?
Quick! If it's "high pay" instead of just "pays well" you're worried
about, transfer into pre-med or pre-law as soon as possible. It's
only August and the semester is just beginning.
Don't worry about becoming a specialist in either field. Use your
college education to become as broad and as versatile as possible.
This is what employers look for. The more skills you bring to the
job, the more desirable you are as a prospective employee. By all
means take business classes like accounting and finance. If you don't
like that idea, at the very least, take an Engineering Economy class
sponsored by the Engineering school.
J Butz ER700 Sys Eng
jbutz@hogpa.att.com AT&T - CCS
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V13 #607
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Date: Fri, 27 Aug 1993 02:16:33 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
Message-Id: <199308270716.AA07379@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #608
TELECOM Digest Fri, 27 Aug 93 02:16:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 608
Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson
First Call For Papers -- IEEE Comp Security Foundations Workshop (Li Gong)
NPA 710 in Use Now? (Mike King)
Caller*ID With Names (Ed D. Federmeyer)
AT$T Operator Shutdown (Robert G. Oenning)
Bell Atlantic Case? (Bruce Klopfenstein)
Suspension of Service (was: Questions About 'Snail Mail') (David Cornutt)
Cellular Phone Prom Contents (Paul J. Bell)
Re: Calling Canadian 800 Numbers From the US (David Rabson)
Re: Calling Canadian 800 Numbers From the US (Martin Savard)
Re: Status of Cellular Data (Jim Rees)
Re: Newton Bug: Calling in/to/From Canada (Carl Moore)
Tel Aviv Stock Market Callers Routed to Sex Line (Josh Backon)
Re: Funny Newspaper Headlines (Dan Danz)
Re: Funny Newspaper Headlines (Tad Cook)
----------------------
TELECOM Digest is an e-journal devoted mostly -- but not exclusively --
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The Digest is delivered at no charge by email to qualified subscribers on
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All article submissions MUST be sent to our email address: telecom@eecs.
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Back issues and numerous other telephone-related files of interest are
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Login anonymous, then 'cd telecom-archives'. At the present time, the
Digest is also ported to Usenet at the request of many readers there,
where it is known as 'comp.dcom.telecom'. Use of the Digest does not
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All articles are the responsibility of the individual authors. Organi-
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love offerings to PO Box 1570, Chicago, IL 60690. :) Phone: 312-465-2700.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Li Gong <gong@cs.cornell.EDU>
Subject: 1st Call For Papers--IEEE Computer Security Foundations Workshop VII
Organization: Cornell Univ. CS Dept, Ithaca NY 14853
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1993 22:30:40 GMT
CALL FOR PAPERS
IEEE COMPUTER SECURITY FOUNDATIONS WORKSHOP VII
June 14-16, 1994
Franconia, New Hampshire
Sponsored by the IEEE Computer Society
The purpose of this workshop is to bring together researchers in
computer science to examine foundational issues in computer security.
We are interested both in papers that describe new results in the
theories of computer security and in papers, panels, and working group
exercises that explore open questions and raise fundamental concerns
about current theories of security. Possible topics include, but are
not limited to:
access control distributed systems security
authentication formal methods for security
covert channels information flow
data and system integrity secure protocols
database security security models
We are also interested in examining the interactions and trade-offs
between computer security requirements and other system requirements
such as availability, dependability, and real-time, and in exploring
foundational security issues in emerging areas such as ubiquitous
computing, multimedia, and computer supported cooperative work. The
proceedings are published by the IEEE Computer Society and will be
available at the workshop. Selected papers will be invited for
publication in the Journal of Computer Security.
Instructions for Participants: Workshop attendance will be by
invitation only and limited to thirty-five participants. Prospective
participants should send five copies of a paper (limit 7500 words),
proposal for panel discussion or working group exercise to Li Gong,
Program Chair, at the address below. Please provide email addresses
and telephone numbers (voice and fax) for all authors and clearly
identify the contact author.
IMPORTANT DATES: Author's submission: February 10, 1994
Notification of acceptance: March 11, 1994
Camera-ready final papers: April 11, 1994
Program Committee
Simon Foley, Univ. Col., Cork, Ireland
Virgil Gligor, U of Maryland, USA
Simon Lam, U of Texas, Austin, USA
Stewart Lee, U of Toronto, Canada
John McLean, Naval Research Lab, USA
Catherine Meadows, Naval Research Lab, USA
Michael Merritt, AT&T Bell Labs, USA
Jose Meseguer, SRI International, USA
Jonathan Millen, MITRE, USA
Chris Mitchell, U of London, RHNBC, UK
Robert Morris, DoD, USA
Ravi Sandhu, George Mason U, USA
For further information contact:
General Chair Program Chair Publications Chair
Ravi S. Sandhu Li Gong Joshua Guttman
ISSE Department SRI International The MITRE Corporation
George Mason University Computer Science Lab Burlington Road
Fairfax, VA 22030-4444 333 Ravenswood Avenue Bedford, MA 01730
+1 703-993-1659 Menlo Park, CA 94025 +1 617-271-2654
sandhu@sitevax.gmu.edu +1 415-859-3232 guttman@linus.mitre.org
gong@csl.sri.com
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 93 21:28:29 EDT
From: mking@fsd.com (Mike King)
Subject: NPA 710 in Use Now?
While reading the classifieds in the Sept. '93 issue of {Online
Access} magazine, I discovered an advert for _Advanced_System_Research_
under the "BBS INSTALLATION" heading. They're located in Reno, NV.
The numbers they provided are very interesting:
Voice: 702-334-3304
Modem: 710-334-3308
Of course, I immediately assumed the modem number was a misprint,
especially considering the nxx-xxxx was so similar to the voice
number. But the modem number was repeated in the text of the advert,
so I became curious.
I dialed 800-3210-ATT (office PBX blocks 10xxx :-( ) and entered 0+
the modem number. I immediately got the bong. Since I've been told
that AT&T validates the NPA-NXX before returning the bong, I then
tried 0+ 810+7D (which will be my brother's number after the MI split)
and then 0+ 910-555-1212. Both of those numbers caused AT&T to
request I enter the number again.
An AT&T operator said she had no information about NPA 710, so I
couldn't inquire about rates.
From home, attempting to dial 0 + 710 + resulted in a local switch
intercept after the NXX, as did 10288 + 0 + 710. The first intercept
asked me to check the number and try again, and the second intercept
told me, "We're sorry; it's not necessary to dial a carrier access
code for this number."
Anyone have any clues?
Mike King * Software Sourcerer * Fairchild Space * +1 301.428.5384
mking@fsd.com or 73710.1430@compuserve.com * (usual disclaimers)
[Moderator's Note: It must have been a misprint since using 702
to dial the modem number did get me a carrier tone. There is an
'area code' or NPA 710, but it cannot be accessed from the public
phone network. It is used for something called 'Government Special
Services' or 'Special Government Services' ... some rather top secret
military thing I am told; we've discussed it here a few times and
never gotten any definitive answers from anyone who knows much about
it. There are a few readers here who know about it in detail, but
their security clearance does not permit them to discuss it. If 710
was correct, I can't imagine them advertising it in a consumer mag-
azine. PAT]
------------------------------
From: federmyr@rtsg.mot.com (Ed D. Federmeyer)
Subject: Caller*ID With Names
Organization: Motorola Inc., Cellular Infrastructure Group
Date: Fri, 27 Aug 1993 03:34:24 GMT
I've been using the "Classmate Model 10" (from MHE Systems) Caller*ID
to RS-232 converter to display numbers on my IBM-PC screen for awhile.
Recently, my area converted to "Caller*ID with Names" that also
displays the name of the person calling, as well as thier number, so I
ordered this new service.
Well, it looks like the "Model 10" isn't compatible with the "Names"
feature ... I get lot's of "E"'s (Errors) and some characters are
obviously moved over a few spaces to the wrong fields.
Does anyone know if the model 10 can be user-upgraded (or sent in for
an upgrade) to a version that works with Names? (preferably BOTH
services, incase I move to an area with plain Caller*ID.)
Someone recently posted a number for Bell Atlantic Business Supplies
(they sell the Classmate) that was (apparently) incorrect. I tried
1-800-555-1212 directory assistance, but the number they gave me is
answered by a FAX machine or something. Does anyone have the voice
number for Bell Atlantic Business Supplies? (Or anyone else who sells
these kinds of boxes?)
Thanks,
Ed Federmeyer (edf@amtfocus.amt.gss.mot.com)
------------------------------
Date: 27 Aug 93 02:05:10 EDT
From: Robert G. Oenning <71302.1664@CompuServe.COM>
Subject: AT$T Operator Shutdown
Makes an interesting comparison when you look at the reaction to the
demise of the logging industry in the Pacific Northwest and the
attention it has received versus the layoffs by AT$T.
I see their reduction in service levels at operator services in a
different light: the impact their likely inability to help customers
will have on the 911 centers operated by public agencies for the
single purpose of getting citizens emergency assistance. Experience
has shown that when operator services from the telcos become less
available people dial 911 to get the help they traditionally got by
dialing 'O`. This is difficult to document, but seems to be a trend
I`ve noted talking to the supervisors of 911 communication centers.
------------------------------
From: klopfens@andy.bgsu.edu (Bruce Klopfenstein)
Subject: Bell Atlantic Case
Organization: Bowling Green State University B.G., Oh.
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1993 19:58:25 GMT
Does anyone have access to the judge's decision on the Bell Atlantic
case this week that ruled telcos can own video programming?
Bruce C. Klopfenstein klopfens@andy.bgsu.edu
Department of Telecommunications klopfenstein@bgsuopie.bitnet
Bowling Green State University (419) 372-2138; 372-2224
Bowling Green, OH 43403-0235 fax (419) 372-8600
------------------------------
From: cornutt@lambda.msfc.nasa.gov (David Cornutt)
Subject: Suspension of Service (was: Questions About Regular 'Snail Mail')
Organization: NASA/MSFC
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1993 16:33:14 GMT
lars@login.dkuug.dk (Lars J|rgen Poulsen) writes:
> On the other hand, forwarding of telephones is less straightforward.
> When I moved, I wanted to reserve my number (since I expect to come
> back in a year). This was not offered by GTE. The best they could
> offer was to set up a remote call forwarding line. This was prices
> such that it would have been cheaper to leave the line connected with
> an answering machine in the crawlspace.
Do any LECs still offer suspended service? I did this for a while
back when I was in college. (I had a three-week lease gap between my
old and new apartments, and had to move in with my father for that
interval.) This way, I was able to keep my old number and billing
(important to me, since I had not had service long enough at that
point to have gotten all of my deposit back). It cost a few bucks a
month for the service. During the period of suspension, they routed
my number to an intercept that said "The number you have reached, [my
#], has been *temporarily* disconnected. The new number is, [my
father's number]." I got the impression that one could maintain this
indefinitely, as long as one kept paying the bill.
David Cornutt, New Technology Inc., Huntsville, AL (205) 461-4517
(cornutt@lambda.msfc.nasa.gov; some insane route applies)
"The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of my employer,
not necessarily mine, and probably not necessary."
------------------------------
From: pjb@23kgroup.com (Paul J. Bell)
Subject: Cellular Phone Prom Contents
Reply-To: pjb@23kgroup.com
Organization: The 23K Group, Inc.
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1993 22:38:58 GMT
Will someone please tell me the contents of the ID prom in a typical
cellular phone. I am not interested in cloning them, so I don't need
the exact format of the entries, just what info is included.
Thanks,
Paul
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 93 10:14:02 MDT
From: dar@viking.Lanl.GOV (David Rabson)
Subject: Re: Calling Canadian 800 Numbers From the US
In a recent comment, the Moderated noted a telephone line that had
been fraudulently used by Canadian callers to reach U.S. 800 numbers.
While that undoubtedly has happened, there are also legitimate ways to
dial U.S.-only 800 numbers from Canada (at some cost). While I was
living in Vancouver several years ago, Cam-Net offered, in addition to
regular-service rates to the U.S. about half those of B.C. Telephone,
a way of reaching U.S.-only 800 numbers.
David Rabson
[Moderator's Note: There are various legitimate services for this. If
you use one of the 'Call Home' services offered by telcos, their oper-
ator will generally ring an 800 number for you. The service I resell
called Telepassport also does this. You can connect from anywhere in
the world with the TP switch and dial any 800 number desired in the USA.
You pay for the cost of a call to the USA of course. PAT]
------------------------------
From: ag656@freenet.carleton.ca (Martin Savard)
Subject: Re: Calling Canadian 800 Numbers From the US
Reply-To: ag656@freenet.carleton.ca (Martin Savard)
Organization: The National Capital Freenet
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1993 22:48:43 GMT
In a previous article, einhorn_d@apsicc.aps.edu (E. Drew Einhorn) says:
> I'm looking for the same thing in reverse a long distance number I
> could call and then be able to dial out from a Canadian phone line to
> access a Canadian 800 number. I'd try to get the regular phone number
> but I really don't know what city or even which province they are in.
> [Moderator's Note: The message you saw circulating on some newsgroups
> gave a number used for fraudulent access into and out of the phone
> system of an institution in the Pacific Northwest. It was *not*
> intended for use as a 'method for Canadians (or people from the UK or
> Brazil or anywhere else for that matter) to access 800 numbers in the
> USA ...'. It was used that way, among other abuses made of it. It was
> (is) the private DISA number into a PBX system which some phreak(s)
> found and started circulating en-masse. The reason you cannot find
> such a 'number in reverse' is because you are not supposed to make
> such calls. 800 numbers have specific limitations placed upon who
> (from what geographic location) may call them. The way you find out
> which is which is you dial the 800 number directly from your phone.
> If you get connected, your call via that number is welcome. If your
> call is rejected by the network, then your call via 800 is not
> welcome, meaning the owner of the 800 number does not wish to pay for
> your call. If the merchant or whoever is too dumb to advertise his
> POTS number as part of his message, then that's his problem. If the
> merchant wants international 800 service, it *is* available without a
> lot of dialing rigamarole going through some third sucker's unprotected
> DISA port fraudulently. PAT]
[Comment on the moderator's note]. It is true that some third party
could be making money out of that kind of service, but it is also true
that international (US+CANADA) 800 service is very expensive. If US
companies don't offer 800 service to their customer in Canada (or
Canadian companies don't offer it to US cutomers), it doesn't mean
that these calls are 'not welcome'. There are limits to a telecommuni-
cations budget. Most companies won't mind a third party offering link to
their 800 number. They'll even like that.
Martin Savard Ottawa, Canada
------------------------------
From: Jim.Rees@umich.edu
Subject: Re: Status of Cellular Data
Date: 26 Aug 1993 16:30:45 GMT
Organization: University of Michigan CITI
In article <telecom13.600.7@eecs.nwu.edu>, ellis@rtsg.mot.com (John T
Ellis) writes:
> I didn't realize that you could do v.32 or v.32bis over standard AMPS
> systems. From what I hear customers and other vendors say, you can do
> 300/1200 and 2400 although 2400 has a tendency to drop carrier often.
> Can you tell me what cellular manufacturers have rated their cell
> sites for anything higher than 1200/2400? Also, what providers are
> claiming they can do "high speed" data transfer over the cellular
> network?
I'm not aware of any cellular equipment manufacturers who claim to
support v.32bis modem traffic. I don't deal in claims, I deal in
realities. I try things, and if they work, I use them.
In my experience, a v.32bis modem can be made to work over cellular.
The problem is that it won't work at the highest speed (14.4). So you
need a modem that can do the negotiation at a lower speed and work its
way up, rather than start high and work down. It also has to tolerate
carrier interruptions during handoffs. Most modems can be configured
for this. If the phone is standing still, I've been able to get the
7200 or 9600 fallback speeds.
Once the phone starts moving, things start to fall apart. v.32bis
modems seem to do better than v.32. I think that's because they take
less time to re-train. Microcom's mnp10 is intended to make v.32bis
work better over cellular, but we've had mixed results.
In marginal conditions, with the phone moving, I've been able to get
sustained average throughput of up to about 6 kbps with a standard
v.32 modem over AMPS cellular, although I've also seen it drop to 400
bps. I haven't tried NAMPS.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 93 13:12:34 EDT
From: Carl Moore <cmoore@BRL.MIL>
Subject: Re: Newton Bug: Calling in/to/From Canada
So how did it attempt to call Winnipeg from Ottawa? It's still
supposed to be 1 + area code + number, right?
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1993 11:43:01 -0500
From: BACKON@vms.huji.ac.il
Subject: Tel Aviv Stock Exchange Calls Routed in Error to Sex Line
I have a very funny telecom story to relate. The Tel Aviv Stock
Exchange has a special line for investors to call up for stock prices,
etc. Yesterday, for some reason, some switch got screwed up and the
callers were getting connected to a phone sex service from Germany!
The PTT here has NO idea how this happened!
Regards,
Josh
------------------------------
From: ddanz@lectroid.sw.stratus.com (Dan Danz)
Subject: Re: Funny Newspaper Headlines
Date: 26 Aug 1993 19:50:06 GMT
Organization: Stratus Computer, Inc.
Reply-To: dan@phoenix.az.stratus.com
In article <telecom13.596.12@eecs.nwu.edu>, glen@slate.cs.wisc.edu
(Glen Ecklund) writes:
> I missed the beginning of this thread, but my favorite was in the
> Marriages column of a paper in Normal, Illinois. I wish I had saved
> it.
> Normal Girl Weds Oblong Boy
> [Moderator's Note: There is a tiny little village in Illinois called
> Oblong, and Normal -- a somewhat larger community -- was thus named
> because the town was developed around the Illinois Normal School,
> which is now a state university. PAT]
Yes, and those of us who grew up near there always wondered if
somewhere there was an Illinois State Abnormal University as well.
This wasn't in the newspaper, but reminds me of a sign that I wish I
had video-taped and submitted to the America's Funniest Home Videos
sign contest:
We were traveling through Kalispel, Flathead County, Montana several
years ago when I spotted the following sign in front of a small
bank-like building:
e d
r i
c t
FLATHEAD EMPLOYEES
u n
n o
i
I almost fell off the motorcycle from laughing so hard. Surely, they
must realize ... well, maybe not.
L. W. "Dan" Danz (WA5SKM) VOS Mail: Dan_Danz@vos.stratus.com
Sr Consulting Software SE NeXT Mail: dan@az.stratus.com
Customer Assistance Center Voice Mail/Pager: (602) 852-3107
Telecommunications Division Customer Service: (800) 828-8513
Stratus Computer, Inc. 4455 E. Camelback #115-A, Phoenix AZ 85018
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Funny Newspaper Headlines
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 93 15:05:58 PDT
From: tad@ssc.com (Tad Cook)
Bruce Sullivan <Bruce_Sullivan++LOCAL+dADR%Nordstrom_6731691@mcimail.
com> writes:
> Back in the late '70s, two local politicians were running against one
> another for (as I recall) a State House seat. One, Norm Dicks, has
> gone on to Washington DC as an esteemed CongressPerson. The other
> Gentleman, who has passed into obscurity (and whose first name I
> subsequently) can't recall) had the last name of Beaver. As you can
> imagine, the juxtapostition of those two names in print let to some
> entertaining headlines. One that I recall -- I still have a copy
> somewhere -- appeared in the {Seattle Post-Intelligencer}:
> "Chips Fly as Beaver and Dicks Meet."
This is one of those stories that is better in the retelling, at least
if you bend the facts a little.
The fellows' name was Lloyd BEVER, not BEAVER, and his name was
pronounced so that the E sounded like eh, not ee.
Beh-vur. Doesn't sound anything like BEE-vur.
tad@ssc.com (if it bounces, use 3288544@mcimail.com)
Tad Cook | Packet Amateur Radio: | Home Phone:
Seattle, WA | KT7H @ N7DUO.WA.USA.NA | 206-527-4089
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V13 #608
******************************
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Date: Mon, 30 Aug 1993 14:21:21 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
Message-Id: <199308301921.AA26742@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@delta.eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #609
TELECOM Digest Fri, 27 Aug 93 13:21:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 609
Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson
Accuwan Release (Karen Yates)
Portable Terminal Needed (Vance Shipley)
Rock-Bottom Rates to Argentina (Jorge Lach)
Bonaire Operator? (rcj@nwsrs.att.com)
DosFax Pro / Other Software Inquiries (Norman Hamer)
Telephone Company Test Set Questions (Eric Hinson)
Looking up Names/Numbers via Internet? (Eric Hinson)
Thanks For Info: Fiber to the Home/Burb, Hybrid Fiber/Coax (L. Lightwood)
Re: What is RASCOM and S.I.T.? (Brett Frankenberger)
Re: Operator From Atlanta (was Re: Interesting 800 Number) (Brent Laminack)
Re: Computer <-> Phone Interface in Germany (Kai Schlichting)
Re: Octothorpe (Amer Neely)
Re: Radio Station Acronyms (Dan Danz)
Re: International Date Line Change (Pierre Lewis)
Re: International Date Line Change (Andrew Marc Greene)
[Moderator's Note: This is a remail of issue 609 due to the several
complaints I received about it not showing up. If you did get it, then
please ignore this duplicate to the mailing list only. PAT]
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: karenyates@attmail.com (Karen Yates )
Date: 27 Aug 93 06:33:13 GMT
Subject: Accuwan Release
For more information, contact:
Matthew Clark
908-221-3944/office
210-539-4468/home
Shelly London
908-221-4355/office
201-635-0987/home
AT&T Announces Turnkey Solution for LAN Interconnections
SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- AT&T today announced ACCUWANsm Service, a
turnkey, fully-managed solution to interconnect geographically
dispersed Local Area Networks (LAN) in a Wide Area Network (WAN).
AT&T made the announcement in San Francisco at the InterOp conference.
With ACCUWAN, AT&T will design, provision, install, monitor,
maintain and manage a customer's LAN internetwork. The service will
operate at 56 Kbps to 1.5 Mbps, depending on customer bandwidth needs.
ACCUWAN service simplifies both the purchase and operation of a
LAN internetwork. There are three service elements: the LAN access
connections, the WAN connections, and WAN management for each site.
The specific components of the service include network design,
customer premises equipment such as AT&T Paradyne multiplexing and DCE
equipment, AT&T Network Systems LCS200 routers, AT&T ACCUNET dedicated
network facilities, logical and physical network management,
installation, remote monitoring, on-site maintenance, repair and
software upgrades to LCS200 routers.
The new service is designed for customers who wish to connect
remotely located LANs without incurring the capital expense and human
resource investment required to design, procure and manage a WAN and
the LAN access interfaces. ACCUWAN Service complements AT&T's
InterSpan Extended Connectivity Option, which provides a turnkey LAN
solution for InterSpan Frame Relay customers, and adds another
dimension to the portfolio of InterSpan and ACCUNET services.
"The introduction of ACCUWAN delivers on our on-going commitment
to provide the best array of data communications solutions. It joins
the ACCUNET family of services and InterSpan data communications
services such as InterSpan Frame Relay Service and InterSpan Frame
Relay Extended Connectivity Option," said Bob Aquilina, Marketing Vice
President, AT&T Data Communications Services. "ACCUWAN will let
customers concentrate on their own businesses, while taking full
advantage of the technical and networking expertise of AT&T to provide
the LAN interconnectivity needed in a distributed computing
environment.
ACCUWAN customers will have a single point of contact through the
dedicated ACCUWAN Management Center (AMC), operating 24 hours a day, 7
days a week. The AMC will continuously monitor each customer's WAN,
including the AT&T-provided routers, LAN interfaces and network
facilities, and will coordinate and resolve any required maintenance
and repair, including on-site repair.
ACCUWAN customers will receive detailed performance reports,
customized to their particular parameters. Customers will also
receive periodic capacity utilization reports, including consultation
and change recommendations if warranted, at no extra charge.
The ACCUWAN Service boundaries are the LAN interfaces to the AT&T
LCS200 multiprotocol routers on customer premises. ACCUWAN supports
all major LAN types and most LAN protocols, including TCP/IP, DECNet
Phase IV and V, Novell IPX and AppleTalk.
ACCUWAN is currently in beta testing; the beta customer is White
& Case, a New York City law firm with additional offices in Miami and
Los Angeles.
ACCUWAN Service will be in controlled introduction in the fourth
quarter, with general availability early in 1994.
ACCUWAN will be offered through the AT&T Data Communications
Services sales force, and will be supported by AT&T Network Systems
and ACCUNET Digital Services.
------------------------------
From: Vance Shipley <vances@xenitec.on.ca>
Subject: Portable Terminal Needed
Organization: ITN Corporation, Toronto, Ontario
Date: Fri, 27 Aug 1993 12:13:47 GMT
I'm looking for a low priced portable data terminal that will do 2400
baud or better, light weight and cheap. If you know who might
manufacture such a beastie please let me know.
So far I've looked at the Panasonic KX-D4930 but was not very
impressed (1200 baud, heavy and expen$ive).
Vance Shipley, vances@xenitec.on.ca
------------------------------
From: jorge@erex.East.Sun.COM (Jorge Lach - Sun BOS Hardware)
Subject: Rock-Bottom Rates to Argentina
Date: 27 Aug 1993 14:43:58 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems Inc. - BDC
Reply-To: jorge@erex.East.Sun.COM
I currently make about $200 per month on long distance calls to
Argentina, most of them to a few phone numbers. I've been using MCI,
which when I combine the "Reach Out World" 15% discount ($3 a month
fee) with the Friends & Family 20% discount on up to two international
numbers (I've got two lines, hence four international numbers) give me
a respectable 35% off their rates.
Most of my calls are in the evening. The lowest rate to Argentina
doesn't kick in until midnight, and that's too late for me, so I call
between 6PM and midnight which gives me the next lowest rate. Although
I don't have the info in front of me, MCI rates are $1.90 for the
first minute, 89 cents for each minute after that. Combined with the
discounts (and ignoring the $3 monthly fee), they come to a net of
$1.24 for the 1st minute and 58 cents for each minute after.
When you spend a lot of minutes on the phone, even these rate add up!
Does anybody know of any other service which offers lower rates. Maybe
buying some time chunks would help. One other important service would
be sub-minute billing and/or same rate for first and subsequent
minutes. This will cut costs for calls answered by machines and for
short faxes. Yet another benefit would be a "call USA" type service
from Argentina to the US at a similar low rate.
Again, I'm specifically interested in calls to/from Argentina. Also,
none of the above should be construed to be an advertisement for MCI.
Thanks,
Jorge Lach Sun Microsystems Computer Corporation
Jorge.Lach@East.Sun.Com East Coast Division, Chelmsford, MA
Phone: (508) 442-0214
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 27 Aug 93 11:30:57 EDT
From: rcj@nwsrs.att.com
Subject: Bonaire Operator
Organization: AT&T
I am curious about the following situation. Recently my sister and
brother in-law sailed to Bonaire in the Netherland Antilles. They had
their mobile phone hooked up. When they called us, the quality of the
connection was really better then I would expect. Anyway, they left us
their phone number (599-7-xxxxxx). Well, after they hung up, we tried
the number only to be routed to what sounds like reorder tone. I'm
assuming it came from their end because it was more of an
international sounding reorder tone then one you would hear from a
domestic standpoint. I tried the call a few times with the same
results. I then called the IDDD operator and had her try it. Same
results. She then tried to get ahold of the local 599-7 operator. It
rang and rang without being answered. This was about midnight CST.
(One note: the AT&T operator said that she has 599-7 listed as a
four-digit call rather than the six that I was using??) Anyway after
a few more attempts with the same results, we gave up. A day or two
later I attempted the call again and received the same reorder. The
AT&T operator tried to contact the local operator on the far end. It
just rang and rang without being answered. This was at about 7-8 PM. I
guess my question is, is there operator services on that end of the
call? I should think so ...
[Moderator's Note: Yes there is operator service in other countries
including Netherland Antilles, but at times there might as well not
be. The inward operators in some countries are dreadfully slow in
answering at times. Ringing and waiting for five to ten minutes is not
uncommon. Those telecoms don't always have the same attitude at prompt
and reliable service which AT&T has. Some telecom admins such as
France now put obnoxious recorded messages on the line. Try to reach
an operator in France during a busy time, and a recording answers
which plays five or six bars of music followed by a man's voice in a
very crisp British accent saying, "Teleeekom Services! Please stand
by, we are trying to extend your call!" ... then five or six more
bars of music and the message repeats; again and again and again. The
recording lasts 10-15 seconds so if you wait three minutes for an
operator to answer -- not bad time in their busy period -- that is
four or five times per minute for three minutes, or maybe 15 recitations
of the message and the silly little tune they play while you wait.
Interestingly, the same man, same message, same loony tune when trying
to reach an operator in India or Egypt. I think I'd rather listen to
the ringing. Imagine how tired AT&T operators must get listening to
that recording urging them to 'stand by' all day long. PAT]
------------------------------
From: maven@eskimo.com (Norman Hamer)
Subject: DosFax Pro / Other Software Enq
Organization: Eskimo North (206) For-Ever
Date: Fri, 27 Aug 1993 07:08:26 GMT
Couple questions:
1) Under DOSFAX Pro (From the same guys who give you WinFax Pro) is
there any way to import an ASCII document into a fax? Any third-party
programs which will convert ASCII to the WinFax/DosFax format?
2) If there's not, can anyone reccomend a good DOS-based FAX package?
I've tried DosFax (which I love, except for the problem with sending
things; print capture as the only means is stupid as hell), FaxTalk
Plus (buggy piece of trash), BitFax/SR (ditto). Kinda curious about
Quicklink ][ fax; I know their comm program isn't bad, but it's not
the greatest.
What I need is:
Class ][ Fax support;
DOS based, gui is OK, but no damned windows;
Preferrably a mode to just take faxes on command with (at minimum) no
TSR for sending the things I port from ASCII/GIF/Standard other
formats;
Stable.
Any suggestions?
maven@eskimo.com (InterNet) maven@mavenry.altcit.eskimo.com (UseNet)
The Maven@The Mavenry (AlterNet) DoD# 0885, '78 Honda CB750K, KotTKB
------------------------------
From: ehinson@nyx.cs.du.edu (Eric Hinson)
Subject: Telephone Company Test Set Questions
Date: Fri, 27 Aug 1993 03:20:20 -0600 (MDT)
A few weeks ago, a Southern Bell repairman came out to my residence to
check my line for static. While he was testing the line, I got a call
from a person who was unaware that my line was being checked. The
repairman handed me the test set (the bright orange ones they use),
and I told the person I would call them back. When I handed him the
test set back, I noticed quite a few extra buttons besides the ones
for DTMF. I couldn't make out what they said on them, and was
wondering if someone could send me email telling me what all these
buttons do/what tones they generate. Thanks for your help.
Eric L. Hinson / Internet: ehinson@nyx.cs.du.edu / Ham Radio: kb4rzf
------------------------------
From: ehinson@nyx.cs.du.edu (Eric Hinson)
Subject: Looking up Names/Numbers via Internet?
Date: Fri, 27 Aug 1993 03:26:42 -0600 (MDT)
I recently found out about a service on CompuServe that allows you to
look up a person by their phone number (as well as other methods). Is
there such a service available on the Internet? If not, are there any
plans that any of you are aware of to implement such a service in the
near future? Thanks.
Eric L. Hinson / Internet: ehinson@nyx.cs.du.edu / Ham Radio: kb4rzf
[Moderator's Note: No, but there are competitive services around such
as the one operated on a 900 number. Also, Illinois Bell operates a
service only for the 312/708 area reachable by calling 312-796-9600.
It is now fully automated; it reads back the name and spells them for
you and everything. It is rather nice. PAT]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 27 Aug 1993 17:36:22 +1000
From: Liron Lightwood <r.lightwood@trl.oz.au>
Subject: Thanks For Info: Fiber to the Home/Curb, Hybrid Fiber/Coax
Thanks to all the people who replied to question I posted asking about
the difference between:
* fiber to the home;
* fiber to the curb;
* hybrid fiber/coax;
The definitions are:
Fiber to the home: fiber all the way to the home.
Fiber to the curb: fibre to an optical network unit at the curb. The
signal is split several ways (up to 50) and sent to individual homes
via coaxial cable or copper pairs.
Hybrid fiber/coax: the concensus seems to be:
as for fiber to the curb, except only using coax, not copper pairs.
Thanks for all replies.
Liron Lightwood Internet: r.lightwood@trl.oz.au
Research Laboratories Phone: +61 3 253 6535
Telstra / Telecom Australia Fax: +61 3 253 6362
P.O. Box 249 Clayton 3168 Australia Disclaimer: My views, not my company's.
------------------------------
From: brettf@netcom.com (Brett Frankenberger)
Subject: Re: What is RASCOM and S.I.T.?
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1993 22:47:16 GMT
cambler@cymbal.calpoly.edu (Chris Ambler -- Fubar) writes:
> boo boop ... the number you have reached has been disconnected ..." and
> were dismayed. The SIT tones were right on, but the number showed as
> current and in use. A week later, they found out that the subscriber
> was out of town and his answering machine had that as the outgoing
> message. In most cases, the recording would be a bit off, tipping the
> telco off as to the situation, but in this case the subscriber was an
> audio pro and had sampled the recording into his digital answering
> machine. Precise tones :-)
Of course, an answering machine seizing the line will cause the call
to supervise, whereas true CO generates messages to not supervise.
Brett (brettf@netcom.com)
------------------------------
From: brent@cc.gatech.edu (Brent Laminack)
Subject: Re: Operator From Atlanta (was Re: Interesting 800 Number Response)
Organization: Georgia Tech College of Computing
Date: Fri, 27 Aug 1993 01:13:53 GMT
jgeorge@whiffer.mese.com writes:
>>> [Moderator's Note: They all used that nice lady from down in Atlanta
>>> for many years. Maybe some still do. PAT]
> [Moderator's Note: She is/was not an employee of telco. She is/was
> a resident in the area who did the work on a contract basis. PAT]
Indeed, she's a suburban housewife. Her voice can also be heard
anytime you pass through Hartsfield International Airport here in
Atlanta. "You are now entering the transportation mall which leads to
your departure concorse and terminal ticketing. There are three ways
to ..."
Brent Laminack (brent@cc.gatech.edu)
------------------------------
From: acorn@info2.rus.uni-stuttgart.de (Kai Schlichting)
Subject: Re: Computer <-> Phone Interface in Germany
Date: 27 Aug 1993 03:22:25 GMT
Organization: Newsserver, Comp.Center (RUS), U of Stuttgart, FRG
Michael Clark - Gateway Conversion Technologies (mdc%aisg@concert.net)
wrote:
> I will be traveling to Germany (Berlin) in September. Does anyone
> know the connector standard and pinout for interfacing my computer to
> the local telco?
Adaptors from the German 'TAE' plug to RJ-11 are probably the most
common item found in a dept. store that sells phones (most do).
Hotels (and private,not-so-official (:-) installations) might have
RJ-11, but generally hotel phones are hardwired (:-(. TAE pins 1 and
2 connect to the two central contracts on the RJ-11, if memory serves
me right ... but screwing around is absolutely unnecessary, with prices
for the adaptors in the 5$ range.
bye,
Kai
------------------------------
From: aneely@toth.uwo.ca (Amer Neely)
Subject: Re: Octothorpe
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 93 20:22:09 GMT
In TELECOM Digest 13(602) Fred Smith <FSMITH@isnov.ab.umd.edu> wrote:
> I seem to recall that there was some discussion about a year ago about
> the octothorpe here on the Digest. I've gone and opened my big mouth
> and unless I can come up with some factual information I'm doomed to
> buying dinner for my uncle. Being a big trivia buff, I asked him if
> he knew what the '#' symbol was called other than the pound symbol.
> When I told him it was called an octothorpe at one time, he wasn't
> buying it ... even when I tried to explain that octo = 8, 8 being the
> number of points etc. So now he's called my bluff and wants to see
> some hard evidence or else it's my treat.
> Does anyone know where I might be able to find a blurb about this in
> some old manuals or something. Anything even remotely valid will get
> me off the hook and I'll be enjoying dinner!
I too have wondered about the name. I eventually found it in a
dictionary at the local university library "Twelve thousand words", a
Merriam-Webster Inc. publication LC call number PE1630.A17. From the
1986 edition, page 138 I quote:
"oc-to-thorp: n -s [octo + thorp, of unknown origin; fr. the eight
points on its circumference] : the symbol #"
That should get you off the hook.
Amer Neely, P.O. Box 1538 Stn. B, London ON, CANADA, N6A 5M3
42,15'N x 81,14'W +251m Internet: aneely@toth.uwo.ca
Encryption PGP 2.2 "Amer Neely <aneely@toth.uwo.ca>"
Practice safe hex ... wear a write-protect tab!
------------------------------
From: ddanz@lectroid.sw.stratus.com (Dan Danz)
Subject: Re: Radio Station Acronyms
Date: 27 Aug 1993 13:33:48 GMT
Organization: Stratus Computer, Inc.
Reply-To: dan@phoenix.az.stratus.com
In article <telecom13.596.8@eecs.nwu.edu>, cornutt@lambda.msfc.nasa.
gov (David Cornutt) writes:
> What is the only radio station in the U.S. whose call letters are the
> name of the city where the station is located?
> WACO in Waco, Texas.
> [Moderator's Note: Will anyone challenge Mr. Cornutt on this? Let's
> get our radio station call-sign books out everyone, and begin the
> search. PAT]
It shouldn't be that hard, Pat. You can bet that any such combinations
were pursued by potential licensees.
I meant to comment on an earlier comment by Pat as well ... that WLS
was the Prairie Farmer station. I thought that WLS was Worlds Largest
Store (Sears) and it shared the 50,000-watt clear channel with WENR,
which was the Prairie Farmer station, but I don't remember what the
ENR stood for.
BTW - I thought WACO stood for We Ain't Comin' Out.
L. W. "Dan" Danz (WA5SKM) VOS Mail: Dan_Danz@vos.stratus.com
Sr Consulting Software SE NeXT Mail: dan@az.stratus.com
Customer Assistance Center Voice Mail/Pager: (602) 852-3107
Telecommunications Division Customer Service: (800) 828-8513
Stratus Computer, Inc. 4455 E. Camelback #115-A, Phoenix AZ 85018
[Moderator's Note: WENR was the former call sign for the television
station on Channel 7 here about 40 years ago in the early 1950's. WLS
was named for the World's Largest Store when Sears, Roebuck owned it
back in the 1920-1930 era. It was also known from its beginning until
1961 as the Prairie Farmer Station because its programming and appeal
was to people living on farms and in small towns across the rural mid-
western United States. The station operated 24 hours per day except
Monday mornings from one to five a.m. Their programming consisted of
country and western music, news and market reports of specific interest
to farmers (how much they are paying for hogs today at the Union Stock
Yards in Chicago; how much they are paying for corn, etc). The Old Barn
Dance program was among their staples plus that show which originated
out of Nashville every Saturday night.
They bought a lot of stuff from the ABC network such as several radio
soap operas during the day and they also got stuff from the Mutual
Network. Starting at six a.m. on Sunday morning and continuing for the
next 18 hours or so, they brokered the time in 30-60 minute slots for
religious broacasts. One preacher after another, all pre-recorded
stuff for the most part except a couple of live religious services in
Chicago. All the old time evangelists in the 1930-60 era were on WLS
with their brokered half-hour show every Sunday. Then when they came
back on the air Monday morning at five a.m. the first show was the old
farmer dude talking about the crops for this year and where to get the
best deal on cattle feed and tractors.
In 1961, WLS dumped the whole thing for hard rock music and news every
hour around the clock. They dumped all the Sunday preachers in one
week by buying off the remainder of their contracts with one exception
being a preacher here who would not let them buy him off. He persisted
in staying on WLS for the remainder of his contract which ran another
two years or so. So rock around the clock they did, with the exception
of every Sunday at 10:58 AM when the announcer would stop the music
and say something about "now its time for the services at People's
Church, Lawrence Avenue and Sheridan Road; if you tune us out, you'll
be sorry! I'm going out for breakfast myself, but meet me here again
in an hour, dig?" ... and they would cut the preacher off *precisely*
at noon usually with a song by the Beatles. A few years ago they
started experimenting with talk radio. PAT]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1993 22:35:00 +0000
From: Pierre Lewis <lew@bnr.ca>
Subject: Re: International Date Line Change
Liron Lightwood <liron@zikzak.apana.org.au> writes:
> I wonder what would happen if you are Jewish. The Sabbath normally
> starts on Friday night and ends Saturday night. Would that Sabbath
> be very short (a few hours) or very long (about a week)?
And what happens if you are Jewish and live above the polar circle?
The Sabbath could last months ...
Pierre LEWIS +1 514 765-8207 Internet: lew@bnr.ca Freylekh zol zayn!
------------------------------
From: Andrew_Marc_Greene@frankston.com
Subject: Re: International Date Line Change
Date: Fri, 27 Aug 1993 11:54 -0400
> In comp.dcom.telecom is written:
>> This past weekend, according to what I heard on radio, part of the
>> republic of the Marshall Islands switched from one side of the
>> International Date Line to the other. In the affected area, Friday
>> was followed immediately by Sunday. (You jump forward one day in going
>> west across that line.)
> I wonder what would happen if you are Jewish. The Sabbath normally starts
> on Friday night and ends Saturday night. Would that Sabbath be very
> short (a few hours) or very long (about a week)?
It's actually more complicated than that. The "Jewish Date Line" is
90 degrees east of Jerusalem, and doesn't make any convenient swerves
(as the International Date Line does). But there is a minority
opinion which says the "Jewish Date Line" is really 180 degrees from
Jerusalem, so in that quarter of the world you find some people
observing the Sabbath on local Saturday, some on local Sunday, and
some on *both* (just to be sure, you see).
Now ask me what I did when I spent three weeks in Barrow, Alaska.
("What time is sunset?" "Oh, about August 2d." :-)
Disclaimer: I'm not a halakhic authority, check with your local Rabbi
for an authoritative answer. (Since "Liron Lightwood" <liron@zikzak.
apana.org.au> is mailing from "Zikzak public access UNIX, Melbourne,
Australia", I feel uneasy sounding too definitive! :-)
Andrew Greene
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V13 #609
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Date: Fri, 27 Aug 1993 20:39:20 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
Message-Id: <199308280139.AA09022@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #610
TELECOM Digest Fri, 27 Aug 93 20:39:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 610
Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson
Re: AT&T's Strange Attitude on 800 Numbers (Bruce D. Nelson)
Re: AT&T's Strange Attitude on 800 Numbers (Dave Ptasnik)
Re: AT&T's Strange Attitude on 800 Numbers (Randal Hayes)
Re: AT&T's Strange Attitude on 800 Numbers (Jon Kimbrough)
Re: AT&T's Strange Attitude on 800 Numbers (David G. Lewis)
Re: AT&T's Strange Attitude on 800 Numbers (Gregory Youngblood)
Re: AT&T's Strange Attitude on 800 Numbers (Tony Harminc)
Re: Bell Atlantic Case (Tara Mahon)
Introduction to RASCOM (Robert Shaw)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Reply-To: nelson@titan.ppd.Kodak.COM
Date: Fri, 27 Aug 93 10:50:51 EDT
From: nelson@ppd.Kodak.COM (Bruce D. Nelson)
Subject: Re: AT&T's Strange Attitude on 800 Numbers
Organization: Eastman Kodak Company
How about terminating your 800 number on a different POTS with call
forwarding to the other POTS?
Bruce Nelson | Phone: (716) 726-7890
Rochester Distributed Computer Services | Internet: nelson@kodak.com
Eastman Kodak Company | Rochester, NY 14652-4503
[Moderator's Note: Won't work! That will increase the cost of the call
by several cents per minute. PAT]
------------------------------
From: davep@carson.u.washington.edu (Dave Ptasnik)
Subject: Re: AT&T's Strange Attitude on 800 Numbers
Date: 27 Aug 1993 15:34:24 GMT
Organization: University of Washington
davep@carson.u.washington.edu (Dave Ptasnik) writes:
> TELECOM Moderator <telecom@eecs.nwu.edu> writes:
>> Maybe some readers who work for AT&T in their long distance services
>> and their 800 number service can explain to me why Mother is taking
>> the stance she is with reference to customers who try to get an 800
>> number installed on a POTS line.
>> So what does AT&T say? Since this new 800 number is actually their
>> service being resold by me, they are *refusing* to terminate it on
>> the same POTS line. They just flatly say it is against their policy
>> to terminate two 800 numbers on the same POTS.
> Try this, have the customer establish a custom ringing number on the
> existing POTS line. Tell AT&T that a new line has been established.
> Do not tell them that it is a custom ringing number. Assign the new
> 800 number to the new custom ringing number.
> [Moderator's Note: Well, this is worth a try. A custom ringing number
> only costs $4-5 per month most places. Since the Customer is in fact
> out there reading this message, let me suggest he do it. Call telco
> please on Friday, get a custom ring number for the lead number in
> your hunt group. Ask them to tell you the number being assigned and
> get it to me ASAP, okay? (This is being done under protest however,
> as a short term solution.) PAT]
Helpful Hint #2
If the customer does in fact have a multi line hunt group, just assign
the new 800 number to the second line in the hunt group. The initial
volume of calls to the new number will probably be lower than to the
old number, so having access to one less line will probably not be
important. I would think that this would be OK for as few as three
lines in the group, but the more lines in the group, the less this
will be felt. As volume increases on the new number (and presumably
decreases on the old number) the arrangement can be reversed. Perhaps
by that time AT&T will be blugeoned into rationality, so that you can
have the calls to either 800 number ring any POTS you choose.
All of the above is nothing more than the personal opinion of -
Dave Ptasnik davep@u.washington.edu
------------------------------
From: HayesR@uihc-telecomm-po.htc.uiowa.edu
Date: 27 Aug 93 10:59 CST
Subject: AT&T's Strange Attitude on 800 Numbers
> I asked specifically for their tariff authority to refuse to connect the
> customer in the manner in which he wishes to be connected. They admitted
> they have no authority to refuse the connection, but still have no intention
> of doing it.
Why pitter-patter around? This is the telecommunications industry.
Pick up the telephone, call the FCC, get an investigative type, and
then conference in the AT&T person who's giving you a hard time. Find
out if the AT&T rep still has the nerve to refuse you this service
while someone from the FCC is participating in the conference call. I
submit you will hear a definite change of tune. You may save yourself
alot of time and energy over what sounds like an arrogant bluff. (The
above is my personal opinion, but I've seen it work, folks).
randal-hayes@uiowa.edu
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 27 Aug 93 11:55:47 EDT
From: jkimbro@hercii.lasc.lockheed.com (Jon Kimbrough)
Subject: Re: AT&T's Strange Attitude on 800 Numbers
Our Esteemed Moderator writes:
> [Moderator's Note: Read the earlier messages sir! The customer is on
> the east coast; I am in Chicago. Now I should pay for a constant stream
> of calls all day to him from a forwarded line here? Even with a line
> on his premises I can add what? Three or four cents per minute to the
> cost of his calls? I should eat it? PAT]
Should you *have* to eat it? No. *Should* you eat it? Maybe! If it
will allow you to prove to your potential customer that you can do the
job, it might be worth eating a couple months of profit to get the
business. It's called an investment: you put in a little money now,
and get a back a lot of money later!
Jon Kimbrough jkimbro@lasc.lockheed.com
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed herein, either stated or implied, are
solely my own and do not reflect Lockheed's views in any manner.
------------------------------
From: deej@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (david.g.lewis)
Subject: Re: AT&T's Strange Attitude on 800 Numbers
Organization: AT&T
Date: Fri, 27 Aug 1993 13:52:50 GMT
In article <telecom13.603.1@eecs.nwu.edu> TELECOM Moderator <telecom@
eecs.nwu.edu> writes:
> Maybe some readers who work for AT&T in their long distance services
> and their 800 number service can explain to me why Mother is taking
> the stance she is with reference to customers who try to get an 800
> number installed on a POTS line.
Obligatory Disclaimer: while I work in the Communications Services
Group, I'm not directly involved with either 800 services or service
provisioning, so don't lend an excessive weight of authority to my
comments. I have a hypothesis, but it's based on speculation and some
very limited experience. I've forwarded the question to someone I
know who works more directly with 800 service to see if I can get a
more definitive answer.
> Most of you know by now that among other things I do, I resell 800
> numbers from a couple sources... I resell the AT&T
> Software Defined Network through a major aggregator/reseller.
> AT&T and I have a mutual customer. The customer has had for some time
> an 800 'Ready Line' style number from AT&T which terminates on a
> certain phone in his office...
> My order went in to AT&T saying to park the new 800 number on the same
> phone line where his other 800 number (that he gets from AT&T) is
> routed ...
> So what does AT&T say? Since this new 800 number is actually their
> service being resold by me, they are *refusing* to terminate it on
> the same POTS line...
> I asked them if they had ever heard of the term 'multi-POTS' (which
> is what the termination of multiple 800's on the same line is
> called.) Yes, they said, we heard of it but we are not gonna do it.
> We *will* do it provided *we* get his account on both numbers (old
> existing 800 and new number also). But they won't do it with their
> own number and someone's else's 800.
My hypothesis is that, since the new 800 number is actually being sold
from AT&T's viewpoint to an aggregator and not to Pat's customer, it
appears to the AT&T systems as if it is being sold to a different
customer. Because the various flavors of AT&T 800 services which
terminate to POTS lines use the POTS number as the billing number in
the billing databases, and all the customer records are keyed off the
billing number, I would suspect that it is impossible to have two
different customers with the same billing number.
This would explain why AT&T is able to terminate two 800 numbers to
the same POTS number if they are both AT&T-provided -- the same
customer record is used for both 800 numbers.
I would suspect that if you were reselling Sprint, MCI, C&W, or
another carrier's 800 service, and the customer had existing 800
service through that carrier, you would encounter the same problem;
conversely, I suspect that if you were reselling the 800 service of a
carrier which was different from the customer's existing carrier, you
would not encounter a problem.
One thing that you have to keep in mind that is not intuitively
obvious is that an aggregator is not "just another carrier" from the
perspective of a service provider. A reseller/aggregator is, from the
service provider's perspective, a customer. That's why they qualify
for volume discounts and such. It also means, though, that there can
be limitations to the services that can be provided.
Again, I don't know for certain that this is the problem, but it has a
certain logic to it.
> If anyone from AT&T can tell me what possible legitimate reasons there
> could be for refusing to hook a reseller's 800 number to the same POTS
> where Mother has one of her own 800 numbers working, I would appreciate
> knowing the reason. It cannot be a technical reason since AT&T will do
> it for as many 800 numbers as *their exclusive customer* wants.
As I explained above, it can be a technical reason. I don't know for
certain that it *is*, but considering I could come up with one
technical reason after about ten minutes of thought when I don't have
anything to do with 800 services or provisioning, I suspect there are
half a dozen other technical reasons that *could* explain it.
Finally, Pat, I recognize that being put in a situation where you feel
that you are unable to provide the desired service to your customer
because of what seems to be an arbitrary and capricious decision on
the part of your supplier is extremely frustrating; however, I would
submit that you would be much more likely to get a satisfying answer
if you don't state your concerns in language that implies that AT&T is
a collection of monopolistic, predatory, customer-be-damned villians.
Reserve that role for BOCs, cable companies, and GTE ;-).
David G Lewis AT&T Bell Laboratories
david.g.lewis@att.com or !att!goofy!deej Switching & ISDN Implementation
------------------------------
Subject: Re: AT&T's Strange Attitude on 800 Numbers
From: zeta@tcscs.com (Gregory Youngblood)
Date: Fri, 27 Aug 93 00:56:09 PDT
Organization: TCS Computer Systems
lachman@netcom.com (Hans Lachman) writes:
> [Moderator's Note: Read the earlier messages sir! The customer is on
> the east coast; I am in Chicago. Now I should pay for a constant stream
> of calls all day to him from a forwarded line here? Even with a line
> on his premises I can add what? Three or four cents per minute to the
> cost of his calls? I should eat it? PAT]
Why not get the service on the East coast? If you are in Chicago set
up a business line on the east coast in your name with it forwarded to
the customers. Most local telcos will provide to businesses a remote
call forward number that never really terminates at a location but
just gets rerouted at their switch. Then have AT&T route to that new
number in your name. Thus no piggy backing Chicago to east coast and
back and forth.
The alternative idea would be to find someone willing to let you
terminate a line on their premises as a residential line and add call
forwarding. Then having AT&T go to that number. Then you get into
personal 800 numbers and you may not get the business advantages that
the main number will give him.
Greg
TCS Computer Systems | AT&T Easy Reach Number | 25799B Madrone Drive
(707)489-7500 | 0-700-TCS-0000 | Willits, CA 95490
Personal: zeta@tcscs.com | Information: info@tcscs.com
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 27 Aug 93 17:56:39 EDT
From: Tony Harminc <EL406045@BROWNVM.brown.edu>
Subject: Re: AT&T's Strange Attitude on 800 Numbers
> Now I stand to lose the largest customer who has patronized me to
> date because AT&T is refusing to route his new 800 (from me, which I
> resell from them) to the POTS of his choice. The choices at this
> point seem to be:
> I turn the customer over to AT&T and lose my commission and ongoing
> residuals -- which would I suspect pay my rent in full each month;
> The customer takes a giant leap of faith and says 'okay Townson,
> I am giving you authority to tell AT&T to yank *their* 800 number
> out concurrent with installing the new one through your service;
> The customer installs another POTS line and re-programs his auto-
> attendant and voicemail stuff to accomodate a second 800 line
> working on a second POTS line at considerable trouble to himself;
> and anyway, trouble or not, why should he have to????
> I keep pursuing this on up the corporate ladder with my next stop
> being an appeal to the Chairman's Office to be followed if needed
> with a Commission complaint. Of course I have no money or resources
> to carry this fight on very long unless some attorney who practices
> communications law and knows the ins-and-outs will do it for me.
If the customer is important enough to you, *you* could install a POTS
(or RCF) line and call forward it to your customer. This would 1)
impress your customer with your level of service, 2) keep that all
important special 800 number, 3) be a cost you can try to recover from
AT&T when you eventually sue them :-)
What's the cost of a business line with forwarding for the month or
two it'll take to convince your customer that your service is good?
Tony Harminc
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 27 Aug 93 11:47:14 EDT
From: Tara Mahon <tara@insight-corp.com>
Subject: Re: Bell Atlantic Case
> klopfens@andy.bgsu.edu (Bruce Klopfenstein) writes:
> Does anyone have access to the judge's decision on the Bell Atlantic
> case this week that ruled telcos can own video programming?
The ruling by Judge T.S. Ellis of the Federal District Court
Alexandria, VA in the case of Bell Atlantic and Jones Intercable made
last Tuesday is available now from the Alexandria Court (a long drive
from Bowling Green ...). The ruling is 57 pages long and is not yet
available on the Lexis/Nexis or Westlaw* databases yet. As I am told
by my father, the patent lawyer, Advance Sheets of this ruling may be
available from local law libraries. Contact a local library for the
exact date this information will become available (perhaps a few
weeks). The law database services may have the case analysis
electronically shortly. The companies involved definitely have a copy
of the ruling. The essence of the ruling was that the Federal Cable
Act of 1984 unconstitutionally barred phone companies from also
operating Cable TV systems in the same service area. According to
Judge Ellis, the cable act violated the telcos first amendment rights
to free expression.
Insight Research recently posted this announcement regarding the case
and it may be of interest to the TELECOM Digest (comp.dcom.telecom)
readers.
-----------------
LIVINGSTON, NJ. August 26,1993: Tuesday's court ruling giving Bell
Atlantic and the other RBOCs the green light to move full steam ahead
into video programming and transport is important not because it is
going to impact consumer cable TV prices tomorrow. Our research
suggests its importance lies in fact that the ruling brings the new
information highway just a little closer to reality. The real action
in telecommunications for the years to come is on the local level.
According to recent studies by Insight Research Corp., today's
telecommunications landscape is about to be rocked by a series of
changes on the local-loop level-changes that will transcend
traditional industry boundaries and cross technologies as never
before.
One study, _Competition in the Local Loop: Telcos, Cable TV, &
Wireless in the Emerging Telecommunications Network 1993-1998_, puts
forth several possible scenarios for future competition among the
RBOCs, competitive access providers, cable TV operators, and wireless
services for market share in the local loop. It takes the bottom-up
view that the technological and market changes on the local level are
the ones that will spur developments in telecommunications throughout
the decade.
The other study, _Network Topologies for Future Telecommunications
Services, TVs, Telephones & Change in Telecommunications Networks
1993-2000_, posits that consumer demand for new entertainment TV
services is remaking the infrastructure of the TV and telephone
networks. The huge revenue potential of interactive TV and games is
accelerating adoption of new technology in the TV and telephone
industries. Both networks will handle two-way, switched, wideband
traffic well before the year 2000, according to Insight, creating an
extensive level of overlapping, interconnecting, and competing
capabilities. But competition will only be apparent in the
local-distribution segments of both networks, Insight argues.
The CAPs are already giving the RBOCs a run for their market. The
resulting face-off will drive everything from technology to pricing.
And this time the effects will spill beyond the traditional boundaries
of the telecommunications industry into such adjacent areas as cable
TV and wireless communications-especially personal communications
services, a sector that is beginning to show considerable activity.
Insight's research suggests that a fast-packet national information
highway is vital to keeping America competitive in terms of
communications and information technology. But such a network will be
only as effective as local voice and data transport. Shifts in the
local-loop market are no small matter-especially when they promise to
change the segment's whole competitive makeup. Southwestern Bell's
purchase of two cable TV systems from Hauser Communications, followed
by AT&T intent to purchase McCaw, coupled by full fledged competition
between cable TV and the telcos is just the start.
For more information and pricing data on the two reports, please contact:
Tara D. Mahon tara@insight-corp.com
The Insight Research Corporation (201) 605-1400 v
354 Eisenhower Parkway (201) 605-1440 f
Livingston, NJ 07039
*I have no affiliation with either Lexis/Nexis Mead Data Central or Westlaw.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 27 Aug 1993 10:04:43 +0200
From: SHAW <ROBERT.SHAW@itu.ch>
Subject: Introduction to RASCOM
> Does anybody know what the abbreviations RASCOM and S.I.T. mean?
Don't know about S.I.T. but RASCOM stands for Regional Africa
Satellite Communications.
The principal objective of the RASCOM feasibility study was to
undertake a comprehensive study on the provision of optimum
telecommunication and broadcasting information using all appropriate
technologies including satellite-based systems, for promoting the
socio-economic development of the Africa continent.
The project is an integrated study of terrestrial and spaceborne
systems meeting the requirements not only at the interurban and
intra-african level but, more important, with emphasis on the
provision of basic services to the rural areas where the majority of
the African population resides.
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROJECT
The implementation phase consists of a transitional stage leading to
the setting up of a permanent organization responsible for the
operation of the system and of an operational stage.
A RASCOM organization, responsible for the implementation of the
RASCOM system and its operation on a commercial basis, will be located
in Africa. An interim RASCOM Office is currently preparing the
establishment of the Organization. The RASCOM Interim Office which is
responsible for implementing the transitional stage activities is
located at the ITU Headquarters in Geneva.
A 15 member Committee of Country Experts (CCE) is responsible for the
supervision of the transitional stage and thus supervise the work of
the RASCOM Interim Office. The Committee was created from the five
subregions in proportion to the number of countries in each subregion.
It has as membership the following countries: Benin, Cameroun, Egypt,
Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Morocco, Nigeria,
Senegal, Sao Tome and Principe, Tanzania, Zaire and Zimbabwe.
In order to implement an integrated network for the RASCOM Project, a
number of complementary measures are required which include
implementation of transmission links, local subscriber networks and
switching networks.
With regard to satellite aspects of the project, a regional satellite
system will be implemented for Africa having a dedicated satellite as
an ultimate objective but commencing by pooling transponders of those
countries who currently operate domestic satellite networks on
existing satellite systems such as INTELSAT and ARABSAT. The space
segment requirements of countries planning to establish domestic
satellite networks are also taken into account.
FINANCING OF RASCOM
With regards to financing, member countries contribute towards the
cost of the transitional stage (about US $2 million) to the tune of
not less than US $ 10,000 per country; contributions have also been
made by funding institutions including the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) and donor countries. The Resource Mobilization
Committee (RMC) of the UNTACDA II, which is chaired by the African
Development Bank (ADB), has been designated to take all the necessary
steps to mobilize resources for the transitional and operational
stages of the project.
The Feasibility Study was co-financed by the ADB following a request
by the governments of Ethiopia and Zimbabwe, UNDP, the OAU, the ITU,
UNESCO as well as by substantial contributions from the governments of
Italy and Germany.
For more info, you should contact via email:
adeboye.taylor@itu.ch
Bob Shaw
Information Services Department
International Telecommunication Union
Place des Nations
1211 Geneva 20
Switzerland
shaw@itu.ch
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V13 #610
******************************
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Date: Sat, 28 Aug 1993 13:30:11 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
Message-Id: <199308281830.AA17940@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #611
TELECOM Digest Sat, 28 Aug 93 13:30:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 611
Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson
Re: Telephone Company Test Set Questions (Carl Oppedahl)
Re: Telephone Company Test Set Questions (Jeff Whitcomb)
Re: Telephone Company Test Set Questions (Steven H. Lichter)
Re: The One True Dialing Plan (David A. Cantor)
Re: The One True Dialing Plan (Carl Moore)
Re: The One True Dialing Plan (Bob Goudreau)
Re: The One True Dialing Plan (Fred R. Goldstein)
Re: Operator From Atlanta (was Re: Interesting 800 Number) (Steve Cogorno)
Re: Operator from Atlanta (was Re: Interesting 800 Number) (Les Reeves)
Re: Operator From Atlanta (was Re: Interesting 800 Number) (Monte Freeman)
Re: Operator From Atlanta (Identified!) (Bill Campbell)
Re: Modem Tax in Canada (Tad Cook)
Re: Modem Tax in Canada (John R Levine)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: oppedahl@panix.com (Carl Oppedahl)
Subject: Re: Telephone Company Test Set Questions
Date: 27 Aug 1993 17:46:46 -0400
Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC
In <telecom13.609.6@eecs.nwu.edu> ehinson@nyx.cs.du.edu (Eric Hinson)
writes:
> A few weeks ago, a Southern Bell repairman came out to my residence to
> check my line for static. While he was testing the line, I got a call
> from a person who was unaware that my line was being checked. The
> repairman handed me the test set (the bright orange ones they use),
> and I told the person I would call them back. When I handed him the
> test set back, I noticed quite a few extra buttons besides the ones
> for DTMF. I couldn't make out what they said on them, and was
> wondering if someone could send me email telling me what all these
> buttons do/what tones they generate. Thanks for your help.
The test sets vary. Some probably have buttons for generating tones
A, B, C, and D (about which much has been said already in this group).
My test set has a switch to take the electronics into or out of the
loop (you take them out if you are at the end of a very long loop and
volume is poor), a switch to select tone or pulse, a push button to
turn on the polarity test LEDs, and a push button to mute the
microphone (so you can hear better if there is lots of background
noise). And on the side is the usual on/off switch with the capacitor
for listening in.
Some have an ASCII terminal built in, in which case the keys include a
cursor joystick and buttons for yes and no.
To get a good idea of the variety of test sets available, get a catalog
from Jensen Tools: 602-968-6231.
Carl Oppedahl AA2KW (patent lawyer)
1992 Commerce Street #309
Yorktown Heights, NY 10598-4412
voice 212-777-1330
------------------------------
From: ah535@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Jeff Whitcomb)
Subject: Re: Telephone Company Test Set Questions
Date: 28 Aug 1993 01:55:23 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (USA)
Well, the only differences I know of between a "butt set" and a
standard set from the ones I have used (I also sent this email) are
the options for ground start button (for starting a ground start trunk
line), mute button (for tapping line unoticed), possibly t/r polarity
lights (to show correct polarity of line), and handsfree/and redial.
Not to glorious, but the new ones are a lot nicer than the old ones.
Jeff ah535@cleveland.freenet.edu
------------------------------
From: co057@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Steven H. Lichter)
Subject: Re: Telephone Company Test Set Questions
Date: 27 Aug 1993 22:19:01 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (USA)
Depending on who made the set those extra buttons would be for the
speaker, revering tip/ring, tone on line and a few more I can't
remember right now since my set is at work and I don't use most of
them.
Steven H. Lichter GTECALIF COEI
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 27 Aug 1993 04:36:04 -0400 (EDT)
From: David A. Cantor <cantor@mv.MV.COM>
Subject: Re: The One True Dialing Plan
In article <telecom13.602.12@eecs.nwu.edu>, Bob Goudreau <goudreau@
dg-rtp.dg.com> wrote:
> In article <telecom13.598.1@eecs.nwu.edu> johnl@iecc.com writes:
>> calls within the area code are dialed with seven digits, whether
>> they're local, intra-LATA toll, or inter-LATA toll, and inter-NPA
>> calls are dialed 1-NXX-NXX-NXXX. As has previously been noted, this
>> is the One True Dialing Plan.
> I beg to differ. It seems to me that more places are using the *real*
> One True Dialing Plan (OTDP), in which all long-distance calls
> (intra-NPA included) are dialed with 11 digits, and only local,
> intra-NPA calls can use seven-digit dialing. As I recall, the
> Bellcore recommendations were neutral as to which of these OTDPs had
> to be in effect by 1995 (when the first NNX area code, 334 in Alabama,
> appears). However, I've heard of more areas using the latter OTDP
> than the former (including here in NC, where we ditched 8-digit
> dialing of intra-NPA LD calls two or three years ago). Its advantage
> is that people who've had "1 means toll" hammered into their heads
> over the years won't be able to get themselves into a tizzy by dialing
> 7D toll calls that they thought were local calls.
And then, the Moderator noted:
> [Moderator's Note: Uh oh ... just what we need! A schism here in the
> Digest over The One True Dialing Plan. I shall have to censor and
> excomumunicate all non-believers and heretics. PAT]
I can see why there'd be valid arguments for both One True Dialing
Plans, and having two Dialing Plans which both claim to be True, and
hence Only (in the sense of 'one-like') is bad.
Okay, Mr. Moderator, get ready to excommunicate me, if necessary. :-)
I propose we eliminate the ambiguity and invent the One and Only
Obviously Unambiguous Uniform Digit Dialing Plan (the OOOUUDDP):
First, eliminate all 7D dialing (and also 8D dialing, of course).
Now, all country code 1 calls should be dialled with an access code +
ten digits. The access code would be 1+ or 0+, and we would continue
to use 10xxx+ as a prefix for choosing a carrier. We could also
continue using 01+ and 011+ for out-of-country calls, but, best of
all, if we agree never to use the digit 1 as the first digit in an
area code, we can eliminate the need for 1+ entirely, and dial all
station-to-station calls as simply NXX-NXX-XXXX, whether their local
or long distance. A leading 1+ would be optional, and it could be
optional even if a carrier selection code is used. (Gee, we don't
need the "office code" to be restricted to 2-9 anymore, either, we
could make it NXX-XXX-XXXX. That might save some area code splits.)
Okay, how do I go about proposing this to the proper authorities?
David A. Cantor +1 603-888-8133
131 D.W. Highway, #505 One-time VMS techie, ex-DECcie
Nashua, NH 03060 Foxwoods blackjack dealer
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 28 Aug 93 10:12:28 EDT
From: Carl Moore <cmoore@BRL.MIL>
Subject: Re: The One True Dialing Plan
The 215 area in Pennsylvania instituted a toll-free number
(800-734-5910?) to help customers find out if a call within it is
local or not. However, I can't reach this number, which did appear in
the Digest, from either 302 or 410 (Del. and Md. respectively). 215,
which has a split coming (to form 610), used to have 1 + 7D for long
distance within it, but got rid of that leading 1 in order to
accommodate N0X/N1X prefixes (local calls from 215 to another area
code had already changed from 7D to 1+NPA+7D). This does not account
for the Denver and Adamstown quirk.
I read someplace that Arizona switched to 1 + NPA + 7D for long
distance within it because of you-know-what objections regarding 7D.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 27 Aug 1993 19:13:38 -0400
From: goudreau@dg-rtp.dg.com (Bob Goudreau)
Subject: Re: The One True Dialing Plan
In article <telecom13.607.8@eecs.nwu.edu> lachman@netcom.com (Hans
Lachman) writes:
> Regarding the So-Called *Real* One True Dialing Plan (SC*R*OTDP)
> mentioned above, it seems a bit silly to dial the area code for an
> intra-NPA call.
Why silly? Is is silly that many cellular phone require area codes
for *all* calls? Was it silly that most of the US used to require a
leading "1" (as in 1-NNX-XXXX) for intra-NPA long distance when seven
digits would have sufficed?
> If the argument in favor of this silliness is "dialing the area code
> is a reminder that you're making a toll call", then the argument
> breaks down in the case of local inter-NPA calls, like between
> Mountain View (415) and Sunnyvale (408), California, in which case you
> must dial the area code, but it is not a toll call.
You have set up a straw man and (unsurprisingly) had no trouble
knocking it down. Please re-read the previous articles. The argument
was never that "dialing the area code is a reminder that you're making
a toll call" -- it was that dialing a leading 1 was a reminder that
you're making a toll call (except for 800 numbers, of course!). As
stated before, I'm not one to complain about losing the "1+ means
toll" concept, but lots of people *do* seem to object about losing a
distinction that they've found useful in the past.
In answer to your question about inter-NPA local calls, the most
common method I've heard of dealing with that situation seems to be
the one used in the Washington, DC and Dallas/Fort Worth areas:
inter-NPA local calls are ten digits (NPA-NXX-XXXX) while inter-NPA
long distance calls are eleven digits (1-NPA-NXX-XXXX). Not surprisingly,
this preserves the "1+ means toll" concept. Of course, it also
requires that no local exchanges use the same three digits as one of
the local NPAs. I foresee eventual problems with that method once NNX
area codes start popping up. For example, what will happen if a new
overlay area code is needed for Washington, DC? They'll have to pick
a code that isn't already used as an exchange in any part of the local
calling area (which includes all of 202 in DC, parts of 310 in MD and
parts of 703 in VA). No such code may be available, so the telcos
might then be forced to renumber one or more local exchange in order
to free a code up.
Bob Goudreau Data General Corporation
goudreau@dg-rtp.dg.com 62 Alexander Drive
+1 919 248 6231 Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
------------------------------
From: goldstein@carafe.tay2.dec.com (Fred R. Goldstein)
Subject: Re: The One True Dialing Plan
Organization: Digital Equipment Corp., Littleton MA USA
Date: Sat, 28 Aug 1993 04:35:03 GMT
In article <telecom13.607.7@eecs.nwu.edu> goudreau@dg-rtp.dg.com (Bob
Goudreau) writes:
> But this is hardly a new phenomenon -- plenty of areas that have
> always had 1 + 7D for intra-NPA long distance also have various
> gradations of "local" calls, using things like special calling areas,
> rate bands, message units, etc. For instance, in the Boston area, New
> England Telephone offers (or used to offer) a choice of plans. Under
> one plan, the subscriber has unlimited local calling only to nearby
> towns, and calls to places a little farther away (such as from
> Lexington to downtown Boston, say) incur message units. These calls
> were still dialed as local calls, since even with the additional costs
> they are priced far lower than intra-NPA long distance calls (say,
> Boston to Provincetown before the 617/508 split).
NET's tariffs in Boston are a case against "1=toll"! Nowadays, the
price of a Zone 2 local call (say, Lexington to Boston) is higher, at
night, than the price of a direct-dialed business toll call, for a
business using more than 50 hours/month (not per line, but per
account). Toll is 5.5c/minute with evening discounts; local is about
the same but with no discounts.
The reason for 1=toll is in the history of technology: On stepper
exchanges, it was easy to have dialed 1 connect straight through to a
toll office, which would process the remaining digits. Common control
exchanges (crossbar and electronic) are smarter, so they can route
calls independent of dialed digits.
Most residence subscribers think of very expensive toll and free
local, but current tariffs actually overlap in odd ways.
Fred R. Goldstein k1io goldstein@carafe.tay2.dec.com
Opinions are mine alone; sharing requires permission
------------------------------
From: cogorno@netcom.com (Steve Cogorno)
Subject: Re: Operator From Atlanta (was Re: Interesting 800 Number Response)
Date: Fri, 27 Aug 93 17:36:13 PDT
> A Southern Bell(e) employee? I thought she was from somewhere in the
> midwest ... Anybody know who she is?
> [Moderator's Note: She is/was not an employee of telco. She is/was
> a resident in the area who did the work on a contract basis. PAT]
I recall seeing a 20/20 special a few years back on the "voice" of Ma
Bell. She was a psychologist from Atlanta (I believe it was Atlanta.)
She demonstrated the various inflections in her voice, and explained
how the telco wanted particular sounds to convey different messages.
It was quite interesting.
Steve cogorno@netcom.com
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 28 Aug 1993 12:21:28 -0400 (EDT)
From: LESREEVES@delphi.com
Subject: Re: Operator from Atlanta (was Re:Interesting 800 Number Response)
The nice lady is indeed from Atlanta. Her name is Jane Barbee. She
is not a telco employee. Bell used an outside vendor, Audichron, also
in Atlanta for all professional voice announcements. It was a package
deal; Bell told Audichron what the machines were to say and Audichron
delivered the machine *and* the voice. The relationship between
Audichron and Bell started in the early 70's and continued through
divestiture. Miss Barbee's voice was used on all AIS (Automatic
Intercept System) machines from the mid-70's through the early 80's.
------------------------------
From: ccoprfm@prism.gatech.edu (Monte Freeman)
Subject: Re: Operator From Atlanta (was Re: Interesting 800 Number Response)
Date: 27 Aug 93 21:03:10 GMT
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology
The lady that I think people here are talking about is indeed still a
resident of the Atlanta area. In fact, she is a member of the same
amateur radio club that I am. She was nice enough to do some repeater
IDs for us. We have them in digital format, stored in our repeater
controller. She still sounds a lot like she did when she made the
original recordings for Audichron.
Sorry, I can't remember her last name and I don't have a club roster
in front of me. Her first name is Barbara though ... s e's a very nice
lady. One of the long time club members got her to come to a club
meeting one night, but didn't tell anyone that she was coming. He
introduced her by handing her the podium mic and having her read off a
couple of the IDs she had recorded for us.
People recognized her voice immediately! It was really quite
interesting to hear her talk about the 'old days' of telephony ...
Monte Freeman -- Operations Department / Information Technology
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta Georgia, 30332
Internet: ccoprfm@prism.gatech.edu Bitnet: ccoprfm@gitvm1.bitnet
[Moderator's Note: See the earlier note. Her name is Jane Barbie. PAT]
------------------------------
From: billc@halcyon.halcyon.com (Bill Campbell)
Subject: Re: Operator From Atlanta (Identified!)
Date: 27 Aug 1993 14:33:43 -0700
Organization: "A World of Information at your Fingertips"
While I do not know her personally, according to the person who
conducted corporate training on our corporate (my day job) Octel(tm)
Aspen(tm) voice mail system, the ubiquitous voice is that of one Jane
Barbie. I don't know any personal details about Jane (the person),
but we refer to the system as 'Jane'.
Bill Campbell Eagle's Reach
Software Engineering Management Consulting
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Modem Tax in Canada
Date: Sat, 28 Aug 93 10:25:25 PDT
From: tad@ssc.com (Tad Cook)
Mark Aiken (cxeo@musica.mcgill.ca) writes:
> I've seen rumors cropping up on local BBSs here in Montreal,
> Canada that Bell Canada is planning to pass legislation (of some sort)
> requiring that any computer for fax users transmitting data at rates
> faster than 4800bps lease "data"-grade lines instead of using normal
> voice-quality lines. This would mean, for example, that a user of an
> ordinary, run-of-the-mill 9600bps unit would be forced to rent an
> approx. $60/month line in addition to the regular approx. $15/month
> voice line, just to be able to use his/her modem at its highest speed.
Eric_N._Florack.cru-mc@xerox.com writes:
> Check, for example, the posts of a similar nature, which were traced
> abck to two NPRM's put forward by the FCC, here in the states. (The
> second came up after the first was so soundly trounced ... and the
> second seems to be not a rule in effect, but at least a basis for
> future commission policy. I speak of 87-215; the second is 91 something.)
> Both these had provisions which, it seems to me, would have required
> the local telco's to not only sample for modem traffic, but they would
> be taxed, based on the amount of modem traffic they carried ... and of
> course that tax would be passed onto the customer.
This sprang from the Modem Tax legend, or at least it was an attempt
to put some characterization of legitimacy on it.
What this was really about was the end of the temporary suspension of
network access charges for data carriers. Long distance carriers pay
it to the local telcos for terminating their traffic, but the FCC some
years ago temporarily suspended the same charges for data carriers.
When they tried to reinstate it so that big data carriers paid similar
charges to what voice carriers paid, CI$ got the BBS community all
riled up by calling it a "modem tax."
It never involved anything like monitoring individual lines.
It never proposed charging modem users a tax for their non-voice use
of the line.
All it was about was ending the data carriers free ride in the form of
no termination charges. It could be argued that since voice carriers
pay access charges for terminating traffic to the regulated LECs, that
when CI$ and others get away without paying it, essentially local
ratepayers foot the bill because the telephone service cost "pie" of
the local regulated telco is divided differently.
dixon@fourfold.ocunix.on.ca (dixon kenner) responds:
> A recent message implied that Bell Canada was considering requesting
> permission from the CRTC to charge for phone lines for modems running
> at higher than 4800 baud. Below is a cross post of a message that
> appeared in the Region 12 FidoNet sysop newsgroup on this subject.
> By: Fred Ennis
> To: all
> Re: CRTC and Bell
> I have spoken to both Bell Canada and the CRTC. The "Bell wants to
> force the use of data lines" post is bullshit, pure and simple. There
> is no such tariff filing, or any other business pending that is
> remotely connected with this. I would also urge anyone who sees such
> a post to check it out or send a message back to the author asking for
> more information before passing it along to a wider audience. Fidonet
> and the internet are famous for being able to spread false information
> very quickly, and I am appalled that people will do so without
> stopping to think.
> I have spoken to Bill Allen, the head of Public Information at the
> CRTC, and with Bell Canada's Public Affairs people. I've written about
> it in my newspaper column as well.
> The thing apparently originated with Martin Ouelette at 167/290.21.
> I've asked him for more info and haven't heard a thing back from him.
Sounds like the same rumor mongering we have had here in the USA off
and on over the past few years.
But here's a very interesting twist:
A few weeks ago I got a call from an engineer at New Brunswick
Telephone Co. in Canada. He was looking for a device that could
install in the CO to monitor traffic on individual POTS lines, and
automatically determine if the the line was being used for voice
instead of fax/data.
He looked high and low, but hadn't been able to find such a product.
But here is the interesting part:
I asked him why he needed this.
He said that in New Brunswick (and maybe this is true in other parts
of Canada) they have a tarrif which allows them to provide a POTS line
AT A LOWER RATE FOR MODEM OR FAX SERVICE ONLY.
He wanted some monitoring capability, because they were aware that
people were ordering the lower priced fax/modem lines, and using them
for voice.
So in some areas of Canada, fax/data lines are SUBSIDIZED by other
subscribers, rather than subject to a "modem tax"!
Of course, now that I have posted this interesting bit of trivia, one
of the crowd that loves to revive the modem tax rumor and then argue
about telco rate of return and the split of charges and cross
subsidies will take this information and cite it was evidence of some
major conspiracy to charge modem users more in the future.
tad@ssc.com (if it bounces, use 3288544@mcimail.com)
Tad Cook Packet Amateur Radio: Home Phone:
Seattle, WA KT7H @ N7DUO.WA.USA.NA 206-527-4089
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 27 Aug 93 23:39 EDT
From: johnl@iecc.com (John R Levine)
Subject: Re: Modem Tax in Canada?
Organization: I.E.C.C.
Can anyone seriously believe that a telco would be so stupid as to try
to surcharge every line with a fax? It's hard to imagine any faster
way to get every single one of their business customers mad at them
and lobbying the CRTC and their legislators to increase regulation to
prohibit nonsense like that.
FYI, the 1991 "modem tax" was not a repeat of 1987 despite attempts by
Compuserve and others to paint it that way. The question was whether
telcos should be forced to offer new features to data carriers at POTS
rates, or whether their exemption from paying feature group charges
only applied to the existing kind of service they had. There was no
attempt to make data carriers pay IXC rates as there was in 1987.
Regards,
John Levine, johnl@iecc.com, {spdcc|ima|world}!iecc!johnl
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V13 #611
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From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
Message-Id: <199308282057.AA19577@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #612
TELECOM Digest Sat, 28 Aug 93 13:57:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 612
Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson
Re: AT&T's Strange Attitude on 800 Numbers (Steve Dum)
Re: AT&T's Strange Attitude on 800 Numbers (Randal Hayes)
Re: AT&T's Strange Attitude on 800 Numbers (Joe Bergstein)
Re: AT&T's Strange Attitude on 800 Numbers (Brett Frankenberger)
Re: Suspension of Service (was: Questions About Snail Mail) (Steve Lichter)
Re: Suspension of Service (was: Questions About Snail Mail) (John R Levine)
Re: AT&T Easylink Annoucement (Les Reeves)
Re: Volume Level of Tropez 900DL? (Mike Detlef)
Re: CATV Company Announces Connection to the Internet (David H. Close)
Re: Calling Canadian 800 Numbers From Outside Canada (Nigel Allen)
Re: Cellular Phone Price Samples (Slonim Edwin)
Re: Status of Cellular Data (Russell E. Sorber)
Re: Looking up Names/Numbers via Internet? (Carl Oppedahl)
Re: FCC Equal Access Order (Christian Weisgerber)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: sdum@sdum.mentorg.com (Steve Dum)
Subject: Re: AT&T's Strange Attitude on 800 Numbers
Date: Sat, 28 Aug 1993 18:29:13 GMT
Organization: Mentor Graphics
> In article <telecom13.603.1@eecs.nwu.edu> TELECOM Moderator wrote:
>> AT&T is refusing to hook up a customer of mine ...
> Why not have the customer get a second POTS line, and YOU absorb the
> cost of that. Then park the new 800 number on the new POTS line.
> And, get Call Forwarding from the new POTS line to the existing POTS
> line.
> [Moderator's Note: Read the earlier messages sir! The customer is on
> the east coast; I am in Chicago. Now I should pay for a constant stream
> of calls all day to him from a forwarded line here? Even with a line
> on his premises I can add what? Three or four cents per minute to the
> cost of his calls? I should eat it? PAT]
Pat,
It would seem that you have lost objectivity here. Are you trying to
solve a telecom issue or just irratate AT&T. If the customer installs
the second line, and has it forwarded to his first POTS line, the east
coast/Chicago issues are not an issue. Also, if you file a complaint,
and eventually win, then surely AT&T should fork up for the extra
costs to bypass their idiodic behavior. But even here we are talking
about $50/month worst case against your 'substantial' revenue for a
large customer.
Stephen Dum steve_dum@mentorg.com (503)-685-7743
Mentor Graphics Corp. 8005 S.W. Boeckman Rd. Wilsonville, Or 97070-7777
------------------------------
From: HayesR@uihc-telecomm-po.htc.uiowa.edu
Date: 28 Aug 93 11:22 CST
Subject: AT&T's Strange Attitude on 800 Numbers
If you are dealing with your local AT&T representative, why don't you
try calling their Front End Customer Center at 800-328-7639. I've
always had good luck with them.
I relayed your dilemma to our local AT&T rep and he said AT&T puts 800
services on the same POTS number all the time (at least from what I
could describe of your situation).
Another possibility is to choose another carrier -- hey, we have 800
portability now; that vanity number can be used under any carrier, so
if you can't resolve it with AT&T, choose another carrier.
Just some suggestions, for what they're worth.
randal-hayes@uiowa.edu
------------------------------
From: Joe.Bergstein@p501.f544.n109.z1.fidonet.org (Joe Bergstein)
Date: Sat, 28 Aug 1993 04:00:14 -0500
Subject: AT&T's Strange Attitude on 800 Numbers
> Now I stand to lose the largest customer who has patronized me
> to date because AT&T is refusing to route his new 800 (from me,
> which I resell from them) to the POTS of his choice.
> I keep pursuing this on up the corporate ladder with my next
> stop being an appeal to the Chairman's Office to be followed if
> needed with a Commission complaint. Of course I have no money or
> resources to carry this fight on very long unless some attorney who
> practices communications law and knows the ins-and-outs will do it for
> me.
Pat,
What about filing an immediate complaint with the FCC, and submitting
a copy to the AT&T Chairman's office? Since your problem seems to be
related in some ways to 800 portability, I would think the F.C.C.
would be very interested in hearing about AT&T's obstinate stance in
refusing to respond to your reasonable request.
Joe Bergstein
------------------------------
From: brettf@netcom.com (Brett Frankenberger)
Subject: Re: AT&T's Strange Attitude on 800 Numbers
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Sat, 28 Aug 1993 15:01:00 GMT
deej@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (david.g.lewis) writes:
>> I asked them if they had ever heard of the term 'multi-POTS' (which
>> is what the termination of multiple 800's on the same line is
>> called.) Yes, they said, we heard of it but we are not gonna do it.
>> We *will* do it provided *we* get his account on both numbers (old
>> existing 800 and new number also). But they won't do it with their
>> own number and someone's else's 800.
> My hypothesis is that, since the new 800 number is actually being sold
> from AT&T's viewpoint to an aggregator and not to Pat's customer, it
> appears to the AT&T systems as if it is being sold to a different
> customer. Because the various flavors of AT&T 800 services which
> terminate to POTS lines use the POTS number as the billing number in
> the billing databases, and all the customer records are keyed off the
> billing number, I would suspect that it is impossible to have two
> different customers with the same billing number.
Oh, please. This is AT&T we are talking about. I can accept that GTE
in California cannot offer *69 (call return) because their billing
software cannot substitute XXXX for the last four digits of a returned
call as mandated by the CA PUC. But this is AT&T, and if their
Fsoftware cannot allow them to offer a service that is (presumably)
tariffed, then they must change their software or come up with some
convienient hack to get around this. The question to ask ourselves
here is "If Pat's customer was a private business owned by the
chairman of AT&T would AT&T find a way to offer this service?" The
answer is almost certainly yes. Then AT&T should offer this service
to Pat's customer. I cannot believe that it is technically impossible
to do. Technically inconvienient, maybe.
But if it is tariffed, they have to offer it. I would recommend that
you file complaints wherever you can. Sure, you don't have the time
to go through the entire process and wait for the FCC to order AT&T to
offer the service, but typically, once someone files a complaint,
their problems immediately become much more important.
I suspect that the publicity here in the Digest (most of which has not
been positive toward AT&T) may also result in them suddenly figuring
out how this can be set up.
> One thing that you have to keep in mind that is not intuitively
> obvious is that an aggregator is not "just another carrier" from the
> perspective of a service provider. A reseller/aggregator is, from the
> service provider's perspective, a customer. That's why they qualify
> for volume discounts and such. It also means, though, that there can
> be limitations to the services that can be provided.
But, in the case of AT&T, those limitations are only what are spelled
out in the tariffs.
> As I explained above, it can be a technical reason. I don't know for
> certain that it *is*, but considering I could come up with one
> technical reason after about ten minutes of thought when I don't have
> anything to do with 800 services or provisioning, I suspect there are
> half a dozen other technical reasons that *could* explain it.
Your reason is a billing reason. While that might be considered
technical, it seems obvious to me that the switches can handle it.
> Finally, Pat, I recognize that being put in a situation where you feel
> that you are unable to provide the desired service to your customer
> because of what seems to be an arbitrary and capricious decision on
> the part of your supplier is extremely frustrating; however, I would
> submit that you would be much more likely to get a satisfying answer
> if you don't state your concerns in language that implies that AT&T is
> a collection of monopolistic, predatory, customer-be-damned villians.
Ever since Pat posted his original message, there has been at least
two or more messages every day either from Pat or from other Digest
subscribers expressing a negative view of AT&T with respect to this
matter. Given the circulation of this Digest, I would submit that
this kind of publicity might get Pat what he wants. (Of course, it
might backfire also, but AT&T's power, as a company that is partially
still regulated, is limited).
PAT - as a practical matter, how does the per-minute cost of a second
line compare with your profit on the 800 number. If it is about the
same, you could pay for a second POTS line with calls forwarded to the
clients number (the POTS line would be in the same area as your
client, of course, to avoid LD charges). Even if you made no profit
on this arrangement, it would enable you to show the client that your
service works, and then, when your client is ready to drop the AT&T
service and cutover to your service, you could eliminate the second
POTS line and then begin making a profit. Of course, I agree with you
100% that you should not have to do this (it's AT&T that has the
problem, not you), but as a practical business matter, this could
possibly be the most profitable route for you to take.
Brett (brettf@netcom.com)
[Moderator's Note: Look, it was a bit of hyperbole on my part when I
said this customer would 'pay the rent'. It is a large account for me,
and the commissions would be very helpful, but the addition of lines
for forwarding calls, etc and the costs for same and the calls forwarded
would essentially eat up *everything* I would make on this, to say
nothing of the three months or so I have spent in correspondence and
efforts to obtain the desired number. Placement of the account with
some other carrier would require payment of the other carrier's rates
and I would not be able to get prices as good as Tariff 12, which is
what the customer will be paying under my offer. If he wanted other
carrier's rates, he would go to other carriers. He will be getting his
800 service *so inexpensively* (like 9-12 cents per minute on average)
that any additions to the bill will not make it worth his while to go
with me, nor I with him. PAT]
------------------------------
From: co057@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Steven H. Lichter)
Subject: Re: Suspension of Service (was: Questions About 'Snail Mail')
Date: 27 Aug 1993 22:16:54 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (USA)
PacBell offers it as I used it during the two week move I made. Also I
believe GTECalif offers it, I asked a service rep and she said there
was a suspension of service with a setup cost and monthly billing. I
would guess that each company would have to file with the regulator
for that tariff and would only do so if there was a need and it being
cost effective so money can be made on offering it.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 27 Aug 93 23:50 EDT
From: johnl@iecc.com (John R Levine)
Subject: Re: Suspension of Service (was: Questions About 'Snail Mail')
Organization: I.E.C.C.
> Do any LECs still offer suspended service?
Most do, although not always at sensible rates. Here in N.J. you can
have service suspended for up to seven months for a few bucks a month.
After that, the rate goes up to what the phone would have cost had you
left it on. They have a distinctive intercept:
At the customer's request,
3 6 1 0 5 0 5 has been temporarily
disconnected and
zcalls are being taken by
areacode 6 1 7, 8 6 4, 9 6 5 0.
Please make a note of it.
In Massachusetts, suspended service costs the same as leaving the
phone on, so why bother? Just leave an answering machine with your
other number.
Regards,
John Levine, johnl@iecc.com, {spdcc|ima|world}!iecc!johnl
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 27 Aug 1993 19:48:30 -0400 (EDT)
From: LESREEVES@delphi.com
Subject: Re: AT&T Easylink Annoucement
Patrick, this has been discussed in the Digest previously but it seems
to be getting worse. I receive TELECOM Digest at my AT&T Mail address
rather than this one since AT&T Mail does not charge for storage or
daytime access. Three dollars per month seems reasonable for a
primarily receive only address, but I am beginning to wonder. After
two days receiving no mail, today I received issues 601-608 of the
Digest. One of these issues was dated Tuesday, making it three days
old. Other readers have mentioned this problem with AT&T Mail in the
past, but it seems especially ironic since one of the delayed issues
featured an annoucement of their great new connections to the
Internet.
[Moderator's Note: Listen, you are lucky to get this thing at all I
suspect. MCI Mail on the other hand still has their strange way of
handling mail to a bad address: they dump the whole load for everyone
and send it all back undeliverable, forcing me to do a special mailing
just for MCI Mail names, of which there are several dozen. Seriously,
one person quits using mcimail.com for whatever reason without telling
me to delete the name from the list; MCI kills the mailbox; the next
issue of the Digest goes out and MCI sees the bad address; Boom! They
dump the whole mailing out undelivered, and send me back the list of
names saying 'one of these is a bad address'. I then have to edit that
part of the mailing list, and remail the issues to the rest of the
names. PAT]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 27 Aug 93 19:15:22 EST
From: detlef@se01.elk.miles.com (Mike Detlef)
Subject: Re: Volume Level of Tropez 900DL?
Organization: Miles, Inc.
Actually, the Tropez 900DL leaves quite a lot to be desired in the
ergonomics department. In about three months of use, I have compiled
the following list:
1. Although the downlink audio is pretty good (volume level problem
notwithstanding) the u one KHz brickwall filter. I sent mine back and
they replaced the mic element. It sounds a little better but ...
2. The keys on the handset require a long downward travel to make
contact. If you do not press them EXACTLY perpendicular to the unit,
they tend to wobble and produce double digits.
3. The handset gets hot in the region that normally touches your upper
cheek area if you attempt to talk for more that several minutes.
4. My unit intermittently refuses to respond to the CHAN (manual
channel change) key. I suspect that it's a software bug since this
key has a different function on the 900DL than on the older 900DX.
Looking inside the unit I see a Motorola 8 bit micro with a
handwritten label indicating 900DL. (nothing like robust version
control!)
5. The range in my area (flat terrain, single story wood houses) with
the base unit mounted to the wall about 5' from the floor is only
300'. That's a far cry from the 1/2 mile claimed on the box and only
marginally better than my Sony 10 channel 49 Meg phone.
When I sent the unit back originally, I asked about my less than
expected range and the drone told me that "we test each unit for 1/2
mile range at the factory". When I asked if that meant that their
factory was 1/2 mile long or if the measurement was based on TX output
and RX sensitivity she suddenly starteone to explain how NiCads have a
memory-effect and that my one week-old battery pack needed to be
cycled. I asked why then if my batteries were marginal wasn't the Low
Battery LED on. This just seemed to confuse her, but not enough to
discourage her from continuing to recommend deep cycling the battery
pack.
The bottom line is that this is the cheapest ($165) 900 Mhz digital
cordless phone out there. Unfortunately, you really do get what you
pay for.
BTW has anybody out there had any experience with CMI's $400 ESCORT
900 Mhz spread spectrum phone.
Mike Detlef | detlef@se01.elk.miles.com | (219) 294-8890
N9JDB | Miles Inc. Diagnostics Division | Elkhart, Indiana 46515
------------------------------
From: dhclose@cco.caltech.edu (David H. Close)
Subject: Re: CATV Company Announces Connection to the Internet
Date: 28 Aug 1993 08:01:23 GMT
Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
LESREEVES@delphi.com writes:
> Cable company plans to connect to the Internet. Continental
> Cablevision Inc. announces plans to provide a direct linkup to the
> Internet, bypassing local phone and other special hookups. {Wall
> Street Journal}, "Technology," 8/24/93, p. B1
Speaking with various people today at Interop, I learned that this
service is a 10 Mbps (Ethernet speed) connection for up to 300
subscribers per loop. Traffic to you is DES encrypted. The LA Times
reports the cost is between $70 and $150 per month. Hints were that
other such announcements should be expected soon.
Dave Close dhclose@alumni.caltech.edu dave@compata.attmail.com
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 28 Aug 93 06:09:40 EDT
From: ae446@freenet.carleton.ca (Nigel Allen)
Subject: Calling Canadian 800 numbers from outside Canada
Organization: Echo Beach
Reply-To: ae446@freenet.carleton.ca
If you need to get in touch with a Canadian company and the only means
of contact you have for the company is an 800 number, send me e-mail
and I'll try to phone the company and pass your message along.
Of course, many Canadian 800 numbers are valid from the U.S., but many
are not. (By the way, I think that Computing Canada, a tabloid
newspaper for the Canadian computer industry, has an 800 number for
their suburban Toronto offices that is good only from the U.S. and not
from Canada, presumably for the convenience of U.S. advertisers.)
If you have a fax number for the company, it is probably better to
send your request for information or assistance by fax rather than
asking me to relay a message.
Nigel Allen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada ae446@freenet.carleton.ca
------------------------------
From: slonim@intel.com (Slonim Edwin)
Subject: Re: Cellular Phone Price Samples
Date: 28 Aug 1993 11:48:05 GMT
Organization: Intel Israel (74) Ltd.
Paul Robinson (TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM) wrote:
> The following is the current status of some of the pricing for
> cellular telephones. All prices quoted are based on a tie-in to take
> airtime from one of the local companies.
Who cares? I rarely flame but this posting contains no useful
information, since the phones are cross-subsidized by the calling
plans, and ...
Edwin Slonim, Intel Architecture Labs, Haifa, Israel, eslonim@inside.intel.com
phone (011)+972-465-5910, fax (011)+972-465-5674 voicemail (916)356-2005
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 28 Aug 93 06:32:54 CDT
From: sorbrrse@sand.rtsg.mot.com (Russell E. Sorber)
Subject: Re: Status of Cellular Data
Organization: Motorola Inc., Cellular Infrastructure Group
In article <telecom13.608.10@eecs.nwu.edu> Jim.Rees@umich.edu writes:
> In marginal conditions, with the phone moving, I've been able to get
> sustained average throughput of up to about 6 kbps with a standard
> v.32 modem over AMPS cellular, although I've also seen it drop to 400
> bps. I haven't tried NAMPS.
Motorola has NAMPS customers who, with modem tweaking, are
transmitting at 2400bps. This is also the top rated speed for AMPS
data transmission (and is the basis for my earlier statement that AMPS
and NAMPS work equivalently in this regard). According to the
manufacturer, anything faster than 2400 bps is pressing your luck in
either the AMPS or NAMPS case.
What will really drive cellular data transmission is the marketplace.
Currently, according to a market survey published in the July `93
{Cellular Business Magazine}, about 5% of U.S. cellular customers
sometimes do data transmission over cellular. Of those who do data
tranmission, the data is said to account for about 11% of their
billable minutes. The demand is said to be increasing in the future
but the current numbers probably look too small for many cellular
operating companies to target the data transmitting customer. The
major motivation for companies in going to NAMPS or TDMA and
eventually CDMA is to relieve congestion and/or increase the number of
voice customers that can be billed.
Russ Sorber
Cellular Software Contractor - Opinions are mine, Not Motorola's!
Motorola, Cellular Division Arlington Hts., IL (708) 632-4047
------------------------------
From: oppedahl@panix.com (Carl Oppedahl)
Subject: Re: Looking up Names/Numbers via Internet?
Date: 28 Aug 1993 12:48:58 -0400
Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC
In <telecom13.609.7@eecs.nwu.edu> ehinson@nyx.cs.du.edu (Eric Hinson)
writes:
> I recently found out about a service on CompuServe that allows you to
> look up a person by their phone number (as well as other methods). Is
> there such a service available on the Internet? If not, are there any
> plans that any of you are aware of to implement such a service in the
> near future? Thanks.
Well, of course you could telnet to Compu$erve and get the information
that way ... that's "available on the Internet", right?
If you mean, is there a way to get it free, well, no. The companies
that build up those databases are not about to give it away for free.
Carl Oppedahl AA2KW (patent lawyer)
1992 Commerce Street #309
Yorktown Heights, NY 10598-4412
voice 212-777-1330
[Moderator's Note: Carl, isn't it amazing how many people there are
reading Usenet News who expect all these massive commercial databases
to just be handed over to them ftp-style with no charge at all? You
should see some of the inquiries I get here, asking if I know where to
obtain database X or database Z via ftp. Some of these dudes don't
feel they should have to pay anyone anything, so accumstomed they are
to having the newsgroups just handed over freely along with quite a
few databases which *are* free. Just because a company or organization
has a connection to the Internet does not mean everything they own is
in the public domain. :) PAT]
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 28 Aug 1993 02:42:10 +0200
From: naddy@mips.ruessel.sub.org (Christian Weisgerber)
Reply-To: naddy@mips.ruessel.sub.org
Subject: Re: FCC Equal Access Order
In <telecom13.601.11@eecs.nwu.edu> is written:
>> Here is the copy of the Equal Access Order which was promised. First
> Is there an English translation available? :->
> [Moderator's Note: Do you mean a German translation, or are you making
> mock of American bureaucrats and the way they write things in the
> hopes no one quite understands for sure what the law is, thus making
The latter. How is anybody supposed to read through such a text and
understand it? I mean, really grasp its meaning?
Not that bureaucrats over here are any different. The E.C. occupies
huge flocks of translaters to transfer just this kind of documents.
Christian 'naddy' Weisgerber, Germany naddy@ruessel.sub.org
[Moderator's Note: You have to understand that here in the USA it is
critical that laws be written in such a way that no one but lawyers
can hope to understand them. It is important that ordinary citizens be
kept in the dark and generally in violation of some law or another.
That's the way citizens here in the USA are kept under control, by
assuring that they are law-breakers and mostly ignorant of how to
comply with the law. I mean, you do understand why a bunch of
citizens able to operate freely and without government intervention
and the subsequent need for attorney assistance is a bad idea where
the government is concerned, don't you? Consider the *eight thousand*
people employed by the Circuit Court of Cook County, IL alone, or the
nearly *two thousand* employees of Cook County Jail and the Sheriff's
Office here. Do you *really* think they want to see a decrease in
crime or an end to to the 'war on drugs'? Where would they work; who's
trough would they feed at if suddenly everyone became law-abiding?
Ditto the lawyers. You think there might be some vested interest in
maintaining the status quo, and keeping otherwise simple concepts and
rules very complicated? PAT]
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V13 #612
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Date: Sat, 28 Aug 1993 19:24:57 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
Message-Id: <199308290024.AA22258@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #613
TELECOM Digest Sat, 28 Aug 93 19:24:45 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 613
Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson
The Telecommunications Survey (Vish Daita)
Save the SSC (Super Conducting Super Collider Laboratory Staff)
Risks of Cellular Phone on Heart (Seng-Poh Lee)
Portable Cellular Station (Dave Leibold)
TrueVoice Cumulative Distortion? (Fred R. Goldstein)
PAT is Famous :-) (J. Philip Miller)
What Is NetView/6000? (guide!editor@uunet.uu.net)
Prodigy Testing Internet Feed (Kevin G. Fowler)
Caller ID Docs - Bell Canada (Robert Schwartz)
PEI Phones (Dave Leibold)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: vish@orcs.bus.okstate.edu (Vish Daita)
Subject: The Telecommunications Survey
Date: Fri, 27 Aug 1993 21:27:19 -0500
Dear Telecommunications Officer:
As a telecommunications officer, you are faced with many far more job
complexities than many information systems and educational profess-
ionals realize. Although industrial and academic efforts are inc-
reasing to provide support in helping you deal with those complex-
ities, confusion still remains regarding how to meet your needs.
I am conducting a survey of telecommunications officers that explores
the value of task or knowledge areas thought to be essential for
success in telecommunications management. The survey instructions ask
you, the person in the best position to render judgement, to rate the
importance of these job-related items in your role as a manager of
telecommunications.
Would you help in this effort by answering the survey questions? The
results of the study will be reported in group form only, and
individual responses will in no way be identified with specific
companies or officers.
Please take a few minutes to contribute to this study by completing the
survey and returning it, preferably, by E-mail. Please respond by
September 10, 1993.
Your cooperation will be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Vish Daita
MBA Program - Oklahoma State University
Stillwater, OK 74078-0555
email: vish@orcs.bus.okstate.edu
Telecommunications Engineers'/Managers' Survey
The demographic data requested below is important in profiling the
respondents of the survey. Please answer the following questions by
placing an "x" in the appropriate space.
Company Information:
1. What is the primary business purpose of your firm?
Finance (Banking, Insurance, Securities, Credit, Real Estate) :
Government (Military, Federal, State, Municipal) :
Service (Telecommunications, Business, Education, Medical, Legal):
Manufacturing :
Other:
(please specify)
2. In what geographic area are you currently working?
Eastern (CT, DC, DE, MA, MD, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT) :
Southern (AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA, WV) :
Mountain Plains (CO, KS, ND, NE, NM, OK, SD, TX, WY) :
Western (AK, AZ, CA, HI, ID, MT, NV, OR, UT, WA) :
Other Country:
(please specify)
Personal Information
1. What is your specific job title?
2. Where was the majority of your telecommunications training received?
(Check one)
On-the-job (including seminars, workshops, etc.):
Telephone company :
Military :
Vocational Training :
College/University :
3. Have you had any additional telecommunications training?
No:
Yes:
If yes, please check all that apply:
On-the-job (including seminars, workshops, etc.):
Telephone company :
Military :
Vocational Training :
College/University :
4. What is the highest level of education that you have completed?
Doctoral degree :
Master's degree :
Some graduate-level education :
Four-year baccalaureate degree :
Associate's degree :
Some college :
Vocational certificate program :
No college or certificate program:
5. If you earned a baccalaureate degree, what was the specialty of that
degree?
Business :
Liberal Arts :
Information Systems/Data Processing :
Computer Science :
Engineering :
Telecommunications :
Other (please specify) :
6. Please list your LAST FIVE job positions from the earliest to the most
recent.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
7. Within what approximate range is your current annual salary?
$19,999 or less :
$20,000 - $39,999 :
$40,000 - $59,999 :
$60,000 - $79,000 :
$80,000 - $99,999 :
$100,000 or more :
Request for Survey Results:
Would you like a copy of the results of this questionnaire?
No:
Yes:
Send to:
Address:
--------------------------------
Job-Related Tasks and Knowledge Opinionnaire
Instructions: Please rate the following job-related items based on your
perceptions of their importance to your present role in your organization.
Rank the items based on the following scale:
___________________________________________________________________________
Not Important: 1; Of Little Importance: 2; Somewhat Important: 3;
Important: 4; Very Important: 5
___________________________________________________________________________
Rank
___________________________________________________________________________
In my current position, it is important that I be able to....
1. Evaluate hardware/software maintenance agreements
2. Use management tools in decision making (such as modeling)
3. Establish network security measures
4. Optimize voice communications
5. Select new telecommunications products that will be the
most beneficial to my organization
6. Forge good vendor relationships
7. Promote a working relationship with MIS/Data Processing
8. Recruit qualified people
9. Prepare documentation for senior management
10. Minimize the cost of data communications
11. Cost-justify communications projects
12. Manage a multivendor communications system
13. Manage personnel
In my position, it is important that I understand....
14. Tariffs
15. Traffic engineering and network design
16. Worker concerns for job security
17. PBX technology and applications
18. Protocols and interfaces
19. Financial analysis
20. Daily operations of networks
21. Network management problems and procedures
22. Telecommunications regulations, policies, and the law
23. New technology and applications
24. Strategic challenges of the job
25. Local network cabling and implementation
It is also important for me to understand....
26. Implementation of office automation technology
27. The regulation framework for ISDN
28. Open Systems Interconnection
29. Communications equipment operation
30. The status and development of fiber optics in local
exchange networks
31. Concepts of measured usage
32. Company objectives and policies
33. Existing common carrier services
34. Current issues at state and federal regulatory bodies
35. Fiber optic installation
36. End-user requirements
In my organization, it is important that I be able to....
37. Make equipment procurement decisions
38. Manage voice communications
39. Motivate employees
40. Optimize data communications
41. Evaluate the physical, data-link, and network layers
of communications systems protocol hierarchy
42. Budget communications projects
43. Design networks
44. Negotiate with vendors
45. Develop RFPs (Requests for Proposals)
46. Obtain support of top management
47. Evaluate equipment and network services
48. Select vendors
49. Manage data communications
50. Design and develop communications projects
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE WITH THIS SURVEY
(Developed by: Roberta Irene Ackerson)
--------------------
Vish Daita E-mail: vish@orcs.bus.okstate.edu
------------------------------
From: ssc1@cse.uta.edu (Super Conductor Super Collider 1)
Subject: Save the SSC
Organization: Computer Science Engineering - Univ of Texas at Arlington
Date: Sat, 28 Aug 1993 18:06:58 GMT
The Superconducting Super Collider Laboratory was established to
investigate the fundamental nature of matter and energy. It is one of
the greatest scientific instruments ever to be constructed on the face
of the earth. The knowledge we gain from the SSC is essential to
maintaining the continued leadership position of the US in Science and
Technology. In June, the House voted to cut funding for the SSC due to
problems with the management of the construction. The Senate is due to
consider voting in September.
At a time when such projects like the Helium Fund (begun after the
World War I to ensure sufficient Helium supplies in case the US was in
a Blimp Air war!!) continue to be funded, cutting funds for a venture
like the SSC that holds such promise for the coming century is
detrimental to the future of the country. The congressional vote to
cut funds for the SSC comes at a time when there is a strong challenge
to the leadership role of the US in science and technology. It is not
farfetched to say that Physics gave rise to Electrical Engineering and
to Computer Science. Which country would have pioneered Computers
Science had it not been for the Physics Nobel laureate Dr. John
Bardeen? Were not major contributions to Nuclear Science made by
Particle Physicists?
We feel that the Senate should seize this opportunity to reset
priorities for the nation that will ensure continued funding for the
SSC. Let us send a strong message to the world that we are determined
to remain pioneers in the quest for knowledge.
What You Can Do
Here is a chance for you to stand up and speak. Make your voice
heard. If you are willing to support this campaign, reply to this
message and we will forward to you the phone numbers of your senators,
the e-mail address of the President and Vice President and you can
stand up and be counted as one of those who helped make this adventure
in science a success.
------------------------------
From: lee@gdc.com (Seng-Poh Lee)
Subject: Risks of Cellular Phone on Heart
Date: Fri, 27 Aug 1993 23:31:51 EDT
Organization: General DataComm Ind. Inc., Middlebury, CT
There's a lot of talk about handheld cellular phone causing/not
causing brain tumours, etc, but no one seems to be concerned about the
effect of the phone on heart tissue.
A lot of newer phones are actually small enough to keep in your shirt
pocket, right by your heart. Granted, the phone does not transmit all
the time in the idle mode, but doesn't it check in once in a while?
And what about when you receive an incomming call? At that time, the
antenna is only a few inches from your heart while it is transmitting.
Perhaps this should be cross-posted to sci.med as well, but what are
the potential effects of RF on heart tissue?
Seng-Poh Lee Internet: Work: splee@gdc.com
General DataComm Ind. Inc. Alt : splee@pd.org
Middlebury, CT splee@gnu.ai.mit.edu
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 28 Aug 1993 11:30:30 -0400
From: Dave.Leibold@f730.n250.z1.FIDONET.ORG (Dave Leibold)
Subject: Portable Cellular Station
[from Bell News, Bell Quebec 23 Aug 93]
Emergency Situations
Bell Mobility Cellular introduces first mobile cellular station.
On August 16, Bell Mobility Cellular introduced the first mobile
cellular station in Canada. Built at a cost of $1.7 million, the
telecommunications station, which links cellular and satellite
technologies, will be used by governments, municipalities and major
corporations involved in responding to emergency situations, natural
disasters or major catastrophes.
The mobile cellular station, which is the size of a trailer, can be
transported by road, air, rail and ship and was designed to operate
under extreme weather conditions. The station will be used in regions
where no cellular coverage is available and in fringe areas of the
cellular network.
Four technicians will set up the station and its cellular and
satellite transmission equipment at the disaster site. The programming
will be carried out from Montreal. Once in place, the station will
operate automatically.
The mobile cellular station is the work of Bell Mobility Cellular's
Direction des mesures d'urgence (DMU), a specialized group created in
1990 to develop, manage and deploy the emergency resources and
applications of mobile communications.
Dave Leibold - via FidoNet node 1:250/98
INTERNET: Dave.Leibold@f730.n250.z1.FIDONET.ORG
------------------------------
From: goldstein@carafe.tay2.dec.com (Fred R. Goldstein)
Subject: TrueVoice Cumulative Distortion?
Organization: Digital Equipment Corp., Littleton MA USA
Date: Sat, 28 Aug 1993 05:13:50 GMT
I think my reply to a previous string on this topic was lost among
other articles a couple of days ago ... but anyway, I have a concern
about AT&T's TrueVoice. (Or is it "TruVoice, we make your voice sound
like Truman Capote"? ;-] )
Since it operates by boosting the bass in the echo canceller, which
occurs on every LD call, what happens to a conference call? Take, for
instance, the conference bridge that Pat and I used for our appearance
on last week's Spectrum radio program. If TrueVoice were in use, then
our voices would have been bass-boosted going in to the bridge, then
bass-boosted again going OUT of the bridge. Likewise for a three-way
call in a PBX or CO.
All of that distorted bass energy might make every conference call
have the swell sound quality that I heard on the bridge after the show
was over. The radio station or somebody started playing "Fish Heads"
by Barnes and Barnes, many dB over the top, resulting in 90% or so
distortion. Eat them up, yum!
Al Varney complains that our anti-distortion position is a form of
luddism, as if we preferred tube amps to more modern transistors or
something. In fact, tube amps sell at a premium nowadays because they
have lower distortion than cheap transistor amps, but that's
irrelevant. The goal of a transmission system -- hey AT&T
Communications, remember what business you're in! -- should be low
distortion. Not second-guessing what kind of microphone I _might_ be
using.
Fred R. Goldstein k1io goldstein@carafe.tay2.dec.com
Opinions are mine alone; sharing requires permission
------------------------------
From: phil@wubios.wustl.edu (J. Philip Miller)
Subject: PAT is Famous :-)
Date: Sat, 28 Aug 1993 15:52:07 CDT
I presume you saw this, but thought it neat that you are recognized as an
authority on such ...
phil
From: newsbytes@clarinet.com
Newsgroups: clari.nb.telecom
Subject: US Remains Option For International Calls 08/27/93
Date: 27 Aug 93 19:52:37 GMT
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, U.S.A., 1993 AUG 27 (NB) -- Routing calls between
nations through the US in order to get lower rates remains a viable
option despite moves to reduce tariffs, according to Patrick Townson
of Chicago.
Townson wrote Steve Gold of Newsbytes to report on Telepassport, which
aims to do just this. He notes that calls between the US and UK cost
about 50 cents per minute, but can then proceed to other countries.
Like its competitors, Telepassport uses a technique called
"re-origination," in which calls are first fed to the US, then
re-started in order to get US rates on both legs of the call.
According to Townson, this can cut costs up to 50 percent. "For
example, a five minute call from Italy to the US handled and billed by
the PTT [postal telephone and telegraph] would cost $11.40," he
writes. "Using Telepassport, the cost for the same call would be
$6.84.
"A five-minute call from Brazil to the United Kingdom costs $18.95
through the Brazilian PTT, but only $10.84 using Telepassport."
He said nations are required by international treaties to respect
Telepassport's right to operate and compete, although the company must
compensate local PTTs' for use of their lines as part of the normal
international settlement process.
Townson also addressed objections by AT&T to the practice. "AT&T has
raised objections when certain companies it suspected were marketing a
callback system filed for FCC authorization to carry international
traffic. In their objections they complained that callback systems
were illegally using carriers' facilities to signal for the callback
and thereby avoiding payment of the tariffed rates for usage. In fact,
the tariffs are specifically set not to charge for uncompleted calls
so there is no avoidance of payment. AT&T's own answering machine
product, 'The Toll Saver' is designed not to answer a call if there
are no messages on the machine, thus signalling such to the caller
without him incurring a charge. There are several other examples of
security systems, energy devices, etcetera, which use the telephone
for signalling without payment."
Telepassport requires its own accounts on all users, but users can
call from any phone. Subscribers call Telepassport's number in New
York, let the phone ring twice, then hang up and wait for a call-back,
at which point the authorization numbers and security codes are input,
followed by the number the user wants to reach, including its country
code. The system works using computers inside a phone switch, and a
variety of languages can be chosen for prompts. The system also offers
voice mail, messaging forwarding, and phone home services similar to
AT&T's Easy Reach 700 offering. The service can also be used by
international businesses to offer toll-free lines to US customers.
Rates have three components. There's an access charge, per call, an
initial charge for call set-up, and a per-minute charge. The initial
charge applies only when the US is used as an intermediary, with calls
being routed through it to third countries. The access charge is
usually remitted to a foreign PTT.
For users, the biggest risk lies in the method of payment, US dollars.
If the value of a local currency falls against the dollar between the
time a call is made and billed, it will cost more than otherwise.
Billing is by credit card, either Master Card, Visa or American
Express.
(Dana Blankenhorn/19930823/Press Contact: Patrick Townson; e-mail,
ptownson@eecs.nwu.edu)
-------------------
J. Philip Miller, Professor, Division of Biostatistics, Box 8067
Washington University Medical School, St. Louis MO 63110
phil@wubios.WUstl.edu - (314) 362-3617 [362-2693(FAX)]
------------------------------
From: guide!editor@uunet.UU.NET (editor)
Subject: What Is NetView/6000?
Date: 27 Aug 93 09:14:02 GMT
Reply-To: guide!editor@uunet.UU.NET
Organization: Guidepost, Inc.
Hi,
What is NetView/6000?
I've heard it was basically some HP snmp package that IBM licensed and
added some value to.
I am very interested in general as well as detailed info, so anything
you know ...
Thanks a lot!
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 28 Aug 1993 16:47:28 EDT
From: TMVF52A@prodigy.com (MR KEVIN G FOWLER)
Subject: Prodigy Testing Internet Feed
Well, Prodigy is starting to test its Internet connection, and if you
received this, it's working. Here's the letter I received asking me
to join the test:
FREE SOFTWARE FOR COMMUNICATORS!
PRODIGY members will soon have at their fingertips a variety of ways
to communicate. They'll be able to send messages and files to PRODIGY
members, E-mail to members of other online services, faxes and US
Postal Service letters via PRODIGY. They'll be using Mail Manager, a
utility that lets them write, read and organize messages without being
connected to PRODIGY. I'm inviting members like you, who enjoy
communicating via the PRODIGY service, to try Mail Manager during a
Limited Release test over the next few weeks. To become a tester, read
the screens which follow LOOK and sign up for both Mail Manager and
the Internet. Once you've signed up for Mail Manager you will be able
to download the Mail Manager software and install it on your PC.
Download should take about 27 minutes at 2400 bps, 8 minutes at 9600.
During the Limited Release there is no fee for sign up and download of
the Mail Manager software. Fees will apply for any messages you send
using the offline software: PRODIGY E-mail, Internet E-mail, faxes, US
Postal Service letters and files. Print information about fees on the
screens that follow to keep as a reference. We recognize that
adopting new ways of communicating via PRODIGY may be easy for some
members and more difficult for others. If you sign up for the software
and the test, we'll follow up with a questionnaire in about three
weeks to see how you're doing. All we ask in return for the free
software is your feedback. It's important to us. As always, our
Membership Services team is ready to answer your questions and provide
advice during the Limited Release. For assistance, call
1-800-PRODIGY. If you prefer to send a message to membership services,
Jump: membership services and select "Using the PRODIGY service".
---------------
kevinf@wendan.rain.com TMVF52A@prodigy.com ?
------------------------------
From: r.schwartz18@genie.geis.com
Date: Sat, 28 Aug 93 04:57:00 BST
Subject: Caller ID Docs - Bell Canada
I have been trying to track down Caller ID specs for the Bell Canada
territory for the past year and a half. I did order the spec sheets
from Bell Core, but they are not the same as in use by Bell Canada.
In a recent FAQ from the Telecom Digest, I note that they quote a
source for getting the "Canadian" version of the CID specs from
Stentor, and it was free. This is not the case. In fact, not only is
it not free, but it costs plenty!! First, here are the details for
getting documents from Stentor (changed since the last FAQ that I
read):
In Canada call: 1-800-265-6608 (voice mail, they call you back next
day).
Worldwide: (613)781-6816 or FAX: (613)781-6454
or write to:
Stentor Resource Centre Inc.
Director - Interface Standards Research
Suite 480, 160 Elgin Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1G 3J4
Caller ID documents are:
ID-0001 CALL MANAGEMENT SERVICE (CMS)
ID-0012 ENHANCED CALL MANAGEMENT SERVICE (ECMS)
The cost is $50.00(CAN). Each.
Here is where I get upset. I can call Bellcore (toll free from
Canada), and order Caller ID documents, which they cheerfully send to
me for FREE (last time I called). But if I want to develope Caller ID
software for use in the Bell Canada territory, I have to send Stentor
$50.00 so that they can lick a 43 cent stamp! This is totally
ridiculous and an embarrassment to the Canadian Telecommunications
Industry.
If anyone can help me with the specifications for Bell Canada's Caller
ID, I would like to hear from you. Please e-mail me at:
r.schwartz18@genie.geis.com
(I've been having problems receiving the TELECOM Digest, so e-mail is
the best way to reach me)
Thanks,
Robert Schwartz
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 28 Aug 1993 15:45:40 -0400
From: Dave.Leibold@f730.n250.z1.FIDONET.ORG (Dave Leibold)
Subject: PEI Phones
Telephones in the smallest Canadian province, Prince Edward Island are
operated by Island Tel. With approximately 130,000 people in the
province, there aren't that many lines to be serviced, and many of
these would be for a rural population. PEI shares NPA 902 with Nova
Scotia, considering the few NXX (central office codes) needed.
While being a tourist in PEI, I spotted some Island Tel reps in the
Confederation Centre Mall in Charlottetown (the provincial capital and
the only city) plugging recently installed CMS/CLASS features such as
Call Return, Call ID, etc. With such technology, calling features are
comparable to the rest of North America.
An old (1930) exchange/work building can be spotted on Queen Street in
downtown Charlottetown. I don't know if they have the city's central
office in there, though that would be unusual considering the building
has many windows.
ANAC/number readback is done by dialing 711 (at least in Charlottetown).
Don't dial 211; this reaches the infamous "line killer" which gives a
very irregular busy signal, then once hung up on, cuts all power to
the line for a minute or two.
Dave Leibold - via FidoNet node 1:250/98
INTERNET: Dave.Leibold@f730.n250.z1.FIDONET.ORG
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V13 #613
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From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
Message-Id: <199308291657.AA31015@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #614
TELECOM Digest Sun, 29 Aug 93 11:57:30 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 614
Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson
Re: What's Difference: Fiber to Home; Curb and Hybrid Fiber/Coax (M Cnota)
Re: The One True Dialing Plan (Al Varney)
Re: Modem Transmissions Over One Way Radio (David Breneman)
Re: Portable Terminal Needed (David Breneman)
Re: Should I Get a Separate Line For Modem (Paul Robinson)
Re: AT&T Announces New Internet Connectivity (Gregory Youngblood)
Re: Email <-> Telex (Paul Robinson)
Re: Free French Phone Information From Publiphone (Frank Keeney)
Re: Looking For a Book on ATM (Mark A. Cnota)
Re: Operator from Atlanta (was Re:Interesting 800 Number (Marvin Hoffman)
Re: CATV Company Announces Connection to the Internet (John Kennedy)
Re: Radio Station Acronyms (David Breneman)
Re: Radio Station Acronyms (Ethan Miller)
Re: Radio Station Acronyms (Scott Fybush)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: mac@rci.chi.il.us (Mark A. Cnota)
Subject: Re: What's Difference: Fiber to Home; Curb and Hybrid Fiber/Coax
Organization: Ripco Communications Incorporated
Date: Sun, 29 Aug 1993 01:15:13 GMT
Liron Lightwood (r.lightwood@trl.oz.au) wrote:
> I've been reading about the future networks the cable TV companies and
> telcos want to set up for video on demand, interactive TV, etc. I'm
> getting a little confused about the various terms used for the various
> kinds of networks.
> Could someone please tell me the difference between:
> Fiber to the home,
> Fiber to the curb.
> Hybrid fiber/coax network.
I can expound on the telco applications of fiber. I would imagine for
cable tv it isn't too much different.
Fiber to the home is pretty much what it sounds like. It only gets
confusing when you compare and contrast it to "fiber to the curb."
Leaving the central office, the fiber will terminate first at a
"remote terminal" in either an underground vault or large above-ground
cabinet. These eletronics will multiplex the optical signal down to
several of a more useable level. This is a more efficient use of
bandwith as well as making the far-end muxes cheaper because they have
a "slower" signal to deal with. In the past these types of cabinets
and vaults used SLC-96 technology to give us derived copper
facilities, but instead now we have fiber coming OUT also.
The fiber coming out of these multiplexers can be used either of two
ways. One is to terminals in pedstals or on poles, which would feed
two to six houses each. This is what is called "fiber to the curb."
Depending on what type of service you are providing, you either coax
or copper drop wire will go from the terminal to the subscribers
house. The other option is for the fiber to be passively split and go
directly into each subscribers house. The latter, of course, offers
much more capability for broadband services such as video on demand,
interactive information services, etc. even though this can be done
over short pieces of coax to a limited extent also.
This also brings up another real interesting point with a lot of
varying opinions. As just about everyone knows, copper telephone
service has always been line powered. That is, you have never had to
supply your own power in order for a regular telephone to work. Even
when the power goes out, you ALWAYS have telephone service, because
the central office has deisel backup and batteries to back up the
deisel. Another interesting point is they also have deisel generators
on semi-truck trailers in case the deisel generator at the central
office fails, because the batteries aren't meant to last for a real
long time. The "remote terminals" used for derived copper service have
always had battery backups, and they aren't THAT widely used so there
haven't been a lot of problems with lost power.
Here comes fiber to the curb/home. All fiber electronics need an
external power source. In fiber to the curb, Ameritech's solution is
to bury telco-type 22 ga. cable in the same trench and make the
optical terminals powered from the commercial power source at the
remote terminal. If you want to go one step further and bring fiber to
the home, the only feasible way is for the subscriber to supply the
power for the multiplexing unit. Now if you lose commercial power, you
have no telephone service. You can make a battery backup but that gets
expensive really fast, not to mention having to test and maintain it.
What is happening is a lot of people are knocking "fiber to the
curb/home" because it gives up a certain reliability factor that has
always been associated with telephone service. Are people willing to
give up the reliability of POTS for new technology? What other
solutions have been discussed by other AOC's or vendors?
Mark A. Cnota / Outside Plant Engineering, Ameritech
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 28 Aug 93 16:10:15 CDT
From: varney@ihlpe.att.com
Subject: Re: The One True Dialing Plan
Organization: AT&T
In article <telecom13.611.4@eecs.nwu.edu> David A. Cantor <cantor@mv.
MV.COM> writes:
> I propose we eliminate the ambiguity and invent the One and Only
> Obviously Unambiguous Uniform Digit Dialing Plan (the OOOUUDDP):
> First, eliminate all 7D dialing (and also 8D dialing, of course).
> Now, all country code 1 calls should be dialled with an access code +
> ten digits. The access code would be 1+ or 0+, and we would continue
> to use 10xxx+ as a prefix for choosing a carrier. We could also
> continue using 01+ and 011+ for out-of-country calls, but, best of
> all, if we agree never to use the digit 1 as the first digit in an
> area code, we can eliminate the need for 1+ entirely, and dial all
> station-to-station calls as simply NXX-NXX-XXXX, whether their local
> or long distance. A leading 1+ would be optional, and it could be
> optional even if a carrier selection code is used. (Gee, we don't
> need the "office code" to be restricted to 2-9 anymore, either, we
> could make it NXX-XXX-XXXX. That might save some area code splits.)
> Okay, how do I go about proposing this to the proper authorities?
You don't have to, David. The "authorities" (the current North
American Numbering Plan Administrator) have already suggested the
desirability of a uniform ten-digit numbering plan sometime in the
future. If new NPAs are allocated as planned by the Administrator,
there will be no NPA "splits" -- instead, new NPAs will overlay
existing ones. Over time, your next door neighbor could have a
"foreign" NPA (compared to your own lines). If many of your calls are
to such NPAs, you can "save digits" by dropping the 1+ on foreign
NPAs, and adding your NPA to intra-NPA calls. This also opens up the
1+ leading digit for other indications, in addition to the existing
10XXX (soon to be 101XXXX). Of course, 1+ for "toll" would block such
new applications of 1+.
Also, since the NANPA has asked to be replaced, the replacement may
have other plans for NPAs.
Al Varney
------------------------------
From: daveb%jaws@epsilon.eecs.nwu.edu (David Breneman)
Subject: Re: Modem Transmissions Over One Way Radio
Date: 28 Aug 93 20:42:16 GMT
Organization: Digital Systems International, Redmond WA
Alfredo Cotroneo (A.Cotroneo@it12.bull.it) wrote:
> I am going to experiment with TX only data transmissions using standard
> modems (e.g. ZyXel/USR Robotics) over a one way radio link. I just
> wonder if that would be possible at all with which parameter(s)
> setting since there will be no modem on the other side of the line to
> *negotiate* the protocol with.
Try one (if there's more than one) of the ham radio groups. RTTY
(radio teletype) transmissions used to be a hot pursuit (right up
there with slow-scan television) up until about ten years ago. The
only difference would be the speed -- but if you're intent on using one
of these Dern Newfangled modem protocols that *require* negotiation,
you may be it trouble.
David Breneman Email: daveb@jaws.engineering.dgtl.com
System Administrator, Software Engineering Services
Digital Systems International, Inc. Voice: 206 881-7544 Fax: 206 556-8033
------------------------------
From: daveb%jaws@dsinet.dgtl.com (David Breneman)
Subject: Re: Portable Terminal Needed
Date: 28 Aug 93 21:08:51 GMT
Organization: Digital Systems International, Redmond WA
Vance Shipley (vances@xenitec.on.ca) wrote:
> I'm looking for a low priced portable data terminal that will do 2400
> baud or better, light weight and cheap. If you know who might
> manufacture such a beastie please let me know.
> So far I've looked at the Panasonic KX-D4930 but was not very
> impressed (1200 baud, heavy and expen$ive).
The TI Travel Mate ??220 is pretty good. Not sure about the model.
It's something like LT220 or LV220. Anyway, it's a VT-220 emulating
LCD terminal with a built-in 2400 buad Hayes compatible modem. These
came out about three or four years ago. I used one for three years
(at a former employer -- that's why I can't just look at it to get the
number). When they first hit the market they were about two grand --
but during the two months we had it for a trial it had two price drops
and eventually cost about $1400, so I'm sure they're less now. It
also has a DB-9 serial port to connect it directly to a computer, and
the battery lasts about four hours between chargings. It's about the
size of a small laptop computer. Very durable and trouble-free. (TI
has been making portable terminals for a long time. Their first model
(before LCD screens) had a thermal printer - sort of a laptop
teletype!)
David Breneman Email: daveb@jaws.engineering.dgtl.com
System Administrator, Software Engineering Services
Digital Systems International, Inc. Voice: 206 881-7544 Fax: 206 556-8033
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 29 Aug 1993 09:26:40 EDT
Reply-To: 0005066432@MCIMAIL.COM
Subject: Re: Should I Get a Separate Line For Modem
From: Paul Robinson <TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM>
Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring, MD USA
Russell Sharpe <sharpe_r@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz>, writes:
>> Rajappa Iyer <iyer@npg-sd.sandiegoca.NCR.COM> writes:
>> What are the pros and cons of using the same telephone number for
>> the modem and voice? I really don't want to miss calls while I am
>> the modem. Would call waiting help? Any input on this will be appr
>> iated.
> We have a facility in New Zealand called 1 + 1 (one voice + one
> voice).
> It is usually used when Telecom has run out of cable pairs.
> Basically it consists of a physical POTS line with a high pass
> filter (>10kHz) and a carrier, a POTS line modulated up 10kHz.
> Two pieces of equipment, effectively CODECS (Coder/Decoder), are
> needed, one at the switch site, and one at the customers premises.
In the United States, that feature (1+1) is called "Subscriber
Carrier" and is considered, as Samuel Johnson mislabelled Patriotism,
"The last refuge of a scoundrel." Subscriber Carrier implies either
that the phone company can't or won't put more pairs in an area.
If they can't because the locals don't want overhead wiring, or the
customer wants a second phone line and he's on a rural service with
two miles of wire out to his site, that's one thing. If it's an
excuse not to add more pairs in a large city, *that* is inexcusable.
Paul Robinson - TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM
------------------------------
Subject: Re: AT&T Announces New Internet Connectivity
From: zeta@tcscs.com (Gregory Youngblood)
Date: Sat, 28 Aug 93 18:02:53 PDT
Organization: TCS Computer Systems
tmplee@TIS.COM (Theodore M.P. Lee) writes:
> Does anyone have any representative pricing information? Details on
> exactly what kind of connection you get when you dial 950-1ATT?
> (straight terminal? Slip/PPP? X25? or what?) Is the internet
> "connectivity" competitive with other providers of dial-up access?
Where would a person call in AT&T to find out this information?
Greg
TCS Computer Systems AT&T Easy Reach Number 25799B Madrone Drive
(707)489-7500 0-700-TCS-0000 Willits, CA 95490
Personal: zeta@tcscs.com Information: info@tcscs.com
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 28 Aug 1993 22:26:50 EDT
Reply-To: 0005066432@MCIMAIL.COM
Subject: Re: Email <-> Telex
From: Paul Robinson <TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM>
Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring, MD USA
JOHN.D.GRETZINGER@sprint.sprint.com belched out the following:
> Paul Robinson <TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM> writes in part:
>>> I'm trying to learn if anyone offers a (two-way) gateway between
>>> Telex and Internet Email.
>> The only reasonably priced service for this is MCI Mail.
>> AT&T Mail (Easylink) raised its rates for a telex number
>> from an expensive $29 per month plus usage, to a whopping
>> $99 per month plus usage.
> Sprint offers the ability to send and receive TELEX messages
> as a part of it's SprintMail offering. Naturally, there is a
> charge for this, but it is there.
I like MCI Mail. I signed up for AT&T Mail under the username of
TDARCOS (naturally), since it was only $3 a month. I found the
service less than impressive and dropped it later. But to get an
incoming telex number from AT&T Mail required I buy an Easylink
account which is $29 a month.
I wanted to try Sprintmail. They don't bill individuals, they only
accept credit cards, and with a minimum monthly usage (I think it was
at least $25 a month) PLUS they charge you 5c/K to READ mail AS WELL
AS SEND IT. And an incoming Telex number was the same thing as AT&T -
an extra 30 bucks a MONTH.
Compare this with the rates from both AT&T and MCI Mail: no charge to
receive mail. Monthly rate is essentially $3 a month (with MCI Mail
billing the whole year in advance, e.g. $35). Sending mail is about
the same price on all three systems, with neither AT&T nor MCI
charging to receive mail. MCI gives a free incoming telex number and
AT&T charges (now $99 a month) for an incoming telex number.
> If a person/company needed enhanced electronic mail capabilities,
> this might be worth a look. Signing up for SprintMail just to be
> able to occasionally send/receive TELEX is probably not cost
> justifiable.
Using Sprintmail *at all* is NOT COST JUSTIFIABLE unless a place has a
long-establisbed account that cannot be moved or has a long term
contract. Both AT&T and MCI Mail provide much better rates than
Sprint.
If someone needs to send an occational telex, if they have service on
any commercial service they can use that; Compuserve has outgoing
telex service, and if you can get the correspondent to put your
account number in the first line of the telex, an account on
Compuserve can receive via Compuserve's telex number.
For anyone receiving any number of telexes a year, MCI Mail is the
least expensive service there is. At $35 a year, nobody else with $25
a month charges can come close.
Paul Robinson - TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM
------------------------------
From: frank@calcom.socal.com (Frank Keeney)
Reply-To: frank@calcom.socal.com
Date: Sun, 29 Aug 1993 10:01:28 -0800
Subject: Re: Free French Phone Information From Publiphone
On Aug 14 17:36, Alan Phipps wrote:
> I'm looking, right now, for a Minitel access number in France. Can
> you help me out?
On my last trip to France I purchased some Minitel related magazines
hoping to call some of the services from the U.S. Unfortunatly you
cannot call these numbers from out side of France. They are like a
U.S. 900 number you can only dial them from within the country.
There is a Gateway to the Minitel system in New York city called
Minitel U.S.A. which allows Minitel services on one of the packet
switched networks.
Frank Keeney E-mail frank@calcom.socal.com
115 W. California Blvd., #411 Fidonet 1:102/645
Pasadena, CA 91105-1509 USA UUCP hatch!calcom!frank
FAX +1 818 791-0578 Voice Mail +1 818-791-0578 x402
------------------------------
From: mac@rci.chi.il.us (Mark A. Cnota)
Subject: Re: Looking For a Book on ATM
Organization: Ripco Communications Incorporated
Date: Sun, 29 Aug 1993 01:19:41 GMT
Ramon Alanis (ramona@teleride.on.ca) wrote:
> I am looking for a good book on ATM, SONET and related topics.
> Any sugestions?
The book by Toni Childs that can be ordered out of the postcard insert
in every copy of {Telephony} is a pretty good overview on Sonet. It's
written intelligently, but doesn't require a lot of specialized
knowledge. The information is well organized. The book, however, is a
little expensive for its size. From memory I think it's about 80
pages, approximately 8" x 6", and runs about $35 excluding shipping.
She goes straight to the point so the 80 pages are well used, and I
would still consider it worth the money if you want to start learning
Sonet.
------------------------------
From: HOFFMANMK@conrad.appstate.edu (Marvin Hoffman)
Subject: Re: Operator from Atlanta (was Re:Interesting 800 Number Res
Date: 28 Aug 1993 18:52:40 GMT
Organization: APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY
In <telecom13.611.9@eecs.nwu.edu> LESREEVES@delphi.com writes:
> Miss Barbee's voice was used on all AIS (Automatic Intercept System)
> machines from the mid-70's through the early 80's.
Unless it has been changed in the past year, her voice also identifies
the amateur repeater on Stone Mountain outside Atlanta. So much more
pleasant than the clipped male synthesize voice on most repeaters.
Marv Hoffman, KD4EGV Appalachian State University Boone, NC
------------------------------
From: warlock@CSUChico.EDU (John Kennedy)
Subject: Re: CATV Company Announces Connection to the Internet
Date: 29 Aug 1993 02:55:55 GMT
Organization: California State University, Chico
In article <telecom13.612.9@eecs.nwu.edu>, David H. Close wrote:
> Speaking with various people today at Interop, I learned that this
> service is a 10 Mbps (Ethernet speed) connection for up to 300
> subscribers per loop. Traffic to you is DES encrypted. ...
I talked to people at Hybrid Networks, Inc at INTEROP about a
similar (if not the same) service. They estimated that up to 200
people/cable TV channel would be a good range to figure on, with the
possibility of multiple channels being in use, if the cable-company
willing.
Apparently it was originally designed for some government
applications and they are going to make it available to the public, as
well. They had a sbus card for a sun computer, and a generic ethernet
interface (and maybe a token ring, I forget) for everyone else. They
said they planned to make more specialized cards for other computers
in the future, but for the short run they were trying to make a
product that everyone could use.
Right now, you have to buy equipment with DES encryption (because of
it's government origins). They'll have a less expensive solution in
the future that lets you leave out the encryption hardware.
The trick about this solution is, of course, that cable is one-way.
In Hybrid's version, they used a modem to transmit the "return" data.
They're assuming, of course, that most of the traffic will be going
_to_ the user's home computer, with only small amounts of data being
transmitted out to the cable/internet side. IE, telnet keystrokes,
ACK/NAKs for file transfers, etc.
In the example at INTEROP, they were using what looked like a
combinet bridge with two ISDN channels being used and they were
getting up to 5Mbits/sec on FTP file transfers. I didn't have the
opportunity to field strip their showroom demo to see how they had
that hooked up. (:
If you were on a loop with up to 300 people each trying to use a lot
of bandwidth, your throughput will obviously be _much_ less.
------------------------------
From: daveb%jaws@dsinet.dgtl.com (David Breneman)
Subject: Re: Radio Station Acronyms
Date: 28 Aug 93 20:14:37 GMT
Organization: Digital Systems International, Redmond WA
> [Moderator's Note: WENR was the former call sign for the television
> station on Channel 7 here about 40 years ago in the early 1950's. WLS
Deletions ...
> They bought a lot of stuff from the ABC network such as several radio
> soap operas during the day and they also got stuff from the Mutual
> Network. Starting at six a.m. on Sunday morning and continuing for the
Deletions ...
Are you referring to the *original* ABC Network, or the
*former* NBC Red Network (the current ABC Network)?
David Breneman Email: daveb@jaws.engineering.dgtl.com
System Administrator, Software Engineering Services
Digital Systems International, Inc. Voice: 206 881-7544 Fax: 206 556-8033
[Moderator's Note: So far as I know, and this is a guess, they got
stuff from what we refer to as the current ABC Network. I vaguely recall
as a child they carried stuff they referred to as that network and
that would have been in the middle 1950's, long after 'Red' was gone.
Which network carried the 'National Barn Dance' program? I guess that
was either ABC (as we know it now) or Mutual. I can't remember. PAT]
------------------------------
From: elm@cs.berkeley.edu (ethan miller)
Subject: Re: Radio Station Acronyms
Date: 29 Aug 93 10:27:06
Organization: Berkeley--Shaken, not Stirred
Reply-To: elm@cs.berkeley.edu
In article <telecom13.609.13@eecs.nwu.edu> TELECOM Moderator noted:
(whether WACO is the only station whose callsign matches the city it
is located in) ...
> [Moderator's Note: Will anyone challenge Mr. Cornutt on this? Let's
> get our radio station call-sign books out everyone, and begin the
> search. PAT]
WARE in Ware, MA (though Ware is hardly a large city).
ethan miller--cs grad student
elm@cs.berkeley.edu #include <std/disclaimer.h>
[Moderator's Note: Good thinking! Any others? PAT]
------------------------------
From: fybush@world.std.com (Scott D Fybush)
Subject: Re: Radio Station Acronyms
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
Date: Sat, 28 Aug 1993 23:39:39 GMT
As the unofficial historian of rec.radio.broadcasting, and the
official historian of *SPECTRUM* (nice show, PAT!), I feel compelled
to note station WARE-1250 AM in Ware, Massachusetts, as another
station whose calls spell the city of license.
Also, PAT, WIND (AM) Chicago _did_ begin its broadcast career with its
city of license in Gary. Check any callbook from before the mid-30s
or so. WIND was for many years owned by my employer, Westinghouse
Broadcasting, which has also at times owned KYW (AM) Chicago (1921-1934)
and WMAQ (AM) Chicago (1988-present).
Scott Fybush - fybush@world.std.com
[Moderator's Note: Westinghouse had WIND back in the 1960-70 era. Do
you know who owned the station before that? Regards its Gary origin,
did they ever have actual studios and offices there, or just the
transmitter and antennnas? Gary, IN has an interesting origin and
history in itself. Originally all the land that comprises the city of
Gary was owned by United States Steel back at the start of this
century and the President/Chairman of US Steel in those days was
Mr. William Gary. The town was entirely owned and operated as a company
town for US Steel employees, much like the town in the same era called
Pullman, Illinois (which is now the neighborhood of Pullman in the city
of Chicago) which was entirely owned by George Pullman, magnate of the
railroad sleeping car industry. In the case of Gary, US Steel served
as employer and landlord to tens of thousands of men and women who
were employed in the Gary Works of US Steel; lived in company-owned
housing; attended company-owned schools and churches; and shopped at
the company-owned store, to whom they were generally always in debt.
Sometime in the 1920's, US Steel was required by the courts to get rid
of the Gary Municipal Corporation; employees were permitted to buy the
land and housing for some sum of money which was a multiple of their
monthly rent, and a municipal government was established. During the
1930-60 era, the town flourished, as did the employer of 90 percent of
the people in town. WWCA-1270 AM (Working With the Calumet Area) was
the local radio station. As US Steel fell on hard times in the past
twenty years, closing the South Chicago Works entirely and cutting
back Gary Works to a shell of its former self, the town of Gary went
with it. Mostly a very poor black community, Gary today consists of
lots of boarded up storefronts (there has not been a 'downtown' in
years) and abandoned houses, etc. Like Hammond, its neighbor to the
east, they had put all their eggs in one basket called 'big steel'.
The mills closed, and that was it. All of northwestern Indiana is in
terrible economic ruins. PAT]
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V13 #614
******************************
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Date: Sun, 29 Aug 1993 13:20:02 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
Message-Id: <199308291820.AA32313@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #615
TELECOM Digest Sun, 29 Aug 93 13:20:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 615
Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson
Re: Comparison of Salaries in Telecom Industry (Robert L. McMillin)
Re: Leftover Drops (Patton Turner)
Re: PEI Phones (John R. Levine)
Re: AT&T's Strange Attitude on 800 Numbers (Lee Sweet)
Re: AT&T's Strange Attitude on 800 Numbers (Christopher Zguris)
Re: What Is NetView/6000? (Peter M. Weiss)
Re: Looking for Cordless Headset Phones (Les Reeves)
Re: Telephone Company Test Sets (Dave Carpentier)
Re: Wait! Let me Get a Pen (Les Reeves)
Modem Detectors (was Re: Modem Tax in Canada) (Nigel Allen)
Voice/Data Monitoring (Peter Tindall)
Touring a Working CO? (Eric Hinson)
ISDN in the USA (J.C. Steele)
Telephone Recording Devices (Jonathan Weinberg)
Looking For Small and Intelligent PABX (Hans Zuidam)
OSPS Questions (H. Shrikumar)
Telix File Transfer Question (David Jonathan Dodick)
Glad to Find! (Jeff Whitcomb)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: rlm@helen.surfcty.com (Robert L. McMillin)
Subject: Re: Comparison of Salaries in Telecom Industry
Organization: Surf City Software/TBFW Project
Date: Sun, 29 Aug 1993 14:48:13 GMT
On 25 Aug 1993 17:03:41 GMT, perri@wpi.WPI.EDU (David M Perri) said:
> Please excuse my ignorance, but I am a second year student of
> electrical engineering and I am having trouble deciding whether I
> should go into hardware or software. I have a great interest in both
> so I guess my deciding factor will be whichever one pays better. I
> dont want to make a decision based on this, but I think it will be of
> some importance in the final decision. Could someone please tell me
> what the average salaries are of hardware and software engineers in
> the data communications field?
My question is, "Does it really matter?" As the essayist in this
month's issue of {Harper's} pointed out, the one thing the new global
economy is *not* producing is jobs. It is always cheaper to move
high-paying positions overseas, and increasingly, that's where they're
going. Software? That's moving to India, Singapore, Japan, Ireland,
Russia, and anywhere else people can find cheap minds (which, by the
way, are getting cheaper all the time). Hardware? Try Taiwan.
Now that Mr. Gates has installed his T1 link to India, where do *you*
think he'll hire programmers? New sign on the door at Microsoft:
"Americans need not apply."
Robert L. McMillin | Surf City Software | rlm@helen.surfcty.com
[Moderator's Note: Advocates of more or less unlimited immigration
into the USA frequently say there is no real problem with this as far
as American unemployment goes, because the 'foreigners' usually are
willing to take jobs Americans don't want such as working in the
fields harvesting vegtables and working in canning plants; working on
the killing floor at Iowa Beef Processors, Inc. (one of McDonald's
biggest vendor/suppliers), and cleaning out public restrooms in the
train and bus stations, etc. But as the number of T-1's in service
increase and the world grows smaller, we find ourselves in an in-
creasingly competitive world-wide labor force, with the the sort of
ramifications you mention. Americans are going to find their high-
priced services are no longer needed in many industries. In fact,
lots of companies have moved from the USA to other places. PAT]
------------------------------
From: turner@Dixie.Com
Date: Sun, 29 Aug 93 09:58 EDT
From: rsiatl!turner@rsiatl.UUCP
Subject: Re: Leftover Drops
> install POTS. Can one easily determine the difference between an
> unused pair and a pair used for Centrex Data or a leased line with
> only a buttset?
Nope. Harris Dracon makes a headphone buttset with indicators for
various frequencies (293-4680, 4.68-18.8k, 18.8-100k, 100-200k and
>200k). There are also T1 detectors using a inductive sensor. None
of this is going to be issued to POTS installers. Cable and I&R
maybe, but not the guys causing you problems.
Try using some of the red plastic clips over the 66 bridging clips. A
similar cap is also available for binding posts. Maybe you could also
get them to use red surge modules. I like to tag all non POTS ckts
this way.
Patton Turner FAA Telecommunications KB4GRZ turner@dixie.com
------------------------------
From: johnl@ursa-major.spdcc.com (John R. Levine)
Subject: Re: PEI Phones
Date: Sun, 29 Aug 93 12:15:24 EDT
Island Tel is controlled by MT&T, the Nova Scotia phone company, which
as I recall is partly owned by Bell Canada. So it's not surprising
that their offerings are similar to those elsewhere in Canada.
A cynic might suggest that considering what one pays for phone service
in Canada it had damned well better be good.
Regards,
John Levine, johnl@iecc.com
------------------------------
From: decrsc!leesweet@uunet.UU.NET (Lee Sweet)
Subject: Re: AT&T's Strange Attitude on 800 Numbers
Date: Sat, 28 Aug 1993 23:35:23 EDT
I'm PAT's customer in the long (to us and maybe to Digest/c.d.t
readers!) saga of trying to get AT&T to do the 'right' thing regarding
these two 800 numbers and where they should terminate.
I appreciate all the solutions and comments set forth, but I've
decided to dedicate a DID number to the new 800 number, and (1) wait
until we tell customers that the 'old' number is defunct or (2) move
the old number to PAT's AT&T reseller, when we can have both lines
again point to the same DID.
Why? I want to have the flexibility to control where the calls go. I
hate to have to call C&P (local RBOC) and wait for them to do it, when
I'm used to just logging in to the PBX here and changing things!
(Nothing like instant gratification...) Also, I feel this should not
be PAT's problem (although I see the point of those that recommended
he eat the cost!) ... it shouldn't be mine, either, but the cost saving
over AT&T is drastic enough to not want to delay any further. [I doubt
he makes much on even this traffic [12K min/month] at these rates;
although AT&T sure does at their rates!]
By the way, the old 800's DID isn't strictly a hunt group: it's a
forward to voice mail, which mailbox has single digit menus customers
pick from to go to the relevant ACD group. ROLM PBXs, unfortunately,
will not forward twice, so I can't just forward a new DID to the old
extension. That's the only reason I didn't cut all of this shorter
and do that about ten days ago: I have to repeat some tricky
programming I did about a year ago on the new mailbox for the new DID,
and have our resident Voice Mail voice record a new greeting, etc.
So, thanks for all the comments, and one thought: could the practice
of having the billing keyed by the *target* instead of the *800
number* be just a holdover (bad programming choice) from the days when
800s did *not* have DID targets, but *were* the target, dedicated
number themselves? (So when they were able to offer 800-> DID, someone
decided to bill on target rather than 800 ...)
BTW, I doubt that the target number is a customer record or the like,
since most companies have 1 800 from the same vendor. (We have ten
from Cable and Wireless, who, with 800 programming by the user,
couldn't care less where the 800 ends up. [What does AT&T do when you
ask them to move the target? Change all the billing records?!]
And one more technical question re call forwarding: If I *had*
purchased another outside C&P line and had it call-forwarded to the
old number, would more than one call get through? I don't remember if
call forwarding routing keeps the original path tied up, or if it
would act like a call to the 'old' DID, which, being, in effect, a
hunt group, can take as many calls as we have DID inbound trunks.
Lee Sweet Internet *lists* - leesweet@datatel.com Chief Systems
Consultant Internet *e-mail* - lee@datatel.com Datatel, Inc.
Phone - 703-968-4661 4375 Fair Lakes Court Fairfax, VA 22033
FAX - 703-968-4625 (Opinions are my own, and only my own!)
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 28 Aug 93 23:03 GMT
From: Christopher Zguris <0004854540@mcimail.com>
Subject: Re: AT&T's Strange Attitude on 800 Numbers
Sorry if I missed something here, but why couldn't you move the
existing or new 800 number to another carrier (800 portability) and
have it terminate on the same line than have the other one through
AT&T also go in on the same line, would AT&T know? Why won't 800
portability work in this case? If it were me -- and it could be done --
I'd move everything from AT&T (of course, I don't really like AT&T and
"games" like this make me like them even less!) to a carrier more
interested in getting the business than giving you the runaround!
If 800 portability doesn't apply, somebody please explain why -- I
don't know what POTS is.
Christopher Zguris CZGURIS@MCIMail.com
[Moderator's Note: Portability does apply, however pricing and costs
for service is a consideration also. POTS = Plain Old Telephone Service,
the name given to regular incoming/outgoing phone lines. PAT]
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 29 Aug 1993 11:03:25 EDT
From: Peter M. Weiss <PMW1@psuvm.psu.edu>
Subject: Re: What Is NetView/6000?
Organization: Penn State University
In article <telecom13.613.7@eecs.nwu.edu>, guide!editor@uunet.UU.NET
(editor) says:
> What is NetView/6000?
Some other sources of Net/View discussions:
Excerpt from the LISTSERV lists known to LISTSERV@PSUVM on 29 Aug 1993
11:03 Search string: NETVIEW
Network-wide ID Full address List title
NETV-L NETV-L@MARIST IBM's NETView discussion list
NVAS-L NVAS-L@CUVMC NetView Access Services session manager disc+
NV6000-L NV6000-L@DHDURZ1 NetView/6000-Betreiber Erfahrungsaustausch
Pete (pmw1@psuvm.psu.edu) -- Penn State U
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 28 Aug 1993 17:28:10 EDT
From: LESREEVES@delphi.com
Subject: Re: Looking for Cordless Headset Phones
In the brand-new 1994 Radio-Shack catalog ($2.95/per copy) a cordless
headset telephone is described on pg. 65.
The ET-474, available Oct. 30,1993, for $140,looks similar to their
corded model 151. The only real "feature" this fone has to offer is
companding.
Several years ago Plantronics came out with a similar cordless headset
fone called the "Liteset". It carried a list price of $299, and was a
big flop. The fones were really good, but the price wasn't. DAK
picked them up when Plantronics discovered there was not a market for
$299 cordless headset fones. I bought several from DAK for $90 and
have really enjoyed them.
[Moderator's Note: Radio Shack is now getting $2.95 for catalogs? :( PAT]
------------------------------
From: dave.carpentier@OLN.COM
Date: Sat, 28 Aug 1993 22:30:21 -0400
Subject: Re: Telephone Company Test Sets
oppedahl@panix.com (Carl Oppedahl) wrote:
> Some have an ASCII terminal built in, in which case the keys include a
> cursor joystick and buttons for yes and no.
You really can't leave us hanging on this one, Carl. What would they
use the terminal for? Accessing assignment records and such? I would
absolutely _love_ that ability. As a smaller TelCo we don't get fancy
things like laptops, but this kind of butt-set could be a start.
In any case, the new generation butt-sets are certainly much better
than the old on/off/dial units. For me, the most appreciated feature
is the automatic high db cutout circuit. I totally lost hearing in one
ear for about four hours after using one of the old sets on a poor
connection.
Later,
Dave
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 29 Aug 1993 12:11:05 EDT
From: LESREEVES@delphi.com
Subject: Re: Wait! Let me Get a Pen
The AIS (Automatic Intercept System), used by the Bell Companies,
knows the current status of *all* numbers in it's service area. These
are the main types of responses possible:
"The number you have reached,NXX-XXXX, has been disconnected. No further
information is available about NXX-XXXX."
"The number you have reached,NXX-XXXX, has been changed, the new
number is NPA-NXX-XXXX."
A split reference is possible for a changed number, in which case the
AIS operator asks the name of the party. This is used when two or more
individual referrals are associated with one number (such as roomates).
As soon as a number is assigned or reassigned, AIS gives this
response: "The number, NXX-XXXX, may not yet be connected."
After the new number has been in AIS for a fixed number of days, the
response changes to:
"The number you have reached,NXX-XXXX, is being checked for trouble."
Disconnection for non-payment results in the following from AIS:
"The number you have reached,NXX-XXXX, has been temporarily
disconnected."
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 28 Aug 93 19:51:25 EDT
From: ae446@freenet.carleton.ca (Nigel Allen)
Subject: Modem Detectors (was Re: Modem Tax in Canada)
Organization: The National Capital Freenet
Reply-To: ae446@freenet.carleton.ca
Tad Cook (tad@ssc.com) wrote about the New Brunswick Telephone Company
and some other Canadian telecommunications carriers needing to be able
to detect modem/fax calls so that they could offer a *lower* rate to
fax users.
The lower rate is for long distance calls, and has an interesting
history. Before Unitel Communications (formerly CNCP Telecommunications)
was allowed to compete in the long distance voice market, it offered a
discount long distance service for fax communications only. To make
sure that the service would not be used for voice calls (apart, perhaps,
from a few seconds to say "please turn your fax machine on" if the
recipient's fax machine doesn't answer the phone automatically), there
were fax carrier detectors that would disconnect the call after a
minute or so if a fax machine hadn't answered. The service would also
let you use most types of modems, although some modems (Trailblazers,
possibly) weren't recognized properly by the fax carrier detectors and
so got hung up on.
So the service NBTel and other Canadian telephone companies need a
modem detector for is a competitive response to the Unitel service.
Nigel Allen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada ae446@freenet.carleton.ca
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 28 Aug 93 23:46:12 EDT
From: af288@freenet.carleton.ca (Peter Tindall)
Subject: Voice/Data Monitoring
Reply-To: af288@freenet.carleton.ca
Tad Cook (tad@ssc.com) writes:
> A few weeks ago I got a call from an engineer at New Brunswick
> Telephone Co. in Canada. He was looking for a device that could
> install in the CO to monitor traffic on individual POTS lines, and
> automatically determine if the the line was being used for voice
> instead of fax/data.
> He said that in New Brunswick (and maybe this is true in other parts
> of Canada) they have a tarrif which allows them to provide a POTS line
> AT A LOWER RATE FOR MODEM OR FAX SERVICE ONLY.
> He wanted some monitoring capability, because they were aware that
> people were ordering the lower priced fax/modem lines, and using them
> for voice.
> So in some areas of Canada, fax/data lines are SUBSIDIZED by other
> subscribers, rather than subject to a "modem tax"!
Bell Canada (Ontario/Quebec) already offers a service called 'Faxcom'.
This gives extra discounts for long distance fax/data and also shorter
billing increments (twelve seconds I think). It is setup on a line basis.
They give you 60 seconds or 90 seconds after connection to end voice
and initiate data transmission.
Their promotional material states that if voice is detected after this
point the call will drop. They must be using some equipment to facili-
tate this.
Regards,
Peter Tindall af288@freenet.carleton.ca or ptindall@accesspt.north.net
------------------------------
From: ehinson@nyx.cs.du.edu (Eric Hinson)
Subject: Touring a Working CO?
Date: Sun, 29 Aug 1993 03:24:51 MDT
I've been following the discussion on the central office tours thread
on the Digest, and was wondering if someone could tell me how I could
go about getting a tour of a working central office that is practically
right around the corner from where I live. I was able to get a tour
of a 1AESS down in South Florida a few years back, thanks to my mom's
affiliation with the phone company down there, but I don't know
anybody that works for the phone company here. One of the reasons why
I want a tour of the 5ESS here, is because the step equipment that
used to be online for the 904-824 and 904-829 office is still in the
same building as the 5ESS, and even though it is not running anymore,
I'd still be very interested in seeing it. Any information you can
provide through email would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Eric L. Hinson / Internet: ehinson@nyx.cs.du.edu / Ham Radio: kb4rzf
------------------------------
From: J C Steele <jcs@ibmpcug.co.uk>
Date: Sat, 28 Aug 93 23:44:28 GMT
Subject: ISDN in the USA
Organization: CONNECT Mail Feed via ibmpcug.co.uk in the UK
I have a client who is interested in using ISDN for file transfer. he
wishes to send data between London and New York. To reduce the file
transfer time he is contemplating using ISDN but has been told at a
seminar that the bit rate in the USA for the ISDN service is 56 kilo
bits compared with London which is 64 kilobits for the raw basic rate
channel.
This contradicts all that I have understood about ISDN. Please reassure
me that the standards of 64 kbps is world wide.
John Steele Soroban Systems
44 Copthall Lane
Systems Integration Chalfont St Peter
Bucks, SL9 0DJ, UK
Email: jcs@ibmpcug.co.uk Tel/Fax +44 753 883886
------------------------------
Reply-To: jonathan@paineweber.win.net (Jonathan Weinberg)
Date: Sun, 29 Aug 1993 10:47:52
Subject: Telephone Recording Devices
From: jonathan@paineweber.win.net (Jonathan Weinberg)
I am looking for information on a high quality telephone recording
device. I would like a device in which the recorder and off-hook
sensor unit are integrated into one device. It should have good sound
quality and a decent recording time (one to two hours or better). I
would also like it to sense any phone picked up on the line -- not
just one that it is directly connected to. I have had *NO* luck
finding any companies that produce or distribute a device like this,
except for Radio Shack, and their device is sub standard at best. Any
help would be appreciated.
Jonathan Weinberg jonathan@paineweber.win.net
------------------------------
From: udodo!hans@relay.nluug.nl (Hans Zuidam)
Subject: Looking for Small and Intelligent PABX
Date: Sat, 28 Aug 1993 16:11:36 MET
I'm looking for a small and intelligent PABX. Small means about four
external lines and eight to twelve internal lines. There are enough
of PABXs that have these features but the intelligence is usually not
there.
What I want to do is to hook one of the internal lines to a voice mail
system. Then a call to an internal line could be routed to the voice
mail system through a "follow me" function. The switch should then be
able to tell the system which extension was dialed to select the
appropriate mailbox.
Which internal extension was dialed could either be through a serial
line or by generating SIT signals. Another possibility would be to
use some kind of inter switch signalling. A lot of switches offfer
the posibility to hookup a printer. The switch will send connect
reports to the printer but not in real-time; usually some ten to
twenty seconds after the call has been routed. What we need is some
kind of (almost) real-time control.
My current experience is that most switches of this type (4/8) have
these capabilities. Vendors will only sell you there special feature
handsets but do not want to release specs so you could do it yourself.
Constructing a robot arm punching the keys on such a handset may look
nice, but is not my idea of a "smart" interface ;-)
All pointers are greatfully accepted and I'll summarise what I've been
able to dig up.
Reply to: Hans Zuidam <hans@udodo.uucp>
Hans Zuidam Tel. +31 40 481546
Kruidenhof 18 E-Mail: hans@udodo.uucp, or
5632 MD Eindhoven ...!mcsun!sun4nl!udodo!hans
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 28 Aug 93 15:17:03 -0400
From: shri@freal.cs.umass.edu
Subject: OSPS Questions
Hi,
I have heard mention of the OSPS system, believe from ATT, on this
list. I have some amount of info on it culled from here.
I'd like some pointers to any detailed docs on the system? Any ATT or
BSTJ articles on it ? Any folklore or trade rag articles? Summaries
of funcitonality? Size? Cost?
I wonder if it will be possible to take a look see sometime someplace?
Thanks in advance for all pointers.
shrikumar (shri@legato.cs.umass.edu, shri@shakti.ncst.ernet.in)
------------------------------
From: djdk@troi.cc.rochester.edu (David Jonathan Dodick)
Subject: Telix File Transfer Question
Organization: University of Rochester - Rochester, New York
Date: Sun, 29 Aug 93 00:34:08 GMT
I am getting the message "sz: file skipped by receiver" when I try to
receive files (from an ftp transfer) to my pc using Telix.
I have a pc, 1200 baud modem, parity=none, high bit stripping is off.
Can someone tell me what the message means and if something needs to
be configured a certain way on my Telix program that I may not have
checked??
------------------------------
From: ah535@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Jeff Whitcomb)
Subject: Glad to Find!
Date: 29 Aug 1993 01:59:16 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (USA)
Hi,
I am Jeff Whitcomb and I work for Cellular One. Glad I found this
SIG. I am a data and telecommunications analyst and have been looking
for this place for a while now.
Well, that's about it for now.
Jeff
[Moderator's Note: Welcome to you also, Jeff and the other readers of
the Telecommunications SIG at your site. The Digest distribution is
growing by leaps and bounds as numerous sites -- commercial as well as
free -- begin distributing (and serving as article collection points)
for the Digest with mailing lists of their own and local telecom
discussion groups. Feel free to write anytime. PAT]
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V13 #615
******************************
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Date: Mon, 30 Aug 1993 14:39:28 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
Message-Id: <199308301939.AA27048@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@delta.eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: Telecom Surveys if You Wish to Participate
This fellow has sent me questionairres he wants participation in from
the readers of the Digest and comp.dcom.telecom. One of the two was
run recently in the Digest, but after the fact the author wrote me to
say there were errors (his own) in the preparation, and he had to
start over again. I am not going to fill up the Digest itself with
these, especially the second time around on one of them, so am making
a special mailing to the group and a posting on comp.dcom.telecom for
anyone interested in participating. There are <two> questionairres
below. Respond to either or both. DO NOT respond to the newsgroup or
the Digest.
Patrick Townson
From: vish@orcs.bus.okstate.edu (Vish Daita)
Subject: Telecommunications Faculty Survey
Followup-To: vish@orcs.bus.okstate.edu
Organization: Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK-74078.
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 1993 14:37:59 GMT
Survey of MS Telecommunications Programs
Dear Faculty member:
As a telecommunications faculty member you are in the forefront
of extending the knowledge of the students into the future decades.
Although telecommunications engineering and management is a fairly
well established discipline, confusion still remains regarding how to
meet the rising needs.
We are conducting a survey of telecommunications faculty members
that explores administration, admissions, the required course
curricula, placement features, facilities and resources,
research/industry relations, and your opinions. We request you, the
person in the best position to render advice, to fill out the survey
in order for us to better understand the requirements of a graduate
program in telecommunications management.
Would you help in this effort by answering the survey? Please
take a few minutes to contribute to this study by completing the
survey and mailing it back to us at vish@orcs.bus.okstate.edu. Please
respond by September 10, 1993.
Your cooperation will be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Vish Daita
MBA Program - Oklahoma State University
##############################################################################
Please fill out the following survey. Please use as much space as is required.
A. GENERAL
1. University:
2. Name of the faculty member (optional):
3. Address:
4. Phone: Fax:
5. E-mail address:
B. ADMINISTRATION
1. Title of the Program:
2. When started:
3. Size:
4. How did the program start?
5. Delivery of the program: OnCampus/TV/Executive/Combination
6. Orientation/emphasis of the program:
Technical/Business/Communications/Combination/Others
7. How is the program organized? (core subjects/electives etc.)
8. In which school is the program housed?
9. Is it a separate degree or an option to specialize in?
10. Which departments participate?
C. ADMISSION
1. What are the admission requirements?
2. What is the recruitment process?
3. What are the prerequisites? Please list them:
D. CURRICULUM
1. How many credit hours?
2. Typical graduation time?
3. What are the required courses?
4. What are the electives available?
5. Is a thesis necessary to graduate?
6. Is there a mandatory internship requirement?
7. Are the internships made available by the school?
8. Are there any special features in the curriculum?
E. PLACEMENT
1. How is the placement process organized?
2. Who are employers of the graduates of the program?
Manufacturers/vendors of the telecommunications equipment
Users of the telecommunications technology
Others
3. What are the career paths of the graduates of your program?
4. Which is a typical entry-level position that the graduates start
their careers with?
5. What percentage of the jobs are found immediately after graduation?
(How soon are the graduates of the program employed?)
F. RESOURCES
1. Approximately how many Full-Time-Equivalents are allocated to the
program?
2. Number of full-time faculty:
3. Number of part-time faculty:
4. What is the average teaching load?
G. RESEARCH/INDUSTRY RELATIONS
1. Do the faculty have related research projects?
What is the type of research - any examples?
2. Do the faculty have related university/industry projects?
How responsive is the industry?
How are the projects obtained?
H. VIEWPOINT
1. What do you think will be the determining factors for a successful
graduate program in Telecommunications Management?
2. What in your opinion are the attributes of an ideal graduate in
Telecommunication Management?
Vish Daita
MBA Program-College of Business, OSU
Stillwater, OK 74078
E-mail: vish@orcs.bus.okstate.edu
--- second questionairre follows ---
Dear Telecommunications Officer:
As a telecommunications officer, you are faced with many far more job
complexities than many information systems and educational
professionals realize. Although industrial and academic efforts are
increasing to provide support in helping you deal with those complex-
ities, confusion still remains regarding how to meet your needs.
I am conducting a survey of telecommunications officers that explores
the value of task or knowledge areas thought to be essential for
success in telecommunications management. The survey instructions ask
you, the person in the best position to render judgment, to rate the
importance of these job-related items in your role as a manager of
telecommunications.
Would you help in this effort by answering the survey questions? The
results of the study will be reported in group form only, and
individual responses will in no way be identified with specific
companies or officers.
Please take a few minutes to contribute to this study by completing
the survey and returning it, preferably, by E-mail. Please respond by
September 10, 1993.
Your cooperation will be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Vish Daita
MBA Program - Oklahoma State University
Stillwater, OK 74078-0555
email: vish@orcs.bus.okstate.edu
Telecommunications Engineers'/Managers' Survey
The demographic data requested below is important in profiling the
respondents of the survey. Please answer the following questions
by placing an "x" in the appropriate space.
Company Information:
1. What is the primary business purpose of your firm?
Finance (Banking, Insurance, Securities, Credit, Real Estate) :
Government (Military, Federal, State, Municipal) :
Service (Telecommunications, Business, Education, Medical, Legal):
Manufacturing :
Other:
(please specify)
2. In what geographic area are you currently working?
Eastern (CT, DC, DE, MA, MD, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT) :
Southern (AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA, WV) :
North Central (IA, IL, IN, MI, MN, MO, OH, WI) :
Mountain Plains (CO, KS, ND, NE, NM, OK, SD, TX, WY) :
Western (AK, AZ, CA, HI, ID, MT, NV, OR, UT, WA) :
Other Country:
(please specify)
Personal Information
1. What is your specific job title?
2. Where was the majority of your telecommunications training received?
(Check one)
On-the-job (including seminars, workshops, etc.):
Telephone company :
Military :
Vocational Training :
College/University :
3. Have you had any additional telecommunications training?
No:
Yes:
If yes, please check all that apply:
On-the-job (including seminars, workshops, etc.):
Telephone company :
Military :
Vocational Training :
College/University :
4. What is the highest level of education that you have completed?
Doctoral degree :
Master's degree :
Some graduate-level education :
Four-year baccalaureate degree :
Associate's degree :
Some college :
Vocational certificate program :
No college or certificate program:
5. If you earned a baccalaureate degree, what was the specialty of that
degree?
Business :
Liberal Arts :
Information Systems/Data Processing :
Computer Science :
Engineering :
Telecommunications :
Other (please specify) :
6. Please list your LAST FIVE job positions from the earliest to the most
recent.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
7. Within what approximate range is your current annual salary?
$19,999 or less :
$20,000 - $39,999 :
$40,000 - $59,999 :
$60,000 - $79,000 :
$80,000 - $99,999 :
$100,000 or more :
Request for Survey Results:
Would you like a copy of the results of this questionnaire?
No:
Yes:
Send to:
Address:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Job-Related Tasks and Knowledge Opinionnaire
Instructions: Please rate the following job-related items based on your
perceptions of their importance to your present role in your organization.
Rank the items based on the following scale:
___________________________________________________________________________
Not Important: 1; Of Little Importance: 2; Somewhat Important: 3;
Important: 4; Very Important: 5
___________________________________________________________________________
Rank
___________________________________________________________________________
In my current position, it is important that I be able to....
1. Evaluate hardware/software maintenance agreements
2. Use management tools in decision making (such as modeling)
3. Establish network security measures
4. Optimize voice communications
5. Select new telecommunications products that will be the
most beneficial to my organization
6. Forge good vendor relationships
7. Promote a working relationship with MIS/Data Processing
8. Recruit qualified people
9. Prepare documentation for senior management
10. Minimize the cost of data communications
11. Cost-justify communications projects
12. Manage a multivendor communications system
13. Manage personnel
In my position, it is important that I understand....
14. Tariffs
15. Traffic engineering and network design
16. Worker concerns for job security
17. PBX technology and applications
18. Protocols and interfaces
19. Financial analysis
20. Daily operations of networks
21. Network management problems and procedures
22. Telecommunications regulations, policies, and the law
23. New technology and applications
24. Strategic challenges of the job
25. Local network cabling and implementation
It is also important for me to understand....
26. Implementation of office automation technology
27. The regulation framework for ISDN
28. Open Systems Interconnection
29. Communications equipment operation
30. The status and development of fiber optics in local
exchange networks
31. Concepts of measured usage
32. Company objectives and policies
33. Existing common carrier services
34. Current issues at state and federal regulatory bodies
35. Fiber optic installation
36. End-user requirements
In my organization, it is important that I be able to....
37. Make equipment procurement decisions
38. Manage voice communications
39. Motivate employees
40. Optimize data communications
41. Evaluate the physical, data-link, and network layers
of communications systems protocol hierarchy
42. Budget communications projects
43. Design networks
44. Negotiate with vendors
45. Develop RFPs (Requests for Proposals)
46. Obtain support of top management
47. Evaluate equipment and network services
48. Select vendors
49. Manage data communications
50. Design and develop communications projects
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE WITH THIS SURVEY
(Developed by: Roberta Irene Ackerson)
Vish Daita
MBA Program-College of Business, OSU
Stillwater, OK 74078
E-mail: vish@orcs.bus.okstate.edu
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Date: Mon, 30 Aug 1993 15:22:07 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
Message-Id: <199308302022.AA27456@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #616
TELECOM Digest Mon, 30 Aug 93 15:22:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 616
Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson
Ameritech PCS Trial Update #6 (Andrew C. Green)
Patent Granted, Includes Major Telecom Elements (G. Aharonian via B. Sohl)
Review of "Using UUCP and Usenet" by Todino/Dougherty (Rob Slade)
Full Disclosure Live (Mark Earle)
Cellular Data Communications (Jeff Whitcomb)
Panasonic KXT-2622 Fix Needed (Laurence Chiu)
Advice Wanted on Climbing Gear (Dave Carpentier)
Telco-Owned COCOTs? (Glenn R. Stone)
No More Pesky Busy Signals, Only $0.50 Per Call (Les Reeves)
AT&T 900 MHz Phone Availability (Stephen Friedl)
DLC/NGDLC (Yee-Lee Shyong)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 1993 11:10:47 CDT
From: Andrew C. Green <acg@hermes.dlogics.com>
Reply-To: acg@hermes.dlogics.com
Subject: Ameritech PCS Trial Update #6
Here's another Ameritech PCS Update, the latest in an erratic series
of reports on the progress of a trial of digital spread-spectrum
portable phones being conducted by Ameritech in the Chicago area.
Yours truly is a member-of-the-general-public tester, enlisted to use
the telephone as much as possible and to fill out semi-monthly surveys
reporting my views.
Some background info: These test phones were issued to several hundred
people in the Chicago area for testing from September of last year to
December of this year. The phones operate with digital transceivers
installed in downtown Chicago, the Lincoln Park residential area to
the north, and the northwest suburb of Arlington Heights.
New Developments
New units with inbound-calling capability are finally being
distributed; mine is promised for this week. The original PCS (as
configured for my account, anyway) was a Motorola CT2 SilverLink unit
with a pager stuffed into its flip cover, giving the little phone a
pregnant appearance. People calling my number would be routed to an
Ameritech Voicemail box, where their voice message (or DTMF number, if
they dialed one) would trigger my pager and display a return phone
number, which the PCS could automatically dial.
The improved, inbound-capable PCS will not have the pager, I'm told,
although the Voicemail box will be retained as a backup in case my
phone isn't in service when a call arrives. This will make for an even
tinier (thinner) phone to casually pull out of a pocket should it
become necessary to impress nearby yuppies. Already the CT2 with pager
is so small that it makes the other portable phones look like absolute
bricks by comparison, and if it wasn't for a glaring-aqua color band
around the handset, it would be almost invisible in your hand when in
use.
Given the intense competition for tiny phones here in Chicago, I
suspect that they don't want their product to vanish from view when in
use. I notice some other phones compensate for their small size by
drawing attention to themselves with obnoxiously-loud button beeps. On
that same inverse scale, my PCS would sound like a foghorn :-) but,
mercifully, the weak battery power prevents anything louder than
discreet blips while dialing the phone.
I'll report further on the new inbound-calling capability after I have
a chance to try it out for a while.
Latest Surveys
Last month I received another large envelope from Ameritech,
containing several pages of survey and two crisp dollar bills for my
time. I was pleased to see that their questions concerned reception
problems, since my only constant complaint with the PCS has been the
weak power, leading to painfully-frequent dropouts and occasional
dropped calls. Although we don't get too much feedback on the results
of surveys, it's reassuring to see the right questions being asked.
Service Improvements
The Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights was recently
added to the service area with the installation of PCS transceivers.
As I live literally next door, this gave me the opportunity to use
airtime at home, as opposed to the usual method of plugging a "base
unit" into the home phone's land line and switching the PCS over to
"Private" mode usage as a cordless extension phone. Some
experimentation showed that our kitchen, facing the hospital, had a
PCS signal available, but the little phone couldn't find the signal at
all in our living room or points further east.
During a recent rather noisy birthday party in our kitchen, I sat at
one end of the kitchen table and used my PCS in Public mode to dial my
home phone number. The PCS transmitted the call to the PCS transceiver
at the hospital, which passed the call to a land line and the standard
phone system central office, which routed the call as usual to our
home telephone, ringing the wall phone in the kitchen at the other end
of the table where my wife was sitting. When she answered, I asked her
to pass the salt.
Bells and Whistles
While I have enjoyed the benefits of a voicemail box, pager, base unit
for land line use and so on, it seems that all the above are regarded
as "options". An acquaintance from Arlington Heights finally received
his own PCS, and was a bit surprised to find that he'd received a
stripped-down model with none of the above: he was given a basic,
non-pregnant CT2 SilverLink (no pager) limited to only outbound public
calls, no base unit/extension-phone capability, and that was that.
Well. He could not have been more impressed if they had given him two
coffee cans and a piece of string. He fired off a frosty letter to
Ameritech indicating that this was not exactly the wave-of-the-future
hi-tech gizmo trial he'd been expecting, and got a prompt reply saying
that they'd see what they could do about upgrading his equipment.
Defining what the "minimum package" should consist of is going to be
an important concern.
Everyday Use
Following a one-month trip to Cincinnati, Ohio (Civic Motto: "Three
N's, One T") and a forced hiatus from the PCS, I made a lot of calls
to ensure that the Ameritech computers didn't decide to yank my
service as inactive. This was just too much for the batteries,
apparently; despite my faithful overnight recharging, they just don't
seem to deliver enough oomph for the phone after a few months of
service. The CT2 SilverLink phones we are using have their own unique
type of battery which vaguely resembles two AA batteries in a
cardboard case; if battery turnover is going to become an issue, it
would seem better to re-engineer the phones to take some more
commonly-available size, in my opinion.
Battery exhaustion is easily the most irritating problem I've had; I
have been in the midst of some important late-afternoon conversations,
and the batteries would decide to expire. In a matter of seconds, the
audio cuts off and you hear the gloomy "dip ... dip ... dip" Out of
Range signal. What you're _supposed_ to do when you hear this signal
is back up, since you're veering out of the service area. If you're
like me, however, before making the call, you began by using the dial
tone as a Geiger counter to determine the best spot to stand in for
good reception. (Forget about wandering around during a conversation;
the dropouts are too distracting.) Therefore, when the batteries fail
and give you this completely fictitious "Out of Range" nonsense, you
briefly stomp around in a circle on a fruitless search for a signal,
which of course is there but the @$#%& phone can't hear it anymore,
then you march off in search of a payphone, with comic-style smoke
coming out of your ears. Not that I am bitter ... :-) but it's a
trifle embarrassing to have to call your party back to explain that
your hi-tech phone pooped out in the middle of the shopping mall.
Dropouts versus Static
One of digital communication's claimed advantages is the absence of
static; in fact there is a small advertising battle being fought in
Chicago at the moment over whether or not digital cellular offers
better communication than analog because you don't have static. One of
the local providers has been bellowing over the airwaves about how
nice their digital cellular is, especially compared to the yucky old
analog stuff used by certain competitors that have absolutely no
respect for you, your phone or your business and are probably owned by
Communists. Ameritech fired back with a somewhat defensive direct-mail
campaign saying that, why, just the other day people were calling them
up to remark about how nice and clean their analog service was.
I feel stuck in the middle. I apologize to the more-technical people
reading this if I'm comparing apples and oranges, but I can operate my
analog cellular car phone side-by-side with the digital PCS, and
although the PCS has a better quality sound, if it drops out, it's
gone. When an analog connection deteriorates, which doesn't seem to
happen too often anyway, you at least have the "option" of bellowing
through the static and usually being heard at the other end. If the
PCS connection gets in trouble, you are crisply cut off the air until
it gets itself sorted out. This "On/Off" behavior makes one feel
rather powerless. To the PCS' credit, however, I suspect that the
current, all-too-frequent dropout problem will be improved before a
full commercial release. It pretty much has to be.
The PCS Trial is scheduled to end in December, at which time we have
all been promised "free gifts". Wonder what those will be? I'll keep
you all informed.
Andrew C. Green
Datalogics, Inc. Internet: acg@hermes.dlogics.com
441 W. Huron UUCP: ..!uunet!dlogics!acg
Chicago, IL 60610 FAX: (312) 266-4473
------------------------------
From: whs70@dancer.cc.bellcore.com (sohl,william h)
Subject: Patent Granted, Includes Major Telecom Elements
Organization: Bellcore, Livingston, NJ
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 93 13:29:13 GMT
The following item was posted to sveral newsgroups. I thought
it might be of interest here as the patent (according to the
post) covers use of many telecom items (e.g. terminals, transmission
lines, etc.)
Standard Disclaimer- Any opinions, etc. are mine and NOT my employer's.
Bill Sohl (K2UNK) BELLCORE (Bell Communications Research, Inc.)
Morristown, NJ email via UUCP bcr!cc!whs70
201-829-2879 Weekdays email via Internet whs70@cc.bellcore.com
-----------repeated article begins here------------------------
From: srctran@world.std.com (Gregory Aharonian)
Subject: Patent Office issues too broad home-shopping-banking patent
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1993 16:28:27 GMT
The Patent Office just issued a potentially troubling software patent.
>From the August 12, 1993, issue of Washington Technology, page 4.
"Online Resources & Communications received a huge boost
from the USPTO, which issued a patent earlier this month
for its home banking and shopping system. The patent
gives the firm exclusive rights to process real-time
electronic transactions of consumers using any in-home
terminal to purchase goods and services, pay bills and
bank through a shared debit network such as the MOST
system of automated teller machines. The patent covers
telephones, computers and televisions used as terminals
in such networks.
I don't know how broad the patent claims are, and if they can
stand up in court, but this type of technology does not seem very
original and worth of patent protection. Though if it holds up, they
stand to make a lot of money. I don't know what the patent number is.
Greg Aharonian srctran@world.std.com
Source Translation & Optimization 617-489-3727
P.O. Box 404, Belmont, MA 02178
------------------------------
Date: 30 Aug 93 9:49 -0600
From: Rob Slade <roberts@decus.arc.ab.ca>
Subject: Review of "Using UUCP and Usenet" by Todino/Dougherty
BKUSUUCP.RVW 930727
O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
103 Morris Street, Suite A
Sebastopol, CA 95472
800-998-9938 707-829-0515
fax: 707-829-0104
info@ora.com
"Using UUCP and Usenet", Todino/Dougherty
Another of the excellent "nutshell" books, this one targets the users
of uucp and the related utilities. The level is quite technical --
but then, users of uucp are pretty much bound to be technical
themselves, unless their "use" is limited to preprogrammed scripts.
Chapter one is an introduction to uucp and networks (versions of uucp
having been covered in the Preface). Using mail as an example,
network routing and "bang paths" are explained. Chapter two deals
with file transfers, and covers "permissions" and security aspects.
Chapter three explains the "remote" execution of commands while five
details remote login. Chapter four covers the matter of checking on
the status of requests. Chapter six, "Extending the UUCP Network",
extends chapter one.
Chapters seven, eight and nine deal with Usenet, and the reading and
posting of "news". I hesitate to criticize this section: aside from
the rapid dating of the material it is both accurate and consistent
with the rest of the book. However, with the rapid increase in both
the size and usage of Usenet, it is perhaps time, and past time, for a
separate explanation of news and news readers. The basics are all
contained here, but a work aimed at the "bulletin board" level user
would currently find a very large audience.
copyright Robert M. Slade, 1993 BKUSUUCP.RVW 930727
Vancouver Institute for Research into User Security, Canada V7K 2G6
Robert_Slade@sfu.ca ROBERTS@decus.ca rslade@cue.bc.ca Fidonet 1:153/733
p1@CyberStore.ca 604-526-3676
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 1993 00:31:37 -0500
From: mearle@falcon.tamucc.edu (Mark Earle)
Subject: Full Disclosure Live
Pat,
This evening (Aug 30 0001Z) (Sunday evening, 1900 CDT) I heard an
interesting broadcast. WWCR, 7.435 Mhz, 0001-0100Z. "Full Disclosure
Live" (Let's Talk Network) Glen ??? was the host, editor of Full
Disclosure magazine.
Contact information:
Superior Broadcasting
400 S. Beverly Dr. Suite 214
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
(708) 838-0316 fax
Subscription Information: (708) 786-3927
On air call in number: (708) 838-3378
Internet: fdlive@aol.com
The co-host was Will Dwyer, president of the company running 900
Stopper. His contact number was reported as (310) 364-3444.
Topics touched on were:
Privacy, accidental disclosure of info via floppy (the old dos problem
data is there even though files are deleted). Some telecom issues,
such as calling an 800 number may reveal your number to the recipient
of the call.
Overall, it was interesting, but probably nothing surprising to
regular Digest readers. Still, interesting that some of these issues
are getting some main stream exposure.
Received WWCR here on my desk top receiver with just the whip antenna
btw. Receiver is a Radio Shack DX-440 aka Sangean 803a.
Mark Ealre mearle@falcon.tamucc.edu
------------------------------
From: ah535@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Jeff Whitcomb)
Subject: Cellular Data Communications
Date: 30 Aug 1993 01:25:40 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (USA)
Actually, I am suprised that the amount of cellular data
communications isn't greater than it is. I currently use a Compaq
(ACKKK!!) 286 and a 1200 baud modem in my van for work. Granted I am
not doing video, but being able to dial into one of our PBX's to do a
reset or service change, or check status of one of our routers has
been a definate benefit when on the road.
So no matter what the speed, it has it's use. As a tech/analyst for a
Cellular company the benefit for no billing is definately an
advantage, but I can't believe that there are not more service
oriented organizations utilizing cellular data comm, even if it means
pulling off to the side of the road!
Well, just my opinion.
(Oh, by the way that is with a standard CO2 phone with an internal
modem, so there would be no extra charge.)
Jeff Whitcomb Cellular One Communications Analyst
------------------------------
From: Lchiu@holonet.net
Subject: Panasonic KXT-2622 Fix Needed
Organization: HoloNet National Internet Access System: 510-704-1058/modem
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 1993 14:52:42 GMT
I have one of the above phones. It's a speaker phone with answering
machine -- nice unit. Unfortunately somebody plugged in a ac adapter
with the wrong polarity which did something bad to it. Now the
answering machine and speaker phone won't work (no power) although the
phone is fine.
I took it to Panasonic who charged me $20 to look at it and then sent
it back saying PCB was cracked -- not repairable. This seems a little
strange given that only incorrect polarity voltage was applied. Does
anybody know of a place that would repair such a unit? It seems a
waste to toss it out.
Thanks.
Laurence Chiu
lchiu@holonet.net
---
~ KWQ/2 1.2a ~
------------------------------
From: dave.carpentier@OLN.COM
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 1993 12:30:22 -0400
Subject: Advice Wanted on Climbing Gear
Quite a few issues ago I posted a question concerning the use of lead
in outside plant construction. If I can extrapolate from some of the
email I received, it seems that lead is fortunately on it's way out. I
still have to work with the darn stuff, but I'm sure someone will let
me know if it begins to affect my keyboarding skills.
Now for the next OSP question: Current regulations in Ontario (Canada?
US? other?) state that a worker must not be allowed to fall unarrested
more than ten feet. I fall (no pun) into this group, and a few years
ago had to re-train with new pole climbing gear. We were given two
choices of equipment; the Posi-belt(tm) and the PoleShark(tm).
The Posi-belt is quite similar to the conventional equipment most
people have seen in the past, but includes a sharp disc (the "pizza
cutter". It grabs into the back of the pole in a fall) and a small
belt on the climber's side that's used to reduce the effective
diameter of the belt's "loop" around the pole. Most of my fellow
workers took this route, as it involved little re-training. I think it
was rated as being a bit over 60% effective in a fall. It's drawback
seems to be the 'pizza cutter' -- it likes to chew up buried service
wires stapled to the back of the pole, and is often rendered useless
when there are metal guards (ie hydro buried service) on the back of
the pole.
The PoleShark is quite unconventional. I can be pictured as a big "C"
with flexible (sprung) tips. The tips contain 3-D style wheels with
spikes, as well as handles to climb with. A belt connects the
climber's D-rings to the handles. In a fall, the sprung tips will
close and bite into the pole, stopping you in short order. I was the
only (foolish?) soul to put my name in for this device. It involved
quite a bit of re-training. It's supposed to be more than 80%
effective in a fall. It's drawback is the extra "luggage" of the "C"
device.
Any comments from users of either of these (or other) systems?
Later,
Dave (dave.carpentier@oln.com)
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 93 21:58:32 GMT
From: taliesin@netcom.com (Glenn R. Stone)
Subject: Telco-Owned COCOTs?
I've been noticing something really screwey of late ... in several
places around Atlanta, I find a phone, it says "Southern Bell", its
number is NPA-9xxx just like a Real Pay Phone, it has the coin return
slot on the left side just like a Real Pay Phone, but I stick a
quarter in the slot, dial the number, and it says "Thank you" in a
badly digitized voice and goes dead until the call has supervised for
a second or two! What happened today was even stranger ... quarter in
the slot, hit the buttons, blow the number somehow, and I get a really
weird-sounding busy back, the cadence being the same as a fast busy,
but the tone sounding something like a UK ring signal. What's going
on here? Is BellSouth using <gasp> a COCOT?
One more tidbit ,]... if I hit 950-xxxx, it sounds like the call to
the IXC switch goes thru just like it would on a Real Pay Phone ... no
cut-the-mike, no redial-the-number, just the usual set of clicks
followed by the "dial tone" put out by the IXC computer on the other
end of the line.
Somebody want to clue me in here? It walks like a duck, it looks like
a duck, but it certainly doesn't quack like a duck, and I hope I'm not
going to be a silly goose if I decide to make an LD call on one of
these critters. If somebody local wants to mess with one for giggles,
there's a pair of'em at the K-mart on Clairmont, and another gaggle at
the Waffle House on Ponce de Leon at 285.
obDisclaimer: I didn't say do it for profit, or to try to take
Southern Bell's profits, I said do it for giggles. That means nobody
gets hurt, including you or me.
Glenn R. Stone (taliesin@netcom.com)
[Moderator's Note: I doubt that Southern Bell is using COCOTS. It is
more likely that a COCOT operator has put his phone inside the little
plastic shelter saying Southern Bell; and/or put the works from his
phoone inside Southern Bell containers. Maybe he should stop doing
that before Southern Bell gets mad at him :). Now and then I find
COCOTS mounted in the little metal wall-mounted containers which say
Illinois Bell all over them. I tell IBT when I see them. PAT]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 1993 12:57:54 -0400 (EDT)
From: LESREEVES@delphi.com
Subject: No More Pesky Busy Signals, Only $0.50 Per Call
The Cox-so",",Southern Bell deal goes on line next week. Funny, I
never had a problem getting through. The only problem with the 222
prefix was that many categories listed in the newspaper had been
abandoned by the sponsor! This is the official announcement of the
new "service":
Readers of {The Atlanta Journal-Constitution} will be able to get
substantially more business, economic and investment news by telephone
starting Sept. 5 when the newspaper introduces "511", its new
three-digit phone service.
It replaces the seven-digit "222" service.
Callers dialing 511 will be charged 50 cents per call for up to five
minutes of news, stock quotes, bond prices, commodity news, currency
rates or other information. Charges will appear on the caller's phone
bill.
Callers also will be able to obtain a portfolio of information they
can hear daily by dialing 511 and entering a personal identification
code. The portfolio can include information that is updat regegularly,
including ten stock price quotes.
Unlike the current 222 service, callers are less likely to get a
busy signal. Also, the new 511 service will not have commercial
advertising.
------------------------------
From: friedl@mtndew.Tustin.CA.US (Stephen Friedl)
Subject: AT&T 900 MHz Phone Availability
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 93 10:01:08 PDT
Hi folks,
It seems that the long-awaited AT&T 900MHz cordless units won't
be out until Feb 1994, according to the local AT&T phone center store.
They were originally scheduled to be out this spring, then pushed off
until September, now off till next year. The lady wasn't sure why
they were waiting, but she did say that they wanted to come out with a
full line all at once. Anybody else know the full story? If this is
a marketing decision, they are going to lose customers like me who
Will Not Wait any longer.
Stephen J Friedl | Software Consultant | Tustin, CA | +1 714 544-6561
3B2-kind-of-guy | I speak for me ONLY | KA8CMY | uunet!mtndew!friedl
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 93 14:37:04
From: apollo@n2sun1.ccl.itri.org.tw (Yee-Lee Shyong)
Subject: DLC/NGDLC
What's the difference between DLC (Digital Loop Carrier) and NGDLC
(Next Generation Digital Loop Carrier)? Can anyone tell me what kind
of product cound be classified in the NGDLC category?
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V13 #616
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Date: Mon, 30 Aug 1993 20:41:56 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
Message-Id: <199308310141.AA05096@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #617
TELECOM Digest Mon, 30 Aug 93 20:41:45 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 617
Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson
Re: Cellular Phone Price Samples (Seng-Poh Lee)
Re: Telephone Company Test Set Questions (Pat Turner)
Re: Telephone Company Test Set Questions (Carl Oppedahl)
Re: Terminal Needed for 2400 (Mark Earle)
Re: Portable Terminal Needed (H. Shrikumar)
Re: ISDN in the USA (Carl Oppedahl)
Re: Save the SSC (Robert L. McMillin)
Re: Save the SSC (John Pettitt)
Kill the SSC (was Re: Save the SSC (Brad Hicks)
Re: Comparison of Salaries in Telecom Industry (Rajappa Iyer)
Re: Comparison of Salaries in Telecom Industry (Tarl Neustaedter)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 1993 13:08:05 -0400
From: Seng-Poh Lee <splee@noel.pd.org>
Subject: Re: Cellular Phone Price Samples
Organization: Public Domain Inc.
In article <telecom13.612.11@eecs.nwu.edu> was written:
> Paul Robinson (TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM) wrote:
>> The following is the current status of some of the pricing for
>> cellular telephones. All prices quoted are based on a tie-in to take
>> airtime from one of the local companies.
> Who cares? I rarely flame but this posting contains no useful
> information, since the phones are cross-subsidized by the calling
> plans, and ...
Ok, so here are the prices of some HANDHELD phones that you can buy
outright, without service. For comparison, I've also included the
price with one year service from Bell Atlantic Mobile of CT;
Motorola 550 Flip $ 369 ($166 with service)
Nokia 101 $ 359 ($179 with service)
Nokie 121 $ 379 ($199 with service)
Audiovox MVX 750 $ 679 ($439 with service)
Mitsubishi 4000 $ 599 ($372 with service)
OKI 900 $ 499 ($284 with service)
OKI 1150 $ 679 ($435 with service)
All these phones, with the exception of the OKI 900 weigh in at less
than ten ounces, and fits in a shirt pocket. The Audiovox weighs 6.2
ozs and gets 65 minutes talk time. Can you tell I'm in the market for
a lighter/smaller handheld? :-) These prices are available via mail
order from a superstore in Texas. If you buy without service, they
will ship you the phone with programming instructions. You are
responsible for changing your service ESN with your service provider.
Seng-Poh Lee <splee@pd.org>
------------------------------
From: turner@Dixie.Com
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 93 13:50 EDT
Subject: Re: Telephone Company Test Set Questions
Reply-To: turner@dixie.com
In <telecom13.609.6@eecs.nwu.edu> ehinson@nyx.cs.du.edu (Eric Hinson)
writes:
> A few weeks ago, a Southern Bell repairman came out to my residence to
> check my line for static. While he was testing the line, I got a call
> from a person who was unaware that my line was being checked. The
> repairman handed me the test set (the bright orange ones they use),
> and I told the person I would call them back. When I handed him the
> test set back, I noticed quite a few extra buttons besides the ones
> for DTMF. I couldn't make out what they said on them, and was
> wondering if someone could send me email telling me what all these
> buttons do/what tones they generate. Thanks for your help.
If the test set was a matt bright orange (or blue/gray) with very
square lines, it is a Harris Dracon TS22. This is standard issue for
most Bell South employees and many others in the communications field.
Some craftspeople carry several buttsets, the second one may be a TS21
or one of the rotary dial models. I have seen at least one MCI Tech
and one ATT tech only carry rotary sets.
Anyway, on the TS22, the buttons are STO (store), RCL (recall), PSE
(Pause, for PBX), LNR (Last Number Redial), plus a 12 digit DTMF pad.
On the same faceplate is a switch for pulse/tone dialing which also
turns the ringer off. Other switches elsewhere are for mute, on hook/
off hook, and for the amplified speaker.
See, nothing secret, just a "feature" butt set. The TS22A even has a
speakerphone for $200 more.
Speaking of installers, one told me a while back that a young woman
had come on to him and wanted his ANAC numbers in exchange for a
"date". She would sell these to her friends for $5 for entertainment
or finding out some other girls phone number while at her dorm or
apartment. He said he declined. Believe it or not ...
Patton Turner KB4GRZ FAA Telecommunications turner@dixie.com
[Moderator's Note: I am not surprised that he declined. Most people
who work at telcos don't take 'bribes', whatever form they come in. PAT]
------------------------------
From: oppedahl@panix.com (Carl Oppedahl)
Subject: Re: Telephone Company Test Set Questions
Date: 30 Aug 1993 14:33:19 -0400
Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC
In <telecom13.615.8@eecs.nwu.edu> dave.carpentier@OLN.COM writes:
> oppedahl@panix.com (Carl Oppedahl) wrote:
>> Some have an ASCII terminal built in, in which case the keys include a
>> cursor joystick and buttons for yes and no.
> You really can't leave us hanging on this one, Carl. What would they
> use the terminal for? Accessing assignment records and such? I would
> absolutely _love_ that ability. As a smaller TelCo we don't get fancy
> things like laptops, but this kind of butt-set could be a start.
What I saw was a technician calling in to find out cable and pairs for
particular phone numbers, to initiate central office line tests
(through some automated device) and to display the results, and to log
in the conclusion of a customer visit with the result codes. Oh, and
to get a text report of the next service call.
I expect maybe it had a 300-baud modem in it. Of course, nowadays a
one-chip 2400 baud modem is cheap, too.
Carl Oppedahl AA2KW (patent lawyer)
1992 Commerce Street #309
Yorktown Heights, NY 10598-4412
voice 212-777-1330
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 1993 14:35:24 -0500
From: mearle@falcon.tamucc.edu (Mark Earle)
Subject: Re: Terminal Needed for 2400
I've had the same problem of needing a small, reliable, and relatively
inexpensive terminal.
My general specs are: run on AA disposable batteries (so one can keep
going indefinately, w/out needing AC power nor waiting for the nicad
pack to recharge), 80 x 25 screen, and limited save to disk/ram of
ascii and binary files.
My first machine was a Tandy Model 100. With only 40 x 8 lines, it was
tricky in some situations, but _did_ work fine.
My next was an HP-95LX. VT52, 100, ANSI, 40 x 16 screen which you pan
a 'window' around to see the 80 x 25 screen. OK. Kermit and Xmodem.
Will run Procomm Plus and Procomm 2.4, although again, the 'windowing'
required can be a bit of a hassle.
Zeos Pocket PC. This is my current terminal. 2 AA batteries, 80 x 25
CGA greyscale. Built in ms works has vt52 and ansi, xmodem, capture to
file. Runs PCPlus, Procomm no problems.
The HP95 only has a three wire interface and you must build/ obtain an
adaptor to get to some serial devices. Some devices require jumpering
hardware flow control, since the HP95 doesn't support that. Suggested
source, EduCalc, HP95 512k $400 , 1 meg, $600, can take one pcm1 slot
ram card.
Zeos: Zeos direct markets. Two pcm1 type slots. $600. Short cable
terminates in 'AT' standard DB-9 male. Full hardware handshaking
supported. Also has a standard paralell port (Backpack tape and disk
drives work with it, so it must be _really_ standard!). Built in MS
works only goes to 9600 baud in the terminal product, but Procomm will
drive a 14.4 modem using a 38k computer <--> modem just fine.
Wife's computer, at a higher cost: $1000 Gateway 2000 Handbook. $250
for optional floppy drive. Standard 9 pin serial port, 286/12meghz
class, built in 40 meg HD, dos5 included. Obviously, you can load any
of your favorite term programs from another machine (they supply
Interlink for this purpose, as does Zeos). 80 x 25 CGA. Does run on 6
AA w/all power saving 'off' and hard drive spinning constantly for
about 4 hours. Much longer if you let it save power for you. The 6 aa
holder is included. They've also come out with a 486/25 version 4 meg
ram 80 meg HD for $1500 and more ram/HD for $2000 (VGA screen). Oh,
the 286/12 CGA has one meg ram. To save HD spin up time, etc. you can
set up the 380 or so K above 640 as a vdisk and put your terminal
program there.
Feel free to contact me with specific questions.
One more comes to mind - the HP100, which has nine pin serial,
hardware handshake, and 80 x 25. The keyboard is still too small for
touch typing, but fine for making menu choices. (The Zeos & Gateways
are large enough to allow touch typing at normal spees).
Note: None of the above support a vendor supplied modem, but: The new
Gateway 486 has a pcm2 slot (the 286/12 does not have a slot) The
HP95/100 and Zeos have pcm1 slots. There are modems available (at
premium cost) for both pcm1 and pcm2. Again, Educalc is a good
starting point for such "unusual" products)
Hope this helps.
mearle@falcon.tamucc.edu Mark Earle
------------------------------
Date: Mon 30 Aug 93 15:35:56 -0400
From: shri@freal.cs.umass.edu
Subject: Re: Portable Terminal Needed
Organization: UMass, Amherst MA + Temporal Sys & Computer Networks Bombay India
In article <telecom13.614.4@eecs.nwu.edu> daveb%jaws@dsinet.dgtl.com ..
> The TI Travel Mate ??220 is pretty good. Not sure about the model.
> It's something like LT220 or LV220. Anyway, it's a VT-220 emulating
> LCD terminal with a built-in 2400 buad Hayes compatible modem. These
..
> and eventually cost about $1400, so I'm sure they're less now. It
> also has a DB-9 serial port to connect it directly to a computer, and
> the battery lasts about four hours between chargings. It's about the
A small subnotebook, perhaps one of the ones that just got obsolete,
like the Sharp PC3000, and a PCMCIA modem should cost perhaps half of
that or a little more. As would a HP100lx and a pcmcia card modem or a
world port 2400 pocket modem.
Dont know if this kind of stuff fits your requirements, (hp100lx's
small size, and the obsoleteness of the PC3000 etc) tho', so here I
said for what it is worth.
Comp.sys.palmtops on USENET will get you more details on these.
shrikumar (shri@legato.cs.umass.edu, shri@shakti.ncst.ernet.in)
------------------------------
From: oppedahl@panix.com (Carl Oppedahl)
Subject: Re: ISDN in the USA
Date: 30 Aug 1993 14:36:52 -0400
Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC
In <telecom13.615.13@eecs.nwu.edu> J C Steele <jcs@ibmpcug.co.uk>
writes:
> I have a client who is interested in using ISDN for file transfer. he
> wishes to send data between London and New York. To reduce the file
> transfer time he is contemplating using ISDN but has been told at a
> seminar that the bit rate in the USA for the ISDN service is 56 kilo
> bits compared with London which is 64 kilobits for the raw basic rate
> channel.
> This contradicts all that I have understood about ISDN. Please reassure
> me that the standards of 64 kbps is world wide.
I have been told that many of the telco links from one CO to the next
are only 56KBPS, and that as a result many US ISDN installations carry
only 56KBPS on the B channel rather than the expected 64KBPS. It's
not that the telcos are denying the standard is 64KBPS, I have heard,
but that they are sort of embarassed they cannot easily provide it in
some service areas.
I think perhaps your client has the bad luck to be in one of these
56KBPS areas.
You might also want to talk to Sprintnet and BT Tymnet to see if they
can do what you need via X.25 and the like.
Or get on the Internet at both ends, and use telnet or FTP or
whatever.
Carl Oppedahl AA2KW (patent lawyer)
1992 Commerce Street #309
Yorktown Heights, NY 10598-4412
voice 212-777-1330
------------------------------
From: rlm@helen.surfcty.com (Robert L. McMillin)
Subject: Re: Save the SSC
Organization: Surf City Software/TBFW Project
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 1993 14:51:13 GMT
On Sat, 28 Aug 1993 18:06:58 GMT, ssc1@cse.uta.edu (Super Conductor
Super Collider 1) said:
> The Superconducting Super Collider Laboratory was established to
> investigate the fundamental nature of matter and energy. It is one of
> the greatest scientific instruments ever to be constructed on the face
> of the earth. The knowledge we gain from the SSC is essential to
> maintaining the continued leadership position of the US in Science and
> Technology. In June, the House voted to cut funding for the SSC due to
> problems with the management of the construction. The Senate is due to
> consider voting in September.
And on. The Net is awash in such pleas asking the public to flood
their Congresscritters with tearstained letters expressing outrage at
the closing of the Nevada Desert Cetacean Research Center, Fort
Mugwump, and multi-terabyte.archive.mil. According to the folks who
pen these mournful missives, Life As We Know It will end if the Feds
pull the plug. Government subsidy apparently is a constitutional
right, or close to it.
Echoing this call for saving every federal boondoggle is the
ridiculous notion that the Net would somehow cease to exist if fine
companies like O'Reilly and Associates put together a little
net.magazine with paid advertising. Some people even thought that
c.d.t was doomed when Pat started mentioning (horreurs!) the talk
tickets he sells.
It's time we started making intelligent, rational decisions about what
businesses the government *should* be in, and which they should *not*.
It's time that each of us learns that the money the feds takes in
comes not from God or trees but from our fellow man. It's estimated
that by 1997, most citizens will be recipients of federal dollars.
What does that mean for us as a country? And what does that mean for
the national debt?
The old saw reads, "Government is an attempt by some people to live at
the expense of everybody else." That so many people believe it can be
done proves that the gospel of perpetual motion and the Flat Earth
Society is alive and well.
Robert L. McMillin | Surf City Software | rlm@helen.surfcty.com
------------------------------
From: jpettitt@well.sf.ca.us (John Pettitt)
Subject: Re: Save the SSC
Organization: The Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link, Sausalito, CA
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 1993 21:32:10 GMT
In <telecom13.613.2@eecs.nwu.edu> ssc1@cse.uta.edu (Super Conductor
Super Collider 1) writes:
> At a time when such projects like the Helium Fund ...
Ok let me see if I get this. Because stupid things are being funded
so should the SCC? Why? What is the purpose of the SCC?
a) Jobs
b) Well we have already dug the hole now just poor in the money?
c) Pork for Texas political types?
Big science has a lot of justifying to do. Between the SCC, Mars
observer and others a very large amount of small science or basic
education could have been funded. Or better still the money could
have been left in the private sector to help the economy.
Please somebody point out one direct positive result of non-war driven
big science projects. Didn't think you could do it.
------------------------------
From: mc/G=Brad/S=Hicks/OU=0205925@mhs.attmail.com
Date: 30 Aug 93 15:52:39 GMT
Subject: Kill the SSC (was Re: Save the SSC)
In TELECOM Digest volume 13, #614, ssc1@cse.uta.edu (Super Conductor
Super Collider 1) wrote:
> The Superconducting Super Collider Laboratory was established to
> investigate the fundamental nature of matter and energy.
At a time when the United States' federal government (never mind local
governments) is having to borrow millions of dollars per second just
to keep the bills paid, do we really need to spend one trillion
dollars in order to understand how particles behave under conditions
that have not existed since the first nanosecond after the Big Bang?
Even if such a project is worth one trillion dollars, it is not worth
one trillion borrowed dollars.
> At a time when such projects like the Helium Fund continue to be
> funded ...
In other words, the federal government is wasting a few million
dollars in other peoples' backyards, so why can't it waste a trillion
dollars in my back yard? (It did not escape my notice that the author
was writing from a University of Texas at Arlington; apparently, this
is someone asking us to help secure government money FOR HIMSELF.)
I am writing to the President asking him to help kill the
Superconducting Super-Collider until the federal budget is balanced.
J. Brad Hicks Internet: mc!Brad_Hicks@mhs.attmail.com
X.400: c=US admd=ATTMail prmd=MasterCard sn=Hicks gn=Brad
------------------------------
From: Rajappa Iyer <iyer@npg-sd.sandiegoca.NCR.COM>
Subject: Re: Comparison of Salaries in Telecom Industry
Date: 30 Aug 93 20:19:55 GMT
Organization: NCR Corp., Network Products - San Diego
> [Moderator's Note: Advocates of more or less unlimited immigration
> into the USA frequently say there is no real problem with this as far
> as American unemployment goes, because the 'foreigners' usually are
> willing to take jobs Americans don't want such as working in the
> fields harvesting vegtables and working in canning plants; working on
> the killing floor at Iowa Beef Processors, Inc. (one of McDonald's
> biggest vendor/suppliers), and cleaning out public restrooms in the
> train and bus stations, etc. But as the number of T-1's in service
> increase and the world grows smaller, we find ourselves in an in-
> creasingly competitive world-wide labor force, with the the sort of
> ramifications you mention. Americans are going to find their high-
> priced services are no longer needed in many industries. In fact,
> lots of companies have moved from the USA to other places. PAT]
Ummm ... not very true! Most of the work that comes the way of foreign
contractors is grunge work that nobody out here wants to do. There
wouldn't be more than a handful of American companies where front-line
work is going on overseas as opposed to locally.
I hear Ed Yourdon often being quoted that the Indian software industry
is going to take over the world. Even the most optimistic estimates
put the size of the Indian software industry at about $1B by the end
of the century. That is about one percent of the world market.
On the other hand, foreign competition *will* put pressure on American
industry to either supply the same product at a better price or
provide a superior product and charge a premium for it. It just means
that American industry has to learn to be more competitive and does
not really ring the death knell for the industry. Seems to me that the
alarmist notions about immigrants taking all the jobs from Americans
and good jobs going overseas simply forgets the basis on which
American industry was built --- compete or die.
Rajappa Iyer (iyer@npg-sd.ScrippsRanchCA.NCR.COM - on assignment at NCR)
------------------------------
From: tarl@bostech.com (Tarl Neustaedter)
Subject: Re: Comparison of Salaries in Telecom Industry
Organization: Boston Technology, Wakefield, MA
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 93 03:07:22 GMT
In article <telecom13.615.1@eecs.nwu.edu> rlm@helen.surfcty.com
(Robert L. McMillin) writes:
> Now that Mr. Gates has installed his T1 link to India, where do *you*
> think he'll hire programmers? New sign on the door at Microsoft:
> "Americans need not apply."
Hardly. Skilled jobs *will* move to wherever there are skilled minds.
The U.S. currently has one of the largest concentrations of skilled
minds in the world, which is why much of high-tech development is done
here. In this country, non-high school graduates are a minority - in
many of the the mentioned countries, individuals with twelve years of
schooling are a minority (in India, <10%). Individuals with sixteen
years of schooling (baccalaureate) are rare, let alone twenty years
(Ph.D).
[Note - Education does not equate to skill, but it is a precursor that
leads to skill. Without formal schooling, individuals have to rely on
O.J.T., which is very specialized and frequently non-portable.]
Yes, companies will farm out parts of engineering to cheaper sites
elsewhere, but so far it's fairly rare that this works. For large
projects, you need good communication between all the engineers
involved, and any barriers (language, time zones, culture,
organizational) cause inefficiencies that eat up the savings of cheap
overseas labor. I've seen detached engineering tried many times, and
only one working case. The other cases I had to put up with were
miserable failures.
As telecommunications improve, and in particular telecommuting
technology, engineering jobs will migrate away from home company
headquarters to wherever engineers live. But this technology will have
to improve a LOT over what we currently have. In particular, we will
have to find a way to replace the ability to wander into someone's
office with a question.
Email frequently doesn't work because of being a half-duplex channel
and not being able to convey the level of urgency (e.g., I can't write
this routine until you tell me what the fourth argument is). Phone
conversations frequently don't work because of the tendency to play
phone tag. Perhaps real-time video where an icon pops up on the
engineer's workstation with your image, and you can watch and listen
in on what he's doing (equivalent to standing in his doorway) while
waiting for him to get to you. But I digress ...
Americans will increasingly face competition from places where the
cost of living is lower. That just means that Americans will have to
continue to be more skilled than the rest of the world -- when you get
your B.S. or D.Sc., you won't just compete against other Americans for
jobs, you will compete against everyone else in the world. On the
other hand, places where cost of living is really low (e.g., third
world countries) don't produce many skilled engineers due to lack
educational facilities.
On the positive side, this will produce competition between countries
to lower cost of living. Countries with astronomical taxation rates
will find themselves priced out of the global job market and with a
declining tax base. Countries with low tax rates will find that their
economies boom -- all at much more rapid rates than currently seen.
Legislatures will see the impact of tax changes while their members
are still in office. This will probably result in more economically
rational behaviour.
Finally, the question about going into hardware or software; I"ve seen
a lot of hardware engineers change careers to go into software. There
just isn't as much opportunity for hardware design any more. Parts are
becoming standardized, new designs are frequently just doing the same
thing at higher speeds and companies are learning how to re-use
development done somewhere else rather than doing it again in-house.
Software design will probably continue for the forseeable future, but
you face competition from a lot more people. The entry-level costs to
train software engineers are a lot smaller than to train hardware
engineers.
What I see as the most reliable career path is in the field of
maintenance or continuing engineering -- keeping all those computers
running. People find bugs and need them fixed, or the hardware
deteriorates and needs to be fixed, or the environment changes (your
old and trusty frobozz design assumes availability of 127x3
write-only-memory chips packaged in 37-pin DIP packages, but the
manufacturer gave up on that packaging and you need to modify things
to accept 129x5 41-lead surface-mount WOMs). This career requires
generalists; someone who can be relied upon to fix problems in a wide
area -- the wider the better your prospects for employment.
My personal choice is the above combined with telephony. I figure that
phone networks will be around for a long time. The radio spectrum is
limited enough that physical communication links of some kind will be
needed, and the demand for communications isn't going to decrease.
With all the gigakilometers of wiring and teralines of software
involved in the global telephone networks, there is lots of room for
things to go wrong. And a need for people to fix the problems.
Tarl Neustaedter tarl@bostech.com [work]
Ashland, MA, USA tarl@coyoacan.dmc.com [home]
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V13 #617
******************************
^A^A^A^A
^A^A^A^A
From telecom Wed Sep 1 00:02:37 1993
Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA23356
(5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecom@eecs.nwu.edu); Wed, 1 Sep 1993 00:02:37 -0500
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 1993 00:02:37 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom>
Message-Id: <199309010502.AA23356@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #618
Status: RO
TELECOM Digest Wed, 1 Sep 93 00:02:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 618
Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson
Annoying Call Won't Stop -- Please Help! (Tara D. Mahon)
CFP on Human Factors and Telecom (Jane Fraser)
MCI 1-800-COOL-101 (Michael D. Sullivan)
1-206-286-1600 Only via Sprint, Only Problems Ahead (Liron Lightwood)
Anyone Have the ESCORT 900mhz Cordless Phone? (Paul E. Cantrell)
Re: Telix File Transfer Question (Paul Robinson)
Re: Telix File Transfer Question (Don Davis)
Re: Telix File Transfer Question (Amer Neely)
Re: Telix File Transfer Question (Les Reeves)
Re: Telix File Transfer Question (Leslie Mikesell)
Re: AT&T's Strange Attitude on 800 Numbers (Bob Schwartz)
Re: AT&T's Strange Attitude on 800 Numbers (Oz@SwRI.edu)
Re: AT&T's Strange Attitude on 800 Numbers (Christopher Zguris)
Same Prefix on Both Sides of Area Code Boundary? (Carl Moore)
Radio Shack Catalogs (Joe Bergstein)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 93 10:19:04 EDT
From: Tara D. Mahon <tara@insight-corp.com>
Subject: Annoying Call Won't Stop -- Please Help!
A funny thing happened to me last night ... (and I'm trying to keep
a good humor about this) :-D
At 4:30am our phone rang. Now, this always makes me nervous,
especially since my brother is in Saudi Arabia, working for the
military. A middle-of-the-night phone call can bring hectic news. I
pick up and hear only a constant beeping, slow and steady:
beep..............beep................beep. It is not the harsh
shrill sound I associate with a modem or fax machine. Okay, just a
wrong number. Relieved, I fall back asleep. Five minutes later, the
phone rings again. I still don't know whether this is a family
emergency or the beeping again. It is the beeping. I hang up.
Exhausted, I go back to bed only to be awakened for the third time.
Each time I answer I say, "Hello?" and then it takes a few seconds
for the beeps to kick in. It reminded me of the automated
telemarketing machines which wait for a voice before they roll their
pitch.
Beep..............beep..............beep. Annoyed, I shut off all the
ringers, figuring if any important call does come through, my voice
messaging system will pick up. Of course, it will also pick up the
mysterious beeps. When I woke up at 7am, I turned all the ringers on
and checked my messages. There were *nine* beeping calls. I figured
it was probably over by now. But no! I received another call after
my shower, and this time, I tried talking to the beeps (insanity
setting in), and the beeps stopped while I spoke. I then called 611.
The repairman told me to either disconnect everything (all phones, my
voice messaging) and wait for an hour. This would create "resistance"
and the "machine" would pass over my number and move on. The other
option was to *57 and contact the Annoying Call Bureau. Well, the
beeps came, and they were out of my class calling area, so no *57
trace. 611 said they would try to fix the problem, and then the beeps
stopped. No more calls.
My questions is: does anyone know the source of these beeps? A modem
will not make a sound unless it gets a negotiation tone. A fax
machine has a sharp tone and shrill. What kind of system delivers
these calls?
Update: since I've been writing this, my father informs me that we've
gotten three more calls!! He called me at the office, beeping into
the phone. :-) They are now erractically spaced, since the last one I
received was 7:38am, I did not get another before I left for work
(8:50am). Help! What can I do? Is disconnecting the line the only
way? Like I said, my brother is overseas and we never know when he
might call.
Sleepless in New Jersey tara@isight-corp.com
[Moderator's Note: Dear Sleepless: The mystery caller is probably a
fax machine. When a fax machine *answers* the line it does make the
shrill noise you describe, but when it *originates* a call it sits
there more or less quietly (those beeps are possible) waiting for the
responding fax machine to give out the shrill noises; then it starts
the same. Probably some goofus-droid at the First National Bank of
Chicago has misprogrammed one of their fax machines again; <smile>
let's hope it was only a single (manually) misdialed attempt, and that
they don't have your number in the autodial directory to be called
every night attempting to transfer a couple million dollars from their
bank to yours, as happened to that family in Germany they witlessly
harassed for two weeks. <smile again>.
Telco is obligated to provide you with peaceful uninteruppted use of
your line. See if the problem goes away by the time you read this. If
not, regardless of *57 as a 'service' offered by your telco, they can
catch the offender. It is not worth your trouble unless the calls
persist daily/nightly without ceasing. Telco can put a trap on your
line. This means they will note every call to your line, and where it
came from. You respond with a list of times the offensive calls were
received. They match your list of times with their list of calls. They
and other telcos/carriers involved will backtrack to the source. When
the source is clearly identified, telco *will not tell you who it is*.
They will notify you they have identified the caller. If you agree in
writing to prosecute the offender and file a police complaint, telco
will release the information to the police. Telco will not get in the
loop, or the middle of the whole thing. They will merely provide expert
witness to prosecutors. Telco won't tell you who was calling (until
after police tell you) because they would be violating the privacy
rights of the caller. Good luck; let us know if the calls stop. PAT]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 1993 12:17:17 EDT
From: fraser@ccl2.eng.ohio-state.edu
Subject: CFP on Human Factors and Telecom
A call for papers on human factors and telecommunications.
Call For Manuscripts For Special Issue on Human Factors
in Telecommunications
This announcement is an invitation for you to submit a full manuscript
for a special issue of Human Factors covering the field of
Telecommunications. The special topic will be titled: New
Telecommunications Technologies - End User Perspective. Many new
technologies are rapidly being introduced in the field of
Telecommunications that offer exciting opportunities to increase the
effectiveness of communications at a distance. These technologies
such as video, wireless, automatic speech production and recognition
are complex and provide a challenge to designers to implement the
technology with a high degree of usability for the end-user.
The special issue editors are soliciting original work that ideally is
empirically based covering usability of new emerging telecommunications
technologies including: wireless/cordless; personal communications;
telephone display terminals and services; voice response and voice
messaging systems; automatic speech production and recognition; visual
communications; virtual reality, electronic messaging, and multi-media
communications. We are also interested in work that attempts to
quantify the productivity impact of these new telecommunications
technologies. Please contact either of the special issue co-editors
with any questions or ideas that you would like to discuss.
Submissions should be received by November 1, 1993.
The manuscripts should be sent to Lois Smith c/o HFES, Special Issue,
P.O. Box 1369, Santa Monica, CA 90406-1369. The special issue
co-editors are Max S. Schoeffler, 908- 949-6833, mss3@hogpa.att.com
and Edmond W. Israelski, 908- 576-6394, ewi@mtsol.att.com. Authors
should use the Human Factors style guide available from the HFES
central office in preparing their manuscript.
------------------------------
From: avogadro@well.sf.ca.us (Michael D. Sullivan)
Subject: MCI 1-800-COOL-101
Organization: The Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link, Sausalito, CA
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 1993 09:13:33 GMT
Now through Labor Day, MCI is sponsoring a free 800 number that will let
you think "cool". Dial 1-800-COOL-101 and each key on the keypad will
give you a different "cool" sound, from skis on snow to drinks on ice. No
time limit or forced advertisements. Pretty cool, eh?
Michael D. Sullivan <avogadro@well.sf.ca.us (MIME capable)>
<74160.1134@compuserve.com> <mikesullivan@bix.com>
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 1993 21:01:26 +1000 (EST)
From: Liron Lightwood <liron@zikzak.apana.org.au>
Subject: 1-206-286-1600 Only via Sprint; Only Problems Ahead
The above number was mentioned in a previous article in this group,
as a number that can only be dialed using Sprint.
Well, I dialed the number from Australia, and got the "AT&T Does not
accept this call ..." recording. Very interesting. Does this mean
that the call was routed in the US via AT&T? Or would I have received
the same recording no matter which long distance carrier was used
(except Sprint of course)?
Does AT&T have anything to do with the "AT&T does not accept ..."
recording? If not, what would AT&T think of all this? What will
happen when people start
But that's not all folks! For did you know that I was charged for the
call! Yes, charged! Does this mean that even callers in the US will
be charged for calls to that number even though they get the "AT&T
does not accept ... " recording?
Liron Lightwood
[Moderator's Note: It would be good to find out *who* gave you the
'AT&T does not accept' recording. Was it locally generated by Telecom
Australia? Was it coming from overseas in the USA somewhere? Was it
generated by the actual recipient of the call? When 286-1600 decided
to deal exclusively with Sprint for delivery of their long distance
traffic, Sprint programmed their switches to watch for calls directed
to that number; to grab the calls and deliver them directly to the
recipient, probably over T-1 circuits or other types of leased lines
by-passing the local telco. I just now tried it over AT&T from here
and got the message 'AT&T has routed this call incorrectly, please
hang up and dial 10333-1-206-286-1600'. If other carriers attempt to
reach the number, they do in fact get through to it, but it just is
terminated on an answering machine at the customer's premises saying
they won't deal with you unless you call back via the required carrier
(or words to that effect.) Their answering machine should not claim
that they are AT&T making the announcement, or that AT&T had anything
to do with you winding up on a dead end answering machine. Ideally
also those calls should not supervise (or be billed for), but carriers
who are getting cut out of the loop like AT&T, MCI, etc are not likely
to agree to that, so yes, you probably get billed when calling by an
'unauthorized carrier' as well as not getting the results you wanted. PAT]
------------------------------
From: paulc@world.std.com (Paul E Cantrell)
Subject: Anyone Have the ESCORT 900mhz Cordless Phone?
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 1993 16:58:52 GMT
I've seen where ESCORT (makers of radar detectors) is selling a 900mhz
cordless phone. Does anyone have one of these? This company is known
for high quality gear, I'm curious whether their cordless phone is as
good as their radar detectors.
Paul
paulc@world.std.com paul@bos.locus.com
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 1993 13:40:24 -0400 (EDT)
Reply-To: 0005066432@MCIMAIL.COM
Subject: Re: Telix File Transfer Question
From: Paul Robinson <TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM>
Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring, MD USA
David Jonathan Dodick <djdk@troi.cc.rochester.edu>, writes:
> I am getting the message "sz: file skipped by receiver" when I try
> to receive files (from an ftp transfer) to my pc using Telix.
> I have a pc, 1200 baud modem, parity=none, high bit stripping is
> off.
> Can someone tell me what the message means and if something needs
> to be configured a certain way on my Telix program that I may not
> have checked??
Yes, there is something you forgot to check; the error message gives
it all away. You forgot to make sure you are not downloading a file
of the same name as something you already have. Check the directory
the download is to be sent to, and see if you have a file of the same
name as the file you are downloading.
However, there is a chance that you did want the same file, if you
were trying to recover from an aborted download (such as when a phone
connection is lost in the middle of a transfer.) Zmodem does allow
you to re-download a file and instead of starting over at the
beginning, it will start from the failure point if the transfer was
aborted; if you did intend to do that you must enable Zmodem Recovery,
which is usually disabled so you don't accidentally shoot yourself in
the foot.
If the duplicate file name issue is not the case -- and I'm almost
certain it is -- then the only other answer I can think of is you
don't have enough free disk space to download the file.
Paul Robinson - TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM
------------------------------
From: dgdhome!ddavis@meaddata.com (Don Davis)
Subject: Re: Telix File Transfer Question
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 1993 22:31:19 EDT
Organization: The Dayton Home for the Chronically Strange
In article <telecom13.615.17@eecs.nwu.edu>, telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
writes:
> I am getting the message "sz: file skipped by receiver" when I try to
> receive files (from an ftp transfer) to my pc using Telix.
> Can someone tell me what the message means and if something needs to
> be configured a certain way on my Telix program that I may not have
> checked??
Sounds as if Telix considers that the file already existed on the
receiving machine, so it skipped it. This can be a problem when
transferring files to a DOS machine from an environment which uses
long filenames. If your list of files to be sent looks like this:
myfile.text.001
myfile.text.002
myfile.text.003
then when Telix tries to make DOS filenames out of them, they'll all
come out as "MYFILE.TEX" due to the filename limitations of DOS (name
is up to eight characters, followed by a period, followed by up to
three chars of extension). The first file would be transferred, but
the others would be skipped, because Telix sees a file by that name
already on the disk. Your mileage may vary, depending at least upon
the relative sizes and modification dates/times of the files.
If this is the problem try naming the files in a way that'll make them
unique on the DOS system.
Best of luck!
Don Davis Internet: dgdhome!ddavis@meaddata.com Tel: 513-235-0096
------------------------------
From: aneely@toth.uwo.ca (Amer Neely)
Subject: Re: Telix File Transfer Question
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 93 2:00:44 GMT
I use Telix (great program!) when I contact local bbs's and have had
no problems using the built-in zmodem transfer for uploads or
downloads.
However, when I tried the same thing when accessing a Unix or VAX/VMS
system, all that went out the window. I tried for about a year (off
and on) to get something to work consistently but no luck. Your
predicament is SO familiar I just had to laugh (sorry <g>). I'm not
sure if the problem is with the Telix zmodem or the Unix / VMS rz /
sz. Recently I tried again using DSZ for xfers, and had only partial
success. So my solution is to use Kermit when accessing my Internet
account, which is on a Unix box and use Telix for everything else.
Make sure there isn't another file with same name in your d/l
directory, that will cause a skipped file. You might have to watch
carefully for this, especially if the name (on the Unix box) has
mulitple extensions.
In your case, I believe the *message* is from the remote software.
I've found even with Kermit <==> Unix / VMS, I get optimum results by
setting the send and receive packets to 512, which is the record size
used (at least in VMS I think), so it pays to fool around with
switches etc. So save yourself a lot of skull cramps and get a copy
of Kermit -- but if you DO find a solution I would like to hear it.
Amer Neely, P.O. Box 1538 Stn. B, London ON, CANADA, N6A 5M3
Internet: aneely@toth.uwo.ca Encryption PGP 2.2
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 1993 16:17:07 -0400 (EDT)
From: LESREEVES@delphi.com
Subject: Re: Telix File Transfer Question
Telix is my comm software (ver 3.21, registered), but I have never
encountered any problems when snarfing the archives. DeltaComm
Development, the distributor of Telix, provides full support for the
product. The support currently includes non-registered users. Their
tech support staff can be reached at (919) 460-4556. You can also log
onto their BBS at (919) 481-9399.
------------------------------
From: les@chinet.chinet.com (Leslie Mikesell)
Subject: Re: Telix File Transfer Question
Organization: Chinet - Public Access UNIX
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 1993 23:00:18 GMT
In article <telecom13.615.17@eecs.nwu.edu>, David Jonathan Dodick
<djdk@troi.cc.rochester.edu> wrote:
> I am getting the message "sz: file skipped by receiver" when I try to
> receive files (from an ftp transfer) to my pc using Telix.
This means that you already have the file on your PC with the same or
new timestamp. If you really want to transfer again, rename the
existing copy.
Les Mikesell les@chinet.com
------------------------------
Subject: Re: AT&T's Strange Attitude on 800 Numbers
From: bob@bci.nbn.com (Bob Schwartz)
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 93 10:36:24 PDT
Organization: Bill Correctors, Inc., Marin County, California
Pat, this still works if you order a POTS with remote call forwarding
that terminates in the CO. You control the line even if it is distant
from Chicago. Then just wait the appropriate time, disconnect the
other 800 number and install yours where you want it. conversely, move
the old 800 number to a CO termination with RCF, install your 800
number where you want it, wait the appropriate time period, then
disconnect the old 800 number and line together. *Maybe then just
disconnect the line and let big telephone figure out how to terminate
the 800 then. Of course, some distinctive ringing situation may be
preferable.
In any event you can still complain in order to clafify (and register)
the situation for others.
Regards,
Bob Schwartz bob@bci.nbn.com Bill Correctors, Inc. +1 415 488 9000
Marin County, California
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 93 06:51:09 CDT
From: ROsman%ASS%SwRI05@D26VS046A.CCF.SwRI.EDU
Subject: Re: AT&T's Strange Attitude on 800 Numbers
I think the short answer is "because they can." As you are well
aware, you'll probably get a different answer from a different rep.
I'd try that route first if you can.
One solution that you did not mention but probably have considered:
**YOU** get a second line and the customer's location and hard-forward
it to the customer's number.
I had a boss that always said "Life isn't always fair." In retrospect
he said it a LOT when we were dealing with AT&T ...
Oz (Oz@SwRI.edu) (210) 699-1302 (home:phone/fax/msg) (210) 522-5050 (w)
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 93 00:40 GMT
From: Christopher Zgvuris <0004854540@mcimail.com>
Subject: Re: AT&T's Strange Attitude on 800 Numbers
In TELECOM Digest V13 #615 Lee Sweet (decrsc!leesweet@uunet.UU.NET)
writes:
> ... could the practice of having the billing keyed by the *target*
> instead of the *800 number* be just a holdover (bad programming
> choice) from the days when 800s did *not* have DID targets, but *were*
> the target, dedicated number themselves? (So when they were able to
> offer 800-> DID, someone decided to bill on target rather than 800
> BTW, I doubt that the target number is a customer record or the like,
> since most companies have 1 800 from the same vendor. (We have ten
> from Cable and Wireless, who, with 800 programming by the user,
> couldn't care less where the 800 ends up. [What does AT&T do when you
> ask them to move the target? Change all the billing records?!]
When we moved our physical location we kept our two 800 numbers (both
MCI now, one used to SPRINT - thank you 800 portability!) and simply
changed the POTS number they terminated on. These were totally
different locations. I've had the POTS termination line changed
several times and I never had any problems, the 800 numbers is/are/was
keyed to the 800 number in the provider's computer, the subject of what
POTS line the number when to was never an issue? What's the story
here? Does AT&T have a system that keys their 800 service to the POTS
line it goes to? That would be completely contrary to my experiences
with MCI & SPRINT. You people with AT&T 800 please clarify this point
-- does AT&T have a system different from MCI and SPRINT?
Christopher Zguris CZGURIS@MCIMail.com
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 93 13:35:48 EDT
From: Carl Moore <cmoore@BRL.MIL>
Subject: Same Prefix on Both Sides of an Area Code Boundary?
The following have come to my attention along the Ohio-Indiana border.
The prefix with West or East as part of its place name has "operator
routing" from across the border.
623 -- 419 area, East Monroeville; 219 area, Monroeville
632 -- 419 area, East Woodburn; 219 area, Woodburn
997 -- 513 area, Hollansburg; 317 area, East Hollansburg
966 -- 513 area, East Richmond; 317 area, Richmond
But in the case of Richmond, Indiana, there are at least three other
prefixes serving it. I was able to reach a 966 number with EITHER
area code. I don't know what appears on pay phones in Richmond,
Indiana; and I was in that area at the end of 1991 (sigh). Richmond
is along I-70, so it is quite easy to reach.
------------------------------
From: Joe.Bergstein@p501.f544.n109.z1.fidonet.org (Joe Bergstein)
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 1993 02:15:47 -0500
Subject: Radio Shack Catalogs
In reply to message from LESREEVES, Moderator noted:
> [Moderator's Note: Radio Shack is now getting $2.95 for catalogs? :(
> PAT]
Yup! I just stopped in to Radio Shack yesterday looking for the
device which goes on a phone line, and stops an (older) answering
machine when someone picks up the phone. I looked around and couldn't
find them so I asked for a catalog. It wasn't in the catalog either.
I started out the door with the catalog in my hand, and was stopped by
the manager who told me that the catalogs now cost $2.95 which is
refunded on your first purchase.
BTW, any idea where I can buy the device described above?
[Moderator's Note: I guess from now on we have to go in and buy one of
their cheesy house-brand batteries for 50 cents in order to get the
catalog. PAT]
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V13 #618
******************************
From telecom Thu Sep 2 01:31:05 1993
Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA21012
(5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecom@eecs.nwu.edu); Thu, 2 Sep 1993 01:31:05 -0500
Date: Thu, 2 Sep 1993 01:31:05 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom>
Message-Id: <199309020631.AA21012@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #619
Status: RO
TELECOM Digest Thu, 2 Sep 93 00:31:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 619
Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson
Murdock Buys Delphi (Les Reeves)
Strange Billing (David Cornutt)
PacBell and GTE (David Gast)
GTE and the Cerritos Experiment (David Gast)
PTT Approved ISDN Equipment (Paul Lutt)
Global Telecommunications Conference (David Sachs)
AT&T VISA Card Validation (Anthony E. Siegman)
Thank You! No More Beeps ... (Tara D. Mahon)
Voice Converters (Johanna Mikkola)
Stupid Code Tricks (Jerrold Comm)
Creative Intercept Announcement (Nigel Allen)
BBS Direct (CRIS) Continued (Jim Wenzel)
Denver, Adamstown, PA Moving to 717 (Betty Perry)
Help: Deaf Terminal Emulation Through Modem (Allan R. Baker)
Public ATM Network in Australia (John Gottschalk)
Telephone Fraud (Goh Tiong Hwee)
57.6kb CCIT Standard? (Brian M. Huey)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 02 Sep 1993 00:18:19 -0400 (EDT)
From: LESREEVES@delphi.com
Subject: Murdock Buys Delphi
The following annoncement was posted on Delphi,Sept. 1.
NEW YORK (UPI) -- News Corp. Ltd. said Wednesday it has agreed to
buy Delphi Internet Services Inc., a provider of consumer services
through personal computers, for an undisclosed price.
"Delphi's leading technology will enhance The News Corp.'s role in
the rapidly evolving worldwide interactive media marketplace," said
Rupert Murdoch, chairman and chief executive officer of News Corp.
"It will provide a series of additional products and services,
including an electronic newspaper unlike any other and an electronic
version of TV Guide, which will empower consumers to deal with the
ever-increasing number of channels."
News Corp. said Delphi, of Cambridge, Mass., is the fastest growing
of the industry's major consumer on-line services, which include
Prodigy and CompuServe. It plans to make Delphi part of its news
technology group.
Delphi currently employs 300 on-line experts, or moderators, to
help customers browse through the Internet electronic databases.
"We have gained a tremendous competitive advantage in joining the
News Corp. global media family," noted Daniel J. Bruns, president and
CEO of Delphi. "In turn, because of our leading state-of-the-art
technology, we provide a key part of the strategic interactive media
marketplace for News Corp. as it expands its information network on a
worldwide basis." More?
News Corp., Murdoch's global media and entertainment empire, did
not indicate how it would finance the deal. It achieved achieved an
investment grade rating in late January on two long-term debt issues
totaling $1 billion through its News America Holdings unit.
------------------------------
From: cornutt@lambda.msfc.nasa.gov (David Cornutt)
Subject: Strange Billing
Organization: NASA/MSFC
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 1993 21:38:31 GMT
Something kind of strange turned up in my girlfriend's phone bill this
month. Here's the situation:
She just moved across town into a new house. Her service at the old
number was terminated on July 27; service at the new number was turned
on July 29. SC Bell sent her a final bill for the old number in early
August; it included all charges up through the date that service was
terminated at that number.
Well, she just got her first bill for the new number. It included the
charges for calls made that month, and the usual charges for moving
the service, etc.
But it also included something else. On the AT&T portion of the bill,
listed under "Operator Assisted Calls", were four calls that she
didn't make. Three of these were overseas (two to Saudi Arabia, one
to Egypt). And, more mysteriously, all of them were third-number
calls originated from other numbers. One came from a local number,
one from a number in Washington, DC, and two from a number in
Alexandria, VA.
Now, here's where it really gets wierd. My girlfried called AT&T
about this. She told me that a rep called her back and said that the
calls were credit card calls made by the previous subscriber on that
number and that they will be removed from the bill. (We'll see about
that ...) At the time she told me this, I had my mind on something
else, and didn't really think about it. But then I realized ...
How could calls made on *someone else's* credit card turn up on *her*
bill? Credit card calls are billed to a person, not an address! So I
got the bill out. And then, I noticed the *really* bizarre aspect:
These calls were made prior to July 29, BEFORE THE SERVICE WAS TURNED
ON AT THAT NUMBER!
So, does anyone have any ideas? What in the Sam Hill is going on
here? Is this an AT&T screwup, or some bizarre form of fraud, or
what? How could calls be billed to a number that wasn't in service at
the time the calls were made?
AT&T seems to be willing to remove the calls from the bill, so things
seem to be OK at the moment. But, I'm not satisfied. If there is
some sort of fraud going on here, who's to say that it won't appear
again next month?
(Some additional info that might or might not be relevent: By random
chance, she was assigned a number with the last four digits of the
form XX00. The number is close to a huge block of DID numbers owned
by Boeing. The thought has occurred to me that maybe someone has been
somehow scamming Boeing's telecom, and this number assignment has
stumbled onto it.)
Any ideas? Anything for us to be concerned about?
David Cornutt, New Technology Inc., Huntsville, AL (205) 461-4517
(cornutt@lambda.msfc.nasa.gov; some insane route applies)
"The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of my employer,
not necessarily mine, and probably not necessary."
[Moderator's Note: It is likely whoever had the number before her had
some charges come through that were delayed for whatever reason.
Calling Cards are usually connected to a specific phone number. Maybe
the Calling Card number was originally entered wrong, or there was some
reason the billing got mangled. A small percentage of calls get
incorrectly billed for whatever reason and are delayed in getting to
the account where they belong. For whatever reason, AT&T had those
particular toll tickets out of the regular stream and in adjustments.
Since they were operator-assisted calls to overseas points, it is
quite likely this could have occurred. At the time the calls were
placed the operator might have marked the tickets wrong; the charges
might have gone to MCI from the foreign telco in error; MCI had to
charge them back to AT&T; Lord only knows where they had been. Even
the date on the bill might be bogus; the charges could have been
incurred three or four months earlier and been bounced back and forth
between three or four telcos a couple times before they fell out in
billing and went to adjustments or research. Telcos mess up also and
send AT&T charges to MCI, MCI's to AT&T, and Sprint's to some other
company. MCI might have sat on those charges in their adjustments/
suspense for two months before back-charging them to the *wrong* (not
the originating) telco.
Finally AT&T gets the tickets three months after the fact in their
suspense account and at that point, a human being from AT&T had to
look at the tickets and figure out what happened. The clerk located
the !absolute! number of the subscriber responsible, manually pushed
them through to the telco serving your girlfriend, and guess what? The
subscriber had discontinued that number and went elsewhere. The
manually adjusted tickets arrived a day after the billing cycle; now
they get to sit in the local telco's vault for another 30 days or so.
Meanwhile, the phone number has been out of service a couple months,
and telco assigned it to your girl friend, but AT&T doesn't know this.
The local telco does not challenge what comes in-house; they just bill
it. If it falls out again in the cycle billing, so be it. Charge it back
to AT&T again, or MCI or somewhere ... write it off, whatever. In this
case the billing stuck because there was a subscriber attached to the
phone number by this time: your girlfriend. The AT&T rep should not
have said the charges belonged to the previous 'occupant of the
residence'; she probably should have said they belong to the previous
subscriber using that number. Maybe she did and your girlfriend mis-
understood.
If the rep promised to remove the charges, I am sure they will be
gone. Of course with your luck, the credit issued by the rep will miss
the cycle billing by a day <smile> meaning the charges will show up on
the bill again next month as unpaid. If this happens, sit tight. Don't
write your congressman, the FCC or me for that matter. Wait and see if
in a couple months from now the charges have gone away to write-off
heaven, along with the rest of the unidentifiable charges from six months
ago and the illegible microfilm copies of stuff, etc . PAT]
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 93 14:38:51 -0700
From: gast@CS.UCLA.EDU (David Gast)
Subject: PacBell and GTE
Recently my girlfriend moved to an area I thought was served by GTE.
Knowing how they behave, I called up first to find out what questions
they would ask. It turns out that she must be right over the dividing
line because when she called they told her she was in the PacBell
service area.
What a blessing. Telephone service is at least 20% cheaper. Unlike
GTE which was quoting almost a week to turn on service, PacBell turned
it on when she wanted it, two days later. The initial connection fee
is also much less expensive and is spread over three months instead of
being due all at once.
GTE will not allow a pseudonym to be used for a directory listing. (I
was really surprised, but the PUC directed me to GTE's executive
offices, and they read me the tariff.) PacBell has no problems with a
pseudonym. Additionally, an unlisted line costs only half as much in
PB land anyway.
PB bundles cancel call waiting with call waiting. GTE does not. One
can make minor modifications to the service for a $5 dollar fee. GTE
charges significantly more. I think, $26, but I could be wrong on
that point.
PB even tried to hire her.
All in all, a big improvement. Better service, less cost.
David
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 93 14:29:44 -0700
From: gast@CS.UCLA.EDU (David Gast)
Subject: GTE and the Cerritos Experiment
The {LA Times} had a front page article yesterday on the big GTE
experiment in Cerritos. In essence, this was a so-called high
technology project involving movies on demand, interactive TV, and the
like. GTE obviously thought it would prove very profitable.
The reality is that the project has generated far less use than GTE
expected. Even though movies on demand cost something like four or
five bucks instead of the 6.50 I remember them mentioning at the
outset, few people use the service. People prefer to save the bucks
and go to their local video store. GTE is really miffed because many
telco executives thought they would put the video stores out of
business, and they hate that they have not made a bigger dent in the
market. Unfortunately, GTE, living in its monopoly world, still does
not believe in downward sloping demand curves. (They even exist for
GTE's monopoly products). In fact, a large number of people have not
even signed up for cable.
Sidebar: Cable executives have said that the only thing people will
pay for is video on demand, but the Cerritos experiment says otherwise.
Even fewer people have signed up for or used the interactive features.
David
------------------------------
From: pwl@tc.fluke.COM (Paul Lutt)
Subject: PTT Approved ISDN Equipment
Organization: Fluke Corporation, Everett, WA
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 1993 16:25:45 GMT
We are currently looking at ways to provide a network connection from
our headquarters in the US to our offices in the Netherlands. Since
this link will be low volume, with intermittent use, we are
considering using ISDN bridges for the connection. We have found a
couple of vendors with products that could do the job, but their
equipment has not been certified by the PTT in the Netherlands for
connection to their ISDN phone lines.
One solution would be to find some sort of PTT approved box that would
be the ISDN equivalent of the old telephone data access arrangement.
Such an electrical firewall would permit us to use the ISDN bridge in
the Netherlands. Does anyone out there in netland know of such a box?
We are also investigating other solutions, but the ISDN bridges look
quite attractive.
Paul Lutt
Domain: pwl@tc.fluke.COM Voice: +1 206 356 5059 UUCP: uunet!fluke!pwl
Snail: Fluke Corporation / P.O. Box 9090 / Everett, WA 98206-9090
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 93 18:24 GMT
From: Telecom <0005877669@mcimail.com>
Subject: Global telecommunications Conference
October 13-15, 1993 Rye Town Hilton Rye Brook, NY
Conference Overview
Pace University has developed this conference to provide a world class
forum for telecommunications users to explore implementation
strategies for the development of global networks. Three conference
tracks will provide over 30 sessions and user case studies in the
critical areas of Technology, Regulation and Policy, and Implementation.
The distinguished list of conference presenters will include:
Marie-Monique Steckel President, France Telecom US
Gerald Thames President, British Telecom North America
Al Kurtze Senior Vice President, Sprint
Peter Scott Commission of European Communities
Sachio Semmoto Senior Vice President, DDI Corporation (Japan)
Topics to be addressed include:
* Successful Implementation Strategies * Multimedia Networking
* Outsourcing vs. Insourcing * Wireless Networks
* Deregulation and Privatization * Personal Info Systems
* Enterprise Networking Deployment * Reform at the ITU
* Technology Trends * User case study series
Optional Pre-Conference Seminars
* Global networking-Executive Decision Frameworks
* Asynchronous Transfer Mode
* The Global Telecommunications Business Environment (2 days)
Who Should Attend
* CIOs
* Communications managers
* Network analysts, planners or designers
* Information technology specialists
* MIS directors
* Systems engineers
* International marketers
Information and Registration
Please contact David Sachs, 1 Martine Avenue, White Plains, NY 10606.
Telephone: (800) 546-3157, (914) 763-8764
Fax: (914) 763-9324 E-mail: 587-7669 @MCIMAIL.COM
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 93 9:08:44 PDT
From: Anthony E. Siegman <siegman@sierra.stanford.edu>
Subject: AT&T VISA Card Validation
New gimmick on AT&T VISA cards (at least new to me): mandatory
phone validation of new and replacement cards before they can be used.
My wife and I received the annual replacements for our AT&T
Univeral VISA cards the other day. WIth the cards was a memo: The new
cards would not be valid until we telephoned an 800 number and
verified the cards. When I called, the totally automated system ("You
will be asked for certain information; if you have your new card with
you please push 2 now") wanted me to enter:
* The 16-digit card number
* Last two digits of primary card holder's year of birth
* My SSN
I know the last item will push some people's buttons. Whether they
also captured the number I called from I don't know -- I suppose so.
[Moderator's Note: Didn't the same people put their SSN on the original
application for credit? Then what is their beef now? PAT]
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 93 09:09:45 EDT
From: Tara D. Mahon <tara@insight-corp.com>
Subject: Thank you! No More Beeps...
Dear TELECOM Digest (comp.dcom.telecom) readers:
Thanks for all the replies I received about the mysterious beeping
calls. I just wanted to let everyone know they stopped at 10:55 am,
after over 30 calls in seven hours (the voice messaging system
counted, not I).
The signal was neither modem nor fax (as I suspected). The phone
company believes it may have been a line check gone awry or a broken
telemarketing machine. They have also set a trap on my line for two
weeks in case the calls return.
Thank you for all the kind replies to my _most annoying_ message.
Insanity sets in after a while.
Best Wishes,
Tara
[Moderator's Note: I'm glad the list was able to help you Tara.
Speaking of the mailing list, over a hundred new names added in the
past three days! Many of them employees of MCI; several from GTE
departments. Welcome new readers, one and all! PAT]
------------------------------
From: rmj@ajk.tele.fi (Johanna Mikkola)
Subject: Voice Converters
Date: 1 Sep 1993 12:23:27 GMT
Organization: Telecom Finland
Reply-To: rmj@ajk.tele.fi
Hello,
Does anybody know something about Wescom or Prescom voice converters?
My problem is to connect four-wire E&M system to two-wire analogue
line. (One voice channel) I know that this equipment is used in this
kind of cases but I would need some specific information about it. If
anybody knows also who is its local distributor in Scandinavia, please
tell me.
Regards,
Johanna
------------------------------
From: gvaeth@netcom.com (Jerrold Comm/GI)
Subject: Stupid Code Tricks
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 1993 20:49:26 GMT
Has anyone compiled a list of "special" codes telcos use (for
callback, number id, etc.)? I am particularly interested in what is
in use in the 215 area code, or if it is cut finer, in the
Philadelphia metro area. Thanks.
Regards,
Gregory Vaeth Jerrold Communications
internet: gvaeth@netcom.com General Instrument
voicenet: (215) 956-6488 2200 Byberry Road
faxnet: (215) 675-4059 Hatboro, PA 19040
[Moderator's Note: Now and then someone puts one of those lists together;
we had one here a few months ago. Maybe someone will write you direct with
the information for your area if they know it. PAT]
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 93 17:03:53 EDT
From: ae446@freenet.carleton.ca (Nigel Allen)
Subject: Creative Intercept Announcement
Organization: National Capital Freenet, Ottawa
Reply-To: ae446@freenet.carleton.ca
David Grabiner, grabiner@zariski.harvard.edu, uses the following
cute saying in his .signature:
> "We are sorry, but the number you have dialed is imaginary."
> "Please rotate your phone 90 degrees and try again."
I am tempted to use it on my answering machine. It would scare off
telemarketers quite nicely.
Nigel Allen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada ae446@freenet.carleton.ca
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 1993 16:12:00 -0500
From: jim.wenzel@grapevine.lrk.ar.us (Jim Wenzel)
Subject: BBS Direct (CRIS) Continued
Reply-To: jim.wenzel@grapevine.lrk.ar.us (Jim Wenzel)
Organization: The GrapeVine BBS *** N. Little Rock, AR *** (501) 753-8121
An update on BBS Direct (CRIS):
Well, I called to day and talked to someone different. This time
around they were a little more straight-forward about what was and
wasn't.
I was wrong about full UseNet feed. They will not be providing it.
Nor will they be providing FTP or TelNet (someone blew smoke up my
a**). The chat-based Interlink Service is not up yet; it is promised
soon. The only way to access BBS Direct is thru them (dial into
SprintNet and type C CRIS). From there they will patch you back out to
the BBS of your choice.
Currently there are only a little over ten BBS's signed up. They did
mention heavy advertisement but, frankly, I don't see the need for it
really. This was an opportunity for someone to really do something.
<sigh>. IMHO it is beginning to look like a glorified BBS directory.
The GrapeVine / Ferret Face BBS (501) 753-8121
PGP Distribution Site, UseNet, RIME, ThrobNet, MediaNet, U'niNet, ForthNet
RecoveryNet, MetroLink. Putting Communications back in Telecommunication
------------------------------
From: rdsun5a!eep@aloft.att.com
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 93 17:44:43 EDT
Subject: Denver, Adamstown, PA Moving to 717
Since I've seen several references to Denver and Adamstown, Lancaster
County, Pennsylvania, in this Digest, I thought there'd be some
interest in this.
Both these exchanges are moving from area code 215 to area code 717.
According to a friend who lives there, Denver (215-267) gets a new
prefix (717-336). Adamstown (484) just changes the area code. Right
now, both the old and new numbers work. I'm not sure how long that
will continue.
There are one or two other exchanges which are also predominantly in
Lancaster County and are currently in 215, but I haven't heard
anything about them.
The latest Reading/Berks County Bell of PA phone books have 1 page
announcing the 215/610 split which will occur on Jan. 8, 1994. They
don't say anything about a permissive dialing period which I think
comes after that date.
Betty Perry AT&T Bell Laboratories
Reading, PA eep@aluxpo.att.com
------------------------------
From: arb2@engr.engr.uark.edu (Allan R. Baker)
Subject: Help: Deaf Terminal Emulation Through Modem
Organization: University of Arkansas
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 1993 22:13:33 GMT
Help.
Is it possible to communicate a with TDD (or is it DDT) device with
common modem software?
If anyone has any helpful information please e-mail at arb2@engr.uark.
edu.
Thank you for your time.
Allan R. Baker arb2@engr.uark.edu
[Moderator's Note: No it is not possible. They are different protocols.
The one uses ASCII, the other uses Baudot (of some level, I forget). PAT]
------------------------------
From: john@citr.uq.oz.au (John Gottschalk)
Subject: Public ATM Network in Australia
Organization: Prentice Centre, University of Queensland
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 1993 07:15:29 GMT
Hello all,
For those interested in Broadband ISDN and ATM, Telstra Corp.
(usually known here as Telecom Australia) have announced they will
soon be offering an ATM service in the major Australian cities (this
is not too difficult as we do not have very many people and cities in
Australia).
There will be a trial of the ATM network next year, with commercial
operations soon after that if the trial is successful.
The network will use the 155Mbit/sec SDH protocol and the 34Mbit/sec
Plesiochronous Digital Hierarchy (PDH) protocol.
I have heard elsewhere that the network could easily run at 650Mbit/sec
but Telstra does not yet see a need for it.
Regards,
John Gottschalk, john@citr.uq.oz.au
Project Manager, CiTR, +61 7 365 4321 (phone)
Gehrmann Building, +61 7 365 4399 (fax)
The University of Queensland, 4072, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia,
------------------------------
From: thgoh@iss.nus.sg (Goh Tiong Hwee)
Subject: Telephone Fraud
Date: 1 Sep 1993 02:01:40 GMT
Organization: Institute Of Systems Science, NUS.
I have been keeping watch on this newsgroup for the past three weeks
looking out for Fraud Detection Systems but to no avail. I have been
tasked with proposing such a system for cellular phones especially
illegal clone cellular phone fraud for our local service provider. So
far I have only got credit card fraud detection systems by Nestor and
HNC.
Will appreciate if readers of this group can recommend any such
system. (I have been told they exist.) Please email to me or post.
Should there be sufficient interest, I will consolidate, summaries and
post.
Thank you for your attention.
[Moderator's Note: You missed a great thread on the topic which began
here two or three months ago, and dealt with the capture of ESNs by
phreaks who then install the ESN in chips used in stolen phones, etc.
I suggest you check the Telecom Archives for those back issues. The
archives is accessible using anonymous ftp lcs.mit.edu. PAT]
------------------------------
From: todamhyp@unlv.edu (Brian M. Huey)
Subject: 57.6kb CCIT Standard?
Organization: University of Nevada at Las Vegas, College of Engineering
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 93 23:15:29 GMT
Is there a Protocol/standard for modems that operate at a RAW data
connection speed of 57.6 kbaud without data compression?
Brian M. Huey If you have an opinion in regards
todamhyp@unlv.edu -or- to what I said, mail me.
todamhyp@cs.unlv.edu
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V13 #619
******************************
From telecom Thu Sep 2 12:10:00 1993
Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA06780
(5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecom@eecs.nwu.edu); Thu, 2 Sep 1993 12:10:00 -0500
Date: Thu, 2 Sep 1993 12:10:00 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom>
Message-Id: <199309021710.AA06780@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #620
Status: RO
TELECOM Digest Thu, 2 Sep 93 12:10:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 620
Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson
International Symposium on Applied Computing (ISAC93) (Martha S. Salinas)
World Wide Web Newsletter (wwwn@ukartnet.demon.co.uk)
Easytouch Phone Trouble (Dave Carpentier)
Foreigners Need Not Apply? (Ramaiah V. Narla)
Used D4 Channel Bank Needed (Stanley Kechak)
E-mail Address(es) For Congress? (David R. Zinkin)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: msordia@academ01.mty.itesm.mx (Ing. Martha Sordia Salinas)
Subject: International Symposium on Applied Computing (ISAC93)
Date: 1 Sep 93 22:48:58 GMT
Organization: ITESM, Campus Monterrey
Simposium Internacional en Computacion Aplicada:
Investigaciones y Aplicaciones en Ingenieria de Software, Bases de
Datos y Sistemas Distribuidos
International Symposium on Applied Computing: Research and
Applications in Software Engineering, Data Bases and Distributed
Systems
ISAC '93
Oct. 13 - 15 1993
This Symposium is being organized by the Informatics Research Center
and it is sponsored by the ITESM (Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios
Superiores de Monterrey) in conjunction with Texas A&M University.
ITESM Campus, Monterrey, Mexico, October 13-15 1993.
MONTERREY/ITESM INFO
Monterrey is an industrial city located 160 miles south of the US
border. ITESM is a leading private university system composed of 26
campuses in 25 cities. It has a faculty of 4000 and student body of
48000. All campuses are linked by a telecommunications network
operating via satellite. The Center for Informatics Research is one
of 10 applied research centers whose main goal is to develop and
transfer new technologies that will help industrial competitiveness.
PROGRAMA PRELIMINAR / PRELIMINARY PROGRAM
________________ Miercoles 13 de octubre, 1993 ________________
TUTORIALES/TUTORIALS
Los tutoriales seran en paralelo. / Parallel sessions for tutorials.
8:00 "Design by Contract: Making Object - Oriented Programs that Work"
Dr. Bertrand Meyer / Interactive Software Engineering, U.S.A.
( 8 hrs )
8:00 "Software Reuse: From Concepts to Implementation"
Dr. Ruben Prieto-Diaz / Reuse Inc., U.S.A.
(8 hrs)
8:00 "Distributed Databases "
Dr. Hector Garcia-Molina / Stanford University, U.S.A.
(6 hrs)
8:00 "The Theory and Practice of Information Technology Transfer"
Dr. James C. Brancheau / University of Colorado, U.S.A.
(8 hrs)
________________ Jueves 14 de octubre, 1993 ________________
PROGRAMA DE CONFERENCIAS / INVITED SPEAKERS AND PAPERS
Las ponencias seran en paralelo. Se contara con traduccion simultanea. /
Parallel paper sessions. Translation service available.
8:00 - 9:00 Registro /Registration
9:00 - 9:30 Inaguracion y Bienvenida / Opening Ceremony
9:30 -10:30 "Information Finding in an Electronic Library"
Dr. Hector Garcia - Molina / Stanford University, U.S.A.
10:30 - 11:00 RECESO/BREAK
11:00 - 12:00 Applying Technology: A key to success in 21st century
Dr. James Brancheau / University of Colorado, U.S.A
12:00 - 13:00 " CASE: Tools for People or People for Tools ? "
Dr. Anneliese Von Mayrhauser /Colorado State Univ., U.S.A.
13:00 - 14:30 COMIDA / LUNCH
PONENCIAS EN PARALELO / PARALLEL PAPER SESSIONS
INGENIERIA DE SOFTWARE (SOFTWARE ENGINEERING)
14:30 - 15:00 " A Statistical Method to Assess Human Factors in Computing "
Jorge Gonzalez Sustaeta / Inst. de Invest. Electricas, MEXICO
15:00 - 15:30 " Levels of Consciousness for Reuse of Software in Practice:
Maintainability, Balance, Standardization "
Thomas Grechenig / Technical University of Vienna, AUSTRIA
15:30 - 16:00 " Building a Better Software Product through Total Quality "
Danielle V. Bernstein / TRW, Inc., U.S.A.
16:00 - 16:30 RECESO/BREAK
BASES DE DATOS ( DATA BASES )
16:30 - 17:00 "Developing a Database Server for Distributed
Real-Time Systems"
Sang H. Son / University of Virginia, U.S.A.
17:00 - 17:30 "Modular Concurrency Control Algorithms for Object Bases"
Ken Barker / University of Manitoba, CANADA
________________ Jueves 14 de octubre, 1993 ________________
SISTEMAS DISTRIBUIDOS (DISTRIBUTED SYSTEMS)
14:30 -15:00 " Towards Integrated Distributed Systems Management "
James W. Hong / University of Western Ontario, CANADA
15:00 -15:30 " Algorithms for Implementing Replicated Priority Queues "
Brahma Dathan / University of Wyoming, U.S.A.
15:30 -16:00 " iTOS: A Distributed Operating Systems for Real Time Systems "
Rajendra Rathod / Indian Telephone Industries Limited, INDIA
16:00 -16:30 RECESO/BREAK
16:30 - 17:00 "Using the Object - Oriented Framework to Construct
Wide - Area Group Communication Mechanisms"
Darrell D. E. Long / University of California, U.S.A.
17:00 - 17:30 "On the Performance of Voting with Ghosts"
Jehan - Francois Paris / University of Houston, U.S.A.
17:30 - 18:30 Panel de Discusion de Sistemas Distribuidos / Discussion
Panel in Distributed Systems
________________ Viernes 15 de octubre, 1993 ________________
PROGRAMA DE CONFERENCIAS /INVITED SPEAKERS AND PAPERS
9:00 - 10:00 " Software Development Solutions for a Parallel
Database System"
Dr. Walter G. Wilson / T.J. Watson Research Center, U.S.A.
10:00 - 11:00 The User as Leader during Information System Implementation
Ing. Gustavo Cervantes / ABACO Grupo Financiero, MEXICO
11:00 - 11:30 RECESO/BREAK
SESIONES EN PARALELO / PARALLEL PAPER SESSIONS
INGENIERIA DE SOFTWARE (SOFTWARE ENGINEERING)
11:30 -12:00 " Object Oriented Encapsulation: Integrating Applications
in Information Systems "
Steven D. Litvintchouk / The MITRE Corporation, U.S.A.
12:00 - 12:30 " Reverse Engineering for System Transformation "
Harald Gall / Vienna University of Technology, AUSTRIA
12:30 - 14:30 COMIDA /LUNCH
BASES DE DATOS (DATA BASES)
11:30 - 12:00 "Failure-Resilient Transaction Execution in
Multidatabase Systems"
Jongtae Lim / Korea Advanced Inst. of Sc. & Tech., KOREA
12:00 - 12:30 " Simple Object - Oriented Syntax for the SQL User "
James L. Johnson / Western Washington University, U.S.A.
12:30 - 14:30 COMIDA / LUNCH
________________ Viernes 15 de octubre, 1993 ________________
SESIONES EN PARALELO / PARALLEL PAPER SESSIONS
INGENIERIA DE SOFTWARE (SOFTWARE ENGINEERING)
14:30 - 15:00 " An Integrated Software Maintenance Environment
and the Ghinsu Toolset"
Panos E. Livadas / University of Florida, U.S.A.
15:00 - 15:30 " Thirteen Years of Tedium : A New Approach to System
Development and Maintenance "
Bruce I. Blum / Johns Hopkins University, U.S.A.
15:30 - 16:00 RECESO/BREAK
16:00 - 16:30 " A Requirements Capturing Environment for Telephony "
Douglas D. Dankel II / University of Florida, U.S.A.
16:30 - 17:00 "A Hierarchical Approach for Structuring MMS
Based Applications"
Luis Vega / CRIN - ENSEM, FRANCE
17:00 - 18:00 Panel de Discusion de Ingenieria de Software/ Dsicussion
Panel in Software Engineering
BASE DE DATOS (DATA BASES)
14:30 - 15:00 " OODBMS and Integration of the AEC Industry "
Jesus Favela / Massachusetts Institute of Technology, U.S.A.
15:00 - 15:30 "Object Modeling and Efficient Allocation and Multimedia
Objects for Storage Device Architecture in Real - Time
Multimedia "
Kingsley C. Nwosu / IBM Data Systems Division, U.S.A.
15:30 - 16:00 RECESO/BREAK
16:00 - 17:00 Panel de Discusion de Base de Datos/ Discussion Panel in
DataBases
-----------------------
EVENTOS SOCIALES / SOCIAL EVENTS
18:00 Coctel de Bienvenida para Tutoriales Miercoles 13 de octubre
Cocktail
18:30 Coctel de Bienvenida para Conferencias Jueves 14 de octubre
Cocktail
20:00 Cena de Clausura Viernes 15 de octubre
Dinner
------------------------
TARIFAS DE HOTEL / HOTEL RATES
Here are the sepecial hotel rates for conference attendees:
Hotel Ancira
Tarifa/Rate: N$346.00 + IVA $110.00 US dlls + 10% TAX
Tel/Phone: (52)(8) 345-10-60 or 345-75-75
Fax/Fax: (52)(8) 344-52-26
Observations: Downtown; about 20 min from ITESM by car
Observaciones:Centro de la ciudad; a 20 min del ITESM en carro
Hotel Holiday Inn Crown Plaza
Tarifa/Rate: N$327.00 + IVA $109.00 US dlls. + 10% TAX
Tel/Phone: (52)(8) 319-60-00
Fax/Fax: (52)(8) 344-30-07
Observations: Downtown; about 20 min from ITESM by car
Observaciones: Centro de la ciudad; a 20 min del ITESM en carro
Hotel Rio
Tarifa/Rate: N$250.00 + IVA $89.00 US Dlls. + 10% TAX
Tel/Phone: (52)(8) 344-90-40
Fax/Fax: (52)(8) 345-14-56
Observations: Downtown; about 20 min from ITESM by car
Observaciones: Centro de la ciudad; a 20 min del ITESM en carro
Hotel Holiday Inn Express
Tarifa/Rate: N$215.00 + IVA $70.00 US dlls. + 10% TAX
Tel/Phone: (52)(8) 329-60-00
Fax/Fax: (52)(8) 329-60-20
Observations: South; about 5 min from ITESM by car
Observaciones: Al sur de la ciudad; a 5 min del ITESM en carro
We have a help counter, to aid you arranging hotel reservations in
Monterrey. If you want a hotel reservation, please send to the help
counter the folowing data as soon as posible.
* dates of stay
* hotel name
* international credit card number, expiration date and type
Help Counter
Mayra Padilla/Zoila Reyna
phone:(8) 358-20-00 ext 5082, 5076
fax: (8) 358-20-00 ext 5081
e-mail:msordia at mtecv2.mty.itesm.mx
-----------------------------
COSTO DEL EVENTO /FEES
Profesionistas/Professionals
Tutorial/Tutorial N$1,000 + IVA
$310 USD + 10% TAX
Conferencias / Conferences N$1,000 + IVA
$310 USD + 10% TAX
Conferencias y Tutorial N$1,700 + IVA
Conferences and Tutorial $527 USD + 10% TAX
Estudiantes/Students
Conferencias/Conferences N$320 + IVA
$100 USD + 10 TAX
(dinner not included)
Profesores/Professors
Tutorial/Tutorial N$850 + IVA
$265 USD + 10% TAX
Conferencias/Conferences $850 + IVA
$265 USD + 10% TAX
Conferencias y Tutorial N$1,600 + IVA
Conferences and Tutorial $500 USD + 10% TAX
-------------------
REGISTRATION
ITESM, Campus Monterrey
Centro de Investigacion en Informatica
Edificio CETEC 6: Nivel Torre Norte
Ave. Eugenio Garza Sada #2501 Sur
Monterrey N.L. Mexico
ATN: Lic. Mayra Padilla/ Lic. Zoila Reyna
Tel/Phone: (8) 358-20-00 ext. 5082, 5076
Fax/Fax: (8) 358-20-00 ext. 5081
e-mail: msordia@mtecv2.mty.itesm.mx
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 1993 19:13:48 +0000
From: wwwn@ukartnet.demon.co.uk
Subject: World Wide Web Newsletter
The World Wide Web Newsletter brings you Desktop Global Networking.
Now you can plug in to an endless world of people and information: the
fastest growing global event, with room and resources for everyone.
Al Gore dubbed it the "information superhighway" now everyone from the
President of the United States to the grungiest cyberpunk is out
there, roaming the highways. The WORLD WIDE WEB NEWSLETTER is a unique
source of news, information, help, addresses and ideas from and about
the new global networks. If you want to know about the cyberspace you
need to read the World Wide Web Newsletter.
The WORLD WIDE WEB NEWSLETTER is proud to introduce Desktop Global
Networking (DGN) for all. Anyone who has an interest in communication;
anyone who is thinking about utilising the power of desktop global
networking; anyone who should know what is happening out there; anyone
interested in the range of resources and products that make up the
World Wide Web has to read The World Wide Web Newsletter.
The World Wide Web is a metanetwork of interconnected computers, known
variously as the Internet, the Matrix and Cyberspace. The World Wide
Web Newsletter is your navigation system to the greatest free resource
and communication system in the history of the world.
The WORLD WIDE WEB NEWSLETTER is designed with the non-specialist in
mind -- you don't need a degree in computer networking to read us. We
aim to bring you clear, informative, helpful, exciting insights into
the most useful communication and information system that you will
ever use.
This World Wide Web the Internet, the Matrix, the Cyberspace is a huge
interconnected system of networked computers. It is estimated that
fifteen million people a day use the system and that the system is
growing at ten percent a month. The Web will change our lives. As
access to it becomes widespread, so knowledge of how it works, what is
in it, how to make use of it and what will happen next becomes of
prime importance to more and more of us.
The global network is so huge that newcomers and old hands alike find
it difficult to keep tabs on the needles in this haystack. The WORLD
WIDE WEB NEWSLETTER brings you the best of the global networks every
other month: News; Features; UK access information; network
multimedia; a-z of the Internet; Frequently Asked Questions; common
problems, common solutions; Reviews - books, software, hardware,
services and systems; non-Internet systems and how they connect; how
individuals use the global networks. Resource and Listings sections
will provide ready references to resources on the Internet, from those
you use everyday to the obscure depths that you may never otherwise
find.
The September/October issue of The WORLD WIDE WEB NEWSLETTER:
+ UK Networking: how to; where to; who to and a full listing of UK Internet
accesss providers.
+ Powermail The wonderful world of mailing lists: how to exploit the
power of e-mail.
+ Cello - Full featured Internet software for Windows reviewed by Neville
Wilford
+ Awesome Sites: Virtual Tourism the John S. Makulowich Column
+ NetNews latest news from the global networks
+ Off Internet Hardware and software developments outside and around the
Internet
+ Internet a-z: Astronautics How to become an astronaut and other
frequently asked questions
+ Plus information on software and hardware developments; resource lists;
publications; Internet Multimedia and much more.
If you don't read The WORLD WIDE WEB NEWSLETTER, you'll never know
what you are missing -- or who's missing you.
The WORLD WIDE WEB NEWSLETTER
Editor: Ivan Pope
ISSN 1350 - 2263
Individual issues 3 + 1 p&p
24 for 6 issues including postage in the UK and Europe.
42 (US$60) elsewhere including airmail postage
Payable to Art Computers
CIS: 100135,1673
ivan@ukartnet.demon.co.uk
IPope@well.sf.ca.us
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT THE EDITOR IVAN POPE ON
+44 81 533 0818
or
IVAN@UKARTNET.DEMON.CO.UK
or
FAX ON THE ABOVE NUMBER
Published by: Art Computers, 13 Brett Rd, London E8 1JP UK
Ivan Pope
Editor
ivan@ukartnet.demon.co.uk
The World Wide Web Newsletter +44 (0)81 533 0818
13 Brett Rd Fax: +44 (0)81 533 0818
London E8 1JP wwwn@ukartnet.demon.co.uk
UK
The World Wide Web Newsletter (WWWN). The WWWN is a monthly subscription
newsletter that covers the new global networks.
------------------------------
From: dave.carpentier@oln.com
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 1993 17:22:56 -0400
Subject: EasyTouch Phone Trouble
We have a "Bell Phones by Northwestern Bell Phones" telephone model
"EasyTouch 2 Line" unit that deceided to quit dialing in the pulse
mode. The phone works fine on tone. When switched to pulse, it makes
the appropriate sounds in the earpiece, but fails to break dialtone.
If this is in fact a product of "Northwestern Bell" (one of the baby
Bells?), I wonder if some of the phone-techies may know of a common
fix. With my luck, "Northwestern Bell Phones" is just the name of a
company in Korea.
Please don't send messages with detailed setups involving 'scopes and
the like, as I have none at my disposal. I do, however, have access
to a 600v dc "breakdown" unit in need be. ;()
Later,
Dave Carpentier [Thunder Bay, Ont. Can.] dave.carpentier@oln.com
------------------------------
From: Ramaiah V Narla <narlara1@student.msu.edu>
Subject: Foreigners Need Not Apply?
DateThu 2 1 Sep 1993 01:05:24 EDT
"HOW MANY RESUMES MUST A MAN SEND, BEFORE ..."
First, we are told that the graduate program in telecommunications is
a path breaker; whereas the telecom industry used to hire graduates
from business management or engineering, now they have another
resource -- the pools of bright ones trained especially to fit into
telecom niches.
We are told that this is the information age and the opportunities are
limitless -- for telecom gradautes, they implied.
Then came the guests speakers -- industry contacts of our professors
-- who harped of new scenarios against the same information age
backdrop: geographic, political, econonomic, and cultural, borders
breaking down and the power of the universal corporation (no, not
multi- or transnational anymore).
Then comes news from all over about the "phenomenal" Changes Taking
Place in economies and telecom industries around this blessed world.
Privatization!!
You got a plan? Here's a share for you.
And then ...
And then, here I am: for nine months have I tried, extensively and
intensively and loss-of-wordsly, to locate myself with a company. But
to no avail. Countless numbers of applications, cities and states,
strategies, collaborated efforts with university councelers,
consistensies, try-luck-now recklessnesses, complex webs of networks
... nine months!
Response rate? TWO interviews (into 2nd meeting stage) and about 10%
standard acknowledgments through s-mail. (The standard statement reads
soemwhat like, "Although your credentials are very impressive, we do
not have a position that suits ..."). And of course they got me on
file. Meanwhile, the network is frustrated too ... [Maybe I got to
make a profession out of just building these "networks," I mean!] And
it wasn't uncommon for the common contact to say, "Maybe, you're
asking for too much ..."
What have I been asking for? I spent about $40K getting the degree.
Worked the bit I have off, paid the taxes, played the cultural
ambassador to my people [they haven't heard of the imminent threat to
their borders], and helped my host country scholars understand the
Other ... what then was I asking for? A few returns on that investment.
And an internship for year before I get back into the still un-eroded
borders of the country I came from.
Specifically, I am permitted a year's practical training in the USA
after my studies and that's all I have been asking for. In return for
the kind of work (sloggery) that one will remember when one comes to
my town to shop or to sell.
The country I want to get back to is not as "attractive" as the CIS or
east Europe. But it IS privatizing and it has one of the largest
middle class populations and an eminently potential market. Any number
of US telcos have bid for projects there in recent years, even on the
threshold of change. Some have proposed or presently working on grand
plans for business there.
However, not one company had one idea as to how useful I could be,
whether in their operations, to their long-term goals, or for a
pecuniary benefit from hiring me: because I'd be dead cheap. Not that
I am an absolute novice. I worked at my university in the USA. I took
a break from a successful professional career in my country to come
here particularly to extend my understanding of new technologies and
services, and for an exposure to, simply put, the best and cheapest
telecom services.
And I believed that travel can lead to better education and salvation
(sic!). Am I wrong or what?
Ram Narla
PLEASE MAIL ANY CORRESPONDENCE TO: narla@egr.msu.edu
[Moderator's Note: Don't you really know what the problem is? It is
the same problem faced by many young black people in urban areas like
Chicago. All these years we've been saying stay in school, work part
time at an entry-level job at McDonalds, get a diploma, take a couple
of extra courses ... hey, some blacks *believed it* and did just what
was suggested. Now out of school, they go out and look for jobs only
to have personnel departments politely tell them there is nothing which
is 'suitable', or that the job was filled. These days, dyed in the
wool racists are more in the closet than the gay guys ever used to be.
But they still staff the employment offices and apartment rental offices
everywhere. The young teenage black kids who recently graduated from
high school and are out looking for a job rarely have experienced the
open and bald-faced racism their grandparents lived with; some of them
have seen none at all and are led to believe it does not exist any
longer. They honestly think it has to do with how well they perform
their duties. There is still some 'resentment toward foreigners' here
in the USA also. I strongly suspect that has something to do with it. PAT]
------------------------------
From: kechak@uuhare.rabbit.net (Stanley Kechak)
Subject: Used D4 Channel Bank Needed
Organization: The Rabbit Network, Inc. Mt. Clemens, MI
Date: Thu, 02 Sep 1993 12:53:11 GMT
One of our customers is in need of a D4 channel bank. They will be
receiving their 800 calls over a T1 and they want to hook the 24
channels to two racks of Telebit worldblazer modems.
They don't seem to have $8-$12k in their budget for a new one and
would like to avoid leasing one -- its money down the drain.
Any ideas?
Jon S. Havel, Technical Support Services, havel@rabbit.net
The Rabbit Network, Inc. | Internetworking Services
34486 South Gratiot Ave. | Suite 200
Mt. Clemens, MI 48043 | (313) 790-0094 FAX: (313) 790-0156
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 02 Aug 1993 09:26:50 EDT
From: David R Zinkin <zinkin@acsu.buffalo.edu>
Subject: E-Mail Address(es) for Congress?
A while back, someone posted the E-mail addresses for President
Clinton (president@whitehouse.gov), Vice President Gore
(vice-president@whitehouse.gov), and Congress; the address for
Congress supposedly would tell which members of the House and Senate
had their own E-mail addresses on the Internet.
Unfortunately, I lost the address (I think there was only one; please
correct me if I'm wrong) for Congress; could someone please re-post it
or send it to me?
Thanks!
Dave Zinkin UB School of Medicine
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V13 #620
******************************
From telecom Fri Sep 3 12:09:01 1993
Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA24292
(5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecom@eecs.nwu.edu); Fri, 3 Sep 1993 12:09:01 -0500
Date: Fri, 3 Sep 1993 12:09:01 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom>
Message-Id: <199309031709.AA24292@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #621
Status: RO
TELECOM Digest Fri, 3 Sep 93 12:09:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 621
Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson
Bell Canada Local Rate Increase Denied, Expanded 911 Approved (D. Leibold)
Who Are These Cincinnati Bell People, Anyway? (Alec Isaacson)
This Month in {Wired} (Robert L. McMillin)
Info Needed: Regulatory Status For Satellite Communications (H. Takashi)
York University Residential Service (Dave Leibold)
Introducing alt.snail-mail For Postal Discussions (Nigel Allen)
Wescom or Prescom Voice Converters (Eero Torri)
Strange Sound on my Line (jvarley@netcom.com)
Looking For Inexpensive CSU (Mark Fanty)
ATT-Like Video (Richard A. Galen)
Review: Bulletin Board Systems for Business, Wood/Blankenhorn (Rob Slade)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 3 Sep 1993 10:04:06 -0400
From: Dave.Leibold@f730.n250.z1.FIDONET.ORG (Dave Leibold)
Subject: Bell Canada Local Rate Increase Denied, Expanded 911 Approved
[From the press release of today's CRTC (Canadian Radio-Television and
Telecommunications Commission) decision on Bell Canada's local rates
and other matters.]
30-08-93
CRTC REJECTS BELL CANADA BID FOR LOCAL RATE INCREASES,
ENDORSES ENHANCED 9-1-1 SERVICE THROUGHOUT ONTARIO & QUEBEC
OTTAWA/HULL - The CRTC today denied Bell Canada's request for
increases in the basic service rates paid by its customers in Ontario
and Quebec. The company had asked for increases to allow it to earn
extra revenue of $315 million during 1993 and $520 million in 1994.
The CRTC also denied Bell's proposal for expanded local calling areas
around Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa-Hull, which would have increased
basic service prices for the majority of subscribers in those regions.
However, the CRTC did approve a plan for enhanced 9-1-1 service in all
communities served by Bell in both provinces. Today's decision
(Telecom Decision CRTC 93-12) follows a month-long public hearing held
in May and June.
"The CRTC has acted to ensure that Canadian telephone subscribers are
not asked to pay unjustified increases," said CRTC Chairman Keith
Spicer. "The Commission took fully into account Bell's financial
situation and its legitimate need to earn enough to adequately serve
its customers and to generate reasonable profits for shareholders.
This delicate balancing of public versus private interests, so that
rates are just and reasonable, is a cornerstone of the CRTC's mandate
from Parliament."
Revenues, expenses and regulated rate of return
In setting Bell's allowed rate of return range and rates, the CRTC
examined carefully the company's projected revenues and expenses. In
general, the Commission concluded that Bell had underestimated its
projected earnings, while overestimating anticipated expenses and the
impact of competition in the long-distance market.
Highlights of the CRTC's findings include:
* establishment of an allowable profit range (rate of return on
common equity) of 11% - 12%, down from the range of 12.25% - 13.25%
set in 1988 and lower than the range of 12.5% - 13.5% requested by
Bell;
* downward adjustment of forecast expenses by $19.6 million for
1993 and $141.1 million for 1994. The CRTC determined that Bell had
overestimated costs, as it has in previous projections since 1988;
* reassessment of anticipated revenues upward by $153 million in 1993
and $275 million in 1994. In terms of revenues, the CRTC found that
Bell had underestimated market growth and overestimated potential
market share losses due to long-distance competition; and,
* acceptance of Bell's proposal to increase its debt/equity ratio. The
CRTC approves a 55% equity level which should mitigate any increase
in business risk since the last general rate decision in 1988 and the
1993 introduction of competition in the long-distance market.
Quebec and Ontario-wide 9-1-1 services
The CRTC agreee with Bell that the introduction of an enhanced 9-1-1
Public Emergency Reporting Service (PERS) in Ontario and Quebec is in
the public interest. Enhanced 9-1-1 service means the location of an
incoming call is automatically identified at the emergency monitoring
station. Currently, consumers pay for existing 9-1-1 services through
municipal taxes. The service will route 9-1-1 emergency calls to
special offices set up by municipalities for relay to emergency
agencies such as police, fire and ambulance services. While Bell had
proposed charging different prices in each province, the CRTC decided
that an average monthly fee of $0.32 would be more appropriate. The
price will vary for some business customers depending on the type of
business access service they have. This approach will make enhanced
9-1-1 service more affordable for even the smallest communities.
"We welcome Bell's initiative to ensure that all of its customers, and
particularly those in small and rural communities, will be able to
call for help easily and quickly when they face a crisis," Mr. Spicer
said. "This service saves lives and we're pleased that all of Bell's
customers will have access to it. Introduction of the service
throughout Ontario and Quebec is expected to be completed within five
years."
Bell had also filed a proposal to introduce an option to 9-1-1 service
in Ontario only. This would allow municipalities, particularly small
ones, to have 9-1-1 calls answered directly by Bell personnel who
would then route them to the appropriate agency. The CRTC had
directed the company to file an economic study for offering a similar
plan in Quebec. The proposals for both provinces will then be
considered by the Commission.
Expanded local call plan denied
Bell proposed expanding local calling areas to communities within 80
miles of each other in the areas around Toronto, Montreal and
Ottawa-Hull. Survey results and comments presented to the Commission
showed that there was no significant customer demand for this service.
"Expanding local calling areas would have entailed a significant
increase in local rates for the majority of customers in those areas,"
the CRTC Chairman explained. "Given that, the Commission was concerned
that Bell did not plan to hold a referendum so that subscribers whose
bills would be increased could have their say. We also kept in mind
the fact that heavy long-distance users can take advantage of many
optional discount services without causing an increase in the local
rates of other subscribers."
Bell Sygma and WorldLinx Telecommunications
Bell had also requested CRTC approval for the transfer of certain
assets and services to two of its subsidiary companies - Bell Sygma
and WorldLinx Telecommunications. While the Commission supports the
transactions in principle, it determined that some regulatory
adjustments would have been necessary. In particular, the CRTC would
require an independent, third-party assessment of the assets and
services in question to ensure that they are being transferred to
Bell's subsidiaries at fair market prices, so that shareholders do not
benefit at the expense of subscribers.
During the public hearing, Bell advised the CRTC that if the
transactions were not acceptable exactly as proposed then the company
would not proceed with them. Given the Commission's views on the need
for some regulatory adjustments, neither transaction was taken into
accound in the determination of the company's revenue requirements for
1993 and 1994.
Extension of service
As part of the proceeding, the CRTC examined several other related
items, including Bell's construction program and certain accounting
matters. After reviewing Bell's service extension plans, the
Commission advised the company that it should pursue this goal more
aggressively and directed the filing of annual status reports.
Contact: Bill Allen, Director
CRTC Public Affairs
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N2
Tel: (819) 997.0313
TDD: (819) 994.0423
Fax: (819) 994.0218
------------------
Dave Leibold - via FidoNet node 1:250/98
INTERNET: Dave.Leibold@f730.n250.z1.FIDONET.ORG
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 02 Sep 93 22:37:13 EDT
From: Alec Isaacson <AI4CPHYW@MIAMIU.ACS.MUOHIO.EDU>
Subject: Who Are These Cincinnati Bell People, Anyway
Hello all:
I had an interesting telecom happening this evening that I'd like to
share with you, and perhaps get some feedback as well.
I moved recently from an area served by GTE of Ohio to an area served
by Cincinnati Bell. Before I moved I contacted my long distance
provider, AT&T, to find out the best way to move my long distance plan
to my new number. The AT&T dude said "No problem, just give us a call
with the new number and we'll move your account over."
Well, the problems have begun. After I reached my new place, I called
Cinci Bell and confirmed that my LD carrier was AT&T, then, tonight, I
called AT&T to confirm my LD plan, and I got no joy. AT&T had no
record of my new number, their computers say it is an invalid number
instead. If they look under my old number, they can see that it was
closed out, but that's all. To add insult to injury, the AT&T dude I
spoke to tonight said that Cinci Bell is completely "independant" and
they provide _no_ billing information to AT&T. I asked if that meant
that for all aspects of my LD billing he couldn't help me and he said
yes, that I'd have to contact Cinci Bell for all billing questions,
local and long distance. (I wonder what that means regarding credit
for bogus calls.)
Dang it!!! One of the reasons I picked AT&T was that if I wanted to
call them at 3:00 a.m. on Christmas Eve, there'd be someone there,
with a cheery voice and a good attitude, now Cinci Bell seems to be
denying me that service, among others, by witholding LD billing info
from AT&T. (Cinci Bell's billing office closes at 7 weekdays and if
their installation rep is any measure ...)
Doesn't this fall under "Equal Access" or something? AT&T has to get
billing information sometime, else Cinci Bell could say "Alec didn't
make any LD calls last month." and pocket the cash. What's the scoop
here, is Cinci Bell allowed to do this or was the AT&T agent selling
me a bill of goods?
Thanks, I feel better now :)
Disclaimer: Above are my opinions. I don't really believe that Cinci
Bell is ripping off, or would rip off, AT&T for LD money, it's just a
hypothetical.
Alec D. Isaacson
AI4CPHYW @ miamiu.acs.muohio.edu
isaacson @ rogue.acs.muohio.edu (NeXt Mail)
Miami University, Oxford, OH
[Moderator's Note: Cincinnati Bell is not subject to the same equal
access and divestiture rules as other companies which have 'Bell' in
their name because it was never part of AT&T to the extent the others
were. Cincinnati Bell is pretty much free to do its own thing where
long distance service is concerned. PAT]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 2 Sep 93 22:31 PDT
From: rlm@helen.surfcty.com (Robert L. McMillin)
Subject: This Month in {Wired}
{Wired}, a magazine about which I can justifiably use many very
positive adjectives, has in this month's issue a good article on the
recent history of the Russian Net and its growth due to the terrible
state of Russian telephone service. Also: an essay by Michael
Crichton on the coming extinction of the mass media; an interview with
George Gilder reprising the main points of his earlier {Forbes: ASAP}
article, "Into the Fibersphere," namely that dark fiber will
drastically lower data transmission costs and usher in a new economic
era; and an actual photograph of the One True Leader Of The Net,
Leader Kibo. William Gibson gets to go on a junket to Singapore, in
his (less than enlightening, I'm afraid) essay, "Disneyland With The
Death Penalty". Lastly, Nicholas Negroponte continues his series of
thoughtful opinion pieces, this time advocating an open archetecture
for television's next generation.
On newsstands now: e-mail editor@wired.com for more info.
Robert L. McMillin | Surf City Software | rlm@helen.surfcty.com
------------------------------
From: hoshino@tkysun.phys.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp (HOSHINO Takashi)
Subject: Info Needed: Regulatory Status For Satellite Communications
Date: Fri, 3 Sep 1993 15:20:26 GMT
I'm now reserching the regulatory status for fixed satellite
communications in foreign countries.
My question is that, for example, to use the satellite for
international telecommunication other than Intelsat launched and
operated by foreign country, if it's necessary to obtain a radio
station licence of your country for that satellite or not.
If is there anyone who can help, please write to me. I'll send back
the questionnare.
Thanks in advance,
HOSHINO Takashi Tokyo, JAPAN
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 01 Sep 93 10:05:14 EST
From: Dave.Leibold@f730.n250.z1.fidonet.org (Dave Leibold)
Subject: York University Residential Service
Students living on York University's campus will be able to obtain
residential phone service from the university itself this fall.
* it is still possible to obtain service from Bell Canada rather than
the university; thus, there is a choice of local service provider.
* cost is $12.50/month for a five digit extension line. To call these
numbers, dial (416) 650.2200 then enter the extension number with
tones, or wait for assistance (the opening greeting of this number
states that long distance charges are not accepted to that number;
thus, no collect calls can be received with this service).
* A direct-dial number can be obtained for $14.85/month;
* touch tone is included in the monthly rates;
* long distance carrier is the reseller ACC; rates will be cheaper
than Bell's;
* a voice mail feature is available for an extra $4.50/month;
* call waiting/forwarding/hold/conference package is available for an
extra $5.50/month;
It will be interesting to find out how well the service will work.
(Gated via FidoNet Node 1:1/31)
Dave Leibold Internet: Dave.Leibold@f730.n250.z1.fidonet.org
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 3 Sep 93 02:22:49 EDT
From: ae446@freenet.carleton.ca (Nigel Allen)
Subject: Introducing alt.snail-mail for Postal Discussions
Organization: The National Capital Freenet, Ottawa
Reply-To: ae446@freenet.carleton.ca
Since we have had some interesting discussions here about postal bar
codes and other aspects of postal service, and since there have been
similar (but less sophisticated) discussions in misc.consumers and
some Canadian newsgroups, I decided (after some discussion in
alt.config) that it was time for a newsgroup specifically dealing with
postal service. The newsgroup is alt.snail-mail. (Calling postal mail
"snail-mail" is not intended to be derogatory; it's simply the jargon
term that distinguishes postal mail from electronic mail.)
Stamp collectors still have rec.collecting, of course.
I realize that some sites do not receive alt.* groups. If
alt.snail-mail is a successful newsgroup, perhaps there will be enough
interest to justify a mainstream newsgroup (comp.dcom.snail-mail or
misc.consumers.postal).
Nigel Allen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada ae446@freenet.carleton.ca
------------------------------
Subject: Wescom or Prescom Voice Converters
Date: 3 Sep 1993 06:53:27 GMT
Organization: Telecom Finland
Reply-To: rmj@ajk.tele.fi (Johanna Mikkola)
From: rmj@ajk.tele.fi (Johanna Mikkola)
Hello,
Does anybody know something about Wescom or Prescom voice converters?
My problem is to connect two-wire E&M system to two-wire analogue
line. (One voice channel) I know that this equipment is used in this
kind of cases but I would need some specific information about it. If
anybody knows also who is its local distributor in Scandinavia, please
tell me.
Regards,
Johanna
------------------------------
From: jvarley@netcom.com
Subject: Strange Sound on my Line
Organization: Netcom Online Communications Services (408-241-9760)
Date: Fri, 3 Sep 1993 08:03:42 GMT
A couple months ago I was sitting in my bedroom at an apartment of
ours that is now rented out. I was chatting with a dear friend of
mine, when all of a sudden, we both hear a high-pitched sound. It
sounded much like a tuning fork, as it started high and loud but then
lowered in volume. After the sond, which lasted about a second, we
got a hissing like a carrier signal and we were disconnected from each
other. I hung up and called back and the call was uneventful.
Afterwards, I dialed 611 and had a check run on the line. I never
heard the sound again. The apartment is on PacBell/AT&TR. It was a local
call.
jvarley@netcom.com
------------------------------
From: fanty@cse.ogi.edu (Mark Fanty)
Subject: Looking For Inexpensive CSU
Date: 3 Sep 93 16:53:13 GMT
Organization: Oregon Graduate Institute (formerly OGC), Beaverton, OR
Can somebody give me the number for a distributor who sells a CSU from
Kendrox or Kentrox, model T-serve 2. Thanks.
Mark Fanty Center for Spoken Language Understanding
fanty@cse.ogi.edu Oregon Graduate Institute of Science & Technology
(503) 690-1030 PO Box 91000
fax (503) 690-1334 Portland, OR 97291-1000
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 3 Sep 93 08:21:44 CDT
From: Richard A. Galen <rgalen@tad.eds.com>
Reply-To: Richard A. Galen <rgalen@tad.eds.com>
Subject: ATT-Like Video
I am looking for some information on putting in a slow-scan home-made
video conferencing operation. We do a lot of presentations using
transparencies and an overhead projector. As we are trying to cut
down on travel costs, I would like to use teleconferencing but, as you
know, something is lost without the video portion.
I don't need real time; or even near-real time. I would like to
aim an industrial grade B&W camera at the overhead screen and open a
phone line.
One scan per second would be adequate as it would only have to look
at the screen so people in remote locations (watching their AT&T
picturephone?) could follow the presenter as he/she went throught the
presentation.
Any clues on where to look for this type of help most appreciated.
rgalen@tad.eds.com
Rich Galen EDS
5400 Legacy Dr. H3-3F-33
Plano, TX 75024
214-605-4561
------------------------------
Date: 3 Sep 93 10:08 -0600
From: Rob Slade <roberts@decus.arc.ab.ca>
Subject: Review: "Bulletin Board Systems for Business", Wood/Blankenhorn
BKBBS4BS.RVW 930801
Wiley
605 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10158-0012 USA
800-263-1590
"Bulletin Board Systems for Business", Wood/Blanenhorn, 1992, 34.95
There is no preface, and therefore no stated purpose, to this book.
It would appear from both the title and the contents of the first few
chapters that the intent is to promote the use or establishment of
"bulletin board systems" (also known as "computer bulletin board
systems", "electronic bulletin board systems" or just BBSes). The
authors seem to be primarily concerned with PC based "in-house"
systems, and Fidonet technology networks. Indeed, at one point they
downplay the capabilities of commercial "online services" in favour of
private BBSes, and the book never betrays any knowledge of the
Internet, Usenet or the Waffle or SLIP (serial link Internet protocol)
means of extending access to PCs. Also, PC based means MS-DOS PCs to
the authors: aside from CP/M (for historical purposes) no other
platform or operating system is mentioned.
The authors do not make a very convincing case, at least not for what
I assume is the intended audience: businesspeople. Certain
specialized uses are demonstrated in "case studies", but the generic
usefulness of the various BBS functions are not convincingly
presented. There is somewhat of a tone of "preaching to the choir"
about the initial chapters.
For those who are trying to make their own case to management,
however, there are some interesting and possibly helpful resources.
Chapter one has a history of BBS development that any aficionado will
find fascinating reading. Chapter two, "Should you run a board", as
mentioned, makes a less than compelling case, but does give some
possibly useful examples. Chapters three and four give simple
background descriptions of BBS and computer communications technology
components which may be useful in presentations.
Chapter five delves more deeply into the "basics of
telecommunications, with clear and concise explanations of such issues
as parity, band (correctly distinguished from "bits per second") and
file transfer protocols. Some of the material suffers from the PC
bias: for example, the description of the Kermit protocol is
unnecessarily harsh, and is unaware of the recent advances. Chapter
six replays a fair amount of this material in its discussion of modem
technology. Chapter seven is supposedly the "basics of modem
software", but is primarily a brief listing of eleven terminal
emulation programs.
Chapter eight is entitled "File Manipulation" but is again a listing
of software, this time file archiving and compression programs. The
listings are longer in this section, given a brief history of each
program and author, but more due to the inclusion of all the available
"command line switches" and features of each program. (The material
is somewhat dated. Given the 1992 copyright date, it is odd to see
PKZIP represented by version 1.05.) There is also a short discussion
of graphics file types. There is no discussion of "binary to text"
conversion methods, which allow the transmission of program files over
email systems.
Chapter nine is another set of listings, this time of BBS software.
The listings are duplicated, with a slightly differing slant, in
chapter ten. Supposedly it deals with generic issues of management,
but, in reality, it lists the "administrative" functions of some of
the previously listed BBS programs. A list of the "top ten BBSes in
North America" makes up chapter eleven. This may be of historical
interest to those in the online community, but is not of great use to
those building a corporate, "in-house" BBS.
Chapter twelve discusses "online etiquette", a subject very dear to my
heart. The list of "do's and don'ts" is useful and proper, but with
little discussion preceding it, may not be compelling to the average
reader. (Oddly, there is no mention here of the "smiley", or
"emoticon", which can help greatly with one of the problems mentioned,
that of "subtle" humour.) Chapter thirteen talks about legal matters.
Perhaps the best advice from this section would be to get a copy of
"Syslaw".
Chapter fourteen is entitled "Viruses, hackers and other dangers". I
won't say it "covers" the topic because it doesn't. The definition of
a virus is flatly wrong, and the discussion is blatantly biased in
favour of one John McAfee. Of five antiviral programs, one is the
McAfee product and two others are commercial resellers of it. (The
remaining two are Norton and Central Point, of which the shortcomings
are, or should be, well known.) Two BBSes are listed, one the McAfee
board and one the now-defunct NCSA/ICSA board. (Interestingly, the
disk of shareware contained with the book does *not* contain the
McAfee product.) Of hackers, the only useful material is some
discussion of password choice.
The future (limited to CPU speed, ISDN, MIDI and JPEG) is discussed in
chapter fifteen. Sixteen is more helpful: a glossary of computer and
communications terms, as well as common email abbreviations. FWIW
("for what it's worth") the "smiley" still doesn't make it, but ROTFL
("rolling on the floor, laughing") does.
There are seven appendices. "A" is some information on offline mail
readers and "Fidonet" protocol networks. "B" is a very brief
discussion of the BBS situation by various regions: both "The Matrix"
and Krol's "Internet Guide" contain more information on Fidonet alone
than does this. "C" comments briefly on various commercial online or
email services. "D" lists "selected" BBSes. (How the selection was
done is a bit of a mystery.) "E" lists BBSes contacted during the
preparation of the book; "F" lists the "outdial" modem parts of the
U.S. "PC Pursuit" system, and "G" lists "resources".
The book is packaged with a disk of software. The cover states that
SMARTCOM EZ is included; according to the final chapter of the book it
also contains a number of shareware programs. (These, of course, are
fairly dated, but I note that PKZIP 1.10 did finally make it in.) The
inclusion of these programs reminds me that the authors nowhere
discuss the concept of shareware.
For those with some background in BBS use the book is interesting for
its anecdotal approach to history. There are a number of interesting
stories, and "meet the name" pieces. For those who are seriously
interested in setting up an in-house corporate BBS, there is a useful,
if somewhat limited, overview of some of the concepts involved. Those
completely new to the field will find helpful background information,
although there are definite gaps that need to be filled from other
sources.
copyright Robert M. Slade, 1993 BKBBS4BS.RVW 930801
Vancouver ROBERTS@decus.ca
Institute for Robert_Slade@sfu.ca
Research into rslade@cue.bc.ca
User p1@CyberStore.ca
Security Canada V7K 2G6
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V13 #621
******************************
From telecom Fri Sep 3 22:15:46 1993
Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA10360
(5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecom); Fri, 3 Sep 1993 22:15:46 -0500
Date: Fri, 3 Sep 1993 22:15:46 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom>
Message-Id: <199309040315.AA10360@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom
Subject: AT&T TrueVoice DSP Analysis
Status: RO
A special report for the readers, submitted by malcolm@apple.com.
I hope you find it useful and interesting.
PAT
Subject: AT&T TrueVoice DSP Analysis
Date: Fri, 3 Sep 93 13:39:17 -0700
From: malcolm@apple.com
I've just finished an analysis of the AT&T TrueVoice demo that has
been advertised by AT&T and discussed in the TELECOM Digest. Here are
the results of the analysis.
First, there is a reason that the TrueVoice version sounds louder.
Above 300Hz there is a pretty uniform gain of 4dB. Between 100-300 Hz
there is a 14 dB gain peak (with a notch at 180 Hz to kill the third
harmonic of the power line hum.) Here are the details:
0-100 Hz Not much change.
100-300Hz A broad gain bump of about 14dB
180Hz Deep 12.5dB notch (back to 1.5 dB)
300-4kHz 4dB extra gain with a .5dB ripple
Method:
The AT&T TrueVoice demo (1 800 932-2000) was digitized with the
Telecom pod on the Macintosh Quadra 840AV (using the AT&T 3210 DSP
chip). Samples were converted with 16 bits of linear resolution,
sampled at 8kHz, and stored in an AIFF file. All data was collected
from a single phone call using an analog phone line.
The results were loaded into Matlab on a Macintosh for analysis. The
TrueVoice demo starts with 30 seconds of normal speech and then
automatically switches on the TrueVoice modification and replays the
same speech. The beginning of each demo sample was aligned by eye,
and then a cross correlation was used to refine the relative starting
positions. All further analysis was done on these aligned samples of
modified and unmodified speech.
Note, the TrueVoice modification is turned on over a second or two.
(I don't know why AT&T does this. Perhaps they didn't want the change
to seem too jarring.) The cross correlation analysis was done using
these first couple of seconds: this should make the correlation more
accurate. The spectral analysis that followed skipped the first three
seconds.
A periodogram analysis was performed using a window of data of length
2048 and skipping 16 samples between windows. A Hamming window was
used before FFT'ing and the power spectral density was computed. The
power spectral density for all windows was summed (averaged) to arrive
at a robust estimate of the power spectral density of the entire
sample. A total of 170,000 data samples was used from each example.
The power spectral density for each example (unmodified and modified
speech) was converted to dB. The two PSDs are then subtracted to
estimate the difference in spectral energy due to the TrueVoice
filtering.
Results:
The broad filter characteristics are shown below.
0-100 Hz Not much change.
100-300Hz A broad gain of 13.7 dB, 3dB Q is 1.5
120Hz About a 1dB dip in the gain
180Hz Narrow band reject down to 1.5 dB, 3dB Q is 18
300-4kHz 4dB extra gain with a .5dB ripple
Note, there is a deep notch at the 3rd harmonic of the power line
frequency and a extra small dip at the second harmonic. I don't have
enough information to tell if they are doing anything different at
60Hz.
The filtering appears to be stationary. The demo over the phone turns
the filtering on gradually, but after a second there appears to be no
change in the filter's characteristics. The analysis described above
was performed over several subsections of the data and there was no
visible change in the filter's characteristics.
Acknowledgements:
Many thanks to Stuart Davidson for setting up the hardware and
software to digitize the demo. Thanks also to Michele Covell
(Interval Research) for help with the filter analysis. The
periodogram is discussed in Larry Marple's book "Digital Spectral
Analysis with Applications."
Disclaimer:
I have no affiliation with AT&T except as a mostly satisfied customer.
This work is not an official Apple project. TrueVoice and AT&T are
undoubtably trademarks of AT&T.
Malcolm Slaney malcolm@apple.com
=================== Matlab Periodogram Code ============================
% function y=periodogram(x,width,skip)
% Compute the periodogram (an estimate of the power spectral
% density) of an array. The width of each analysis defaults to
% 256 points, and the default skip between windows is half the
% window size.
function y=periodogram(x,width,skip)
if (nargin < 2) width = 256; end
if (nargin < 3) skip = width/2; end
nwinds = fix((length(x)-width)/skip);
x = reshape(x,length(x),1);
wind = hamming(width);
y = zeros(width,1);
for i=1:nwinds
firstPoint = (i-1)*skip + 1;
d = [x(firstPoint:firstPoint+width-1).*wind;zeros(width,1)];
f = fft(d);
f = f(1:width);
y = y + f .* conj(f);
end
y = y/nwinds;
=============== Matlab TrueVoice Analysis Code =========================
% Analyze a recorded sample of the AT&T TrueVoice demo.
% This script assumes that the entire demo is stored in
% an array called tv. The start of the first and second
% version of the demo are indicated by the first and second
% pointers. (These will be different for anybody else's
% recording of the phone call.)
first=116000;
second=395500+41;
firstEnd = 355000;
secondEnd = 610000;
sampleRate = 8000;
%segment = 170000;
segment = 32768;
offset = 30000;
if (second + offset + segment > secondEnd)
disp('Segment is past end of second example.');
return;
end
s1=tv(first+offset:first+offset+segment-1);
s2=tv(second+offset:second+offset+segment-1);
% Optionally compute the optimum cross correlation.
% If the alignment is done right, then the maximum
% value of the cross correlation should be in the
% middle of the cross correlation or sample number
% equal to segment size .
% cor = xcorr(s1,s2);
% plot(cor)
% [m,i] = max(cor);
% i
r1 = 10*log10(periodogram(s1, 512, 128));
r2 = 10*log10(periodogram(s2, 512, 128));
f = (0:length(r1)-1)/length(r1)*sampleRate/2;
=============== Spectral Analysis of TrueVoice =========================
% Spectral analysis (in dB) of the AT&T TrueVoice demo.
% The results are shown below at 1.9531Hz intervals from
% 0Hz to nearly 4kHz.
-0.0156 -0.0156 -0.0154 -0.0138
2.8762 1.5637 1.3204 0.2571
0.6921 0.9584 0.7187 -0.7438
-1.7550 -2.0471 -2.0754 -1.9768
-1.6302 -0.7998 0.7231 0.9736
0.9899 0.9882 0.9827 0.9418
0.2723 -0.3172 -0.4245 0.0216
-0.1162 -0.1018 -0.0875 -0.0747
-0.0601 -0.0360 0.1168 0.9137
2.4710 2.5066 3.5501 2.9577
3.3023 3.0256 3.8413 4.5084
6.3061 6.4052 7.6116 7.6745
8.5071 8.4967 9.0233 9.0818
9.5900 9.7797 10.1627 10.3327
10.6086 10.7367 10.9011 10.8782
10.5145 10.0140 10.3593 11.2615
11.8157 11.9453 12.0295 12.0388
12.0603 12.1355 12.3434 12.4985
12.6426 12.7032 12.8563 12.9541
13.0520 13.0989 13.2080 13.2716
13.3565 13.3807 13.4805 13.5283
13.5936 13.6157 13.6703 13.6777
13.6661 12.1029 5.5750 2.3909
1.6613 2.2414 4.9604 11.2490
13.7420 13.7310 13.7230 13.6977
13.6595 13.5861 13.5226 13.4833
13.4672 13.4355 13.3998 13.3534
13.3033 13.2455 13.1833 13.1151
13.0436 12.9571 12.8699 12.7882
12.6880 12.5852 12.5082 12.4377
12.3462 12.2276 12.1066 11.9765
11.8630 11.7580 11.6211 11.4772
11.3559 11.2418 11.0955 10.9580
10.8388 10.6905 10.5217 10.3533
10.2052 10.0873 9.9788 9.8533
9.7000 9.5401 9.3863 9.2267
9.0551 8.8746 8.7166 8.5856
8.4393 8.2574 8.0735 7.8216
7.2432 6.4982 6.2854 6.7300
7.0660 7.0194 6.8627 6.6837
6.4944 6.3324 6.1924 6.0580
5.9400 5.8304 5.6939 5.5120
5.3422 5.2091 5.0764 4.9489
4.8327 4.7075 4.5998 4.4920
4.3769 4.2938 4.2189 4.1290
4.0337 3.9499 3.8720 3.7967
3.7345 3.6756 3.6097 3.5443
3.4910 3.4470 3.4026 3.3690
3.3538 3.3306 3.2824 3.2459
3.2375 3.2455 3.2562 3.2654
3.2769 3.2867 3.2941 3.3026
3.3110 3.3201 3.3315 3.3440
3.3697 3.4085 3.4461 3.4825
3.5228 3.5549 3.5623 3.5717
3.6202 3.6865 3.7361 3.7728
3.7982 3.8225 3.8617 3.8934
3.9120 3.9411 3.9805 4.0103
4.0313 4.0423 4.0499 4.0719
4.1125 4.1634 4.1984 4.2129
4.2306 4.2533 4.2706 4.2897
4.3161 4.3271 4.3166 4.3097
4.3212 4.3222 4.3041 4.3011
4.3121 4.3238 4.3343 4.3339
4.3267 4.3170 4.2965 4.2704
4.2473 4.2342 4.2294 4.2322
4.2381 4.2338 4.2211 4.2096
4.2020 4.1905 4.1708 4.1571
4.1513 4.1370 4.1146 4.0957
4.0799 4.0686 4.0589 4.0159
3.9430 3.9157 3.9485 3.9754
3.9758 3.9720 3.9625 3.9376
3.9162 3.9101 3.9068 3.9034
3.9000 3.8920 3.8796 3.8663
3.8585 3.8588 3.8562 3.8374
3.8205 3.8194 3.8240 3.8239
3.8113 3.8002 3.8025 3.8091
3.8143 3.8212 3.8278 3.8367
3.8441 3.8418 3.8338 3.8264
3.8311 3.8473 3.8638 3.8787
3.8898 3.8965 3.8994 3.8999
3.9121 3.9445 3.9715 3.9803
3.9848 3.9975 4.0300 4.0597
4.0501 4.0212 4.0095 4.0264
4.0668 4.1108 4.1344 4.1324
4.1079 4.0761 4.0591 4.0615
4.0805 4.1049 4.1293 4.1566
4.1745 4.1746 4.1766 4.1942
4.2163 4.2459 4.2697 4.2636
4.2516 4.2672 4.2902 4.2960
4.2897 4.2854 4.2939 4.3081
4.3115 4.3180 4.3467 4.3717
4.3674 4.3452 4.3170 4.2937
4.2886 4.2898 4.2866 4.2869
4.2744 4.2453 4.2252 4.2041
4.1907 4.1994 4.2001 4.1973
4.2036 4.2054 4.1940 4.1572
4.1137 4.1197 4.1507 4.1396
4.1036 4.0570 4.0095 3.9778
3.9774 3.9987 4.0189 4.0231
4.0033 3.9736 3.9444 3.9261
3.9289 3.9371 3.9147 3.8360
3.7424 3.7082 3.7061 3.6903
3.6718 3.6725 3.6802 3.6756
3.6680 3.6843 3.7143 3.7304
3.7240 3.7022 3.6766 3.6636
3.6838 3.7364 3.7735 3.7715
3.7745 3.8092 3.8338 3.8216
3.8117 3.8196 3.8251 3.8316
3.8483 3.8663 3.8788 3.8834
3.8788 3.8763 3.8858 3.8962
3.8959 3.8940 3.9102 3.9491
3.9801 3.9850 4.0079 4.0531
4.0789 4.0709 4.0647 4.0794
4.0913 4.0958 4.1114 4.1341
4.1524 4.1771 4.1970 4.2059
4.2127 4.2154 4.2141 4.2150
4.2213 4.2226 4.2111 4.1941
4.1933 4.2252 4.2576 4.2572
4.2150 4.1531 4.1139 4.1130
4.1501 4.1874 4.1887 4.1605
4.1311 4.1236 4.1473 4.1852
4.2052 4.2233 4.2426 4.2489
4.2538 4.2531 4.2337 4.2260
4.2384 4.2403 4.2367 4.2453
4.2668 4.2789 4.2627 4.2359
4.2013 4.1635 4.1479 4.1810
4.2237 4.2029 4.1435 4.1030
4.0890 4.0912 4.1109 4.1343
4.1405 4.1113 4.0482 3.9993
3.9791 3.9588 3.9272 3.8873
3.8515 3.8288 3.8098 3.8065
3.8195 3.8113 3.7923 3.8059
3.8273 3.8364 3.8258 3.7813
3.7552 3.7867 3.8330 3.8302
3.8012 3.7939 3.7789 3.7384
3.7168 3.7019 3.6732 3.6598
3.6861 3.7230 3.7378 3.7430
3.7643 3.7819 3.7818 3.7938
3.7803 3.7341 3.7190 3.7303
3.7457 3.7783 3.8146 3.8645
3.9324 3.9773 4.0000 4.0181
3.9884 3.9119 3.8909 3.9387
4.0071 4.0808 4.1228 4.1229
4.1029 4.0704 4.0309 4.0110
4.0390 4.0767 4.0965 4.1365
4.1915 4.2151 4.2345 4.2727
4.2879 4.2576 4.2202 4.2258
4.2612 4.2724 4.2555 4.2427
4.2471 4.2661 4.2896 4.3010
4.3005 4.2957 4.2855 4.2740
4.2666 4.2695 4.2819 4.2873
4.2675 4.2188 4.1749 4.1607
4.1578 4.1489 4.1283 4.1087
4.1226 4.1646 4.1975 4.2025
4.1791 4.1383 4.1318 4.1720
4.1981 4.1785 4.1589 4.1588
4.1699 4.1828 4.1738 4.1261
4.0842 4.0948 4.1499 4.1747
4.1536 4.1222 4.0861 4.0489
4.0195 4.0093 4.0231 4.0133
3.9700 3.9524 3.9736 4.0181
4.0664 4.1272 4.1630 4.1220
4.0943 4.0931 4.0471 3.9736
3.9507 3.9191 3.8515 3.8284
3.8700 3.9406 3.9809 3.9753
3.9601 3.9425 3.9219 3.9120
3.8903 3.8508 3.8170 3.7936
3.7934 3.8167 3.8262 3.8181
3.8137 3.7817 3.7410 3.7353
3.7615 3.8004 3.8142 3.8099
3.8200 3.8412 3.8395 3.8060
3.7680 3.7490 3.7546 3.7850
3.8190 3.8374 3.8329 3.8101
3.7999 3.8239 3.8626 3.8995
3.9293 3.9370 3.9439 3.9866
4.0243 4.0340 4.0458 4.0547
4.0425 4.0240 4.0253 4.0536
4.0953 4.1350 4.1705 4.1965
4.2225 4.2664 4.2941 4.2819
4.2690 4.2711 4.2839 4.2996
4.3138 4.3118 4.2843 4.2663
4.2734 4.2854 4.2986 4.3212
4.3424 4.3508 4.3505 4.3336
4.3145 4.3226 4.3632 4.4118
4.4020 4.3286 4.2562 4.2137
4.2224 4.2605 4.2589 4.2231
4.2219 4.2602 4.2963 4.2905
4.2564 4.2230 4.2089 4.2149
4.2181 4.2004 4.1570 4.0962
4.0639 4.0803 4.0981 4.1046
4.0952 4.0567 4.0047 3.9813
3.9860 3.9971 4.0172 4.0371
4.0283 4.0047 3.9873 3.9645
3.9413 3.9515 3.9824 4.0022
3.9996 3.9690 3.9208 3.8792
3.8483 3.8223 3.8188 3.8511
3.8860 3.8773 3.8441 3.8372
3.8458 3.8453 3.8374 3.8258
3.7941 3.7560 3.7504 3.7584
3.7720 3.8059 3.8312 3.8020
3.7679 3.7848 3.8008 3.7833
3.7682 3.7858 3.8391 3.8853
3.8705 3.8409 3.8636 3.8996
3.8944 3.8579 3.8566 3.9188
4.0062 4.0474 4.0027 3.9218
3.8811 3.9004 3.9594 4.0117
4.0281 4.0135 3.9890 3.9866
4.0231 4.0668 4.0711 4.0718
4.0907 4.1074 4.1136 4.1138
4.1124 4.1224 4.1473 4.1677
4.1812 4.1931 4.2098 4.2496
4.2805 4.2600 4.2349 4.2179
4.1955 4.1807 4.1928 4.2267
4.2628 4.2767 4.2725 4.2779
4.2896 4.3012 4.3192 4.3254
4.3072 4.2831 4.2739 4.2812
4.2903 4.2892 4.2842 4.2814
4.2716 4.2685 4.2888 4.3127
4.3113 4.2756 4.2453 4.2532
4.2708 4.2649 4.2519 4.2465
4.2432 4.2347 4.2358 4.2439
4.2367 4.2059 4.1670 4.1390
4.1169 4.0873 4.0583 4.0420
4.0230 3.9962 3.9904 3.9978
3.9931 3.9969 3.9990 3.9734
3.9391 3.9346 3.9351 3.9215
3.9048 3.8817 3.8531 3.8234
3.7945 3.7757 3.7681 3.7504
3.7561 3.8093 3.8333 3.8044
3.7842 3.7740 3.7390 3.6953
3.7004 3.7884 3.8750 3.8778
3.8252 3.7715 3.7343 3.7136
3.7297 3.7714 3.7938 3.7986
3.8132 3.8214 3.8113 3.8082
3.8193 3.8296 3.8395 3.8442
3.8188 3.8019 3.8431 3.8958
3.9200 3.9416 3.9829 4.0340
4.0593 4.0356 3.9976 3.9609
3.9166 3.8948 3.9234 3.9567
3.9652 3.9733 3.9786 3.9787
4.0049 4.0699 4.1040 4.0790
4.0643 4.0772 4.0804 4.0748
4.0894 4.1372 4.1957 4.2248
4.2129 4.1991 4.2083 4.2033
4.1846 4.1891 4.2261 4.2594
4.2756 4.2879 4.2997 4.2884
4.2581 4.2359 4.2251 4.2259
4.2409 4.2656 4.2852 4.2798
4.2515 4.2234 4.2279 4.2725
4.3213 4.3505 4.3574 4.3353
4.2998 4.2797 4.2735 4.2693
4.2616 4.2305 4.1807 4.1626
4.1935 4.2462 4.2942 4.2951
4.2192 4.1520 4.1463 4.1483
4.1176 4.0722 4.0506 4.0581
4.0586 4.0511 4.0593 4.0653
4.0676 4.0712 4.0433 3.9804
3.9430 3.9524 3.9672 3.9626
3.9507 3.9430 3.9276 3.9017
3.8604 3.8038 3.7741 3.7966
3.8357 3.8557 3.8527 3.8440
3.8220 3.7784 3.7385 3.7200
3.7338 3.7643 3.7726 3.7769
3.7994 3.8130 3.8246 3.8414
3.8317 3.8082 3.7971 3.7695
3.7312 3.7098 3.7156 3.7561
3.7995 3.8393 3.8735 3.8685
3.8533 3.8750 3.9050 3.8990
3.8768 3.8811 3.9113 3.9429
3.9672 3.9982 4.0258 4.0165
3.9839 3.9711 3.9829 4.0049
4.0441 4.0756 4.0873 4.1022
4.1212 4.1225 4.0995 4.0704
4.0589 4.0752 4.0984 4.1119
4.1343 4.1586 4.1726 4.1798
4.1820 4.1855 4.2094 4.2572
4.2993 4.3176 4.3228 4.3257
4.3240 4.3044 4.2854 4.2829
4.2876 4.2851 4.2630 4.2451
4.2550 4.2679 4.2826 4.3160
4.3282 4.2968 4.2558 4.2432
4.2685 4.3072 4.3280 4.3404
4.3346 4.2759 4.1998 4.1702
4.2124 4.2732 4.2847 4.2629
4.2425 4.2098 4.1770 4.1763
4.1911 4.1882 4.1759 4.1663
4.1330 4.0891 4.0682 4.0682
4.0624 4.0448 4.0438 4.0718
4.0979 4.0821 4.0266 3.9864
4.0021 4.0353 4.0288 4.0025
3.9863 3.9888 4.0062 4.0005
3.9590 3.9127 3.8824 3.8720
3.8572 3.8300 3.8234 3.8445
3.8487 3.8179 3.7819 3.7594
3.7596 3.7757 3.7787 3.7721
3.7664 3.7472 3.7242 3.7326
3.7628 3.7598 3.7196 3.6824
3.6889 3.7206 3.7392 3.7456
3.7603 3.7863 3.8155 3.8447
3.8480 3.8398 3.8611 3.8849
3.8789 3.8712 3.8924 3.9250
3.9419 3.9403 3.9318 3.9006
3.8682 3.9011 3.9809 4.0246
4.0353 4.0516 4.0705 4.0590
4.0341 4.0256 4.0151 4.0109
4.0392 4.0860 4.1355 4.1624
4.1581 4.1609 4.1803 4.2018
4.2184 4.2250 4.2147 4.1899
4.1642 4.1482 4.1911 4.2695
4.2826 4.2485 4.2136 4.1887
4.2074 4.2838 4.3433 4.3051
4.1978 4.1125 4.1055 4.1904
4.2885 4.3294 4.3390 4.3447
4.3437 4.3337 4.2939 4.2301
4.1919 4.2039 4.2005 4.1584
4.1648 4.2182 4.2373 4.2478
4.2490 4.2036 4.1512 4.1438
4.1641 4.1804 4.1629 4.1034
4.0591 4.0682 4.0891 4.0944
4.1156 4.1410 4.1247 4.0698
4.0288 4.0200 4.0364 4.0512
4.0237 3.9955 4.0102 4.0145
3.9760 3.9662 4.0031 3.9971
3.9255 3.8581 3.8404 3.8401
3.8177 3.7523 3.7374 3.8234
3.8702 3.8596 3.8727 3.9066
3.8972 3.8594 3.8644 3.9048
3.9325 3.9488 3.9425 3.8726
3.7838 3.7260 3.7145 3.7316
3.7265 3.7039 3.7232 3.7572
3.7269 3.6752 3.6567 3.6789
3.7518 3.8376 3.8883 3.9189
3.9443 3.9508 3.9067 3.8554
3.9047 4.0260 4.0644 4.0403
4.0125 3.9892 4.0571 4.1430
4.0919 3.9942 3.9804 4.0280
4.0635 4.1130 4.2038 4.2403
4.2103 4.1852 4.1776 4.1395
4.0567 4.0227 4.1071 4.1994
4.2576 4.3552 4.4440 4.4127
4.3346 4.3393 4.3957 4.3489
4.1848 4.0975 4.0920 4.0744
4.1138 4.2179 4.2339 4.1554
4.1073 4.1208 4.0668 3.9841
4.0039 4.0003 3.9251 3.9485
4.0722 4.1164 4.0952 4.1228
4.2088 4.2388 4.2068 4.2166
4.2125 4.1202 4.0571 4.0532
4.1558 4.3152 4.2978 4.1616
4.1443 4.1086 4.0384 4.0687
4.0723 3.9987 3.9775 3.9429
3.9011 3.8918 3.8856 3.8072
3.6220 3.5458 3.7027 3.8685
3.8723 3.8022 3.7797 3.6861
3.4658 3.3700 3.4747 3.5662
3.6115 3.6012 3.4953 3.5476
3.7015 3.6951 3.5577 3.4871
3.4478 3.3931 3.3936 3.3991
3.3322 3.1924 3.0838 3.1296
3.3243 3.5037 3.5536 3.5758
3.5586 3.4281 3.3716 3.4918
3.5988 3.6349 3.5910 3.5086
3.4555 3.4986 3.6916 3.8286
3.7717 3.6641 3.6092 3.6049
3.6598 3.7989 3.8886 3.6724
3.4683 3.5635 3.7365 3.8570
3.9400 3.9338 3.8813 3.9444
4.1208 4.2367 4.1597 4.0182
3.9569 3.9355 3.9143 3.8876
3.9056 3.9516 3.9832 4.0654
4.1691 4.2439 4.2878 4.2749
4.2742 4.3295 4.3168 4.1415
3.9372 3.9371 4.1325 4.3543
4.4586 4.4060 4.3445 4.3805
4.3726 4.2661 4.1896 4.1046
3.9667 3.8929 4.0597 4.3152
4.3867 4.3182 4.2544 4.2140
4.1667 4.1149 4.0481 4.0083
4.0227 4.0487 4.1225 4.1894
4.1586 4.1040 4.0811 4.0557
4.1132 4.2713 4.3924 4.3247
4.1275 4.0199 4.0101 4.0239
4.0590 4.0638 3.9718 3.8246
3.7107 3.7541 3.9144 3.9891
3.9794 3.8180 3.6486 3.6818
3.7822 3.8763 4.0135 4.1085
4.0391 3.9151 3.8199 3.6551
3.4665 3.4429 3.5590 3.6877
3.7650 3.7755 3.7277 3.6902
3.6983 3.7011 3.6887 3.7134
3.7730 3.7947 3.7823 3.7317
3.6262 3.5784 3.5698 3.4989
3.5104 3.6605 3.7955 3.9019
3.9897 4.0021 3.9406 3.8701
3.7931 3.6613 3.5998 3.6305
3.6473 3.7123 3.8283 3.9245
4.0329 4.0829 4.0211 4.0096
4.1040 4.1869 4.2066 4.1136
3.9039 3.7299 3.7298 3.8234
3.8948 3.9680 4.0104 3.9448
3.8663 3.8502 3.8368 3.8798
4.0532 4.2471 4.3475 4.2682
4.1016 4.1576 4.4150 4.5706
4.5509 4.4277 4.3082 4.2466
4.1368 4.0491 4.0839 4.1753
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3.9138 3.9199 4.0023 4.0903
4.2195 4.3667 4.4259 4.4122
4.4122 4.3466 4.1514 3.9618
3.9475 4.0487 4.1192 4.1147
4.0907 4.1024 4.1024 4.0307
3.9274 3.8137 3.7349 3.7556
3.8267 3.8344 3.8090 3.8208
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3.6635 3.6271 3.5437 3.6304
3.7303 3.7012 3.6188 3.5569
3.5710 3.6532 3.7184 3.7485
3.7741 3.7638 3.7374 3.7146
3.6672 3.6052 3.6175 3.7730
3.8550 3.6726 3.4110 3.4656
3.8464 4.1414 4.1006 3.9079
3.8500 3.9691 4.0257 3.8513
3.6397 3.6523 3.8355 3.9043
3.8691 3.9021 3.9751 4.0474
4.0936 4.1213 4.1933 4.3028
4.4050 4.3897 4.2845 4.2412
4.1160 3.9072 3.9179 4.1168
4.3097 4.3819 4.3499 4.2688
4.1972 4.1233 4.0957 4.1848
4.2591 4.2379 4.2120 4.1625
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3.7650 3.7648 3.7415 3.5443
3.3887 3.3969 3.3726 3.2292
3.0580 2.9826 2.9791 2.9773
2.9272 2.7399 2.5032 2.3386
2.2621 2.1826 2.0198 1.7527
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0.6085 1.0526 1.2845 1.1089
1.2953 1.3806 1.1912 0.9422
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1.2757 0.8869 0.5145 0.7113
1.3543 1.3890 0.9667 0.7196
1.4537 2.0366 2.1264 1.8825
1.6793 1.3166 1.3493 1.3008
1.2872 1.2882 1.6478 1.8070
2.1904 2.2762 2.0932 1.6617
1.7195 2.0066 2.6213 2.6506
2.5683 2.3499 2.5807 2.5199
2.4837 1.9532 1.7694 1.8284
2.2359 2.1669 2.0885 1.9388
2.2269 2.5849 3.0879 2.8728
3.2147 3.0896 2.6566 1.8906
1.8568 1.8620 1.9197 0.5811
0.0707 -0.1140 -0.2507 -0.3872
-0.5261 -0.3324 0.6124 0.6609
0.7726 0.7911 0.8297 0.4739
0.2283 0.2148 0.4259 0.5007
-------------------------------
From telecom Sat Sep 4 16:52:43 1993
Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA22941
(5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecom@eecs.nwu.edu); Sat, 4 Sep 1993 16:52:43 -0500
Date: Sat, 4 Sep 1993 16:52:43 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom>
Message-Id: <199309042152.AA22941@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #622
Status: RO
TELECOM Digest Sat, 4 Sep 93 16:52:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 622
Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson
The Power to Destroy (Alan Furman)
416/905 Area Code Split Update (David Leibold)
Bell Atlantic Name Change (Les Reeves)
"C&P Telephone" is Being Discontinued (Paul Robinson)
Need HELP In Contacting The CCITT/ITU On The Internet (Ed Pimentel)
A Competitor to 1-900-STOPPER (Will Martin)
New Country Codes For Former Yugoslavia (Thomas Diessel)
Princess Di Used Last Number Redial (Carl Moore)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: atfurman@cup.portal.com
Subject: The Power to Destroy
Date: Sat, 4 Sep 93 01:54:55 PDT
The following was found posted in the Usenet newsgroup comp.org.eff.talk.
The next time that you hear Mitch Kapor or the Vice President smugly
advocating free this and subsidized that paid for by the government,
remember that it comes out of someone else's living standards -- or
lifelong dream of entrepreneurship.
Also notice the comment below about how "politicians on both sides of
the aisle" have created the status quo. (Don't blame me. I voted
Libertarian.)
===== forwarded from Usenet =====
STATE OF NEW YORK SLAPS 13 PERCENT SALES TAX ON INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY
The following is a complete electronic transcript of a bulletin
issued by the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance and
was received by Friends & Lovers BBS on Saturday, August 28, 1993.
(begin T&F document)
New York State Department of Taxation and Finance N-93-20
(8/93)
IMPORTANT NOTICE
Increase in Tax Rate Applicable to
Entertainment and information Services
Provided by Means of Telephony or Telegraphy
Effective September 1, 1993, there will be an additional state sales
tax at the rate of 5% added to the existing 4% state sales tax imposed
on receipts from the services of furnishing or providing an entertainment
or information service which is furnished, provided or delivered by
means of telephony or telegraphy or telephone or telegraph service of
whatever nature (see section 1105(c)(9) of the Tax Law). The treatment
of these services for sales tax purposes remains identical to the
existing treatment except as to rate. Thus, the only change is that
the state sales tax rate on such services has been increased from 4%
to 9%. The Municipal Assistance Corporation sales taxes (section 1107
of the Tax Law), the Metropolitan Commuter Transportation District
sales taxes (section 1109 of the Tax Law) and local sales taxes
imposed pursuant to the authority of Article 29 of the Tax Law are to
be added to the aforementioned 9% state sales tax rate.
Example: A person residing in New York State subscribes to an
entertainment service that is provided by telephony. The entertainment
service recipient receives the service on a monthly basis and is
charged for the service directly on the bill for telephone service.
Prior to September 1, 1993, both the telephone service and the
entertainment service were subject to an 8% sales tax (4% state, 4%
local). However, any entertainment service provided after September 1,
1993 will be subject to a 13% sales tax (9% state, 4% local). There is
no change in the rate of tax imposed on the telephone service which
remains at 8%.
The affected services contracted for or paid for prior to September 1,
1993 will be subject to the additional state sales tax if they are
rendered after September 1, 1993.
A new line and reporting code has been added to the sales and use tax
return in order to report the additional state sales tax imposed on
such services.
Entertainment and information services provided or delivered by means
of telephony or telegraphy or telephone or telegraph service include
ALL such services delivered by such means. These services are taxable,
and subject to tax at the higher rate and the applicable local tax
rate, whether provided through 500, 700, 800 or 900 telephone numbers,
as well as those delivered by local exchange, private telephone line,
cable, or channel. It should be kept in mind that the services subject
to tax at the increased rate are distinct from telephone or telegraph
services subject to tax under section 1105(b) of the Tax Law.
Collecting, compiling or analyzing information of any kind and
reporting such information to other persons by means of telephony or
telegraphy or telephone or telegraph service constitutes the rendering
of an information service subject to tax at the increased state tax
rate as well as the applicable local sales tax, unless otherwise
exempt.
Information services that are currently subject to tax when furnished
in written form by printed, mimeographed or multigraphed matter or
duplicating written or printed matter, such as tapes, disc, electronic
readouts or displays, continue to be subject to tax at the 4% state
tax rate and the applicable local tax (see section 1105(c)(1) of the
Tax Law). The higher sales tax rate applies to all charges for the
service by the vendor to the customer which are subject to tax
pursuant to section 1105(c)(9) of the Tax Law.
(A fee for subscribing to a taxable entertainment or information
service (taxable under section 1105(c)(9) of the Tax Law) that is
billed on a monthly, annual or other basis is taxable at the new rate.
Membership or other fees entitling the subscriber to receive by means
of telephony, telegraphy, a certain number of free reports or
services, or reduced charges on reports or services, are also taxable
at the new state tax rate. No tax is due if the vendor makes no charge
for the services.
Tax is to be separately stated on the recipient's telephone bill,
credit card charge receipt or any other bill issued for such services.
The increased state tax rate does not apply to any receipts from the
sale of information services that are not subject to tax under section
1105(c)(1) of the Tax Law. These include an information service which
is personal or individual in nature and is not or may not be
substantially incorporated into reports furnished to other persons by
the person who collected, compiled or analyzed the information.
Examples of such services include a personalized management report
delivered orally over the telephone, or an insurance damage appraisal
conveyed over the telephone. Also, purchases of information services
by newspapers or radio and television broadcasters that are used in
the collection and dissemination of news are exempt from sales tax.
In addition, the increased state sales tax rate does not apply to
charges made to organizations and entities (such as government
agencies, exempt organizations, etc.) that are exempt from the general
sales and use tax in accordance with section 1116(a) of the Tax Law.
Documentation which substantiates exemption from the state and local
sales tax for such organizations will likewise serve to exempt such
organizations from the additional 5% state sales tax.
When exempt entertainment services or exempt information services are
being billed by a person other than the actual exempt provider of the
services, the actual provider must give an exempt certification
document, form ST-930, Certification of Nontaxable Services Provided
Via Telephony or Telegraphy or Telephone or Telegraph Services, to the
person who will be doing the billing in order that sales tax
(including the increased state sales tax) will not be charged on the
exempt services.
This sales tax exempt certification document may not be issued unless
the person issuing the document is registered to collect sales tax or
is specifically exempt under section 1116(a) of the New York State Tax
Law (and, if required issued a Form ST-119, Exempt Organization
Certificate).
When any person, affiliate or agent other than the actual provider of
entertainment or information services bills the recipient of the
services on behalf of the provider, that person will be deemed a
vendor of the service for sales tax purposes and will be liable for
all the obligations of a vendor. Such obligations include collecting,
reporting, and remitting the sales tax (including the additional 5%
state tax) due on entertainment and information services which are
furnished, provided or delivered by means of telephony or telegraphy
or telephone or telegraph services.
A person deemed a vendor of these services is entitled to and possesses
all the rights afforded a vendor, including the right to an exclusion
or a credit or refund of tax as provided in section 1132(c) of the New
York State Tax Law with respect to such services.
The person providing the billing service, whetyher doing the actual
billing or or having the billing done by an affiliate or agent, will
be deemed to be a vendor of entertainment or information services when
the charges for the services are wither listed as part of, or as a
schedule to the statement of such person to its customers, or are
billed separately.
The term affiliate means an entity which:
- directly, indirectly or constructively controls a person deemed a vendor
of entertainment or information services;
- is controlled by a person deemed a vendor of entertainment or information
services;
- is controlled by a common parent who also controls a person deemed a
vendor of entertainment or information services.
The designation of a person as a vendor, by virtue of such person
performing the billing of charges on behalf of the actual provider of
entertainment or information services, in no way limits the obligations
or removes the liabilities of the actual provider of such services or
any other person with respect to the sales tax imposed on these
services.
(end of T&F bulletin N-93-20 [8/93])
-----------------
Date: 31 Aug 93 06:01:03 EDT
From: Marty Winter <76407.3521@compuserve.com>
Subject: Sales tax on information services to increase
OK, so what does all this gobbledegook mean? It means simply that New
York State has decided to trash the information superhighway that has
been touted as the solution to unemployment and the means by which New
York could have rebuilt itself. New York, former home of leading edge
high-technology is working overtime to relegate its citizenry to the
welfare rolls.
It means that BBS's which are already liable for collection of sales
tax must now go back and collect an additional 5% for a total of 13%.
This tax is RETROACTIVE ... any BBS which has already collected a
membership fee or other charges up front for a year of service must go
back and collect more money from their subscribers unless their fiscal
year begins on September 1.
It means that a connection to the Internet, a subscription to GEnie,
Prodigy, or CompuServe just got A LOT more expensive. It means that
directory assistance calls to look up a phone number will cost more.
Calls for technical support or 800 or 900 services just got a lot more
expensive. Relatives of mine who are still employed by IBM downstate
got told by their superiors that as a potential result of this change
IBM and numerous other information service providers have decided or
will decide to leave New York as quickly as possible.
Newspapers and other entities that would have poured millions of
dollars into New York's economy have found the cost to potential users
and subscribers of new information services has now moved beyond
practicality. The bottom line is that New York has literally killed
its own future. New York's politicians from the Governor to the
majority in both aisles of the legislature have shown a degree of
stupidity unparalleled since Nero was emperor in Rome in killing the
golden goose that could have made New York a mecca for high tech
communications. Modern communications in New York by political fiat
will have to consist of semaphor flags and smoke signals while the
remainder of the world outside our third-world state go digital.
This particular episode proves that New York's political system is so
corrupt and so incredibly inept that citizens of New York really have
to give serious consideration to drastic measures against our state
government including voting out every single politician in statewide
office. I am particularly dismayed that this tax law was kept SO
secret while being nursed through the legislative process that no one
knew about it at all, including the Senate. Not a single one of my
contacts was able to find out about any of this in advance. Even the
notification from Tax and Finance a mere three days before its
enactment was incredible and unprecedented.
This latest folly will have no effect on free bulletin boards such as
Friends & Lovers, but it will be murder on those services run by those
who thought New York might have permitted them to eek out a living
with a computer and a modem. Thirteen percent sales tax? Think about
that number a little bit. The morons we elected have gone and done it.
Do we really think they're done yet? Are you REALLY going to vote for
the same guy again in the Assembly, the Senate, or the State house? Or
are you going to make use of your digital communications while there
is still a dialtone? Is Bill Clinton watching New York's government
and is Bill Clinton REALLY going to sit idly by and let our bozos in
Albany get away with it?
Information superhighway ... ptooey!
[...] The biggest threats to the use of cyberspace are NOT going to
come out those committees and state organizations that deal directly
with coputes, the Internet or other on-line services, but from places
like the Finance committeess, etc, who see the use of the Internet and
other services as a way of helping to fill the state's coffers. If we
are going to educate anybody within the government, it MUST be those
who seem to have the least sake in cyberspace. As Kevin so rightely
pointed out, the boays in Finance and over at T&F have effectively put
the Internet, CompuServe, GEnie and other commercial on-line services
out of the reach of those who might benefit MOST from the use of such
services. In some areas of the state the extra 5% that they just
tacked onto the bill could bring the total coast closer to 20% rather
than the 13% it does in ALbany. Worst part is, that the legislation
that authorizes such things is often buried in the middle of bills
that take weeks to read owing to their sheer size. Our information
highway is going to become a dead end dirt road if things like this
continue in NY.
Originally posted in comp.eff.org.talk by Lance Detweiler
(ld231782@longs.LANCE.ColoState.EDU). Forwarded to the Internet
TELECOM Digest by Alan T. Furman (atfurman@cup.portal.com).
[Moderator's Note: You'll see more and more of this in other areas of
the country before long. Even the feds will get in on it. Not the old
'modem tax' bugaboo -- we've been that round before -- but a tax on
'information and entertainment supplied via the telephone'. But please
note newspapers as described above are exempt. Maybe operators of BBSs
need to get away from the concept of entertainment and arrange to legally
define themselves as publishers of electronic journals. The reason NY
is starting this tax is the same reason IL will be starting it soon I
suspect. Both states have major urban wastelands which are terrible
drains on their respective state treasuries (New York and Chicago).
Generally when municipal and state governments get in the dire straits
both New York (NY) and Chicago (IL) are in, the response of government
is to become even more repressive tax-wise. For example, our tax base
here has eroded terribly, as the productive, revenue producing people
flee the jurisdiction holding onto their underwear or whatever they
were able to salvage. Not to be dissuaded, the government simply takes
the fewer people/businesses still left and clamps down even harder on
them. So I suggest being a not-for-profit electronic publisher might
be the way to go. They're still relatively free to do their thing. PAT]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 3 Sep 93 16:10 EDT
From: djcl@io.org (woody)
Subject: 416/905 Area Code Split Update
The splitting of the central Ontario Canada 416 area code is
proceeding on schedule. This involves changing all current 416 points
to area code 905 for those points outside Metropolitan Toronto
(including the Pearson International Airport in Mississauga). The
permissible dialing period officially begins 4th October 1993, however
within Ontario Bell Canada has set up permissible dialing for Bell
employees to test and report problems. This means that 905 should be
operational within Ontario, though 416 may still be used as before.
I sent two lists for the Archives, one for the Toronto exchanges/nxx
remaining in the 416 area code, and another representing the nxx that
will be in 905.
On other notes, the Bell Canada policy on pay 976 lines is that they
are set up for individual area codes. The split means those 976
operators in 416 will now have to set up another service in 905 to
retain the same coverage for their number (ie. pay for two area codes
instead of one). 976 numbers in another area code cannot be called.
David Leibold
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 04 Sep 1993 11:53:30 EDT
From: LESREEVES@delphi.com
Subject: Bell Atlantic Name Change
Bell Atlantic has announced that it intends to rename all of it's
telephone companies. The exsisting names (New Jersey Bell,
Pennsylvania Bell) will be changed to Bell Atlantic New Jersey, Bell
Atlantic Pennsylvania. All the companies will be renamed Bell
Atlantic, followed by the state.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 4 Sep 1993 11:44:57 EDT
Reply-To: 0005066432@MCIMAIL.COM
Subject: "C&P Telephone" is Being Discontinued
From: Paul Robinson <TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM>
Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring, MD USA
That's right folks, C&P Telephone is being discontinued. No more
will I be able to complibe about the pho e service
in DC from C&P Telephone of Washington, DC
in MD from C&P Telephone of Maryland
in VA from C&P Telephone of Virginia
in WV from C&P Telephone of West Virginia
in PA from Bell of Pennsylvania
in DE from Diamond State Telephone
Yes, they are all being discontinued. Does this mean that we will no
longer have phone service? Like fun! They are being discontinued,
and replaced by:
Bell Atlantic of Washington
Bell Atlantic of Maryland
Bell Atlantic of Virginia
Bell Atlantic of West Virginia
Bell Atlantic of Pennsylvania
Bell Atlantic of Delaware
The original C&P Telephone Company goes back to the 1890s with a
merger of National Capital Telephone and another company. The "Bell
Atlantic" company was created because of Judge Greene. (Who also gets
his phone service from C&P err now Bell Atlantic.)
It's funny but a number of important people in the Washington area
have *listed* telephone numbers, from the head of a major government
agency to the Mayor of the District of Columbia. And Judge (now
Justice) Clarence Thomas also had a listed telephone number.
The change goes into effect 4th Quarter 1993.
Paul Robinson - TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM
[Moderator's Note: Illinois Bell is also gone. As of a couple weeks
ago the company was renamed "Ameritech", as is the parent company of
several phone companies in this area. I think it is funny how all
these independent companies manage to think of the same changes in
service and corporate structure all at the same time. PAT]
------------------------------
Subject: Need HELP In Contacting The CCITT/ITU On The Internet
From: edimg@willard.atl.ga.us (Ed pimentel)
Date: Sat, 04 Sep 93 09:39:49 EDT
Organization: Willard's House BBS, Atlanta, GA -- +1 (404) 664 8814
Does any anyone know how to contact the CCITT? I am not too sure what
is there address or how to correctly post a message to them and get
AutoMAGIC response? Below is what I "thought" was correct:
Mail To: itudoc@itu.arcom.arch
Subject: Need HELP
HELP
LIST
LIST CCITT
GET JPEG
Is the above REMOTELY correct? Any help will be greatly appreciated.
THANKS In ADVANCE!
edimg@willard.atl.ga.us (Ed pimentel)
gatech!kd4nc!vdbsan!willard!edimg emory!indigo!willard!edimg
Willard's House BBS, Atlanta, GA -- +1 (404) 664 8814
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 4 Sep 93 14:40:20 CDT
From: Will Martin <wmartin@STL-06SIMA.ARMY.MIL>
Subject: A Competitor to 1-900-STOPPER
There's a full-page ad on the back cover of the new (Oct. 93) issue of
American Survival Guide magazine, advertising a competitor to the
longstanding 1-900-STOPPER no-trace-call service.
This one has both a domestic and an international service, the
domestic for $1.99 a minute (four cents over 1-900-STOPPER's rates)
and the international at $3.99 per minute. The numbers are:
1-900-PREVENT (1-900-773-8368) for domestic, and 1-900-STONEWALL
(1-900-786-6392 plus a couple extra digits there... :-) for
international.
The ad text makes a big deal about the untraceability of the calls,
with no allusions to the Esteemed Moderator's earlier comments about
what might happen if things are serious enough for the call records of
this business to be subpoenaed ... they claim that "they" don't 'have a
record of the number you call when going through their service, but I
doubt if there is any way to prevent the telco from having a record.
Will
[Moderator's Note: If they choose not to be a common carrier, they are
free to keep no records if that is their preferred method of operation.
Lacking records and lacking common carrier status, they are responsible
for the use of their instruments like anyone else. If a harassing or
fraud call is traced back to their system, you don't get into a long
discussion with them about how it must have been one of their customers
and there is no way to figure it out, etc; you just file the complaint
against them. You sue the proprietor(s) of PREVENT and state that they
are using their phones fraudulently, unlawfully, whatever. Let them
worry about it. The guy who runs STOPPER has been sued a few times; it
is just part of the cost of doing business and built into his rates.
Why anyone would use those services when they could dial *67 instead
is a mystery to me. If they choose common carrier status, i.e. like
Sprint or AT&T, then truly, they are not responsible for the actions
of thier customers/clients. But on the other hand, they have easily
obtainable records. As soon as you grant those guys a middle ground --
that they have the legal right to act in an irresponsible manner when
they knew or should have known the way their telephone instruments
were being used -- then the only loser is you. I used to hear the
same rap from the guys running phreak BBSs all the time, that they
kept no user records, as if that was gonna mean anything in court.
If you have no records of any users, then YOU are the user! PAT]
------------------------------
From: diessel@informatik.unibw-muenchen.de (Thomas Diessel)
Subject: New Country Codes For Former Yugoslavia
Date: Sat, 4 Sep 1993 12:32:36 +0200
Hi Pat!
I just found this on the teletext of German TV ARD and ZDF:
Effective October 1st, 1993 there will be new telephone country codes
for former Yugoslavia (now country code 38):
381 rest of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro)
385 Croatia
386 Slovenia
387 Bosnia
389 Macedonia
In addition the telex country code will change, too. Country code 62
will be limited to the rest of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro). The
new country codes will be:
597 Macedonia
598 Slovenia
599 Croatia
600 Bosnia
I hope that I translated the country names correctly.
Thomas Diessel Federal Armed Forces University, Munich
Computer Science Department D-85577 Neubiberg, Germany
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 4 Sep 93 1:33:40 EDT
From: Carl Moore <cmoore@BRL.MIL>
Subject: Princess Di Used Last Number Redial
From "Diana: Her True Story" (I am using paperback edition published
by Pocket Books -- New York, London, Toronto, Sydney, Tokyo,
Singapore). Page 149 has: At Highgrove Diana routinely pushed the
"last number redial button on his [Charles'?] portable telephone.
Invariably she was connected to Middlewich House, the Parker-Bowles'
Wiltshire home."
(Brackets are mine.)
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V13 #622
******************************
From telecom Sun Sep 5 11:49:06 1993
Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA27078
(5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecom@eecs.nwu.edu); Sun, 5 Sep 1993 11:49:06 -0500
Date: Sun, 5 Sep 1993 11:49:06 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom>
Message-Id: <199309051649.AA27078@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #623
Status: RO
TELECOM Digest Sun, 5 Sep 93 11:49:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 623
Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson
Re: Foreigners Need Not Apply? (Brett Frankenberger)
Re: Foreigners Need Not Apply? (Mark Wilkins)
Re: Foreigners Need Not Apply? (Lynne Gregg)
Re: Radio Shack Catalogs (Joe Lynn)
Re: Radio Shack Catalogs (Bob Wier)
Re: Radio Shack Catalogs (Steven King)
Re: Radio Shack Catalogs (Doug Granzow)
Re: Radio Shack Catalogs (Joel Upchurch)
Re: Radio Shack Catalogs (Barton Bruce)
Re: Radio Shack Catalogs (Andrew C. Green)
Re: Radio Shack Catalogs (Gregory Youngblood)
Re: Radio Shack Catalogs (Tim Russell)
Re: ISDN in the USA (Thomas Persson)
Re: ISDN in the USA (William H. Sohl)
Re: ISDN in the USA (Al Varney)
Re: ISDN in the USA (Bob Larribeau)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: brettf@netcom.com (Brett Frankenberger)
Subject: Re: Foreigners Need Not Apply?
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Sat, 4 Sep 1993 23:48:37 GMT
Ramaiah V Narla <narlara1@student.msu.edu> writes:
> Specifically, I am permitted a year's practical training in the USA
> after my studies and that's all I have been asking for. In return for
> the kind of work (sloggery) that one will remember when one comes to
> my town to shop or to sell.
Let me see if I understand. You want to intern with a company for a
year, and then, after that, leave for your home country, never to
return. And no one is interested in giving you a job. And so the
conclusion is that it is a racist decision. (That was certainly Pat's
conclusion, and I am guessing it is your's also from the "Foreigners
need not apply" in the Subject: line).
There are lots of reasons why companies hire interns. IMHO, to get
work done cheaply is not the only one. It gives a company a chance to
hire someone temporarily, and evaluate them and see how well they fit
into the company. It they like what they see, then can them try and
persuade the intern to work for the company after he/she gets done with
school. And the intern may be more likely to accept a job with that
company since he/she has worked there (as an intern) and knows the
coprorate culture and what it is like to work there.
That reasoning would not apply to you. You plan to leave the company
after your internship. So they could get work from you for a year or
so, and then that would be it. The other benefits of hiring a intern,
such as possible future employment, are not there in your case. Thus,
it would be a better business decision to hire someone who planned to
remain in this country and work here after the end of the internship.
Perhaps you feel your skills / connections / whatever you refer to in
the paragraph "... as to how useful I could be" offset the
disadvantages posed by your future plans to leave the country. Perhaps
it is corporate short-sightedness that is keeping them from hiring you,
and they "don't know what they are missing" ... That is, then, a bad
business decision, but it is neither uncommon nor racism.
The reason you weren't hired might very well be racism. But you have
no evidence that it is, at least not that I can see from what you
posted. Getting a job these days is tough. There are lots of
unemployed people of all races.
> However, not one company had one idea as to how useful I could be,
> whether in their operations, to their long-term goals, or for a
> pecuniary benefit from hiring me: because I'd be dead cheap. Not that
> I am an absolute novice. I worked at my university in the USA. I took
> a break from a successful professional career in my country to come
> here particularly to extend my understanding of new technologies and
> services, and for an exposure to, simply put, the best and cheapest
> telecom services.
The "cheap" part is not as importmant as you might think. When a
company decides to add a job, it is frequently willing to pay a
competitive salary to get a good worker.
> [Moderator's Note: Don't you really know what the problem is? It is
> the same problem faced by many young black people in urban areas like
> Chicago. All these years we've been saying stay in school, work part
> time at an entry-level job at McDonalds, get a diploma, take a couple
> of extra courses ... hey, some blacks *believed it* and did just what
> was suggested. Now out of school, they go out and look for jobs only
> to have personnel departments politely tell them there is nothing which
> is 'suitable', or that the job was filled.
Do I understand you correctly? If I was unable to find a job and
wanted you to tell me why, you would ask me my race, and then, if I
was white, you would say "you don't have a job because the economy is
bad," but, if I said I was black, you would say "you don't have a job
because of racism."
There's a slow economy out there, and unemployment is high. Lots of
people of all races don't have jobs. Some, but not nearly all, due to
racism.
> These days, dyed in the wool racists are more in the closet than the
> gay guys ever used to be. But they still staff the employment offices
> and apartment rental offices everywhere.
I don't see that your generalizations are any better than the
generalizations made by bigots to justify their actions. A person who
hires a white when both a white and a black applied for the job is
not necessarily a racist. There are many reasons for doing so, racism
only being one.
And, what do you call it when a white is more qualified for a job but a
black gets it because of a minority quota. It happens. A lot.
> The young teenage black kids who recently graduated from
> high school and are out looking for a job rarely have experienced the
> open and bald-faced racism their grandparents lived with; some of them
> have seen none at all and are led to believe it does not exist any
> longer. They honestly think it has to do with how well they perform
> their duties. There is still some 'resentment toward foreigners' here
> in the USA also. I strongly suspect that has something to do with it. PAT]
Guess what Pat. It does have *a lot* to do with how they perform
their duties. Sure, there are racists out there, but you can't blame
them for all the problems faced by blacks or other minorities.
Brett (brettf@netcom.com)
------------------------------
From: Mark Wilkins <wilkins@jarthur.Claremont.EDU>
Subject: Re: Foreigners Need Not Apply?
Organization: Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, CA 91711
Date: Sat, 4 Sep 1993 18:19:10 GMT
Mr. Narla and Mr. Townson:
I am sorry, Mr. Narla, that you have been unsuccessful at finding
work, and I truly hope that it is not as a result of the racism to
which Mr. Townson refers.
However, what you have both ignored is that (according to the
placement office at the institution from which I graduated, Harvey
Mudd College,) the AVERAGE time between graduation in an engineering-
related field and acquiring engineering-related employment in this
country now stands at about 18 months.
In other words, had you acquired a job by now, Mr. Narla, you would
probably be doing better than maybe 75% of those in your position,
regardless of national origin or qualifications.
It's unfortunate that things are not better, but it isn't fair, I
think, to blame the problem on one's nationality until one is doing
worse than the norm.
Mark Wilkins
------------------------------
From: Lynne Gregg <lynne.gregg@mccaw.com>
Subject: Re: Foreigners Need Not Apply?
Date: Sat, 04 Sep 93 13:50:00 PDT
Ramaiah V Narla <narlara1@student.msu.edu> wrote:
> However, not one company had one idea as to how useful I could be,
> whether in their operations, to their long-term goals, or for a
> pecuniary benefit from hiring me: because I'd be dead cheap. Not that
> I am an absolute novice. I worked at my university in the USA. I took
> a break from a successful professional career in my country to come
> here particularly to extend my understanding of new technologies and
> services, and for an exposure to, simply put, the best and cheapest
> telecom services.
Many of us have empathy for your situation. You must know that many
of the technology companies here in the U.S. are in a "lean and mean"
mode or they're rapidly trying to get there (i.e. IBM layoffs in the
tens of thousands, for one). Despite the good job prospects espoused
by Bill and Al (great news for chicken-pluckers and burger-flippers),
the U.S. is in a recession. Your competition for jobs in just about
any desirable position is nothing less than intense.
Here's the best advice I can possibly give to you:
* lose the attitude that someone OWES you something,
* it's YOUR job to give those companies ideas on how useful you could be -
find out what they need and fill that need.
Good luck,
Lynne
[Moderator's Note: Speaking of chicken-pluckers, I made the aquaintence
two days ago of a guy from Pakistan who is in school here at the Univer-
sity of Illinois studying engineering. There are *lots* of students from
Pakistan here. He told me he needed money and took a job for about five
dollars per hour working for some subsidiary company of Colonel Sanders,
the fried chicken dinner carryout chain. He works on an assembly line
in the processing plant -- chopping the heads off chickens eight hours a
day, one after another. He said he was not happy with with his work, but
it was safer, and *paid more* than his previous job which was driving a
taxicab in Chicago. After getting held up twice and shot at once, he
quit driving a cab and decided to go to work for the Colonel instead. PAT]
------------------------------
From: jtl@il.us.swissbank.com (Joe Lynn)
Subject: Re: Radio Shack Catalogs
Organization: Swiss Bank Corporation CM&T Division
Date: Sat, 4 Sep 1993 19:35:56 GMT
Our Moderator notes:
> [Moderator's Note: I guess from now on we have to go in and buy one of
> their cheesy house-brand batteries for 50 cents in order to get the
> catalog. PAT]
Actually, charging $2.95 for the catalog is not such a big deal: near
the back of the book, there are four coupons, including one for $3.00
off any purchase of $3.00 or more.
Buy one item (such as the device the original poster was looking for--
which is in the catalog for $9.99), and the catalog is paid for.
By the way, those horrible red-steel-clad-cheapo batteries that
they used to sell appear to be discontinued.
jtl
(Not affiliated with Radio Shack: I just happened to have the catalog
right here on my desk.)
------------------------------
From: wier@merlin.etsu.edu (Bob Wier)
Subject: Re: Radio Shack Catalogs
Organization: East Texas State University
Date: Sat, 4 Sep 1993 20:08:01 GMT
> [Moderator's Note: I guess from now on we have to go in and buy one of
> their cheesy house-brand batteries for 50 cents in order to get the
> catalog. PAT]
Nope - sorry. Its my understanding that you have to make a purchase of
$3 or more :-(
======== insert usual disclaimers here ============
Bob Wier, East Texas State U., Commerce, Texas
wier@merlin.etsu.edu (watch for address change)
------------------------------
From: king@rtsg.mot.com (Steven King, Software Archaeologist)
Subject: Re: Radio Shack Catalogs
Reply-To: king@rtsg.mot.com
Organization: Motorola Cellular Infrastructure Group
Date: Sat, 4 Sep 1993 20:16:08 GMT
> [Moderator's Note: I guess from now on we have to go in and buy one of
> their cheesy house-brand batteries for 50 cents in order to get the
> catalog. PAT]
Ah, not so easy, Honorable Moderator. The catalog price isn't refunded
with your purchase. The catalog contains *coupons* which can be used
towards your *next* purchase. Naturally you have to buy more than $3
in order to use the $3 coupon in order to make back the cost of the
catalog.
I frequent many different Radio Shack stores (this area is lousy with
them and I remember I need odd things at odd times) and have asked at
each one for a catalog, hoping to find a manager as disgusted with the
new price as I am. No luck so far. "But people *like* the coupons!"
Not all of us, buddy.
And there's another catch. The coupon has to be used on the *next*
purchase, not the current one. I was buying about $6 worth of
miscellaneous parts, and the salesdroid tried to push the catalog on
me. "Great. I'll take it and use the $3 coupon right now, please." He
said that no, I couldn't do that. I said in that case, no, I wouldn't
buy the catalog. I supposed I could have bought the catalog and not
the parts, walked out and back into the store, and bought the parts
with the coupon. It just seemed like more trouble than it was worth. I
still don't have a copy of this year's catalog.
Radio Shack makes a modest sum of money because I have their catalog to
peruse. I'm not about to *pay* them for the privilege of shopping in
their store, however.
Steven King -- Motorola Cellular Infrastructure Group
------------------------------
From: dig@pro-cynosure.clark.net (Doug Granzow)
Subject: Re: Radio Shack Catalogs
Organization: Cynosure BBS - Email and newsgroups at 410-549-2584
Date: Sat, 4 Sep 93 23:01:58 EDT
> [Moderator's Note: I guess from now on we have to go in and buy one of
> their cheesy house-brand batteries for 50 cents in order to get the
> catalog. PAT]
And for that fifty cents, you will be required to give the last four
digits of your phone number, your name, and address. (So they can
mail you a *free* catalog?)
Doug Granzow (dig@pro-cynosure.clark.net) - Cynosure BBS 410-549-2584 (free!)
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Radio Shack Catalogs
From: upchrch!joel@uunet.UU.NET (Joel Upchurch)
Date: Sat, 04 Sep 93 16:20:59 EDT
Organization: Upchurch Computer Consulting, Orlando FL
> [Moderator's Note: Radio Shack is now getting $2.95 for catalogs? :(
> PAT]
This was discussed over in misc.consumers. The catalog has a $3.00 off
coupon in it. What you do is buy the catalog _first_ when you go into
the store and then use the coupon for your purchase. It doesn't work
if you buy the catalog and the item at the same time.
Joel Upchurch @ Upchurch Computer Consulting uunet!aaahq01!upchrch!joel
718 Galsworthy Ave. Orlando, FL 32809-6429 phone (407) 859-0982
------------------------------
From: Barton.Bruce@camb.com
Subject: Re: Radio Shack Catalogs
Organization: Digital Equipment Computer Users Society
Date: 5 Sep 93 02:19:08 -0400
> Yup! I just stopped in to Radio Shack yesterday looking for the
> device which goes on a phone line, and stops an (older) answering
> machine when someone picks up the phone. I looked around and couldn't
> BTW, any idea where I can buy the device described above?
Saw them in Staples with the Modular "Y"s, except this version had
labels for phone and answering machine and LEDs. It was either $6.xx
or $9.xx - can't remember which.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 05 Sep 1993 02:30:32 CDT
From: Andrew C. Green <acg@hermes.dlogics.com>
Reply-To: acg@hermes.dlogics.com
Subject: Re: Radio Shack Catalogs
Our Moderator notes:
> [Moderator's Note: I guess from now on we have to go in and buy one of
> their cheesy house-brand batteries for 50 cents in order to get the
> catalog. PAT]
I'm not a huge fan of Radio Shack (are they still selling Pong games?
:-), but I still got my last catalog for free just by asking nicely ...
it's not like I'm a big customer of theirs, either. Maybe the referen-
ced manager was having a bad day.
As for the batteries, you can get a basic one for free at the rate of
one per month -- just ask for their "Battery of the Month Club" card,
which is usually printed on the back of their business cards. Finally,
regarding the alkalines, I have foggy memories of reading in someplace
like Consumer Reports that their AA size batteries outperformed the
major brands.
Andrew C. Green
Datalogics, Inc. Internet: acg@hermes.dlogics.com
441 W. Huron UUCP: ..!uunet!dlogics!acg
Chicago, IL 60610 FAX: (312) 266-4473
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Radio Shack Catalogs
From: zeta@tcscs.com (Gregory Youngblood)
Date: Sun, 05 Sep 93 03:27:54 PDT
Organization: TCS Computer Systems
Joe.Bergstein@p501.f544.n109.z1.fidonet.org (Joe Bergstein) writes:
> I started out the door with the catalog in my hand, and was stopped by
> the manager who told me that the catalogs now cost $2.95 which is
> refunded on your first purchase.
> [Moderator's Note: I guess from now on we have to go in and buy one of
> their cheesy house-brand batteries for 50 cents in order to get the
> catalog. PAT]
Nope. I just spent ten bucks in there and they wouldn't give me the
catalog, they said I'd have to pay for it too. But, if they also said
they still give them to the ones that come in all the time. So, if
you know the manager for a store and you frequent it regularly, ask
HIM/HER for the catalog.
Greg
------------------------------
From: Tim Russell <gr003@unocss.unomaha.edu>
Subject: Re: Radio Shack Catalogs
Organization: University of Nebraska at Omaha
Date: Sun, 5 Sep 1993 11:03:50 GMT
> [Moderator's Note: I guess from now on we have to go in and buy one of
> their cheesy house-brand batteries for 50 cents in order to get the
> catalog. PAT]
No, you have to pay $2.95 for it. BUT! You get one coupon worth
$3 off anything $3 or more, one worth $5 off anything $10 or more (or
was it $15?), one worth 10% off anything marked NEW in the catalog
(and that's a lot of stuff), and one worth 10% off any Tandy service
plan.
I would probably have to agree with anyone who says that charging
for catalogs is tacky, but I can also appreciate Tandy's expense at
handing out a huge catalog to the same shopper every time he/she stops
in. At least they give you MORE than just the money you pay for the
catalog back, unlike other companies. Those coupons can add up to a
lot of money saved.
Also, from discussions in alt.radio.scanner, some stores are
realizing that customers are unhappy and are giving the catalogs out
free with the $3 coupon ripped out. I believe that Tandy charge card
customers get free catalogs with the coupon.
Tim Russell Omaha, NE russell@spdcc.com
------------------------------
From: thomas@lulea.trab.se (Thomas Persson)
Subject: Re: ISDN in the USA
Organization: Telia Research AB
Date: Sun, 05 Sep 1993 11:58:13 GMT
In <telecom13.615.13@eecs.nwu.edu> J C Steele <jcs@ibmpcug.co.uk>
writes:
> transfer time he is contemplating using ISDN but has been told at a
> seminar that the bit rate in the USA for the ISDN service is 56 kilo:
> bits compared with London which is 64 kilobits for the raw basic rate
> channel.
> This contradicts all that I have understood about ISDN. Please reassure
> me that the standards of 64 kbps is world wide.
It is not a world wide standard. USA has made their own standard, and
the rest of the world is following another standard. (The right one.)
N. Thomas Persson, M.Sc Systems Engineer
Telia Research AB, Aurorum 6, S-977 75 Lulea, SWEDEN
Fax:+46 920 75490, Tel:+46 920 75489
------------------------------
From: whs70@dancer.cc.bellcore.com (sohl,william h)
Subject: Re: ISDN in the USA
Organization: Bellcore, Livingston, NJ
Date: Sun, 05 Sep 93 12:37:53 GMT
In article <telecom13.617.6@eecs.nwu.edu> oppedahl@panix.com(Carl
Oppedahl) writes:
> In <telecom13.615.13@eecs.nwu.edu> J C Steele <jcs@ibmpcug.co.uk>
> wrote:
>> I have a client who is interested in using ISDN for file transfer. he
>> wishes to send data between London and New York. To reduce the file
>> transfer time he is contemplating using ISDN but has been told at a
>> seminar that the bit rate in the USA for the ISDN service is 56 kilo
>> bits compared with London which is 64 kilobits for the raw basic rate
>> channel.
>> This contradicts all that I have understood about ISDN. Please reassure
>> me that the standards of 64 kbps is world wide.
It is, see both Carl O.s initial comments plus a further clarification
immediately after that.
> I have been told that many of the telco links from one CO to the next
> are only 56KBPS, and that as a result many US ISDN installations carry
> only 56KBPS on the B channel rather than the expected 64KBPS. It's
> not that the telcos are denying the standard is 64KBPS, I have heard,
> but that they are sort of embarassed they cannot easily provide it in
> some service areas.
Carl is essentially correct in stating that the AVAILABLE data rate
for many connections is 56Kb as opposed to full 64Kb. Having said
that, however, it should be noted that the actual channel connection
is operating at a 64Kb rate, BUT because the least significant bit of
each byte is subject to being used for CO to CO signaling (e.g.
on-hook, off-hook status known as "robbed bit signaling") then only
the seven of the 8 bits for each byte is available for uncorrupted
data transfer (hence the available data rate is 56Kb). As more and
more COs are connected using Signaling System 7 (SS7) and the use of
robbed-bit in-band signaling goes away, the CO to CO trunking will
become usable at the full 64Kb rate.
Standard Disclaimer- Any opinions, etc. are mine and NOT my employer's.
Bill Sohl (K2UNK) BELLCORE (Bell Communications Research, Inc.)
Morristown, NJ email via UUCP bcr!cc!whs70
201-829-2879 Weekdays email via Internet whs70@cc.bellcore.com
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 5 Sep 93 02:46:22 CDT
From: varney@ihlpe.att.com
Subject: Re: ISDN in the USA
Organization: AT&T
ISDN has many "standard data rates"; 64K is the building block for
most of them. CCITT (ITU-TS) has specs for sub-rates using 64K as the
channel rate. The V.110 spec covers 8K, 16K, 32K, 48K and 56K rate
adaption. In the USA, 56K adaption is commonly used because it
supports interworking with the existing non-ISDN "switched 56" data
service.
> I have been told that many of the telco links from one CO to the next
> are only 56KBPS, and that as a result many US ISDN installations carry
> only 56KBPS on the B channel rather than the expected 64KBPS. It's
> not that the telcos are denying the standard is 64KBPS, I have heard,
> but that they are sort of embarassed they cannot easily provide it in
> some service areas.
Assuming the use of "New York" is short for New York City, I don't
believe inter-office links will be a problem, if you use AT&T's
ACCUNET(tm) services. Others in NYC have already done this
successfully, but sometimes the ISDN CO parameters have to be adjusted
by TELCO to allow all the correct information to be passed to the INC.
Most ISDN-capable COs don't have a problem with 64K trunking. The
older analog COs and older digital transmission equipment without B8ZS
support are the factors limiting the availability of inter-CO 64K data
rates.
> I think perhaps your client has the bad luck to be in one of these
> 56KBPS areas.
Perhaps. For ACCUNET services, the AT&T domestic support folks can
be reached at 1-800-222-SW56 (800-222-7956). They have information
about 56K and 64K access from specific COs and LATAs -- they will need
the NPA-NXX of the New York ISDN line to accurately answer the
question of access. They also have usage rate information for
International calls, and a list of countries currently accessible at
56K/64K data rates.
Other non-domestic questions are currently handled by the AT&T
Switched Digital International (SDI !!) Services organization at
1-800-841-4135. SDI also handles questions regarding International
Videoconferencing, Group 4 FAX, EDT, Audio Broadcasting, etc. using
64K data rates. (They also have rate information -- perhaps in more
detail than the ACCUNET support group.)
Al Varney - just MY opinion
------------------------------
From: Bob Larribeau <p00136@psilink.com>
Subject: Re: ISDN in the USA
Date: Sat, 04 Sep 93 19:37:28 -0700
Organization: Combinet
The transmission system in the U.S. uses in-band signalling that
effectively robs 8 kb/s from each 64 kb/s channel for data
applications. ISDN in the U.S. is based on 64 kb/s B-channels but you
will most likely need to rate adapt to 56 kb/s when making connections
between switches.
Bob Larribeau San Francisco
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V13 #623
******************************
From telecom Sun Sep 5 12:50:35 1993
Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA04054
(5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecom@eecs.nwu.edu); Sun, 5 Sep 1993 12:50:35 -0500
Date: Sun, 5 Sep 1993 12:50:35 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom>
Message-Id: <199309051750.AA04054@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #624
Status: RO
TELECOM Digest Sun, 5 Sep 93 12:50:30 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 624
Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson
Re: ISDN in the USA (Russell Sharpe)
Re: ISDN in the USA (Fred R. Goldstein)
Re: ISDN in the USA (Dave Schroeder)
56k/64K vs. Dial Up (Danny Burstein)
ISDN For an Internet Connection? (mauritz_c@spcvxb.spc.edu)
Re: Help: Deaf Terminal Emulation Through Modem (Terry M. Teague)
Re: Help: Deaf Terminal Emulation Through Modem (Richard Osterberg)
Re: DLC/NGDLC (Brian Zimmerman)
Re: DLC/NGDLC (Steven L. Spak)
Re: AT&T VISA Card Validation (David W. Tamkin)
Re: AT&T VISA Card Validation (Steve Cogorno)
Re: AT&T VISA Card Validation (Scott Coleman)
Re: AT&T VISA Card Validation (Art Kamlet)
Re: Used D4 Channel Bank Needed (Barton Bruce)
Re: AT&T TrueVoice DSP Analysis (hollarn@knight.gannon.edu)
Re: TrueVoice Cumulative Distortion? (Michael G. Katzmann)
Re: TrueVoice (tm) - The True Story (Terry A. Conboy)
----------------------
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The Digest is delivered at no charge by email to qualified subscribers on
any electronic mail service connected to the Internet. To join the mail-
ing list, write and tell us how you qualify: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu.
All article submissions MUST be sent to our email address: telecom@eecs.
nwu.edu -- NOT as replies to comp.dcom.telecom.
Back issues and numerous other telephone-related files of interest are
available from the Telecom Archives, using anonymous ftp lcs.mit.edu.
Login anonymous, then 'cd telecom-archives'. At the present time, the
Digest is also ported to Usenet at the request of many readers there,
where it is known as 'comp.dcom.telecom'. Use of the Digest does not
require the use of our products and services. The two are separate.
All articles are the responsibility of the individual authors. Organi-
zations listed, if any, are for identification purposes only. The
Digest is compilation-copyrighted, 1993. **DO NOT** cross-post articles
between the Digest and other Usenet or alt newsgroups. Do not compile
mailing lists from the net-addresses appearing herein. Send tithes and
love offerings to PO Box 1570, Chicago, IL 60690. :) Phone: 312-465-2700.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: sharpe_r@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz (russell sharpe)
Subject: Re: ISDN in the USA
Date: 05 Sep 1993 00:59:34 GMT
Organization: Wellington City Council, Public Access
Reply-To: sharpe_r@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz
In article <telecom13.615.13@eecs.nwu.edu>, J C Steele <jcs@ibmpcug.
co.uk> wrote:
> This contradicts all that I have understood about ISDN. Please reassure
> me that the standards of 64 kbps is world wide.
In New Zealand The Standard is 64K, also I can ISDN Japan at 64k.
Russell Sharpe: email: sharpe_r@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz
Voice: +64 4 5637779 snailmail: 171 Holborn Drive Stokes Valley 6008 NZ
------------------------------
From: goldstein@carafe.tay2.dec.com (Fred R. Goldstein)
Subject: Re: ISDN in the USA
Organization: Digital Equipment Corp., Littleton MA USA
Date: Sun, 05 Sep 1993 05:22:35 GMT
In article <telecom13.615.13@eecs.nwu.edu> J C Steele <jcs@ibmpcug.
co.uk> writes:
> This contradicts all that I have understood about ISDN. Please reassure
> me that the standards of 64 kbps is world wide.
The 64 kbps standard is world wide. So are lots of standards. However,
the standard most widely used in the USA for ISDN data is 56 kbps :-( .
The USA has a different digital carrier (transmission) system from
Europe's, and it generally only handles 56 kbps, not 64 kbps, on a
data channel. So we Gringos have a well-established "Switched 56"
network. ISDN data typically runs over this.
Most local telephone company intra-switch ISDN calls work at 64, and
some support 64 kbps inter-office. But the links from local (Bell)
companies to the long distance companies are sometimes only 56k. It
depends on where you are, etc. If the US customer orders a "B8ZS"
(clear-channel capable) T1 from AT&T (well, TO AT&T, or MCI for that
matter, which is installed by their Bell company), as a Primary Rate
ISDN circuit, then they can use International Switched 64 kbps. But
since the interexchange carriers (AT&T, MCI, Sprint, etc.) don't
belong to the North American Numbering Plan yet (long story omitted),
these carriers need special agreements with the PTTs. I think the UK
has this.
Fred R. Goldstein k1io goldstein@carafe.tay2.dec.com
Opinions are mine alone; sharing requires permission
------------------------------
From: das@merit.edu (Dave Schroeder)
Subject: Re: ISDN in the USA
Date: 5 Sep 1993 17:58:09 GMT
Organization: The University of Michigan Medical Center
It was always my understanding that >real< ISDN is >always< 64kbps.
56k service is usually referred to as "switched 56".
Dave
------------------------------
From: dannyb@panix.com (danny burstein)
Subject: 56k/64k vs Dial Up
Date: 5 Sep 1993 13:07:39 -0400
Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC
A poster started a thread about the US 56K (sometimes) vs the intl 64K
ISDN throughput. His original note discussed how his employer wanted
to upgrade to the faster lines for file transfer.
I just want to point out that in MANY cases the economics are simply NOT
there. With V.32bis modems you get 14.4K on a dialup line. V.fast will
(someday) give you 28.8K. You can get, TODAY, various proprietary
modems (i.e., belogning to a specific company) which will hit up to
about 20K.
Compare this with the added costs of a) installing the 56/64k line
with all its associated equipment, b) the cost per minute, c) limited
options in switching.
dannyb@panix.com
------------------------------
From: mauritz_c@spcvxb.spc.edu
Subject: ISDN for an Internet Connection?
Organization: SPC Community Access System
Date: Sun, 05 Sep 1993 14:02:29 GMT
Is there a FAQ for this group?
I have just set up my own public access unix site and I'm interested
in finding a "better" way of offering full internet connectivity than
the standard 56k leased line.
Has anyone here has experience using ISDN for such a purpose? If so,
who did you talk to? I cannot seem to find any internet service
providers that will talk to you via ISDN, though JVNCnet said they
were "looking in to it."
Any information would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers,
Chris (aka ritz@ritz.mordor.com)
[Moderator's Note: The Telecom FAQ is available several ways. It is
automatically mailed out to each new subscriber who receives the Digest
via email. Once a month more or less, it is posted in comp.dcom.telecom
for the Usenet readers. It is available in the Telecom Archives, which
is accessible using anonymous ftp lcs.mit.edu. It is also available by
writing telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu and asking for a copy. PAT]
------------------------------
From: terryt@clark.net (Terry M. Teague)
Subject: Re: Help: Deaf Terminal Emulation Through Modem
Date: 5 Sep 1993 11:07:58 GMT
Organization: Clark Internet Services, Inc., Ellicott City, MD USA
Allan R. Baker (arb2@engr.engr.uark.edu) wrote:
> Is it possible to communicate a with TDD (or is it DDT) device with
> common modem software?
> [Moderator's Note: No it is not possible. They are different protocols.
> The one uses ASCII, the other uses Baudot (of some level, I forget). PAT]
Most of the TTY(S) are 45.5 baudot and 7-e-1 Half duplex. But, ASCII(S)
are at 300 Baud, 8-N-1 , half Dup. I did try use CrossTalk 2.0
version to communicate with my ASCII TTY.. It worked. But, most deaf
people have regular baudot (45.5). It requires a special modem from
Futura-TDD or Full-Talk dealers where they can be purchased.
Terry M. Teague (Gallaudet Univ. BX#1632) 1-301-589-3214 TTY/TDD/TT home
Silver Spring, Maryland, USA 1-301-589-2464 FAX only
1-202-996-5028 Pager # (Touch Tone PH only) 1-202-366-0992 TTY/TDD/TT:work
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Help: Deaf Terminal Emulation Through Modem
From: osterber@husc8.harvard.edu (Richard Osterberg)
Date: 5 Sep 93 12:58:23 GMT
> Is it possible to communicate a with TDD (or is it DDT) device with
> common modem software?
> [Moderator's Note: No it is not possible. They are different protocols.
> The one uses ASCII, the other uses Baudot (of some level, I forget). PAT]
The "standard" protocol for TDD (actually, more often referred to in
the community as "TTY") machines is Baudot. If you listen to it, it's
a series of two tones, a high and a low. Each character is a
different combination of patterns and lengths (same theory as Morse
Code, I guess). If memory serves, the protocol moves at 50 baud.
Standard modems are not at all compatible with this protocol.
However, there are more and more TTYs these days that are equipped
with what is usually called "ASCII protocol", which is standard modem
protocol. It's typically 300 baud, but I've heard of some with 1200
baud. Your modem can communicate with an "ASCII TTY" with standard
software, if you set it up right. (From experience, most TTYs are
unforgiving in terms of the new modems that do autodetect baud, etc ...
you typically need to lock the modem at 300 baud, manually turn off
all the other added features to get "bare" 300 baud). Additionally,
there is a piece of software, "ASCIITDD" released by Gallaudet
University that is designed to use your modem to communicate with
ASCII TTYs. It works rather well.
Additionally, if you look hard, there *are* available modems for IBM
compatibles that have Baudot built in. They're rather expensive (mall
market, I guess), but do exist. I have no idea how well they work. I
saw one in a recent "IBM Mail Order" (true blue IBM) catalogue ...
they had two pages on "Disability peripherals."
Hope this helps.
Rick Osterberg osterber@husc.harvard.edu 617-527-6664 617-965-0370
------------------------------
From: zimmerman@pulse.com (Brian Zimmerman)
Subject: Re: DLC/NGDLC
Date: 3 Sep 1993 10:55:11 -0500
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway
Time slot interchange for static and dynamic assignment of channels.
Integral SONET optical feeder interface.
Remote provisioning, maintenence, administration, operations, and
inventory.
NGDLCs are software intensive in nature, more compact as a result of
higher level of integration, and provide a more feature rich
functionality than the current generation of DLCs.
[The above description was solicited from our Marketing Department.]
Brian Zimmerman [brianz@pulse.com] Pulse Communications Inc., a division
of Hubbell (not the telescope) All opinions are my own, none other
------------------------------
From: sspak@seas.gwu.edu (Steven L. Spak)
Subject: Re: DLC/NGDLC
Organization: George Washington University
Date: Sun, 05 Sep 1993 15:50:17 GMT
DLC usually refers to wire based subscriber carrier like SLC-96.
(Mini channel banks and a few T1's back to the C.O.)
NGDLC usually refers to fiber based subscriber carrier like DSC's
Litespan 2000. You get more bandwidth to provide DS1's and more cool
stuff to your hungrier customers. (These are still used for voice and
SOME specials.)
Steven Spak sspak@seas.gwu.edu Transmission Engineer
Tel: (202) 392-1611 Fax: (202) 392-1261
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 5 Sep 93 11:39 CDT
From: dattier@genesis.mcs.com (David W. Tamkin)
Subject: Re: AT&T VISA Card Validation
Reply-To: dattier@genesis.mcs.com (DWT)
Organization: Contributor Account on MCSNet, Chicago, Illinois 60657
Anthony E. Siegman wrote in <telecom13.619.7@eecs.nwu.edu> in
comp.dcom.telecom:
> New gimmick on AT&T VISA cards (at least new to me): mandatory
> phone validation of new and replacement cards before they can be used.
> My wife and I received the annual replacements for our AT&T
> Univeral VISA cards the other day. WIth the cards was a memo: The new
> cards would not be valid until we telephoned an 800 number and
> verified the cards.
The idea is to make sure that the cards did not go astray nor get
waylaid in the mail and were delivered to the correct parties. The
person receiving the card must satisfy the automated system that he or
she knows enough about the rightful cardholder to be the rightful
cardholder. Until verification, purchases on the card will not
receive authorization codes.
Citibank was testing a similar practice and the GM Card uses it as well.
David W. Tamkin Box 3284 Skokie, Illinois 60076-6284 312-714-5610
dattier@genesis.mcs.com CompuServe: 73720,1570 MCI Mail: 426-1818
------------------------------
From: cogorno@netcom.com (Steve Cogorno)
Subject: Re: AT&T VISA Card Validation
Date: Sun, 5 Sep 93 04:47:56 PDT
I think this is a normal practice as I was required to do this with my
American Express.
Steve cogorno@netcom.com
------------------------------
From: genghis@ilces.ag.uiuc.edu (Scott Coleman)
Subject: Re: AT&T VISA Card Validation
Date: 5 Sep 93 13:14:23 GMT
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
> [Moderator's Note: Didn't the same people put their SSN on the original
> application for credit? Then what is their beef now? PAT]
No doubt you'll be flooded with replies, but just in case: none of the
information requested to "validate" the card is in any way secure or
private. AT&T is making the (erroneous) assumption that only the
cardholder will know all of this information. In reality, everything
asked for will appear on the cardholder's credit report, which as we
know is available to anyone with sufficient interest. So what's the
point of "validating" the card? If a thief manages to intercept the
envelope containing the card, he can "validate" the card almost as
easily as the legitimate cardholder can.
Scott Coleman, President ASRE (American Society of Reverse Engineers)
tmkk@uiuc.edu
[Moderator's Note: I am always flooded with mail; your letter is
nothing special. This added step is one further effort being made to
combat credit card fraud; the level of which is at an all-time high in
the USA. You are correct that the level of sophistication found in
some credit card fraud rings is enough to easily overcome this extra
step but it is a satisfactory security measure in many instances. PAT]
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 5 Sep 93 02:51:55 EDT
From: ask@cblph.att.com
Subject: Re: AT&T VISA Card Validation
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Columbus, Ohio
In article <telecom13.619.7@eecs.nwu.edu> Anthony E. Siegman <siegman@
sierra.stanford.edu> writes:
[New gimmick on AT&T VISA cards (at least new to me): mandatory
phone validation of new and replacement cards before they can be used.]
I also got this notice in my VISA card renewal, and followed the
procedure, and it worked. The next day I was curious, and called
their 800 number and learned this: The new VISA/MC cards contain both
a start and expiration date, and are not good before the start date --
other cards (AMEX, ...) also do this.
The validation procedure is because many credit cards disappear out of
mailboxes, or somewhere. So by not turning the cards on until some
validation is done, they hope to cut down on fraudlent use of stolen
cards. Apparently the ZIP code is used to determine which customers
will be asked to validate the cards. These are ZIP Codes from high
credit card fraud areas.
Disclaimer: I'm just reporting what I learned by calling the AT&T
Visa 800 number.
Art Kamlet a_s_kamlet@att.com AT&T Bell Laboratories, Columbus
------------------------------
From: Barton.Bruce@camb.com
Subject: Re: Used D4 Channel Bank Needed
Organization: Digital Equipment Computer Users Society
Date: 5 Sep 93 01:16:33 -0400
In article <telecom13.620.5@eecs.nwu.edu>, kechak@uuhare.rabbit.net
(Stanley Kechak) writes:
> One of our customers is in need of a D4 channel bank. They will be
> receiving their 800 calls over a T1 and they want to hook the 24
I assume their PBX is too simple to add a T1 card to with some station
cards.
Were they running, say, a Mitel SX200D, with even several Generics ago
software, a T1 card, a T1 clock, and a pair of 12 port ONS (local POTS
station cards) cards probably could be had for ~$3k used from dealers
with a little shopping.
Look in "Telecom Gear" at some of the ads from folks selling used
channel banks. Plenty of them out there, but they don't advertise in
"TV Guide".
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 4 Sep 1993 17:22:06 -0400
From: hollarn@knight.gannon.edu
Subject: Re: AT&T TrueVoice DSP Analysis
Hold the phone (that is analog phone), something smells rotten in AT&T
(Denmark) with TrueVoice ...
The only way TrueVoice is effective is if the weakest link in the
chain is not an analog phone. Now, considering you performed your
test on the weakest link in the chain, how can your analysis prove
anything !!
According to James Martin in "Data Communication Technology":
"Analog lines are designed to carry specific ranges of
frequencies. The capacity of an analog line is measured by the range
of frequencies that the line is designed to carry. This is called its
bandwidth. For example, a standard telephone line is designed to
carry the range of frequencies required to transmit human speech.
This range is approximately from 300 to 3100 Hertz. Hertz (Hz) is the
term used for "cycles per second," which is the measure of frequency.
"The difference between 3300 Hz and 300 Hz is 2800 Hz, or
approximately 3 kilohertz (kHz), the bandwidth of a normal telephone
line. (The bandwidth of a telephone channel is actually 4 kHz, but
part of that bandwidth is used to provide adequate separation between
the channels when multiple channels share the same transmission
facility.) The bandwidth of an analog channel is always the difference
between the upper and lower limits of the frequencies it is designed
to carry. If a line is designed to carry the frequencies between
80,300 and 83,100 Hz, its bandwidth is still approximately 3 kHz.
THE ADVANTAGES OF DIGITAL TRANSMISSION
"Just as there are modems to convert bit streams to and from
analog signals, there are also devices called 'codecs' (coder/decoder
that generally use PCM (pulse code modulation) to perform the
conversion of a telephone voice signal into a digital bit stream).
Most of the world's telecommunications plant is analog in operation at
present, and much of it will remain so for years to come because of
the billions of dollars tied up in such equipment."
------------------------------
From: slc1!vk2bea!michael@uunet.UU.NET (Michael G. Katzmann)
Subject: Re: TrueVoice Cumulative Distortion?
Date: 05 Sep 93 12:20:52 GMT
Reply-To: slc1!vk2bea!michael@uunet.UU.NET (Michael G. Katzmann)
Organization: Broadcast Sports Technology, Crofton, Maryland.
In article <telecom13.613.5@eecs.nwu.edu> goldstein@carafe.tay2.dec.
com (Fred R. Goldstein) writes:
> Al Varney complains that our anti-distortion position is a form of
> luddism, as if we preferred tube amps to more modern transistors or
> something. In fact, tube amps sell at a premium nowadays because they
> have lower distortion than cheap transistor amps, but that's
> irrelevant. The goal of a transmission system -- hey AT&T
Tube amps are more expensive because the componentry is more
expensive, fewer of them are made, and the modern automatic insertion
equipment can't handle valves (so part of them must be made by hand).
A transistor (or MOSFET) amp of similar quality is MUCH cheaper.
SOME people pay a premium for tube amps because they THINK it has
lower distortion. (now where did I put that Monster cable....)
Michael Katzmann Broadcast Sports Technology Inc.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Crofton, Maryland. U.S.A
NV3Z / VK2BEA / G4NYV michael@vk2bea.UUCP
------------------------------
From: tconboy@uswnvg.com (Terry A. Conboy)
Subject: Re: TrueVoice (tm) - The True Story
Date: 05 Sep 93 09:26:26 GMT
Organization: U S WEST NewVector Group, Inc.
The issue of 60 Hz and it's harmonics is a major headache, especially
in rural areas. I worked for a power company and was tasked with
"inductive coordination" with the telcos. There were instances where
telephone cable plant ran parallel to 13 kV feeders for miles.
Whether it is overhead or underground, it is very easy to get 100 V of
60 Hz AC on the pairs. Even though the pairs in a well maintained
cable are well balanced, with typically 60 dB of attenuation of common
mode signals, there can be about 0.1 volt of differential 60 Hz across
the telephone.
With the attenuation of the 60 Hz by the phone, this usually isn't a
problem. The big mess comes from the 540 Hz 9-harmonic. Murphy does
a fantastic job of causing the power factor/voltage correction
capacitors on the power line to resonate near this frequency. Since
this is well within the desired audio response of the phone, you can
imagine how pleasing this must be! One telephone engineer I worked
with said the "city folks" moving to the "country" were driving him
nuts ... they expected it to be as good as the service they left in
the city ... the REAL country people had learned to accept the "whine"
as part of the territory!
The use of subscriber carrier equipment, either digital or FDM analog
largely eliminates the problem. Maybe someday we can have "HIFI"
phones.
Terry Conboy email: tconboy@uswnvg.com
U S WEST NewVector Group packet: n6ry@n7ipb.wa.usa
3350 - 161st Ave SE, MS 571 office: (206) 450-8388
Bellevue, WA 98008 fax: (206) 450-8399
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V13 #624
******************************
From telecom Sun Sep 5 14:08:26 1993
Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA00855
(5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecom@eecs.nwu.edu); Sun, 5 Sep 1993 14:08:26 -0500
Date: Sun, 5 Sep 1993 14:08:26 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom>
Message-Id: <199309051908.AA00855@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #625
Status: RO
TELECOM Digest Sun, 5 Sep 93 14:08:20 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 625
Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson
Re: Annoying Call Won't Stop -- Please Help! (David Josephson)
Re: Annoying Call Won't Stop -- Please Help! (Carl Oppedahl)
Re: Annoying Call Won't Stop -- Please Help! (Frederick Roeber)
Re: Annoying Call Won't Stop -- Please Help! (Gary Breuckman)
Re: Annoying Call Won't Stop -- Please Help! (Brian D. McMahon)
Re: Annoying Call Won't Stop -- Please Help! (Craig Ibbotson)
Re: Annoying Call Won't Stop -- Please Help! (Steve Forrette)
Re: Annoying Call Won't Stop -- Please Help! (Charlie Mingo)
Re: Annoying Call Won't Stop -- Please Help! (Brian Crowley)
Re: PEI Phones (Charlie Mingo)
AT&T TrueVoice Deployment (Les Reeves)
Comparison of Salaries in Telecom Industry (John J. Butz)
----------------------
TELECOM Digest is an e-journal devoted mostly -- but not exclusively --
to discussions on voice telephony. The Digest is a not-for-profit
public service published frequently by Patrick Townson Associates. PTA
markets a no-surcharge telephone calling card and a no monthly fee 800
service. In addition, we are resellers of AT&T's Software Defined
Network. For a detailed discussion of our services, write and ask for
the file 'products'.
The Digest is delivered at no charge by email to qualified subscribers on
any electronic mail service connected to the Internet. To join the mail-
ing list, write and tell us how you qualify: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu.
All article submissions MUST be sent to our email address: telecom@eecs.
nwu.edu -- NOT as replies to comp.dcom.telecom.
Back issues and numerous other telephone-related files of interest are
available from the Telecom Archives, using anonymous ftp lcs.mit.edu.
Login anonymous, then 'cd telecom-archives'. At the present time, the
Digest is also ported to Usenet at the request of many readers there,
where it is known as 'comp.dcom.telecom'. Use of the Digest does not
require the use of our products and services. The two are separate.
All articles are the responsibility of the individual authors. Organi-
zations listed, if any, are for identification purposes only. The
Digest is compilation-copyrighted, 1993. **DO NOT** cross-post articles
between the Digest and other Usenet or alt newsgroups. Do not compile
mailing lists from the net-addresses appearing herein. Send tithes and
love offerings to PO Box 1570, Chicago, IL 60690. :) Phone: 312-465-2700.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: davidj@rahul.net (David Josephson)
Subject: Re: Annoying Call Won't Stop -- Please Help!
Organization: a2i network
Date: Sun, 5 Sep 1993 06:38:46 GMT
Pat's comment is right, it is almost certainly a fax machine trying to
congress with another. The only solution I found when this same thing
happened to me was to call-forward that line to my fax machine, and
within a few minutes it came through and I was able to call a very
harried and upset secretary who was trying to reach a fax machine in
another prefix.
David Josephson <david@josephson.com>
------------------------------
From: oppedahl@panix.com (Carl Oppedahl)
Subject: Re: Annoying Call Won't Stop -- Please Help!
Date: 5 Sep 1993 02:42:17 -0400
Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC
In <telecom13.618.1@eecs.nwu.edu> Tara D. Mahon <tara@insight-corp.
com> writes:
> A funny thing happened to me last night ... (and I'm trying to keep
> a good humor about this) :-D
> At 4:30am our phone rang. Now, this always makes me nervous,
> especially since my brother is in Saudi Arabia, working for the
> military. A middle-of-the-night phone call can bring hectic news. I
> pick up and hear only a constant beeping, slow and steady:
[lots stuff omitted, followed by 'how can I make it stop?']
Silly rabbit. Just hook up a fax machine and see what they are
sending. Probably you will be able to read it and figure out who it
is.
And maybe you will receive interesting information.
Carl Oppedahl AA2KW (patent lawyer)
1992 Commerce Street #309
Yorktown Heights, NY 10598-4412
voice 212-777-1330
[Moderator's Note: But you will note Tara said she did not think it
was a fax machine. Your solution would work (a) if it was, and (b)
if she had a fax machine handy. A lot of folks don't. PAT]
------------------------------
From: roeber@vxcrna.cern.ch (Frederick Roeber)
Subject: Re: Annoying Call Won't Stop -- Please Help!
Reply-To: roeber@cern.ch
Organization: CERN -- European Organization for Nuclear Research
Date: Sun, 5 Sep 1993 08:35:18 GMT
In article <telecom13.618.1@eecs.nwu.edu>, Tara D. Mahon <tara@insight-
corp.com> writes:
> A funny thing happened to me last night ... [persistant fax machine]
> [Moderator's Note: [complain to telco, file a complaint w/ police, etc.]
Why not just borrow a fax machine, receive the incoming fax, and see
if it has any cover sheet, status line, or other identifying
information? Call them up, and tell them of the error. Sure it's
annoying, but it's probably just a simple mistake; the last thing they
need is the cops chasing after them, and the last thing the cops need
is to track down the fax bandits.
<a href="http://info.cern.ch/roeber/fgmr.html">
<address>Frederick</address></a>
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 5 Sep 93 07:34:20 -0700
From: puma@netcom.com (Gary Breuckman)
Subject: Re: Annoying Call Won't Stop -- Please Help!
Those beeps definitely sound like a fax machine. If they don't stop,
you might want to consider finding a fax machine you can forward your
calls to (if you have callforwarding) or can borrow, or a computer
with a fax modem you can use ... that will let you receive the fax
they are trying to send. This would probably be an easier way to
determine who is calling than using calltrace or filing a complaint.
I've already received 'wrong number' fax calls on my fax line, got an
interesting (ok, not so interesting...) confidential bond summary from
some broker ...
At work we had a wrong fax number call to someone's voice line because
the sender forgot to prefix the number with '9'; he wanted to send it
to 9-1-410-xxx-xxxx and ended up at extension 1410. After a half hour
of this we forwarded it to a fax number and got someone's income
statement for a loan <sigh>. Folks really should be more careful with
stuff like that.
puma@netcom.com
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 05 Sep 1993 11:35:10 -0500 (cdt)
From: Brian D McMahon <MCMAHON@AC.GRIN.EDU>
Subject: Re: Annoying Call Won't Stop -- Please Help!
Our Fearless Moderator writes:
> let's hope it was only a single (manually) misdialed attempt, and that
> they don't have your number in the autodial directory to be called
Reminds me of a horror story from a DECUS LUG meeting a while ago. My
memory's slightly faded on this, but apparently this one site had
received a FAX machine from an overseas installation. Now, the thing
was apparently set up to dial an international call via an office PBX,
and through some unfortunate combination of local dialing conventions,
the first three digits it autodialed were nine, one, and one. Worked
fine at the old site, but when they plugged it in and tested it on a
U.S. POTS line ...
By the time they found the problem (after SEVERAL tests), the
dispatcher at the sheriff's department was getting quite upset with
them. All they saw was a 911 call from a certain building, and some
strange tones on the line. They were about to send out a patrol car
and bill the institution.
Moral: Be very careful when testing autodialing devices. 8-)
Brian McMahon <MCMAHON@GRIN1.BITNET> <MCMAHON@AC.GRIN.EDU>
Postmaster / Acad. Software Support Grinnell College Computer Services
Grinnell, Iowa 50112 USA Voice: +1 515 269 4901 Fax: +1 515 269 4936
[Moderator's Note: I cannot imagine why anyone would plug in a device
with autodialing on it without completely flushing out the memory. PAT]
------------------------------
From: ibbotson@rtsg.mot.com (Craig Ibbotson)
Subject: Re: Annoying Call Won't Stop -- Please Help!
Organization: Motorola Inc., Cellular Infrastructure Group
Date: Sun, 5 Sep 1993 16:36:43 GMT
In article <telecom13.618.1@eecs.nwu.edu> Tara D. Mahon <tara@insight-
corp.com> writes:
> A funny thing happened to me last night ... (and I'm trying to keep
> a good humor about this) :-D
[description of many annoying phone calls deleted]
> [Moderator's Note: Dear Sleepless: The mystery caller is probably a
> fax machine...
I had the same problem -- three beeps. I surmised it was a fax
machine, but I had no way of telling the folks at the other end that I
was not a fax! I tried disconnecting my phone for a couple of days,
thinking they would realize there was a problem and investigate. As
soon as I reconnected, the fax was back.
What I eventually ended up doing was using call forwarding to forward
my line to a fax machine. Sure enough, within an hour or so of doing
this, the fax started spitting out, boldly proclaiming the company
which had been so unrelentless in its attempts to fax to my number. I
called back the name and number on the cover page, and got the
secretary who was trying to fax an order for some computer equipment;
when I told her I was at the number she had been trying to fax, she
said "what the heck is going on over there? Do you realize I've been
trying to fax to you for almost four days?!!". I assured that I was
aware of each and every call, and informed her that she had the wrong
number. Once I explained the situation, she was very apologetic; it
had never occurred to her that the number was wrong; she assumed it
was a "computer problem".
If you have a fax machine at work, perhaps you can forward you calls
to your work fax machine. It will definitely be annoying for any
person trying to contact you, but you should catch your culprit in
short order. If you don't have call forwarding, perhaps Bell will
waive the service charge associated with adding a feature due to your
circumstances. The feature itself shouldn't cost more than $2 or so
per month.
Craig Ibbotson, Motorola Inc. ...uunet!motcid!ibbotsonc
Cellular Products Division / General Systems Sector
------------------------------
From: stevef@wrq.com (Steve Forrette)
Subject: Re: Annoying Call Won't Stop -- Please Help!
Date: 5 Sep 1993 11:11:40 GMT
Organization: Walker Richer & Quinn, Inc.
Reply-To: stevef@wrq.com (Steve Forrette)
> Moderator's Note: Dear Sleepless: The mystery caller is probably a
> fax machine. When a fax machine *answers* the line it does make the
> shrill noise you describe, but when it *originates* a call it sits
> there more or less quietly (those beeps are possible) waiting for the
> responding fax machine to give out the shrill noises; then it starts
> the same.
The Moderator is probably correct. I think the fastest and easiest
way to resolve the problem if it persists is to borrow or rent a fax
machine, and hook it up to your line at night. When the fax machine
calls again, it will deliver the fax, and there will probably be an
indication as to who the sender is. IMHO, the best thing to do is to
call them or fax them *politely*, explain the situation, and ask them
to correct it. After all, it is probably just someone's typing or
keying error that caused your number to be entered - there's no reason
to get too upset for an honest mistake.
If they are reasonable, they will correct the error. If they don't,
then it's time to get your message across more forcefully. You could
do it the direct way by faxing them back a couple dozen times whatever
they send you, or you could do it the right way, and file a complaint
with the telco annoyance call bureau, this time armed with the
identity of the caller and the fact that you politely asked them to
stop, which they igored. I'm sure that either way will solve your
problem.
Especially if the call is long distance, trying to get the telco to
coordinate with the long distance carrier and distant telco to trace
it will take more of your time than it's worth. Just put a fax
machine on the line and go from there.
Steve Forrette, stevef@wrq.com
------------------------------
From: charlie.mingo@his.com (Charlie Mingo)
Reply-To: charlie.mingo@his.com
Date: Sun, 05 Sep 1993 18:48:22
Subject: Re: Annoying Call Won't Stop -- Please Help!
If you don't want the long rigeramole of launching a trace on your
calls and then filing a police complaint, a much quicker solution is
simply to install a fax machine on your line, and when you next
receive one of those annoying phone calls, press the receive button,
and accept the fax.
In most cases, the cover sheet of the fax will indicate who sent it,
and you can then call them back manually and tell them to cut it out.
If there is no cover sheet, there may be some information in the fax
itself that lets you identify the sender or the intended receiver.
At the very least, accepting the fax will make the sending fax machine
think it has done its duty, and it will stop pestering you (until the
next time ...).
Regards.
[Moderator's Note: Again the assumption here seems to be that most
people have a fax machine sitting around (or one they control which
they can forward to) which can be put into service for the investiga-
tion. I don't think that is true. There are far more telephone numbers
to be dialed in error than there are fax machines and modems. We here
are probably sophisticated enough to use this approach, but what about
most people when they encounter it and run into a stonewalling telco
like Tara did? PAT]
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 5 Sep 93 07:36:42 PDT
From: brian@amc.com (Brian Crowley)
Subject: Re: Annoying Call Won't Stop -- Please Help!
> [Moderator's Note: Dear Sleepless: The mystery caller is probably a
> fax machine. When a fax machine *answers* the line it does make the
[STUFF DELETED]
> Telco is obligated to provide you with peaceful uninteruppted use of
> your line. See if the problem goes away by the time you read this. If
> not, regardless of *57 as a 'service' offered by your telco, they can
> catch the offender. It is not worth your trouble unless the calls
> persist daily/nightly without ceasing. Telco can put a trap on your
> line. This means they will note every call to your line, and where it
> came from. You respond with a list of times the offensive calls were
> received. They match your list of times with their list of calls. They
> and other telcos/carriers involved will backtrack to the source. When
> the source is clearly identified, telco *will not tell you who it is*.
> They will notify you they have identified the caller. If you agree in
> writing to prosecute the offender and file a police complaint, telco
> will release the information to the police. Telco will not get in the
> loop, or the middle of the whole thing. They will merely provide expert
> witness to prosecutors. Telco won't tell you who was calling (until
> after police tell you) because they would be violating the privacy
> rights of the caller. Good luck; let us know if the calls stop. PAT]
It's not always so easy, Pat. Let me relate to the Digest my
experiences with the telco (in this case, GTE) and harassing calls.
Several years ago, my wife and I began receiving hang-up calls, about
fifteen to twenty a day. We suspected that these calls were
originating from the current girlfriend of my wife's ex-husband (which
is another long story I won't attempt here). We soon tired of putting
up with these calls and after a couple of days called GTE Northwest to
ask for help.
GTE told us that there was nothing they could do without an official
request from the King County police.
To say that the King County police were less than cooperative was an
understatement. To say that they were not interested in helping us is
closer to the truth. The detective that I spoke to basically said
"these calls are usually kids playing around, and once we find out who
they are nobody wants to press charges". We told the detective of our
suspicions as to the source of the calls, pointed out to him that the
calls were happening day as well as during the night (this was during
the school year when kids are supposed to be in school), and tried to
assure him that we were serious about finding the harasser, and would
be willing to file a complaint. The detective remained unconvinced,
and I had to resort to outright *badgering*, before he agreed to
contact GTE.
By this time, the hang-up call volume had gone down to five or ten
calls a day. As Pat described, GTE had us make a list, recording the
time of each hang-up call. Every other day, we called a number at
GTE, gave them our case number and the contents of our list for the
previous two days. This continued for about a week, then GTE informed
us that it was no longer necessary to call. The GTE representative
would not tell us the results of the trap, but instead directed us to
call back to the King County police. I immediately called the
detective who told us: "GTE has traced the calls to an exchange in
Redmond, but are unable to go any further than that". Now, I know
that's a load of baloney, but no arguments from my side could get the
detective off his *ss and keep GTE moving on the case. He simply was
not very interested.
In desperation, I changed the message on my answering machine to say:
"Hi, you have reached XXX-XXXX, we cannot come to the phone right now,
please leave a message. If this is the party who continues to call
and hangup, you should know that GTE has a trace on our phone line and
we have discovered that you are calling from an exchange in Redmond.
Please keep calling and soon we have your number.". For the past
week, we had been letting the answering machine pick up on all calls
and I hoped whoever was calling would hang on the line long enough to
hear the entire message. A day after I placed this message on the
machine, the calls stopped!
Now I don't know if the calls stopped because of the answering machine
message, or because the harasser just got tired. As I said earlier,
we suspected that the caller was my wife's ex-husband's girlfriend, so
I can only hope that the message was what did the trick.
Anyway, here in GTE-land, trying to find the source of phone
harassment was not as easy (at least not for us) as it sounds.
Brian Crowley DNS: brian@amc.com
Applied Microsystems Corp. UUCP: uunet!amc-gw!brian
Redmond, WA ATT: 206-882-2000 Ext. 328
[Moderator's Note: Not every telco employee you speak to or police
officer is trained/willing/enthusiastic about dealing with these
cases. To the credit of the Chicago Police Department, there are a
couple of detectives specifically trained in phone harassment cases
who work with Illinois Bell (ooops, I mean Ameritech) on stuff like
this, along with toll-fraud cases. Those officers *know* how the
system works, where to look, etc. Most officers are not trained to
do this. Admittedly, it also helps if you are *somebody* (as opposed
to a *nobody*) in getting action, although this should not have any
bearing in the matter. I am reminded of quite a few years ago when
obscene and threatening calls intended for Queen Elizabeth were arr-
iving several times daily at Buckingham Palace where they were int-
ercepted by staff members. At first it was jolly-good fun getting a
laugh at the expense of the poor sick creature making the calls, but
when the 'joke' was no longer funny, members of the Queen's security
staff asked British Tel to intervene.
After a couple days of looking into the matter, BT found that the
calls were coming from across the pond here in the USA, where AT&T
was serving up the garbage to them. BT asked AT&T to attend to it
and a week or so of coordinated investigation revealed the calls were
coming from Chicago, at the big AT&T toll switcher on Canal Street.
Who were they getting the calls from? The Illinois Bell CO known as
Illinois-Dearborn, for the street intersection where the office is
located. A technician there snooped around awhile in response to a
call from AT&T when a call was actually in progress; guess what! He
tracked it back to WHitehall 4-6211, the switchboard number for the
Lawson YMCA. The next day, the switchboard supervisor at Lawson was
served with a search warrent to examine the switchboard's outgoing
toll call records. Finding the room/extension number involved was very
easy and so was the rest. Later that day, a tech from Illinois Bell
installed a tap and recording device on that particular extension,
with the three operators on duty watching curiously.
A word to the wise was sufficient: "You 'girls' keep your traps shut.
Just sit there plugging away. If I catch any of you tipping him off or
even telling the other operators what you saw the technician doing
you'll get fired!" Thus spake the supervisor to the operators. They
had no intention of snitching and losing their jobs. Sure enough, on
the next call, a telco security rep along with a Chicago Police officer
and a Lawson security man let this bird get all wound up and started
then went to his room and arrested him. Some traces can get more
complicated than others; and having someone interested makes a big
difference in how well it proceeds. PAT]
------------------------------
From: charlie.mingo@his.com (Charlie Mingo)
Reply-To: charlie.mingo@his.com
Date: Sun, 05 Sep 1993 11:06:04
Subject: Re: PEI Phones
johnl@ursa-major.spdcc.com (John R. Levine) writes:
> Island Tel is controlled by MT&T, the Nova Scotia phone company,
> which as I recall is partly owned by Bell Canada. So it's not
> surprising that their offerings are similar to those elsewhere
> in Canada.
Bell Canada is limited to a 10% voting interest in MT&T by a NS
provincial statute, passed in 1967 precisely to prevent BC from
controlling MT&T.
Of course, Bell Canada and MT&T are both members of Stentor, the
established long-distance carrier in Canada, so there is a certain
amount of standardization.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 05 Sep 1993 11:52:33 -0400 (EDT)
From: LESREEVES@delphi.com
Subject: AT&T TrueVoice Deployment
AT&T annonuced that it will begin deploying TrueVoice(tm) to it's
network later this month. The first city to "get the treatment" will
be Atlanta, beginning Sept. 23.
------------------------------
From: John.J.Butz@att.com
Date: Sun, 05 Sep 93 09:35:29 EDT
Subject: Re: Comparison of Salaries in Telecom Industry
rlm@helen.surfcty.com (Robert L. McMillin) writes:
> My question is, "Does it really matter?" As the essayist in this
> month's issue of {Harper's} pointed out, the one thing the new global
> economy is *not* producing is jobs. It is always cheaper to move
> high-paying positions overseas, and increasingly, that's where they're
> going. Software? That's moving to India, Singapore, Japan, Ireland,
> Russia, and anywhere else people can find cheap minds (which, by the
> way, are getting cheaper all the time). Hardware? Try Taiwan.
> Now that Mr. Gates has installed his T1 link to India, where do *you*
> think he'll hire programmers? New sign on the door at Microsoft:
> "Americans need not apply."
> [Moderator's Note: Advocates of more or less unlimited immigration
> into the USA frequently say there is no real problem with this as far
> as American unemployment goes, because the 'foreigners' usually are
> willing to take jobs Americans don't want such as working in the
> fields harvesting vegtables and working in canning plants; working on
> the killing floor at Iowa Beef Processors, Inc. (one of McDonald's
> biggest vendor/suppliers), and cleaning out public restrooms in the
> train and bus stations, etc. But as the number of T-1's in service
> increase and the world grows smaller, we find ourselves in an in-
> creasingly competitive world-wide labor force, with the the sort of
> ramifications you mention. Americans are going to find their high-
> priced services are no longer needed in many industries. In fact,
> lots of companies have moved from the USA to other places. PAT]
Doom and gloom posting leaves me depressed and really takes away from
the true spirit of TELECOM Digest. This is supposed to be an
entertaining and informative forum! Come on, people used to say the
same things about automation and the end of the world (or in this case
"the end of work") still hasn't arrived.
Let's cast this situation in a different light. Cheap minds have
expectations in life as well as any American. Don't you think that at
some point the lesser paid minds will want the same standard of living
that their higher paid counterparts have in America or Western Europe
or Japan? There is an equilibrium effect at work here. People who
are not enslaved usually work with the goal of advancing themselves or
their children.
Also, business conditions don't always favor moving jobs overseas.
There are as many Hondas made in this country today as there are in
Japan.
What Americans need to do, is to stay innovative, immaginative, bold,
insightful, and take risks. We need to lead and define markets, not
follow them.
"Bully!" -- T. Roosevelt
J Butz ER700 Sys Eng
jbutz@hogpa.att.com AT&T - CCS
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V13 #625
******************************
From telecom Sun Sep 5 23:50:41 1993
Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA00920
(5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecom@eecs.nwu.edu); Sun, 5 Sep 1993 23:50:41 -0500
Date: Sun, 5 Sep 1993 23:50:41 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom>
Message-Id: <199309060450.AA00920@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #626
Status: RO
TELECOM Digest Sun, 5 Sep 93 23:50:30 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 626
Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson
Re: Telephone Company Test Set Questions (Michael Covington)
Re: Telephone Company Test Set Questions (Pat Turner)
Re: Telephone Company Test Set Questions (Colin Chandler)
Re: Telephone Company Test Set Questions (Carl Moore)
Re: Telix File Transfer Question (Koos van den Hout)
Re: Telix File Transfer Question (Mike Riddle)
Re: 900MHz Cordless Phones (Michael Covington)
Re: 900MHz Cordless Phones (Jim Sisul)
Re: "C&P Telephone" is Being Discontinued (Mike Riddle)
Re: "C&P Telephone" is Being Discontinued (Art Kamlet)
Re: "C&P Telephone" is Being Discontinued (Christopher Davis)
Re: Save the SSC (Dave Niebuhr)
Re: Save the SSC (Ben Burch)
Re: Kill the SSC (was Re: Save the SSC) (David Appell)
Re: Kill the SCC (Joe Johnston)
----------------------
TELECOM Digest is an e-journal devoted mostly -- but not exclusively --
to discussions on voice telephony. The Digest is a not-for-profit
public service published frequently by Patrick Townson Associates. PTA
markets a no-surcharge telephone calling card and a no monthly fee 800
service. In addition, we are resellers of AT&T's Software Defined
Network. For a detailed discussion of our services, write and ask for
the file 'products'.
The Digest is delivered at no charge by email to qualified subscribers on
any electronic mail service connected to the Internet. To join the mail-
ing list, write and tell us how you qualify: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu.
All article submissions MUST be sent to our email address: telecom@eecs.
nwu.edu -- NOT as replies to comp.dcom.telecom.
Back issues and numerous other telephone-related files of interest are
available from the Telecom Archives, using anonymous ftp lcs.mit.edu.
Login anonymous, then 'cd telecom-archives'. At the present time, the
Digest is also ported to Usenet at the request of many readers there,
where it is known as 'comp.dcom.telecom'. Use of the Digest does not
require the use of our products and services. The two are separate.
All articles are the responsibility of the individual authors. Organi-
zations listed, if any, are for identification purposes only. The
Digest is compilation-copyrighted, 1993. **DO NOT** cross-post articles
between the Digest and other Usenet or alt newsgroups. Do not compile
mailing lists from the net-addresses appearing herein. Send tithes and
love offerings to PO Box 1570, Chicago, IL 60690. :) Phone: 312-465-2700.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: mcovingt@aisun3.ai.uga.edu (Michael Covington)
Subject: Re: Telephone Company Test Set Questions
Date: 6 Sep 1993 03:08:34 GMT
Organization: AI Programs, University of Georgia, Athens
In article <telecom13.617.2@eecs.nwu.edu> turner@dixie.com writes:
> Speaking of installers, one told me a while back that a young woman
> had come on to him and wanted his ANAC numbers in exchange for a
> "date". She would sell these to her friends for $5 for entertainment
> or finding out some other girls phone number while at her dorm or
> apartment. He said he declined. Believe it or not ...
> [Moderator's Note: I am not surprised that he declined. Most people
> who work at telcos don't take 'bribes', whatever form they come in. PAT]
Do telcos ever do undercover security checks on their employees? This
sounds like one. (In either sense of "undercover" ...)
Michael A. Covington, Associate Research Scientist
Artificial Intelligence Programs mcovingt@ai.uga.edu
The University of Georgia phone 706 542-0358
Athens, Georgia 30602-7415 U.S.A. amateur radio N4TMI
[Moderator's Note: Yes they do. I do not know with what frequency. PAT]
------------------------------
From: turner@Dixie.Com
Date: Mon, 06 Sep 93 01:04 GMT
From: rsiatl!turner@rsiatl.UUCP
Subject: Re: Telephone Company Test Sets
Reply-To: turner@dixie.com
dave.carpentier@OLN.COM writes:
>> Some have an ASCII terminal built in, in which case the keys include a
>> cursor joystick and buttons for yes and no.
> You really can't leave us hanging on this one, Carl. What would they
> use the terminal for? Accessing assignment records and such? I would
> absolutely _love_ that ability. As a smaller TelCo we don't get fancy
> things like laptops, but this kind of butt-set could be a start.
Most of them access a ticket database. It logs time per job, and
gives them the next ticket. SB still has the craftspeople write out
paper tickets for legal reasons. A few of the more advance systems
incorporate a POTS TIMS into the case so the install can be tested and
the next ticket delievered at the same time.
What data you can get from this depends on the LEC's computer people.
I have only seen them used for dispatching and testing. Several
suppliers were at Supercom demo'ing these terminals. Manufacturers
also advertise in {Outside Plant} frequently. If you will send me a
snail mail address, I'll sent you a list of suppliers, if you are
interested.
> In any case, the new generation butt-sets are certainly much better
> than the old on/off/dial units. For me, the most appreciated feature
> is the automatic high db cutout circuit. I totally lost hearing in one
> ear for about four hours after using one of the old sets on a poor
> connection.
That's one reason the FAA does all of it's testing at -13 dB0 (13 dbm
below the TLP of (usually) 0dbm). For some reason controllers get
upset when somebody blasts 2713 or 1004 at 0dB into their StarSet:-).
AT&T has always used this level on our circuits, and MCI is starting
to come around. It drives the SARTS people and craftspeople who don't
work on our stuff a lot crazy.
Patton Turner KB4GRZ FAA Telecommunications turner@dixie.com
------------------------------
From: orion@crl.com (Colin Chandler)
Subject: Re: Telephone Company Test Set Questions
Date: 6 Sep 1993 00:31:11 GMT
Organization: CRL Internet Dialup Access 415-705-6060 (guest)
> I expect maybe it had a 300-baud modem in it. Of course, nowadays a
> one-chip 2400 baud modem is cheap, too.
Is this like what you are describing? (I ordered one of these today):
(All Electronics, 1-800-826-5432)
AT&T #206A2
AT&T calls these things "Craft Access Terminals," and they were
originally designed to perform several more functions than a standard
line test handset. In addition to the touch-tone keypad, talk/monitor
switch, alligator clip leads, four conductor modular jack and tool
belt clip, these units have a 2.5" X 2" LCD screen and function
button/joystick. Apparently the extra features were for use with a
"Craft Access" computer system. But they also allow the user to
program in phone numbers and adjust the volume to the handset. These
rugged units can be used just like any other line test handset, and we
are selling them for a bargain price. The only possible drawback to
these units is that they contain batteries that require charging.
Brand new, in the box. They include two ni-cad battery packs, a
charger and instructions.
--------------
I hope this is of some help ... I am buying one of these, so when I
get it I'll post about it.
(orion@crl.com)
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 05 Sep 93 22:45:56 EDT
From: Carl Moore <cmoore@BRL.MIL>
Subject: Re: Telephone Company Test Set Questions
Regarding asking for dates: Years ago, I saw a newspaper article
(Wilmington, Del.?) about a man who was working as an operator, and it
said that, like the girls, he does not accept requests for dates,
because he has no way of knowing what he is getting into.
------------------------------
From: koos@kzdoos.hacktic.nl (Koos van den Hout)
Subject: Re: Telix File Transfer Question
Date: Sun, 05 Sep 1993 23:30:00 GMT
Organization: HIN / BBS Koos z'n Doos
djdk@troi.cc.rochester.edu (David Jonathan Dodick) writes:
> I am getting the message "sz: file skipped by receiver" when I try to
> receive files (from an ftp transfer) to my pc using Telix.
The most common reason for this to occur is that the directory in
which the files are to be recieved does not exist. Make sure the
directory given in the telix setup (Alt-O, F)ilenames and paths) does
exist. I see this happen a lot as sysop.
'skipped by reciever' could also mean there is not enough diskspace
available or a file with the same name and date/time already exists.
Grtx.
Koos van den Hout ----------------------------------------------- Sysop --\
Unemployed (!) Computer Expert. BBS Koos z'n Doos (+31-3402-36647)
Inter-: koos@kzdoos.hacktic.nl 300..14400 MNP2-5,10,V42bis)
net : koos@hacktic.nl| PGP key by finger | Fido: Sysop @ 2:500/101.11012
Schurftnet : KILL !!! | koos@hacktic.nl | Give us a call !!
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 05 Sep 93 06:58:16 CST
From: Mike.Riddle@axolotl.omahug.org (Mike Riddle)
Subject: Re: Telix File Transfer Question
Reply-To: mike.riddle%inns@axolotl.omahug.org
Organization: Inns of Court, Papillion, NE
> However, when I tried the [Telix] when accessing a Unix or VAX/VMS
> system, all that went out the window.
> Recently I tried again using DSZ for xfers, and had only partial
> success. So my solution is to use Kermit when accessing my Internet
> account, which is on a Unix box and use Telix for everything else.
I've found that Zmodem, at least the Zmodem in Telix, is quite
susceptible to timing variations. If you're sending from a Unix box,
see if you can find any help or man pages for sz. The implementation
on the host I used to connect with allowed some fine tuning. For me,
the following worked well:
sz -eo -l 1024 -w 2048 file.name
I have it stored in a macro and the man pages are somewhere else, but
those set up handshaking sequences, block sizes, and window sizes.
That setup allowed me to quite reliably use the Telix Zmodem for
receive and actually established a quite respectible throughput.
inns.omahug.org +1 402 593-1192 (1:285/27)
------------------------------
From: mcovingt@aisun3.ai.uga.edu (Michael Covington)
Subject: Re: 900MHz Cordless Phones
Date: 6 Sep 1993 01:01:56 GMT
Organization: AI Programs, University of Georgia, Athens
In article <telecom13.599.1@eecs.nwu.edu> jim@ppg.com (Jim Sisul) writes:
> 1) What is "Spread Spectrum" technology, and how does it work? This
> sounds like channel hopping to me. Does it make scanning impossible,
> or just difficult?
I don't know exactly how they're doing it in cordless phones, but in
general, "spread spectrum" is channel hopping -- over a HUGE number of
channels at a GREAT speed. In essence, it is a form of encryption.
It can be so secure that unless a person is within a few feet of you,
he won't even be able to tell that you are transmitting at all (your
signal will be indistinguishable from random noise).
The obvious way to "scan" a spread-spectrum signal -- in fact the only
way -- is to know the hopping algorithm, which is typically a
pseudo-random bit sequence.
And there's the rub. No matter how exotic the algorithm, if there are
lots of cheap cordless phones that differ only by a small parameter,
people will crack them. Given exact knowledge of one, and the
knowledge that others are closely similar, you can try to guess
others, and sometimes succeed.
Michael A. Covington, Associate Research Scientist
Artificial Intelligence Programs mcovingt@ai.uga.edu
The University of Georgia phone 706 542-0358
Athens, Georgia 30602-7415 U.S.A. amateur radio N4TMI
------------------------------
From: jim@ppg.com (Jim Sisul)
Subject: Re: 900MHz Cordless Phones
Date: 5 Sep 1993 01:32:40 -0500
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway
An update:
On 23 August, I posted a few questions about "secure" 900MHz cordless
phones to comp.dcom.telecom/TELECOM Digest 13.599. I have received
tremendously helpful responses, and have contacted the major vendors
for product literature. Thanks for all your replies.
I have also received a number of requests to e-mail my findings to
individuals. Since there are too many of these to handle, I thought
I'd let everyone know that as soon as the brouchures arrive via
snail-mail, I'll post a summary/comparison chart here as a "thank you"
to all who responded, and to help all those who asked for any info I
got.
If anyone sees my original post and has any more info, feel free to
e-mail it to me so I can include it in my summary. I still have to
wait for the product info from the manufacturers, so there's plenty of
time.
Thanks,
Jim Sisul (sisul@bmskc.PPG.COM)
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 05 Sep 93 05:07:06 CST
From: Mike.Riddle@axolotl.omahug.org (Mike Riddle)
Subject: "C&P Telephone" is Being Discontinued
Reply-To: mike.riddle%inns@axolotl.omahug.org
Organization: Inns of Court, Papillion, NE
> [Moderator's Note: Illinois Bell is also gone. As of a couple weeks
> ago the company was renamed "Ameritech", as is the parent company of
> several phone companies in this area. I think it is funny how all
> these independent companies manage to think of the same changes in
> service and corporate structure all at the same time. PAT]
It wouldn't have anything to do with recent judicial and legislative
changes that drastically alter the playing field, now would it,
Patrick? Or is it easier to belive in the Conspiracy Theory of
Post-Disvestiture RBOC Management?
<<<< insert standard disclaimer here >>>>
mike.riddle@rlaw.omahug.org Riddle Law Office
+1 402 331-6249 (Data/Fax)
Sysop of 1:285/28@Fidonet V.32bis/V.42bis/Gp III V.17
inns.omahug.org +1 402 593-1192 (1:285/27)
[Moderator's Note: I'd say it could be any number of things. Is it
just me, or is this whole industry getting harder and harder to keep
up with? PAT]
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 5 Sep 93 16:26:22 EDT
From: ask@cblph.att.com
Subject: Re: "C&P Telephone" is Being Discontinued
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Columbus, Ohio
In article <telecom13.622.4@eecs.nwu.edu> 0005066432@MCIMAIL.COM writes:
> The "Bell Atlantic" company was created because of Judge Greene.
Judge Green accepted a reorganziation plan which created seven RBOCs.
The names were created by the RBOCs themselves. Instead of Bell
Atlantic, they could have called themselves C&P Company or USEast or
anything else.
> [Moderator's Note: Illinois Bell is also gone. As of a couple weeks
> ago the company was renamed "Ameritech", as is the parent company of
> several phone companies in this area. I think it is funny how all
> these independent companies manage to think of the same changes in
> service and corporate structure all at the same time. PAT]
PAT: Not all at the same time. USWest eliminated its telephone
company names over two years ago. Pacific Telesis announced it is
spinning off its telephone company operations.
Art Kamlet a_s_kamlet@att.com AT&T Bell Laboratories, Columbus
------------------------------
From: ckd@eff.org (Christopher Davis)
Subject: Re: "C&P Telephone" is Being Discontinued
Date: 6 Sep 1993 01:21:55 GMT
Organization: Electronic Frontier Foundation Tech Central
TELECOM Moderator <telecom@eecs.nwu.edu> noted:
> [Moderator's Note: Illinois Bell is also gone. As of a couple weeks
> ago the company was renamed "Ameritech", as is the parent company of
> several phone companies in this area. I think it is funny how all
> these independent companies manage to think of the same changes in
> service and corporate structure all at the same time. PAT]
Not hardly "all at the same time". US West, not known for leading the
RBOCs in innovations (though at least in Washington, they don't charge
for Touch-Tone any more...), changed their operating name from Pacific
Northwest Bell to USWest Communications.
This was several years ago ...
Christopher Davis <ckd@kei.com> <ckd@eff.org>
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 05 Sep 93 07:51:39 EDT
From: dwn@dwn.ccd.bnl.gov (Dave Niebuhr)
Subject: Re: Save the SSC
> In TELECOM Digest V13 Issue 615 jpettitt@well.sf.ca.us (John
Pettitt) writes:
> In <telecom13.613.2@eecs.nwu.edu> ssc1@cse.uta.edu (Super Conductor
> Super Collider 1) writes:
>> At a time when such projects like the Helium Fund ...
> Big science has a lot of justifying to do. Between the SCC, Mars
> observer and others a very large amount of small science or basic
> education could have been funded. Or better still the money could
> have been left in the private sector to help the economy.
> Please somebody point out one direct positive result of non-war driven
> big science projects. Didn't think you could do it.
Two come readily to mind: L-Dopamine, developed by the late Dr. George
Costas at Brookhaven National Laboratory in the 1970s. L-Dopa is used
to treat the unfortunate victims of Hodgkins disease. That was big
science and not war related.
The second was a test developed by another medical scientist, Dr.
Lucian Wielopolski, that measures the lead level in the blood
non-invasively.
Another was the development of "hopping genes" in the 40s or 50s by
Dr. Barbara McClintock, a Nobel Prize winner in Biology. This
discovery is the basis of all genetic research done today, including
the human genome project.
A fourth was the Radon detectors now being sold across the US and
possibly around the world. The developer was Dr. John Dietz of BNL.
There are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of non-war driven big
science projects that have benefitted human kind.
Need I remind you of Drs. Sabin and Salk? They are the reason that
there is an almost zero chance on anyone contacting Polio, the scourge
of the 50s.
I could go on, the list is endless. Pick a major childhood illness,
chances are that someone has discovered either the cure or the prevention.
Dave Niebuhr Internet: niebuhr@bnl.gov / Bitnet: niebuhr@bnl
Brookhaven National Laboratory Upton, LI, NY 11973 (516)-282-3093
Senior Technical Specialist: Scientific Computer Facility
BTW: BNL has lost funding because of the SSC. Am I against it? Better
than 50 percent, but some spin-off money is coming here.
[Moderator's Note: Thank you for that good listing in rebuttal. Many
people are too young to remember anything about Polio. I had a friend
as a child who had it. And who anymore remembers when Tuberculosis was
a horrible scourge? The government had 'sanitariums' for people with TB
(as it was called) where the victims were housed so that they could
not spread it to others. That was in the 1930-50 era also. PAT]
------------------------------
From: Ben Burch <Ben_Burch@msmail.wes.mot.com>
Subject: Re: Save the SSC
Organization: Motorola, Inc. (WDG)
Date: Sun, 05 Sep 1993 15:09:11 GMT
In article <telecom13.617.8@eecs.nwu.edu> John Pettitt, jpettitt@
well.sf.ca.us writes:
> Please somebody point out one direct positive result of non-war driven
> big science projects. Didn't think you could do it.
Well...
* Neutron irradiation cancer therapy
* Metalurgical advances due to superconducting magnet research
* Nuclear Magnetic Resonance medical imaging
* Advances in control theory
All of the above are directly related to particle accelerator
research. There are many other examples.
"I don't speak for Motorola; They don't speak for me."
Ben Burch Motorola Wireless Data Group Ben_Burch@msmail.wes.mot.com
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 05 Sep 93 15:38 GMT
From: David Appell <0005946880@mcimail.com>
Subject: Re: Kill the SSC (was Re: Save the SSC)
In TELECOM DIGEST volume 13, #617, Brad Hicks (mc!Brad_Hicks@mhs.
attmail.com) wrote:
> At a time when the United States' federal government (never mind local
> governments) is having to borrow millions of dollars per second just
> to keep the bills paid, do we really need to spend one trillion
> dollars in order to understand how particles behave under conditions
> that have not existed since the first nanosecond after the Big Bang?
> Even if such a project is worth one trillion dollars, it is not worth
> one trillion borrowed dollars.
If you're going to criticize scientific efforts, at least get your
facts correct:
- the cost of the SSC is about 10^1 B$, not 10^3 B$.
- the particles haven't existed since about 10^-15 seconds (down to
10^-34 seconds) after the Big Bang, not 10^-9 seconds.
In a round-about way, you prove your point: clearly, the money
would be better spent on education.
David Appell dappell@mcimail.com
[Moderator's Note: Har, har, har! Loved it David! Touche, and all
that! PAT]
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 5 Sep 93 09:38:51 -0400
From: johnston@aurme2.aur.alcatel.com (Joe Johnston)
Subject: Re: Kill the SSC
Organization: Alcatel Network Systems, Raleigh NC
I agree with Robert L. McMillin's idea on the need to reduce
subsidies.
I especially think in the area of transportation there are major
subsidies to automobile drivers (land, and air, especially in cities,
being given over to users of private, inefficient vehicles, at the
expense of walkers and bike riders), to airlines, whose federal fees
pay only half the cost to the taxpayers. Subsidies are given to
electric companies, whose liability in case of nuclear accident is
limited to a specific dollar amount, not to speak of government and
citizen expenditures to attempt to dispose of nuclear waste.
These are my opinions, some plagiarized, but I think of it as
research.
Joe Johnston johnston@aurfs1.aur.alcatel.com
[Moderator's Note: Hey, that's what Tom Lerher taught us in the song
about Nicholai Ivanovich Lobochevski: Lerher said, "Plagarize! Let no
one else's work evade your eyes, just plagarize, plagarize, plagarize!
Only please, remember to call it research ..." I wish a happy and
safe Labor Day holiday to all our USA readers. Just think about how
much fun it will be to get back to work Tuesday. :) PAT]
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V13 #626
******************************
From telecom Mon Sep 6 01:11:17 1993
Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA08869
(5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecom@eecs.nwu.edu); Mon, 6 Sep 1993 01:11:17 -0500
Date: Mon, 6 Sep 1993 01:11:17 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom>
Message-Id: <199309060611.AA08869@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #627
Status: RO
TELECOM Digest Mon, 6 Sep 93 01:11:15 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 627
Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson
Re: The Power to Destroy (Gordon Torrie)
Re: The Power to Destroy (Russell Nelson)
Re: The Power to Destroy (Christopher Zguris)
Re: Modem Tax in Canada? (Eric N. Florack)
Taxes on Online Services (was Re: The Power to Destroy) (Nigel Allen)
Re: AT&T TrueVoice Deployment (Monte Freeman)
Re: AT&T TrueVoice Deployment (H. Shrikumar)
Re: 1-206-286-1600 Only via Sprint; Only Problems Ahead (John Slater)
Re: 1-206-286-1600 Only via Sprint; Only Problems Ahead (David W. Barts)
Re: Radio Shack Catalogs (Dave Grabowski)
Re: Radio Shack Catalogs (Michael Covington)
Re: Radio Shack Catalogs (Bob Wier)
Re: Radio Shack Catalogs (Christopher Vaz)
Re: The One True Dialing Plan (William C. DenBesten)
Re: The One True Dialing Plan (Carl Moore)
Re: The One True Dialing Plan (Paul Robinson)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Re: The Power to Destroy
From: gordon@torrie.org (Gordon Torrie)
Date: Mon, 6 Sep 1993 00:03:01 -0400
Organization: Torrie Communications Services
atfurman@cup.portal.com in Vol. 13, Issue 622 writes:
> OK, so what does all this gobbledegook mean? It means simply that
> New York State has decided to trash the information superhighway that
> has been touted as the solution to unemployment and the means by which
> New York could have rebuilt itself.
You exaggerate. It means that New York State has decided to collect
tolls on the information superhighway.
> [Moderator's Note: You'll see more and more of this in other areas
> of the country before long. Even the feds will get in on it.
And in other countries too, no doubt.
This is, after all, the information age and no longer the manufacturing
age. So it should not be surprising that governments are starting to
tax the consumption of information just as they tax the consumption of
manufactured goods.
Gord Torrie
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 05 Sep 1993 23:23:11 EDT
From: Russell Nelson <nelson@crynwr.com>
Organization: Crynwr Software
Subject: Re: The Power to Destroy
On Sat, 4 Sep 93 01:54:55 PDT, atfurman@cup.portal.com wrote:
> STATE OF NEW YORK SLAPS 13 PERCENT SALES TAX ON INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY
Nope.
> It means that BBS's which are already liable for collection of sales
> tax must now go back and collect an additional 5%
Nope.
> It means that a connection to the Internet, a subscription to GEnie,
> Prodigy, or CompuServe just got A LOT more expensive. It means that
> directory assistance calls to look up a phone number will cost more.
> Calls for technical support or 800 or 900 services just got a lot more
> expensive.
Nope. Nope. Nope.
Read the actual text (as opposed to the "Executive" summary). I'll
believe any of the above allegations when someone using a modem is
ordered to pay the extra 5%. Note that I'm not defending the tax, but
it doesn't help the Cause when people criticize taxes erroneously.
> Effective September 1, 1993, there will be an additional state sales
> tax at the rate of 5% added to the existing 4% state sales tax imposed
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> on receipts from the services of furnishing or providing an entertainment
> or information service which is furnished, provided or delivered by
> means of telephony or telegraphy or telephone or telegraph service of
> whatever nature (see section 1105(c)(9) of the Tax Law). The treatment
You'll notice that it only applies to *current* sales taxpayers.
> Information services that are currently subject to tax when furnished
> in written form by printed, mimeographed or multigraphed matter or
> duplicating written or printed matter, such as tapes, disc, electronic
> readouts or displays, continue to be subject to tax at the 4% state
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> tax rate and the applicable local tax (see section 1105(c)(1) of the
> Tax Law). The higher sales tax rate applies to all charges for the
> service by the vendor to the customer which are subject to tax
> pursuant to section 1105(c)(9) of the Tax Law.
You'll notice that it doesn't apply to written matter.
> The increased state tax rate does not apply to any receipts from the
> sale of information services that are not subject to tax under section
> 1105(c)(1) of the Tax Law. These include an information service which
> is personal or individual in nature and is not or may not be
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> substantially incorporated into reports furnished to other persons by
> the person who collected, compiled or analyzed the information.
You'll notice it doesn't include tech support calls, either.
russ <nelson@crynwr.com>
Crynwr Software Crynwr Software sells packet driver support.
11 Grant St. 315-268-1925 Voice | LPF member - ask me about
Potsdam, NY 13676 315-268-9201 FAX | the harm software patents do.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 5 Sep 93 13:08 GMT
From: Christopher Zguris <0004854540@mcimail.com>
Subject: Re: The Power to Destroy
In TELECOM Digest V13 #622 our Moderator notes:
> define themselves as publishers of electronic journals. The reason NY
> is starting this tax is the same reason IL will be starting it soon I
> suspect. Both states have major urban wastelands which are terrible
> drains on their respective state treasuries (New York and Chicago).
> Generally when municipal and state governments get in the dire straits
> both New York (NY) and Chicago (IL) are in, the response of government
> is to become even more repressive tax-wise. For example, our tax base
I'm in New York City. I seem to remember sales (or use or whatever they
call it) tax only recently being applied to my CompuServe charges.
There was a note on the sign-on news message about New York users (or
people with mailing addresses in NY) having to pay a tax. I thought it
was incredible at the time because the news from around the country
(across the world) is New York users get nailed. Not before or since
have I seen that sort of message about any other state etc. anywhere!
I'm in total agreement that this tax is unfair and destructive to the
economy of NY, and agree with the poster of this message about the 13%
tax that NY residents must vote out the current legislators. NY is
interesting in that respect; these taxes (fees, and a dozen other
names for the same thing) always come out as a done deal without any
press, how are laws that affect the citizens kept so secret? In
Washington every little clause seems to be exposed and analyzed to
death.
But Pat, I don't know about the situation in IL, but in New York state
New York City is the financial engine last time I heard. It is a lousy
city to be in from a business standpoint, but it provides a hell of a
lot of revenue for the state (it's never enough of course). New York
state gets into even more trouble because the New York City tacks on
its own taxes in addition to the state. When you add the state and
city taxes together you get these huge taxes (like a hotel occupancy
taxs and parking taxes something like 19-22%). The state shoots
itself in the foot and then the city comes back and lops the rest off
with an axe. I don't know if this sort of tax is the wave of the
future. NYC & NYS goverments are mindless entities with a sincere and
deep-seated contempt for economic development.
Christopher Zguris CZGURIS@MCIMAIL.COM
[Moderator's Note: It is really bad news here. Politicians like Paul
"simple" Simon vote for every new tax that comes along. A lot of real
estate taxpayers here have simply walked off in recent years. We have
many abandoned buildings where the owners walked away -- literally --
rather than fight any longer. I guess by now everyone has heard the
news about our public schools: they won't be open on time for lack of
money. They *may* open in a couple weeks if the state of Illinois
caves in to the Teacher's Union. It is too bad they don't give frequent
flyer points for guilt trips. The Chicago politicians and their fan-
tastic claims would surely win them some bonus award. :) PAT]
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 5 Sep 1993 17:23:55 -0700
From: Eric_N._Florack.cru-mc@xerox.com
Subject: Re: Modem Tax in Canada?
Can anyone in Canada (or anywhere, for that matter) provide some
source matirial on this topic? Since casually mentioning it in my
conference (GT-Net's Eric's Corner, E02-551) I've had several folks
netmail me, telling me they'd been hearing rumblings on this for some
time, now.
So, to quote Clara, where's the beef?
> Can anyone seriously believe that a telco would be so stupid as to
> try to surcharge every line with a fax? It's hard to imagine any
> faster way to get every single one of their business customers mad at
> them and lobbying the CRTC and their legislators to increase
> regulation to prohibit nonsense like that.
A phone company? Perhaps, perhaps not. A government? Without question.
Witness 87-215, and witness what's been going on in Washington since
the election.
> FYI, the 1991 "modem tax" was not a repeat of 1987 despite attempts
> by Compuserve and others to paint it that way. The question was
> whether telcos should be forced to offer new features to data carriers
> at POTS rates, or whether their exemption from paying feature group
> charges only applied to the existing kind of service they had. There
> was no attempt to make data carriers pay IXC rates as there was in
> 1987.
Pretty is as pretty does, as we say. It wasn't a features question, so
much as a basic service question. The LEC's wanted to charge them at
rates even over and above what business users would have paid (though
their public campaigns seemed to avoid the point). In any case;
The end result would have been exactly the same, particularly when
viewed from the end user's persepective.
In #611, tad@ssc.com (Tad Cook) writes:
> What this was really about was the end of the temporary suspension of
> network access charges for data carriers. Long distance carriers pay
> it to the local telcos for terminating their traffic, but the FCC some
> years ago temporarily suspended the same charges for data carriers.
> When they tried to reinstate it so that big data carriers paid similar
> charges to what voice carriers paid, CI$ got the BBS community all
> riled up by calling it a "modem tax."
> It never involved anything like monitoring individual lines.
And, how, pray tell, would they know what was being carried, without
monitoring of said trunks, hmm?
> Sounds like the same rumor mongering we have had here in the USA off
> and on over the past few years.
> But here's a very interesting twist:
> A few weeks ago I got a call from an engineer at New Brunswick
> Telephone Co. in Canada. He was looking for a device that could
> install in the CO to monitor traffic on individual POTS lines, and
> automatically determine if the the line was being used for voice
> instead of fax/data. (Etc)
Some rumor, then!
> Of course, now that I have posted this interesting bit of trivia,
> one of the crowd that loves to revive the modem tax rumor and then
> argue about telco rate of return and the split of charges and cross
> subsidies will take this information and cite it was evidence of some
> major conspiracy to charge modem users more in the future.
You bet your hookswitch!
Why in beep should they be privy to what is being carried on any line
they install, particularly when they would attempt to charge me
differently for said line, and their costs are exactly the same? Just
give me the dial-up access and let /ME/ worry about what I chose to
place on that line ... provided it falls within the electrical params
set by the PSC.
/E
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 5 Sep 93 19:40:12 EDT
From: ae446@freenet.carleton.ca (Nigel Allen)
Subject: Taxes on Online Services (was Re: The Power to Destroy)
Organization: Echo Beach
Reply-To: ae446@freenet.carleton.ca
In Canada, online information services are subject to the federal
Goods and Services Tax (GST) and in some provinces to provincial sales
tax as well.
I realize that sales taxes are regressive, but since movies and
records are taxed, it isn't clear that other forms of entertainment
should be tax-exempt. (Books are another matter, though. In Canada,
there was considerable indignation from people who enjoyed reading
books when the federal government decided to impose the GST on books.
I rather like the slogan "Don't Tax Reading", but I think most online
users are more interested in looking at pictures or hearing themselves
talk than they are in reading what other people have to say.
Taxes are good for you. They're the price we pay for civilization.
Nigel Allen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada ae446@freenet.carleton.ca
[Moderator's Note: Yes Sir, Mister Senator! I might *partly* agree
with you if there were such a thing as civilization in the USA these
days. But that's the fraud being pulled on us. We pay and pay and pay
and it all goes into a bottomless pit, a Florida sinkhole. PAT]
------------------------------
From: ccoprfm@prism.gatech.edu (Monte Freeman)
Subject: Re: AT&T TrueVoice Deployment
Date: 5 Sep 93 19:37:58 GMT
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology
In article <telecom13.625.11@eecs.nwu.edu> LESREEVES@delphi.com writes:
> AT&T annonuced that it will begin deploying TrueVoice(tm) to it's
> network later this month. The first city to "get the treatment" will
> be Atlanta, beginning Sept. 23.
Oh boy, as an Atlanta resident and an AT&T customer; I can hardly
wait. I wonder if we will *really* be able to tell a difference ... :-|
Monte Freeman -- Operations Department / Information Technology
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta Georgia, 30332
Internet: ccoprfm@prism.gatech.edu Bitnet: ccoprfm@gitvm1.bitnet
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 5 Sep 93 22:08:32 -0400
From: shri@freal.cs.umass.edu
Subject: Re: AT&T TrueVoice Deployment
Organization: UMass, Amherst MA + Temporal Sys & Computer Networks Bombay India
In article <telecom13.625.11@eecs.nwu.edu> LESREEVES@delphi.com ...
> AT&T annonuced that it will begin deploying TrueVoice(tm) to it's
> network later this month. The first city to "get the treatment" will
> be Atlanta, beginning Sept. 23.
Hmmm ... will wait for reports from folks there.
I wonder, if TruVoice is indeed a lot of filtering and notching as
the other report found out, if it is all implemented as DSP out of
stolen cycles in the tandem switches, or as new boards added into some
line or mpx equipement somewhere ... or (kidding :-) its all analog
electrics, racks and racks of Ls and Cs in a big basement ?
I wish that at least some reports on this list were from people
really in the know about TruVoice ... (like, its really nice when
someone from the HP Corvallis team comes on the c.s.palmtops list to
say ... no you cannot do this in the Appt. Book because I did not code
it to do that.)
BTW, this list is indeed very interesting and educating. But it
always seemed to me like a lot of computer people who are shut out of
the telecom world, and are doing our best at backward learning :-)
Of course, I realise, in the case of TruVoice, ATT would not be very
eager to reveal to all its Coke-formula. Still I wish ...
[Moderator's Note: Thanks for the compliment. I hope this Digest remains
interesting and educating. That's my goal for this journal. PAT]
------------------------------
From: johns@scroff.UK (John Slater)
Subject: Re: 1-206-286-1600 Only via Sprint; Only Problems Ahead
Date: 6 Sep 1993 02:40:36 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems (UK)
Reply-To: johns@scroff.UK
In article 4@eecs.nwu.edu, Liron Lightwood <liron@zikzak.apana.org.au> writes:
> The above number was mentioned in a previous article in this group,
> as a number that can only be dialed using Sprint.
> [Moderator's Note: I just now tried it over AT&T from here and got
> the message 'AT&T has routed this call incorrectly, please hang up and
> dial 10333-1-206-286-1600'.
I just tried it by direct dialing from the UK and got the same
message. It beats me how they expect me to dial "10333" on an call
from overseas. My understanding is that inbound international calls
to the USA are distributed among LD carriers in the same proportion as
outbound international calls are made, so if I tried repeatedly I
would eventually get a Sprint connection and get through.
(I guess I would have got the same response via Telepassport as its
traffic is all carried by AT&T).
John Slater
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 5 Sep 1993 22:04:53 -0700
From: David W. Barts <davidb@nero.ce.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: 1-206-286-1600 Only via Sprint; Only Problems Ahead
Liron Lightwood <liron@zikzak.apana.org.au> writes:
> The above number was mentioned in a previous article in this group,
> as a number that can only be dialed using Sprint.
> Well, I dialed the number from Australia, and got the "AT&T Does not
> accept this call ..." recording. Very interesting. Does this mean
> But that's not all folks! For did you know that I was charged for the
> call! Yes, charged! Does this mean that even callers in the US will
> be charged for calls to that number even though they get the "AT&T
> does not accept ... " recording?
Since this number is a local call for me, I just tried placing a call
to it via US West. It connected and answered; I was greeted with a
login message from cyberspace.com.
So there's at least *one* way to call it without routing one's call
via Sprint.
David Barts N5JRN UW Civil Engineering, FX-10
davidb@ce.washington.edu Seattle, WA 98195
[Moderator's Note: That's interesting. Usually the locals are cut off
as well simply because they did not come in on the proper carrier. PAT]
------------------------------
From: dcg5662@hertz.njit.edu (Dave Grabowski)
Subject: Re: Radio Shack Catalogs
Organization: New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey
Date: Mon, 6 Sep 1993 02:59:35 GMT
In article <telecom13.618.15@eecs.nwu.edu>,
Joe Bergstein <Joe.Bergstein@p501.f544.n109.z1.fidonet.org> wrote:
> Yup! I just stopped in to Radio Shack yesterday looking for the
> device which goes on a phone line, and stops an (older) answering
> machine when someone picks up the phone. I looked around and couldn't
> find them so I asked for a catalog. It wasn't in the catalog either.
> I started out the door with the catalog in my hand, and was stopped by
> the manager who told me that the catalogs now cost $2.95 which is
> refunded on your first purchase.
> BTW, any idea where I can buy the device described above?
Try Marlin P. Jones & Associates at (407)/848-8236. Part # 4227-TT.
Costs $5.60 plus S/H. They've got TONS of other hardware goodies, too.
Surplus stuff as well. Good prices. (I am in no way affiliated with
MPJA, except that I'm a satisfied customer).
BTW -- About the Radio Shack catalog: There's not only a $3 coupon,
but a $5 coupon too! (The $5 is good for any single item of $15 or
more). The salesperson let me use the $3 coupon when I bought the
catalog, except that she had to ring up two separate tickets. No
biggie. There's also a 10% off coupon for any "NEW" item in the
catalog, and a 10% off coupon for TSP (Tandy Service Plan). (No, I'm
not affiliated with Sh*t Shack, either. I could tell you horror
stories about the salesman who called the police because I was
"stealing" a pack of 79 cent fuses. After I had paid for them. *sigh*)
Dave dcg5662@hertz.njit.edn 70721.2222@compuserve.com
------------------------------
From: mcovingt@aisun3.ai.uga.edu (Michael Covington)
Subject: Re: Radio Shack Catalogs
Date: 6 Sep 1993 03:14:11 GMT
Organization: AI Programs, University of Georgia, Athens
NEWS FLASH - They are giving catalogs away free to regular customers
via a coupon that comes in the mail. Catalogs only cost $2.95 if you
are not on the mailing list, apparently.
Michael A. Covington, Associate Research Scientist
Artificial Intelligence Programs mcovingt@ai.uga.edu
The University of Georgia phone 706 542-0358
Athens, Georgia 30602-7415 U.S.A. amateur radio N4TMI
[Moderator's Note: Now you see? There is a good reason you privacy
nuts who resist giving your name and phone number for the Radio Shack
receipts should start doing so without fussing so much. :) PAT]
------------------------------
From: wier@merlin.etsu.edu (Bob Wier)
Subject: Re: Radio Shack Catalogs
Organization: East Texas State University
Date: Sun, 5 Sep 1993 10:38:25 GMT
In article <telecom13.623.6@eecs.nwu.edu>, king@rtsg.mot.com (Steven King,
Software Archaeologist) wrote:
> Ah, not so easy, Honorable Moderator. The catalog price isn't refunded
> with your purchase. The catalog contains *coupons* which can be used
> towards your *next* purchase. Naturally you have to buy more than $3
> in order to use the $3 coupon in order to make back the cost of the
> catalog.
Some stores seem to be flexible on this - I went in today to buy a
phone cord extension ($5) and asked how to get a catalog. They gave
me one, and immediately took out the coupon in the back. Rang up the
sale of the catalog plus (cord - coupon). Since the catalog was $2.95
and the coupon is worth $3, I "made" $.05 on the deal.
======== insert usual disclaimers here ============
Bob Wier, East Texas State U., Commerce, Texas
wier@merlin.etsu.edu (watch for address change)
------------------------------
Organization: City University of New York
Date: Sun, 5 Sep 1993 16:51:03 EDT
From: Christopher Vaz <CVZQC@CUNYVM.BITNET>
Subject: Re: Radio Shack Catalogs
Do I understand correctly that if one has an answering machine which
does not auto-disconnect when the phone is picked up, that one can
actually change that with the help of a device? If someone does know
of any such thing, I would appreciate it if they emailed me with the
information.
Thanks,
Chris Vaz. cvzqc@cunyvm.cuny.edu
[Moderator's Note: That is correct. Maybe some readers will send you
the schematics, etc which have appeared here in the past, along with
leads on where to buy such devices. PAT]
------------------------------
From: denbesten@orchestra.bgsu.edu (William C. DenBesten)
Subject: Re: The One True Dialing Plan
Organization: Bowling Green State University
Date: Mon, 6 Sep 1993 01:14:16 GMT
Perhaps the way to get rid of the association between one and toll
without bothering people would be to announce the cost of the call
immediately after dialing. Eg: "This call will cost 30 cents plus 15
cents per minute. Thank you for using AT&T.".
William C DenBesten is denbesten@cs.bgsu.edu or bgsuopie.bitnet
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 06 Sep 93 0:23:20 GMT
From: Carl Moore <cmoore@BRL.MIL>
Subject: Re: The One True Dialing Plan
goudreau@dg-rtp.dg.com writes:
>... local [Washington, DC] calling area (which includes all of 202 in
> DC, parts of 310 in MD and parts of 703 in VA).
That is 301, not 310, in Maryland. In addition, some Maryland suburbs
are local to parts of 410 in Maryland, and the same scheme exists for
local calls across the 301/410 border as for local calls in DC area
among DC/MD/VA (i.e., NPA+7D, can omit leading 1).
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 05 Sep 1993 20:43:21 EDT
Reply-To: 0005066432@MCIMAIL.COM
Subject: Re: The One True Dialing Plan
From: Paul Robinson <TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM>
Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring, MD USA
> In article <telecom13.605.1@eecs.nwu.edu> elm@cs.berkeley.edu
> writes:
>> In article <telecom13.602.12@eecs.nwu.edu> goudreau@dg-rtp.dg.com
>> Goudreau) writes:
>>> I beg to differ. It seems to me that more places are using the
>>> *real* One True Dialing Plan (OTDP), in which all long-distance
>>> calls (intra-NPA included) are dialed with 11 digits, and only
>>> local, intra-NPA calls can use seven-digit dialing.
>> This works fine, as long as all calls are either "local" or
>> "non-local." In the SF Bay Area, all phone numbers are either
>> non-local, or in one of three approximately concentric zones (1, 2
>> and 3) ...
> So there are three kinds of calls, according to how you get
> charged:
> (1) local
> (2) quasi-local quasi-long-distance (like Pac Bell's Zone 3)
> (3) long distance
We had this in Long Beach, California when I had service with General
Telephone. Probably ten or more years ago, they eliminated the
requirement to dial "1" for calls which were not local in the (then)
213 area code. This was done to allow NXX prefixes. Didn't help
much, they still had to break off the San Fernando Valley into 818,
and then last year Long Beach got pushed into 310.
In Long Beach the dividing points were Cherry Avenue on the east, and
Willow Street on the West. If you were on the east side of Cherry and
south of Willow, you could call from Westminster on the South all the
way to Buena Park on the North, in Orange County, California, as a
local call by dialing 1 + 714 and the number. If you were West of
Cherry avenue, the same call was toll. If you were north of Willow,
and East of Cherry, you could call locally to 1 + 714 numbers in Buena
Park, but Westminster was a toll call.
Meaning that where I lived, it was a toll call from my house to Knotts
Berry Farm, but not from the pay phone four blocks away across Cherry
Avenue.
Another thing. Residences could obtain unmeasured service where there
are no charges for each local call. Businesses had to pay five cents
per five minutes. Yet a pay phone could make any local call, untimed,
for 20c. That seems to imply that if you make a lot of long calls,
you are better off getting a pay phone if you have a commercial site.
So what it came down to is that from Long Beach, if you called a
number in Orange County, you dial 1 + 714 plus seven digits, whether
or not the number is a toll call. (There are parts of Orange County,
notably Seal Beach -- which was also served by GTE -- in the 213 area
code, but that's not a critical point.)
You still dialed 0 + seven digits for calls in the same area code that
were placed collect or otherwise charged differently.
It would have been nice if they had instituted something like what the
Washington, DC area does: if the number is local to you and in your
area code, you dial seven digits (or you may optionally dial the area
code even though it is the same). If the number is local to you but
outside your area code, you dial the area code plus seven digits. If
it is long distance, even in the same area code, you dial 1 + area
code + 7 digits, but even on a local call you can dial 1 + area code +
seven digits and the call will still go through as an uncharged call.
The one exception is 800 numbers.
Hans Lachman <lachman@netcom.com>, writes:
> Regarding the So-Called *Real* One True Dialing Plan (SC*R*OTDP)
> mentioned above, it seems a bit silly to dial the area code for an
> intra-NPA call. (Likewise, wouldn't you feel silly to dial a
> country code when calling someone in the same country?)
We already do. When someone in Europe wants to call the U.S., they
dial the international code (usually 00) and the country code for the
United States.
They dial the same way as we do. 1 + NPA + NXX + XXXX.
Paul Robinson - TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V13 #627
******************************
From telecom Mon Sep 6 02:53:48 1993
Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA24446
(5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecom@eecs.nwu.edu); Mon, 6 Sep 1993 02:53:48 -0500
Date: Mon, 6 Sep 1993 02:53:48 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom>
Message-Id: <199309060753.AA24446@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #628
Status: RO
TELECOM Digest Mon, 6 Sep 93 02:53:45 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 628
Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson
Re: CATV Company Announces Connection to the Internet (Eric Edwards)
Re: PacBell and GTE (Brett K. Elliott)
Re: Info Needed: Regulatory Status For Satellite Communication (M Sullivan)
Re: Cellular Phone Price (Laurence Chiu)
Re: Creative Intercept Announcement (Randal L. Schwartz)
Re: GTE and the Cerritos Experiment (Steven H. Lichter)
Re: AT&T VISA Card Validation (Rich Greenberg)
Re: Risks of Cellular Phone on Heart (Michael Covington)
Re: Help: Deaf Terminal Emulation Through Modem (Michael Covington)
Re: Army, Sprint Test ATM Switch (Pat Arellano)
Re: Looking For a Book on ATM (Ihor Kinal)
Re: Email <-> Telex (Leslie Mikesell)
Re: Access to Telco White Pages (trader@cellar.org)
Re: MCI 1-800-COOL-101 (Glenn R. Stone)
Re: ATT-Like Video (Sandy Kyrish)
Re: Creative Intercept Announcement (Scott Coleman)
Re: Foreigners Need Not Apply (Eric Engelmann)
Re: Foreigners Need Not Apply (Klaus Dimmler)
Re: Portable Cellular Station (Ken Hoehn)
Re: Denver, Adamstown, PA Moving to 717 (Carl Moore)
----------------------
TELECOM Digest is an e-journal devoted mostly -- but not exclusively --
to discussions on voice telephony. The Digest is a not-for-profit
public service published frequently by Patrick Townson Associates. PTA
markets a no-surcharge telephone calling card and a no monthly fee 800
service. In addition, we are resellers of AT&T's Software Defined
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The Digest is delivered at no charge by email to qualified subscribers on
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All article submissions MUST be sent to our email address: telecom@eecs.
nwu.edu -- NOT as replies to comp.dcom.telecom.
Back issues and numerous other telephone-related files of interest are
available from the Telecom Archives, using anonymous ftp lcs.mit.edu.
Login anonymous, then 'cd telecom-archives'. At the present time, the
Digest is also ported to Usenet at the request of many readers there,
where it is known as 'comp.dcom.telecom'. Use of the Digest does not
require the use of our products and services. The two are separate.
All articles are the responsibility of the individual authors. Organi-
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Digest is compilation-copyrighted, 1993. **DO NOT** cross-post articles
between the Digest and other Usenet or alt newsgroups. Do not compile
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love offerings to PO Box 1570, Chicago, IL 60690. :) Phone: 312-465-2700.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 06 Sep 1993 03:26:41 GMT
Reply-To: wolf359!eric@cg57.cts.com
Organization: Engineers in Exile
From: ucsd!wolf359!Eric@uunet.UU.NET (Eric Edwards)
Subject: Re: CATV Company Announces Connection to the Internet
In article <telecom13.614.11@eecs.nwu.edu>, John Kennedy writes:
>> The trick about this solution is, of course, that cable is one-way.
> In Hybrid's version, they used a modem to transmit the "return" data.
> They're assuming, of course, that most of the traffic will be going
> _to_ the user's home computer, with only small amounts of data being
> transmitted out to the cable/internet side. IE, telnet keystrokes,
> ACK/NAKs for file transfers, etc.
Ugh. TCP/IP generates a conciderable amount of "back channel"
traffic. That's why PEP and HST modems are lousy options for SLIP. I
can't see performance being much better than ISDN. It would probably
be less than ISDN if the back channel is a conventional modem.
Why are they doing it this way? Cable is not intrinsicly one way. I
remember experiments with "interactive" cable TV at least ten years
ago. Could not some sort of collision detection/avoidance (like
ethernet) or token bus (like arcnet) be employed?
UUCP: cg57.cts.com!wolf359!ec Inet: eric@monad.missouri.edu
------------------------------
From: Brett K Elliott <be24+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: PacBell and GTE
Date: Sun, 5 Sep 1993 12:40:34 -0400
Organization: Freshman, MCS general, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
> PB bundles cancel call waiting with call waiting. GTE does not. One
> can make minor modifications to the service for a $5 dollar fee. GTE
> charges significantly more. I think, $26, but I could be wrong on
> that point.
> PB even tried to hire her.
> All in all, a big improvement. Better service, less cost.
Thank you!! I worked for PacBell over the summer, and am now going to
school back east. People would always bitch and moan about how
PacBell was "an evil empire", etc, etc. PB has their act together.
The networking involved in processing service orders is complex and
efficient. Service Reps are kind and polite, for the most part. I
guess customers must experience bad service before realizing what
great service they are getting from PB.
be24+@andrew.cmu.edu
------------------------------
From: avogadro@well.sf.ca.us (Michael D. Sullivan)
Subject: Re: Info Needed: Regulatory Status For Satellite Communications
Organization: The Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link, Sausalito, CA
Date: Mon, 6 Sep 1993 06:38:28 GMT
In <telecom13.621.4@eecs.nwu.edu> hoshino@tkysun.phys.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
(HOSHINO Takashi) writes:
> I'm now reserching the regulatory status for fixed satellite
> communications in foreign countries.
> My question is that, for example, to use the satellite for
> international telecommunication other than Intelsat launched and
> operated by foreign country, if it's necessary to obtain a radio
> station licence of your country for that satellite or not.
In general, if you want to operate an earth station to communicate
with a satellite, you must get a license for the earth station. In
all likelihood, you will have to get a license for the earth station
that specifically authorizes communications through the particular
satellite. There may be exceptions in some countries if your earth
station is receive-only (US, for example, in most but not all cases).
If the nation is an Intelsat signatory, you may have to induce the
government to seek consultation with Intelsat before it can consider a
license.
Michael D. Sullivan <avogadro@well.sf.ca.us (MIME capable)>
<74160.1134@compuserve.com> <mikesullivan@bix.com>
------------------------------
From: Lchiu@holonet.net
Subject: Re: Cellular Phone Price
Organization: HoloNet National Internet Access System: 510-704-1058/modem
Date: Sun, 5 Sep 1993 17:08:01 GMT
In a message to comp.dcom.telecom splee@noel.pd.org talked about Re:
Cellular Phone Price:
> Ok, so here are the prices of some HANDHELD phones that you can buy
> outright, without service. For comparison, I've also included the
> price with one year service from Bell Atlantic Mobile of CT;
> Motorola 550 Flip $ 369 ($166 with service)
> Nokia 101 $ 359 ($179 with service)
> Nokie 121 $ 379 ($199 with service)
Hmmm I paid $340 for this phone (Nokia 121) without service. But I
could not have got a break with service since in CA they cannot/will
not bundle service with phones. I took a one year contract anyway.
Guess I lost out thanks to CA's policies. Supplier is GTE Mobilnet of
Northern CA.
Laurence Chiu lchiu@holonet.net
------------------------------
From: merlyn@agora.rain.com (Randal L. Schwartz)
Subject: Re: Creative Intercept Announcement
Organization: Stonehenge Consulting Services; Portland, Oregon, USA
Date: Sun, 5 Sep 1993 21:24:04 GMT
In article <telecom13.619.11@eecs.nwu.edu>, ae446@freenet.carleton.ca
(Nigel Allen) writes:
> David Grabiner, grabiner@zariski.harvard.edu, uses the following
> cute saying in his .signature:
> "We are sorry, but the number you have dialed is imaginary."
> "Please rotate your phone 90 degrees and try again."
> I am tempted to use it on my answering machine. It would scare off
> telemarketers quite nicely.
This is the *actual* intercept that some engineering university
(Stanford, MIT?) used on their PBXes when you dialed an
out-of-service number. I heard that long time ago, so I presume it
predates this .signature usage.
Randal L. Schwartz / Stonehenge Consulting Services (503)777-0095
merlyn@ora.com (semi-permanent) merlyn@agora.rain.com (for newsreading only)
------------------------------
From: co057@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Steven H. Lichter)
Subject: Re: GTE and the Cerritos Experiment
Date: 6 Sep 1993 02:17:35 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (USA)
The Cerritos Project is a test of different kinds of systems that work
over copper, fiber and was never ment to make any money. It should
also pointed out that this is being done by GTE with a cable company
and for the most part GTE is only suppling Video Dial Tone and cable
plus some equipment. There are other tests and online programs now
going on in Northern San Diego and some other parts of the country.
What comes out of this may and I say may make it to the public, as
with all testing things change.
I have not really been following this project very much the last year
since I have other projects, I believe there are a couple of users
here that are directly involved in the project and should be able to
give more information.
Steven H. Lichter COEI GTECalif
------------------------------
From: richgr@netcom.com (Rich Greenberg)
Subject: Re: AT&T VISA Card Validation
Organization: Netcom Online Communications Services (408-241-9760)
Date: Sun, 5 Sep 1993 19:28:39 GMT
Anthony E. Siegman wrote in <telecom13.619.7@eecs.nwu.edu> in comp.dcom.
telecom:
> New gimmick on AT&T VISA cards (at least new to me): mandatory
> phone validation of new and replacement cards before they can be used.
> My wife and I received the annual replacements for our AT&T
> Univeral VISA cards the other day. WIth the cards was a memo: The new
> cards would not be valid until we telephoned an 800 number and
> verified the cards.
AT&T Visa must be testing this because I just got a replacement card
from them and there was no such memo with it. I haven't tried it yet,
maybe a surprise is waiting ...
AT&T must be tracking card useage closely. I got a call from them
that they suspected fraudulent use after two gas station charges and
three meals in one day in the same restaruant, both of which were in
an area well to the south of me.
Rich Greenberg Work: ETi Solutions, Oceanside & L.A. CA
310-348-7677 N6LRT TinselTown, USA
Play: richgr@netcom.com 310-649-0238 I speak for myself only.
------------------------------
From: mcovingt@aisun3.ai.uga.edu (Michael Covington)
Subject: Re: Risks of Cellular Phone on Heart
Date: 5 Sep 1993 23:25:53 GMT
Organization: AI Programs, University of Georgia, Athens
One thing that is known is that strong RF fields can disrupt certain
types of artificial pacemakers. If I had a pacemaker, I would be very
wary of any kind of radio transmitter.
Michael A. Covington, Associate Research Scientist
Artificial Intelligence Programs mcovingt@ai.uga.edu
The University of Georgia phone 706 542-0358
Athens, Georgia 30602-7415 U.S.A. amateur radio N4TMI
------------------------------
From: mcovingt@aisun3.ai.uga.edu (Michael Covington)
Subject: Re: Help: Deaf Terminal Emulation Through Modem
Date: 6 Sep 1993 03:18:17 GMT
Organization: AI Programs, University of Georgia, Athens
In article <telecom13.619.14@eecs.nwu.edu> arb2@engr.engr.uark.edu
(Allan R. Baker) writes:
> Is it possible to communicate a with TDD (or is it DDT) device with
> common modem software?
> If anyone has any helpful information please e-mail at arb2@engr.uark.
> edu.
> [Moderator's Note: No it is not possible. They are different protocols.
> The one uses ASCII, the other uses Baudot (of some level, I forget). PAT]
Physically, however, the hardware inside your PC supports it. The IBM
PC serial port can handle any word length from five to nine bits. I
think five bits is what the older-style TDD uses. I don't know what
kind of modem they use (perhaps Bell 103, in which case you're in
luck). Surely somebody has written appropriate software.
Michael A. Covington, Associate Research Scientist
Artificial Intelligence Programs mcovingt@ai.uga.edu
The University of Georgia phone 706 542-0358
Athens, Georgia 30602-7415 U.S.A. amateur radio N4TMI
------------------------------
From: Pat.Arellano@lambada.oit.unc.edu (Pat Arellano)
Subjecte RE: Army, Sprint Test ATM Switch
Date: 05 Sep 1993 19:48:59 GMT
Organization: University of North Carolina Extended Bulletin Board Service
During the testing of the ATM-based telemedical application, what type
of performance parameters and measurements were used to lead to
Sprint's conclusion that "the test was successful"? Were possible
congestion (e.g. wartime or natural disaster) scenarios enacted? Was
a centralized network management system incorporated to monitor the
performance of the network and the individual ATM switches at Walter
Reed, Fort Gordon, and U. Va?
The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Campus Office for Information
Technology, or the Experimental Bulletin Board Service.
internet: laUNChpad.unc.edu or 152.2.22.80
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 05 Sep 93 16:33:52 EDT
From: ijk@trumpet.att.com
Subject: Re: Looking For a Book on ATM
Organization: AT&T
> Ramon Alanis (ramona@teleride.on.ca) wrote:
>> I am looking for a good book on ATM, SONET and related topics.
>> Any sugestions?
My officemate just got his hands on a book that he highly recommends:
"Integrated Broadband Networks - An Introduction to ATM-Based Networks"
by R. Handel & M. Huber; Addison-Wesley 1991. ISBN 0-201-54444-X.
230 pages.
Standard disclaimers apply.
Ihor Kinal att!cbnewsh!ijk
------------------------------
From: les@chinet.chinet.com (Leslie Mikesell)
Subject: Re: Email <-> Telex
Organization: Chinet - Public Access UNIX
Date: Mon, 06 Sep 1993 02:06:05 GMT
>> The only reasonably priced service for this is MCI Mail. AT&T Mail
>> (Easylink) raised its rates for a telex number from an expensive $29
>> per month plus usage, to a whopping $99 per month plus usage.
Is this for Easylink or attmail and when did the change happen? Last
time I checked our unix <-> attmail subscription was $6/month for two
accounts and the telex number associated with the accounts didn't cost
extra (but you do have to ask to have it enabled and set up a user
named "telex" to receive the messages). Per-message usage is
relatively high, though, but most places use fax these days anyway.
Les Mikesell les@chinet.com
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Access to Telco White Pages
From: trader@cellar.org
Date: Sun, 05 Sep 93 20:15:21 EDT
Organization: The Cellar electronic community and public access system
andys@internet.sbi.com (Andy Sherman) writes:
> In article 8@eecs.nwu.edu, jog@world.std.com (James Gleick) writes:
>> Do local telephone companies have any obligation to provide, or sell,
>> access to their database of customer white-pages listings?
>> That is, can their competitors (or other information service
>> providers) demand this?
> In a word, no. The courts have stripped the telcos of their copyright
> interest is listings of names and telephone numbers, so you can
> publish a directory without their permission and without paying
> royalties. However, the lack of a copyright does not obligate them to
> do your work for you.
In practice, however, most telcos will sell copies of the database to
anyone that cares to pay the fee. Donnelly, for example, purchases
many directory databases from the local Bells (at least they used to).
It's kind of silly though, because the copy is out of date before it
even leaves Bell, and it takes at least six weeks to put a directory
out.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 5 Sep 93 18:17:19 GMT
From: taliesin@netcom.com (Glenn R. Stone)
Subject: Re: MCI 1-800-COOL-101
> Now through Labor Day, MCI is sponsoring a free 800 number that will let
> you think "cool". Dial 1-800-COOL-101 and each key on the keypad will
> give you a different "cool" sound, from skis on snow to drinks on ice. No
> time limit or forced advertisements. Pretty cool, eh?
Here's a cute question: Has some wag called into this thing from an
AUTOVON phone or with a beeper that has ABCD on it? One wonders if it
<
(a) recognizes it and does something with it, (b) recognizes it and
ignores it, or (c) blows it's everlovin' little mind? :)
I don't have one or I would have done it alreddie :)
/!\ taliesin agechanger, priest of Eris Discordia :) :) :) :)
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 6 Sep 93 00:32:00 GMT
From: Sandy Kyrish <0003209613@mcimail.com>
Subject: Re: ATT-Like Video
There are several "still frame" devices available that will transmit
still video over phone lines, including devices from Optel Comm. in
NYC and Image Data in San Antonio. Your best bet is to contact the
International Teleconferencing Association at 202-833-2549 and ask
them to furnish you with a list of vendors selling "slow scan" or
"freeze frame" or "still frame" or whatever their terminology is for
that. I am not up to speed on 1993 products, but the ones of a few
years ago were quite good so I imagine things are better and cheaper
now.
------------------------------
From: genghis@ilces.ag.uiuc.edu (Scott Coleman)
Subject: Re: Creative Intercept Announcement
Date: 6 Sep 93 03:23:39 GMT
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
ae446@freenet.carleton.ca (Nigel Allen) writes:
> David Grabiner, grabiner@zariski.harvard.edu, uses the following
> cute saying in his .signature:
> "We are sorry, but the number you have dialed is imaginary."
> "Please rotate your phone 90 degrees and try again."
> I am tempted to use it on my answering machine. It would scare off
> telemarketers quite nicely.
Here's a good OGM for telemarketers:
"Hello, you've reached the anti-telemarketing hotline. At the sound of
the tone, please enter your major credit card number, date of
expiration, and issuing bank. If I decide that what you have to say is
worth my time, your account will be charged nothing. If, on the other
hand, I determine that your call is a waste of my time, or comes at an
inconvenient time, you will be billed for the time you have wasted at
the rate of $39.95 for the first minute (or portion thereof) and $9.95
for each additional minute. Thanks for calling the anti-telemarketing
hotline. <BEEP!>"
Someone who was really serious could install a PC voice mail card and
program it to accept the credit card number and expiration date via
DTMF input, and install a second line so that the credit card could be
charged in real time while the telemarketer waits. After the charge
goes through and the approval code is recorded, the PC could emit a
special sound and the resident could then pick up and listen to the
spiel while watching the $$$ roll in.
[Closed Captioning for the Humor Impaired: ;-)]
Scott Coleman, President ASRE (American Society of Reverse Engineers)
tmkk@uiuc.edu
------------------------------
Date: 06 Sep 1993 01:47:00 EDT
From: Eric Engelmann <EENGELMANN@worldbank.org>
Subject: Re: Foreigners Need Not Apply
Regarding your comments on hiring minorities and foreigners, "gimme a
break". I know a number of business people, and all of them are
desperately trying to compete for talent in a progressively more
competitive world. While they may be nervous about cultural
differences and the realities of absenteesim caused by different
reactions to demands for child/parental care, spouse relocation, etc.,
they are NOT willing to let their prejudices get in the way of keeping
their business solvent and putting food on the table (kids through
college, etc.). This incessant whining about lack of opportunities
when people are DROWNING in them makes me sick. A current client of
mine has gone so far as to require promotions first be given to
females and non-US citizens in order to meet someone's idea of
"fairness". Sheesh.
------------------------------
From: klaus@cscns.com (Klaus Dimmler)
Subject: Re: Foreigners Need Not Apply?
Organization: Community_News_Service
Date: Sun, 5 Sep 1993 18:07:21 GMT
> Here's the best advice I can possibly give to you:
> * lose the attitude that someone OWES you something,
> * it's YOUR job to give those companies ideas on how useful you could be -
> find out what they need and fill that need.
I was surprised to hear in a previous message of this thread that the
average time between engineering graduation and getting an
engineering-related position is 18 months. That is worse than I
thought! But even in the best of times, the advice given above is
excellent. The attitude comes through in an interview situation, and
plays a determining role in your chances of getting a job.
Klaus Dimmler klaus@cscns.com CNS, Inc
1155 Kelly Johnson Blvd, Suite 400
Colorado Springs, CO 80920 719-592-1240
------------------------------
From: kenh@w8hd.org (Ken Hoehn)
Subject: Re: Portable Cellular Station
Organization: The w8hd Group
Date: Sun, 06 Sep 1993 16:06:28 GMT
Dave.Leibold@f730.n250.z1.FIDONET.ORG (Dave Leibold) writes:
> On August 16, Bell Mobility Cellular introduced the first mobile
> cellular station in Canada. Built at a cost of $1.7 million, the
> telecommunications station, which links cellular and satellite
> technologies, will be used by governments, municipalities and major
> corporations involved in responding to emergency situations, natural
> disasters or major catastrophes.
> The mobile cellular station is the work of Bell Mobility Cellular's
> Direction des mesures d'urgence (DMU), a specialized group created in
> 1990 to develop, manage and deploy the emergency resources and
> applications of mobile communications.
I don't understand the uniqueness of this project ... the COW ('cell on
wheels') has been a standard tool in the cellular industry for several
years now, allowing the temporary installation of either emergency
replacement or overflow cell facilities at disaster sites, crowded
special events, or the like.
kenh@w8hd.org Ken Hoehn - Teletech, Inc. Compuserve: 70007,2374
N8NYO P.O.Box 924 Dearborn, MI 48121
FAX: (313) 562-8612 VOICE: (313) 562-6873
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 5 Sep 93 12:51:39 EDT
From: Carl Moore <cmoore@BRL.MIL>
Subject: Re: Denver, Adamstown, PA Moving to 717
Did someone think of DENver in designating 717-336 as the new prefix
for Denver, PA? 336 obviously must be available in 717. 267 prefix
at Denver can't move to 717, because 717-267 is in use at
Chambersburg.
Other parts of Lancaster County now in the 215 area:
Terre Hill (215-445), next door to Denver and/or Adamstown;
it went to 7D for within-NPA long distance, and nearby 717-
area points served by the same (non-Bell) phone company
also did so!
Christiana (near state route 41 heading southeast from Gap),
served by 215-593 at Atglen, just across the Chester County
line.
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V13 #628
******************************
From telecom Mon Sep 6 14:00:02 1993
Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA25235
(5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecom@eecs.nwu.edu); Mon, 6 Sep 1993 14:00:02 -0500
Date: Mon, 6 Sep 1993 14:00:02 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom>
Message-Id: <199309061900.AA25235@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #629
Status: RO
TELECOM Digest Mon, 6 Sep 93 14:00:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 629
Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson
Re: Radio Station Acronyms (David Breneman)
Re: Radio Station Acronyms (Joe Lynn)
Re: Radio Station Acronyms (Patricia A. Dunkin)
Re: Radio Station Acronyms (Len E. Elam)
Re: Radio Station Acronyms (barry mishkind)
Re: Radio Station Acronyms (Dave Niebuhr)
Re: Radio Station Acronyms (Roy M. Silvernail)
Re: AT&T's Strange Attitude on 800 Numbers (David G. Lewis)
Re: Modem Transmissions Over One Way Radio (David Hough)
Re: AT&T VISA Card Validation (Mark Steiger)
Re: AT&T VISA Card Validation (Patrick Lee)
Re: AT&T VISA Card Validation (Paul Barnett)
Re: Risks of Cellular Phone on Heart (Danny Burstein)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: daveb%jaws@dsinet.dgtl.com (David Breneman)
Subject: Re: Radio Station Acronyms
Date: 06 Sep 93 00:20:34 GMT
Organization: Digital Systems International, Redmond WA
David Breneman (daveb%jaws@dsinet.dgtl.com) wrote:
> Are you referring to the *original* ABC Network, or the
> *former* NBC Red Network (the current ABC Network)?
> [Moderator's Note: So far as I know, and this is a guess, they got
> stuff from what we refer to as the current ABC Network. I vaguely recall
> as a child they carried stuff they referred to as that network and
> that would have been in the middle 1950's, long after 'Red' was gone.
> Which network carried the 'National Barn Dance' program? I guess that
> was either ABC (as we know it now) or Mutual. I can't remember. PAT]
Oh, then that would indeed be the current ABC network. The original
ABC went out of business in the 30s. The current ABC was the NBC Red
Network, which NBC was forced to sell with the advent of television
since it would have given them three networks (Red, Blue and
Television) and there were anti-trust scares over that. They sold it
right after the war to Paramount Pictures, which was eager to get into
television itself. In fact, the first TV station in LA (in, I think,
1940) was owned by RKO, and when Paramount bought out RKO they
established their foothold in broadcasting. Later, when they bought
Desilu they discovered there was more money to be made *making* TV
shows than *airing* them and they sold ABC.
David Breneman Email: daveb@jaws.engineering.dgtl.com
System Administrator, Software Engineering Services
Digital Systems International, Inc. Voice: 206 881-7544 Fax: 206 556-8033
------------------------------
From: jtl@il.us.swissbank.com (Joe Lynn)
Subject: Re: Radio Station Acronyms
Organization: Swiss Bank Corporation CM&T Division
Date: Mon, 6 Sep 1993 11:07:09 GMT
Our Moderator noted:
> [Moderator's Note: WENR was the former call sign for the television
> station on Channel 7 here about 40 years ago in the early 1950's. WLS
> was named for the World's Largest Store when Sears, Roebuck owned it
> back in the 1920-1930 era. It was also known from its beginning until
> 1961 as the Prairie Farmer Station because its programming and appeal
> was to people living on farms and in small towns across the rural mid-
> western United States.
The recent book _Valley Voices_ by John Russell Ghrist is an excellent
and exhaustive overview of broadcasting in Northern Illinois from the
very beginning to the present. Anyone who's interested in
Chicago-area radio should pick this up. (Ghrist is currently one of
the voices on the Illinois Traffic Network, found at 540 and 1610
kHz).
In the very early days, WENR and WLS did *indeed* share the frequency
of 890 kHz. They were both independent stations, with separate
owners: WLS was owned by Sears, Roebuck & Co. ("World's Largest
Store"), and WENR was owned by someone else (I don't have the book
with me right now).
Eventually, WLS took over the time-share arrangement and became the
sole broadcaster (in Chicago) on 890 kHz. "The Prairie Farmer"
program was begun by either WENR or WLS, and it survived the
time-share arrangement as WLS continued to broadcast it until they
launched the rock'n'roll format.
Chicago's TV Channel 7 was also known as WBKB-TV until the late 1960s
when it was changed to WLS-TV.
jtl
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 06 Sep 93 17:35 EDT
From: pad@groucho.att.com (Patricia A Dunkin +1 201 386 6230)
Subject: Re: Radio Station Acronyms
On the subject of radio stations whose call signs match their
locations: has anyone mentioned WNYC, the AM, FM, and TV stations
owned by (who else?) New York City? WNYC-AM has laid claim to being
the oldest station in the country -- I think its 60th anniversary
celebration came shortly before WHA's, but I wouldn't swear to it. It
was also (before my time :-) where Fiorello LaGuardia read the funnies
to the children of New York during a newspaper strike.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 6 Sep 93 11:49:44 PDT
From: lelam@gdwest.gd.com (Len E. Elam)
Subject: Re: Radio Station Acronyms
Among the radio stations here in the Fort Worth/Dallas area is a
non-profit Christian format radio station, KVTT.
KVTT stands for {K}eep {V}oicing {T}he {T}ruth !!!
One nationwide show that originates from KVTT is "Praise In The
Night", hosted by Steve Solomon. The show is distributed via
satellite to other radio stations nationwide and starts at 11:00 PM
each night until 6:00 AM the next morning. The show seems to be set
up in one hour segments so that the radio stations which recieve the
show via satellite can broadcast any or all of the show's hours. The
show has a nationwide 800 number (which I don't recall at the moment)
for people to call in with prayer requests. Friday night is the
show's "on-air" ministry night where Steve ministers to people who
call in.
KVTT is the radio station I listen to the most.
Who Am I?: Len E. Elam Email: lelam@gdwest.gd.com
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 06 Sep 93 00:32 MST
From: barry@coyote.datalog.com (barry mishkind)
Subject: Re: Radio Station Acronyms
Organization: Datalog Consulting, Tucson, AZ
According to the 1939 listing, WIND, Gary, IN was operated by the
Johnson-Kennedy Radio Corp. Studios were listed at "504 Broadway",
phone 9191.
The owners also owned WJJD.
The 560 frequency was occupied by WIBO, and WPCC, both Chicago in
1931.
WPCC was listed in 1928 as on 570, owned by North Shore Congregational
Church, and WRM, Urbana (Owner: University of IL) shared time.
I'll have to check and see if there are other links ...
Barry
[Moderator's Note: 504 Broadway would be the corner of 5th and Broadway
in what used to be downtown Gary (when there was a downtown). WRM was
replaced by WILL, still owned by the University of Illinois, but it is
now on 580 I think. Maybe the change in frequency occurred at the same
time that several radio stations were moved around in 1943. I know
that WBBM in Chicago was 770 then it moved to 780 as part of some kind
of re-organization done by the Federal Radio Commission. PAT]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 06 Sep 93 11:54:06 EDT
From: dwn@dwn.ccd.bnl.gov (Dave Niebuhr)
Subject: Re: Radio Station Acronyms
Someone mentioned earlier what WIND-AM in Chicago stood for but I've
forgotten :-(. I always thought it referred to Chicago's nickname of
Windy City.
Some of the one's I'm familiar with from the 50's and 60's are
KFAB - (Fabulous) in Omaha
WOW - (Woodmen of the World, fraternal organization) - Omaha
KSCJ - Sioux City Journal
KTRI - Sioux City Tribune before the papers merged
KMNS - Music, News and Sports - Sioux City
Out here on Long Island theres, WBAB in Babylon and WALK - Walk with
WALK
Dave Niebuhr Internet: niebuhr@bnl.gov / Bitnet: niebuhr@bnl
Brookhaven National Laboratory Upton, LI, NY 11973 (516)-282-3093
Senior Technical Specialist: Scientific Computer Facility
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Radio Station Acronyms
From: roy@sendai.cybrspc.mn.org (Roy M. Silvernail)
Date: Mon, 06 Sep 1993 11:19:11 CST
Organization: The Villa CyberSpace, executive headquarters
In comp.dcom.telecom, daveb%jaws@dsinet.dgtl.com writes:
> Are you referring to the *original* ABC Network, or the
> *former* NBC Red Network (the current ABC Network)?
Oh, now you went and reminded me of one of my favorite bloopers (as
collected by the late Kermit Schaeffer ... wish I had some of those
albums now)
A network identification that begins with a second or so of silence
(which is a long time on radio), followed by a door opening and an
out-of-breath announcer intoning "This is either the red or the blue
network of NBC!"
Second favorite: "This is the American Broadcorping Castration."
Does anyone know of the Kermit Schaeffer collections are still in
print, or perhaps (in a fit of wishful thinking) reissued on CD?
Roy M. Silvernail [] roy@sendai.cybrspc.mn.org
------------------------------
From: deej@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (david.g.lewis)
Subject: Re: AT&T's Strange Attitude on 800 Numbers
Organization: AT&T
Date: Mon, 06 Sep 1993 00:08:13 GMT
In article <telecom13.612.4@eecs.nwu.edu> brettf@netcom.com (Brett
Frankenberger) writes:
> deej@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (david.g.lewis) writes:
>> My hypothesis is that, since the new 800 number is actually being sold
>> from AT&T's viewpoint to an aggregator and not to Pat's customer, it
>> appears to the AT&T systems as if it is being sold to a different
>> customer. Because the various flavors of AT&T 800 services which
>> terminate to POTS lines use the POTS number as the billing number in
>> the billing databases, and all the customer records are keyed off the
>> billing number, I would suspect that it is impossible to have two
>> different customers with the same billing number.
> Oh, please. This is AT&T we are talking about.
I appreciate the compliment, but ...
> ... and if their Fsoftware cannot allow them to offer a service that
> is (presumably) tariffed,
I think the key word may be "presumably". I've done some research,
and it's turned up the fact that the "primary" destination numbers for
800 STARTERLINE(SM) service, 800 CustomNet(SM) service, CustomNet
Plus(SM) service, and READYLINE(SM) service must not overlap. Also, a
POTS number provisioned for 800 which is part of a VTNS (Virtual
Telecommunications Network Service) arrangement can not also be a
destination number for 800 STARTERLINE service, and I'm inferring by
extension the same applies to the other three.
This was known by the service planners well in advance of the service
deployment, which leads me to believe that the tariffs were written
with this restriction.
Since the service that Pat is reselling is almost certainly a VTNS
arrangement (it could be CustomNet, but I think VTNS gets bigger
discounts), this would explain the inability to "share" the POTS DN.
> Ever since Pat posted his original message, there has been at least
> two or more messages every day either from Pat or from other Digest
> subscribers expressing a negative view of AT&T with respect to this
> matter.
Indeed there have; whether they are based on factual arguments or
emotional arguments is an issue we could no doubt discuss at some
length.
I have not seen the actual tariffs in question; I suspect no one party
to this discussion actually has. If anyone is able to find statements
in tariffs which explicitly state that AT&T will terminate 800 service
on any POTS line the customer indicates with no restrictions
whatsoever, then there is undoubtedly an issue that Pat or anyone else
could take to the appropriate regulatory agencies. My personal
feeling, based on my knowledge of the service and my knowledge of
tariff language -- which is extremely vague (actually, both tariff
language and my knowledge of tariff language could fit into that
category ;-)) -- I expect that anyone would be hard-pressed to find
such statements.
However, regardless of that, there is still the problem that the
customer can't get what the customer wants. Several posts have
presented alternatives; allow me to suggest another. If Pat's service
offers a "programmability" feature, then the problem could be avoided
by specifying as the "primary" POTS termination any other POTS number
at the customer's location which is capable of accepting incoming
calls. The customer could then immediately "reprogram" the 800 number
with a new destination of the actual POTS number he wants the calls to
terminate on.
If Pat's service does not offer a programmability feature, the
customer could "reterminate" his AT&T 800 service on a different POTS
number and immediately "reprogram" it to the current number; this
isn't as pleasing a solution, because it leaves some indeterminate
amount of time when the "wrong" number is ringing, but it may be
workable.
Either of these solutions would solve the root problem of having two
800 numbers billed to the same POTS number.
If we want to get into the issue of whether it *should* be possible to
have two 800 numbers billed to the same POTS number, we can start that
up as well -- but today it's *not*, so could we please stop portraying
this as some massive AT&T conspiracy to monopolize the 800 market by
crippling the poor helpless resellers who are only trying to make an
honest living, put aside the AT&T-bashing, and concentrate on seeing
what the best solution is?
If we want to fight out the "who's right/who's wrong" issue, I'm as
willing as the next guy -- you bring the tariffs and we'll meet at
high noon down by the Regulatory Corral -- but I personally don't find
that very productive.
David G Lewis AT&T Bell Laboratories
david.g.lewis@att.com or !att!goofy!deej Switching & ISDN Implementation
------------------------------
From: dave@llondel.demon.co.uk (David Hough)
Subject: Re: Modem Transmissions Over One Way Radio
Reply-To: dave@llondel.demon.co.uk
Date: Mon, 06 Sep 1993 07:21:41 +0000
In article <telecom13.614.3@eecs.nwu.edu> daveb%jaws@epsilon.eecs.nwu.
edu (David Breneman) writes:
> Alfredo Cotroneo (A.Cotroneo@it12.bull.it) wrote:
>> I am going to experiment with TX only data transmissions using standard
>> modems (e.g. ZyXel/USR Robotics) over a one way radio link. I just
>> wonder if that would be possible at all with which parameter(s)
>> setting since there will be no modem on the other side of the line to
>> *negotiate* the protocol with.
> Try one (if there's more than one) of the ham radio groups. RTTY
> (radio teletype) transmissions used to be a hot pursuit (right up
> there with slow-scan television) up until about ten years ago. The
> only difference would be the speed -- but if you're intent on using one
> of these Dern Newfangled modem protocols that *require* negotiation,
> you may be it trouble.
I did reply to the original via email, but in case anyone else is
interested, dedicated radio modems for 9600baud are readily available
in the amateur radio world. If you know where to look and have the
money/bandwidth etc you can even go as fast as 56kbaud using readily
available equipment. The radio modems do not require a training
sequence on setup (impractical when there may be numerous other
modems/transmitters on the same channel) so would be OK for a one-way
link. You can even get plug-in cards for PCs if space is at a premium.
Dave
dave@llondel.demon.co.uk Internet g4wrw@g4wrw.ampr.org Amprnet
------------------------------
From: Mark.Steiger@tdkt.kksys.com (Mark Steiger)
Date: Mon, 06 Sep 1993 02:27:12 -0600
Subject: Re: AT&T VISA Card Validation
Organization: The Dark Knight's Table BBS: Minnetonka, MN (Free!)
> [Moderator's Note: I am always flooded with mail; your letter is
> nothing special. This added step is one further effort being made to
> combat credit card fraud; the level of which is at an all-time high in
> the USA. You are correct that the level of sophistication found in
> some credit card fraud rings is enough to easily overcome this extra
> step but it is a satisfactory security measure in many instances. PAT]
Just FYI for people on the net, I work for a mail order firm. On a
Bad (good?) Credit card fraud day, we get $60,000 of fraud in that
day. Our record was just short of $150,000 in one day! I wish more
card companies would do something to prevent this. I'd like to see
credit card readers in the home so the person would have to run it
through and the reader would send the info to us. Until that day,
fraud will continue to rise ....
Origin: The Igloo BBS 612-574-2079 (1:282/4018.0)
Mark Steiger, Sysop, The Igloo BBS (612) 574-2079
Internet: mark@tdkt.kksys.com Fido: 1:282/4018 Simnet: 16:612/24
[Moderator's Note: You are quite correct that credit card fraud is
much higher and much worse than it has ever been. As with cell phones
and regular phone service, as the proprietors plug up one hole in
their security, the fraud artists find still another. PAT]
------------------------------
From: patlee@panix.com (Patrick Lee)
Subject: Re: AT&T VISA Card Validation
Date: 6 Sep 1993 11:21:14 -0400
Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC
genghis@ilces.ag.uiuc.edu (Scott Coleman) wrote:
> In reality, everything asked for will appear on the cardholder's
> credit report, which as we know is available to anyone with sufficient
> interest. So what's the point of "validating" the card? If a thief
> manages to intercept the envelope containing the card, he can
> "validate" the card almost as easily as the legitimate cardholder can.
Citibank has been validating credit cards for at least the past year
-- at least both of my cards required me to call their customer
service before it can be used. I don't remember where I read this, but
there were some talk in New York of requiring credit card companies to
validate cards.
A lot of the information asked are available to anyone with "sufficient
interest." Sure, organized crime can certainly get any information they
want -- but they aren't likely going to be interested in your credit
card either. They can just as easily make fake cards themselves!
No, validating cards this way does keep city teenagers from hijacking
the mail truck (at gun point sometimes), breaking into those green
mail relay boxes, or otherwise stealing your mail. All of these are
federal offenses, but what do they care? They are not going to go to
the trouble of getting your credit report though.
Patrick <patlee@panix.com>
[Moderator's Note: A few years ago, some guys dressed as postal
employees showed up at the outgoing mail room at American Express
ostensibly to 'pick up the mail'. They had the whole procedure down
pat, and signed off for nearly a thousand new credit cards using the
correct postal forms for transfer of the cards to the possession of
the postal service -- the whole bit. The cards went out to Hawaii an
hour later on a plane and by the next morning, $180,000 in fraud
charges had been placed on those accounts. The investigators found out
that there were 15 people involved in the ring of various ages; three
were young guys and one was an 80-year old woman and her husband. The
ring leaders knew some senior citizens vacationing in Hawaii would
never be suspected of fraud. (smile) The old coots had all sorts of
merchandise purchased on their (ten or so apiece) hot cards during the
several hours they were allotted before the cards had to be destroyed.
Two employees at the post office had supplied the uniforms and the forms
required certifying the pickup of the cards from the office where they
are manufactured and embossed, etc. But you are correct. The younger
kids without the brains to pull off that sort of stunt merely hijack
the postal van on a highway somewhere at gunpoint and grab what they
can get. I sometimes lose patience -- both editorially here and in
other newsgroups -- with the young and very naive readers of Usenet
who seem to think when merchants, banks and credit card issuers demand
all sorts of personal data before doing business that they are really
a bunch of evil telemarketers, etc. Actually for the most part, nothing
could be further from the truth. Fraud -- and highly sophisticated ver-
sions of it at that -- are the American way these days. The merchants,
banks, telcos and credit card issuers are protecting themselves. PAT]
------------------------------
From: barnett@convex.com (Paul Barnett)
Subject: Re: AT&T VISA Card Validation
Date: Mon, 6 Sep 1993 14:05:18 GMT
Organization: Engineering, CONVEX Computer Corp., Richardson, Tx., USA
Anthony E. Siegman wrote in <telecom13.619.7@eecs.nwu.edu> in comp.dcom.
telecom:
> AT&T Visa must be testing this because I just got a replacement card
> from them and there was no such memo with it. I haven't tried it yet,
> maybe a surprise is waiting ...
Look again. I received a new AT&T MasterCard a month or so ago, and
didn't see any such notice either. This weekend, I called the
automated customer service to check my balance, and got routed to a
human operator.
She asked for the validation information, and said that the notice was
"in very small print". I wonder. I went back and looked at the heavy
paper that the card was folded in, and couldn't find anything.
If you don't do it, it apparently is no big deal. I've been using
this one for over a month with no problem. However, the old one
didn't actually expire for a while, and I supposed they can't tell the
difference.
Paul Barnett
MPP OS Development (214)-497-4846
Convex Computer Corp. Richardson, TX
------------------------------
From: dannyb@panix.com (danny burstein)
Subject: Re: Risks of Cellular Phone on Heart
Date: 6 Sep 1993 04:08:45 -0400
Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC
In <telecom13.628.8@eecs.nwu.edu> mcovingt@aisun3.ai.uga.edu (Michael
Covington) writes:
> One thing that is known is that strong RF fields can disrupt certain
> types of artificial pacemakers. If I had a pacemaker, I would be very
> wary of any kind of radio transmitter.
To which dannyb@panix.com, who is both a bit of a techie and is a NYS
paramedic, responds:
Not quite. What affects the artificial pacemaker is the MAGNETIC field.
To wit:
Most pacemakers are desgined to 'kick in' when the heart's own rate
drops too low. Generally, a person's 'natural' heart rate will be
somewhere between 60 and 100 beats per minute (goes up with exertion, down
with rest, etc.)
If a person's heart rate falls too low (that is, if the intrinsic
control systems fail - a bit beyond the scope of this discussion) then
the person will get weak, dizzy, unable to walk or run, etc. If it
drops way too low (say, less than 20/minute) then we're starting to
talk about, as we call it, "incompatability (with life)."
So, the artificial pacemaker will sit there doing nothing except
monitoring the natural rate. It's quite possible, and quite common,
for the heart rate to be at a decent level for a few days, then drop
down for the next fifteen minutes. In this situation teh artificial
pacemaker will "fire" only during the fifteen minutes needed.
So, the question is: how does a technician test the pacemaker for
proper electrical function (since it's doing almost nothing when the
heart is beating properly). Well, you could watch the person for the
next week (which is done in some situations), but the more common
technique is:
Hook up a magnetic switch inside the pacemaker. when a strong enough
field is present, the circuitry will flick on and do the "firing"
thing. (Of course this is done under medical supervision.)
So again, it's not the radio field, but rather the magnetic one. And
it has to be pretty strong ...
Some more recent artificial pacemakers do look for specific radio-
pulsed-coded instructions, but these would not be affected by a
general radio field.
Cavaet: like any electronic equipment, if you have a VERY STRONG rf
field, strange things can happen. but that's not likely to occur with
a 5 watt cellular phone. Just don't stand near a gypsy cab ...
dannyb@panix.com
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V13 #629
******************************
From telecom Mon Sep 6 14:42:38 1993
Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA04510
(5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecom@eecs.nwu.edu); Mon, 6 Sep 1993 14:42:38 -0500
Date: Mon, 6 Sep 1993 14:42:38 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom>
Message-Id: <199309061942.AA04510@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #630
Status: RO
TELECOM Digest Mon, 6 Sep 93 14:42:30 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 630
Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson
Re: Help: Deaf Terminal Emulation Through Modem (Richard Osterberg)
Re: Help: Deaf Terminal Emulation Through Modem (Steve Cogorno)
Communications With TT (TDD) Devices (Bill Halberstadt)
Re: Need HELP In Contacting The CCITT/ITU On The Internet (F. Lagrana)
Re: The One True Dialing Plan (Carl Moore)
Re: The One True Dialing Plan (Gary Breuckman)
Re: Annoying Call Won't Stop -- Please Help! (Clive Feather)
Re: MCI 1-800-COOL-101 (Roy M. Silvernail)
----------------------
TELECOM Digest is an e-journal devoted mostly -- but not exclusively --
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Re: Help: Deaf Terminal Emulation Through Modem
From: osterber@husc8.harvard.edu (Richard Osterberg)
Date: 6 Sep 93 13:43:58 GMT
> Physically, however, the hardware inside your PC supports it. The IBM
> PC serial port can handle any word length from five to nine bits. I
> think five bits is what the older-style TDD uses. I don't know what
> kind of modem they use (perhaps Bell 103, in which case you're in
> luck). Surely somebody has written appropriate software.
"Older-style" TDDs use Baudot code ... which is nothing like a modem
carrier. It's closer to Morse code ... a series of alternating high
and low tones. You need a specialized "modem" to talk Baudot. IBM
serial hardware will only support communication with newer TDDs that
"include ASCII", which is really either 300-N-8-1 or 1200-N-8-1.
Rick Osterberg osterber@husc.harvard.edu 617-527-6664 617-965-0370
------------------------------
From: cogorno@netcom.com (Steve Cogorno)
Subject: Re: Help: Deaf Terminal Emulation Through Modem
Date: Mon, 6 Sep 93 10:22:48 PDT
If you need to communicate with users of TDDs and don't want to invest
in a TDD or Baudot modem, you can use the California Relay Service. I
don't know if this works outside of California, but there might be a
similar service in other states. It is an 800 number, and costs
nothing. A Relay operator will type eveything you say and read back
what is typed in response.
The number is 800-735-2922 for voice users and 800-735-2929 for TDD
users. Long distance calls will be placed through Sprint at
discounted rates. This service is available 24 hours a day, sevenw
days a week.
Steve cogorno@netcom.com
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 6 Sep 93 08:28:36 -0400
From: halberst@esvax.dnet.dupont.com (Bill Halberstadt, CR&D)
Subject: Communications With TT (TDD) Devices
Pat - FYI, here's a reply I sent by email to a person who recently
posted a question about communicating with TT devices, using regular
modems. The "native mode" of the TT devices is, as you said, a
protocol that is not compatible with "regular" modems. However, many
of these devices have "standard" 300 bps capability (some have
better), so there is usually a way to communicate with them. If you
have a chance, give this procedure a try and see if it works with
devices in your area.
<<Copy of note to Allan Baker>>
Allan,
I saw your note on USENET, and despite Pat's reply, it is almost
always possible to use standard modems and communications packges to
communicate with the "TT" devices (formerly called "TDD" devices). We
had a need for that where I work, and I worked out and documented a
procedure, shown below. You'll have to extrapolate it a little for
your case, but it should be the key to get you started ...
This document is to help people use U. S. Robotics modems to contact
"TT" services or other "TT" modems. In particular, the "Delaware
Relay Service". First, some background: "TT" stands for "Text
Telephones", and was formerly called "TDD" (Telecommunications Devices
for the Deaf) or "TTY/TDD". Normally, TT service depends on both
parties having TT equipment hooked to their phone lines. It's been
around a looooong time, so its technology is quite dated. The user
typically has a one-line, 20 character display, and a keyboard. The
TT device also has a modem, which may communicate at the incredibly
low rate of 45.5 bps, using the obsolete "Baudot" code (rather than
ASCII), and "half-duplex" (the "other end" doesn't echo your typing
back to you, so your device needs to take care of echoing). It has
remained so for many years because of the installed base, and because
equipment costs need to remain low. Recently, most manufacturers of
such devices have been adding the ability to communicate using ASCII
at 300 bps (still way behind what's available elsewhere). So if two
TT units communicate, and they are both of the "new" type, they will
use 300 bps.
That also opens the door to people who have "conventional" modems and
pc's or terminals. Almost all conventional modems can communicate at
300 bps, but there are a few "unusual" settings that have to be made
(more on that later). Now as to "Delaware Relay Service": This is an
AT&T service, actually located in Virginia, consisting of two toll
free telephone numbers. Both connect to the same group of operators,
but one is for data and the other for voice. The numbers and a brief
description can be found in the front of the phone book. The idea of
the service is to let a hearing impaired person and a "non hearing
impaired" person communicate by having an "operator" do the
translation from typed text to/from speech.
A hearing impaired person might, for instance, use his or her TT (or
other 300 bps) equipment to call the data number. He or she would
then receive the typed message: "what is the number you wish to call"
(this is being typed by the operator). The originator of the call
types the number to be called (say a store with which he or she wishes
to place an order), and the operator places the call and explains the
situation to the store. Everything that the store says is typed by
the operator, and everything that is typed by the originator of the
call is spoken by the operator to the store. As you can imagine, the
whole process can work in reverse if the non hearing impaired person
wishes to call a hearing impaired person, and knows that that person
has a TT unit. The originator places a call to the "voice" number of
the service and asks them to call the other person's TT number. Great
idea!
Now; how to place a call to the Delaware Relay Service using ESVAX:
<<< Portion specific to DuPont computer systems deleted here>>>
Type in the phone number plus special characters as shown below:
ATDT9,18002325460F0X1&N1
The first part (everything before the "F") dials the Relay service;
the "F0" tells the modem to echo all characters back to you (since the
relay service doesn't); the "X1" tells the modem to disregard
extraneous noises as the operator manually answers the phone
(otherwise our modem would print "VOICE" and hang up); and the "&N1"
tells our modem to limit the connection to 300 bps (otherwise
sometimes it erroneously thinks the other modem is 1200 bps and you
get nothing but garbage).
After about 20 seconds, you should see "CONNECT", followed by the
typed request to provide the phone number you wish to call. Hitting
"return" prior to the "CONNECT" message will abort the call. If all
else fails, hit "Control-P" twice, and you will return to the A1 menu.
Then give the command "DI" to disconnect from the modem. You can then
give the command "CC" to start again, or "EM" to get to the main
Electronic Mail menu.
When typing to the operator, you do not need to type "Returns" or
"Line Feeds", unless you need to for readability on your screen. On
their screen, the lines will "wrap" to the next line after they get to
the right side of the screen. If, on your terminal, the lines "go off
the screen", then set your terminal for "wrap", or use a "Return"
followed by a "Line Feed" (Control-J if your terminal doesn't have
"Line Feed") when necessary. If you just hit "Return", you will type
over the preceding line.
When you finish, type "Control-P" twice to return to A1, and give the
command "DI" to disconnect from the modem
Some conventions used in TT typing:
"ga" means "go ahead", and signals that you are through typing and
expect a response.
"sk" means "stop keying" or "stop keying?", and signals that you
are through typing and do not necessarily expect a response.
"sk sk" is given after the other party signals "sk" and you have
nothing else to type either. Typical next response would be "bye",
followed by a disconnect.
"u" is "you"
"n" is "and"
and many other "shorthand" conventions which will become obvious.
WHAT IF I WANT TO DO THIS FROM MY OWN MODEM (LIKE AT HOME)?
To use this service from your own terminal (or pc) and modem without
going through the VAX, the procedures will vary depending on what
equipment you have, but basically you would first need to set your
terminal (or terminal emulator) to "7 bits, Even Parity" before you
dial. Then, if you are using a U. S. Robotics HST or V.32 modem, just
use the dial command: ATDTphonenumberF0X1&N1 plus a carriage return.
Remember not to type anything else until you see the "Connect" message
on your screen (else it will abort the call). After you finish
communicating with a TT modem, reset your modem to its original
settings by either issuing the command ATZ, or powering the modem off;
and reset your terminal or emulator to "8 bits, No Parity" so
communications with the VAXes will work OK.
All this has assumed that your terminal (or emulator) and modem have
been properly configured to our standard recommended settings. If
you're not sure this is the case, do the following once:
Set your terminal or emulator to 19,200 bps, 8 bits, even parity, and
to make sure that your U. S. Robotics modem is in the proper
"baseline" configuration, give it the following command (you'll only
have to do this once):
ATTX6&A2&B1&H2&I5S15=32&W
If you get "ERROR" instead of "OK", and are sure you typed it right,
type it again, except with "&I1" in place of the "&I5" (some older
HST's can't handle "&I5"). This command sets many things in the
modem, and stores the configuration in "non-volatile memory" so that
the modem will power up every time with these settings. These
settings are necessary for proper communication with Du Pont sites,
and are an assumed base case for the temporary "override" that occurs
when you append things like "X1F0&N1" to a dial command.
Rev 6/9/93 & 9/2/93 - W L Halberstadt
Regards,
Bill Halberstadt DuPont Company
Wilmington, DE (302) 695-3825
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 6 Sep 1993 10:59:55 +0200
From: LAGRANA <FERNANDO.LAGRANA@itu.ch>
Subject: Re: Need HELP In Contacting The CCITT/ITU On The Internet
> Does any anyone know how to contact the CCITT? I am not too sure
> what is there address or how to correctly post a message to them
> and get AutoMAGIC response? Below is what I "thought" was
> correct:
> Mail To: itudoc@itu.arcom.arch
> Subject: Need HELP
> HELP
> LIST
> LIST CCITT
> GET JPEG
> Is the above REMOTELY correct? Any help will be greatly
> appreciated.
Dear Ed,
Thank you for the interest you demonstrate for the ITU in general and
the standardization process in particular! Such HELPs show us that the
external world is waiting for our input and expecting much from us. It
is both challenging and motivating!
First of all, let me tell you that the AutoMAGIC (!) mailbox has a new
address on Internet: it's itudoc@itu.ch. This may explain why you
couldn't reach the autoanswering mailbox.
As far as your set of commands is concerned, there are some errors.
First the CCITT group doesn't exist any more and has been replaced by
the ITU-T group (in order to mirror the new structurre of the ITU).
Second, when you are loofing for a standard or any document, you
cannot retrieve it just by its "name". You must use its UPI (Unique
Permanent Identifier). By example, to get a Winword 2.0 version of
Rec. X.402, you will not type GET X.402 but GET ITU-5210.
You will first have defined the UPI number of the document you are
looking for with the LIST command. In our example the command would
have been LIST ITU-T\REC\X to list the X-Series Recommendations.
So you understand that you cannot GET the JPEG standards by typing GET
JPEG. More over, here in the TSB (Telecommunication Standardization
Bureau, the former CCITT Secretariat) we don't call the JPEG standard
JPEG. For us, this standard is the T.81. So you will have to go
through the T-Series of Recommendations to find it.
I agree that it might be difficult to know all this type of info.
It's the reason why we have an helpdesk. You may ask us questions by
inserting the command HUMAN in your message. The text included in the
body part of your message and which follows the HUMAN statement is
forwarded to an operator. Note that if your questions concern
obviously the TSB (or the ITU-T), you can send them directly to our
service (address tsbedh@itu.ch).
Beside this, I believe you could be interested by accessing ITUDOC via
our interactive interface. Below is an annex to this message providing
info about this way of accessing our Document Reference Store.
Last info: the JPEG standard (T.81) is still not ready for publication
(the ISO and ITU-T editors are still working on it, it's a common
text). You will have to wait (I think about three months) until you'll
be able to get it.
OK Ed, I hope this will help you navigating through ITUDOC's Store!
In any case, you may contact me directly if you have other questions.
Fernando Lagrana
International Telecommunication Union
Telecommunication Standardization Bureau
Editor, Catalogue of Recommmendations
Coordinator, Electronic Document Handling
Internet: lagrana@itu.ch
Voice: + 41 22 730 58 94
Fax: + 41 22 730 58 53
X.400: SURNAME=lagrana, PRIVATE_DOMAIN=itu, ADMIN_DOMAIN=arcom,
COUNTRY=ch
======================
ANNEX
ITUDOC via an interactive interface
An interactive interface to the International Telecommunication
Union's ITUDOC system is available in the TIES (Telecom Information
Exchange Services) virtual terminal (VT) interface. TIES can be
accessed via:
DIAL-UP: +41 22 733 7575
or
X.25: #2284681 11112
or
TELNET: ties.itu.ch (156.106.4.75) or chi.itu.ch (156.106.4.16)
Setup should be 300 to 9600 bps, 8 data bits, no parity, V.42,
V.42bis, MNP support. VT100 minimum terminal capability is required,
VT200 or greater capability is preferred.
Please logon as GUEST or ANONYMOUS for access to TIES public services.
For access to other services, registration is necessary. Information
about TIES and available services are available in the ITU Document
Store in the group /TIES.
The interactive interface is easy to use and menu driven: you can
browse up and down the hierarchical tree of the ITU Document Store.
You can view documents and mark selected documents for retrieval. You
can then transfer documents to your remote site using one of the
following methods:
* KERMIT
* INTERNET FTP (File Transer Protocol)
* REFLECTION Terminal Emulation WRQ PROTOCOL
* EMAIL (ASCII documents - RFC-822 (SMTP) or TIES email
address required)
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 6 Sep 93 9:40:51 EDT
From: Carl Moore <cmoore@BRL.MIL>
Subject: Re: The One True Dialing Plan
Dialing our own country code is just a coincidence (I am referring to
country code 1). 1, as you've seen many times, has been used as a
toll indicator, and is being shifted to "area code follows" indicator,
for calls within country code 1.
It's now 20 years since 213 area code programmed for N0X/N1X prefixes.
You are saying that at least part of 213 had 1 + 7D for long distance
within 213 up to that point? (The other possibility would be 7D for
long distance within 213, with NPA + 7D for long distance to other
area codes.)
------------------------------
From: puma@netcom.com (Gary Breuckman)
Subject: Re: The One True Dialing Plan
Date: Mon, 6 Sep 1993 14:22:07 GMT
In article <telecom13.627.14@eecs.nwu.edu> denbesten@orchestra.bgsu.
edu (William C. DenBesten) writes:
> Perhaps the way to get rid of the association between one and toll
> without bothering people would be to announce the cost of the call
> immediately after dialing. Eg: "This call will cost 30 cents plus 15
> cents per minute. Thank you for using AT&T.".
This sounds like an excellent thing to do, both from the standpoint
that you mentioned, and the fact that the live operators have a lot of
problems quoting prices ... it would make it a lot easier to compare
carriers. But, it will probably never happen unless forced. Carriers
likely do NOT want to remind you of the cost of a call as you place it
-- it would tend to make calls shorter rather than longer if you were
so informed each time.
puma@netcom.com
------------------------------
From: clive@x.co.uk (Clive Feather)
Subject: Re: Annoying Call Won't Stop -- Please Help!
Date: Mon, 6 Sep 93 10:46:55 BST
In 13.625.9 our esteemed Moderator notes:
> I am reminded of quite a few years ago when obscene and threatening
> calls intended for Queen Elizabeth were arriving several times daily
> at Buckingham Palace ...
> A technician there snooped around awhile in response to a call
> from AT&T when a call was actually in progress; guess what! He
> tracked it back to WHitehall 4-6211, the switchboard number for the
> Lawson YMCA.
Oddly enough, back when London exchanges all had names, the number for
Scotland Yard was WHItehall 1212 (note that WHI = WH-4).
Clive D.W. Feather | IXI Ltd (an SCO company)
clive@x.co.uk | Vision Park
Phone: +44 223 236 555 | Cambridge CB4 4ZR
Fax: +44 223 236 466 | United Kingdom
[Moderator's Note: Originally, our 312-944 exchange was WHItehall as
well prior to the conversion from 3L/4D to 2L/5D (WHitehall-4). I did
not mention it yesterday, but following the arrest of this fellow, the
{Chicago Tribune} reported the matter and asked in a humorous note if
it would result in some 'international incident'; but it did not go
that far. The Queen's representative in Chicago filed charges and the
disposition was the fellow was given psychiatric care; not an uncommon
requirement of people living in the Lawson YMCA in those days (smile).
It turns out the fellow had been after quite a few world leaders for
some time and some not-so-big local politicians as well with lewd ideas
and an insistence they all be put out to pasture. PAT]
------------------------------
Subject: Re: MCI 1-800-COOL-101
From: roy@sendai.cybrspc.mn.org (Roy M. Silvernail)
Date: Mon, 6 Sep 1993 05:31:43 CST
Organization: The Villa CyberSpace, executive headquarters
In comp.dcom.telecom, taliesin@netcom.com writes:
>> Dial 1-800-COOL-101
> Here's a cute question: Has some wag called into this thing from an
> AUTOVON phone or with a beeper that has ABCD on it? One wonders if it
> (a) recognizes it and does something with it, (b) recognizes it and
> ignores it, or (c) blows it's everlovin' little mind? :)
I'd say the answer is (a). And what it does is unceremoniously hang up.
My good ol' ITT 2500 Touch-Tone desk set does ABCD, after I installed
a modification. Anyone remember TEL magazine? That's where I got the
mod idea.
Roy M. Silvernail |+| roy@sendai.cybrspc.mn.org
[Moderator's Note: What do you usually get if anything when you present
the ABCD to your CO dialtone? PAT]
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V13 #630
******************************
From telecom Tue Sep 7 12:37:40 1993
Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA08928
(5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecom@eecs.nwu.edu); Tue, 7 Sep 1993 12:37:40 -0500
Date: Tue, 7 Sep 1993 12:37:40 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom>
Message-Id: <199309071737.AA08928@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #631
Status: RO
TELECOM Digest Tue, 7 Sep 93 12:37:20 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 631
Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson
New Sprint Service to Czech Republic (John D. Gretzinger)
Australian Federal Government Study of New Media Technology (T Worthington)
Just What Does Integretel Do? (Dave Read)
AT&T Adapts Military Fiber Optic Cable For Mining Use (Nigel Allen)
New Asia-Pacific Cable Opens for Service (Nigel Allen)
Data Transmission on Cable TV? (Eric Vyncke)
Durham, NC Hotel Experience (Thomas Lapp)
GTE Layoffs (Joe Bergstein)
Who Can One Complain to About Hotel Phone Systems (Thomas Hutton)
Dialogic Help Needed (Rayla Smith)
Serial <-> Parallel Converters For Fiber Optics (Sanjai Bhargava)
Answering Machine That Calls Pager? (Tom Smith)
"Number Referral" Recordings: Whose Responsibility? (Martin Lodahl)
FDDI Over Copper - CDDI?s (Voravit Euavatanakorn)
N0X Area Codes - Which are the Newer Ones? (Carl Moore)
Need Low Cost Cellular Phone With POTS Interface (William K. Kessler)
DTMF Decoder Cards (Jeff Browning)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: JOHN.D.GRETZINGER@sprint.sprint.com
Date: 8 Sep 93 08:15:09 -0400
Subject: New Sprint Service to Czech Republic
The following is forwarded for the information of those interested.
PLEASE NOTE: THE FOLLOWING RELEASE WAS DISTRIBUTED VIA PR
NEWSWIRE IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA ONLY.
Contacts: Janis Langley, (O) 202-828-7427;
Evette Fulton, (O) 202-828-7411
SPRINT TO PROVIDE FIRST DIGITAL INTERNATIONAL LINK WITH CZECH REPUBLIC
WASHINGTON, D.C., Sept. 2, 1993 -- Sprint today extended its
all-digital network to the Czech Republic, increasing both the quality
and capacity of international voice traffic between the two countries.
The link connects the Sprint global fiber-optic network with
a new digital gateway switch operated by SPT TELECOM s.p., the
telecommunications carrier of the Czech Republic. The link will also
be used for routing traffic between Sprint and the Slovak Republic.
For the first time, Czechs living in the United States will
be able to talk with friends and colleagues in the Czech and Slovak
Republics without hearing the noise and interference of calls carried
over international analog lines.
The digital link also will allow high-speed data
communications with the Czech Republic capable of supporting global
financial, commercial and videoconferencing applications.
Calls made by Sprint customers to the Czech Republic and
Slovak Republic will be automatically routed over the new link.
Non-Sprint customers in the United States can use the high-quality
digital link by first dialing "10333 011" for a Sprint international
line, followed by "42" for the Czech and Slovak country code, the city
code and the local telephone number.
"Every day, organizations around the world rely on digital
links for such routine business transactions as electronic funds
transfer, electronic mail, credit card verification and just-in-time
inventory systems," said Herb Hribar, vice president and general
manager of Central/Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa for Sprint
International, Sprint's global telecommunications subsidiary. "In
addition to providing superior voice connections, the digital link
with serve as a commercial lifeline between the Czech Republic and the
world marketplace."
Sprint recently announced nationwide packet-switched data
network sales in the Czech Republic for CPP Transgas, and in the
Slovak Republic for SPP Transgas Division, providers of natural gas
transit facilities between the CIS and Western Europe.
Its other activities in the region include the first
intercontinental digital link with Romania; nationwide packet-switched
data networks for the PKP Polish state railways and for Poland's
largest bank, Powszechna Kasa Oszczednosci. Sprint also provides
value-added services through joint ventures in Russia and Bulgaria in
partnership with the telecommunications ministries of those countries.
Sprint is a $10.4 billion international telecommunications
company, providing voice, video and data networking solutions to the
world's commercial, government and financial centers. Sprint operates
fiber-optic and value-added networks that are among the world's
largest, and maintains offices in six continents through its over 50
subsidiaries, joint ventures and distributor partners.
----------------
John D. Gretzinger I may work for Sprint, but they don't
Network Engineer speak for me, and I don't speak for me.
Sprint j.gretzinger@sprint.sprint.com
+1.310.797.1187 +1.310.430.1761 (FAX)
------------------------------
From: tomw@ccadfa.cc.adfa.oz.au (Tom Worthington)
Subject: Australian Federal Government Study of New Media Technology
Organization: Australian Defence Force Academy, Canberra, Australia
Date: Tue, 7 Sep 1993 08:35:49 GMT
Media Release Minister for Communications
David Beddall 20/93 30 August 1993
MEDIA'S "BRAVE NEW WORLD" UNDER MICROSCOPE
The details of a major Federal Government study, which Will look at
the "brave new world" of media technology, were announced today by the
Minister for Communications, Mr. David Beddall.
The new "Communications Futures" project will be conducted by the
Bureau of Transport and Communications Economics, within the Federal
Department of Transport and Communications.
Mr Beddall was speaking at the opening of the Communications Research
Forum being held at the Australian National University in Canberra.
"The Government has to understand the way in which emerging
technologies are shaping a new market and policy environment", he
said. "This project will ensure that future public debate is informed,
and that regulatory developments enhance rather than frustrate
opportunities for Australia.
"This project also complements the recently announced Optical Fibre
Expert Group, which is focusing on identifying the types of services
which are needed, and the potential for industry development.
"The information, entertainment, computer and communications
Industries are rushing together at great speed. This is recognised by
the Government, and will be reflected in the two new projects."
Ministers Office contact: David Browne phone +61 6 277 7440
---------------------
Note: I thought this may be of interest (I scanned it in from a fax,
so there may be errors). It is in line with the suggestions made in
the ACS's submission to the Senate Pay TV enquiry. I obtained a copy
of the paper mentioned, by Mr. Chris Cheah from the Bureau of
Transport and Communication Economics (ph: +61 6 274 7654, fax: +61 6
2747947). I don't know if he has an e-mail address.
Tom Worthington, Director of the Community Affairs Board, Australian
Computer Society Inc. <tomw@act.acs.org.au> 5 September 1993
ABOUT THE ACS: The Australian Computer Society is the professional
association in Australia for those in the computing and information
technology fields. Established in 1966, the ACS has over 14,000
members and on a per capita basis is one of the largest computer
societies in the world. ACS activities are announced in the Usenet
News group "aus.acs", available on the Internet.
------------------------------
From: dave@kentrox.com (Dave Read)
Subject: Just What Does Integretel Do?
Date: Mon, 6 Sep 93 23:42:05 PDT
Howdy all,
I got my September phone bill from GTE yesterday. On a separate page
was a charge from Integretel, apparently for a collect call from
somewhere in Texas. Nobody was in the house when the call was
allegedly made (I was at work, wife had the kids at the dentist).
My wife called Integretel (GTE had their 800 number on the same page
as the charges, I'm sure they've had lots of complaints about
Integretel), endured the usual ten-minute wait on hold, and was told
by their public-interface droid that the call was from a pay phone in
Texas somewhere. The droid was a bit huffy about believing that we
*really* weren't at home when the call was made ("could it have been
left on an answering machine?"), but after some discussion they agreed
to send us a voucher for the amount of the charges, which we are
supposed to give to GTE. The check's in the mail, in other words.
My previous experience with Integretel was 18 months ago when one of
their teleporn charges showed up on our church phone bill, from which
experience I understood that Integretel was a billing clearinghouse
for teleslime services. Given my latest experience, I guess my
understanding was incorrect. So I'm curious to know, just what *does*
Integretel do, anyway? And why are they involved in billing for
collect calls from payphones anywhere?
David Read Kentrox Industries
P.O. Box 10704 Portland, OR 97210
800-733-5511 x263 dave@kentrox.com
[Moderator's Note: Integretel is a service bureau serving a number of
clients with telephone billing requirements. They do serve a large
number of 'teleporn' clients who bill using the '800 collect callback'
system described here a few times in the past, but they also service
a number of small AOS/COCOT proprietors. If the payphone used for the
call to your home was made from a COCOT, chances are likely it went
through an Alternate Operator Service. Many of those services in turn
use Integretel to handle their billings. They do not, to the best of
my knowledge, use the database AT&T, Sprint and MCI use with reference
to phone lines with 'billed number screening'. But they do have their
own such database and will add any phone number to it on request. PAT]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 7 Sep 93 04:32 EDT
From: ae446@freenet.carleton.ca (Nigel Allen)
Subject: AT&T Adapts Military Fiber Optic Cable For Mining Use
Organization: The National Capital Freenet, Ottawa
Here is a press release from AT&T.
For more information, contact Bill Jones
919-279-6511 (office)
919-852-3196 (home)
AT&T ADAPTS MILITARY FIBER OPTIC CABLE FOR MINING USE
GREENSBORO, N.C. -- The AT&T fiber optic cable assemblies that
earned their stripes controlling Patriot missile batteries during
Desert Storm are now available to meet the voice, video and data
communications requirements of commercial underground mining.
"We believe our Tactical Fiber Optic Cable Assemblies (TFOCAs)
are extremely well suited to harsh mining environments because they
are designed to keep the U.S. military's communica- tions flowing
under battlefield conditions," said AT&T Marketing Manager Al Konchar.
TFOCAs are ruggedized, light-weight, non-metallic and difficult
to damage even if run over by trucks and other heavy equipment. And
they feature weather-proof, damage resistant connectors.
Extremely strong and capable of supporting their own weight, AT&T
TFOCAs can be pulled into mines without fear of breakage. AT&T TFOCAs
are available in standard 300-meter and one-kilometer lengths,
although other lengths can be supplied.
"The AT&T TFOCA is the best solution for mining operations that
need a rugged, highly reliable means of transmitting voice, video and
sensor signals from automated underground equipment to central
monitoring and control facilities" Konchar said.
For more information about AT&T's Tactical Fiber Optic Cable
Assemblies, call 1-800-553-8805.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 7 Sep 93 03:46 EDT
From: ae446@freenet.carleton.ca (Nigel Allen)
Subject: New Asia-Pacific Cable Opens for Service
Organization: The National Capital Freenet, Ottawa
I downloaded the following AT&T press release from AT*T News On-Line
(+1-908-221-8088, settings: 7-E-1, just type "go news" when you see
the prompt).
I don't know what other companies own part of the new cable system:
probably the national telecommunications companies of the countries
connected by the cable, and perhaps Teleglobe Canada, Cable and
Wireless, MCI and Sprint.
For more information, contact:
James Barnes
201-644-7041 (office)
908-382-5254 (home)
SERVICE BEGINS ON $332-MILLION ASIA-PACIFIC FIBER-OPTIC CABLE
NEW YORK -- Tomorrow at 8:01 p.m. EDT, AT&T along with 42 other
international carriers will activate service on a new undersea
fiber-optic cable system linking Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong,
Taiwan and Japan.
AT&T, largest U.S. stakeholder in the new Asia-Pacific cable
(APC), said the US$332 million cable system spans 4,650 miles, and
raises the number of undersea fiber-optic systems in the Pacific Rim
to six.
The other systems include cables linking mainland U.S. and
Hawaii; Guam, the Phillipines and Taiwan; Hawaii, Guam and Japan;
Canada, the U.S. and Japan; and Hawaii Japan and Korea.
"This link gives us route diversity into all countries in
southeast Asia and the north Pacfic Rim while providing our customers
with high-quality cable-on-cable restoration in the re- gion," said
Charles D. Hogan, director of facilities planning and agreements for
AT&T's international services operations in the Pacific Region.
APC was designed to carry 560 million bits of information per
second -- equivalent to 80,000 simultaneous telephone conversations --
over one working pair of optical fiber and one spare pair.
The system was built by a consortium of cable suppliers in-
cluding AT&T Submarine Systems, Inc., which won a US$73 million
contract to supply repeaters, terminals and 2,114 miles of fiber optic
cable -- roughly equivalent to the length of The Great Wall of China.
AT&T leads in the ownership of undersea communications cable
systems worldwide, Hogan noted, with a US$ 1.3 billion investment in
systems throughout the Pacific region alone.
------------------------------
From: Eric.Vyncke@csl.sni.be (Eric Vyncke)
Subject: Data Transmission on Cable TV?
Date: Tue, 7 Sep 1993 10:53:41
Organization: Siemens Nixdorf Information
Is there any standard/product available to allow data transmission
over a bi-directionnal analog cable TV network?
Please email your answers to Manu Khronis, khronis@nrb.be
Thanks,
Eric Vyncke, Project Leader, Postmaster and IP Admin ;-)
Siemens Nixdorf - Centre Software de Liege
Rue des Fories, 2 B-4020 Liege, Belgium
email: vyncke@csl.sni.be fax: +32.41.201.642 tel: +32.41.201.654
X.400: C=be;A=rtt;P=sni;O=siemens;nixdorf;OU1=liege;OU2=l1;OU3=d1;OU4=csl;
G=Eric;S=Vyncke
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 7 Sep 93 09:28:12 EDT
From: Thomas Lapp <thomas%mvac23.uucp@udel.edu>
Subject: Durham, NC Hotel Experience
This past holiday weekend, I stayed at a hotel near Durham, NC. I
wanted to call a friend near Carborro (south of Chapel Hill), but
didn't know the number. The room phone book didn't cover that area,
so I had to call info for it. I began to realize that one almost
needs a telecom degree in order to figure some of this stuff out!
In order to avoid hotel charges, I decided to try first from the pay
phone (BellSouth). As printed on the phone, I tried dialing
1-555-1212 but got a recording saying I couldn't be connected. So,
insert $0.25 and try again. Same thing. But then my coin never came
back. Grrr.
Back to the hotel room. According to the phone, Sprint was default
carrier, but it looked like you could get to others via 1-800 numbers
printed there. Prefix by '8' and get long-distance. Prefix by '9' to
get local. I tried 8-1-555-1212 and got recording. They said dial
1-800-950-1022 to get MCI (my calling card), so instead I tried local
9-950-1022 which worked. However, I found out my calling card number
has been revoked (another story dealing with recent addition of second
number to my home phone). Grrr.
Well, the phone said local operator was 8-00, so I hit that. I asked
for information and she said to dial 611! (I thought 611 was
universal for telephone repair!!??). Dialed 8-611 and finally got
information operator. Turned out I spelled the last name incorrectly
and never did get the number I wanted. Grrr.
In the end, I figured that I would be charged a LOT for all these
calls from my room. When the bill came there WERE NO PHONE CHARGES AT
ALL! Hats off to Red Roof Inn on 15-501 for at least being reasonable
about telephone service for us captive guests.
tom
internet : mvac23!thomas@udel.edu or thomas%mvac23@udel.edu (home)
Location : Newark, DE, USA
[Moderator's Note: Not all hotels and motels are as good-natured or
reasonable. Another message in this issue makes a complaint we often
hear about hotel phone service. PAT]
------------------------------
From: Joe.Bergstein@p501.f544.n109.z1.fidonet.org (Joe Bergstein)
Date: Tue, 07 Sep 1993 11:19:14 -0500
Subject: GTE Layoffs
Reported in Business Section of Saturday 9/3 {Washington Post}:
"GTE local telephone company said it will eliminate 2,500 jobs as part
of a restructuring. Most of the staff cuts at GTE Telephone
Operations, headquartered in Irving, Tex., will come from eliminating
positions left vacant following the early retirement and vuluntary
separation programs completed earlier this year, the company said.
About 1,000 of the cuts will come from currently staffed positions."
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 7 Sep 93 03:17:41 PDT
From: Thomas Hutton <hutton@SDSC.EDU>
Subject: Who Can One Complain to About Hotel Phone Systems
On a recent trip to San Francisco, my hotel bill from the San
Francisco Regis hotel showed several long distance charges for phone
numbers that the local exchange carrier (Pacific Bell) considers to be
in the local (ZUM 1) calling area. The hotel is claiming these are
long distance because its a different area code (510 vrs 415) but
PacBell says standard local call. Who can one complain to (and have
something done) about this? I've tried the CPUC but they state they
have no control over hotels.
Thanks,
Tom Hutton SDSC
[Moderator's Note: The PUC has no control over how the owner of a
private phone system wishes to operate it. The FCC has some rules. You
are best off writing the hotel management and complaining to them, but
don't expect that to get you very far either. You are better off trying
to avoid hotel phone systems as much as possible by using calling cards
and payphones. One calling card which I represent is the Orange Card;
it has no surcharges associated with it and rates of 25 cents per minute.
You can use it from any phone which can dial an 800 number, and thus
far hotels have not yet added it to their database of '800 numbers
which are really long distance services we can surcharge'. PAT]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 7 Sep 93 02:13:47 -0400
From: smithray@dekalb.dc.peachnet.edu (rayla smith)
Subject: Dialogic Help Needed
I am looking for C libs, samples, and header files for the Dialogic
voicemail cards. Any suggestions?
[Moderator's Note: I was in the same position as yourself. A Dialogic
Card without an ounce of support for it. No idea how to interface the
driver with DOS, etc. After explaining my circumstances to the people
at Dialogic Corporation, they sent me a large (200 pages) technical
guide to the D/4x; the User's Guide version 2.40. A lot of C routines
are there and other stuff. I don't know that they are willing to give
it away to everyone -- but you can ask them if they might sell you a
copy. Dialogic Corp. is at 201-334-8450, Fax 201-334-1257. Speak with
Bob Kelly, Sales Engineer. You can mention you were referred by me. PAT]
------------------------------
From: sanjai@ctd.comsat.com (Sanjai Bhargava)
Subject: Serial <-> Parallel Converters For Fiber Optics
Date: 07 Sep 1993 13:02:40 GMT
Organization: COMSAT Labs
What ICs or hardware is available to convert parallel data to serial
data for fiber optics?
Assumptions and background:
Fiber optics communications is essentially serial at extremely high
bit rates ( > 1Gbits/sec ). So how do people interface the lower speed
hardware (say a computer) to fiber-optics? MUXs, parallel to serial
converters, etc. Are there any other options?
E-mail preferred. I will summarize.
Thanks,
Sanjai Bhargava
COMSAT Labs
(301)-428-4502 (phone) 22300 Comsat Drive
(301)-428-9287 (FAX) Clarksburg, MD 20871
e-mail: sanjai@ctd.comsat.com
------------------------------
From: tom@ulysses.att.com (Tom Smith)
Subject: Answering Machine That Calls Pager?
Date: Tue, 7 Sep 1993 06:50:50 GMT
Organization: AT&T Consumer Laboratory
Can anyone tell me makes or models of answering machines that will
place a call to a pager to alert me that I have a message?
Thanks,
Tom Smith tom@ulysses.att.com
------------------------------
From: malodah@srv.pacbell.com (Martin Lodahl)
Subject: "Number Referral" Recordings: Whose Responsibility?
Date: 7 Sep 93 06:04:35 GMT
Organization: Pacific * Bell
This is going to look like a damn funny question, considering where
it's coming from, but I've had no luck trying to get it solved either
as a customer or internally.
My home phone number is different by one digit (8xx-xxxx vs. 3xx-xxxx)
from the internal directory assistance number for what must be one of
the largest telephone accounts in the USA. This massive customer is
in the middle of a phased series of number migrations, cutting
thousands of lines at a time. When an old number is cut dead a
garbled referral recording answers, and appears to give MY HOME PHONE
NUMBER as the referral number. When there's a cut, we usually get
thousands of calls the following Monday, and at least one a day the
rest of the time.
Telco says the recording belongs to the customer, and the customer
says the recording belongs to telco. Of course. I have noticed
through several iterations of this that when I track down marketing
people responsible for an individual cut, I can get the recording
fixed for that particular exchange, but what I really need is to have
it fixed for _all_ exchanges, so this stops happening. Any suggestions?
Martin Lodahl Systems Analyst, Capacity Planning, Pacific*Bell
malodah@pacbell.com Sacramento, CA USA 916.972.4821
------------------------------
From: voravit@nwg.nectec.or.th (Voravit Euavatanakorn)
Subject: FDDI Over Copper - CDDI?
Date: 7 Sep 1993 00:59:15 +0700
Organization: Academic and research support host at NECTEC, Bangkok, THAILAND
I am interested in using FDDI over copper (CDDI?). I have read the FAQ
but need more information. Does anybody know if the draft spec is
available at an FTP site and if so where? Alternatively, would
someone be so kind to mail me some basic information on CDDI, such as:
- maximum number of stations - is it a dual couter-rotating ring (like
FDDI) - how similar is it to FDDI (i.e. is it *exactly* the same
except for the physical medium?) Mail is preferred, but I will check
this group as well.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Voravit Euavatanakorn voravit@nwg.nectec.or.th
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 7 Sep 93 10:30:11 EDT
From: Carl Moore <cmoore@BRL.MIL>
Subject: N0X Area Codes - Which Are the Newer Ones?
The history.of.area.splits file asks the question about what would be
a long-obsolete rule for area codes:
N0X used for a state or province having only one area code
N1X " " " " " " " 2 or more area codes
The file then suggests that some very splits may never have been
announced to the public because of direct-dial not yet existing, or
they never occurred at all. So I decided to examine the N0X area
codes and try listing those which might be newer (i.e. appearing in a
state or province having two or more area codes). For this category, I
notice that I can break out the NOX having the high last digits
(except for 709,808,809,907). Try these:
209 (one of several areas in California)
308 (Nebraska, which also has 402)
309 (one of several areas in Illinois)
407 (came into use in 1988)
408 (came into use in 1960)
409 (came into use in 1983)
507 (one of three areas in Minnesota)
508 (came into use in 1988)
509 (Washington state, which also has 206)
606 (Kentucky, which also has 502)
607 (one of several areas in N.Y. state)
608 (one of three areas in Wisconsin)
609 (came into use in late 1950s?)
705 (part of Ontario)
706 (now serves part of Georgia)
707 (one of several areas in California)
708 (came into use in 1989)
(709 is Newfoundland, which joined Canadian federation late;
when in relation to introduction of area codes?)
804 (came into use in 1973)
805 (one of several areas in California)
806 (one of several areas in Texas)
807 (western Ontario)
808 and 809 are used by Hawaii and the Caribbean area)
903 (now serves part of Texas)
904 (came into use in 1965)
905 (soon to serve part of Ontario)
906 (came into use in early 1960s)
(907 is Alaska)
908 (came into use in 1991)
909 (came into use in 1992)
------------------------------
From: inhydra!kessler@inuxs.UUCP
Subject: Need Low Cost Cellular Phone With POTS Interface
Date: Tue, 7 Sep 93 9:03:40 EST
I am looking for a low cost cellular phone with a POTS tip-ring
interface. Any recommendations would be appreciated.
William K. Kessler Voice: +1 317 845 6193
AT&T Bell Labs FAX: +1 317 845 3863
att!inuxs!kessler or w.k.kessler@att.com
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 7 Sep 93 14:53 CDT
From: jdb@hobbes.sat.datapoint.com (Jeff Browning)
Subject: DTMF Decoder Cards
Hi,
Does anybody out there know of a PC plug-in-card which accepts analog
DTMF tones and decodes them for the PC?
Or, alternatively, an external 'black box' which accepts DTMF tones
and converts them to serial RS-232?
I have some applications which need such a device, and I don't want to
produce them. Black Box Corp. used to make them, but they are not on
their current catalogs.
Thanks,
Jeff Browning jdb@sat.datapoint.com
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V13 #631
******************************
From telecom Wed Sep 8 10:44:04 1993
Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA10875
(5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecom@eecs.nwu.edu); Wed, 8 Sep 1993 10:44:04 -0500
Date: Wed, 8 Sep 1993 10:44:04 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom>
Message-Id: <199309081544.AA10875@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #632
Status: RO
TELECOM Digest Wed, 8 Sep 93 10:44:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 632
Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson
Notes on True Voice Demo (Eric N. Florack)
Spread Spectrum Background and History (Dan Osborn)
Allen Wants Local Competition (AT&T Press Release via Andrew B. Myers)
MCI From Italy to Canada - Worked! (Alfredo Cotroneo)
Tap Off a 1A2 Set? (Ken Reinert)
U.S. Coast Guard Ends Radiotelegraph Distress System (Dave Leibold)
High Voice Mailbox Fees (w.hefner@genie.geis.com)
Acoustic Coupling of DTMF (David Josephson)
AT&T Internet Connection (Gregory Youngblood)
Re: The One True Dialing Plan (Al Varney)
Re: The One True Dialing Plan (John R. Levine)
Re: DTMF Decoder Cards (lomker@delphi.com)
Re: DTMF Decoder Cards (Gary Breuckman)
Information Wanted on DS-0 Interface (Anant Ghotkar)
Reverse Number Trace Needed in Australia (David Taylor)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 8 Sep 1993 04:59:02 -0700
From: Eric_N._Florack.cru-mc@xerox.com
Subject: Notes on True Voice Demo
While my own testing on TruVoice was not nearly as complex or complete
as what malcolm@apple.com released here the other day, my own testing
tends to confirm the findings as posted ... so far as they go. Thanks
to the folks there who compiled that report. However, I have a few
notes of my own to add:
> The filtering appears to be stationary. The demo over the phone turns
> the filtering on gradually, but after a second there appears to be no
> change in the filter's characteristics. The analysis described above
> was performed over several subsections of the data and there was no
> visible change in the filter's characteristics.
Agreed. This tends to imply that there is no spectral limiting on the
line itself, an old broadcaster's trick.
> 0-100 Hz Not much change.
> 100-300Hz A broad gain of 13.7 dB, 3dB Q is 1.5
> 120Hz About a 1dB dip in the gain
> 180Hz Narrow band reject down to 1.5 dB, 3dB Q is 18
> 300-4kHz 4dB extra gain with a .5dB ripple
This curve tends to suggest they gave some thought to the mid-bass mud
I suggested would cause problems ... but by my own ear, not nearly
enough to eliminate the added HD.
To my ear, (I spent several years in a broadcast studio, and am a
professional DJ in my other job, today) the 'before' part of the demo
seemed to be a LOT narrower than average speech on normal LD lines. I
suggest that AT&T has fudged the 'before' settings to the narrow side
to make their 'change' more dramatic.
Personally, I'd be interested in seeing the diff between a normal LD
conversation on AT&T and the other carriers, as compared to the demo.
I'm willing to bet the 'narrow' part of their demo is a lot narrower
than real phone calls ... even without TRUEVOICE.
I also note that the demo recording was very obviiously made in a
recording studio, with low distortion mikes ... and some split-
spectral level-limiting/processing was on the original recordings
used for the intro (Tom 'it;s all part of the I-plan' Heartthrob), and
the demo itself.
The processing sounded an awful lot like an old ORBAN OPTIMOD proc
stack I used to use at an AM station I worked for. The signal waveform
looked as if the original (if not the online signal) had also been
subjected to a 'smart clipper'. The waveforms had been rounded off
somewhat after the fact, perhaps by the LD connection itself, but
showed unmistakable signs of having been 'soft-clipped' prior to being
fed to the phone line ... which again would suggest a Bob Orban type
processor. I have to question how that the system will sound without
all the sweetening/peak-crushing added in.
I would further suggest that the 'louder' sound was not EQ alone ...
it was being processed.
Therefore, how that demo translates to real life is questionable at best.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 08 Sep 93 10:05:35 EST
From: dosborn@Internet.cnmw.com
Subject: Spread Spectrum Background and History
Pat - I've been following the discussions of 900MHz (Spread Spectrum)
phones for about the past month. I'd like to contribute some
information and history about Spread Spectrum (SS) communications
There are two major families of Spread Spectrum (SS) communications:
direct sequence and frequency hopping. Both methods "spread" the
transmitted energy over a wide band, to provide greater security and
"jamming" resistance. For direct sequence SS the signal itself is
"multiplied" by a noise-like (pseudo-random) signal to give it a wide,
low level spectrum. For frequency hopping SS, the carrier frequency
is rapidly changed in a pseudo-random manner. While at any one
moment, the signal stills looks "narrow band", over time it is spread
over a wide band. In essence, for direct sequence SS, the signal is
modulated with pseudo-noise; for frequency hopping SS, the carrier is
modulated with pseudo-noise.
Direct Sequence SS is a newer (50's) technology than Frequency Hopping
(40's). However, FH has a much more colorful past. In mid 1941 an
application for a Frequency Hopping patent was filed by Hedy K. Markey
and George Antheil. Antheil was a well known symphony composer. Hedy
Markey is known to us today has the screen actress Hedy Lamarr! In
Austria, she was married to munitions-magnate Friedrich A. Mandl.
There, she had witness the problems her husband and factory managers
had with getting their "unguided" torpedoes to hit evasive targets.
She left Austria and her husband in 1938, to come to America under a
sever year contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Once in America, she
sought out Antheil, and the two of them developed a radio-control
scheme in which the transmitted carrier frequency would jump around in
a random-like manner. A torpedo carrying a properly synchronized
receiver could thereby be secretly guided to its target.
Their system used slotted paper rolls like those used in player pianos
to control the frequency hopping. This relied upon past Antheil's
musical experience. In the 1920's, he had been able to precisely
synchronize multiple player pianos for a ballet. In their patent they
point out that 88 frequencies could easily be accommodated -- same
number as keys on a piano.
More information on the history of spread spectrum communications is
available in the IEEE book "Spread-Spectrum Communications" from which
I stole most of the above information.
I believe the current interest in spread spectrum is fueled by both
security and range issues. The FCC has allowed higher transmission
power levels in the 900 MHz band if the signal is SS. More power
translates into greater range, which along with security is one of the
greatest limitations of the current 46/49 MHz cordless telephones.
The Cobra/Escort phones use direct sequence SS, while the AT&T phone
is reported to use a frequency hopping SS method.
<Standard disclaimer about my employer having nothing to do with this.>
Dan Osborn * dosborn@cinmw.internet.com * (513) 247-4623 * FAX: (513) 489-0819
Cincinnati Microwave Inc. * One Microwave Plaza * Cincinnati, OH 45249-9502
------------------------------
From: abmyers@attmail.com (Andrew B Myers)
Date: 8 Sep 93 12:09:56 GMT
Subject: Allen Wants Local Competition
AT&T CHAIRMAN SAYS COMPETITION IN LOCAL PHONE SERVICE WOULD BENEFIT
AMERICAN PUBLIC
WASHINGTON -- AT&T Board Chairman Robert E. Allen, testifying on
legislation to update national communications policies, today told the
Senate the time has come to see if the benefits of competition can be
introduced in the local telephone business.
Allen, appearing at a hearing of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee
on Communications, endorsed a proposal (S.1086) that he said would
"provide the freedom and incentives" for new companies to enter the
local telephone market.
Competition in the long distance market has meant wider choices,
more innovation, higher quality and lower prices for consumers, he
said. But he added the local telephone market still lacks competition
and choice.
"Virtually every person in this country must answer 'no' to the
following questions," said Allen. "Do you have a choice of companies
for local telephone service? Can you switch to another company to get
better service or better prices?"
He contrasted this with the long distance market, where 16
million consumers switched long distance carriers in 1992; where nine
or more companies offer service in 45 states, 81 companies offer
service in four states -- and customers in every state can choose
among several companies.
Allen corrected some misperceptions about cellular calling and
the proposed merger of AT&T and McCaw Cellular Communications. He
said 99 percent of all cellular calls go through the local telephone
company facilities and only a tiny fraction -- mostly calls between
cars within a cell -- avoid the bottleneck.
"In short, without the telephone company," he said, "there's
virtually no cellular service. So, people who claim that the
AT&T/McCaw merger would cut out the phone companies don't know what
they're talking about. It's not true today. And it won't be true for
the foreseeable future."
AT&T, he said, has no designs on getting back into the local
telephone market. "But the local telephone companies want to get into
long distance, even though they are still monopolies and control
access to the customer."
"When real competition breaks the (Bell company) bottleneck,
concerns about monopoly abuse should end, and the (Bell companies)
should be free to enter the long distance market," Allen said.
# # #
CONTACTS: Herb Linnen, 202-457-3933 (Linnen@ATTMAIL.COM)
Jim McGann, 202-457-3942 (James.McGann@ATT.COM)
------------------------------
From: A.Cotroneo@it12.bull.it (Alfredo Cotroneo)
Subject: MCI From Italy to Canada - Worked!
Date: 8 Sep 1993 08:46:01 -0500
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway
Something strange happened the other night when I tried calling a
number in Canada from Italy with my MCI card (you know how you call
toll free the US and the operator connect your call manually. BTW MCI
does not charge more for person to person, while AT&T does. So you
always save money calling person to person, especially when you are
put on hold, or get an answering machine.)
Italy is still one of the few countries in the world where phones are
a State Monopoly, so MCIATTT/Sprint are not allowed to switch my calls
to any other destination than the USA.
Well, since the International Access code to Canada and USA is the
same (+1), I did not really knew from the area code that the number I
wanted to speak to was in Canada, neither the MCI operators
apparently. I got in fact thru three different MCI operators (I heard
them cliking heavily on their keyboard) who did not manage to connect
my call, apparently blocked by their computer, until a supervisor came
on line and completed my person-to-person paid call from Italy to
Canada via USA!
This is the first time I am successful, even though I did not know in
advance that the number was in Canada, but I had the suspicion when
they took so long to connect. Anybody had similiar experiences, or
know if that could be done easily in the future?
I am curious to see how much the call will be charged (same rates as
to USA?)
With best regards from Milano, Italy.
P.S. Pse email directly, since I do not get all feeds.
Alfredo E. Cotroneo, Bull HN Italia, I-20010 Pregnana MI, Italy
work: A.Cotroneo@it12.bull.it
personal: 100020.1013@compuserve.com
phone: +39-2-6779 8314 / 8427 | fax: +39-2-6779 8289
------------------------------
From: reinert@cs.odu.edu (Ken Reinert)
Subject: Tap Off a 1A2 Set?
Date: 8 Sep 1993 03:55:04 GMT
Organization: Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Va
I'm looking for a device that will allow a device (say, a fax machine)
to tap into one of the lines of a 1A2 set. I have one on hand; it
plugs in between the line and the phone at the 50-pin connector, and
it has an RJ-11 jack *along with a cord connected to a rotary switch*,
the switch having five positions: off-1-2-3-4. The basic thing is
similar to the "Line-1 tap" that Rat Shack sells, but this one allows
(obviously) the selection of which line to tap from. I don't have the
source for the existing do-hickey :(
Perhaps one of you folks out here in net.land could find something in
a catalog (like Hello Direct or what-not, since I can't find my copy.
Snap snarl growl grumble grumble.)
Replies by e-mail, please; I'll (probably) post a summary).
To all those who replied to my earlier request (way-back-when) about
the 1A2 pulse-dial intercom, thanks; sorry I never got to summarize
the replies for that, but the past two months have been an absolute
botch. (By the way, the conversion has been put on hold. It's for my
wife's office; she's part of the military machine, and the powers that
be have decided to do a base-wide phone survey to see who needs
what ... so now we'll probably be moving on before anything gets done
about it. Oh well.)
I ought to dig out the saved files and summarize, huh? Hmmm, maybe I
should.
Thanks,
Ken
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 8 Sep 1993 19:29:03 -0400
From: Dave.Leibold@f730.n250.z1.FIDONET.ORG (Dave Leibold)
Subject: U.S. Coast Guard Ends Radiotelegraph Distress System
From an {Associated Press} report, the U.S. Coast Guard's radio
telegraph distress system became obsolete in the wake of satellite
phone and radio-teletype ship operations. Thus, the 500 kHz distress
frequency was recently abandoned with the Morse Code message "Now
closing down continuous watch. Fair winds and following seas with 73s
[regards] from all of us."
Dave Leibold - via FidoNet node 1:250/98
INTERNET: Dave.Leibold@f730.n250.z1.FIDONET.ORG
------------------------------
From: w.hefner@genie.geis.com
Date: Wed, 8 Sep 93 14:07:00 BST
Subject: High Voice Mailbox Fees
I live in Northern California (Eureka to be exact) and just had my
Centrex system hooked-up yesterday. I was curious about possibly
getting voice-mailbox service from Pacific Bell and was quoted a price
of $ 19.95 a month. This seems to be considerably higher than what I
have heard other telcos charge. As a matter of fact I seem to remember
having read a note in the Digest from a subscriber in southern
Calififornia that was only being charged $9.95 for the same service.
I don't think that he specifically stated that he was connected to
Pacific Bell, or that he was a business customer, but I'd sure like to
know if I'm being charged a higher subscription rate for the same
service (from the same company) just because I live in a different
part of the state! Would it be legal for the local carrier to do this?
Since ONLY the local carrier can provide this service (automaticly
fowarding more than one call to a voice-mailbox service at the same
time when your phone is busy) shouldn't the price for this service be
regulated somehow?
Also I'm allowed up to 40 messages for $19.95 a month. Any more
than that and my price jumps to $40.00 a month. This sure seems like
=ALOT= more than people in other parts of the country are being
charged.
By the way, I was told by my Centrex rep that the entire voice-mailbox
system had to be totally overhauled recently because some phone
phreakers had figured out how to change people's outgoing messages and
delete their incoming messages. Now you have to call a totally
separate phone number (different than the number that the service is
connected to) to retrieve your messages. She said that this has
annoyed many subscribers because now they have to remember TWO
seperate phone numbers, plus their four to eight digit security code.
I wonder if having to have two seperate phone numbers (for each
subscriber) to get voice mailbox service is what I'm paying so much
extra money for?
------------------------------
From: davidj@rahul.net (David Josephson)
Subject: Acoustic Coupling of DTMF
Organization: a2i network
Date: Wed, 8 Sep 1993 02:24:11 GMT
Greetings,
It may seem misguided, but I'm involved with a project that requires
acoustic coupling of touch-tones to an ordinary telephone handset,
much like the Casio address book watches. Is there a spec for level,
twist, etc. for acoustically coupled tones? Can someone here provide
a pointer for the electrical spec for level and twist?
Thanks,
David Josephson <david@josephson.com>
------------------------------
Subject: AT&T Internet Connection
From: zeta@tcscs.com (Gregory Youngblood)
Date: Wed, 08 Sep 93 05:02:52 PDT
Organization: TCS Computer Systems
The following is the response I got to a request for information from
AT&T regarding their Internet services reached by dialing 950 1288 or
950 1ATT. I wish it was available NOW.
Does anyone know how to reach GMIS Marketing in AT&T? How about
trying to sign on as testers to get service now?
Thanks,
Greg
<answer follows from AT&T>
Thank you for your message and your interest in the recent
announcement from AT&T regarding Internet connectivity. We have been
overwhelmed with inquiries and are unable to answer every one
individually at this time.
The services that have been announced will be available during 1Q94.
In the interim, we will be providing more information that will soon
be available via email inquiry. Please look to COM.PRIV and the
InterNIC to see when more information is available.
AT&T
---------
The Complete Solution BBS | Allfiles List: | Anonymous UUCP Calls Accepted
707-459-9058 (24hrs, v.32) | ~/tcsbbs.lst | Login: nuucp Password: nuucp
Telemate Distribution Site | zeta@tcscs.com | Cellular Telephoney Groups
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 8 Sep 93 00:50:34 CDT
From: varney@ihlpe.att.com
Subject: Re: The One True Dialing Plan
Organization: AT&T
In article <telecom13.627.16@eecs.nwu.edu> 0005066432@MCIMAIL.COM
writes:
>> In article <telecom13.605.1@eecs.nwu.edu> elm@cs.berkeley.edu
>> writes:
>>> In article <telecom13.602.12@eecs.nwu.edu> goudreau@dg-rtp.dg.com
>>> Goudreau) writes:
>>>> I beg to differ. It seems to me that more places are using the
>>>> *real* One True Dialing Plan (OTDP), in which all long-distance
>>>> calls (intra-NPA included) are dialed with 11 digits, and only
>>>> local, intra-NPA calls can use seven-digit dialing.
....
>> So there are three kinds of calls, according to how you get
>> charged:
>> (1) local
>> (2) quasi-local quasi-long-distance (like Pac Bell's Zone 3)
>> (3) long distance
> We had this in Long Beach, California when I had service with General
> Telephone. Probably ten or more years ago, they eliminated the
> requirement to dial "1" for calls which were not local in the (then)
> 213 area code. This was done to allow NXX prefixes.
> It would have been nice if they had instituted something like what the
> Washington, DC area does: if the number is local to you and in your
> area code, you dial seven digits (or you may optionally dial the area
> code even though it is the same). If the number is local to you but
> outside your area code, you dial the area code plus seven digits. If
> it is long distance, even in the same area code, you dial 1 + area
> code + 7 digits, but even on a local call you can dial 1 + area code +
> seven digits and the call will still go through as an uncharged call.
This only works in DC because C&P and other TELCOs work very hard
to insure there are no (or minimal) overlaps in CO office code
assignments. I'm sure it is a monster they are sorry they let out of
the box, just to make the DC area seem more like a single-NPA area.
But it only works if you have a single point in a multi-NPA area to
focus upon. And it makes offering multiple levels of un-timed area
hard to deploy -- if you elect to save line charges by reducing your
free-calling area, does your dialing plan change? Even DC will have a
hard time continuing the practice as fewer and fewer NXXs are locked
out of the adjacent NPAs near DC.
I have seen Pacific Bell's notice (via Bellcore, IL-93/07-040)
that, effective Oct. 11, 1993, the following dialing procedures will
become PERMISSIVE -- and becore MANDATORY STATEWIDE (including GTE and
most other LECs) effective Oct. 10, 1994. This will make procedures
for NPAs 209, 408, 619, 707, 805 and 916 similar to the current
procedures for NPAs 213, 310, 415, 510, 714, 818 and 909.
{The new state-wide dialing plan for California}
Home NPA "local" and "toll" calls are 7-digit; NXX-XXXX.
Foreigh NPA calls must be dialed with prefix "1" and 10-digits;
1+NPA+NXX-XXXX.
Operator assisted calls, etc. will use prefix "0" and 10-digits;
0+NPA+NXX-XXXX.
Home NPA "local" and "toll" calls can also be dialed with prefix "1"
and 10-digits; 1+NPA+NXX-XXXX will work everywhere!!!!
The latter procedure will be available in all California NPAs.
Al Varney - my opinion only
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 7 Sep 93 23:36:48 -0400
From: johnl@ursa-major.spdcc.com (John R. Levine)
Subject: Re: The One True Dialing Plan
Reply-To: johnl@iecc.com
> "This call will cost 30 cents plus 15 cents per minute. Thank you
> for using AT&T.".
Maybe. With the billing plan I have:
"This call will cost about 12.5 cents per minute. If the total volume
of calls on your eight lines at five locations this month is up to
$25, the actual rate will be 12.5 cents/min. If the total volume is
up to $50, the rate will be 5% less. If the total volume is between
$50 and $100, it will be 10% less. If this is the most commonly called
number from your account, and a bunch of other conditions apply, a
different, lower "most" rate will apply. etc. etc."
(This is for my home phone, by the way.)
Regards,
John Levine, johnl@iecc.com
------------------------------
From: lomker@news.delphi.com (LOMKER@DELPHI.COM)
Subject: Re: DTMF Decoder Cards
Date: 8 Sep 1993 06:20:15 -0400
Organization: General Videotex Corporation
jdb@hobbes.sat.datapoint.com (Jeff Browning) writes:
> Does anybody out there know of a PC plug-in-card which accepts analog
> DTMF tones and decodes them for the PC?
A friend of mine has a box called a Smart-1. It send ASCII
via the serial port. I understand that Sprint used them to dial their
access code prior to Equal Access.
I've seen them advertised for $50, but I don't have contact
information on hand.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 8 Sep 93 05:58:21 -0700
From: puma@netcom.com (Gary Breuckman)
Subject: Re: DTMF Decoder Cards
In article <telecom13.631.17@eecs.nwu.edu> is written:
> Does anybody out there know of a PC plug-in-card which accepts analog
> DTMF tones and decodes them for the PC?
> Or, alternatively, an external 'black box' which accepts DTMF tones
> and converts them to serial RS-232?
> I have some applications which need such a device, and I don't want to
> produce them. Black Box Corp. used to make them, but they are not on
> their current catalogs.
Some modems will decode touchtone -- the only one I currently own that
I can verify does that is the USR dual standard, but there are
probably others. The dual standard is a bit expensive if you only
want to decode touchtone and aren't interested in the data features.
Some modems also include caller-id functionality, the two I've used
that do that are the Supra and the Practical Peripherals mini-tower.
Now, if you could find one that did both ...
The USR modem does take the line off-hook while it listens for
touchtones. If you're trying to monitor outgoing calls, this might be
a problem, you might need a circuit to couple the modem to the line
without loading it. If you're answering the line and taking digits,
this is likely just fine.
Some of the voice cards can also do what you want. The problem is
that the software usually supplied with many of these cards (Complete
PC and the National TY-IN board, specifically) does not allow YOU to
capture the touchtone -- the board accepts it and will do menu things,
but doesn't pass it on. You might be able to get a "developer's kit"
that would let you write software to do that. The WATSON board is
another example that I've talked with people about but have no
experience with. I understand it is more programmable in terms of the
software supplied -- the Complete and TY-IN boards come with
voice-mail type software that's all menu driven with no programming
"hooks" to play with.
puma@netcom.com
------------------------------
From: ghotkara@abraxas.com (Anant Ghotkar)
Subject: Information Wanted on DS-0 Interface
Date: Wed, 8 Sep 93 10:10:23 EDT
I am desperately looking for information on the DS-0 interface. Any
information or pointers to the info would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Anant Ghotkar
------------------------------
From: David Taylor <taylord@tartarus.uwa.edu.au>
Subject: Reverse Number Trace Needed in Australia
Date: Wed, 8 Sep 1993 13:23:14 +0800
Could someone out there please do a reverse call trace for me. (In the
Australia region). The number is +61-9-246-3491. I would like a name,
and possibly an address. If you can't do this trace, could you please
try to put me in contact with someone in Oz who can.
Thank you for your time.
David Taylor
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V13 #632
******************************
From telecom Wed Sep 8 12:02:04 1993
Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA04753
(5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecom@eecs.nwu.edu); Wed, 8 Sep 1993 12:02:04 -0500
Date: Wed, 8 Sep 1993 12:02:04 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom>
Message-Id: <199309081702.AA04753@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #633
Status: RO
TELECOM Digest Wed, 8 Sep 93 12:02:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 633
Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson
Open Telephony Systems Forum in UK, September 27 (David Hough)
Name Display on Caller-ID (Russell Morden)
Looking for Ma Bell's Early Charges (Glenn Woroch)
Book Review: "Introduction to Data Communications" by Gelber (Rob Slade)
Trying to Make Sense of it All :-) (Madeline Gonzalez)
Ohio University Job Opening (Jane Fraser)
X.500 Front End (Volker Rast)
My Experiences as a New Cellular Phone Owner (Timothy L. Kay)
Call Diverters: Where Can I Get One? (Richard Eppert)
Survey Assistance Needed (Vish Daita)
Simple Two Line Phone Wanted (Dave A. Bonney)
Number Neye-in? Number Neye-in? (Mike Pollock)
Recommendation Wanted For National Packet Network (Steve Lamont)
Information Wanted on CT2 (McKenzie & Associates/Bonnie Phelps)
Last Laugh! New Service From Pac-Bell (Clive Feather)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: dave@llondel.demon.co.uk (David Hough)
Subject: Open Telephony Systems Forum in UK, September 27
Date: Wed, 8 Sep 1993 12:05:27 +0000
[Moderator's Note: Passed along FYI. Write to them, not Mr. Hough. PAT]
OPEN TELEPHONY SYSTEMS
A Forum at Novell UK, Bracknell on the 27th September 1993
What is it?
Until now only proprietary interfaces have been available from PABX
and computer system manufacturers for Computer Supported
Telecommunications Applications (CSTA). This has constrained CSTA to
few large installations in specialist areas as independent software
vendors have not been prepared to develop applications for a closed
proprietary market.
The AT&T/Novell Application Programmers Interface (API) provides a
stable open interface and a large installed base to which independent
software vendors can develop and sell CSTA software.
Telecommunications manufacturers will implement PABX drivers to the
AT&T/Novell specifications such that applications developed to the
published API will operate on any PABX that conforms to the same
driver specification. The telecommunications market will at last be
open to third-party software developers.
Who should attend?
- Independent Software Vendors
- Novell VARs and Authorised Re-sellers
- IT & Telecommunications Consultants
- IT & Telecommunications Managers
- Telecommunications Dealers and Distributors
For a full agenda and further information contact Stewart Parkinson or
Jackie Sheppard at Interconnect Ltd on +44 865 883177 or fax on
+44 865 883199.
--------------
Dave
G4WRW @ GB7WRW.#41.GBR.EU AX25
dave@llondel.demon.co.uk Internet
g4wrw@g4wrw.ampr.org Amprnet
------------------------------
Subject: Name Display on Caller-ID
From: russell.morden@canrem.com (Russell Morden)
Date: Wed, 8 Sep 1993 10:02:00 -0400
Organization: CRS Online (Toronto, Ontario)
Bell Canada customers could soon benefit from a new optional feature
that would give them greater control over their incoming calls and
could help to further discourage annoying, harrassing or obscene phone
calls.
The feature, filed August 6, 1993 with the Canadian Radio-television
and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), will allow customers with
special display screens on their telephones to see the name as well as
the telephone number of people calling them.
There is a 75-cent charge for this service.
The name displayed would be the main listing that appears in the
telephone directory. The main listed names of customers subscribing
to non-published number service also would be displayed.
However, the system will only support a maximum of 15 characters per
name. Business names that are longer than 15 characters would be
shortened and/or abbreviated, e.g. The Toronto-Dominion Bank would
become Tor Dom Bank.
------------------------------
From: gworoch0@garnet.berkeley.edu
Subject: Looking for Ma Bell's Early Charges
Date: 8 Sep 1993 10:03:40 GMT
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
I am looking for information on what Ma Bell charged when she was
truly a monopoly, i.e., during the patent period 1876-1893. It was
called The American Bell Telephone Company at that time.
Any government or company documents that report charges for basic
local service would be appreciated. I have some figures for 1885 and
later, but not for the early years.
Thanks,
Glenn Woroch Dept. of Economics Univ. of California-Berkelely
gworoch0@garnet.berkeley.edu
[Moderator's Note: The rates then were disproportionatly higher than
now (or even in the early 1900's, assuming the value of the dollar now
and then, etc) but some of this can be attributed to the start up
expense of the new technology rather than taking advantage of a mono-
poly situation as such. It is a lot like the hand held calculators we
use now which cost $3.98 at Walmart. In 1965 those same units cost
about $200!! PAT]
------------------------------
Date: 8 Sep 93 13:39 -0600
From: Rob Slade <roberts@decus.arc.ab.ca>
Subject: Book Review: "Introduction to Data Communications" by Gelber
BKINTDCM.RVW 930803
CBM Books 101 Witmer Road PO Box 446
Horsham, PA 19044 215-957-4265 Fax: 215-957-1050
76702.1565@compuserve.com books@propress.com
"Introduction to Data Communications", Gelber, 1991, U$39
For no very good reason, I was looking forward to reading this book.
Four chapters into it, I was beginning to wonder if any purpose would
be served by reviewing it. Having finished it, I recommend the bulk
of the work as a comprehensive and lucid introduction to the subject,
though primarily practical only if you are dealing with IBM mainframes
and networks. The intelligent reader, even with no background, should
come away with a clear grasp of the concepts involved.
Gelber admits, in the preface, that most of the examples he is using
are drawn from the IBM (mainframe, one assumes) world. Initially,
this bias is clearly evident, even though he states that he is trying
to write a text, or just a book suitable for "anyone who desires a
comprehensive, basic introduction to data communications". From the
very first chapter, the philosophy, mindset and even diagrams of IBM
are evident in the work.
The introductory chapter will likely scare most away from the work.
The progression is disjointed and abrupt, and the illustrations make
no sense unless you already know the topic. (The one "basic"
illustration purports to show a relation between analog and digital
signals: in fact, it simply shows, as usual, that no art department
can generate a sine wave.) Chapter two, supposedly explaining network
planning, again assumes that "network capacity" requirements are
known, without any thought to explain how these might be determined.
Questions such as CPU size requirements and the need for "RJE" might
have been lifted wholesale from an IBM sales manual.
There are "review questions" at the end of every chapter. Many are
merely silly ("Data communications had its beginnings when Samuel
Morse did what?"), while others seem to misinterpret basic concepts of
the field. (The question, "What is the predominant transmission
method used today for data communications?" is answered with "Analog
transmission". In fact, since we haven't yet managed to harness
quantum mechanics for computing, no truly "digital" communications
device exists since the *world* is analog.)
Chapters three and four purport to cover "Communications Software" and
"Application Development". Again, very few concepts are detailed
here, and those which are deal with strictly IBM terminology.
(Question 3.5: "What does the term "conversational mode processing
describe?" Book answer: "The process of establishing and maintaining
a communications session until the user terminates the connection."
Can you say "interactive processing"? Can you say "real time"? I
knew you could.)
Part three, however, almost seems to be another book. Chapter five
deals clearly with bandwidth, duplex and synchronous carriers, and the
types of (data transmission only) services are lucidly described in
chapter six. Chapter seven discusses modulation of signals and
coding, and although the sine waves are no better, the explanations
are great. (I notice that Gelber, in common with all other data
communications instructors, "chickens out" when the topic turns to
"Trellis Coded Modulation".)
Part four, with chapters covering hardware links (the "physical
layer", mostly cabling), other data communications hardware
(multiplexers, bridges and the like), modems and hardware and
interfaces (mostly plugs) carries on in the same high standard. While
the ordering and organization of the material could be improved, the
descriptions and tutelary content are first rate. Part five, covering
regulation and standards, network configurations, network
architectures and protocols is, again, excellent, as is part six,
dealing with LANs, their repair and management.
The book ends with a brief look at the future. This seems to be
almost required of technical works today, but Gelber keeps it
mercifully short and generic.
The first two parts (and four chapters) definitely need to be replaced
with a more realistic introduction. While the remaining material in
the book is useful, clear, accurate and of a high standard, it could
also use some planning and reorganization, so that the reader knows
that there is a design at work. As it is, I would recommend that you
buy this book, rip out the first four chapters, and staple in your own
study guide to the remaining material. It is well worth the effort.
copyright Robert M. Slade, 1993 BKINTDCM.RVW 930803
Permission is granted to copy when retransmitted by TELECOM Digest and
affiliated mailing lists, newsgroups, etc.
Vancouver ROBERTS@decus.ca
Institute for Robert_Slade@sfu.ca
Research into rslade@cue.bc.ca
User p1@CyberStore.ca
Security Canada V7K 2G6
------------------------------
From: madeline@well.sf.ca.us (Madeline Gonzalez)
Subject: Trying to Make Sense of it All :-)
Organization: The Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link, Sausalito, CA
Date: Wed, 8 Sep 1993 13:46:57 GMT
I'm trying to get a better understanding of what these emerging
telecom standards are *about*: which type of network they're aimed at,
which organization is sponsoring their definition/implementation, what
the perceived benefits are of each, ... and *how they all fit
together*! Can anyone help me with the ones I've listed below, or
point me towards the right person or organization??
Below is an initial list ... maybe we could make this a "working
document", for the benefit of all of us! Please add any clarifying
details to hte following, and feel free to augment this list of
emerging standards, or suggest a better way to conceptually organize
them:
Emerging Networking Concepts Standards:
- ISDN (narrowband Integrated Services Digital Network)
- B-ISDN (Broadband Integrated Services Digital Network)
- ATM (Asynchronous Trasfer Mode)
- AIN (Advanced Intelligent Network)
- UPS (Universal Personal Service)
Emerging Physical Technology Standards:
Trunk networks:
- SONET (Synchronous Optical Network): 24-channel world
- SDH (Synchronous Digital Hierarchy): 30-channel world
Local loop:
- FITL, FTTC (Fiber in the Loop, Fiber to the Curb)
-FR (Frame Relay) ?
Emerging Network Management Standards:
- OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) Model: provide object-oriented way
of modeling telecom equipment and management processes
- TMN (Telecommunications Management Network): ?
Perhaps a whole separate posting could deal with the topic of "type of
network"! It'd be nice to come up with a way to conceptually view
modern networks and how they fit together ... how to categorize them;
i.e., based on protocol? Type of switching (packet, circuit, ..)?
long-distance trunks vs local loop? public/private nature? based on
what's being carried (voice, data, etc.)? or the media used to carry
it (metallic wire, fiber, air..)? Just got Quarterman's "The Matrix"
which does a really good job on the worldwide *computer* networks..
can anyone recommend a book or other literature that deals with *all*
nets? (I'm currently in a very small town in rural Colorado with no
timely access to a technical library ... but *can* mail-order, thank
God :-) )
Thanks!
Madeline madeline@well.sf.ca.us
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 07 Sep 1993 15:17:32 EDT
From: fraser@ccl2.eng.ohio-state.edu
Subject: Ohio University Job Opening
The J. Warren McClure School of Communication Systems Management at
Ohio University is seeking applicants for one, and possibly two,
tenure-track assistant/associate professor positions (rank dependent
upon qualifications).
This nationally recognized undergraduate program focuses on the design
and management of voice, data, and image telecommunications networks.
The program, in existence since 1981, was one of the first of its kind
in the nation, and prides itself on quality education and professional
involvement for faculty and students. A master's degree program is
being planned.
Candidates for the first position should be prepared to teach, and
pursue research in, common carrier regulation and policy; the ability
to teach voice/data telecommunication technology and/or management
would also be a plus. Candidates for the second position should be
able to teach, and pursue research in, new technologies, data
communications, or voice systems.
We seek candidates with a PhD in a pertinent area (public policy,
telecommunications, regulatory economics, engineering, management,
computer science); or with a Master's degree or other appropriate
terminal degree plus significant industry experience. Minimum salary
for a nine-month position is $36,000/$42,000; summer teaching is
possible. Ohio University provides a wide range of benefits,
including family educational benefits.
Desired starting date is March 1, 1994, or September 1, 1994,
depending upon availability of candidates. To assure consideration,
applications should be submitted on or before December 1, 1993. The
process will remain open until a candidate is selected.
Send letters of application, vitae, and have three letters of
reference sent to: Phyllis Bernt, Director, J. Warren McClure School
of Communication Systems Management, Room 197, 9 South College Street,
Ohio University, Athens, Ohio 45701.
Ohio University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
Women and minorities are encouraged to apply.
------------------------------
From: vrast@worldbank.org (Volker Rast)
Subject: X.500 Front End
Reply-To: vrast@worldbank.org
Organization: The World Bank
Date: Wed, 8 Sep 1993 11:40:00 GMT
We have X.500 servers running on Unix and Dec and are looking for a
front-end, i.e., User Agent, running on Unix, Windows, DOS or MAC. Any
information or help would be appreciated.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 7 Sep 1993 15:09:26 -0700
From: Timothy L. Kay <timkay@crl.com>
Subject: My Experiences as a New Cellular Phone Owner
Cellular phones are getting less expensive all the time ...
I am moving back to Los Angeles. I started searching for an apartment
and ran into the typical Catch 22. I call a number listed on the "For
Rent" sign only to get an answering machine. Of course, I had no home
phone, so I couldn't leave a number for them to return my call.
I happened to be in a discount store and saw an offer almost too good
to be true: a cellular phone (the original Motorola MC-750) for $75.
Also, if I sign up at the time of purchase, select L.A. Cellular, and
select the standard plan, they would give me an instant $25 rebate.
So the cellular phone cost me only $50 (plus tax). The standard plan
costs $50 to sign on, $45 per month, $.45/minute peak (7am-7pm), and
$.27/minute off peak.
The phone allowed me to find a nice apartment in half the time, so I
consider the total cost paid for, even if I discontinue service and
throw away the phone.
But I got hooked!
I really enjoyed the convenience of having a cellular phone. I made
some calls to see if I could get some kind of service at a reduced
rate. The first step was to have L.A. Cellular switch me from the
standard plan to the night-owl plan which is $25/month, $.90/minute
peak, and $.20/minute off peak. They normally charge $15 to switch,
but, as I was a new customer, they were willing to change me for free.
Although, I had to select the standard plan to qualify for the $25
rebate, no mention was made of that when they offered to switch me.
Furthermore, I had bought the phone at the end of the month, so the
charged me pro rata for the rest of the months ($4.50), and were
willing to change my rate effective the beginning of the next month.
I never had to pay for a single month at the standard plan rate. Such
a deal.
Then I talked to PacTel Cellular in San Diego. They have a plan which
costs $20/month, and $.74 peak $.19 off peak/minute. However, if I
make the calls from/to L.A., the L.A. roaming rate of $.60 applies at
all times. This seems like the best arrangement, so I might make the
change. This plan is perfect for people who have a cellular phone
only for emergencies. There is a $40 connect charge in San Diego.
Now that I have the phone, I need to get some accessories, such as
spare batteries and a rapid charger. Can anybody recommend a good
mail order shop?
Tim Kay
------------------------------
Subject: Call Diverters: Where Can I Get One?
From: reppert@indiana.edu (Richard Eppert)
Date: 8 Sep 93 10:48:12 -0500
Organization: Indiana University
Does anyone know where I can get a call diverter? I want a device that
answers an incoming line and then will divert to a another line.
Thanks,
Richard Eppert (reppert@indiana.edu)
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 8 Sep 1993 17:10:16 -0500
From: vish@orcs.bus.okstate.edu (Vish Daita)
Subject: Survey Assistance Needed
Oklahoma State University is in the process of developing a new
graduate course in Telecommunications Management. We need to conduct an
extensive survey of the industry and university experts to determine
what the course should offer to new students. It would be of immense
help to all of us here if we can obtain opinions on this subject.
If anyone is interested in filling out a survey questionnaire I can
mail them a hard-copy. My email address is vish@orcs.bus.okstate.edu.
Thanking you,
Sincerely,
Vish Daita MBA Program - Oklahoma State University
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 8 Sep 93 00:41 PDT
From: dab@speedway.net
Subject: Simple Two Line Phone Wanted
I'm looking for a basic two line telephone, with 'simple' features:
What I want:
Desk telephone with two lines. (or even three lines?)
'Line in Use' / 'Ringing Line' indication. (an LED)
Electronic Hold with Hold Indication. (a blinking LED)
Automatic Hold Release for when the call is picked up elsewhere.
Solid Construction.
Simple to use. (To be used by temporary staff and visitors to school)
Optional / Would like to have: (although not required)
'TAP' button capability. (Sometimes labeled 'FLASH' or 'ACCESS' etc.)
Timed Disconnect. (Usual in conjunction with the TAP capability.)
Last Number Redial.
Do *NOT* need or want:
Multi Buttoned Speed Dial capability. <-
Speaker Phone capabilities. <- ALL NO-NO's
Batteries that have to be changed. <-
Does such a beast exist? All I've found locally are 'consumerist'
phones with speed dial buttons to confuse the poor user. Manufacturer
and Model Number would be appreciated. I need three to six or so.
A summary of the replies I've received to date:
- - - - -
From: Carl Oppedahl
Sorry, the ones I have that meet your requirements also have the speed
dialer and the speaker phone. But anyway, Panasonic has a number of
multiline phones and you ought to be able to find one you like in
their product line.
[ Many styles, but all that I've found have speed-dial buttons... DAB ]
- - - - -
From: Eliot Moore
Closest beastie I can think of is last year's Southwestern Bell
Freedom Phone, the two-line wall phone model. You may have to look to
find 'em, but it had two lines, flash, hold, and little else.
[ As I said, I've been looking... and looking... and looking... DAB ]
...
Beware the Panasonic phones. Quality is slipping - lousy buttons,
cheap plastic construction, poor audio, etc.
[ So noted. DAB ]
- - - - -
From: Moe Knight / Kai Schlichting
Radio Shack makes a phone fitting your MINIMUM description. Sells for
about $40 and has two line buttons, a hold button, a last number
redial. Sends tone or pulse dialing. LED for call on hold or line
ringing (solid light or flashing, respectively). Requires no
batteries ... runs off the line voltage.
[ Rat-Shack usually fails the 'Solid Construction' test. And anyway,
it seems to be a discontinued model. :-( DAB ]
- - - - -
Any further leads would be greatly appreciated. Please - Model numbers
if you have them.
Regards,
Dave Bonney Internet: <d.bonney@ieee.org> or MCI Mail: 422-4552
------------------------------
From: Mike.Pollock@p19.f228.n2613.z1.fidonet.org (Mike Pollock)
Date: Tue, 07 Sep 1993 16:45:04 -0500
Subject: Number Neye-in? Number Neye-in?
Mike McClintock, on his weekly network radio show, was wondering how
operators came up with their stereotypical way of pronouncing the
numeral 9 as "neye-in."
I thought about it for a moment and concluded that, of all the digits
an operator might need to pronounce (i.e. zero, one, two, three, four,
five, six, seven, eight and nine) all have distinct vowel sounds
except five and nine. On a scratchy old telephone line, five and nine
could be confused, so operators added a syllable to "neye-in" to
distinguish the two. Thus an exchange of 555 and 595 wouldn't be
confused by the caller.
Does this have any basis in fact, or is there a better reason?
Thanks!
Mike
------------------------------
From: smlamont@hebron.connected.com (Steve Lamont)
Subject: Recommendation Wanted For National Packet Network
Date: Wed, 8 Sep 1993 10:44:41 -0700
Organization: Connected INC -- Internet Services
I use a commercial Internet service in Seattle, but it costs a lot to
dial in when I travel. Can anyone recommend a national packet network
that will help me save money? Does it require any special interface
with my own Internet service (a real drawback)? What does it cost?
How can I contact them?
Thanks for the help.
Steven Lamont smlamont@hebron.connected.com
------------------------------
From: bphelps@cscns.com (McKenzie & Associates/Bonnie Phelps)
Subject: Information Wanted on CT2
Organization: Community_News_Service
Date: Wed, 8 Sep 1993 12:49:32 GMT
Does anyone have any information about CT2 (voice-paging) from
Motorola, or does anyone know of any specific archived data somewhere
out there in cyberspace? Any assistance will be appreciated.
Thanks.
------------------------------
From: clive@x.co.uk (Clive Feather)
Subject: Last Laugh! New PacBell Offering
Date: Wed, 8 Sep 93 14:14:54 BST
Pat, this appeared on uk.telecom this morning, apparently reposted
from rec.humor.funny:
Are you bothered by crank callers? Harrased by phone salesmen? Do people
who won't leave messages on your answering machine really annoy you? Pacific
Bell is proud to annouce the newest member of its call services family: call
revenge. For just $5 per month you can dial a special code that will send a
1000V charge to the last phone number that called you. A special 10,000V
charge is available for an additional per-use charge.
Pacific Bell
Because good enough isn't (profitable enough)
Clive D.W. Feather IXI Ltd (an SCO company)
clive@x.co.uk Vision Park
Phone: +44 223 236 555 Cambridge CB4 4ZR
Fax: +44 223 236 466 United Kingdom
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V13 #633
******************************
From telecom Wed Sep 8 13:07:51 1993
Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA09342
(5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecom@eecs.nwu.edu); Wed, 8 Sep 1993 13:07:51 -0500
Date: Wed, 8 Sep 1993 13:07:51 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom>
Message-Id: <199309081807.AA09342@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #634
Status: RO
TELECOM Digest Wed, 8 Sep 93 13:07:30 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 634
Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson
Re: Who Can One Complain to About Hotel Phone Systems (Carl Oppedahl)
Re: Who Can One Complain to About Hotel Phone Systems (Dave O'Shea)
Re: Who Can One Complain to About Hotel Phone Systems (David Leibold)
Re: Answering Machine That Calls Pager? (Bob Gettys)
Re: Answering Machine That Calls Pager? (Eric Thompson)
Re: Answering Machine That Calls Pager? (Koos de Heer)
Re: Answering Machine That Calls Pager? (Carl Oppedahl)
Re: Durham, NC Hotel Experience (Alan Boritz)
Re: Durham, NC Hotel Experience (Carl Moore)
Re: The One True Dialing Plan (Tony Harminc)
Re: The One True Dialing Plan (Andy Sherman)
Re: 57.6kb CCIT Standard? (Toby Nixon)
Re: DTMF Decoder Cards (Mark Earle)
Re: FDDI Over Copper - CDDI? (Lars J|rgen Poulsen)
Re: Notes on True Voice Demo (David G. Lewis)
Re: Credit Card Validation (Lee Sweet)
Re: Just What Does Integretel Do? (H. Shrikumar)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: oppedahl@panix.com (Carl Oppedahl)
Subject: Re: Who Can One Complain to About Hotel Phone Systems
Date: 8 Sep 1993 10:44:38 -0400
Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC
In <telecom13.631.9@eecs.nwu.edu> Thomas Hutton <hutton@SDSC.EDU>
writes:
> On a recent trip to San Francisco, my hotel bill from the San
> Francisco Regis hotel showed several long distance charges for phone
> numbers that the local exchange carrier (Pacific Bell) considers to be
> in the local (ZUM 1) calling area. The hotel is claiming these are
> long distance because its a different area code (510 vrs 415) but
> PacBell says standard local call. Who can one complain to (and have
> something done) about this? I've tried the CPUC but they state they
> have no control over hotels.
> [Moderator's Note: The PUC has no control over how the owner of a
> private phone system wishes to operate it. The FCC has some rules. You
> are best off writing the hotel management and complaining to them, but
> don't expect that to get you very far either. You are better off trying
> to avoid hotel phone systems as much as possible by using calling cards
> and payphones. [plug for moderator's calling card deleted]]
The Moderator is right that most PUCs have chosen to deregulate hotel
rates completely. (It's not that they "have no control" but that they
have chosen not to exert the control, at least for intrastate calls.)
The way to fix this problem is to check into the situation before
making your hotel reservation. I promise you that if even 2% of the
people calling hotel reservations offices started asking how much the
hotel charges for its calls, the hotel management would hear about and
would realize that hotel guests are in fact quite irritated at the
ripoffs. But if you and everyone else book rooms and don't bother to
ask about phone rates beforehand, you are reinforcing the management
view that guests really don't care about it.
This group has had many threads about hotel chains that do or do not
gouge guests at the phone -- it would be an easy matter to guide
yourself accordingly.
Another anti-gouge tip -- if you do use your calling card from your
room, use the # key to go from one call to the next, rather than the
room hookswitch -- that way the gouge will be spread out over several
calls rather than once per call.
Yet another anti-gouge tip -- set up 800 numbers for your frequently
called numbers -- home, office, friends, whatever. The cost-per-month
for this should be free or very close to it if you shop around. (I
seem to recall the moderator offers a cheap 800 number.) In lots of
hotels nowadays they do not gouge you if you call an 800 number that
they cannot recognize as a long-distance calling card access number.
Carl Oppedahl AA2KW (patent lawyer)
1992 Commerce Street #309
Yorktown Heights, NY 10598-4412
voice 212-777-1330
------------------------------
From: dave_oshea@wiltel.com (Dave O'Shea)
Subject: Re: Who Can One Complain to About Hotel Phone Systems
Date: Tue, 7 Sep 1993 17:27:07 EST
Thomas Hutton <hutton@SDSC.EDU> writes:
> On a recent trip to San Francisco, my hotel bill from the San
> Francisco Regis hotel showed several long distance charges for phone
> numbers that the local exchange carrier (Pacific Bell) considers to be
> in the local (ZUM 1) calling area. The hotel is claiming these are
> long distance because its a different area code (510 vrs 415) but
> PacBell says standard local call. Who can one complain to (and have
> something done) about this? I've tried the CPUC but they state they
> have no control over hotels.
I am in the habit of calling hotels which I plan to stay at in
advance, and asking if they charge for 800 or local calls. If the
answer is "yes", I usually look for another hotel. The worst
experience was at the Four Seasons hotel in San Francisco: $13.50 for
a 20-minute local (2 blocks away, still in downtown SF) call. They got
the $13.50, but they lost $14,000+ in room-nights the next year by not
having one of the nation's largest insurance companies list them as a
"preferred" hotel.
If you do get stuck, complain loudly and in as public a way as
possible, preferably making an hotel-manager-embarassing scene at the
check-in desk. I don't mind paying for convenience, but a 29,000%
markup on a phone call is ridiculous.
Dave O'Shea dos@wdns.wiltel.com
Sr. Network Support Engineer 201.236.3730
WilTel Data Network Services
------------------------------
From: djcl@io.org (woody)
Subject: Re: Who Can One Complain to About Hotel Phone Systems
Date: 7 Sep 1993 21:36:54 GMT
Organization: Internex Online - Toronto, Canada (416) 363-3783
In article <telecom13.631.9@eecs.nwu.edu> Thomas Hutton <hutton@SDSC.
EDU> writes:
> On a recent trip to San Francisco, my hotel bill from the San
> Francisco Regis hotel showed several long distance charges for phone
> numbers that the local exchange carrier (Pacific Bell) considers to be
> in the local (ZUM 1) calling area. The hotel is claiming these are
> long distance because its a different area code (510 vrs 415) but
> PacBell says standard local call. Who can one complain to (and have
> something done) about this? I've tried the CPUC but they state they
> have no control over hotels.
Perhaps Pac*Bell could actually help out here, by clarifying to the
hotel what's local and what's long distance. Running your problem by a
convention/visitor's bureau for San Francisco, or their BBB or hotel
association might be other steps to take. If the hotel is part of a
chain, perhaps cc: of letters to the tourist bureau, BBB, PacBell,
etc. to the chain head office would be another step.
David Leibold
------------------------------
From: gettys@regent.enet.dec.com (Bob Gettys)
Subject: Re: Answering Machine That Calls Pager?
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Date: Wed, 8 Sep 1993 02:01:47 GMT
In article <telecom13.631.12@eecs.nwu.edu>, tom@ulysses.att.com (Tom
Smith) writes:
> Can anyone tell me makes or models of answering machines that will
> place a call to a pager to alert me that I have a message?
See the new Radio Shack catalog.
Bob
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 7 Sep 93 19:43:49 -0700
From: thompson@netcom.com (Eric Thompson)
Subject: Re: Answering Machine That Calls Pager?
tom@ulysses.att.com writes:
> Can anyone tell me makes or models of answering machines that will
> place a call to a pager to alert me that I have a message?
My Panasonic KX-T2740 two-line phone/answering machine does this (and
a lot lot of other stuff). I've had it for years, it's great. It's
also about $200, last I checked ... but I know four other people who
bought one because they used mine ... go figure.
Eric
------------------------------
From: cvitoa!koos@uunet.UU.NET (Koos de Heer)
Subject: Re: Answering Machine That Calls Pager?
Date: Wed, 8 Sep 1993 12:34:18 GMT
Organization: Centrum Voor Informatieverwerking, Utrecht, The Netherlands
In <telecom13.631.12@eecs.nwu.edu> tom@ulysses.att.com (Tom Smith)
writes:
> Can anyone tell me makes or models of answering machines that will
> place a call to a pager to alert me that I have a message?
Much cheaper solution: mention the number of your pager on the OGM of
your answering machine. Saves you:
1. the cost of buying a new answering machine _and_
2. the costs of the calls to your pager.
Good luck,
Koos
------------------------------
From: oppedahl@panix.com (Carl Oppedahl)
Subject: Re: Answering Machine That Calls Pager?
Date: 7 Sep 1993 15:46:46 -0400
Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC
The Hello Direct catalog (1-800-HI-HELLO) carries such a machine. I
seem to recall it is about $250.
Carl Oppedahl AA2KW (patent lawyer)
1992 Commerce Street #309
Yorktown Heights, NY 10598-4412
voice 212-777-1330
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Durham, NC Hotel Experience
From: drharry!aboritz@uunet.UU.NET (Alan Boritz)
Date: Tue, 07 Sep 93 22:46:48 EST
Organization: Harry's Place BBS - Mahwah NJ - +1 201 934 0861
Thomas Lapp <thomas%mvac23.uucp@udel.edu> writes:
> In the end, I figured that I would be charged a LOT for all these
> calls from my room. When the bill came there WERE NO PHONE CHARGES AT
> ALL! Hats off to Red Roof Inn on 15-501 for at least being reasonable
> about telephone service for us captive guests.
That's one of the things I noticed right away, after staying at Red
Roof Inn's in different cities. All long distance calls are
sent-paid, or collect, so you handle your own long distance billing
yourself.
I think it's amazing that the Hilton's and the Mariot's have to nickle
and dime you to death AND charge relatively high room rates, while the
Red Roof Inn's and the Motel-6's can charge reasonable rates and not
pick their customer's wallets, so to speak. It shows an interesting
perspective on the respective owners' profit motives.
uunet!drharry!aboritz or apple!camphq!drharry!(aboritz)
Harry's Place BBS (drharry.UUCP) - Mahwah NJ USA - +1-201-934-0861
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 8 Sep 93 10:29:23 EDT
From: Carl Moore <cmoore@BRL.MIL>
Subject: Re: Durham, NC Hotel Experience
What did the pay phone (BellSouth) say for long distance calls within
the area code (919)? Remember that 919 had to program for N0X/N1X
prefixes (with the 919/910 split not far ahead), so that you'd use
1+919+7D for long distance within 919 and 0+919+7D for collect etc.
within 919. Perhaps the 1-555-1212 you saw was out of date.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 08 Sep 93 12:38:18 EDT
From: Tony Harminc <EL406045@BROWNVM.brown.edu>
Subject: Re: The One True Dialing Plan
varney@ihlpe.att.com wrote:
>> It would have been nice if they had instituted something like what the
>> Washington, DC area does: if the number is local to you and in your
>> area code, you dial seven digits (or you may optionally dial the area
>> code even though it is the same). If the number is local to you but
>> outside your area code, you dial the area code plus seven digits. If
>> it is long distance, even in the same area code, you dial 1 + area
>> code + 7 digits, but even on a local call you can dial 1 + area code +
>> seven digits and the call will still go through as an uncharged call.
> This only works in DC because C&P and other TELCOs work very hard
> to insure there are no (or minimal) overlaps in CO office code
> assignments. I'm sure it is a monster they are sorry they let out of
> the box, just to make the DC area seem more like a single-NPA area.
> But it only works if you have a single point in a multi-NPA area to
> focus upon. And it makes offering multiple levels of un-timed area
> hard to deploy -- if you elect to save line charges by reducing your
> free-calling area, does your dialing plan change? Even DC will have a
> hard time continuing the practice as fewer and fewer NXXs are locked
> out of the adjacent NPAs near DC.
I don't follow. With the dialing plan listed above (the same one
that's going into use with the 416/905 split in the Toronto area), the
only codes that have to be locked out are the nearby NPAs as CO codes.
How many can that be in the forseeable future? Five? Ten even with
overlays? It doesn't seem like a severe penalty.
Protection of CO codes across NPA borders is needed only if
seven-digit dialing across those borders is provided. I don't think
anyone is suggesting that that should continue in the long term.
Tony Harminc
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 8 Sep 93 13:00:05 EDT
From: andys@internet.sbi.com (Andy Sherman)
Subject: Re: The One True Dialing Plan
In article 6@eecs.nwu.edu, puma@netcom.com (Gary Breuckman) writes:
> In article <telecom13.627.14@eecs.nwu.edu> denbesten@orchestra.bgsu.
> edu (William C. DenBesten) writes:
>> Perhaps the way to get rid of the association between one and toll
>> without bothering people would be to announce the cost of the call
>> immediately after dialing. Eg: "This call will cost 30 cents plus 15
>> cents per minute. Thank you for using AT&T.".
> This sounds like an excellent thing to do, both from the standpoint
> that you mentioned, and the fact that the live operators have a lot of
> problems quoting prices ... it would make it a lot easier to compare
> carriers. But, it will probably never happen unless forced. Carriers
> likely do NOT want to remind you of the cost of a call as you place it
> -- it would tend to make calls shorter rather than longer if you were
> so informed each time.
This might not be as easy as you think. Even if you assume that
quoting list price for the call is easy (see below about that
assumption), the enormous number of different discount plans would
require a real-time billing record lookup and rate computation as part
of call setup. This would likely be a costly feature to develop, and
increased cost means increased price. Would this feature add enough
value that ratepayers would be willing to pay for it?
Even quoting list price might be pretty hard. The long distance
networks do not compute prices on the fly. They measure the bare
essentials (calling number, called number, billing number, and
minutes) and leave it to billing systems downstream to rate the price
of the call.
While it may seem like a nice feature, I question whether very many
people would be willing to pay higher across-the-board long distance
rates to get it, especially since adding the real-time billing record
lookup and price computation would have a dileterious affect on call
setup time. You'd pay more for slower service. This is progress?
DISCLAIMER: I own stock in a long distance carrier. I assume and
prefer that its management would not use my money to provide this
service for free.
Andy Sherman Salomon Inc - Unix Systems Support - Rutherford, NJ
(201) 896-7018 - andys@sbi.com or asherman@sbi.com
------------------------------
From: tnixon@microsoft.com (Toby Nixon)
Subject: Re: 57.6kb CCIT Standard?
Date: 08 Sep 93 14:02:48 GMT
Organization: Microsoft Corporation, Redmond WA, USA
In article <telecom13.619.17@eecs.nwu.edu> todamhyp@unlv.edu wrote:
> Is there a Protocol/standard for modems that operate at a RAW data
> connection speed of 57.6 kbaud without data compression?
Not on a single phone line. V.36 and V.37 do support speeds that fast
(and faster), but they are "group band" modems which combine the
bandwidth of several telephony channels to achieve those rates. Once
you get up to those speeds, these days it is much more cost-effective
to just go to digital transmission.
Toby
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 8 Sep 93 12:15:11 CDT
From: mearle@cbi.tamucc.edu (Mark Earle)
Subject: Re: DTMF Decoder Cards
You might look in the back of the amateur radio magazines (QST, 73,
Ham Radio). I recall seeing such products available; or as an external
box with a serial port interface. 73 and Ham Radio are usually
available at any mall book store. QST is not always carried. You might
also check the library in your area. Also of interest might be an
amateur radio equipment dealer; they would have a good selection of
periodicals. I'm not able to access my personal library now or I'd
cite some ads for you :-)
mwe
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 7 Sep 93 23:52:57 +0200
From: lars@login.dkuug.dk (Lars J|rgen Poulsen)
Subject: Re: FDDI Over Copper - CDDI?
In comp.dcom.telecom was written:
> I am interested in using FDDI over copper (CDDI?). I have read the FAQ
> but need more information. Does anybody know if the draft spec is
> available at an FTP site and if so where?
I believe there are two competing formats, but I also think the leader
is one developed by Crescendo who have licensed it to several other
vendors (including Rockwell/CMC Network Products).
> Alternatively, would someone be so kind to mail me some basic
> information on CDDI, such as: -- maximum number of stations -- is it a
> dual couter-rotating ring (like FDDI) -- how similar is it to FDDI
> (i.e. is it *exactly* the same except for the physical medium?)
CDDI -- at least in the Crescendo version -- *is* FDDI on copper, but
it is single-attach, not dual ring. Copper wiring connects your
workstation to a concentrator, which sits on the dual fiber ring.
Lars Poulsen Internet E-mail: lars@CMC.COM
CMC Network Products Phone: (011-) +45-31 49 64 32
Hvidovre Strandvej 72 B DK-2650 Hvidovre, DENMARK
------------------------------
From: deej@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (david.g.lewis)
Subject: Re: Notes on True Voice Demo
Organization: AT&T
Date: Wed, 8 Sep 1993 17:04:10 GMT
In article <telecom13.632.1@eecs.nwu.edu> Eric_N._Florack.cru-mc@
xerox.com writes:
> While my own testing on TruVoice was not nearly as complex or complete
ObNit: TruVoice (without the "e") is a registered trademark of
Centigram Communications. TrueVoice (with the "e") is a service mark
of AT&T.
> To my ear, (I spent several years in a broadcast studio, and am a
> professional DJ in my other job, today) the 'before' part of the demo
> seemed to be a LOT narrower than average speech on normal LD lines. I
> suggest that AT&T has fudged the 'before' settings to the narrow side
> to make their 'change' more dramatic.
I suggest that you're mistaken; the "unenhanced" portion of the
TrueVoice demo is standard recorded speech in a Conversant (TM) Voice
Information System. I don't believe -- although I could be mistaken --
that the CVIS does any processing of the sort you're describing.
> Personally, I'd be interested in seeing the diff between a normal LD
> conversation on AT&T and the other carriers, as compared to the demo.
> I'm willing to bet the 'narrow' part of their demo is a lot narrower
> than real phone calls ... even without TRUEVOICE.
Should be easy enough to compare carriers -- make a demo tape and
place calls over various carriers, then do the same kind of
comparison. I don't know about comparing it to TrueVoice, though --
at least not until TrueVoice is deployed in the network. Installation
is beginning in Atlanta on September 23 -- if someone in Atlanta has
the setup that was used to do the comparison posted, they will be able
to run comparisons of AT&T calls with TrueVoice to calls on other
IXCs.
> I also note that the demo recording was very obviiously made in a
> recording studio, with low distortion mikes ...
Actually, the demo recording was made in a lab in Holmdel with (I
believe) a 7506 ISDN handset.
> Therefore, how that demo translates to real life is questionable at
> best.
Well, I look forward to a "back-to-back" comparison with other IXCs
when TrueVoice is installed. Should be interesting.
David G Lewis AT&T Bell Laboratories
david.g.lewis@att.com or !att!goofy!deej Switching & ISDN Implementation
------------------------------
From: decrsc!leesweet@uunet.UU.NET (Lee Sweet)
Subject: Re: Credit Card Validation
Date: Tue, 7 Sep 1993 18:38:06 EDT
One more example: I asked for a replacement MasterCard from MBNA
(Maryland Bank, NA), and the folder that came with it said that I had
to call to get it activated. Well, this one was a real (live) person,
who asked me what I think is the best question yet. After all the
telephone, address, etc., she wanted to know my last payment. Since
it was just a week or so ago then, it wouldn't have been anywhere else
except in their hands and in my checkbook (and maybe at my bank).
[Good thing I was sitting at my PC with Quicken ready to come up and
tell me what I *did* pay them!]
Questions that are easily answered elsewhere are a waste of time and
false security.
Lee Sweet Internet *lists* - leesweet@datatel.com
Chief Systems Consultant Internet *e-mail* - lee@datatel.com
Datatel, Inc. Phone - 703-968-4661
4375 Fair Lakes Court FAX - 703-968-4625
Fairfax, VA 22033 (Opinions are my own, and only my own!)
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 7 Sep 93 22:52:36 -0400
From: shri@freal.cs.umass.edu
Subject: Re: Just What Does Integretel Do?
Organization: UMass, Amherst MA + Temporal Sys & Computer Networks Bombay India
In article <telecom13.631.3@eecs.nwu.edu> dave@kentrox.com wrote:
> was a charge from Integretel, apparently for a collect call from
> [Moderator's Note: Integretel is a service bureau serving a number of
...
> use Integretel to handle their billings. They do not, to the best of
> my knowledge, use the database AT&T, Sprint and MCI use with reference
> to phone lines with 'billed number screening'. But they do have their
> own such database and will add any phone number to it on request. PAT]
PAT ... do you mean to say that (sacrificing brevity for prespicuosity):
"Integretel does not use the same database as provided by the LEC to
AT&T, Sprint and MCI, so even if I told my LEC to apply billed number
screening to block all collect calls just so that I can block people
like Integretel (at the cost of blocking some of my friends as well
;-() I would have achieved nothing."
??? !!!
I was out of town all of spring and summer, and thats what I did,
especially since my phone was accesible to a few who had a key to the
apartment, and it was quite possible for someone to call a 800 Collect
Scammer.
Cannot I tell some one person, preferably my LEC who alloted me the
number (enabling the scam), and is billing me for them (perpetuating
the scam) that "I am going to be out of town for several months and am
leaving a machine on my line, and I'd like to set up so that there
cannot be anything more than the monthly charge at all" .. "please".
shrikumar ( shri@cs.umass.edu, shri@shakti.ncst.ernet.in )
[Moderator's Note: No, you cannot tell some one person, and yes the
use of the billed number screening database is voluntary. It makes
good sense and avoids a lot of billing hassles later on, which is why
the Big Three (and a few others) choose to participate. Integretel is
content maintaining its own similar database, and they will add you to
it upon request. Once added, you not only will not get collect calls
from an AOS-operated COCOT, but you will be blocked from getting the
'services' rendered by any of Integretel's clients who use collect
calls as their method of payment. PAT]
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V13 #634
******************************
From telecom Thu Sep 9 12:56:32 1993
Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA19842
(5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecom@eecs.nwu.edu); Thu, 9 Sep 1993 12:56:32 -0500
Date: Thu, 9 Sep 1993 12:56:32 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom>
Message-Id: <199309091756.AA19842@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #635
Status: RO
TELECOM Digest Thu, 9 Sep 93 12:56:30 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 635
Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson
900 Mhz Cordless Frequencies (Les Reeves)
Canadian Document Database (Tyson Macaulay)
U.C. Berkeley Short Courses on High-Speed Communications (Harvey Stern)
Book Review: "Portable Communications" by Banks (Rob Slade)
French Secret Services Experiences Wanted (Jean-Bernard Condat)
AT&T Vanity Calling Cards (Wall Street Journal via Les Reeves)
DTMF Voting System (templar@phantom.com)
CFV: comp.dcom.telecom.tech (Andrew Solovay)
Death of the Net Predicted! (was AT&T TrueVoice DSP Analysis) (C. Simpson)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 09 Sep 1993 08:23:27 EDT
From: LESREEVES@delphi.com
Subject: 900 Mhz Cordless Frequencies
The FCC has granted equipment authorizations to three new 900 MHz
cordless phones:
AT&T #9120: 902-905 & 925-928 MHz
Otron Corp. #CP-1000: 902.1-903.9 & 926.1-927.9 MHz
Samsung #SP-R912: 903 & 927 MHz
*******************************
Panasonic 900MHZ Cordless Freqencies:
CH BASE HANDSET CH BASE HANDSET
-- ------- ------- -- ------- -------
01 902.100 926.100 31 903.000 927.000
02 902.130 926.130 32 903.030 927.030
03 902.160 926.160 33 903.060 927.060
04 902.190 926.190 34 903.090 927.090
05 902.220 926.220 35 903.120 927.120
06 902.250 926.250 36 903.150 927.150
07 902.280 926.280 37 903.180 927.180
08 902.310 926.310 38 903.210 927.210
09 902.340 926.340 39 903.240 927.240
10 902.370 926.370 40 903.270 927.270
11 902.400 926.400 41 903.300 927.300
12 902.430 926.430 42 903.330 927.330
13 902.460 926.460 43 903.360 927.360
14 902.490 926.490 44 903.390 927.390
15 902.520 926.520 45 903.420 927.420
16 902.550 926.550 46 903.450 927.450
17 902.580 926.580 47 903.480 927.480
18 902.610 926.610 48 903.510 927.510
19 902.640 926.640 49 903.540 927.540
20 902.670 926.670 50 903.570 927.570
21 902.700 926.700 51 903.600 927.600
22 902.730 926.730 52 903.630 927.630
23 902.760 926.760 53 903.660 927.660
24 902.790 926.790 54 903.690 927.690
25 902.820 926.820 55 903.720 927.720
26 902.850 926.850 56 903.750 927.750
27 902.880 926.880 57 903.780 927.780
28 902.910 926.910 58 903.810 927.810
29 902.940 926.940 59 903.840 927.840
30 902.970 926.970 -- ------- -------
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 9 Sep 93 11:52:16 EDT
From: Tyson=Macaulay%DTP%DGCP=HQ=ADMSR@dgbt.banyan.doc.ca
Subject: Canadian Document Database
The Department of Industry and Science, Government of Canada, is
pleased to announce the launch of an on-line document database. This
pilot project currently makes nine telecommunications-related
documents available in both official languages, English and French.
**** ftp access
All documents are available in ASCII format, uncompressed via
anonymous ftp from:
debra.dgbt.doc.ca pub/doc/
for the most recent index of files retrieve "00readme"
*** Listserv access
These files are also available via Listerserv for people with e-
mail access only. The address is:
listserv@debra.dgbt.doc.ca
To retrieve the most recent index of documents available send the
following command alone in the body of the message:
get isc 00readme
******
Titles available:
A Guide for the radiotelephone operator
1986, English 56 p / French 58 p
Decoding the Law on Decoding
1991, English 13 p / French 13 p
Convergence, Competition and Cooperation
1992, English 287 p / French 311 p
Telecommunications in Canada: An overview of the Carriage
Industry 1992, Eng 36 p / French 38 p
Telecommunications: New Legislation for Canada
1992, Eng 25 p / French 28 p
New Media New Choices
1992, English 43 p / French 47 p
Telecommunications Privacy Principles
1992, English 8 p / French 8 p
A Spectrum Policy Framework for Canada
1992, English 29 p / French 30 p
Digital Radio: the sound of the future
1993, Eng 29 p / French 31 p
------------------------------
From: southbay@garnet.berkeley.edu
Subject: U.C. Berkeley Short Courses on High-Speed Communications
Date: 9 Sep 1993 12:10:48 GMT
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
U.C. Berkeley
Continuing Education in Engineering
Announces 5 Short Courses on
Communications Technology
SONET/ATM-BASED BROADBAND NETWORKS: Systems,
Architectures and Designs
(October 21-22, 1993)
It is widely accepted that future broadband networks will be based on
the SONET (Synchronous Optical Network) standards and the ATM
(Asynchronous transfer Mode) technique. This course is an in-depth
examination of the fundamental concepts and the implementation issues
for development of future high-speed networks. Topics include:
Broadband [z9zISDN Transfer Protocol, high speed computer/network
interface (HiPPI), ATM switch architectures, ATM network
congestion/flow control, VLSI designs in SONET/ATM networks.
Lecturer: H. Jonathan Chao, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Brooklyn
Polytechnic University.
PERSONAL (WIRELESS) COMMUNICATION NETWORKS: Cellular
Systems, Wireless Data Networks, and Broadband Wireless Access
This comprehensive course focuses on principles, technologies, system
architectures, standards, equipment, implementation, public policy,
and evolving trends in wireless networks. Topics include: modulation,
coding, and signal processing; first generation systems; second
generation systems; broadband networks; third generation systems; and
applications and technology trends. This course is intended for
engineers who are currently active or anticipate future involvement in
this field.
Lecturer: Anthony S. Acampora, Ph.D., Professor, Electrical
Engineering, Columbia University. He is Director, Center for
Telecommunications Research. He became a professor following a 20 year
career at AT&T Bell Laboratories, is an IEEE Fellow, and is a former
member of the IEEE Communications Society Board of Governors.
MULTIRESOLUTION SIGNAL DECOMPOSITION: Transforms,
Subbands, and Wavelets
(October 6-8, 1993)
This course provides in-depth, integrated, and updated coverage of
signal decomposition techniques. These signal processing tools will
be crucial for next generation broadband wireless communications
applications. For example, subbands are potential vehicles for the
next generation of video encoding and compression for HDTV, while
wavelets have emerged as candidates for feature and signal extraction
for ultra-wide bank short-pulse radar signals. The common paths and
linkages of transforms, subbands, and wavelets are described and their
performance is compared.
Lecturers: Richard A. Haddad, Ph.D., Professor, Electrical Engineering
and Computer Science, Brooklyn Polytechnic University; and Ali Akansu,
Ph.D., Associate Professor, Electrical Engineering, New Jersey Institute
of Technology. They co-authored Multiresoulution Signal Decomposition:
Transforms, Subbands, and Wavelets. Academic Press, 1992.
HIGH SPEED COMMUNICATION OVER WIRE-PAIR CHANNELS
October 26-29, 1993
Much work is underway throughout the world on extremely high bit-rate
transmission over short lengths of normal building wiring. This
four-day short course is an intensive examination of hi-speed data
communication over wire-pair channels. Topics include: Transmission
properties of uniform lines, impedance, composite lines,
interferences, theoretical capacity of wire-pair channels, baseband
PAM fundamentals, equalization, timing recovery techniques,
modulation, coding, cyclostationary interference, full duplex
transmission on single pair, and system design: ATM at 155Mb/s over
100m inside wiring.
Lecturers: Burton R. Saltzberg, Ph.D., supervisor Data Theory group,
AT&T Bell Laboratories. He has been issued 22 patents, is an IEEE
Fellow, and received the IEEE Communications Society's Armstrong
Achievement Award in 1991. Jean-Jacques Werner, Ph.D., Communications
Research Department, AT&T Bell Labs. He is the IEEE Transactions on
Communications editor for data communications and a Fellow of IEEE.
NEW HIGH SPEED COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
(October 18-20, 1993)
This course provides a comprehensive survey of the new high-speed
communication networks covering: FDDI, 100Mbps Ethernet, SMDS, Frame
Relay, Broadband ISDN (public-ATM and Local-ATM), bridging and
routing, and network interface.
My T. Le joined the Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences
Department of The University of California, Berkeley in 1990. She has
been a co-leader of the BayBridge Project. Nick McKeown graduated
from the University of Leeds, England in 1986. He then joined
Hewlett- Packard Labs. He is currently at the University of
California, Berkeley working towards his Ph.D. He is co-leader of the
BayBridge project.
For more information (complete course descriptions, outlines,
instructor bios, etc.) contact:
Harvey Stern U.C. Berkeley Extension/Southbay
800 El Camino Real Ste. 150 Menlo Park, CA 94025
Tel: (415) 323-8141 Fax: (415) 323-1438
email: southbay@garnet.berkeley.edu
------------------------------
Date: 9 Sep 93 01:39 -0600
From: Rob Slade <roberts@decus.arc.ab.ca>
Subject: "Portable Communications" by Banks
BKPRTCOM.RVW 930804
Prentice Hall, Inc./Brady 113 Sylvan Avenue Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632
(515) 284-6751 FAX (515) 284-2607
11711 N. College Ave. Carmel, IN 46032-9903
15 Columbus Circle New York, NY 10023 800-428-5331
Portable communications, Banks, 1992, 0-13-524364-5, U$19.95
There is not an awful lot in this book which addresses the "portable"
side of computer communications. Nor is there much of a "survival
guide" for the travelling executive; not unless you travel with an
electrician. The material contained herein is a general treatment of
the hardware that you will need to connect to commercial online
information services.
(There are three things the discerning reader will discover about
Michael Banks in this book. He is a science fiction author. He is a
hardware freak. He probably owns stock in Radio Shack.) (By the way,
don't go looking for science fiction *books* by him. A quick "online"
search with the nearest six library districts with modem access failed
to turn up anything.)
Less than half of chapter one, "Defining the Field", is devoted to
definitions of aspects of "telecomputing". "Laptop Basics of
Telecomputing", in chapter two, is a fairly generic discussion of what
you might look for in an MS-DOS computer. Little of the material
relates specifically to laptops. Chapter three gives some information
on modems and standards, and, more briefly, faxes and cellular
telephones. Chapter four talks about communications software. Most
of the programs listed are dedicated "front end" software for
commercial online services rather than generalized terminal emulation
software. Very little examination of features is conducted.
"Portable Communications Support Software" lists some archiving and
compression software (no "binary to text" programs for transmission of
program files via email are mentioned), and then talks about general
utilities. Again, very little of the material relates to portability.
Part two is entitled "Making the Connection"; chapter five via modem,
chapter six via "null" modems and cable interfacing. In fact, both
chapters deal primarily with cabling. (A warning to those tempted to
follow Michael's advice to try to "hard wire" into hotel phones: I'd
suggest a piece of equipment he neglected. A Polaroid camera, so that
you can get everything back together again the same way you took it
apart.) The sections dealing with specific modem commands might be
suspect: please confirm them with your own modem manual.
Part three, "Applications", has chapters which attempt to deal with
faxes, commercial online services, "tips" (miscellaneous) and "What's
Ahead". Appendices list hardware and software companies. (Oh. And
books. One is another book of Michael's, the other is a book about
Compuserve.)
For the newcomer to computer communications, the book does cover a
variety of important topics. Much, however, is left without coverage.
BBSes are mentioned, but primarily as a "test bed" for getting used to
new hardware and software. No mention is made of Fidonet or Netmail.
No mention is made of the Internet or Usenet at all. Mail readers and
"wandering" UUCP make these latter systems quite useful in portable
communications.
Much in the book could be corrected. (I didn't know DOS 4 *had* any
advantages; I thought even DOS 1 recognized file areas bigger than
32K.) Given the date of 1992, it is odd that Bahks missed the "skip"
from 2400 bps to 14,400, mostly missing 9600 bps. It is also odd that
he discusses MNP4 (error correction) but not MNP5 (data compression)
which has become more popular as a modem feature. I am also surprised
at his contention that archiving software saves files from corruption.
Certainly corruption will be detected when de- archiving occurs, but
correction is usually impossible.
The book could certainly use some reorganization. It could also use
renaming. For someone interested in using a commercial online
service, and who might also want to travel, this work contains useful
information. It also contains a lot of extraneous details.
copyright Robert M. Slade, 1993 BKPRTCOM.RVW 930804
Permission granted to distribute with uneditted copies of the Telecom Digest
and associated mailing lists/newsgroups.
Vancouver Institute for Research into User Security, Canada V7K 2G6
Robert_Slade@sfu.ca ROBERTS@decus.ca rslade@cue.bc.ca Fidonet 1:153/733
p1@CyberStore.ca 604-526-3676
------------------------------
From: cccf@altern.com (cccf)
Subject: French Secret Services Experiences Wanted
Organization: Altern B , Corp.
Date: Thu, 9 Sep 1993 14:33:31 GMT
Bonjour,
For a great article on the computer security services of the European
secret services, I look for more information related to the actions of
the French services.
If you have had some (bad?) experiences with the French PJ [police judi-
ciaire], the DGSE [direction Generale des Services Externes], the well-
knowned DST [Direction de la Securite du Territoire], or the military
secret services ... don't hesitate to e-mail me your story, ok?
Sincerely yours,
Jean-Bernard Condat
B.P. 8005, 69351 Lyon Cedex 08, France E-mail: cccf@altern.com
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 09 Sep 1993 01:24:30 EDT
From: LESREEVES@delphi.com
Subject: AT&T Vanity Calling Cards
Vanity numbers are no longer limited to automobile license plates.
AT&T has introduced new calling cards that allow users to customize
their number. The carrier said The Personal Choice Calling Card,
available free to business and residential customers, is designed to
be easier and more convenient to use. "Calling card users can choose
the letters or numbers that make the most sense to them -- their
birthdays, their phone numbers or even their names." Customers are
allowed to select seven to nine numbers or letters. An additional
four-digit personal identification number ensures security. (Wall
Street Journal, Business Briefs, 9/2/93)
------------------------------
From: templar@mindvox.phantom.com (Templar)
Subject: DTMF Voting System
Organization: [Phantom Access] / the MindVox system
Date: Thu, 9 Sep 1993 13:01:13 GMT
Hi ... problem:
I am trying to set up a national telephone voting system to coincide
with a network broadcast. In contrast to existing systems/vendors, I
need all callers to be on for about 30 minutes and the votes to be
tabulated in real-time and delivered to the network. I've been told
that existing systems can only handle about 7500 callers and that
reprogramming larger switches is impossible due to the limited number
of DTMF decoders on the switches themselves. I am looking for any
alternatives. I'd like to accomidate somewhere between 250,000 and
1,000,000 callers. The delay from the time a caller hits the keypad
until it reaches me has to be about a second or less. Does anyone
have any idea how to do this? All of the existing vendors for call-in
systems say no, but I have the funding if I can get a way. All
answers would be appreciated. Thanks ...
templar@phantom.com
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 8 Sep 93 17:04:00 -0400
From: solovay@netcom.com (Andrew Solovay)
Subject: CFV: comp.dcom.telecom.tech
Reply-To: votes@geoworks.com
Organization: Usenet Volunteer Votetakers
1st CALL FOR VOTES (of 2)
Unmoderated group comp.dcom.telecom.tech
Newsgroups line:
comp.dcom.telecom.tech Technical matters relating to telecommunications.
Votes must be recieved by 23:59:59 GMT, 29 Sep 1993.
This vote is being conducted by a neutral third party. For voting
questions only, contact <asolovay@geoworks.com>. For questions about
the proposed group, contact the group's proposer, <rdippold@qualcomm.com>.
CHARTER
This group would cover all general technology aspects of the
telecommunications industry in an unmoderated format. This includes
communications mediums (physical transport, wiring, antennas), control
systems (switches, routing, ATM), wireless systems (AMPS, NAMPS, PCN,
PCS, CDMA, TDMA, GSM), and more (such as the history and management of
the above, and new advances). It is expected that discussions which
focus on implementation aspects of subjects which are covered by
existing groups would be discussed in those groups - for instance,
discussion about Class 3 Fax design specifics would go to
comp.dcom.modems.
RATIONALE
Currently, the Telecom Digest is gated to Usenet via
comp.dcom.telecom. Readers of this group and alt.dcom.telecom have
expressed a strong interest in a main hierarchy group for informal
technical telecommunications discussion to supplement the existing
groups. It is believed that the existence of such a group will
encourage discussions on the subject that are usefully different from
what is currently available, and that there are enough interested
Usenet readers.
STANDARD VOTING INFO
You should send MAIL (posts to a group are invalid) to
votes@geoworks.com
(just replying by MAIL to this message should work, *if* your
newsreader honors the "Reply-To" line in the article header). Votes
sent to other addresses will be discarded. Your mail message should
contain one and only one of the following statements:
I vote YES on comp.dcom.telecom.tech
I vote NO on comp.dcom.telecom.tech
I vote ABSTAIN on comp.dcom.telecom.tech
You may add a comment, but anything other than a definite statement
involving the group name and "yes", "no", "for", or "against" on a
single line may be rejected by the automatic vote counting program.
If you later change your mind you may send in another vote, which will
automatically supercede all previous votes. "ABSTAIN" votes serve to
cancel previous votes.
Standard Guidelines for voting apply - one vote per person (not per
account). 100 more YES votes than NO votes and 2/3 of all votes being
YES are the requirements for group creation. "ABSTAIN" votes are not
counted in the above calculation; their only role is to cancel
previous votes.
Every vote will be acknowledged by EMail. The CFV will be repeated
once; the 2d CFV will contain a "bounce-ack", i.e. a list of people
whose ACK messages bounced when I sent them.
Andrew Solovay
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 9 Sep 93 01:35:05 PDT
From: crs@pioneer.com (Cris Simpson)
Subject: Death of the Net Predicted! (Was: AT&T TrueVoice DSP Analysis)
Organization: Pioneer New Media Technologies, Inc.
> Subject: AT&T TrueVoice DSP Analysis
> From: malcolm@apple.com
> I've just finished an analysis of the AT&T TrueVoice demo that has
> been advertised by AT&T and discussed in the TELECOM Digest. Here are
> the results of the analysis.
> [Exhaustive analysis follows]
I think that the collection and dissemination of actual data, such as
Malcolm has done, will surely lead to the End of the Net As We Know
It. Such postings should be stopped immediately, as they take up the
bandwidth better used for the usual assortment of conjecture, FOAF
stories, and flame wars that are the real reasons we read News.
I hope our esteemed Moderator will take it upon himself to fight this
scourge that threatens to raise the SNR of comp.dcom.telecom even
higher!
cris simpson cris@pioneer.com :->
[Moderator's Note: Thank you, Cris! The article to which you refer is
precisely the kind of article which might not reach the mailing list
if c.d.t.t. becomes the 'telecom newsgroup' on Usenet. A special
mailing going out immediatly following this issue discusses the
proposed new group and the ramifications of its creation on the mailing
list participants. Please read it, then vote. PAT]
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V13 #635
******************************
From telecom Fri Sep 10 01:45:32 1993
Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA05814
(5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecom); Fri, 10 Sep 1993 01:45:32 -0500
Date: Fri, 10 Sep 1993 01:45:32 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom>
Message-Id: <199309100645.AA05814@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom
Subject: comp.dcom.telecom.tech - The Importance of Voting NO
Status: RO
[Moderator's Note: I strongly suggest our mailing list and non-Internet
readers read this message very closely, and act on it by casting your
vote. As persons affected by this action on Usenet, and persons who
were solicited by the vote-taker, you are entitled to vote and should
do so. This message was released at 1:40 AM CDT 9-10-93 to both the
news.groups and comp.dcom.telecom newsgroups. PAT]
Readers of TELECOM Digest V13 #635 and news.groups saw this message:
From: solovay@netcom.com (Andrew Solovay)
Subject: CFV: comp.dcom.telecom.tech
Reply-To: votes@geoworks.com
Organization: Usenet Volunteer Votetakers
> 1st CALL FOR VOTES (of 2)
> Unmoderated group comp.dcom.telecom.tech
> Newsgroups line:
> comp.dcom.telecom.tech Technical matters relating to telecommunications.
> Votes must be recieved by 23:59:59 GMT, 29 Sep 1993.
---------------------
This message is a call for votes intended to establish an
* unmoderated * -- thus * unavailable to the various mailing lists * and
news feeds serviced by TELECOM Digest -- version of the Usenet
comp.dcom.telecom newsgroup to be called comp.dcom.telecom.tech.
^^^^
Although there are certainly good points to be made for unmoderated
newsgroups of all types on the net -- and the big-hearted operators of
the net these days and the numerous sysadmins who carry the news feed
at their sites have always been gracious about installing new groups
as they came along -- this is one case where I think a new group is a
* bad idea *.
Here is why: unlike many newsgroups with various divisions to them,
the existing Usenet group comp.dcom.telecom and the electronic journal
known as TELECOM Digest have been closely woven together over the
years. The Digest has come to be known as the place where all telecom
related questions, comments and articles are to be sent if they are
intended to reach a very wide audience of telecom professionals and
management level people in the industry.
While a large part of the Digest participation (the journal is almost
entirely written by its readers) comes from Usenet, Usenet and the
Internet are just one part of the overall distribution. In the past
few years, the Digest mailing list (or lists actually, as there are
several components to it) has grown by leaps and bounds as various
individual subscribers have signed on, along with numerous other
forums and telecom interest groups. For example, the Digest is now
distributed to Compuserve, where it is part of the Telecom Forum;
to GEnie where it is used the same way; to the Board of Education of
the City of New York where it is available as one of several on-line
publications; to SprintNet for their PC Pursuit customers as a BBS
library feature on the Net Exchange; to many sites connected through
FIDO who take it as their telecom echo group (the equivilent of a
newsgroup on Usenet), and quite a few independent BBSs. Several dozen
copies of each issue go to MCI, and likewise AT&T. The connection is
a two-way thing: All these places post messages to the newsgroup as well.
The creation of comp.dcom.telecom.tech will cause a great deal of
confusion among readers/posters on Usenet who want (and assume)
that their message is going out to the Digest readers as a whole.
Of course, it won't be. There will be innumerable amounts of cross-
posting as participants try to insure their message gets to the
widest possible audience; which it does now if they send but a
single non-cross-posted message either to comp.dcom.telecom or to
the email address telecom@eecs.nwu.edu.
The end result will be that Usenet telecom readers will have to see
many messages *twice* (once in tech and once in the established forum)
or else the mailing list people won't see the message at all. From
the other direction, the 2000+ names on the mailing list -- which does
not include the above mentioned internetworked sites such as GEnie,
Compuserve, Net Exchange, FIDO and others -- will send messages to
the Digest which may or may not be seen by Usenetters unless the
Usenet reader subscribes to both forums ... again causing them to
see some messages twice, perhaps some not at all, etc.
Overall, it will be messy, and certainly not make my job as Moderator,
Editor and Facilitator of the whole process any easier. Another major
consideration must be the Telecom Archives, accessible using anonymous
ftp lcs.mit.edu. The Archives has a twelve year accumulation of back
issues of the Digest, along with lots of other telecom-related files
of interest. So far as I know, no arrangements have been made to see
to it that anything from the proposed 'tech' group will be archived
for posterity. A lot of excellent material posted in 'tech' will not
ever make it to the master archives ... at least not automatically, as
happens now with the Digest and comp.dcom.telecom. Again, a point of
confusion and needless duplication for the average reader/participant
in net news and extra work for anyone maintaining the Archives.
Proponents of the new group have said they believe message turn-around
time will be faster; that is the time from when a message is written
until the time it has gotten around the Internet. This is true; it
is a fact that a moderator will slow the process down somewhat, even
by a day or two days at times, but the trade off is usually better
quality and easier reading of the material which * does * go out in
exchange for the time added to the process. For example, as moderator
of comp.dcom.telecom as well as the Digest, I try to standardize the
messages before releasing them so they all come out looking about the
same. Lots of extraneous headers are removed, excessive quoted text
is yanked, a rudimentary attempt at spell-checking is done, and all
the messages on hand on a given topic are batched to go at one time.
This means that readers will generally see several messages on the
same thread all at the same time, allowing them to skip forward in
large numbers (of messages) past what they don't want to see, etc.
Ditto, if they are interested in the topic, a cluster of messages all
released at once on the topic makes it far easier to follow the thread
IMHO. Well, that's the trade off. Decent editing and moderation to
prevent endless flames and duplications takes time. It won't permit
messages to appear world-wide in seconds. Most readers though seem
to feel the trade off is a good one, where signal/noise ratio is
concerned among other things.
If my experience with moderating telecom is any gauge, an umoderated
group at this point in time would be overwhelmed with garbage articles
and unrelated messages. I know ... I toss out close to a hundred
articles *per day* with repetitive comments asking for stuff that is
in the Telecom FAQ, the archives, or threads which were concluded a
week or two earlier which the message writer has not gotten around to
reading.
Over all, a new ummoderated group will have a very poor signal/noise
ratio, a tremendous amount of repetitive stuff as newcomers begin to
read it, endless flaming about Caller-ID and privacy issues, and all
kinds of stuff a moderator is expected to weed out. My biggest concern
though is not so much the extra unneccessary bandwidth the group will
take as it is the lack of the really good stuff that will find its way
to the true experts in telecom -- our mailing list readers who either
cannot receive or choose for some reason not to receive net news. Many
threads will start in the established (or new) group only to have some
responders cross post replies (but not the original message) to the
other group in error, etc.
The net does not need it, it will make my job as moderator a lot harder
than necessary, and the mailing list and internetworked sites who have
come to expect a single consolidated telecom news feed will be left
high and dry.
I strongly recommend a vote of NO to the proposed creation of the
comp.dcom.telecom.tech newsgroup, and suspect a large number, if not
the majority of the Digest mailing list subscribers feel the same way.
It is important, regardless of if you agree with my conclusions or not
about the wisdom of an unmoderated telecom newsgroup operating in
parallel with the existing moderated forum, that you vote your opinion.
YES votes will count toward the creation of the group, and NO votes
will indicate your desire to see the existing telecom newsgroup and
internetworked distribution scheme remain intact for the good of the
* entire * readership.
Your vote may be expressed by sending email to votes@geoworks.com
and in a single line of text making the statement:
I vote YES on the creation of comp.dcom.telecom.tech (or)
I vote NO on the creation of comp.dcom.telecom.tech
I believe your NO votes are very important to the continued well-
being of the existing telecom newsgroup and thank you in advance for
your consideration. Please do not abstain from voting! Vote today!
Although you are under no obligation to do so -- and you * must * vote
only via email to the above address, I'll appreciate a cc: to let me
know your decision, although individual replies as always will be
difficult or impossible.
Patrick Townson
ptownson@eecs.nwu.edu
TELECOM Digest/comp.dcom.telecom Moderator (since October, 1988 and
netnews participant for a few years prior to that.)
From telecom Fri Sep 10 03:56:07 1993
Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA22166
(5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecom@eecs.nwu.edu); Fri, 10 Sep 1993 03:56:07 -0500
Date: Fri, 10 Sep 1993 03:56:07 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom>
Message-Id: <199309100856.AA22166@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #636
Status: RO
TELECOM Digest Fri, 10 Sep 93 03:55:15 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 636
Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson
Review of Procomm Plus (MS-DOS) (Rob Slade)
MVIP and Cards Supporting it (Alan Kemp)
Followups on 10BASE-T and RJ45 Wiring (Gary Breuckman)
The Voice of Southwestern Bell (Jim Haynes)
How to Get Valid Prefix Lists? (Antigone Press)
Truevoice - Modem Tests Anyone? (Jamie Tatum)
Telling a PBX What To Do via a Modem? (Philip Colmer)
Swipe Cards on Pay Telephones (Klaus Dimmler)
What You Find Upon Looking Closer (David Cornutt)
Austin Cooley (sp) Dies (Carl Moore)
One Way to Deal with Cellular Phone Fraud (Goh Tiong Hwee)
NOTE: Don't forget to vote TODAY in the comp.dcom.telecom.tech matter.
Your YES or NO vote should go to votes@geoworks.com with a one-line
sentence indicating your wishes in the matter. If you did not recieve
the special mailing early Friday morning, ask for your copy. PAT]
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 9 Sep 93 16:44 -0600
From: Rob Slade <roberts@decus.arc.ab.ca>
Subject: Review of Procomm Plus (MS-DOS)
PCPROCOM.RVW 930731 Comparison Review
Company and product:
DataStorm Technologies, Inc.
3212 Lemone Blvd. PO Box 1471 Columbia, MO 65205
314-443-3282 fax: 314-875-0595 support: 314-875-0530
BBS: 314-875-0503 @compuserve.com
PROCOMM PLUS 2.01
Summary: generally useful terminal emulation and file transfer, host
mode offers basic BBS functionality.
Cost U$129 (Windows version U$179)
Rating (1-4, 1 = poor, 4 = very good)
"Friendliness"
Installation 2
Ease of use 3
Help systems 2
Compatibility 3
Company
Stability 3
Support 2
Documentation 2
Hardware required 4
Performance 3
Availability 3
Local Support 1
General Description:
Procomm has had a major "presence" in the "bulletin board" community
since the mid '80s when it was a shareware product. It provides a
broad range of terminal emulations and file transfer protocols.
(Users with a strong need for "true" VT emulations may find some
difficulties.) The program is well known for its "host mode" which
provides a basic set of "bulletin board" functions built into the
program.
Comparison of features and specifications
User Friendliness
Installation
Procomm Plus is shipped on two 720K diskettes, with a card for
ordering 5 1/4" size. (I am happy to report that the 720K disks are
shipped "non-writeable".) A "Quick Start Guide" is included with the
documentation. (It is becoming my experience that a lot of things are
being included with software packages. Procomm Plus contains the
diskette envelope, two manuals, one booklet, the extra diskette order
card, the registration card, an ad for Procomm Plus for Windows, an ad
for Compuserve and the Procomm "Forum" on it, and a sheet of decals.
Yes, decals.)
The Quick Start Guide emphasizes the use of the PCINSTAL program,
which is purported to make installation much easier. You still have
to specify whether you are using a modem or direct connection, the COM
port, the serial number of your package, your monitor type, and
whether this is your first use of Procomm Plus or an upgrade.
PCINSTAL is said to try and determine the port and the monitor type
itself. The "prescience" of PCINSTAL is somewhat contradicted by the
"User Manual": it recommends, for example, finding the modem "dip"
switches or software commands for CD and DTR control and entering them
manually.
The PCINSTAL program has an a/b switch that is recommended for use
with monochrome systems. The installation program, however, is smart
enough to check (with the user's help) for monitor type. (It is not,
however, smart enough to automatically use the "default" choice at
some points in the process. Oh, well.)
The program has an extensive list of modems, and uses it to set up the
initial modem setup string. However, in spite of the extensive
options available with my modem, the "initialization" command merely
resets the modem. About the only "intelligence" involved was
determining what speed my modem would support (and this, obviously,
was not tested, since my serial port won't effectively operate at that
speed) and the fact that I use "pulse" dialling (again, that was
something *I* told the system). In addition, I suspect that the only
way to tell the program not to use the "default" communication speed,
is to run the installation program again.
Ease of use
The interface should be reasonably easy to figure out, although it is
by no means universally "intuitive". Menus and prompts can sometimes
be misleading in terms of the "end of option/command" expected by the
system.
Procomm's approach to ease of use will be appreciated by "power"
users: all commands are accessible by a single keystroke. Commands
may also be invoked via menus, but the Procomm philosophy is obviously
towards minimization of keystrokes. This extends to the "macro" or
"scripting" capability of the program: most programming can be
assigned to single key invocation as well.
Procomm's dialing directory allows the usual range of options for
connecting to host systems: the port assignment, phone number, parity,
data bits, and even a connecting "script" for automated login.
However, I find it odd that Procomm, in company, it must be admitted,
with many others, does not provide, or even allow for, different modem
"setup" or "initialization" strings. This failure is the more
intriguing given the ability to use differing ports. I have only one
modem, but, between seven normally-called systems, no less than three
different setup strings. I must use macros or scripts on most
communications programs, rather than the dialling directories. Given
the proliferation of V.3Z and V.4Z modems, and the wide variety of
modem standards one encounters with BBSes and online systems, I would
think that variable setup strings would almost be mandatory.
Again, given the ability to select different ports for different
calls, it is interesting that there is no indication of an ability to
manage simultaneous or concurrent sessions. Serial communications,
even at the high speeds of modern modems, is not taxing for even
original PC and XT level machines. Modern processors should be able
to handle many concurrent sessions with ease.
Help systems
Alt-Z is the consistent "help" key for onscreen assistance. However,
it is sometimes bewildering to try to find the particular bit of help
you need. As with too many other programs, you almost need to know
the answer already in order to find the help. For example, I tried to
use the "dialing code" function in order to set up proper modem
initialization strings. This did not appear to work as the help
screens indicated. (To be honest, this function is very confused in
the documentation as well.)
Compatibility
VT terminal emulation capability is acceptable for most applications.
Key assignments may present some problems in certain situations.
File transfer capability is good. In situations with "difficult" data
transfer channels, such as Datapac and other "public data networks",
the program may not determine the optimal condiguration. In such
cases the user will need advanced expertise in configuring the system.
Company Stability
Procomm has been a highly favoured program going back to the days when
it was distributed as shareware. Datastorm is now well established as
a provider of terminal emulation software company.
Company Support
Registration of the program entitles the user to "free" telephone
support. Datastorm also runs a "forum" on Compuserve. Unfortunately,
they do not list their user "address", so Internet users are unable to
take advantage of this.
Documentation
The package is shipped with two manuals, the "User Manual" and the
"Aspect Language Refence Manual", as well as a "Quick Start Guide"
booklet. The documentation is well laid out and generally clear.
Chapter one deals with additional details for installation. Chapter
two is an excellent "walk through" the making of an entry in the
dialing directory, and placing a call. (Be warned: the example used
places a call to the Datastorm BBS in Columbia, MO.)
The documentation concerning the script language could use
improvement. A few example scripts are listed in the manuals, and the
commands are listed (with syntax and some comments) in the reference
manual. However, a subset listing, with the minimal commands
necessary to, for example, automate a login script or assist in file
transfer, would greatly aid new users who may be intimidated by the
language reference manual.
System Requirements
The requirements are minimal, a minimum of 192K memory, one floppy
drive and MS-DOS version 2.0 or later. The printed documentation does
not mention it, but the READ.ME file recommends a minimum of 295K,
still a relatively small amount.
Performance
One of the traditional selling points of Procomm is "Host Mode". This
provides a "quick and dirty" BBS, with the basic upload, download,
email and chat capabilities. Other terminal programs allow this kind
of activity through the ability to "program" extensive macros and
scripts; with Procomm it comes built-in and ready to go.
Coincidentally, while preparing this review, a poster to
comp.security.misc raised the point of security of the Procomm host
mode. Security provisions are not extensive. There are only two
levels of access, normal and privileged. "Normal" access is limited
to the basic BBS activities. "Privileged" access, however, can "shell
out" and send commands to DOS. This, as the manual bluntly points
out, allows privileged users the ability to do anything, even reformat
your hard drive.
The documentation warns users of previous Procomm versions that the
scripting language has been greatly extended. Indeed, the "Aspect"
language is enormous. At 250 pages, the language reference manual is
little more than a listing of the commands. This is definitely not
for the fainthearted. A novice user wanting merely to automate a
repetitive logon procedure would have no chance with the reference
manual.
Aspect seems to owe a lot to Pascal. It also appears to have been
written with assembly programming in mind. Memory can be directly
accessed, and, while the CPU registers themselves don't appear to be
accessible, pretty much only register operation can be performed.
Unlike many other macro or script languages, Aspect can be compiled.
Scripts may be left uncompiled, and then interpreted/compiled "on the
fly", but the manual warns against this due to possible memory
problems: the ASPCOMP program must be loaded and run to deal with
uncompiled scripts. Initially, this didn't bother me. I noted the
savings in time and disk space promised. However, upon further
consideration, I feel that this may present a problem. Even with the
limited number of systems with which I deal, I find myself modifying
scripts at least once a month (and often going through several
versions when I do). Given the wide use of portables, with limited
space, as communications machines, this may be of concern.
Local Support
None provided.
Support Requirements
Communications is difficult to set up. A novice user will likely need
a great deal of assistance, and even an intermediate user may require
some assistance. However, any user already familiar with terminal
emulation up to the level of preparing modem command strings will
likely have no problems.
copyright Robert M. Slade, 1993 PCPROCOM.RVW 930731
Distribution permitted with uneditted copies of the Telecom Digest
and associated mailing lists/newsgroups.
Vancouver Institute for Research into User Security, Canada V7K 2G6
Robert_Slade@sfu.ca ROBERTS@decus.ca rslade@cue.bc.ca Fidonet 1:153/733
p1@CyberStore.ca 604-526-3676
------------------------------
From: A.Kemp@fulcrum.co.uk (Alan Kemp) (Alan Kemp)
Subject: MVIP and Cards Supporting it
Organization: Fulcrum Communications
Date: Thu, 9 Sep 1993 10:05:57 GMT
Can anyone provide me with information concerning MVIP and cards that
support it? I am especially interested in names of manufacturers.
MVIP stands for Multi-Vendor Interface Prototcol and is related to PC
based telephone switches.
Thanks in advance,
Alan Kemp (hawkeye)
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 9 Sep 93 06:27:52 -0700
From: puma@netcom.com (Gary Breuckman)
Subject: Followups on 10BASE-T and RJ45 Wiring
> From hpa@ahab.eecs.nwu.edu Wed Sep 8 06:31:59 1993
> Return-Path: <hpa@ahab.eecs.nwu.edu>
> Message-Id: <9309081331.AA04039@ahab.eecs.nwu.edu>
> Subject: Re: Wiring phone and 10Base-T Jacks
> Thanks for your help. However:
> a) How do you define transmit and receive? Since 10Base-T uses
> non-crossed cables, there is one pair that is hub->workstation and
> another workstation->hub.
That is confusing. Further, some DEC repeaters (and maybe others)
require cables that have 1&2, 3&6 crossed in the wiring. The SMC
manual I have (so this would be from the workstation end) has:
1 TX+
2 TX-
3 RX+
6 RX-
You CAN connect two 10-base-T stations together without a hub, by
using a cable with the pairs crossed.
> b) Which of the two pins have which polarity?
See above.
> c) How do you define pin numbers (from which direction)?
If you look at the jack from the outside,
------------
| 12345678 |
| |
| xx |
-----xx-----
or, from the cable, hold it with the wire towards you, the clip on the
bottom, and the pins are on the top facing away from you, numbered
left to right 1--> 8.
You have to be careful with RJ45 jacks, some have the screws or
terminals arranged in order, 1 through 8, but some have them arranged
in PAIR order for convenience of the telco folks, usually marked with
colored dots (blue, orange, green, brown) where the blue pair is 4 and 5,
orange is 3 and 6, green is 1 and 2, and brown is 7 and 8 (usually!).
puma@netcom.com
------------------------------
From: haynes@cats.ucsc.edu (Jim Haynes)
Date: Wed, 8 Sep 93 20:24:37 -0700
Subject: The Voice of Southwestern Bell
This story was lifted from the Hope (AR) {Star}, but it datelined
Conway (AR) Associated Press by Bob Buchanan 30 Aug 1993:
"The name Susan Bayer may be new to you, but her voice almost
certainly isn't.
Mrs. Bayer is the voice of Southwestern Bell Telephone Co.
'If you'd like to make a call, please ...' or 'We're sorry. You must
first dial a one or a zero.'
That's Mrs. Bayer. Her voice has been heard on recorded messages
since 1986 in all five states that SW Bell serves -- Arkansas, Texas,
Missouri, Oklahoma, and Kansas.
Now semi-retired, Mrs. Bayer has moved from St. Louis, where SW Bell
is headquartered [but moving to San Antonio, isn't it?], to the
Florida Keys. She still has a contract with the company, and makes 30
to 50 new voice recordings a year.
'We're sorry. The number you have dialed is no longer in service.
Please check the directory for assistance. Thank you,' is the
recording most tied to her, Mrs. Bayer said recently in a telephone
interview from her Florida home.
The many new services offered by SW Bell -- call waiting, call
forwarding, call tracing -- bring her new scripts, which she records
in a studio in her home. New federal requirements for 900 calls are
expected to bring more requests her way. A fee change will do the
same.
Since moving to the Keys in 1989 she submits several tapes of the same
recording, varying her timing and inflections. An engineer in St.
Louis then selects the one to present to the company.
'Diction is extremely important,' Mrs. Bayer said. 'People of all age
groups and nationalities must understand you, even those who speak
little English.'
She continued, 'You must be calm. You can't tell the disposition of
the persons listening. Many people still will jam down the telephone
receiver.'
When whole systems or access codes change, Mrs. Bayer may have to redo
100 to 150 voice recordings at one time. Then she'll fly to St. Louis
to make the changes at the recording studio. Often it takes her a day
or a day and a half to record the changes, Mrs. Bayer said.
'Texas has the most changes,' she said.
What's the most difficult voice recording? It's one for which the
script has too many words and won't fit in the allotted ten seconds.
Mrs. Bayer, who recently turned 50, got into communications by chance.
A Chicago television executive while in his St. Louis hotel room saw
her on the Gil Newsome television show and wanted to meet her. The
result was that WBBM-TV contracted with Susan Heinkel, then age 13, to
host Susan's Show. The family moved in 1956 to Chicago where Susan,
the first child host on a Chicago television program, starred on the
afternoon show until 1962.
The family then moved back to St. Louis, where she graduated from high
school, college and met her husband, Ed.
Even in Florida, when people learn of her background, they'll say, 'I
didn't know you were real. I thought you were a computer,' Mrs. Bayer
said.
'Sometimes I surprise myself,' she said. 'I'll be using a pay phone
in Texas or Arkansas and I do something wrong. It's strange to hear
me telling me what to do.'"
------------------------------
From: mross@netcom.com (Antigone Press)
Subject: How to Get Valid Prefix Lists?
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Thu, 9 Sep 1993 06:16:49 GMT
I run an Internet e-mail to fax gateway and have a list of local
prefixes I am willing to service. The list (from the phone book) I
copied seems to be out of date (I have already gotten one complaint
about a prefix which should have been accessible but instead generated
an error). Pacific Bell (local phone company) has no idea if they have
the info online (there is a ftp.pacbell.com but I can't find anything
phone-related there!)
Does anyone have any idea how to -- politely -- ask a phone company to
send me notification each time a new prefix is added? This happens
pretty frequently in the Bay Area.
Does anyone know anyone at Pacific Bell who might help out here?
I need complete lists of prefixes and the exchange names in the 415
and 510 area codes.
Any other ideas?
For info on the fax gateway, mail to tpc-FAQ@town.hall.org.
Thanks,
Michael Ross mross@antigone.com (preferred)
Antigone Press mross@netcom.com
San Francisco CA FAX +1.415.431.3650
------------------------------
From: tatum@hotsun.nersc.gov (Jamie Tatum)
Subject: Truevoice - Modem Tests anyone?
Date: 9 Sep 1993 20:58:23 -0500
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway
Since TrueVoice hasn't been released yet, have any of you Bell Labs
people tested Truevoice with modems? Particularly with high speed, or
16.8 if you can get your hands on it. If it does cause problems (as I
suspect it will) will there be a method of disabling it on a per call
basis? I know that this should be of interest to all users of the
Internet, especially UUCP because UUCP is a modem network (mostly
comprised of 14.4's) and a lot of it is LD.
Thanks,
Jamie
------------------------------
From: pcolmer@acorn.co.uk (Philip Colmer)
Subject: Telling a PBX What To Do via a Modem
Date: 9 Sep 93 08:34:27 GMT
Organization: Acorn Computers Ltd, Cambridge, England
I've just received an overview of a product called VMXmail and one of
its features, speed dialing, intrigues me. The principle is that from
your computer you can get the VMXmail system to tell the iSDX to ring
a number and connect the call to your phone.
The documentation explains that VMXmail communicates with the GPT iSDX
using DTMF tones on voice port lines.
Therefore, could I use a modem to achieve the same results? I suspect
that I could tell the ISDX what to do but not recognise anything it
sends back.
Since writing this originally for uk.telecom (and not getting much in
the way of a response), I've had some thoughts about how I might
manage this. The basic principle would be for the modem to call the
user's extension first, then do a recall to the PBX to get another
line, dial the required telephone number then hang up, which should
cause the two calls to be tied together.
This seems to work if I follow this procedure using a handset, but I
don't know whether or not I can get a modem to do this.
Anyone else got any ideas?
------------------------------
From: klaus@cscns.com (Klaus Dimmler)
Subject: Swipe Cards on Pay Telephones
Organization: Community_News_Service
Date: Fri, 10 Sep 1993 03:41:23 GMT
Is it possible to issue magnetic strip cards that can be used to
automatically dial a number on swipe card feeds of public access
phones in airports. Does anyone know how to get detailed
specifications on this topic?
Klaus Dimmler klaus@cscns.com CNS, Inc
1155 Kelly Johnson Blvd, Suite 400
Colorado Springs, CO 80920
719-592-1240
------------------------------
From: cornutt@lambda.msfc.nasa.gov (David Cornutt)
Subject: What You Find Upon Looking Closer
Organization: NASA/MSFC
Date: Thu, 9 Sep 1993 18:02:00 GMT
I got a card from South Central Bell in the mail last month, touting
their new voice mail offering. Only $3.95 a month! Wow, I thought,
that's the cheapest commercial voicemail offer I've heard of yet.
Then I looked at the card a little more closely, and I found: true
enough, the voice mail is only $3.95 a month. Of course, it doesn't
work unless you get Call Forward/No Answer. Ah, well, that's another
$1.95 a month. And, to really have an advantage over an answering
machine, you also need to get Call Forward/Busy, at still another
$1.95 a month.
Now you're spending closer to $8 per month, but you can get messages.
Can you find out if you've got any? You have to call the voicemail
sytstem to check. Oh, did you expect to get stutter dial tone? Oh,
sorry, we forgot to point out that that's $.50/month extra.
I think I'll keep my answering machine for a while.
David Cornutt, New Technology Inc., Huntsville, AL (205) 461-4517
(cornutt@lambda.msfc.nasa.gov; some insane route applies)
"The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of my employer,
not necessarily mine, and probably not necessary."
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 9 Sep 93 11:43:22 EDT
From: Carl Moore <cmoore@BRL.MIL>
Subject: Austin Cooley (sp) Dies
I have heard on the radio this (Sept. 9) morning that Austin Cooley,
of some note in telecommunications (notably fax), has died at age 93.
------------------------------
From: thgoh@iss.nus.sg (Goh Tiong Hwee)
Subject: One Way to Deal with Cellular Phone Fraud
Date: 10 Sep 1993 07:19:54 GMT
Organization: Institute Of Systems Science, NUS.
The following was reported in our sole local newspaper "The Straits
Times" on Fri, 3 Sep 93.
Two men pleaded guilty to using cloned handphone and were convicted
and sentenced to eight months in jail and fined SIN$4,000 each. [About
US$2,400]. The sentencing judge compared this to the drug trafficking
problem and said that a deterrent sentence was in order.
Total cost of calls made? SIN$13.70.
Appeal pending.
[Moderator's Note: Although the punishment imposed seems very harsh by
American standards where almost anything goes these days with the ex-
ception of Christmas or Hanukkah displays in public places (considered
very serious offenses; it used to be nudity in public was offensive,
now it is any sort of vaguely religious display which draws ire), the
two criminals in your country should be glad they were not convicted
of phone phraud and phreaking in Iran. The Iranian government sees
nothing wrong with a good old-fashioned beheading now and then to be
certain people understand how they do business. News reports about two
weeks ago said eight people in one day had their heads cut off for
sundry criminal acts. One of the accused was alleged to have 'used a
scheme to avoid payment of fees to the telecom administration ...'
Let that be a lesson to the fungus among us. Phreaks, you meditate
on the example given to the Iranian cracker. See you all later! PAT]
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V13 #636
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Date: Fri, 10 Sep 1993 17:57:11 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
Message-Id: <199309102257.AA24873@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #637
TELECOM Digest Fri, 10 Sep 93 17:57:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 637
Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson
Book Review: "E-Mail" by Caswell (Rob Slade)
Hello Direct Wireless Headset: Comments (Lee Sweet)
ProComm + (A. Padgett Peterson)
MCI Fibrer Cut - 9/10/93 About 11:30 AM (Michael Silano)
Cellular Roaming Validation (Paul Barnett)
Setting Options on Motorola BRAVO / BRAVO Plus Pager (Pat Barron)
Need Low Cost Cellular Phone With POTS Interface (Gregory Youngblood)
Searching For Low Cost Solution to LD (Gregory Youngblood)
Dial Out with Modem on System 25? (UPSS000)
Duck Ringer: Quack, Quack, Quack (Mike Ho)
Caller ID Blocking Test Number (Steve Forrette)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 10 Sep 93 15:38 -0600
From: Rob Slade <roberts@decus.arc.ab.ca>
Subject: Book Review: "E-Mail" by Caswell
BKEMAIL.RVW 930811
Gage 164 Commander Blvd. Agincourt, ON M1S 3C7
or Carswell/Thomson Professional Publishing
One Corporate Plaza 2075 Kennedy Road Scarborough, ON M1T 3V4
416-609-3800 800-387-5164 fax: 416-298-5094
"E-mail", Caswell,0-7715-5108-8, C$39.95
Certain subtle indications, besides the copyright date of 1988, state
that "E-Mail" is a bit behind the times. One is the title; email is
almost universally now written without the hyphen. Another is the
inclusion of voice mail and facsimile along with text transmission.
Yet another is the discussion of Telex and "communicating word
processors."
It is too bad that the book has not been updated. "E-Mail" is aimed
at a much neglected audience: the business executive who may not be
very interested in the technology, per se, but only what it can do for
the business. The work speaks the language of business, and presents
electronic communication in terms of business advantages and
functions. Too many of the books on technology aimed at business fail
to understand that just because the author is enthused does not
automatically mean the audience is interested.
There is a definite "corporate" bias in the book which tends to limit
some of the discussions. Internet, in the guise of ARPANET, rates
only a brief mention; Fidonet, and, indeed, the whole BBS community,
is dismissed very tersely. The major thrust is toward proprietary,
commercial systems, and, therefore, uses tend to be only "internal"
communication channels.
"E-Mail" is very well planned. The layout covers the territory in a
comprehensive fashion: it is only the details that are missing. An
updated version would do well to stick to the same outline, and to
flesh out the dated sections with new material.
The introductory chapter, "The Challenge", states the general benefits
well. This is followed up, in chapter two, with "Benefits and
Justifications", well presented, in business terms, with charts and
examples. Chapter three, a "Technology Overview", presents a
historical look at the development of various communications
technologies.
Chapters four through eight begin to look at specifics of the
technologies, and this is where age begins to show. While the
material covering communications links ("Roadways"), the older
"messaging" systems, computer messaging systems, computer based
communications services, and the systems costs were well researched
and presented, five years has changed much of the picture.
"Communicating Word Processors" and TWX, while still operating, are of
very minor importance now.
Chapter nine, on "Computer Conferencing", seems to be somewhat
misplaced. The systems primarily emphasized in the rest of the book
have little provision for conferencing systems. Nowadays, this
chapter would have a very important place in the work, as a resource
for business research and contacts.
"PCs and E-Mail" and "Voice Mail" appear to be oddities of the topic,
presented for completeness' sake and the curious mind.
Chapters twelve and thirteen cover "Corporate Mail Networks" and
"Planning and Implementing E-Mail". Again, this plays to the emphasis
of the book, and is well presented. Chapter twelve could use some
newer material on the current situation and less emphasis on X.400.
(The author also has a very strong bias against line editors for the
composition of messages: given his experience with Envoy 100 this is
understandable.) The final chapter needs almost no upgrading: it
deals with issues that are more political than technical. The one
area which is missing is that of "online etiquette", dealing with the
training of new users, and the avoidance of "messaging
misunderstandings" and "flames".
For those who are already involved in email, this work has little to
say. For those companies looking into the possibility for the first
time, there is some valuable background and perspectives here. Note,
please, that the specifics are limited and now dated.
copyright Robert M. Slade, 1993 BKEMAIL.RVW 930811
Distribution permitted with this uneditted Telecom Digest and
associated mailing lists/newsgroups.
Vancouver Institute for Research into User Security, Canada V7K 2G6
Robert_Slade@sfu.ca ROBERTS@decus.ca rslade@cue.bc.ca Fidonet 1:153/733
p1@CyberStore.ca 604-526-3676
------------------------------
From: decrsc!leesweet@uunet.UU.NET (Lee Sweet)
Subject: Hello Direct Wireless Headset: Comments
Date: Fri, 10 Sep 1993 11:58:30 EDT
A while back, I promised I'd post a note about Hello Direct's wireless
headset. Well, I finally got the thing, and here're a few comments
after about ten days of use. First, the package physically is not
bad. A large-ish over-the-ear headset speaker fits over one ear,
while the antenna is part of the 'top' of that ear's slide machinery
that adjusts the size of the headband. [This make sense?] The other
side (other end of the headband) contains the Ni-Cad battery, which
rides (on me) about two inches above the other ear at maximum
extension of the band. Note that the speaker is similar to H-D's
wired on-the-ear: about 2" in diameter, foam cover.
Weight is surprisingly low, and I think it feels better that a wired
Hello Direct headset (which I've used for about a year). Probable
cause: the weight is spread out more, since the headband is a double
type and not the more usual single band associated with wired 'sets.
Base: The headset sits in a rectangular base about the size of the
base of a 2500 TouchTone set when you want to charge the battery. Two
LED indicators indicate that the contacts are correct for charging
both the onboard battery and an (optional) second battery. (For those
that spend a lot of interrupted time on the phone, the second battery
can be swapped for the in-use one with only a few clicks audible to
the listener [if you are on-line ... you won't even be disconnected,
since the base (AC adapter-powered) and your phone control the actual
interface].) You can also get a (reported) six-hour battery to
use/replace the default two-hour one. (Optional two-hour ones are
available, of course, to use for a second battery. Why not get a
six-hour one? A bit more cost, and about a ounce more weight. The
whole headset unit weighs seven ounces with the normal battery. Cost
of the six-hour battery is $59, optional extra two-hour battery is
$29. H-D recommends putting the caller on hold while changing
batteries, BTW.
Other good base feature: it beeps very audibly (but not too loud ...)
and lights the LED, when you put the headset in its cradle for
charging, thus avoiding the problem of not getting 'hooked up' right
for re-charging when you put it in the base after a long call. Also,
when the headset is in the base, the phone handset is automatically
activated: no manual headset/handset switch. Good if you have other
people using your phone on occasion.
Controls: Volume control on the headset behind the speaker. About the
same volume range as wired headsets, due to OSHA limitations, I
believe. The microphone boom controls both power and mike mute: When
wearing it (power off), the boom is vertical (upwards). When you want
to answer, pick up the phone/hit the line button, and lower the boom
past horizontal. The headset beeps to let you know it's on. If you
then raise the boom to a bit above 90 degrees, to 45 degrees or so, it
beeps again, signifying that the mike is muted. (Re-lowering it to 90
degrees or so produces another beep signifying hot mike.)
Note: The first unit I received didn't have the mute function! H-D
said that some early models were missing this, and overnighted me a
new headset-unit, which operated as stated above. If you get one, be
sure it does mute. H-D says all do now, but anyway ...
Quality: People have told me, no kidding, that the sound
quality/tone/quietness/distortion is *better* than on a Hello Direct
wired headset. I, at most, expected equivalent quality. Interesting!
The unit uses 900 MHz circuitry, and uses one of 32 channels. The
channel is not changed until you pressed a concealed [documented!]
switch to switch to another channel. I surmise the reason for the
no-auto-switch feature is the possiblilty of up to 32 of these being
used in close (or close enough) proximity to one another. So, no
frequency/channel-agile switching here!
Distance: I've used it successfully up to about 100' (I believe H-D
says 50 or so is recommended) and that was transmitting *through* a
computer room with ten various minicomputers all up and transmitting
who-knows-what RF interference.
All that happens as you get near the end of the usable range is that
the signal (both ways) gets a little noisy: more like muddy than
actual static or crackle/pop. If you get to the end of the usuable
range, it is supposed to start beeping to tell you it can't talk to
the base unit. Again, the caller on the line isn't dropped, just held
there in limbo until you get closer. I couldn't get mine to do this
due to limited distance! Even when it gets muddy, it's still very
usable.
Comments: Although pricey ($395 !!), I feel it's worth it: I spend a
lot of time (usually one or two hours three to five times a week) on
hold for various PC and other support people. This gives me the
freedom to really get other things done in my office, and even walk
down the hall a ways and still be live on hold! The only problem is
that it's even harder than ever for people to tell when I'm really on
the phone (harder than when I used a wired headset).
I hope these comments are useful to those interested in a wireless
headset, and H-D always allows returns, anyway, if you wanted to try
it out. If I've omitted any details you'd like comments on, e-mail
me, and I'll re-post to Telecom.
The Hello Direct phone number is 1-800-HI-HELLO.
(As usual, no connection with Hello Direct, except a 99%
satisfied customer. [The 1%? Price...])
Lee Sweet Internet *lists* - leesweet@datatel.com
Chief Systems Consultant Internet *e-mail* - lee@datatel.com
Datatel, Inc. Phone - 703-968-4661
4375 Fair Lakes Court FAX - 703-968-4625
Fairfax, VA 22033 (Opinions are my own, and only my own!)
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 10 Sep 93 11:48:28 -0400
From: padgett@tccslr.dnet.mmc.com (A. Padgett Peterson)
Subject: Further Comments on ProComm +
Just a bit of addendum to Rob's fine review.
I ahve been using ProComm + v 2.01 for better than a year now and have
yet to find anything it could not do. The VT100/220/320 emulation as
shipped has two main problems IMHO
1) The GOLD key is not properly emulated, and
2) REGIS graphics are not included.
I *suspect* that the first is partly an effort to accomodate those few
still around with the old 88 key keyboards. The FreeWare program
"GOLD" (available at many sites and now included with the new "Kermit"
release plus about fifteen minutes reassigning the keypad (alt-F8)
took care of that.
The other VT annoyance is the inability for PCP to be able to switch
between numeric and applications keypad returns so I have to use the
number keys at the top since the application keypad returns are more
useful for me (how this note is being written from a PC but using
VAXMail. (DataStorm did fix this last in PCP for Windows).
Rob memtions the massive ASPECT script language and I agree that it is
very powerful and somewhat intimidating. Hovever, when I wrote the
ASPECT script to utilize the Caller-ID (FreeWare, Pat has a copy)
functions of my Supra modem (plug), the first pass took just an
afternoon despite having never seen ASPECT before. It is not difficult
to learn.
The only real gripe I have is that the new ProComm for Windows made
many changes (and deletions 8*( to the ASPECT language and it would
take a significant effort to update script files to that version.
I have found the HOST capability very valuable when I want to let
someone download certain files from my system and not at all hard to
set up. You just must rememnber to comment out the default examples.
In short, I am very happy with PCP and even bought a copy to replace
Kermit.
Warmly,
Padgett
------------------------------
From: msilano@access.digex.net (Michael Silano)
Subject: MCI Fibrer Cut - 9/10/93 About 11:30 AM
Date: 10 Sep 1993 16:33:14 GMT
Organization: Express Access Online Communications, Greenbelt, MD USA
Well as of about 11:30 this morning, no long-distance calls were being
completed to the midwest or western United States through MCI. Seems
that they had a fiber cut (the customer service rep didn't know where)
and that MCI was experiencing disruption over much of their network.
What ever happened to network redundancy and/or rapid rerouting?
Mike
------------------------------
From: barnett@zeppelin.convex.com (Paul Barnett)
Subject: Cellular Roaming Validation
Date: Fri, 10 Sep 93 13:16:52 CDT
In preparation for an upcoming trip to Mpls-St. Paul, I dug out the
roamer access number of US West (the 'B' carrier) from a private
compilation of cellular roaming information. I wanted to give the
number (in advance) to a few of the people I expected to meet.
To make sure I had the correct information, I called the roamer access
number, waited for the second dial tone, and punched in my ten-digit
mobile number. I immediately received a "fast-busy", instead of the
expected message: "The person you are calling has either turned their
mobile phone off, or has traveled out of the service area".
After an unsuccessful conversation with a completely unenlightened
customer service representative, I found the number for their roaming
information hotline, and called that instead. The rep that answered
explained the "fast-busy" was normal behavior, at least until my phone
arrives in their service area.
Apparently, when I turn on the phone, it eventually responds to an
broadcast interrogation of some sort, even if I don't initiate or
receive a call. The switch then initiates a roaming pre-validation
transaction. Until then, the caller will receive a "fast-busy"
signal. Personally, I would prefer a more descriptive error message!
Some systems call you and welcome you to their service area. US West
has chosen to not actually 'ring' your phone. However, I thought it
was interesting that all the validation activity was occurring simply
because the phone was turned on.
Paul Barnett
MPP OS Development (214)-497-4846
Convex Computer Corp. Richardson, TX
------------------------------
From: Pat_Barron@transarc.com
Subject: Setting Options on Motorola BRAVO / BRAVO Plus Pager
Date: Fri, 10 Sep 1993 17:31:02 -0400
Organization: Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Well, since my last inquiry got such useful responses, I'll try asking
this question too:
Can anyone tell me about the "programming" mode on the Motorola BRAVO
and BRAVO Plus pagers? This is entered by powering up the pager with
both the page acknowledge and the lock (on the BRAVO) or the menu (on
BRAVO Plus) buttons pressed. On the BRAVO, the letters "SPL" are
displayed, and it seems to let you step through various options by
pressing different combinations of buttons. On the BRAVO Plus, it's
similar, but the message "SPL P 40" is displayed.
Any clues greatly appreciated.
Pat
------------------------------
Subject: Need Low Cost Cellular Phone With POTS Interface
From: zeta@tcscs.com (Gregory Youngblood)
Date: Fri, 10 Sep 93 11:13:23 PDT
Organization: TCS Computer Systems
inhydra!kessler@inuxs.UUCP writes:
> I am looking for a low cost cellular phone with a POTS tip-ring
> interface. Any recommendations would be appreciated.
I don't know how much you consider low cost and what area you are in,
but the Audiovox 2001 (??) has an RJ-11 jack built in the base of it.
We were selling those here for $149. And, since CA can't bundle
phones with service that's a pretty good price.
Greg
The Complete Solution BBS | Allfiles List: | Anonymous UUCP Calls Accepted
707-459-9058 (24hrs, v.32) | ~/tcsbbs.lst | Login: nuucp Password: nuucp
Telemate Distribution Site | zeta@tcscs.com | Cellular Telephoney Groups
------------------------------
Subject: Searching For Low Cost Solution to LD
From: zeta@tcscs.com (Gregory Youngblood)
Date: Fri, 10 Sep 93 15:17:37 PDT
Organization: TCS Computer Systems
I recently moved to Willits, CA which is served by Pacific Bell. So
far no complaints, they've been far nicer to work with.
The problem is Willits. I have an extremely local calling area of ONE
nxx (459). There are no local calls for me that give access to a
news/email feed so I'm forced to call out of state (to Minnesota).
What I'd like to do is find a cheap alternative to using AT&T's
Anyhour Saver on my LD. 11 cents per minute evenings, nights and
weekends is good, but I'd like to get cheaper. I can go Reach Out
America and get that to ten cents/minute, but it raises my day charges
to 25/minute from 22/minute and I make a few day calls as well.
I would like to know if anyone knows of a way to save some money for
my email/news feed calls by using another ld carrier and what rates
they have.
Thanks for any and all advice.
Greg Youngblood
The Complete Solution BBS | Allfiles List: | Anonymous UUCP Calls Accepted
707-459-9058 (24hrs, v.32) | ~/tcsbbs.lst | Login: nuucp Password: nuucp
Telemate Distribution Site | zeta@tcscs.com | Cellular Telephoney Groups
------------------------------
From: UPSS@NMUMUS.bitnet (UPSS000)
Subject: Dial Out With Modem on System 25?
Date: 10 Sep 1993 13:26:45 -0500
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway
Hello,
I will be demonstrating my organization's computer system at a small
town hotel-type place in a week and a half. The folks there don't
know what type of phone system they have, only that's it from AT&T.
AT&T told me that it's a System 25, for technical support, I need to
have the hotel-types call AT&T. They don't know what to ask. I'm not
sure I do :*}.
I expect problems trying to dial out from this phone system with a
modem. Someone from the site says that all they need to do is dial a
four-digit access code, and thereafter that particular line will
function as a direct line, and my modem should have no problem. Does
this sound right?
Will the access code function like a semi-permanent toggle, or would I
need to use it as a dialing prefix each time? If so, should I bring a
line splitter, so that the prefix can be dialed from the phone (since
presumably the modem wouldn't work until the code was dialed)?
My modem seems to have an RJ45 connector for the "line in", and the
supplied cable has an RJ11 jack on the other end. If anyone's
familiar with System 25, can you tell me what kind of jack/cable or
line splitter I'll need? I am told that there is a "bare" splice
available near the phone jack -- would something with lug connectors
be the best bet?
Thanks in advance for any and all help.
Please respond (or at least copy me) at the address below, as my
access to news is about as funky as the above question.
Scott Salzman
Project Coordinator (906) 227-1109
Upper Peninsula Region of Library Cooperation (906) 227-1333 fax
Marquette, MI, USA <UPSS@NMUMUS.BITNET>
------------------------------
From: mho@ficus.CS.UCLA.EDU (Mike Ho (Guest))
Subject: Duck Ringer: Quack, Quack, Quack
Date: 10 Sep 93 18:40:31 GMT
My friend has a duck phone with a ringer that makes it go "waak, waak,
waak" when it rings.
I'd love to find this ringer and stick it inside my phone at work --
or heck, bring the whole phone in -- but my friend won't part with his
and won't let me dissect it.
He says he got it years upon years ago at a Sharper Image store. They
no longer know anything about it.
Does anyone know where I can find such a ringing device, or any other
novelty ringers? Answers by e-mail are preferred, to keep needless
quacking off the telecom group.
Mike Ho
[Moderator's Note: That's okay, we have a lot of quacks around here.
You know what they say: If it waddles like a duck, and quacks like a
duck, it must be (select one):
1) the Moderator on his way to the feeding trough across the street
from his office.
2) the Moderator busily pecking out a Note.
3) a Usenet participant on his way to the polling place to do his duty
to the net.
4) A real live duck! PAT]
------------------------------
From: stevef@wrq.com (Steve Forrette)
Subject: Caller ID Blocking Test Number
Date: 10 Sep 1993 18:45:23 GMT
Organization: Walker Richer & Quinn, Inc.
Reply-To: stevef@wrq.com (Steve Forrette)
It has often been mentioned here that since *67 is used for both
blocking and unblocking your number for Caller ID purposes, that you
need to know the current state of line blocking in order to know if
*67 will block or unblock.
At least for the Seattle area, US West has provided a blocking test
number at 206-625-9539. When you call it, it will tell you if your
number was blocked. Note that if you call from 'out of area,' it says
that the call was not blocked.
It seems that US West has had the best implementation of Caller ID
that I've heard of so far, with respect to making sure that all
interested parties have the information they need. Some of the things
that they've done that many other telco's haven't done include:
- Doing separate mailing to non-published subscribers telling them
that if they do nothing, that their number will be delivered to Caller
ID subscribers, and providing a card to fill out and return to sign up
for line blocking.
- Specifically noting that line and per-call blocking do not affect
calls to 800 or 900 numbers.
- Providing a test number to check the line blocking status.
Steve Forrette, stevef@wrq.com
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V13 #637
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Date: Fri, 10 Sep 1993 20:27:53 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
Message-Id: <199309110127.AA27461@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #638
TELECOM Digest Fri, 10 Sep 93 20:27:45 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 638
Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson
How to Connect Two Phone Lines (Conference Call)? (Emilio Navarro)
Can You Dial Area Code 810 From Your Switch Yet? (John Palmer)
Product Review - FaxPak (Fax->Printer) (Jamie Hanrahan)
Increasing Price for French Telegrams (Jean-Bernard Condat)
For Sale: Industrial Tape Deck (Kevin Demers)
Two Old - Brand New! - WE510 Phones Purchased (Mark Rudholm)
Need Information on SDL (Wan-teh Chang)
Hotel Charges and Surcharges (Dave Niebuhr)
Need Phone Numbers/Locations of Cellular Companies (Ram Mouli)
Old Phone Number (Don Lynn)
900 Number in a Box (Les Reeves)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: enavarro@nyx.cs.du.edu (Emilio Navarro)
Subject: How to Connect Two Phone Lines (Conference Call)?
Organization: University of Denver, Dept. of Math & Comp. Sci.
Date: Fri, 10 Sep 93 23:28:44 GMT
Hello everyone,
Lately I have been trying to finish a home application I started a
while ago, however, I ran into a problem and I hope someone here could
help me solve it. The application is similar to a voice mail system
that I want to use at home, but it will have access to two different
phone lines.
The caller in line one (myself) will hear a voice message requesting
an access code (DTMF signal). If the access code is valid then the
caller will be able to perform several functions such as dial another
number using the second line (useful for long-distance calls so I
won't have to use my calling card), leave a voice mail message, etc.
If I select to dial another phone number using the second line, my
software will obtain such a number via DTMF signals. Then, the
computer will put the second line off-hook and dial the number via a
DTMF encoder. The DTMF transceiver I selected has the capability of
Call Progress so the system will know when the call has been answered.
So here is my problem, if the call is answered within certain time the
system will have to connect the two lines together (conference call),
otherwise it will put the second line on-hook. What I need is a way
to connect the two lines together after the phone has been answered
and I do not know how!
I need a method that will allow the computer to connect the two lines
together and to disconnect them as soon as one of the lines hangs up.
Could anyone help me with this?
I am including a block diagram of my system so you can have an idea
of how it looks. Any suggestion will be welcomed.
Thank you in advance!!!
(IC1) = CH1817
_________________
Phone Line 1 O----------------| TIP |
O----------------| RING ~RI |----------->
Audio in O----o-----------| XMIT OFFHK |-----------<
Audio out O----|-------o---| RCV |
| | +---------------+
| | (IC2) = M-8888
| | _________________
| +---|---| IN+ D4 |---------< >
| | | | D3 |---------< >
| | +---| IN- D2 |---------< >
| | | D1 |---------< >
| +-------| VREF ~WR |-----------<
| | ~RD |-----------<
+-----------| TONE ~CS |-----------<
| RS0 |-----------<
| ~IRQ/CP |----------->
+---------------+
(IC1)
_________________
Phone Line 2 O----------------| TIP |
O----------------| RING RI |----------->
Audio in O----o-----------| XMIT OFFHK |-----------<
Audio out O----|-------o---| RCV |
| | +---------------+
| | (IC2)
| | _________________
| +---|---| IN+ D4 |---------< >
| | | | D3 |---------< >
| | +---| IN- D2 |---------< >
| | | D1 |---------< >
| +-------| VREF R/~W |-----------<
| | o2 |-----------<
+-----------| TONE ~CS |-----------<
| RS0 |-----------<
| ~IRQ/CP |----------->
+---------------+
IC1 = Cermetek CH1817 Telephone Interface Module (DAA).
IC2 = Teltone M-8888 DTMF Transceiver for Intel Interface.
Emilio A. Navarro Software Engineer DataTrax Systems Corp.
650 South Taylor Avenue Louisville, CO 80027 - USA
------------------------------
From: jp@Tygra.Michigan.COM (John Palmer)
Date: Fri, 10 Sep 93 12:23:33 EDT
Subject: Can You Dial Area Code 810 From Your Switch Yet?
Organization: CAT-TALK Conferencing System
Just out of curiosity, I tried dialing a phone number yesterday with
area code 810 instead of 313 and the call went through!
810 isn't supposed to be active till 1 December. Has the telco
pre-programmed their switches??? Can anyone else use 810 instead of
313 (anyone else outside of Michigan).
FYI: 810 will be the new area code for all people who now are in the
313 area and who are north of Eight Mile Rd. (the northern boundary of
Detroit). 810 is scheduled to go online on December 1, 1993 with
permissive calling till August 1, 1994.
E-MAIL: jp@michigan.com CAT-TALK IS BACK as a FREE
SYSTEM!! 313-790-8308 300-14400 V.32/V.32BIS/TurboPEP
Anon-UUCP: System: tygra, Login: nuucp, no pw
Get file "/cat/pub/filelist" for a list of files.
------------------------------
From: Jamie Hanrahan <jeh@cmkrnl.com>
Subject: Product Review - FaxPak (Fax->Printer)
Date: 10 Sep 93 15:57:05 PDT
Organization: Kernel Mode Systems, San Diego, CA
In article <1993Sep2.144317.487@eisner.decus.org>, killeen@eisner.
decus.org writes:
> I have just purchased a really neat $250 box. It is called FaxPak
> from Teledisk Systems, Inc. (415) 332-1122. Basically is allows you
> connect a phone line, a serial, and/or a parallel line to various
> printers. It will arbitrate between all three sources - meaning if
> your printer is printing when a FAX comes in it will store the FAX (up
> to about 40 pages) and print it after your print job is done. Or it
> send Xoff/DTR low down the serial line while the something is printing
> through the parallel line.
Someone else (on decuserve) wrote:
> I hope it has some security on the dial-in setup -)
It does -- a user-settable five-digit code. I'd be happier if it had
a plain old switch to disable dial-in changes, but five digits aren't
bad.
I just bought one of these based on Jeff's rec and I'm very impressed
with this little box.
I also am very impressed with the company's tech support. In my setup
the unit kept picking up garbage characters from the parallel input
when the PC connected to that input was turned off. Turns out they
know about this, it's due to the wide variety in electrical
characteristics of PC parallel ports (why does this not surprise me?)
-- the Fax-Pak pulls the data strobe line up just so hard, if it pulls
it up *too* hard some parallel ports won't be able to pull it down,
and this means they can't quite pull it up hard enough to force it to
idle with all varieties of parallel ports when the port is shut down.
The factory fix is an ECO that puts a Schmitt trigger (adds
hysteresis) in that signal path, and they will turn the unit around in
a day if it needs this. I found that adding a print buffer between
the PC and the Fax-Pak parallel port made the problem go away
(different pullups, different thresholds).
But the wonder is that the tech support person I was talking to not
only knew of this problem, he knew ALL about the tech details of what
caused it, and even knew what a Schmitt trigger is, why a Schmitt
trigger would solve the problem, and the 74xx series numbers of the
Schmitt trigger buffer chips! He was about ready to tell me what
traces to cut to hack this in myself, if I'd wanted to do that.
Another nice feature: You don't need to leave the printer on all the
time. If it's off when a fax comes in, the Fax-Pak will hold 40 pages
worth of incoming faxes and blink an LED to tell you to turn the
printer on.
The unit cooperates fine with an answering machine, as long as the
ans. machine is downstream of the Fax-Pak. You program the Fax-Pak to
pick up a couple of rings after the answering machine does, which
really means that it doesn't pick up incoming calls at all, as long as
the answering machine does. But once the call is answered (by the
machine or by a person) it monitors the line, and if it hears the
tones from a calling FAX, it'll seize the call and go to work.
All phones in the house do NOT have to be downstream, but it works better that
way. If you pick up a ringing phone that's downstream of the Fax-Pak, and
realize "oh, it's a fax call" and hang up, the Fax-Pak will take the call. If
you do that with an upstream phone the Fax-Pak never see it.
(Once again, kudos to Teledisk's tech support person, who explained the above
and who clearly knew what he was talking about.)
The Fax-Pak does NOT work like some poorly conceived voice/fax phone
switches: It does not answer all calls and then provide ring to the
downstream phones for non-fax calls.
I've rarely seen a box that does such a complex job and gets so many
of the fine nuances of the job right. It works just the way I want it
to.
All in all this is a heck of a deal. The cheapest two PCs/1 printer
auto switch box I've found is $50, and it doesn't support parallel AND
serial inputs; you have to get up to well over $100 for auto printer
switching plus serial/parallel conversion. The cheapest phone/fax
switch I've found is $60, and a decent one seems to be about $100.
The Fax-Pak is like buying the fax switch and the printer switch and
then getting the fax receive capability thrown in, for just $50 or
$100 or so.
Oh, and once you have dealt with laser-printed faxes, you will never
want to go back to those awful thermal paper machines ...
The one "down side" so far is that I haven't yet gotten it to
cooperate with a Telebit PEP modem on incoming calls. The manual
doesn't mention anything special about modems, just mentions in ONE
place that a modem can be plugged into the "downstream" port. I find
it a little odd that the company never considered modems, in this day
and age. The tech support person said that the unit does work with
modems, but was unfamiliar with Telebit products.
If you need receive fax capability, and you have a good printer, and
unless you absolutely need fax/modem sharing, grab one of these before
the company realizes how underpriced they are.
Does anybody have a used fax machine to sell -- one with an
unrepairable printer but a working sender? :-)
Jamie Hanrahan, Kernel Mode Systems, San Diego CA
drivers, internals, networks, applications, and training for VMS and Windows NT
uucp 'g' protocol guru and release coordinator, VMSnet (DECUS uucp) W.G., and
Chair, Programming and Internals Working Group, U.S. DECUS VMS Systems SIG
Internet: jeh@cmkrnl.com (JH645) Uucp: uunet!cmkrnl!jeh CIS: 74140,2055
------------------------------
From: cccf@email.teaser.com (Jean-Bernard Condat)
Date: Fri, 10 Sep 1993 16:29:06 GMT
Subject: Increasing Price for French Telegrams
Since September 1st, a new tarification apply to national and inter-
national French telegrams.
In France, the customer can give the telegram text by telex or Minitel.
The tariff pass to 33 FF for a minimum of perception of 25 words (free
address), against 28 FF before.
For the telegrams that need the use of a France Telecom operator (tele-
grams posted in a post office or by phone), the price pass to 50 FF
for a minimum of perception of 25 words (free address), against 33 FF
(before.
All the fraction of ten more words are inchanged in term of price.
Out of France, the customer that that use telex or Minitel will paid
a minimum of 76 FF (60 FF before). The fraction of five more words
will be invoice to 27 FF for all countries, without any distinction.
Since 1988, no incresing price will be note on this French telegram
tariffs. The new French prices will be near the same as all the
other European.
The philosophy to send a telegram have being changed: 85% of the traffic
is due to companies, and 15% by individuals for a sentimental reason (95%
of this last case only devoted for bad/good private news to parents and
family).
With 4.9 millions of telegrams in 1992, the number of telegrams send
decreased from the 8.4 millions in 1989.
This fact is due to the type of distribution. During 1989, it will be
possible to phone your telegram and to have a France Telecom operator
that take a bicycle or a car to go to your correspondant address giving
it your telegram. Now, the telegram service is centralized in all great
towns. Your receive a call from a poor girl that give you.. all the
words, character pro character, of the telegram.
If you don't be at home/business, the identification of your telegram
will be automatically given to a computer that call your phone number
all 20 minutes between 7:00 am and 6:30 pm. If you have this computer
system, a pre-recorded voice message give you the opportunity to dial
the 05301111 (free phone number) with the reference of your telegram:
for example ZOU5255 :-)
The solution is to phone for having the text. A printed paper copy will
be send by regular post to the address given by the person that send
you the message.
The normal access for the telegram service by Minitel is 3656, by
phone 3655 and by 3610 for the Carte France Telecom holder. By telex,
simply use the 250214 F with a special formatting option. Note that
sending a telegram from a public phone using 3655 is not possible ...
because France Telecom cannot bill you!
Jean-Bernard Condat
General Secretary
Chaos Computer Club France, B.P. 155, 93404 St-Ouen Cedex, France
Private Address: P.O. 8005, 69351 Lyon Cedex 08, France
Phone: +33 1 40101764, Fax: +33 1 47877070
InterNet: cccf@altern.com or cccf@email.teaser.com
***For a free subscription to _Chaos Digest_, send a message to:
linux-activists-request@niksula.hut.fi
with a mail header or first line containing the following information:
X-Mn-Admin: join CHAOS_DIGEST
and you will put freely on the ChaosD mailing list. Don't hesitate! **
[Moderator's Note: It is probably a moot point, but here in the USA
when Western Union was heavily into the telegram business, you could
send telegrams from pay phones. But instead of calling xxx-4321 (W.U.'s
phone number in almost every city) you called the operator and asked
for Western Union. The operator would tip off the WU clerk that the
call was from a pay station and after you finished talking to the WU
clerk, s/he would tell you to flash for the operator to come back
on the line. The WU clerk would then tell the operator to collect $1.25
or whatever the prcost of your telegram was. You paid for it in the
phone box just like a phone call, or you could have third-number billing
to your home or office phone, etc. PAT]
------------------------------
From: kgd@summa4.MV.COM (Kevin Demers)
Subject: For Sale: Industrial Tape Deck
Organization: Summa Four Inc.
Date: Fri, 10 Sep 93 21:23:55 GMT
For Sale:
One H.P. 3964A Instrumentation Tape Recorder. 1/4" tape, 7" reel.
Four tracks capable, NOTE two tracks are not populated with the
required circuit boards. Two tracks and the MIC input are functional.
Six speeds 15, 7.5, 3.75, 1 7/8, 15/16, 15/32 inches per second.
T.H.D <1.2% @ 15 to 1 7/8 ips.
Frequency Response at 7.5 ips is 50 - 32,000 Hz.
Unit includes two reels with tape and one take-up reel. List
price was $5,300 will sell for $150.
Includes shipping in continental US. (weight approximately 65 lbs.)
You can prepay or pay COD charges ($4). COD payment is cash only.
E-Mail replies & questions to kgd@summa4.mv.com
Kevin Demers | The opinions expressed
25 Sundial Ave | above are my own and
Manchester, NH 03103| not those of my employer
kgd@summa4.mv.com |
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 10 Sep 93 15:53:58 PDT
From: rudholm@aimla.com (Mark Rudholm)
Subject: Two Old - Brand New! - WE510 Phones Purchased
The other day my mother asked me to come over to connect a phone she
bought at an antique store. From the sound of it, I figured it was a
WE500. She said she paid $15 and it was _new_. I was skeptical.
Turns out she was right. It is a black Western Electric 510, new and
in the original box! The 510 is the same as a 500 but has a switch to
the lower-left of the dial to select one of two lines and signal a
remote buzzer. The date codes on the components and the base are all
2-67. All the codes match, receiver, transmitter, network, base,
dial, bell, and box. The box is the original "Western Electric -
Manufacturing and Supply unit of the Bell System" with the blue and red
octagons on it and the bold lettering "TELEPHONE SET." The phone's
base cord is even still tied with the cotton string on it. There are
no signQCt hs that I could find on it that mine weren't the first hands
ever to touch it! The box also contained a wiring diagram, a
schematic (including the network) and instructions for setting the
bell volume.
Even better, mom got two of them. One for ME!
I connected one of them in her office (yes, of course it worked, did
you even have to ask!) and took the other one home.
Does anyone have any idea if this phone might have any value to a
collector? Any ideas on what it might be worth?
If it has no collector value, I'll install and use it but if it is
worth something to someone in it's preserved state, I'll leave it in
the box.
Mark D. Rudholm Philips Interactive Media
rudholm@aimla.com 11050 Santa Monica Blvd.
+1 213 930 1449 Los Angeles, CA 90025-7511
[Moderator's Note: That's the kind of phones I have at home, only mine
are green. Did you notice the plunger on the left side of the switch-
hook also lifts up above its normal height, causing the line not going
to the mouthpeice to be mechanically shorted out when it is to be on
'hold'? The bell can only be connected to one line or the other, and
you need a six wire modular cord if you want to use the temporary push
down/release feature of the turn button for signalling purposes. One
installation I've seen has a single phone line, an intercom line, and
the push button buzzer for intercom purposes. You did not mention it,
but the little clear-plastic turn button at the upper left side of the
dial for line selection also illuminates nicely. Put a little neon
flasher inside the case wired to the line you are not on, with the bell
fed from the line you are on. Then you can be talking on the phone and
see the neon flasher through the clear plastic knob as it notifies you
a call is ringing on the other line. PAT]
------------------------------
From: wtc@messier.eecs.berkeley.edu (Wan-teh Chang)
Subject: Need Information on SDL
Date: 10 Sep 1993 18:49:01 GMT
Organization: U.C. Berkeley -- ERL
Hi all,
I'd like to learn about SDL, and would appreciate it if someone could
give me some references (books or overview, tutorial papers) on SDL.
I'd also like information on the available software tools. If you
would tell me your experiences with SDL and give opinions, comments,
that would be best.
Thanks in advance.
Wan-Teh Chang
wtc@eecs.berkeley.edu
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 10 Sep 93 15:42:09 EDT
From: dwn@dwn.ccd.bnl.gov (Dave Niebuhr)
Subject: Hotel Charges and Surcharges
I was at a hotel in Omaha (the Blackstone) in 1962 when I was flying
from there to New York City, and when I went to check out the next
morning, they tried to stick me with a call from my room to Minneapolis.
I explained to them that I didn't know anyone who lived there and that
they had better remove their charge or else I was going to file a
complaint with my employer, the US Air Force.
It and the other services use the hotel as an overnight stop for
inductees and pays them big bucks.
The charges were removed shortly thereafter.
Dave Niebuhr Internet: dwn@dwn.ccd.bnl.gov (preferred)
niebuhr@bnl.gov / Bitnet: niebuhr@bnl
Senior Technical Specialist, Scientific Computing Facility
Brookhaven National Laboratory Upton, NY 11973 (516)-282-3093
[Moderator's Note: Do you think it was deliberate? Thirty-one years
ago they would have been using the old-fashioned cord boards with
three or four operators on duty at one time. Mistakes were common
with poorly trained operators. PAT]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 10 Sep 93 15:58:45 EDT
From: Ram Mouli <mouli@acesps.ENET.dec.com>
Subject: Need Phone Numbers/Locations of Cellular Companies
Hello Pat:
I need the telephone numbers for the following cellular companies as
part of a study. I tried various sources but could get only a few.
I appreciate your help. The companies are:
CNET
COMsearch
LCC (Don't know the expansion)
and Joint venture of AT & T and Ericsson.
Thanks,
Ram Mouli
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 10 Sep 1993 17:38:50 -0700
From: DLynn.El_Segundo@xerox.com
Subject: Old Phone Number
I was recently at my mother's house doing some minor repairs, using my
late father's tools, and came across an old looking ice pick with an
advertisement cast into the handle. "ONTARIO ICE COMPANY, PH ONTARIO
257" it said. This is from the days when a prefix was something you
told the operator rather than something you dialed. My father lived
near Ontario, California during almost all of the 1920's and 30's, so
the ice pick could have been from anywhere in that time frame. After
returning home, I went to the library and checked their Ontario phone
book. The company is still in business, apparently surviving the
replacement of iceboxes by refrigerators. I was hoping its number
would be minimally changed, like 66x-0257, but it wasn't; it's
984-4111 now. None of the ON (66) exchanges were assigned to the city
of Ontario anyway.
Don Lynn
[Moderator's Note: A company with the same phone number for sixty or
seventy years allowing for dialing changes is a rarity these days. A
few places in Chicago have kept the same number that long. The Conrad
Hilton Hotel as been WABash (922)-4400 since the 1920's when it was
the Stevens Hotel. Marshall Field's has had STAte (782)-1000 since the
beginning of phone service just about. Only recently they became 781-
1000. PAT]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 10 Sep 1993 10:51:26 EDT
From: LESREEVES@delphi.com
Subject: 900 Number in a Box
I saw an ad today for a CD-ROM called "Phone Sex". It is described as
containing over 600 megabytes of phone-sex dirty talk in the .wav
format.
The people who named this little jem screwed up.
They are only asking about $30.00 for "Phone Sex", but they could
easily get $99 if it was called "900 Number in a Box"!
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V13 #638
******************************
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Date: Sat, 11 Sep 1993 17:00:27 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
Message-Id: <199309112200.AA03049@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #639
TELECOM Digest Sat, 11 Sep 93 17:00:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 639
Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson
Calling Number Display Blocking For All? (Dave Leibold)
Bell Canada Pay-Per-Use Call Return Proposed (Dave Leibold)
Teledisquette, For PC Communications Through ISDN (Jean-Bernard Condat)
Cellular Roaming Validation (Gregory Youngblood)
Terminal Servers Supporting RAS and TACACS? (Bob Izenberg)
Calculators in Their Early Days (Cliff Sharp)
Speakerphone Chips Needed (Robin Singla)
Turning Off an Extension Phone (Robin Singla)
Congressional Record on Line Wanted (Tim White)
Hotel Modem Experiences (Adams Douglas)
Bellcore Now Toll-Free From Canada (Dave Leibold)
How To Search the Archives For Past Articles (Nick Phelan)
So - This - is How They Get the Reverse Directories (comp.priv via Dan B)
EST Designation on Orange Card Bill (Carl Moore)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sat, 11 Sep 1993 02:30:44 -0400
From: Dave.Leibold@f730.n250.z1.FIDONET.ORG (Dave Leibold)
Subject: Calling Number Display Blocking For All
[from Bell News, Bell Ontario 30 Aug 1993]
Universal per-call blocking proposed
As part of our filing of Name Display, we have also has asked the CRTC
to approve a plan to offer universal per-call blocking.
The service would be an evolution of the per-call blocking now in
effect in that it would make such blocking automatically available --
at no charge -- for most customers. Today, customers have to call
their local business office to request that call blocking be put on
their line. In addition, call blocking options will be extended to
include name as well as number.
Customers would no longer have to contact the business office to have
that service made available on their lines. By dialing *67 on a
Touch-Tone [tm] phone or 1167 on a rotary-dial set at the start of a
call, they would be able to stop both name and number from appearing
on the telephone display screen of a customer subscribing to Call
Display.
Bell would continue to offer free per-line blocking to certified
shelters for victims of domestic violence and in those areas served by
switches not capable of supporting per-call blocking (until per call
blocking can be made available). Customers may also continue to block
calls through the operator. A charge of $0.75 applies.
In communities where the name display feature would be available,
customers would receive information with their bill statements one
month prior to the introduction.
Dave Leibold - via FidoNet node 1:250/98
INTERNET: Dave.Leibold@f730.n250.z1.FIDONET.ORG
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 11 Sep 1993 02:30:32 -0400
From: Dave.Leibold@f730.n250.z1.FIDONET.ORG (Dave Leibold)
Subject: Bell Canada Pay-Per-Use Call Return Proposed
[from Bell News, Bell Ontario 30 Aug 1993]
Features to get pay-per-use option
Bell has filed tariffs with the Canadian Radio-television and
Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to offer two calling features on
a pay-per-use basis to residence and individual-line business
customers -- Last Call Return and Busy Call Return.
Both capabilities are available to Bell customers today. What the
company is proposing is simply a different way of pricing these
features.
Last Call Return will announce the telephone number of the most recent
call received. The number can then be dialed and a busy line will be
monitored for up to 30 minutes.
Customers would access Last Call Return by dialing *69 on a Touch-Tone
keypad, or dialing 1169 on a rotary-dial set.
Busy Call Return will redial the number of the last call dialled (last
outgoing call) and also monitor a busy line for up to 30 minutes.
Customers would access Busy Call Returb by dialing *66 on a Touch-Tone
phone or 1166 on a rotary-dial set.
Offering these features on a pay-per-use basis will provide a new way
to experience the benefits of these features, including greater
convenience and control while paying only for the features used.
Customers would be able to use the pay-per-use features from any
individual residence or single-line business telephone, in areas where
it would be offered, and for local or long distance calls within or
between areas where the services would be offered.
If approved, the charge for use of either feature would be 50 cents
per use. The charge would be applied as soon as the customer dials the
* (star) and appropriate code. That charge would also be applied
regardless of the outcome of the call.
Customers who have a monthly subscription to Call Return will not be
affected by the introduction of pay-per-use.
Pending CRTC approval, Last Call Return and Busy Call Return would be
offered first as a market trial in Belleville, Ontario and Sherbrooke,
Quebec, starting November 1, 1993. They would be available in
Ottawa-Hull and Quebec City on November 29, 1993.
Introduction in other communities served by Bell in Ontario and Quebec
where Call Management Services are available would take place on a
phased basis during the first quarter, 1994.
Dave Leibold - via FidoNet node 1:250/98
INTERNET: Dave.Leibold@f730.n250.z1.FIDONET.ORG
[Moderator's Note: A curious bug in the Busy Call Return is if you
dial your own number (getting a busy signal of course), then asking
the system to work on it for you until it gets through. Naturally
after a couple seconds it finds your line no longer busy (because you
have hung up), so it calls you (to make sure you are still there and
want to make the call) before it attempts to call you (to put through
the call you are trying to make to yourself.) Your phone rings, there
is a short silent pause and the equipment responds that, 'the number
you are trying to call *did* become available, but it has since become
busy again ...' <smile> and that will go on as long as you wish to
play the game for up to thirty minutes or so, with you hanging up, it
finding the line is free, calling you first to get you on the line and
calling you second to put through the call, and reporting that 'the
line has become busy again ...' When you get tired of it, use *89 to
cancel further attempts. The equipment probably thinks the number is
assigned to the local bus/rail depot for passenger information. :) PAT]
------------------------------
From: cccf@email.teaser.com (Jean-Bernard Condat)
Date: Sat, 11 Sep 1993 11:02:13 GMT
Subject: Teledisquette, for PC communications through ISDN
Teledisquette and ISDN deliver a new dimension to personal computer
communications. An emerging standard for file transfert,
Teledisquette ensures the interoperability of all types of personal
computers, regardless of the type of communication software used or
operating system. With Teledisquette, file transfer becomes as easy
as sending a fax.
Personal Computers that Communicate
Beyond the day-to-day business needs of telephones and fax machines,
the expanding base of personal computers has created a growing need
for transferring files on daily basis. Teledisquette and ISDN allow
you to spend less time preparing and transmitting information, instead
of waqting time sending floppies by foot or mail. Teledisquette
allows you to send files easily and immediately over ISDN.
More efficiency for diverse business needs
The diversity of information system configurations among businesses
and professionals no longer has to be a major file transfer problem.
Teledisquette guarantees communications in mixed information system
environments and among different types of products that conform to the
Teledisquette standard.
With Teledisquette and ISDN, any business frees itself from physical and
geographic constraints, whatever your file transfer needs. Teledisquette
applications include: CAD file transfer among engineers and architects,
distribution of pricing and inventory information among sales branches
of large and small businesses, delivery of educational materials through-
out an organization, financial updates of accounting information, client
billing from contractors.
ISDN: A critical Asset
ISDN is an effective communications tool for file transfer. Because
ISDN is a completely digital transmission technique operating at 64
kbit/s, with Teledisquette, files are transferred rapidly and without
error. Because ISDN is now available in most industrial countries,
Teledisquette enables personal computers throughout the world to
communicate with each other.
By enhancing telephone services, and by transferring text, images, and
sound, ISDN offers businesses a large application base. Furthermore,
the high speed and low costs of file transfer with ISDN assures the
economic advantages of Teledisquette.
From Mac to PC
The Teledisquette standard has been defined in collaboration with
communication software developers throughout Europe. The standard is
compatible with all major operating systems, including DOS, Microsoft
Windows, Apple Macintosh OS, OS/2, and Unix. This permits widespread
distribution and acceptance of low cost software and hardware
conforming to the Teledisquette standard.
Teledisquette reinforces the benefits of ISDN and optimizes the
investment in information systems by adding a standardized method of
file transfer.
By connecting personal computers to the outside world, ISDN and
Teledisquette enhance the performance of your workstation and permit
you to reach a new dimension in business communications.
Basic Functions of Teledisquette
o Control of file access from remote file servers and workstations;
o Directory listings of authorized access files on remote machines;
o Rapid file transfer rate at 64 kbit/s;
o Remote file name changes and deletion.
Teledisquette Products Currently on the Market in France
o ISDN communications boards and software for PCs operating under DOS,
OS/2, Microsoft Windows, Mac/OS, Unix;
o File transfer workstations;
o File servers based on Teledisquette, with four and greater access
channels and operating under Unix or OS/2.
Jean-Bernard Condat
General Secretary
Chaos Computer Club France, B.P. 155, 93404 St-Ouen Cedex, France
Private Address: P.O. 8005, 69351 Lyon Cedex 08, France
Phone: +33 1 40101764, Fax: +33 1 47877070
InterNet: cccf@altern.com or cccf@email.teaser.com
------------------------------
Subject: Cellular Roaming Validation
From: zeta@tcscs.com (Gregory Youngblood)
Date: Sat, 11 Sep 93 06:32:44 PDT
Organization: TCS Computer Systems
barnett@zeppelin.convex.com (Paul Barnett) writes:
> Some systems call you and welcome you to their service area. US West
> has chosen to not actually 'ring' your phone. However, I thought it
> was interesting that all the validation activity was occurring simply
> because the phone was turned on.
Some systems, but not all, have this ability. It is mostly on your
higher end switches that have the ability to do that.
My memory is foggy from less than two hours sleep, but I'll try to
muddle through this anyway.
Every so often cell sites send out a signal to find out what phones
are in the system. The theory is the system will know what phones are
in service and be able to route calls faster (at least this is my
understanding). Some switches have the ability to take the
information from these polls, pre-validate roamers who enter the area
(instead of on your first call), and to call the mobile to welcome it
to the service area and/or assign you a temporary number and forward
your home number to you in your new location (so people would get you
by dialing your home system number and no mucking about with nasty
roaming ports).
If memory serves some of the earlier areas that had these features
enabled were in Florida I believe. Either that or those were the
systems that offered multiple phones with a single number (but no
simultaneous calls).
Greg
The Complete Solution BBS | Allfiles List: | Anonymous UUCP Calls Accepted
707-459-9058 (24hrs, v.32) | ~/tcsbbs.lst | Login: nuucp Password: nuucp
Telemate Distribution Site | zeta@tcscs.com | Cellular Telephoney Groups
------------------------------
From: bei@dogface.austin.tx.us (Bob Izenberg)
Subject: Terminal Servers Supporting RAS and TACACS?
Date: Sat, 11 Sep 1993 12:39:06 CDT
Has anyone used / heard of a modem server that supports RAS
and TACACS authentication? If you've had personal experience with
such a beast, what was your opinion of its performance,
configurability, ease of use, et cetera?
Bob HOME: bei@dogface.austin.tx.us WORK: bobi@vswr.sps.mot.com
------------------------------
Subject: Calculators in Their Early Days
Date: Sat, 11 Sep 93 7:44:53 CDT
From: Cliff Sharp <clifto@indep1.chi.il.us>
In article 23056 of comp.dcom.telecom (Subject: Looking for Ma Bell's
Early Charges) TELECOM Moderator noted:
[Moderator's Note: The rates then were disproportionatly higher than
now (or even in the early 1900's, assuming the value of the dollar now
and then, etc) but some of this can be attributed to the start up
expense of the new technology rather than taking advantage of a mono-
poly situation as such. It is a lot like the hand held calculators we
use now which cost $3.98 at Walmart. In 1965 those same units cost
about $200!! PAT]
Somewhere between 1969-1971 I saw my first electronic desk
calculator (handhelds were unheard of!) when I started a new job. It
was a Sony, about the size of a 32-memory "featurephone" of today, and
cost $2000. I remember my amazement that it would divide, and
immediately sat at it and computed sqrt(2). The boss, who authorized
its purchase, said it was the only unit he knew of in existence.
Cliff Sharp clifto@indep1.chi.il.us OR clifto@indep1.uucp
WA9PDM Use whichever one works
[Moderator's Note: sqrt(2) was always fun followed by the square of
the answer given to watch it report back 1.99999998 or similar instead
of the 2 you started with. No more playing around with division by
zero however! The 'new' electronic machines reported an overflow con-
dition instantly and stalled until you reset them. Now the old Victor
Comptometer machines and the electrically operated Burroughs arith-
metic machines were fun ... give them a division by zero, and the
gears inside would keep chugging away forever looking for resolution
until the motor burned out if you did not hit the reset switch on the
side to kill the job or unplug them from the wall, but even that did
not reset things as the gears inside were stuck where they were when
the power was gone. You had to use the tiny reset button on the bottom
of the adding machine to shove all the gears into neutral and back to
their normal resting place. With the earlier Burroughs mechanical arith-
cmetic machines (punch one button in each column, it locked in place
until you pulled the long handle forward (or spun the crank on the
side of the older ones), you could attempt divison by zero -- it saw
no problem with it -- but you sat there and cranked forever until you
got tired of it. I got a little Texas Instruments TI-51 programmable
around 1975 or so; I guess it was seven or eight hundred dollars then.
How much memory did it have? I think 256 bytes or something. PAT]
It could resolve sqrt(2) to 16 digits. Wow! :) You know what the
final test was in those days for quality control purposes before the
machines left the factory? 12345678 times 9 = 11,111,111 and a second
test, 98765432 times 9 = 88,888,888. If it got those two correct (a
test carried over from the days of the mechanical units), it passed. PAT]
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 11 Sep 1993 13:25:43 CDT
From: U19250@uicvm.uic.edu
Subject: Speakerphone Chips Needed
Organization: University of Illinois at Chicago, ADN Computer Center
I need to build 4-500 speakerphones (no handsets) with three memory
phone number locations. Is there a set of chips, or a relatively easy
circuit that will allow me to do this? Any help will be appreciated.
Robin (U19250@uicvm.uic.edu)
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 11 Sep 1993 13:19:08 CDT
From: U19250@uicvm.uic.edu
Subject: Turnning Off an Extension Phone
Organization: University of Illinois at Chicago, ADN Computer Center
A little while back, someone posted something about how to turn off an
extension phone when another phone was in use. This circuit used two
diodes, and one resistor. I would appreciate it if someone could
forward the values and circuit configuration.
Thank you,
Robin Singla (U19250@uicvm.uic.edu)
------------------------------
From: ao936@yfn.ysu.edu (Tim White)
Subject: Congressional Record On Line Wanted
Date: 11 Sep 1993 00:49:34 GMT
Organization: Youngstown State/Youngstown Free-Net
I am looking for a way to view/download/search the Congressional
Record. I am particularly interested in Telephony regulation and
deregulation matters as they are being discussed in Congress.
------------------------------
From: adamsd@crash.cts.com (Adams Douglas)
Subject: Hotel Modem Experiences
Organization: CTS Network Services (crash, ctsnet), El Cajon, CA
Date: 11 Sep 93 04:24:56 GMT
With the useful information here about hotel telecom experiences in
general, I'd like to solicit chat about using modems in various hotel
chains. My own stories follow:
I spent three months consulting in Minneapolis this spring. I needed
24-hour access to the Unix host I was supervising. I was put up in the
Crown Sterling Suites (_excellent_ service all around) downtown. They
are business-traveler oriented, but when I tried to plug in to the
phones I got no results. I talk to the front desk and was told they
would have modem compatible phone sent up for me.
Here's what's interesting. Their phones _look_ like two-line phones,
yet they have RJ-11 jacks. I think a decoding system in the phone
interprets call-waiting and conference-call tones and this filtering
interferes with the modem. The new phone I was given had an extra
modem jack in the rear which worked when I plugged in through there
(yet not when I plugged into the wall), but a call on the "second"
line _would_ interrupt the modem signal on line "one". No complaint,
just technical curiosity.
Flip side: I spent Labor Day weekend at the Loews Santa Monica Beach
hotel. Their two-line phones _have_ a modem jack on the back clearly
labeled as such. Yet, when I called _local_ online connections in L.A.
(BT Tymnet), I got trash connections with no successful connect
despite the audible modem carrier. On the floorboard, there was a
separate RJ-11 connector labeled "alternate". When I plugged into
that, I got perfect modem connections _and_ the "line two" button on
the desk phone lit up.
What's going on here?
(BTW, both of the above charged me very reasonably for the calls)
Adams Douglas adamsd@crash.cts.com San Diego, CA
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 11 Sep 1993 02:30:22 -0400
From: Dave.Leibold@f730.n250.z1.FIDONET.ORG (Dave Leibold)
Subject: Bellcore Now Toll-Free From Canada
The 1 800 521.CORE number for ordering from Bellcore is now reachable
from Canadian points. Their documents, catalogue, etc. can thus be
ordered toll-free in both U.S. and Canada.
Dave Leibold - via FidoNet node 1:250/98
INTERNET: Dave.Leibold@f730.n250.z1.FIDONET.ORG
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 11 Sep 1993 23:40:21 EDT
From: INPHELAN@delphi.com
Subject: How To Search the Archives For Past Articles
I read your file on "Welcome to Comp.Dcom...". Perhaps I am not even
in the right place.
I am trying to do a research paper on Wireless Local Loop/Wireless
Local Access. Since most of the RBOCs and GTE have done trials I
assumed there would be some information about this in your libraries.
From a rough "dir" through telecom-archives I turned up nothing.
Browsing into your "1993.volume...." etc. directories indicate nothing
but the file names are hardly indicative.
Is there a master index somewhere? Is there a command like "grep"
which will let me check the files for key words? The letters are in
excess of a megabyte and at a scorching 2400 baud it could be a while
getting each to my PC!
Sorry to appear ignorant. Thanks for the help.
nick phelan
[Moderator's Note: Yes, there is something you can do, but at 2400
baud even it will take awhile. Get the two *compressed* files in the
archives (anonymous ftp lcs.mit.edu) entitled:
-r--r----- 1 telecom guest 568541 Apr 9 11:45 index-vol9-10-11.subj.Z
-r--r----- 1 telecom guest 220055 Aug 25 22:56 index-volume.12.subj.Z
At the end of this year, the second file will be updated with volume
13. Warning: Set the type to 'I' as these are like binary files and
will never uncompress correctly (or at all, once they just kept mushroom-
ing on me) if you try to convey them back to your site as text files.
Note these are huge files. The sizes shown above are the compressed
versions (note the .Z on the end). Should you uncompress them at your
site be sure you have room for them. Should you wish to print them
out, the first file alone is thirty thousand lines in length. Once
uncompressed, grep 'Intro' <filename> for a help file built into the
index itself, or cat the first fifty lines or so. All subject header
lines for the period in question were grepped out of the individual
issues of the Digest with output piped into those files. Then they
were sorted in alphabetical order, with the Re: on the front, where it
appears, disregarded for sorting purposes. You say: 'grep arg1 arg2'
where the first argument is the word or desired phrase or author's
name (put it in quotes so grep will understand!) and the second argu-
ment is the name of the uncompressed file.
The output looks like this:
12/101-150 Subject Title Here (author's name here)
09/450-500 Another Subject Here (and author's name here)
The numbers on the front say to look in volume 12, the package of
fifty issues labeled 'vol12.iss101-150'. You can grep by any word or
phrase you wish, by author's name, by all the titles in X/Y - Z
volume and issue numbers. I encourage a liberal use of grep, not
looking at up/low case, using digits like '8' as well as 'eight'. If
you are too tight, you won't get satisfactory hits. If you are too
loose, you will get flooded. Don't even bother looking for phrases like
'AT&T', 'telco', or other words used in every issue. I am sorry this
is sort of cumbersome, but I am not a very good programmer, and I did
this all myself in spare time. I will get to volumes prior to 9 when
I can get my own act together here otherwise and have some time to
spend on cleaning up and improving the archives. Let me know how it
works if you try it. I hope it helps you find stuff you want and I am
sorry resources do not permit me to make it better right now. PAT]
------------------------------
From: dannyb@panix.com (danny burstein)
Subject: So - This - is How They Get the Reverse Directories
Date: 11 Sep 1993 05:35:32 -0400
Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC
Passed along FYI:
From comp.society.privacy Thu Sep 9 05:30:29 1993
Date: Tue, 7 Sep 93 11:19:04 PDT
From: Kelly Bert Manning <ua602@freenet.victoria.bc.ca>
Subject: Re: Caller ID and 911
Reply-To: ua602@freenet.victoria.bc.ca
Organization: Computer Privacy Digest
In a previous article, wb8foz@skybridge.scl.cwru.edu (David Lesher)
says:
> Others said:
># > How Does Line Blocking Work With Emergency Calls?
># > If you have Line Blocking and an emergency service provider
># > has Caller ID, the provider will NOT receive your number
> Typical Bell misdirection.....
> Notice the modifier "If" in the sentence. 911 does not use CLID. Never
> has. I suppose if you started up "Joe's Fire Dept. and Storm Door
> Company" you might get it CLID. But what good will the number do you?
> Do you go flying out onto the street in your ladder truck, while
> looking up the number/address in your Haynes Directory ;-?
Some communities may just be using basic Caller Id as a low cost form
of 911 service.
Here in BC 911 is something which individual communities negotiate the
details of with BC Tel. A recent news broadcast from Vancouver
mentioned that there had been a series of problems in responding to
911 calls on one particular day because the computer that supplies the
address of the callers to the 911 operators had failed. The details
vary from community to community, with some paying for more
sophisticated operations and some refusing to pay BC Tel for any 911
service.
It doesn't seem to be a standard Caller ID setup, so I doubt that the
standard blocking method would apply here.
BC Tel also recently reminded subscribers of their right to list just
their number, as a free alternative to an unlisted number. This was
included with an announcement that they are now providing a locator
service. Anyone who wants an address which is listed can obtain it by
calling BC Tel and paying a fee. This applies even if the number has
not been published yet. They will provide exactly the information that
would be published in the next phone book.
Canadian phone directories were reported to be one of the primary data
sources for Tetragon's "Homebase", which came out about 3 years before
anyone heard of Lotus Corp's plan for a similar US CD-ROM database of
home addresses and other personal information. The publishers said
that they sent directories to the Phillipines to be key entered.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 11 Sep 93 11:41:00 EDT
From: Carl Moore <cmoore@BRL.MIL>
Subject: EST Designation on Orange Card Bill
On my latest Orange Card bill, I have a few calls from a very short
trip I took south (just starting down the Delmarva, so called because
it has Delaware, eastern shore Maryland, and two counties in
Virginia).
Heading down Maryland route 213 from Elkton, I made calls from (area
410): 885 Chesapeake City, 275 Cecilton, 648 Galena. All of them
showed up on the bill as EST (Easton if I had to come up with a city
name, or Eastern Shore?). I headed back east toward Delaware (could
not find a phone on 755 Warwick, still in Md.).
Back in Delaware, I made a call from 302-378 Middletown, and it
appeared on the bill as MAK, which I've already seen in other calls
made from Delaware.
I'll have to check out the Elkton exchange itself. I don't know from
memory where the LATA boundary is.
[Moderator's Note: You don't know from memory where the LATA boundary
is? You don't know? What kind of sloppy reporter are you anyway?
I want *facts* in this Digest, not fiction! <smile> <grin> PAT]
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V13 #639
******************************
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12 Sep 93 4:32 EDT
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Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1993 01:42:32 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
Message-Id: <199309120642.AA28882@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #640
TELECOM Digest Sun, 12 Sep 93 01:42:30 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 640
Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson
Re: High Voice Mailbox Fees (Carl Oppedahl)
Re: High Voice Mailbox Fees (Steve Cogorno)
Re: High Voice Mailbox Fees (Steve Forrette)
Re: My Experiences as a New Cellular Phone Owner (Mark Rudholm)
Re: My Experiences as a New Cellular Phone Owner (Frank Keeney)
Re: My Experiences as a New Cellular Phone Owner (Laurence Chiu)
Re: Truevoice - Modem Tests Anyone? (Richard Jennings)
Re: Truevoice - Modem Tests Anyone? (David G. Lewis)
Re: Truevoice - Modem Tests Anyone? (Tom Roberts)
Re: Truevoice - Modem Tests Anyone? (Brett Frankenberger)
Re: Notes on True Voice Demo (Eric N. Florack)
Re: Notes on True Voice Demo (Al Varney)
Re: Notes on True Voice Demo (Steve Forrette)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: oppedahl@panix.com (Carl Oppedahl)
Subject: Re: High Voice Mailbox Fees
Date: 11 Sep 1993 13:31:14 -0400
Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC
In <telecom13.632.7@eecs.nwu.edu> w.hefner@genie.geis.com writes:
> I live in Northern California (Eureka to be exact) and just had my
> Centrex system hooked-up yesterday. I was curious about possibly
> getting voice-mailbox service from Pacific Bell and was quoted a price
> of $ 19.95 a month. This seems to be considerably higher than what I
> have heard other telcos charge. As a matter of fact I seem to remember
> having read a note in the Digest from a subscriber in southern
> Calififornia that was only being charged $9.95 for the same service.
> I don't think that he specifically stated that he was connected to
> Pacific Bell, or that he was a business customer, but I'd sure like to
> know if I'm being charged a higher subscription rate for the same
> service (from the same company) just because I live in a different
> part of the state! Would it be legal for the local carrier to do this?
> Since ONLY the local carrier can provide this service (automaticly
> fowarding more than one call to a voice-mailbox service at the same
> time when your phone is busy) shouldn't the price for this service be
> regulated somehow?
I expect that in many states the regulator sees voice mailboxing as a
revenue source, not a service to be regulated. Just like speed
calling, call waiting, and all those other things that cost next to
nothing to provide but generate revenue. In such states the regulator
demands that the revenue source be priced higher than cost, with the
revenue used to subsidize basic local telephone service.
> Also I'm allowed up to 40 messages for $19.95 a month. Any more
> than that and my price jumps to $40.00 a month. This sure seems like
> =ALOT= more than people in other parts of the country are being
> charged.
Well, even though the cost-per-bit of RAM has dropped by a factor of
two each year for over a decade, perhaps telco bought lots of
expensive RAM way back when and is now trying to recover its cost?
> By the way, I was told by my Centrex rep that the entire voice-mailbox
> system had to be totally overhauled recently because some phone
> phreakers had figured out how to change people's outgoing messages and
> delete their incoming messages. Now you have to call a totally
> separate phone number (different than the number that the service is
> connected to) to retrieve your messages. She said that this has
> annoyed many subscribers because now they have to remember TWO
> seperate phone numbers, plus their four to eight digit security code.
> I wonder if having to have two seperate phone numbers (for each
> subscriber) to get voice mailbox service is what I'm paying so much
> extra money for?
No, that adds little or nothing to the cost to provide the service.
Why not get a second phone number that rings over from the first
number, and use a Radio Shack 43-383 ($22) to enable one answering
machine to answer both lines. This sounds like it would cost less
than the voice-mailbox system.
Besides, don't you get charged for a local call (1) each time someone
leaves you a voice message and (2) each time you call in to get your
messages? That adds up, too.
Carl Oppedahl AA2KW (patent lawyer)
1992 Commerce Street #309
Yorktown Heights, NY 10598-4412
voice 212-777-1330
------------------------------
From: cogorno@netcom.com (Steve Cogorno)
Subject: Re: High Voice Mailbox Fees
Date: Sat, 11 Sep 93 19:42:20 PDT
> I live in Northern California (Eureka to be exact) and just had my
> Centrex system hooked-up yesterday. I was curious about possibly
> getting voice-mailbox service from Pacific Bell and was quoted a price
> of $ 19.95 a month. This seems to be considerably higher than what I
> have heard other telcos charge. As a matter of fact I seem to remember
> having read a note in the Digest from a subscriber in southern
> Calififornia that was only being charged $9.95 for the same service.
I am in San Jose, and this is what we pay. For RESIDENTIAL service,
it is $4.95.
> Since ONLY the local carrier can provide this service (automaticly
> fowarding more than one call to a voice-mailbox service at the same
> time when your phone is busy) shouldn't the price for this service be
> regulated somehow?
Not true. You can choose any voicemail carrier you want. All you
need for the voice mail to pick up when the line is busy is Busy Call
Forwarding (3.50 per month, plus toll if applicable).
> Also I'm allowed up to 40 messages for $19.95 a month. Any more
> than that and my price jumps to $40.00 a month. This sure seems like
> =ALOT= more than people in other parts of the country are being
> charged.
What they meant to say was 40 messages in your box at one time. If
you delete prior messages, incoming messages are no problem. Pac Bell
limits the storage area per mailbox to 40 messages. This should be
plenty for daily use.
> delete their incoming messages. Now you have to call a totally
> separate phone number (different than the number that the service is
> connected to) to retrieve your messages. She said that this has
> annoyed many subscribers because now they have to remember TWO
> seperate phone numbers, plus their four to eight digit security code.
> I wonder if having to have two seperate phone numbers (for each
> subscriber) to get voice mailbox service is what I'm paying so much
> extra money for?
I think this is standard practice for Pac Bell. For both my business
and residential service, they assign a second phone number. THis
number is the actual voice mail box. They have no way of putting the
voicemail onto your line directly. They use Busy Call Forwarding,
Delayed Call Forwarding, and Call Forwarding (you have to pay extra
for this, but it makes a great Do Not Disturb feature!) to route your
calls from your line to the voice mailbox number. This is why you
cannot use Busy/Delayed Call Forwarding if you have voicemail. You
can dial your regular phone number (if you have the busy option), and
voicemail will pick up. When the message plays, you can dial 01 +
password + # and you're set.
Steve
cogorno@netcom.com
------------------------------
From: stevef@wrq.com (Steve Forrette)
Subject: Re: High Voice Mailbox Fees
Date: 11 Sep 1993 18:56:05 GMT
Organization: Walker Richer & Quinn, Inc.
Reply-To: stevef@wrq.com (Steve Forrette)
In <telecom13.632.7@eecs.nwu.edu> w.hefner@genie.geis.com writes:
> I live in Northern California (Eureka to be exact) and just had my
> Centrex system hooked-up yesterday. I was curious about possibly
> getting voice-mailbox service from Pacific Bell and was quoted a price
> of $ 19.95 a month. This seems to be considerably higher than what I
> have heard other telcos charge. As a matter of fact I seem to remember
> having read a note in the Digest from a subscriber in southern
> Calififornia that was only being charged $9.95 for the same service.
Pacific Bell has more than one voicemail offering. The 'Message
Center' is the low cost offering, and it starts at only $4.95 for
residential customers. It is available only in the Bay Area and in
LA, I believe, and is offered by Pacific Bell. Other areas can use
the older voicemail service, which I think is provided by Pac Tel, the
same people that do the paging services. Both services are
'unregulated' services. It is unfortunate for you that the Message
Center is not available in your area, but some major markets, such as
Sacramento, don't have the Message Center either and must pay the
higher rate for the other voicemail service.
> Since ONLY the local carrier can provide this service (automaticly
> fowarding more than one call to a voice-mailbox service at the same
> time when your phone is busy) shouldn't the price for this service be
> regulated somehow?
This is not true. Since both the Message Center and the Pac Tel
voicemail services are non-regulated, any service that they use from
the regulated side must be available to anyone. The features that you
need to request are "Busy Call Forwarding" and "No-Answer Transfer."
These will both take multiple calls at a time, and send them to the
destination you predesignate. This could be a voicemail box from
another service bureau, your own voicemail, or anything else. If you
are on a 1AESS, then you need Busy Call Forward Extended if the
destination number is outside your switch (No-Answer Transfer Extended
is not tariffed, so you can't no-answer transfer outside of your
switch if you're on a Pacific Bell 1A. But, the standard no-answer
transfer can leave the switch if it's on a 5ESS or a DMS-100. This
issue is really confusing, and it took me several reps to get the
whole story when I needed to get this set up recently).
Steve Forrette, stevef@wrq.com
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 11 Sep 93 15:33:18 PDT
From: rudholm@aimla.com (Mark Rudholm)
Subject: Re: My Experiences as a New Cellular Phone Owner
In V13, I633, Message 8 of Telecom Digest, Timothy L. Kay <timkay@crl.com>
writes:
<story of good deal on cellphone deleted>
> Then I talked to PacTel Cellular in San Diego. They have a plan which
> costs $20/month, and $.74 peak $.19 off peak/minute. However, if I
> make the calls from/to L.A., the L.A. roaming rate of $.60 applies at
> all times. This seems like the best arrangement, so I might make the
> change. This plan is perfect for people who have a cellular phone
> only for emergencies. There is a $40 connect charge in San Diego.
Getting service in a nearby market can be a practical option. You'll
find that since PacTel San Diego and PacTel Los Angeles are IS-41
interconnected, the systems behave almost as one. You can set-up and
deactivate your call forwarding instructions from either system
regardless of which is your home. There are inter-system hand-offs
for calls in progress (in fact, you can have a continuous call from
San Luis Obispo to the Mexican border.) Also, if someone calls the
roamer access port to reach a roamer and the phone is unavailable, the
call will get forwarded to voicemail or to wherever the intended
recipient has forwarded their calls. This particular feature is a bit
risky since the callee gets to pay LD charges for delivery of the
call.
The only drawbacks to having service elsewhere are that you don't have
a local number for your cellphone anymore and you have to pay LD
charges if you want to receive calls that didn't go through the roamer
port. You can always give callers instructions on how to use the
roamer port but that can be complicated for some callers.
The two cheapest plans look like this:
San Diego Los Angeles
--------- -----------
Startup $40.00 $50.00
Monthly 20.00 25.00
Peak minutes .74 .90
Off-peak .19 .20
L.A. customers pay the same for airtime in S.D. as they would if they
were in their home market. S.D. customers pay 60 cents per minute for
airtime in L.A. at all times.
A good friend of mine lives in Del Mar (San Diego area) but works here
in L.A. on many weekends. He currently has SD service but is planning
on transferring it to LA because much of his usage has been here. And
the cost for his weekend use when in S.D. will only increase by 1 cent
per minute.
Mark D. Rudholm Philips Interactive Media
rudholm@aimla.com 11050 Santa Monica Boulevard
+1 213 930 1449 Los Angeles, CA 90025-7511
------------------------------
From: frank@calcom.socal.com (Frank Keeney)
Reply-To: frank@calcom.socal.com
Date: Sat, 11 Sep 1993 08:43:28 -0800
Subject: Re: My Experiences as a New Cellular Phone Owner
On Sep 07 16:09, Timothy L. Kay wrote:
> Now that I have the phone, I need to get some accessories,
> such as spare batteries and a rapid charger. Can anybody
> recommend a good mail order shop?
JT&T Manufacturing has a good selection of rapid chargers and other
cellular phone accessories. I bought a unit that will first discharge
the battery then recharge it. This takes care of the nicad "memory"
problem.
JT&T Manufacturing (818) 758-8700
Sorry, I could not find their 800 number.
Frank Keeney | E-mail frank@calcom.socal.com
115 W. California Blvd., #411 | Fidonet 1:102/645
Pasadena, CA 91105-1509 USA | UUCP hatch!calcom!frank
| FAX +1 818 791-0578
| Voice Mail +1 818-791-0578 x402
------------------------------
From: LCHIU@HOLONET.NET
Subject: Re: My Experiences as a New Cellular Phone Owner
Organization: HoloNet National Internet Access System: 510-704-1058/modem
Date: Sat, 11 Sep 1993 02:41:21 GMT
In a article in comp.dcom.telecom, Timkay@crl.com had the following to
say: [some experience with cellular providers deleted here]
> Now that I have the phone, I need to get some accessories, such as
> spare batteries and a rapid charger. Can anybody recommend a good
> mail order shop?
You might try Cellular World 1-800-TALK-NOW or No1 Battery Specialists
1-800-ASK-BTRY.
Disclaimer: I have bought from neither but I did get a catalogue from
Cellular World and spoke to No 1 Battery Specialists about replacement
batteries for my Nokia. They weren't the cheapest.
Laurence Chiu lchiu@holonet.net
------------------------------
From: Jennings_Richard/pinewood_lab_hpopd@hpopd.pwd.hp.com
Date: Sat, 11 Sep 93 13:02:35 +0100
Subject: Re: Truevoice - Modem Tests Anyone?
Organization: Hewlett-Packard PWD-CCSY, UK
On 9 Sep 1993 20:58:23 -0500, Jamie Tatum wrote:
> Since TrueVoice hasn't been released yet, have any of you Bell Labs
> people tested Truevoice with modems?
It was previously stated in the Digest/group that, since the signal
modification is performed in the echo canceller and that the echo
canceller already defeats some of its magic when it detects a
modem/fax call, then these calls will continue un-modified, as today.
But then, what do I know? I live in England.
Richard Jennings, Software Specialist.
CCSY/PWD Messaging Centre, home of HP's advanced messaging solutions.
Hewlett-Packard Voice: (+44)/(0)344 763738 A=GOLD 400
Nine Mile Ride Fax: (+44)/(0)344 763526 OU=HP1600 O=hp
Wokingham RG11 3LL e-mail: richi@hpopd.pwd.hp.com G=Richard P=hp
England or: richi@hpopd.pwd.hp.co.uk S=Jennings C=GB
This article represents only the opinions of its author. It is not a
statement by Hewlett-Packard Co. The text is supplied without warranty
of any kind.
------------------------------
From: deej@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (david.g.lewis)
Subject: Re: Truevoice - Modem Tests Anyone?
Organization: AT&T
Date: Sat, 11 Sep 1993 13:07:41 GMT
In article <telecom13.636.6@eecs.nwu.edu> tatum@hotsun.nersc.gov
(Jamie Tatum) writes:
> Since TrueVoice hasn't been released yet, have any of you Bell Labs
> people tested Truevoice with modems? Particularly with high speed, or
> 16.8 if you can get your hands on it. If it does cause problems (as I
> suspect it will) will there be a method of disabling it on a per call
> basis?
As has been discussed here in the past (as well as in {CommWeek}, July
26, 1993) the tone generated by a modem that indicates to the network
to disable echo cancellation will also disable the TrueVoice(SM)
enhancement.
David G Lewis AT&T Bell Laboratories
david.g.lewis@att.com or !att!goofy!deej Switching & ISDN Implementation
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 11 Sep 93 09:17:14 CDT
From: tjrob@iexist.att.com
Subject: Re: Truevoice - Modem Tests Anyone?
Organization: AT&T
Every detailed write-up I have seen about TrueVoice(Sm) says that the
same tone which disables network echo cancelers/suppressors will also
disable TrueVoice. As all modems are designed to disable the echo
cancelers (otherwise full-duplex would be impossible), TrueVoice should
not affect the performance of modems.
Note that I have not tested this, however.
Tom Roberts tjrob@iexist.att.com AT&T Bell Laboratories
------------------------------
From: brettf@netcom.com (Brett Frankenberger)
Subject: Re: Truevoice - Modem Tests Anyone?
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Sat, 11 Sep 1993 22:05:48 GMT
tatum@hotsun.nersc.gov (Jamie Tatum) writes:
> Since TrueVoice hasn't been released yet, have any of you Bell Labs
> people tested Truevoice with modems? Particularly with high speed, or
> 16.8 if you can get your hands on it. If it does cause problems (as I
> suspect it will) will there be a method of disabling it on a per call
> basis? I know that this should be of interest to all users of the
> Internet, especially UUCP because UUCP is a modem network (mostly
> comprised of 14.4's) and a lot of it is LD.
As previously posted, TrueVoice will remove itself if it detects modem
tones. The same modem detection mechanism that is used to remove echo
cancellers will remove the TrueVoice processor. As correctly assumed,
TrueVoice would wreck havoc with high speed modem connections (just as
echo cancellation does), but it will be removed from the circuit.
Brett (brettf@netcom.com)
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 11 Sep 1993 06:07:54 -0700
From: Eric_N._Florack.cru-mc@xerox.com
Subject: Re: Notes on True Voice Demo
In #634, deej@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (david.g.lewis) writes:
> I suggest that you're mistaken; the "unenhanced" portion of the
> TrueVoice demo is standard recorded speech in a Conversant (TM) Voice
> Information System. I don't believe -- although I could be mistaken --
> that the CVIS does any processing of the sort you're describing.
While the CVIS, by itself, does not, the way the demo is put together
tends to back my assertion. Consider: How could you 'fade' from one
'sample' to the other, without /both/ the before and after sides being
run through a processor?
I say again, the 'before' side sounded an awful lot 'narrower' than
most LD connections I've been on of late.
> Actually, the demo recording was made in a lab in Holmdel with (I
> believe) a 7506 ISDN handset.
While this has been noted to me in a few private netmail notes, I
maintain that this unit generates a better audio quality than the
majority of the sets to be found connecting with the telco.
> Well, I look forward to a "back-to-back" comparison with other IXCs
> when TrueVoice is installed. Should be interesting.
Indeed.
/E
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 11 Sep 93 18:03:45 CDT
From: varney@ihlpe.att.com
Subject: Re: Notes on True Voice Demo
Organization: AT&T
In article <telecom13.632.1@eecs.nwu.edu> Eric_N._Florack.cru-mc@
xerox.com writes:
> malcolm@apple.com commented:
>> .... The analysis described above
>> was performed over several subsections of the data and there was no
>> visible change in the filter's characteristics.
> Agreed. This tends to imply that there is no spectral limiting on the
> line itself, an old broadcaster's trick.
I don't know how much of broadcasting applies to telephony, but
I'll take your word for it. Doesn't this just imply that the signal
never reached the line's power limit -- and thus volume in both cases
was not limited by the PCM encoding?
> Personally, I'd be interested in seeing the diff between a normal LD
> conversation on AT&T and the other carriers, as compared to the demo.
> I'm willing to bet the 'narrow' part of their demo is a lot narrower
> than real phone calls ... even without TRUEVOICE.
Given that few calls (or callers) ever use the entire POWER
spectrum of a PCM signal, I would bet that the TRUEVOICE demo is
pretty representative of normal telephone conversations. Studies in
the early 1960's show only a small fraction of callers have their
speech volume truncated by PCM encoding or other toll filters (to
limit cross-talk on carrier systems). People seem to adjust their
volume to the listener (somewhat) and to use different volumes for
different types of calls. Callers to more distant locations tend to
speak louder, even if circuit loss is the same as for short distances
(but noise may be a subtle factor).j
> I also note that the demo recording was very obviiously made in a
> recording studio, with low distortion mikes ... and some split-
> spectral level-limiting/processing was on the original recordings
> used for the intro (Tom 'it;s all part of the I-plan' Heartthrob), and
> the demo itself.
If so, they lied to Bell Labs observers, and spent a lot of money
bringing Tom to the Holmdel Labs location. According to the 8/2/93
Bell Labs News, the recording was done by having Tom make a call over
the AT&T network to a digitizing box (AT&T Conversant(tm) system)
using a "regular consumer telephone set" and a "regular telephone
circuit". They wanted "to ensure that the sound was exactly what one
would hear during a normal telephone call".
> The processing sounded an awful lot like an old ORBAN OPTIMOD proc
> stack I used to use at an AM station I worked for. The signal waveform
> looked as if the original (if not the online signal) had also been
> subjected to a 'smart clipper'. ...
> .... I have to question how that the system will sound without
> all the sweetening/peak-crushing added in.
> Therefore, how that demo translates to real life is questionable at best.
I'm sure we'll all hear all sorts of stories as it's deployed ...
I am somewhat confused by the "clipping" references. In normal
calls, the companded PCM signal rarely hits the peak voltage value.
Nothing below that value is clipped. This isn't a broadcast signal
where maximum power is desired.
Al Varney - just my opinion
------------------------------
From: stevef@wrq.com (Steve Forrette)
Subject: Re: Notes on True Voice Demo
Date: 11 Sep 1993 21:29:59 GMT
Organization: Walker Richer & Quinn, Inc.
Reply-To: stevef@wrq.com (Steve Forrette)
In <telecom13.634.15@eecs.nwu.edu> deej@cbnewsf.cb.att.com
(david.g.lewis) writes:
> I don't know about comparing it to TrueVoice, though --
> at least not until TrueVoice is deployed in the network. Installation
> is beginning in Atlanta on September 23 -- if someone in Atlanta has
> the setup that was used to do the comparison posted, they will be able
> to run comparisons of AT&T calls with TrueVoice to calls on other
> IXCs.
Does this mean that starting September 23, calls *originating* or
calls *terminating* in Atlanta will have the TrueVoice treatment?
Steve Forrette, stevef@wrq.com
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V13 #640
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Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1993 10:30:43 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
Message-Id: <199309121530.AA01456@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #641
TELECOM Digest Sun, 12 Sep 93 10:30:20 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 641
Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson
Re: MCI Fiber Cut - 9/10/93 About 11:30 AM (Mike King)
Re: MCI Fiber Cut - 9/10/93 About 11:30 AM (Macy Hallock)
Re: MCI Fiber Cut - 9/10/93 About 11:30 AM (Lee Sweet)
Re: MVIP and Cards Supporting it (Brian Hess)
Re: MVIP and Cards Supporting it (Steve Forrette)
Re: DTMF Decoder Cards (jgy@hrojr.att.com)
Re: Number Neye-in? Number Neye-in? (Dave Levenson)
Re: Number Neye-in? Number Neye-in? (Robert M. Topolski)
Re: Number Neye-in? Number Neye-in? (Lynne Gregg)
Re: Number Neye-in? Number Neye-in? (Archie Cobbs)
Re: Number Neye-in? Number Neye-in? (Steve Forrette)
Re: Number Neye-in? Number Neye-in? (Cliff Sharp)
Re: Number Neye-in? Number Neye-in? (Bill Nickless)
Re: Tap Off a 1A2 Set? (Mike King)
Re: Modem Tax in Canada? (Tad Cook)
Re: The Power to Destroy (Robert L. McMillin)
----------------------
TELECOM Digest is an e-journal devoted mostly -- but not exclusively --
to discussions on voice telephony. The Digest is a not-for-profit
public service published frequently by Patrick Townson Associates. PTA
markets a no-surcharge telephone calling card and a no monthly fee 800
service. In addition, we are resellers of AT&T's Software Defined
Network. For a detailed discussion of our services, write and ask for
the file 'products'.
The Digest is delivered at no charge by email to qualified subscribers on
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ing list, write and tell us how you qualify: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu.
All article submissions MUST be sent to our email address: telecom@eecs.
nwu.edu -- NOT as replies to comp.dcom.telecom.
Back issues and numerous other telephone-related files of interest are
available from the Telecom Archives, using anonymous ftp lcs.mit.edu.
Login anonymous, then 'cd telecom-archives'. At the present time, the
Digest is also ported to Usenet at the request of many readers there,
where it is known as 'comp.dcom.telecom'. Use of the Digest does not
require the use of our products and services. The two are separate.
All articles are the responsibility of the individual authors. Organi-
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Digest is compilation-copyrighted, 1993. **DO NOT** cross-post articles
between the Digest and other Usenet or alt newsgroups. Do not compile
mailing lists from the net-addresses appearing herein. Send tithes and
love offerings to PO Box 1570, Chicago, IL 60690. :) Phone: 312-465-2700.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 93 02:16:31 EDT
From: mking@fsd.com (Mike King)
Subject: Re: MCI Fiber Cut - 9/10/93 About 11:30 AM
In TELECOM Digest V13 #637, msilano@access.digex.net (Michael Silano)
wrote of an MCI fiber cut affecting calls to the midwest and west. He
then asked:
> What ever happened to network redundancy and/or rapid rerouting?
Oh, now it's called 10xxx and you have to do it yourself! <g>
Mike King * Software Sourcerer * Fairchild Space * +1 301.428.5384
mking@fsd.com or 73710.1430@compuserve.com * (usual disclaimers)
------------------------------
From: redpoll!fmsystm!fmsys!macy@uhura.neoucom.EDU
Date: Sat, 11 Sep 93 11:56 EDT
Subject: Re: MCI Fiber Cut - 9/10/93 About 11:30 AM
Reply-To: macy@telemax.com
Organization: F M Systems/Telemax Medina, Ohio USA
In article <telecom13.637.4@eecs.nwu.edu> msilano@access.digex.net
(Michael Silano) writes:
> Well as of about 11:30 this morning, no long-distance calls were being
> completed to the midwest or western United States through MCI. Seems
> that they had a fiber cut (the customer service rep didn't know where)
> and that MCI was experiencing disruption over much of their network.
A primary fiber trunk was cut between Akron and Cleveland, OH by a
road crew installing signposts. MCI has a major network switching
node just south of Cleveland in North Royalton. This fiber was its
primary east coast connection.
> What ever happened to network redundancy and/or rapid rerouting?
Third party and unsubstantiated information:
1. MCI no longer uses its old microwave routes for backup as they
used to. They were deemed to costly to maintain.
2. Some traffic was diverted to their alternate southern route
(this may be a Wiltel route they share.)
3. Much traffic was switched to alternate carriers via MCI
interconnections at nodes in the east, but on a delayed
basis. It appears these are activated by hand rather than
by network control computers.
This is the second major MCI national outage from road crew fiber
"backhoe fade" in this area in two years. My contacts told me they had
learned their lesson last time ... and MCI has a reputation for
learning from their mistakes (as opposed to just being cheap).
Macy Hallock N8OBG Voice:+1.216.723.3030 Fax:+1.216.723.3223 macy@telemax.com
Telemax Inc. and F M Systems Inc. 152 Highland Drive Medina, Ohio 44256 USA
------------------------------
From: decrsc!leesweet@uunet.UU.NET (Lee Sweet)
Subject: Re: MCI Fiber Cut - 9/10/93 About 11:30 AM
Date: Sat, 11 Sep 1993 19:38:26 EDT
I agree with the earlier poster: What is the scoop on alleged (;-)
network redundancy, and routing around breaks in lines? I thought the
whole recent point of various network carriers statement [excepting
AT&T software glitches, which are system-wide, I assume!] was that
'we' (consumer) would not see problems unless they were multiple
and/or VERY severe.
By the way, is there any easy way to tell who uses what network plant?
All that's been said is that MCI was hit, but I use Cable & Wireless
for 90% of operations, and they had long distance problems Friday,
which they blamed on the MCI cut. So, who *does* have a proprietary
network of their own? Only AT&T? The big three [AT&T, MCI, Sprint]?
I was shocked [shocked!] to find C&W blaming their problems on MCI,
when I thought C&W had their own net (maybe not so redundant, but not
using other's fiber!).
Also, a few 800s that I called on Friday did not do anything. Period.
I could here the (what I thought was) the target DID being dialed, but
I never got a ring. I assume this was an MCI 800 (!). Again,
shouldn't (at least) the big three have redundant routing for
less-than -catastrophic outages?
How about some comment from the AT&T/MCI/Sprint people? (And, please,
let's skip the 'well, OUR network ...' I assume that all are more or
less similar in level of service, no?)
Lee Sweet Internet *lists* - leesweet@datatel.com
Chief Systems Consultant Internet *e-mail* - lee@datatel.com
Datatel, Inc. Phone - 703-968-4661
4375 Fair Lakes Court FAX - 703-968-4625
Fairfax, VA 22033 (Opinions are my own, and only my own!)
------------------------------
From: bnh@active.com (Brian Hess)
Date: Fri, 10 Sep 93 20:14:57 -0400
Subject: Re: MVIP and Cards Supporting it
In comp.dcom.telecom article <telecom13.636.2@eecs.nwu.edu> you wrote:
> Can anyone provide me with information concerning MVIP and cards that
> support it? I am especially interested in names of manufacturers.
From the "MVIP Industry Update (3/93)" published by Natural Microsystems:
quote:
MVIP Licensees with board-level MVIP products include:
Voice: Bicom Consulting, Linkon, Natural Microsystems Corp, Pika
Technologies, Inc., Rhetores, & VOX S.A.
Fax: Brooktrout Technology, GammaLink, & OAZ Communications
Speech Recognition: Scott Instruments & Voice Processing Corporation
PBX Integration: Voice Technology Corp.
Network Connections: Aculab Ltd., Datakinetics Ltd., Dianatel Corp.,
Mitel Corp., & Promptus Communications.
Other: Amtelco, Inc., Reltek, Inc., & SDL Communications
MVIP is currently distributed by license. Licenses are available from
three sources worldwide: Natural Microsystems Corporation, NTT
International, and Mitel Corporation. If you have any questions
concerning licensing, please contact R. Brough Turner, NMS's MVIP
Evangelist, at 508-650-1312.
:unquote
(I don't work for 'em -- just visited their booth at Telecom
Developers '93...)
Brian Hess Active Ingredients, Inc. bnh@active.com
------------------------------
From: stevef@wrq.com (Steve Forrette)
Subject: Re: MVIP and Cards Supporting it
Date: 11 Sep 1993 20:31:58 GMT
Organization: Walker Richer & Quinn, Inc.
Reply-To: stevef@wrq.com (Steve Forrette)
In <telecom13.636.2@eecs.nwu.edu> A.Kemp@fulcrum.co.uk (Alan Kemp)
writes:
> Can anyone provide me with information concerning MVIP and cards that
> support it? I am especially interested in names of manufacturers.
> MVIP stands for Multi-Vendor Interface Prototcol and is related to PC
> based telephone switches.
MVIP was developed by Natural MicroSystems of Natick, MA (800-533-6120,
+1 508 650 1300). They make a full line of MVIP-compliant voice
processing cards, and analog and digital line interfaces (loop start,
DID, T1, E1, etc). Other vendors which have licensed the MVIP spec
make a variety of other cards, such as fax cards. You can do anything
from simple voicemail to a small toll switch, depending on what cards
you use and the software you develop.
Steve Forrette, stevef@wrq.com
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 11 Sep 93 11:41:39 EDT
From: jgy@hrojr.att.com
Subject: Re: DTMF Decoder Cards
Organization: AT&T
In article <telecom13.631.17@eecs.nwu.edu> jdb@hobbes.sat.datapoint.
com (Jeff Browning) writes:
> Hi,
> Does anybody out there know of a PC plug-in-card which accepts analog
> DTMF tones and decodes them for the PC?
> Or, alternatively, an external 'black box' which accepts DTMF tones
> and converts them to serial RS-232?
> I have some applications which need such a device, and I don't want to
> produce them. Black Box Corp. used to make them, but they are not on
> their current catalogs.
A company called MoTron Electronics has a a Touch-Tone Decoder Display
model TM-16 for $169. For RS-232 output (+ software) you have to buy
the TM-16-PLUS (no price mentioned).
orders: 800-338-9058, info: 503-687-2118, fax 503-687-2492
I just saw the ad in {Monitoring Times}, not associated, etc ...
------------------------------
From: dave@westmark.com (Dave Levenson)
Subject: Re: Number Neye-in? Number Neye-in?
Organization: Westmark, Inc.
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1993 05:27:31 GMT
In article <telecom13.633.12@eecs.nwu.edu>, Mike.Pollock@p19.f228.
n2613.z1.fidonet.org (Mike Pollock) writes:
> ... On a scratchy old telephone line, five and nine
> could be confused, so operators added a syllable to "neye-in" to
This was a `Bell System Practice' from the earliest days, and yes,
it was done to make an audible difference between five and nine in
the presence of transmission impairments.
Air/ground radio (VHF AM) suffers from similar impairments, and this
is why air traffic controllers and professional pilots pronounce the
numeral 9 as `niner'. (United 228: cleared to land runway two-
niner.)
Dave Levenson Internet: dave@westmark.com
Westmark, Inc. UUCP: {uunet | rutgers | att}!westmark!dave
Stirling, NJ, USA Voice: 908 647 0900 Fax: 908 647 6857
------------------------------
From: topolski@kaiwan.com (Robert M. Topolski)
Subject: Re: Number Neye-in? Number Neye-in?
Organization: Amateur radio KJ6YT
Date: Sat, 11 Sep 1993 17:27:46 GMT
Mike Pollock (Mike.Pollock@p19.f228.n2613.z1.fidonet.org) wrote:
> Mike McClintock, on his weekly network radio show, was wondering how
> operators came up with their stereotypical way of pronouncing the
> numeral 9 as "neye-in."
> I thought about it for a moment and concluded that, of all the digits
> an operator might need to pronounce (i.e. zero, one, two, three, four,
> five, six, seven, eight and nine) all have distinct vowel sounds
> except five and nine. On a scratchy old telephone line, five and nine
> could be confused, so operators added a syllable to "neye-in" to
> distinguish the two. Thus an exchange of 555 and 595 wouldn't be
> confused by the caller.
> Does this have any basis in fact, or is there a better reason?
It also comes from radio operations, which pronounces it "neye-in" or
"niner" so it is not confused with five. Another bad pair is fifty
and sixty, which sound incredibly close over the phone/radio, so it is
said as five-zero or six-zero (or one or two or whatever).
Robert M. Topolski <topolski@kaiwan.com>
------------------------------
From: Lynne Gregg <lynne.gregg@mccaw.com>
Subject: Re: Number Neye-in? Number Neye-in?
Date: Sat, 11 Sep 93 12:20:00 PDT
Mike.Pollock@p19.f228.n2613.z1.fidonet.org (Mike Pollock) wrote:
> Does this have any basis in fact, or is there a better reason?
Probably.
As a private pilot, I was taught "niner" and "fife" in radio
communications. Makes it pretty clear.
Lynne
------------------------------
From: archie@cory.EECS.Berkeley.EDU (Archie Cobbs)
Subject: Re: Number Neye-in? Number Neye-in?
Date: 11 Sep 93 20:34:39 GMT
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
Mike.Pollock@p19.f228.n2613.z1.fidonet.org (Mike Pollock) writes:
> I thought about it for a moment and concluded that, of all the digits
> an operator might need to pronounce (i.e. zero, one, two, three, four,
> five, six, seven, eight and nine) all have distinct vowel sounds
> except five and nine. On a scratchy old telephone line, five and nine
> could be confused, so operators added a syllable to "neye-in" to
> distinguish the two. Thus an exchange of 555 and 595 wouldn't be
> confused by the caller.
I don't know about the phone system, but I suspect this is the reason.
On the aviation airwaves, where getting the right info is potentially
critical, you're supposed to say "niner" instead of just "nine".
You're also supposed to say "thee" for three and "fife" for five.
Moreover, the whole alphabet is pronounced this way: Alpha, Bravo,
Charlie, etc.
Archie
------------------------------
From: stevef@wrq.com (Steve Forrette)
Subject: Re: Number Neye-in? Number Neye-in?
Date: 11 Sep 1993 19:10:01 GMT
Organization: Walker Richer & Quinn, Inc.
Reply-To: stevef@wrq.com (Steve Forrette)
The military solves this problem by pronouncing 9 as "Niner." Also, 1
is pronounced as "won" instead of "one," and 3 is "tree."
Steve Forrette, stevef@wrq.com
[Moderator's Note: Now how could you possibly pronounce 'won' different-
ly than 'one'? PAT]
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Number Neye-in? Number Neye-in?
Date: Sat, 11 Sep 93 8:01:54 CDT
From: Cliff Sharp <clifto@indep1.chi.il.us>
I'm pretty sure that's also the reason radio operators use "niner"
instead of "nine". To prove it to yourself, have someone stand across
the room with an AM radio tuned between stations and turned up LOUD,
and say fives and nines in a normal voice; try to copy them down.
Then have them use either "neye-in" or "niner" instead of "nine" and
try again.
That's why I find it amusing to tune into CB and hear them using "fiver".
Probably sounds real techy and "real-radio-operatorish" to them. :-)
Cliff Sharp clifto@indep1.chi.il.us OR clifto@indep1.uucp
WA9PDM Use whichever one works
------------------------------
From: Bill Nickless <nickless@abby.mcs.anl.gov>
Subject: Re: Number Neye-in? Number Neye-in?
Date: Sat, 11 Sep 93 22:45:46 CDT
Mike Pollock concludes that the reason an operator pronounces the
digit 9 as "neye-in" is due to the potential for confusion between the
spoken numbers five and nine over a noisy channel. Aircraft pilots
are trained to speak the number nine as "niner" (rhymes with miner)
for that very reason.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 11 Sep 93 13:36:44 EDT
From: mking@fsd.com (Mike King)
Subject: Re: Tap Off a 1A2 Set?
In TELECOM Digest, V13 #632, reinert@cs.odu.edu (Ken Reinert) wrote:
> I'm looking for a device that will allow a device (say, a fax machine)
> to tap into one of the lines of a 1A2 set. I have one on hand; it
> plugs in between the line and the phone at the 50-pin connector, and
> it has an RJ-11 jack *along with a cord connected to a rotary switch*,
> the switch having five positions: off-1-2-3-4. The basic thing is
> similar to the "Line-1 tap" that Rat Shack sells, but this one allows
> (obviously) the selection of which line to tap from. I don't have the
> source for the existing do-hickey :(
In last year's (free) RatShack catalog, there was a device similar to
the line-1 tap, except it allowed the device to be plugged into any of
lines one through four. Since I don't have my catalog here at work, I
don't have the part number or price, but it is in there.
If it's not in this year's catalog (I haven't bothered to hurry to buy
one yet), then I'd check several stores. Odds are someone would still
have some on hand -- 1A2 systems seem to be declining in popularity.
Mike King * Software Sourcerer * Fairchild Space * +1 301.428.5384
mking@fsd.com or 73710.1430@compuserve.com * (usual disclaimers)
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Modem Tax in Canada
Date: Sat, 11 Sep 93 17:09:55 PDT
From: tad@ssc.com (Tad Cook)
Eric_N._Florack.cru-mc@xerox.com writes:
In #611, tad@ssc.com (Tad Cook) writes:
>> What this was really about was the end of the temporary suspension of
>> network access charges for data carriers. Long distance carriers pay
>> it to the local telcos for terminating their traffic, but the FCC some
>> years ago temporarily suspended the same charges for data carriers.
>> When they tried to reinstate it so that big data carriers paid similar
>> charges to what voice carriers paid, CI$ got the BBS community all
>> riled up by calling it a "modem tax."
>> It never involved anything like monitoring individual lines.
> And, how, pray tell, would they know what was being carried, without
> monitoring of said trunks, hmm?
Huh? When the FCC ordered the temporary suspension of terminating
charges for data carriers, they never monitored YOUR line to see if
you were sending voice or data.
>> But here's a very interesting twist:
>> A few weeks ago I got a call from an engineer at New Brunswick
>> Telephone Co. in Canada. He was looking for a device that could
>> install in the CO to monitor traffic on individual POTS lines, and
>> automatically determine if the the line was being used for voice
>> instead of fax/data. (Etc)
> Some rumor, then!
Here we go again. The Modem Tax rumormongers have demonstrated over
the past few years that they will grab for ANY scrap of information
that can be woven into their bizarre conspiracy theories.
In this case, NB Tel charges less for fax lines. Since Eric is
outraged that they are charging "differently for said line, and their
costs are exactly the same", he really wants Canada to end their low
cost deal for fax lines!
Maybe he should complain that residential line charges should be as
high as business line charges, since they are charging "differently
for said line, and their costs are exactly the same."
tad@ssc.com (if it bounces, use 3288544@mcimail.com)| [put "attn Box #215"
Tad Cook | Packet Amateur Radio: | Home Phone: | on fax or cover pg!]
Seattle, WA | KT7H @ N7DUO.WA.USA.NA | 206-527-4089 | FAX: 206-525-1791
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 11 Sep 93 23:38 PDT
From: rlm@helen.surfcty.com (Robert L. McMillin)
Subject: Re: The Power to Destroy
On Sat, 4 Sep 93 01:54:55 PDT, atfurman@cup.portal.com said:
> The following was found posted in the Usenet newsgroup comp.org.eff.talk.
> The next time that you hear Mitch Kapor or the Vice President smugly
> advocating free this and subsidized that paid for by the government,
> remember that it comes out of someone else's living standards -- or
> lifelong dream of entrepreneurship.
Golly, I've only heard Mitch Kapor talk about using *private* capital
to finance the Greater Net. In fact, I recall that he's pretty
consistently said that he does *not* support the notion of the Feds
running -- and policing -- the Net.
Of course, the meat of the matter is:
> STATE OF NEW YORK SLAPS 13 PERCENT SALES TAX ON INFORMATION
> SUPERHIGHWAY
Yes, we could all see this coming. Let's not get all in a huff, then.
Governments have gotten greedy for one simple reason: the continuing
belief, against all evidence, that the state really can do everything,
regardless of resources (usually, the last concern).
What this debate over taxes boils down to is just how much government
we really need and can afford. We have not had a serious discussion
of this in many years; the issues have been occluded by people with
agendas on both sides of the aisle, Republican and Democrat. There
are Republicans, for instance, who would rather we not consider
American strategic interests when formulating foreign policy, since
limiting the discussion to those terms would immediately stop the
absurd talk of military intervention in the ex-Yugoslavian states --
and in Africa. What's more, this could provide a compelling reason to
slash military estimates even further, something many Democrats would
also find unpalatable. As to the Democrats, their sins, particularly
those from urban districts, are well documented: more programs, more
plunder, never crying for results; if results there be, they are
frequently loathe to accept that there are some things that government
simply cannot do well.
So the question is this: can we afford to keep a government that buys
off this group and that, all the while ignoring the people paying for
such largesse, most of whom simply want to be left alone? I say we
cannot. Because the costs of government dramatically increased in the
1980's, Congress borrowed rather than risking the political earthquake
that would have surely resulted had they pressed for higher taxes.
This disguised for a time the agendas of those behind the spending,
and hid the pain of paying for them as well, thus subverting
democratic process.
History shows that unchecked civil borrowing leads to unrestrained
civil catastrophe. And the sad truth is that too many Americans have
asked Congress to create this disaster. They expect their representa-
tives to give them something for nothing -- an impossibility as great
as perpetual motion. No wonder the average Congressman has such
contempt for his constituents -- and vice versa. If the "information
superhighway" becomes infested with highwaymen, we have only ourselves
to blame.
Robert L. McMillin | Surf City Software | rlm@helen.surfcty.com
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V13 #641
******************************
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Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1993 11:26:19 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
Message-Id: <199309121626.AA20166@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #642
TELECOM Digest Sun, 12 Sep 93 11:26:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 642
Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson
Re: DTMF Voting System (Paul Robinson)
DTMF Pocket Dialers (Brian Balthazor via Monty Solomon)
Re: DTMF Decoder (system@decode.uucp)
Re: Answering Machine That Calls Pager? (Joel Upchurch)
Re: Answering Machine That Calls Pager? (Laurence Chiu)
Re: Answering Machine That Calls Pager? (Jack Mcgee)
Re: Answering Machine That Calls Pager? (Ray Normandeau)
Re: Answering Machine That Calls Pager? (Monty Solomon)
Re: "Number Referral" Recordings: Whose Responsibility? (Paul Robinson)
Re: New Asia-Pacific Cable Opens for Service (George E. Cabanas)
Re: Recommendation Wanted For National Packet Network (Carl Oppedahl)
Re: Creative Intercept Announcement (Kevin Kadow)
Re: AT&T VISA Card Validation (Craig R. Watkins)
Re: Who Can One Complain to About Hotel Phone Systems (jvarley@netcom.com)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sat, 11 Sep 1993 18:48:03 EDT
Reply-To: 0005066432@MCIMAIL.COM
Subject: Re: DTMF Voting System
From: Paul Robinson <TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM>
Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring, MD USA
templar@mindvox.phantom.com, Writes (text edited for brevity)
> trying to set up national telephone voting coincide with network
> broadcast; callers on for about 30 minutes; votes tabulated in
> real-time and delivered to network; existing systems only handle
> about 7500 callers; looking to accomodate between 250,000 and
> 1,000,000 callers; delay from the time a caller hits the keypad
> until it reaches me has to be about a second or less. Does anyone
> have a way to do this?
I can think of several depending on how you want to set this up, and
who pays for the call. Since you are doing a large number of incoming
calls, sending them all to one particular point is not going to work;
what you need to do is route them to several points and split up the
load so that instead of trying to have one site handle 1,000,000
telephone calls, perhaps 200 sites handle 5,000 calls each.
But it is going to be very expensive. For each individual caller, you
need one trunk from a telephone company. In the past I have written
at length about what a trunk is; it mean a physical connection, e.g.
like the phone line coming into your house, which either runs to the
local telephone company's switch or into a Point of Presence for a
Long Distance Company.
Trunks, like phone lines, cost the holder money -- perhaps $20 a month
plus installation which could be from $30 to $100 each. If you buy a
bulk line like a T1 or a T3 you might get it for somewhat less than
the individual lines. Since you need two-way communication, you need
full trunks; a broadcast path won't do. And you still have to pay for
installation.
With a short-term usage you might be able to work something out, but
you still have to have something installed. And that's expensive.
1. If you are setting up a single national telephone number in some
choke prefix in only one city (let's use Los Angeles 213-520-XXXX),
that's one thing. I don't know there's much you can do unless you
have the top three carriers change routing for that number to
something else, and just have the calls that come into that particular
number handle the calls that come from the non-major carriers and
local callers. You still have a problem unless you can get the trunk
lines.
One possibility is to have a special prefix in one city created for
this application and give out one number for it. Local calls from
that area and calls from non-major interexchange companies are
transferred to it. Calls from major long distance companies to that
particular number and exchange do not go to that number, but go to a
specific facility closer to the caller.
I do not know if this capability is available from the telephone
companies to route a specific exchange and area code somewhere other
than where all other codes for that area code go. Perhaps special
routing can be used.
If it can't, then you can scratch this idea. There may not be enough
trunks to allow 1 million simultaneous callers into one specific
number in one area code. (If the number is in Los Angeles, Chicago or
New York, maybe.)
2. Something similar to the above would be to have each TV station
give out a local number, and thus the load could be split up according
to area. This might also be advantageous in that many people would be
calling a free local number instead of calling a long-distance number.
3. If you are using a 1-800 number, that would be another story, if
the callers are hanging on for 1/2 hour, the costs would be at least
$3 each using the highest massive volume rate. The 1-800 number
method would also allow calls to be routed to different carriers in
different areas or each LATA could be routed to a different call
processing center.
Also, that might tie up the 1-800 network; I don't know how many paths
there are available in each LATA; there might not be enough.
4. A 1-900 number would probably be out, due to the fact that callers
would be thinking 95c/minute = $25 a call, and many of them won't.
(Unless it is some kind of contest.) And it might cost that much if
you have to have 1,000,000 call paths.
5. If you can lease service for this from local voice-mail companies
willing to rent you some trunk space in each major area, that might
work, but it might cost as much as buying lines in the first place.
6. If you can rent time on setups specifically for this type of
processing in many areas, that might work.
7. Each area could group the information it is getting and pass it on
to a regional area, that can group it and pass it on nationally. It
depends on how "quickly" you need the information from the time of
voting. If a short delay is ok, then each 5-10 seconds or whatever
figure, each local site will transmit its vote count to the regional
one, and each region, every few seconds, will send in its regional
tallies to the national site, so as to reduce the load on the tie
lines between local areas; this also allows each local area to be
connected to a regional area rather than cause the same bottleneck by
sending everything to a single national site. For example, each 20
sites may call into a regional center, and 10 regional centers can
call into the national center. This means that each of the regional
centers has 21 lines; 10 from the local sites, one out to headquarters,
while Headquarters only has to handle the 10 incoming regional tie
lines.
Or, in real time each local site can transmit its responses up to the
regional center, and each regional center can package all the messages
it is getting each second into one message, and transmit it to the
national center. The delay would be on the order of a couple of
seconds between the vote comes in and it reaches the main office.
------------------
Let's just figure that you could be looking to spend in excess of
five, maybe ten million dollars to do this just to do it once; if
it was needed more than once, then creating a means to do it would
mean the next time might be substantially cheaper.
If you actually *are* able to get financing on it, let me know;
I'd love to come work on something like this; I doubt seriously
anyone's ever done anything like it before and probably won't see
it in other circumstances.
Paul Robinson - TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 93 01:54:49 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <roscom!monty@Think.COM>
Subject: DTMF Pocket Dialers
FYI. From comp.sys.pen
From: brianb@key.amdahl.com (Brian Balthazor)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.pen
Subject: Re: Newton deficiencies
Date: 10 Sep 1993 21:10:04 GMT
Organization: Amdahl Advanced Systems
Reply-To: brianb@key.amdahl.com
mikel@apple.com writes:
> A friend of mine says that he sometimes has problems with his Newton
> dialing. He tells me that aout 4 times out of 5 it works fine, but
> once in a while he finds a phone with which it won't work. I get
> the impression that the problem has to do with particular phones.
> Some of them just don't seem to accept the Newton-generated tones.
Two years ago I took a sabattical and travelled the entire perimeter
of the country starting in San Diego, onward to New Orleans, Orlando,
Key West, up the coast to Boston, NYC, and over to Chicago, Montana,
Seattle, and lastly back to San Diego. A total of 24,000 miles logged.
Prior to this trip I purchase a Sony auto dialer hand held device
which emitted DTMF tones and loaded with my numbers. I found the
dialer to be operational at best in 50% of the areas I travelled to.
Generally speaking the more remote the location the less of a chance
the dialer would work. There was never any problems in any of the
major metropolitan areas. Mind you my ATM Star network card would also
not work in Star tellers in the panhandle of Florida, but worked fine
in Boston ...
Guess what I'm saying is dialers ARE highly dependent on
the phone system.
Brian Balthazor (510) 623-5046 brianb@key.amdahl.com
------------------------------
Subject: Re: DTMF Decoder
From: System Operator <anagld!decode!system@uunet.UU.NET>
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 93 10:24:13 EDT
Organization: American Cryptogram Association
Paging through the August issue of _Nuts and Volts_, I find
a few offers for DTMF Decoders (my comments are in parentheses):
CircuitWerkes
Telephone (904) 331-5999, FAX (904) 331-6999
Decodes all 16 standard DTMF tones. Momentary or interlocked-latching.
Optocoupled Darlington outputs.
Kit $49.95, Assembled $79.95
(No experience with this one.)
================
International MicroPower Corp
65 Palm Drive
Camarillo, CA 93010
Orders 1-800-992-3511 Inquiries 1-805-482-2870
Digit Decoder. Shirt pocket sized; battery operated; built-in microphone;
DTMF and rotary-dial phones; Stores 2,000 digits, non-volatile.
Options include: Time Stamp, Caller I.D. and RS-232 serial port.
Base unit $179
(They also offer a Caller I.D. Computer Interface box separately,
which I use here. Works okay -- occasional garbage, which may
be attributable to the local loop, not the CLID hardware.)
==================
MoTron Electronics
310 Garfield Street, Suite 4
Eugene, OR 97402
Orders (800) 338-9058 Info (503) 687-2118 FAX (503) 687-2492
16 digit LCD display with 80 character scrollable memory;
Portable 9 volt battery or external power operation;
High speed (25 dps), decodes fast auto-dialers;
Metal enclosure with built-in monitor speaker, only 2.75" x 6.1" x 1.2";
TM-16 Plus includes RS-232 output and Software for automatic
date/time/number logging using your computer (DOS 3.0 or higher);
Audio cable and 9 volt battery included;
1 year warranty on parts and labor
TM-16 $169 TM-16 Plus $239
S/H $5 USA/Canada, Visa/Mastercard/American Express accepted
(A friend of mine uses the TM-16 and likes it very much. I also
believe they've been around the longest, as far as DTMF Decoders go.)
Other than as noted in my comments, I have no connection with any of
the companies above. If you have any questions feel free to contact
me at uunet!anagld!decode!dan.
Dan
system@decode.UUCP (System Operator)
Cryptography, Security, Privacy +1 410 730 6734 Data/FAX
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Answering Machine That Calls Pager?
From: upchrch!joel@uunet.UU.NET (Joel Upchurch)
Date: Sat, 11 Sep 93 22:17:15 EDT
Organization: Upchurch Computer Consulting, Orlando FL
tom@ulysses.att.com (Tom Smith) writes:
> Can anyone tell me makes or models of answering machines that will
> place a call to a pager to alert me that I have a message?
Some high end Panasonic answering machines have a feature called Call
Transfer that will do what you want. At least the manual says it will.
You set up the transfer on your answering machine and after the caller
hangs up the answering machine calls the number you program and plays
the message. You get a tone-only beep and can call your answering
machine and get it to replay the message.
I wonder what would happen if someone entered the number on the touch
tone pad when the answering machine beeped? Would this cause the
number to show up on your beeper? You could let people beep you
without actually giving them your beeper number.
I'd like to have this feature myself, but I can't see spending over
100 bucks for a new answering machine, when my current one works fine.
Strangely enough, the only place locally I've seen this Panasonic model
is at Wal-Mart.
Joel Upchurch @ Upchurch Computer Consulting uunet!aaahq01!upchrch!joel
718 Galsworthy Ave. Orlando, FL 32809-6429 phone (407) 859-0982
------------------------------
From: LCHIU@HOLONET.NET
Subject: Re: Answering Machine That Calls Pager?
Organization: HoloNet National Internet Access System: 510-704-1058/modem
Date: Sat, 11 Sep 1993 02:40:57 GMT
In an article to comp.dcom.telecom, Thompson@netcom.com said:
> tom@ulysses.att.com writes:
>> Can anyone tell me makes or models of answering machines that will
>> place a call to a pager to alert me that I have a message?
> My Panasonic KX-T2740 two-line phone/answering machine does this (and
> a lot lot of other stuff). I've had it for years, it's great. It's
> also about $200, last I checked ... but I know four other people who
> bought one because they used mine ... go figure.
My answering machine will call any pre-selected number when a message
comes in. It's a Panasonic. When you answer the phone you hear your
outgoing message. You punch in your code during this message and then
can retrieve the message. However I wasn't sure how it could talk to a
pager unless it was a pager than beeped when called rather than expect
a data stream to appear on its display.
Laurence Chiu lchiu@holonet.net
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Answering Machine That Calls Pager?
From: jack.mcgee@ehbbs.com (Jack Mcgee)
Date: 12 Sep 93 09:53:00 GMT
Organization: Ed Hopper's BBS - Berkeley Lake (Atlanta), GA - 404-446-9462
Reply-To: jack.mcgee@ehbbs.com (Jack Mcgee)
> Can anyone tell me makes or models of answering machines that will
> place a call to a pager to alert me that I have a message?
Another solution would be one of several programs for the IBM PC w/modem.
Ed Hopper's BBS - Home of uuPCB - Usenet for PC Board
Node 1 - USR HST - 404-446-9462 Node 2 - V.32bis - 404-446-9465
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Answering Machine That Calls Pager?
From: ray.normandeau@factory.com (Ray Normandeau)
Date: 12 Sep 93 11:23:00 GMT
Organization: Invention Factory's BBS - New York City, NY - 212-274-8298v.32bis
Reply-To: ray.normandeau@factory.com (Ray Normandeau)
The Panasonic KX-T2710 will do that. I have it.
Disadvantage:
It will only call your pager once for each message. That mean that if
you are in the subway when you get paged, you will not get your page.
Unlike my other Panasonic TAD's it does not give verbal prompts.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 93 03:14:59 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <roscom!monty@Think.COM>
Subject: Re: Answering Machine That Calls Pager?
Panasonic KX-T2460, KX-T2470, or KX-T2740.
Monty Solomon / PO Box 2486 / Framingham, MA 01701-0405
monty%roscom@think.com
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1993 10:12:11 EDT
Reply-To: 0005066432@MCIMAIL.COM
Subject: Re: "Number Referral" Recordings: Whose Responsibility?
From: Paul Robinson <TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM>
Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring, MD USA
> My home phone number is different by one digit (8xx-xxxx vs.
> 3xx-xxxx) from the internal directory assistance number for what
> must be one of the largest telephone accounts in the USA.
> Telco says the recording belongs to the customer, and the
> customer says the recording belongs to telco. Of course.
It's called, "Passing the Buck" and some places think if they do it
enough they can get out of things.
> I have noticed through several iterations of this that when I
> track down marketing people responsible for an individual cut,
> I can get the recording fixed for that particular exchange,
> but what I really need is to have it fixed for _all_
> exchanges, so this stops happening. Any suggestions?
Sue them.
Write a notice addressed to the highest person in both companies -- the
CEO, the President, the Chairman, the Chancellor, the Governor
General, whatever that company calls the highest executive. Inform
her or him of the precise situation -- that their phone number is one
off from your home number, that you are getting thousands of calls at
home, disturbing your sleep and making a nuisance.
You can state that you do not want to sue, but you have no
alternative; neither will fix the problem and both are claiming it
belongs to the other. State in the letter -- and mail it with return
receipt requested -- that you will give them exactly three days from
delivery of the letter to them to cease and desist from further
interference in the quiet enjoyment of your home, or you will sue them
both on whatever grounds are available, possibly including conspiracy.
You can also state that one of them is probably innocent; that party
needs to pressure the one that isn't to stop, otherwise they are both
going to get sued, and when you do, you will probably ask for large
damages, and possible institute a class action against them.
Emphasize that all you want is your peace and quiet and ability to use
your phone back, that if you get it you have no reason or desire to
sue, and that their intransigence -- especially the one who is wrong --
has forced you to the wall.
Then, if that fails, find a nice hungry shyster who will sue for a
commission only -- do not pay him anything. You've got one advantage;
if the head of the company won't do anything, it's hopeless and you
_will_ have to sue.
Paul Robinson - TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM
[Moderator's Note: But bear in mind the fact that the phone number is
one digit off in and of itself is not grounds to sue the company *as
long as their recording pronounces the number in a legible, easy to
understand way*. Under those circumstances, it is not the company's
fault -- or telco's -- that people misdial. Maybe he could force the
company to make the recordings cleaner and easier to understand. PAT]
------------------------------
From: gec@panix.com (George E. Cabanas)
Subject: Re: New Asia-Pacific Cable Opens for Service
Date: 11 Sep 1993 20:00:09 -0400
Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC
In <telecom13.631.5@eecs.nwu.edu> ae446@freenet.carleton.ca (Nigel
Allen) writes:
> APC was designed to carry 560 million bits of information per
> second -- equivalent to 80,000 simultaneous telephone conversations --
> over one working pair of optical fiber and one spare pair.
I think the number of circuits should be 10,000 at 56Kbps or 8,750 at
64Kbps. But either way, 80,000 circuits appears to be too much.
George E. Cabanas "The secret of life is honesty and fair
gec@panix.com dealing; if you can fake that, you've
got it made." - Groucho Marx
------------------------------
From: oppedahl@panix.com (Carl Oppedahl)
Subject: Re: Recommendation Wanted For National Packet Network
Date: 11 Sep 1993 14:40:11 -0400
Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC
In <telecom13.633.13@eecs.nwu.edu> smlamont@hebron.connected.com
(Steve Lamont) writes:
> I use a commercial Internet service in Seattle, but it costs a lot to
> dial in when I travel. Can anyone recommend a national packet network
> that will help me save money? Does it require any special interface
> with my own Internet service (a real drawback)? What does it cost?
> How can I contact them?
Why not use PC Pursuit? It has lots of local access numbers and, for
a fee, lets you dial into particular cities.
Hopefully someone will have a phone number for you to call. I don't
have it.
Carl Oppedahl AA2KW (patent lawyer)
1992 Commerce Street #309
Yorktown Heights, NY 10598-4412
voice 212-777-1330
[Moderator's Note: Carl, he can connect with his local Sprintnet
indial and at the @ prompt enter C PURSUIT to reach their BBS with
full signup details, etc. Or maybe call 1-800-TELENET. PAT]
------------------------------
From: Kevin Kadow <technews@iitmax.acc.iit.edu>
Subject: Re: Creative Intercept Announcement
Organization: Technology News, IIT, Chicago, IL
Date: Sat, 11 Sep 93 21:12:00 GMT
In article <telecom13.619.11@eecs.nwu.edu> ae446@freenet.carleton.ca
writes:
> David Grabiner, grabiner@zariski.harvard.edu, uses the following
> cute saying in his .signature:
>> "We are sorry, but the number you have dialed is imaginary."
>> "Please rotate your phone 90 degrees and try again."
> I am tempted to use it on my answering machine. It would scare off
> telemarketers quite nicely.
One message that has been VERY effective in cutting down on the number
of annoying messages is:
This is a private number. I do NOT give donations. No solicitors. If
this is a legitimate call, please leave your name and number at the
tone.
Or how about:
You have reached [INSERT NAME HERE]. The minimum charge for this call
is five cents per minute. Please leave your message at the tone.
I have captured (11,000Hz) a good part of the set of standard
intercept messages on my computer (using a SoundBlaster card and some
tricks to get the audio in from the phone) with reasonable clarity,
but it's not really "exactly identical" to the real thing. Is there a
ftp site with audio files of the intercept messages? Is there
someplace I could put my set up?
I currently have them all in "raw" audio data so merging them together
is as simply as conCATenating them all.
technews@iitmax.iit.edu kadokev@harpo.iit.edu My Employer Disagrees.
------------------------------
From: Craig R. Watkins <CRW@icf.hrb.com>
Subject: Re: AT&T VISA Card Validation
Date: 12 Sep 93 08:11:20 EST
Organization: HRB Systems, Inc.
In article <telecom13.629.12@eecs.nwu.edu>, barnett@convex.com (Paul
Barnett) writes:
> Look again. I received a new AT&T MasterCard a month or so ago, and
> didn't see any such notice either. This weekend, I called the
> automated customer service to check my balance, and got routed to a
> human operator.
Also with VISA. I happened to be using my "new" AT&T VISA while
checking into a hotel and I got to stand at the desk for quite some
time while the clerk talked to AT&T and requested additional
identification and information.
First thing in my room I called AT&T and asked "What gives?" They
claimed that the enclosed letter said I had to call and activate the
new card. I told AT&T that I didn't see that notice, but I had called
anyway asking them why they sent me a new card when my old one still
had a year left on it (they explained that they had changed the
wording of instructions on the back of it).
I asked if they still had their "Service Guarantee" and they said yes,
but that they didn't really feel that they did anything wrong. I
explained making me wait for 15 minutes in a hotel lobby in the middle
of the night because they wanted to change the wording on my credit
card and not activate it or tell me to activate it was not my idea of
service.
They ended up crediting me $10 per their service guarantee. I like
that; it gives me the idea that someone might actually look into why
it was that they had to pay $10 and fix the problem.
Craig R. Watkins crw@icf.hrb.com
HRB Systems, Inc. +1 814 238-4311
------------------------------
From: jvarley@netcom.com (Breakin' the table)
Subject: Re: Who Can One Complain to About Hotel Phone Systems
Organization: Netcom Online Communications Services (408-241-9760 login: guest)
Date: Sat, 11 Sep 1993 23:02:07 GMT
In article <telecom13.634.2@eecs.nwu.edu> dave_oshea@wiltel.com (Dave
O'Shea) writes:
> I am in the habit of calling hotels which I plan to stay at in
> advance, and asking if they charge for 800 or local calls. If the
> answer is "yes", I usually look for another hotel. The worst
> experience was at the Four Seasons hotel in San Francisco: $13.50 for
> a 20-minute local (2 blocks away, still in downtown SF) call. They got
> the $13.50, but they lost $14,000+ in room-nights the next year by not
> having one of the nation's largest insurance companies list them as a
> "preferred" hotel.
> If you do get stuck, complain loudly and in as public a way as
> possible, preferably making an hotel-manager-embarassing scene at the
> check-in desk. I don't mind paying for convenience, but a 29,000%
> markup on a phone call is ridiculous.
Talk about bad telephone service ...
I was in Hawaii (Honolulu) a couple weeks ago, and I would frequently
call my SO here in San Diego, and bill it to a third number (My home
in SD). When I would do this from a payphone, the GTE operator would,
as expected, call my home phone where my roommate would answer and
give the OK. However, when I would dial my SO's number (or anyone's)
the hotel operator did NOT call to check the billing. I could have
billed my calls to ANYONEs number. This didn't bother me much *grin*,
but I wouldn't like to be the guy who would be charged for someone
elses calls. Maybe telco fraud isn't a big problem in Hawaii ...?
I have spoken. And it is so. jvarley@netcom.com Tomes on IRC
[Moderator's Note: Telco fraud, like fraud in general, is a huge
problem in Hawaii. Two considerations: as long as the hotel had your
authority to charge your credit card (I assume), they probably felt
they had recourse to you in the event the third number billing was
refused. Therefore the operator may have been satisfied with the
arrangements. Other times when interim arrangements are satisfactory,
i.e. they can charge your credit card if necessary, in order not to
delay the call it is permitted to proceed and the operator does the
third party verification after the fact or during your call as a
courtesy so you are not delayed in getting through. Some independent
telcos do this also: put the third party call through without any
challenge, then verify ona separate line as the call is in progress.
Most are accepted, the customer is not 'insulted or questioned', and
for those few that are refused, the operator kills the call immediatly
with telco out the cost of one minute or so. PAT]
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V13 #642
******************************
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Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1993 12:45:10 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
Message-Id: <199309121745.AA16026@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #643
TELECOM Digest Sun, 12 Sep 93 12:45:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 643
Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson
Re: MCI From Italy to Canada - Worked! (John R. Levine)
Re: Looking for Ma Bell's Early Charges (David Leibold)
Re: Canadian Document Database (Tyson Macaulay)
Re: MCI 1-800-COOL-101 (David Wolff)
Re: MCI 1-800-COOL-101 (Stephen Friedl)
Re: Durham, NC Hotel Experience (Mike King)
Re: Information Wanted on DS-0 Interface (John Gilbert)
Re: Call Diverters: Where Can I Get One? (Steven J. Tucker)
Re: "Portable Communications" by Banks (Ben Burch)
Re: 1-206-286-1600 Only via Sprint; Only Problems Ahead (David Dodell)
Re: 1-206-286-1600 Only via Sprint; Only Problems Ahead (Jack Dominey)
Re: The One True Dialing Plan (David Cornutt)
Re: The One True Dialing Plan (Olaf Seibert)
Re: ISDN in the USA (Dave Evans)
Re: Setting Options on Motorola BRAVO / BRAVO Plus Pager (Jacob DeGlopper)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 93 10:45 EDT
From: johnl@iecc.com (John R Levine)
Subject: Re: MCI From Italy to Canada - Worked!
Organization: I.E.C.C.
MCI, Sprint, and AT&T have all recently instituted third country
calling on their direct services. Thge price is very high, roughly
the sum of what it costs to call from the first country to the US
added to the cost from the US to the third country.
Usually it's a lousy deal, but I can imagine that in countries with
very high toll rates (Spain comes to mind, over $3/minute to the USA)
it could be less expensive than calling direct.
Regards,
John Levine, johnl@iecc.com, {spdcc|ima|world}!iecc!johnl
[Moderator's Note: The re-origination services such as Telepassport
are by far a much better deal however. PAT]
------------------------------
From: djcl@io.org (woody)
Subject: Re: Looking for Ma Bell's Early Charges
Date: 12 Sep 1993 03:01:08 GMT
Organization: Internex Online - Toronto, Canada (416) 363-3783
In article <telecom13.633.3@eecs.nwu.edu> gworoch0@garnet.berkeley.edu
writes:
> I am looking for information on what Ma Bell charged when she was
> truly a monopoly, i.e., during the patent period 1876-1893. It was
> called The American Bell Telephone Company at that time.
Perhaps there may be historical archives or special libraries with
documents from that era. The first Toronto "phone book" was actually a
short list of phone stations comprising one page, but the rates for
calling were listed. These charges were based on time spent on the
call. A copy of this list was on display at the Canadian National
Exhibition this year (unfortunately, I don't have that info handy,
other than the rates were amounts like 25 cents/call, etc).
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 93 03:20:29 EDT
From: Tyson=Macaulay%DTP%DGCP=HQ=ADMSR@dgbt.banyan.doc.ca
Subject: Re: Canadian Document Database - Correction
In the posting I send to Telecom Digest on Sept 8, the anonymous ftp
route contained a mistake. It read:
debra.dgbt.doc.ca pub/doc/
It should have read:
debra.dgbt.doc.ca pub/isc/
^^^
My apologies. "doc" stood for the old initials of my department
(former Department of Communications) - "isc" stands for the new
initials. Apparently this reference slipped through - big slip. :-(
Tyson Macaulay DTP/DGCP/I&SC
Industry and Science Canada
7th Floor, Journal Tower North
300 Slater Street Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0C8 (613) 991 4903
e-mail: tyson@debra.dgbt.doc.ca
tyson.macaulay@crc.doc.ca
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 93 04:20:11 EDT
From: dwolff@teapot.cv.com (David Wolff)
Subject: Re: MCI 1-800-COOL-101
((original attribution gone to Bit Heaven)) writes:
> Now through Labor Day, MCI is sponsoring a free 800 number that will let
> you think "cool". Dial 1-800-COOL-101 and each key on the keypad will
> give you a different "cool" sound, from skis on snow to drinks on ice. No
> time limit or forced advertisements. Pretty cool, eh?
I tried this (on Sept. 10) and it was cute ... but why is MCI doing
this? As a public service?
Thanks,
David Wolff
dwolff@s35.cv.com (yes, changed again!), dwolff@cozy.cv.com
Disclaimer: Reflecting Computervision policy is a non-goal of this posting.
------------------------------
From: friedl@mtndew.Tustin.CA.US (Stephen Friedl)
Subject: Re: MCI 1-800-COOL-101
Date: 12 Sep 93 15:28:12 GMT
Organization: Software Consulting, Tustin, CA
> Now through Labor Day, MCI is sponsoring a free 800 number that will let
> you think "cool". Dial 1-800-COOL-101 and each key on the keypad will
> give you a different "cool" sound, from skis on snow to drinks on ice. No
> time limit or forced advertisements. Pretty cool, eh?
Could this be an attempt to gather prospects for their LD service? To
find out, I called their cool number from a phone that normally only
is outgoing (the only incoming calls are wrong numbers or telemarketers):
we shall see.
Nice service though.
Stephen J Friedl | Software Consultant | Tustin, CA | +1 714 544-6561
3B2-kind-of-guy | I speak for me ONLY | KA8CMY | uunet!mtndew!friedl
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 93 12:33:50 EDT
From: mking@fsd.com (Mike King)
Subject: Re: Durham, NC Hotel Experience
In TELECOM Digest V13 #634, drharry!aboritz@uunet.UU.NET (Alan Boritz)
wrote:
> I think it's amazing that the Hilton's and the Mariot's have to nickle
> and dime you to death AND charge relatively high room rates, while the
> Red Roof Inn's and the Motel-6's can charge reasonable rates and not
> pick their customer's wallets, so to speak. It shows an interesting
> perspective on the respective owners' profit motives.
In an article last month in the travel section of {The Washington
Post}, it was reported that Hilton has requested its properties drop
surcharges for calling card calls and 800 number calls. Most have.
Marriott is "studying the issue." Other chains are in various stages of
changing their guidelines.
I believe as more and more business travellers are no longer allowed
to expense their trips but are getting reimbursed on a per-diem basis,
they are learning to protest nickel and dime charging. Now the money
is coming out of their pockets, instead of the company's coffers.
Mike King * Software Sourcerer * Fairchild Space * +1 301.428.5384
mking@fsd.com or 73710.1430@compuserve.com * (usual disclaimers)
------------------------------
From: johng@ecs.comm.mot.com (John Gilbert)
Subject: Re: Information Wanted on DS-0 Interface
Organization: Motorola Inc, LMPS
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1993 09:15:39 GMT
In article <telecom13.632.14@eecs.nwu.edu>, ghotkara@abraxas.com (Anant
Ghotkar) wrote:
> I am desperately looking for information on the DS-0 interface. Any
> information or pointers to the info would be greatly appreciated.
You might try Bellcore technical reference TR-TSY-000458 "Digital
Signal Zero 'A' (DS-0A 64 kb/s) systems interconnection." The document
warns "This document is intend to define a Bellcore Client Company
internal interconnection and is not intended to define a service
interconnection to BCC networks for end users and/or access
interconnection for interexchange carriers, other exchange carriers,
or enhanced service providers.
This spec describes a DS-0 as used for a digital crossconnect within a
CO but not as a service offering. (The text of the document is only five
pages long.)
Bellcore documents can be obtained from:
Bellcore
Customer Service
60 New England Ave. -Rm. 1B252
Piscataway, NJ 08854-4196
800-521-CORE 201-699-5800 (international calls)
johng@ecs.comm.mot.com Motorola, Inc. Land Mobile Produts Sector
------------------------------
From: dh395@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Steven J Tucker)
Subject: Re: Call Diverters: Where Can I Get One?
Date: 12 Sep 1993 09:32:08 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Reply-To: dh395@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Steven J Tucker)
In a previous article, reppert@indiana.edu (Richard Eppert) says:
> Does anyone know where I can get a call diverter? I want a device that
> answers an incoming line and then will divert to a another line.
You can usually buy them at phone centers (like in the mall) or even
now at some of the larger department stores. If all else fails contact
a telephone answering service, they often have HUNDREDS of these units
left over from the bygone days when there was no call forwarding :)
BUT - Make SURE you get a modem that CORRECTLY terminates the call
when the second line is disconnected. If it fails to hang up the
first line when the second line disconnects, this will result the the
first line being given free access to your dialtone! EEK! :)
This was often used in days bygone for phreaks to get free phone
service, but most modern forwarders have taken care of this problem.
Steven Tucker = dh395@cleveland.freenet.edu = xanth@freenet.fsu.edu
>> Buy/Sell/Trade ALL Classic VideoGame/Computer Systems Including <<
>> Atari 2600/5200/7800/400/800/Xl/Xe - Colecovision - Intellivision - Bally <<
>> SMS - GameGear - TG16 - Vetrex - Vic20 - C64 - Ti99/4a - O2 - Sinclair <<
------------------------------
From: Ben Burch <Ben_Burch@msmail.wes.mot.com>
Subject: Re: "Portable Communications" by Banks
Organization: Motorola, Inc. (WDG)
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1993 09:59:38 GMT
In article <telecom13.635.4@eecs.nwu.edu> Rob Slade, roberts@decus.arc.
ab.ca writes:
> I am also surprised at his contention that archiving software saves
> files from corruption.
Well ... if any given block on the disk has an even chance of becoming
corrupt, then a shorter file (compressed) has a smaller chance of
being corrupted than a larger file (expanded).
This misses entirely the point that corrupted uncompressed files can
often be patched or repaired, but corrupted archives are more often
totally unusable.
"I don't speak for Motorola; They don't speak for me."
-Ben Burch | Motorola Wireless Data Group:
Ben_Burch@msmail.wes.mot.com | Good PDAs go EVERYWHERE.
------------------------------
Subject: Re: 1-206-286-1600 Only via Sprint; Only Problems Ahead
From: david@stat.com (David Dodell)
Reply-To: david@stat.com (David Dodell)
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 93 00:00:36 MST
Organization: Stat Gateway Service, WB7TPY
Liron Lightwood <liron@zikzak.apana.org.au> writes:
> The above number was mentioned in a previous article in this group,
> as a number that can only be dialed using Sprint.
> Well, I dialed the number from Australia, and got the "AT&T Does not
> accept this call ..." recording. Very interesting. Does this mean
> that the call was routed in the US via AT&T? Or would I have received
> the same recording no matter which long distance carrier was used
> (except Sprint of course)?
I just tried calling the number on Westel who is my long distance
carrier. Went right through, got modem tone ... wonder why mine made
it through while everyone else is reporting this blockage?
David
Internet: david@stat.com FAX: +1 (602) 451-6135
Bitnet: ATW1H@ASUACAD FidoNet=> 1:114/15
Amateur Packet ax25: wb7tpy@wb7tpy.az.usa.na
[Moderator's Note: Because Westel is really reselling Sprint <wink>!
Ask them sometime what is their 10xxx code. Betcha they say 10333. PAT]
------------------------------
From: jdominey@nesca.attmail.com (jdominey)
Date: 12 Sep 93 11:46:30 GMT
Subject: Re: 1-206-286-1600 Only via Sprint
As an AT&T employee, I was really annoyed by the "AT&T has routed this
call incorrectly" message, mainly because I think it's a lie. The
only question in my mind is whether the message comes from Sprint or
the customer.
I reported it to AT&T Security -- we'll see where it goes from there.
If a customer wants to deal directly with a long distance company,
that's one thing. There are customers that you can only reach via
AT&T, like the Speedway system where I have an account. But it sounds
as if someone wants the callers to believe it's AT&T's *fault* that
you can only reach 206-286-1600 via Sprint. That's dirty pool.
Nothing above is meant to convey AT&T Policy.
Jack Dominey AT&T Network Planning, Atlanta GA
(404) 810-6936 dominey@attmail.com
------------------------------
From: cornutt@lambda.msfc.nasa.gov (David Cornutt)
Subject: Re: The One True Dialing Plan
Organization: NASA/MSFC
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1993 10:50:03 GMT
andys@internet.sbi.com (Andy Sherman) writes:
[quoting someone else's quote]
>>> Perhaps the way to get rid of the association between one and toll
>>> without bothering people would be to announce the cost of the call
>>> immediately after dialing. Eg: "This call will cost 30 cents plus 15
>>> cents per minute. Thank you for using AT&T.".
> This might not be as easy as you think. Even if you assume that
> quoting list price for the call is easy (see below about that
> assumption), the enormous number of different discount plans would
> require a real-time billing record lookup and rate computation as part
> of call setup.
How difficult would it be to just emit a one- or two-second tone prior
to start of ringing if the call is toll? After all, the system *does*
at least know if it's toll or not ... else, it wouldn't be able to
intercept you if you dialed it wrong.
David Cornutt, New Technology Inc., Huntsville, AL (205) 461-4517
(cornutt@lambda.msfc.nasa.gov; some insane route applies)
"The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of my employer,
not necessarily mine, and probably not necessary."
[Moderator's Note: Rather than just a tone on the one hand or a
message trying to quote a specific price on the other, what about a
message very short inserted in there saying, "This is not local to
your exchange, there will be an additional charge for the call." PAT]
------------------------------
From: rhialto@mbfys.kun.nl (Olaf Seibert)
Subject: Re: The One True Dialing Plan
Organization: Increasing my phone bill
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1993 03:59:49 GMT
In <telecom13.627.14@eecs.nwu.edu> denbesten@orchestra.bgsu.edu
(William C. DenBesten) writes:
> Perhaps the way to get rid of the association between one and toll
> without bothering people would be to announce the cost of the call
> immediately after dialing. Eg: "This call will cost 30 cents plus 15
> cents per minute. Thank you for using AT&T.".
This is exactly what happens in the Netherlands when you call one of
the 06 "service" (read sex) numbers.
I have been following this discussion, and, as a poor "foreigner", now
my head hurts ...
In <telecom13.607.8@eecs.nwu.edu> lachman@netcom.com (Hans Lachman)
writes:
[paraphrased]
> local, long distance ...
> area code, NPA ...
> LATA ...
> Toll, CO, FX line ...
Help! Apparently these properties are in theory orthogonal, but I fail
to see how a "local" call could have a different area code, and what
exactly a LATA is, is completely beyond me ...
In other articles, posters use phone number patterns like NXX and NNX
as if that's as easy as pie ... could someone explain those terms
please? (I didn't see a FAQ posting, I'm afraid.)
> (Likewise, wouldn't you feel silly to dial a country code when
calling someone in the same country?)
But you already do ... given the fact that USA/Canada has been so
greedy to annex the only single-digit country code: 1.
In order to bring this whole ordeal into some perspective, I'll give
you a look at the situation here in the Netherlands (which is similar
to a lot of other countries).
The terminology probably does not translate well into the North
American situation so I'll invent some of my own.
My phone number is 080-561030. That is made up of the city code (080),
and a subscriber number (the rest). All city codes start with a 0, and
none of the subscriber numbers do. So if you start dialing, the
parsing done by the exchange is simple: if it starts with a 0, a city
code follows, and it starts parsing the (variable length) city code.
If no city code is given, the default is the one you're calling from.
As I said, city codes are variable length. The ones in use are either
five or three digits, and there are some reserved for special use (09:
international access code, 06: expensive or free "service" numbers). A
city code selects a city, town, or whatever, including some surrounding
area if necessary.
After dialing the city code, you get a second dial tone (but the Dutch
PTT telecom will abolish that in the next year, for reasons that I
don't know; but I would rather keep it)
Also, not all subscriber numbers are the same length. It is even
possible that there are different lengths in use in the same city. The
length can then be determined from the first digit. In fact, in
Amsterdam the situation has been for years that there were six and
seven-digit subscriber numbers.
However, PTT telecom is striving to make all phone numbers the same
length, either 0xx-yyyyyyy (3+7) or 0xxxx-yyyyy (5+5). This seems
completely nonsensical to me, btw, since everyone is used to different
length numbers, and they clearly have the technology to parse them.
There are never problems with running out of numbers: if they do, they
just prefix all existing subscriber numbers with an extra digit.
Usually, this new digit has been kept free for the purpose so that
during the changeover period both the old and the new numbers can be
recognised. (The old numbers get a recording instructing the caller to
use the new number.)
Also, the city codes aren't running out; in fact there are more free
city codes all the time, as they are replacing old and limited
exchanges with modern ones. For example, my parents' subscriber number
used to have only three digits, but then their city code was
terminated and they were moved to an adjectent city code, with a
two-digit prefix to their original number. A sad end to classic
times ...
Like the 0 is an escape from local calls to inter-local calls, in many
PBXs it is used to escape from dialing an internal number to an
external line. Also, next year the international access code will
become 00, making a prefixed 0 more and more into a "meta" selector. I
suppose they will keep 000 free for inter-planetary access.
The numbering scheme is essentially the same in Germany. In England
there are less similarities (you can optionally use shorter "city
codes" that they call "exchange numbers" (or something similar) for
nearby places, and they vary depending on where you call from; this
seems a relic from manual switching times as far as I can see) (and
there is more than one service provider). In France, you have Paris,
and the rest of the country, and calling from Paris to "outside Paris"
is essentially as hard as an international call. (In fact, I once got
a call from Paris by someone who misdialed and ended up in the
Netherlands instead.) I wonder when they run out of numbers, since
both areas have fixed-length eight-digit phone numbers.
Olaf 'Rhialto' Seibert rhialto@mbfys.kun.nl
[Moderator's Note: You need to get copies of the glossaries we have
available in the Telecom Archives. Use anonymous ftp lcs.mit.edu and
'cd telecom-archives'. Then 'mget glossary*'. There are several of
them. That's a good start on the terms we use here. Regards the digit
'1' it is the country code for the USA and Canada, but coincidentally
it is also the access code for long distance. PAT]
------------------------------
From: keyman@Eng.Sun.COM (Dave Evans)
Subject: Re: ISDN in the USA
Date: 12 Sep 1993 10:08:42 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems Inc., Mountain View, CA
thomas@lulea.trab.se (Thomas Persson) writes:
> In <telecom13.615.13@eecs.nwu.edu> J C Steele <jcs@ibmpcug.co.uk>
> writes:
>> transfer time he is contemplating using ISDN but has been told at a
>> seminar that the bit rate in the USA for the ISDN service is 56 kilo:
>> bits compared with London which is 64 kilobits for the raw basic rate
>> channel.
>> This contradicts all that I have understood about ISDN. Please reassure
>> me that the standards of 64 kbps is world wide.
> It is not a world wide standard. USA has made their own standard, and
> the rest of the world is following another standard. (The right one.)
This is not accurate. (BTW: We in the US get just as upset about US
bashing as you do about someone bashing your country. Lets all try to
exchange information without getting tooooooo personal about it.)
The Basic Rate Interface, as specified in CCITT I.430, _IS_ a world
wide standard.
However, the US has not had to deal with 64 kbs data before. Thus it
is taking us a bit of time to get to the point where the entire 64kbs
is available. What has been used in the US in the past is a service
called switched 56. As the name implys, this is a 56kps service.
Therefore, in many cases the _usable_ bandwidth of an ISDN connection
in the US is 56kps. In these cases, the ISDN equipment still sees
64kps worth of data, but ignores one bit out of every eight bits.
* All standard disclaimers apply *
Dave Evans Sun Microsystems keyman@doorway.eng.sun.com
W(415)336-1728 2550 Garcia Ave. MTV10-229, Mountain View, CA 94043 USA
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 93 00:38 EDT
From: jacob@mayhem.cwru.edu (Jacob DeGlopper)
Subject: Re: Setting Options on Motorola BRAVO / BRAVO Plus Pager
Pat Barron writes:
> Can anyone tell me about the "programming" mode on the Motorola BRAVO
> and BRAVO Plus pagers? This is entered by powering up the pager with
> both the page acknowledge and the lock (on the BRAVO) or the menu (on
To the best of my knowledge, this is more of a self-test mode than a
programming mode. It will _display_ your capcode and various pager
options, as well as testing the buttons, light, and vibrator, but will
not allow you to change anything. The BRAVO Plus is programmed
externally via a PC serial port connected through an interface to the
three small contacts visible in the battery compartment; I'm not sure
about the BRAVO.
Jacob DeGlopper, EMT-A Case Western Reserve University
jacob@mayhem.cwru.edu Wheaton (MD) Volunteer Rescue Squad
deglop@snowhite.cwru.edu Opinions my own...
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V13 #643
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Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1993 14:28:18 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
Message-Id: <199309121928.AA02389@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #644
TELECOM Digest Sun, 12 Sep 93 14:28:15 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 644
Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson
Re: Need Low Cost Cellular Phone With POTS Interface (Macy Hallock)
Re: How to Connect Two Phone Lines (Conference Call)? (Timothy L. Kay)
Connecting Two Phone Lines Using Analog Switches? (Emilio Navarro)
Re: Book Review: "Introduction to Data Communications" (Paul Robinson)
Re: What You Find Upon Looking Closer (Paul Robinson)
Re: What You Find Upon Looking Closer (Bryan J. Abshier)
Re: Hotel Charges and Surcharges (Dave Niebuhr)
Re: Telephone Company Test Set Questions (Pat Turner)
Re: Old Phone Number (Gabe M. Wiener)
Re: Congressional Record On Line Wanted (Barton Bruce)
Re: AT&T TrueVoice DSP Analysis (hollarn@knight.gannon.edu)
Re: Can You Dial Area Code 810 From Your Switch Yet? (Paul Robinson)
Re: The One True Dialing Plan (John Payson)
Re: Looking For Ma Bell's Early Charges (John Eichler)
Re: EST Designation on Orange Card Bill (Carl Moore)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: redpoll!fmsystm!fmsys!macy@uhura.neoucom.EDU
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 93 12:08 EDT
Subject: Re: Need Low Cost Cellular Phone With POTS Interface
Reply-To: macy@telemax.com
Organization: F M Systems/Telemax Medina, Ohio USA
In article <telecom13.637.7@eecs.nwu.edu> zeta@tcscs.com (Gregory
Youngblood) writes:
> inhydra!kessler@inuxs.UUCP writes:
>> I am looking for a low cost cellular phone with a POTS tip-ring
>> interface. Any recommendations would be appreciated.
> I don't know how much you consider low cost and what area you are in,
> but the Audiovox 2001 (??) has an RJ-11 jack built in the base of it.
Be careful, it may not be all you think it might be: Many cellphones
with tip/ring interfaces for modems and fax do not offer a full POTS
interface with dialing and ring available.
Most offer only a two wire audio connection that requires manual
dialing of the phone and manual supervision via "send" and "end". In
practice this operates much like the manual modems before we all got
used to Hayes AT type operation ...
Most salespeople do not know the difference, you have to test the
feature yourself to be sure. While I do not know the Audiovox 2001
features, I'd hazard a guess that its a manaual interface.
Frequent readers of the telecom lists will recall the Tellular patent
issues that surrond POTS line interfaces for cellphones. I suspect
royalty issues are at the root of this.
There is a line of adapters from Celljack that will adapt many phones.
They have both "manual" and "dialing" units available. Tellular also
makes these. Both work well. I'm also told that Motorola and Oki
have fully dialable POTS interfaces available as an option.
Personally, I have an old AB1X POTS line adapter for AMPS type
cellphones I still use and love. Its just getting hard to find nice
new AMPS control cable compliant cellphones these days, I still use my
old Fujitsu cellphone with it ...
(this was the unit that Tellular sued over and won, I bought it before
the suit was brought. Wish I'd bought ten more ...)
Macy Hallock N8OBG Voice:+1.216.723.3030 Fax:+1.216.723.3223 macy@telemax.com
Telemax Inc. and F M Systems Inc. 152 Highland Drive Medina, Ohio 44256 USA
------------------------------
From: timkay@netcom.com (Timothy L. Kay)
Subject: Re: How to Connect Two Phone Lines (Conference Call)?
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1993 16:45:45 GMT
enavarro@nyx.cs.du.edu (Emilio Navarro) writes:
> If I select to dial another phone number using the second line, my
> [...] computer will put the second line off-hook and dial the number
> via a DTMF encoder. [...] So here is my problem, if the call is
> answered within certain time the system will have to connect the
> two lines together [...] and I do not know how!
I implemented a similar system a few years ago using a voice mail card
in a PC. The system was programmed to act as an answering machine.
However, if I keyed a magic DTMF signal, then the phone would
automatically dial my selection from several stored numbers. (I'd
like to have been able to provide the number via DTMF, but I couldn't
configure the software to do so.)
I implemented the feature using a single phone line and call transfer.
When the PC received my instructions, it flashed the switch hook,
called the new number, then went on hook. The PBX I was using
connected the inbound and outbound calls just fine, while freeing my
office line free to receive new calls! There were two major problems.
First, the transfer took quite awhile to come back to me, so I would
get to the callee after they had said "hello ... hello?" for about
five seconds. Second, the volume level of the connection through the
PBX was low. Nevertheless, the technique saved me a few bucks.
I can think of at least two reasons why such a "repeater" would save
money. First, it allows the outbound call to be billed to the
"repeater"s line, thereby avoiding calling card numbers and taking
advantage of any rate plans, etc.
Second, the scheme increases the effective local calling area by up to
a factor of two. When I lived in Half Moon Bay, I needed to call the
Netcom POP in Palo Alto, which was a toll call. I seriously considered
reimplementing my scheme at a friends residence in Redwood City. (Fortu-
nately, I found out about CRL, which has a POP in San Mateo, a local call.)
Which leads me to an idea. In California, a residence can call toll-free
to neighboring central offices within 12 miles of your own CO. By strat-
egically placing residential lines at just under 12 mile increments,
and setting each line to call forward to the next one, a person could
call toll-free an arbitrarily long distance. Do you suppose you could
"call-forward chain" all the way from San Francisco to Los Angeles
(400 miles)? What would the signal quality be like?
Tim
------------------------------
From: enavarro@nyx.cs.du.edu (Emilio Navarro)
Subject: Connecting Two Phone Lines Using Analog Switches?
Organization: University of Denver, Dept. of Math & Comp. Sci.
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 93 15:34:08 GMT
Hello everyone,
Guess what. It's me again!
Someone suggested that I should use a Analog switch to connect and
disconnect the two phone lines. I have drawn a diagram with the two
switches (I did not include the DTMF Transceivers due to space).
Using a TTL signal (from the PC Parallel port) I could close or open
the swicth to connect or disconnect the two phone lines. So, my
question is the following: What Analog switch do you think will be the
most suitable for this application?
Thank you in advance for your suggestions and thank you to all of you
who answered to my first posting.
(IC1) = CH1817
_________________
Phone Line 1 O----------------| TIP |
O----------------| RING ~RI |----------->
Audio in O----o-----------| XMIT OFFHK |-----------<
Audio out O----|--------o--| RCV |
| | +---------------+
Analog Out | |
+-----+ | TTL
| |-----|------------------------------< Parallel Port
| | |
+-----+ | Analog In
Analog In | +-----+
| | |---------------------------< Parallel Port
| | | TTL
| +-----+
| | Analog Out
| | _________________
Phone Line 2 O----|--------|--| TIP |
O----|--------|--| RING ~RI |----------->
Audio in O----|--------o--| XMIT OFFHK |-----------<
Audio out O----o-----------| RCV |
+---------------+
IC1 = Cermetek CH1817 Telephone Interface Module (DAA).
Emilio A. Navarro Software Engineer DataTrax Systems Corp.
enavarro@nyx.cs.du.edu 650 South Taylor Avenue Louisville, CO 80027 - USA
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1993 10:39:33 EDT
Reply-To: 0005066432@MCIMAIL.COM
Subject: Re: Book Review: "Introduction to Data Communications" by Gelber
From: Paul Robinson <TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM>
Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring, MD USA
> Part three, however, almost seems to be another book. Chapter
> five deals clearly with bandwidth, duplex and synchronous
> carriers, and the types of (data transmission only) services
> are lucidly described in chapter six. Chapter seven discusses
> modulation of signals and coding, and although the sine waves
> are no better, the explanations are great. (I notice that
> Gelber, in common with all other data communications
> instructors, "chickens out" when the topic turns to "Trellis
> Coded Modulation".)
Is it a complicated or intricate subject? What do you think causes
them to all "chicken out". Is there something about the subject that
is unsavory or that some groups don't agree on? (For example, some
people don't agree that dialing 1 before a toll call is a good idea,
they'd prefer to use ten digits for all calls anywhere in the U.S., as
cellular phones do, (except for intra-area-code numbers which are
seven digits.)
Paul Robinson - TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1993 10:00:25 EDT
Reply-To: 0005066432@MCIMAIL.COM
Subject: Re: What You Find Upon Looking Closer
From: Paul Robinson <TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM>
Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring, MD USA
David Cornutt <cornutt@lambda.msfc.nasa.gov>, writes:
> I got a card from South Central Bell in the mail last month,
> touting their new voice mail offering. Only $3.95 a month!
> Wow, I thought, that's the cheapest commercial voicemail offer
> I've heard of yet.
What you have to look for is whether they assign you a separate phone
number or not. That's how you can tell whether it's "real" voicemail
or something they are pretending it is, but has to be tied to your
phone. I'll explain that in a moment.
> Then I looked at the card a little more closely, and I found:
> true enough, the voice mail is only $3.95 a month. Of course,
> it doesn't work unless you get Call Forward/No Answer. Ah,
> well, that's another $1.95 a month. And, to really have an
> advantage over an answering machine, you also need to get Call
> Forward/Busy, at still another $1.95 a month.
Is it that it is keyed according to the number that calls in or do
they assign each voicemail subscriber his own phone number? At this
price, if they do, I could have pat set up a 1-800 number and pay SCB
the $4 a month, and for a net cost of maybe $12 a month (figuring the
800 number will use about $5 of calls) I could set up a voice-mail
number that has nothing to do with my address here in the DC area.)
If the service is only accessible based on being transferred from a
particular line, then I suspect they are doing the equivalent of "bait
and switch".
My personal preference for voice mail is to use it *in place* of a
regular phone number. For $50 or less (or maybe $10, used) you can
purchase cheap answering machines. I don't see voicemail as being a
benefit as an add on to a phone number, unless the voicemail number
can be called directly, irregardless of whether you even *have* your
own phone number.
Paul Robinson - TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM
------------------------------
From: babshier@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Bryan J Abshier)
Subject: Re: What You Find Upon Looking Closer
Date: 12 Sep 1993 07:02:42 GMT
Organization: The Ohio State University
In article <telecom13.636.9@eecs.nwu.edu> cornutt@lambda.msfc.nasa.gov
(David Cornutt) writes:
> Then I looked at the card a little more closely, and I found: true
> enough, the voice mail is only $3.95 a month. Of course, it doesn't
> work unless you get Call Forward/No Answer. Ah, well, that's another
> $1.95 a month. And, to really have an advantage over an answering
> machine, you also need to get Call Forward/Busy, at still another
> $1.95 a month.
Oh my ... our telco dosen't have any of these hidden charges,
It's just a flat $14.95 a month!
Bryan J. Abshier -- Abshier@osu.edu -- bg739@cleveland.freenet.edu
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 93 08:25:36 EDT
From: dwn@dwn.ccd.bnl.gov (Dave Niebuhr)
Subject: Re: Hotel Charges and Surcharges
In TELECOM Digest V13 #638 I wrote:
[Text about phone charges incurred at a hotel deleted. (dwn)]
> [Moderator's Note: Do you think it was deliberate? Thirty-one years
> ago they would have been using the old-fashioned cord boards with
> three or four operators on duty at one time. Mistakes were common
> with poorly trained operators. PAT]
Yes, I did. The manager asked me to wait a few minutes and told me
that the charges were mistakenly put on my bill even though the call
originated from ANOTHER hotel that was in a totally different exchange
(I don't remember how Omaha was set up then, but it definitely
different according to the phone book).
Dave Niebuhr Internet: dwn@dwn.ccd.bnl.gov (preferred)
niebuhr@bnl.gov / Bitnet: niebuhr@bnl
Senior Technical Specialist, Scientific Computing Facility
Brookhaven National Laboratory Upton, NY 11973 (516)-282-3093
------------------------------
From: turner@Dixie.Com
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 93 10:31 EDT
From: rsiatl!turner@rsiatl.UUCP
Subject: Re: Telephone Company Test Set Questions
> AT&T calls these things "Craft Access Terminals," and they were
> originally designed to perform several more functions than a standard
> line test handset. In addition to the touch-tone keypad, talk/monitor
> switch, alligator clip leads, four conductor modular jack and tool
> belt clip, these units have a 2.5" X 2" LCD screen and function
> button/joystick. Apparently the extra features were for use with a
> "Craft Access" computer system. But they also allow the user to
Usually I have heard the term "craft access" in relation to
transmission equipment. As an example the SLC 5 is equipped with a
craft access port for provisioning circuits. Instead of flipping DIP
switches as in a D4 or SLC 96, you just hook up a portable terminal to
adjust levels, DDS provisioning, time slots, etc.
I bet installers would love to be able to dialup databases with one of
these. Around Atlanta craftspeople may wait 30 min or more holding
for FACS to get a new cable pair.
Patton Turner KB4GRZ FAA Telecommunications turner@dixie.com
------------------------------
From: gmw1@konichiwa.cc.columbia.edu (Gabe M Wiener)
Subject: Re: Old Phone Number
Date: 12 Sep 1993 05:11:08 GMT
Organization: Columbia University
In article <telecom13.638.10@eecs.nwu.edu>, <DLynn.El_Segundo@xerox.
com> wrote:
> [Moderator's Note: A company with the same phone number for sixty or
> seventy years allowing for dialing changes is a rarity these days. A
> few places in Chicago have kept the same number that long. The Conrad
> Hilton Hotel as been WABash (922)-4400 since the 1920's when it was
> the Stevens Hotel. Marshall Field's has had STAte (782)-1000 since the
> beginning of phone service just about. Only recently they became 781-
> 1000. PAT]
I believe the record for this sort of thing is held in SNET-land by
one of the newspapers in New Haven that went up on the first telephone
exchange in 1878, as number 3. Of course, their number got prepended
over the years, where it is now XXX-X003, I believe. I'll try to find
the details.
Gabe Wiener -- gmw1@columbia.edu -- N2GPZ -- PGP on request
------------------------------
From: Barton.Bruce@camb.com
Subject: Re: Congressional Record On Line Wanted
Organization: Digital Equipment Computer Users Society
Date: 12 Sep 93 02:01:18 -0400
Organization: DECUServe
In article <telecom13.639.9@eecs.nwu.edu>, ao936@yfn.ysu.edu (Tim
White) writes:
> I am looking for a way to view/download/search the Congressional
> Record. I am particularly interested in Telephony regulation and
> deregulation matters as they are being discussed in Congress.
It is a $commercial$ service. If your campus has a campus wide contract
it could well be free to you. You can use your gopher to get to their
server, or can telnet in and use their gopher client or can even have
selected categories autoemailed to you.
This is NOT the official info point, but is what I know off the top of
my head will work:
send email to staff@internet.com and ask how to do it.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1993 02:08:47 -0400
From: hollarn@knight.gannon.edu
Subject: Re: AT&T TrueVoice DSP Analysis
We can buy that there is an improvement using AT&T TrueVoice DSP.
However, when you look at what AT&T is really selling the public, it
is no match for true digital <-> digital communication. Basically,
all they are selling is an increase in volume on the circuit and
attempting to cut out the interference. This is not true rocket
science ...
You could even go further with this analysis by looking at the
codecs at the local loop. The voice quality on a circuit is only as
good as the codec that does the initial conversion from analog <-->
digital.
Glossary: Rate of Change:
Analog - same ol', same ol' quality of sound.. 1996
Digital - Truevoice 2000
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 11 Sep 1993 20:28:39 EDT
Reply-To: 0005066432@MCIMAIL.COM
Subject: Re: Can You Dial Area Code 810 From Your Switch Yet?
From: Paul Robinson <TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM>
Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring, MD USA
> Just out of curiosity, I tried dialing a phone number yesterday
> with area code 810 instead of 313 and the call went through!
Here from Maryland area code 301, dialing times out after dialing
1-810-7908 or dialing 10288-1-810-7908.
Paul Robinson - TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM
------------------------------
From: payson@dr-hibbert.cs.wisc.edu ( Payson)
Subject: Re: The One True Dialing Plan
Organization: University of Wisconsin, Madison -- Computer Sciences Dept.
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1993 02:16:42 GMT
In article <telecom13.634.11@eecs.nwu.edu> andys@internet.sbi.com
(Andy Sherman) writes:
>> In article <telecom13.627.14@eecs.nwu.edu> denbesten@orchestra.bgsu.
>> edu (William C. DenBesten) writes:
>>> Perhaps the way to get rid of the association between one and toll
>>> without bothering people would be to announce the cost of the call
>>> immediately after dialing. Eg: "This call will cost 30 cents plus 15
>>> cents per minute. Thank you for using AT&T.".
> While it may seem like a nice feature, I question whether very many
> people would be willing to pay higher across-the-board long distance
> rates to get it, especially since adding the real-time billing record
> lookup and price computation would have a dileterious affect on call
> setup time. You'd pay more for slower service. This is progress?
Well, for LD I generally have a pretty good idea what to expect
anyway. I am, however, rather steamed about a nice little fast one
Centel pulled on me [anything I can do about it?]
I subscribed for the "Call-Pak unlimited" which the operator said
covered all calls within 312 as well as all calls within 708 except a
few really distant exchanges. I asked for specifics, but was told
that they did not have a list available -- if I gave them a specific
exchange they could tell me if it was included, but otherwise not.
BTW, even this information is only availale during somewhat extended
business hours [something like 8-6 weekdays, 8-12 Sat. or somesuch].
Requests for written information were unsuccessful.
A while later, enjoying the thrill of not having to worry whether each
and every number I call will shaft me for $0.05/min, [which most do
outside of a VERY small region for those without Call-Pak unlimitted]
I stumbled across a very nice BBS in Mundelein, Ill. [I live in
Northbrook].
My next month's bill:
Line charge w/ call-pak unlimitted : $41.32 [w/o call-pak is $11.14]
Message Unit Pkg
391.0 units used
UNLIMITTED unit allowance
.0 billable units .00
1751.0 Outer Metropolitan Message Units 88.43
Is it just me or did I get royally shafted here? Is there anything I
can do about it?
payson@cs.wisc.edu John Payson
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 09 Sep 1993 09:11:00 -0500
From: john.eichler@grapevine.lrk.ar.us (John Eichler)
Subject: Re: Looking For Ma Bell's Early Charges
Reply-To: john.eichler@grapevine.lrk.ar.us (John Eichler)
Organization: The GrapeVine BBS *** N. Little Rock, AR *** (501) 753-8121
> [Moderator's Note: The rates then were disproportionatly higher than
> ...
> poly situation as such. It is a lot like the hand held calculators we
> use now which cost $3.98 at Walmart. In 1965 those same units cost
> about $200!! PAT]
Pat, you must be young! In 1965 the IC wasn't even invented yet (at
least in a very usable form). The first handheld units came out in
the early 1970's. I remember buying a TI unit about (I think) 1973 or
1974 for over $350. It only did the basic four operations. Almost
nothing was available for much less money than that.
Email: john.eichler@grapevine.lrk.ar.us
The GrapeVine / Ferret Face BBS (501) 753-8121
PGP Distribution Site, UseNet, RIME, ThrobNet, MediaNet, U'niNet, ForthNet
RecoveryNet, MetroLink. Putting Communications back in Telecommunication
[Moderator's Note: Well actually, I will be 51 in another twelve days
or so. You are probably correct on the date of the early units. I
thought it was the middle to late sixties. I remember a place downtown
with several display cases full of TI units, all with price tags
beginning at $300-400 and ranging up to a couple thousand dollars for
very elaborate units with little thermal paper printers attached and
paper on a roll. When I got my TI-programmable unit sometime in the
middle seventies it set me back several hundred dollars. When the
credit card office first started using terminals for input of data
rather than eighty-column punch cards around 1971 or so, an IBM video
display terminal cost $5000. My first personal computer was purchased
in 1977. It was an Ohio Scientific (usually known as OSI) C-1-P. It
had all of 4K of RAM and cost over a thousand dollars by mail order.
You could buy a chip which expanded it to 8K and gave it lower case
capability for another $200.
Modems were still rather rare, but I bought a 110/300 unit in 1979 to
use to call the one BBS in the world in those days, run by Randy Suess
and Ward Christianson right here in Chicago, a local phone call for
me. I paid almost a thousand dollars for the Hayes Micromodem ][ which
was on a card you put in a slot in the Apple ][ + (Bell and Howell
'black Apple' series) I had also recently purchased. I used the same
Hayes Micromodem ][ and Apple ][+ computer to run my own BBS starting
around 1981. When someone published a mod showing how the modem could
have a certain trace cut and a diode moved increasing its speed to 450
baud (while sacrificing the 110) we were in ecstasy! Wow, that was
fast! Smart people added a little toggle switch though so they could
drop back to 110 for some of the new BBSs starting almost daily in
those days which could not go any faster. PAT]
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 11 Sep 93 18:50:27 EDT
From: Carl Moore <cmoore@BRL.MIL>
Subject: Re: EST Designation on Orange Card Bill
OK, to check the LATA boundary, I got my hands on a Northeastern
Maryland phone book, and see the Elkton exchange listed in the
Baltimore LATA, but not the Chesapeake City exchange, which is the
next exchange to the south as you start down the Maryland eastern
shore. I made an Orange Card call from 410-398 at Elkton, and I guess
it would appear as from BAL on the next bill.
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V13 #644
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From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
Message-Id: <199309122130.AA00743@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #645
TELECOM Digest Sun, 12 Sep 93 16:30:15 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 645
Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson
Obituary: A. G. Cooley, 93, Fax Pioneer Dies (NY Times via Gary Edwards)
Boy, is AT&T Gonna Love This! (Privatising Internet List via Paul Robinson)
Where is SONET FAQ (Robert D. Clay)
Modem as Digital Phone? (Steve Work)
Looking For Simplex Code Fragments (M.L. Edwards)
Telex <> Internet Gateway (David Josephson)
Newsfeed Wanted From Above (Robert Klotz)
Time Magazine Now Online (Philip Elmer-DeWitt)
Programming Information Wanted For Fujitsu PCX Cell Phone (Dariusz Dabek)
Need Cellular Price Information (Patrick Chung-Pui Ko)
Three Letter Abbreviations For Aiports (Lee Sweet)
Re: One True Dialing Plan (Paul Robinson)
An 800 Number That Tells You the Calling Number (Elizabeth Chen)
Re: Caller ID Blocking Test Number (Paul Robinson)
Re: How To Search the Archives For Past Articles (Peter M. Weiss)
Won vs. One (Paul R. Coen)
Caller ID and Voice Messaging (Mark Steiger)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Obituary: A. G. Cooley, 93, Fax Pioneer Dies
From: uttsbbs!gary.edwards@uunet.UU.NET (Gary Edwards)
Date: 12 Sep 93 08:13:00 GMT
Organization: The Transfer Station BBS, Danville, CA - 510-837-4610/837-5591
Reply-To: uttsbbs!gary.edwards@uunet.UU.NET (Gary Edwards)
Following from {New York Times}, Sunday, Sept. 12, 1993:
(SEQUIM, WASH.) Austin G. Cooley, a telecommunications pioneer who
helped develop the facsimile machine, died Tuesday at his home in
Sequim, Wash., at the age of 93.
The cause of death was a stroke, said his wife, Helene.
As a student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the
1920s, Mr. Cooley designed and engineered transmitters that translated
a photographic negative into electrical signals that could then be
transmitted by radio or telephone, and later by satellite.
Mr. Cooley held more than 75 patents on methods and equipment for the
transmission of weather maps, medical X-rays and facsimile material as
well as pictures.
The origin of the modern-day facsimile machine dates from Mr. Cooley's
experiments in the 1930s with the transmission of news pictures over
ordinary telephone lines.
Gary Edwards uttsbbs!gary.edwards@PacBell.COM
The Transfer Station BBS (510) 837-4610 & 837-5591 (V.32bis both lines)
Danville, California, USA. 1.5 GIG Files & FREE public Internet Access
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1993 09:42:04 EDT
Reply-To: 0005066432@MCIMAIL.COM
Subject: Boy, is AT&T Gonna Love This!
From: Paul Robinson <TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM>
Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring, MD USA
From the Privatising the Internet List; question: has anyone ever
heard of +FCLASS=8? I know +FCLASS=1 or 2 for Fax modems, but 8?
Date: Thu Sep 09, 1993 11:00 pm EST
From: Russell Nelson <nelson@crynwr.com>
To: com-priv@psi.com
Subject: A change of subject -- tpc.int
I'm wondering if people have thought about tpc.int. *Really* thought
about it. There's one little clue I picked up from Arlington Hewes's
comment that "you need ... - a computer on the IP-connected Internet".
Why insist that you need to be IP-connected? A UUCP site is much more
likely to have a modem, indeed a FAX modem.
Well, look at the new +FCLASS=8 standard for voice-digitizing modems.
It's *nearly* a total computer-phone interface (only nearly because
the voice-digi is half-duplex). Voice, data, fax -- what else *can*
you carry over a phone line? The Internet already does the data (in
spades -- 68 hundred gigabits/month according to ISOC), tpc.int
already does FAX, so what's left?
Voice.
Tpc.int is going to do voice bypass, both long-distance and local.
When you want to call someone, you issue a voice-call-request. If you
people you want to talk to are on the Internet, you'll get connected
to them. If not, and a service provider exists, they make the local
call and patch you through.
All we need are full-duplex voice-digitizing modems. The technology
can't be all that difficult -- digital PBXes already do it.
One world, one people, one network. :)
russ <nelson@crynwr.com> What canst *thou* say?
Crynwr Software Crynwr Software sells packet driver support.
11 Grant St. 315-268-1925 Voice | LPF member - ask me about
Potsdam, NY 13676 315-268-9201 FAX | the harm software patents do.
------------------------------
From: rclay@cyber.net (Robert D. Clay)
Subject: Where is SONET FAQ
Date: 12 Sep 1993 13:51:08 GMT
Organization: The Cyberspace Station
Please post a response or send email to rclay@cyber.net.
Thanks,
Bob Clay
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1993 11:20:13 EDT
From: Steve Work <work@salus.med.uvm.edu>
Reply-To: Steve Work <work@salus.med.uvm.edu>
Subject: Modem as Digital Phone?
I'm looking for product information. I have a high end pc (66
MHz 486) with a sound board and a 9600 baud modem. Is there software
that will let me use the sound board and modem as a digital phone? I'm
interested in any product along these line, but very interested in
having something that uses encryption also, say the public/private key
encryption that is so talked about these days.
Note that I didn't include the type of sound board. I have two
now and am willing to buy a different one it needed. Please post but
also email me direct.
Thanks in advance.
------------------------------
From: mledwar@afterlife.ncsc.mil (M.L. Edwards)
Subject: Looking For Simplex Code Fragments
Organization: The Great Beyond
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1993 03:30:14 GMT
I am developing a simplex broadcast application and would like to
locate any C language fragments or textual references that might prove
helpful I need to provide for the following:
a. reception of framed data (i.e., bounded by SYN chars);
b. error detection (i.e., CRC-16);
c. forward error correction (possibly).
These routines would:
a. pack up the data in a frame with appropriate sync/control
info, and on the receiving side, search for sync and unpack
the data and control;
b. compute a CRC and validate a frame given a (broadcasted) CRC;
c. compute a forward error correction code, and given the same,
correct a possibly corrupted frame.
If you know of something that fits a few of these descriptions, please
send me a note with a archive name (host: /pathname/filename if
possible).
------------------------------
From: davidj@rahul.net (David Josephson)
Subject: TELEX <> Internet Gateway
Organization: a2i network
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1993 06:52:06 GMT
There was some discussion a few weeks back on how to establish a
gateway between the international telex network and the Internet.
MCI, one of the surviving telex service providers, has recently
established an "autoforward" service that makes this practical, for
$35 a year and 50 cents a message, for the incoming direction. They
will also autoforward to a fax line, another e-mail system that they
know about, etc. for other charges.
For outgoing telex messages, you still must dial in to MCI Mail and
send that way, for something between 70 cents and $3 a telex minute
depending on the destination.
David Josephson <david@josephson.com>
------------------------------
Subject: Newsfeed Wanted From Above
From: krobt@mom.nova.com (Robert Klotz)
Reply-To: krobt@mom.nova.com (Robert Klotz)
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 93 01:40:59 CST
Organization: Nova Research Inst., Norman, OK, USA
Hi,
Could someone please guide me to a source for satellite downlink
news feeds in North America.
robert krobt@mom.(nova.com|uucp)
voice: 405/321-7812 data/FAX: 405/321-1751 VOX: 405/640-4683
------------------------------
From: ped@panix.com (Philip Elmer-DeWitt)
Subject: Time Magazine Online
Date: 12 Sep 1993 09:29:51 -0400
Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC
Starting today (Sunday) at 4 p.m. Eastern Time, the world's oldest and
biggest newsmagazine will plug into the world's newest and
fastest-growing medium when {Time Magazine} begins publishing on America
Online. Text of this week's issue will be posted Sunday afternoon, a
day before the magazine is available on the newsstand. In addition,
there will be bulletin boards where {Time} readers can mix it up with
{Time} editors.
For more information, message me at ped@well.com or philiped@aol.com.
------------------------------
From: Dariusz Dabek <dabek@utcc.utoronto.ca>
Subject: Programming Information Wanted For Fujitsu PCX Cell Phone
Organization: University of Toronto Computing & Communications
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1993 16:53:44 -0400
Hello,
I am looking for programing information for the Fujitsu PCX cell
phone. In particular I would like to change the 'standard' greetings
message for the pager mode. Anyone out there has any hints?
Dariusz dabek@utcc.utoronto.ca
------------------------------
From: patko@uclink.berkeley.edu (Patrick Chung-Pui Ko)
Subject: Need Cellular Price Information
Date: 12 Sep 1993 20:57:14 GMT
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
Hi,
I had an offer from a cellular dealer but there is one thing I can't
understand. They say the package is pay-for-use which means you pay
for your calls but no monthly fee. Well, he confirmed that if you
don't make calls you don't pay. WHAT IF YOU RECEIVE CALLS? Is it free?
patko@uclink.berkeley.edu
[Moderator's Note: Typically, cellular phone users pay for air time in
either direction, placing or receiving calls. In a few cases, the (land
line) customer placing the call pays for the airtime if he is calling
a cellular phone, but not usually. I'd count on paying both ways if I
were you. PAT]
------------------------------
From: decrsc!leesweet@uunet.UU.NET (Lee Sweet)
Subject: Three Letter Abbreviations For Airports
Date: Sat, 11 Sep 1993 19:17:35 EDT
Are the abbreviations related to the FAA/Airline (who controls?)
three-letter IDs for airports? Or possibly whatever coding system the
overnight mailers use for locations: FedEx and UPS (and even some
magazines such as {Newsweek}) use codes that *seem* to follow a
pattern: Anything, for instance, near Dulles Airport in Fairfax (okay,
Loudon County!), Virginia) seems to have a six-letter ID that starts
with BCB.
Is this some nationwide location database for mailers (the physical
kind, not the Unix kind!!)? I thought it was only the overnighters
until I saw it on a magazine label that I receive at home (which
happens to be about 70 miles from IAD, as Dulles is known to the FAA
and Frequent Fliers! (In case you wonder why I think it's related to
the airport at all, packages that come through the FedEx office in
Chantilly, VA < 10 miles from IAD) also have a code starting with
BCB ...))
Lee Sweet Internet *lists* - leesweet@datatel.com
Chief Systems Consultant Internet *e-mail* - lee@datatel.com
Datatel, Inc. Phone - 703-968-4661
4375 Fair Lakes Court FAX - 703-968-4625
Fairfax, VA 22033 (Opinions are my own, and only my own!)
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1993 11:53:36 EDT
Reply-To: 0005066432@MCIMAIL.COM
Subject: Re: One True Dialing Plan
From: Paul Robinson <TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM>
Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring, MD USA
Al <varney@ihlpe.att.com>, writes:
> In article <telecom13.627.16@eecs.nwu.edu> 0005066432@MCIMAIL.COM
> (Paul Robinson) Writes:
>> It would have been nice if they had instituted something like what
>> Washington, DC area does: if the number is local to you and in you
>> area code, you dial seven digits (or you may optionally dial the
>> area code even though it is the same). If the number is local to
>> you but outside your area code, you dial the area code plus seven
>> digits. If it is long distance, even in the same area code, you
>> dial 1 + area code + 7 digits, but even on a local call you can
>> dial 1 + area code + seven digits and the call will still go
>> through as an uncharged call.
> This only works in DC because C&P and other TELCOs work very
> hard to insure there are no (or minimal) overlaps in CO office code
> assignments.
Not true.
(1). 936 is assigned in 301, 202 and 703 for Weather (936+xxxx goes to
Weather) as 844xxxx is assigned to time. Before they split the area
codes, 950 numbers in the Washington area were assigned to the switch
out of Alexandria, VA. 950 now is assigned to all three area codes.
(2). The choke prefix (whichever one Ticketmaster uses in DC) is
assigned to all three area codes and all of them terminate at the same
place. This is not required, however.
(3) There is a 301-504 and a 202-504 exchange, both local to one
another, the 301 number terminates in Maryland, the 202 number
terminates in DC, and the numbers go to separate places. There
probably are other exchanges.
> I'm sure it is a monster they are sorry they let out of the box,
> just to make the DC area seem more like a single-NPA area.
All that is necessary is not to use the identical ones of "nearby"
codes. There is no 301, 202 or 703 exchange in any of these area
codes. There is no 301-410-xxxx (410 is Baltimore), 703-804 (Richmond),
nor a 301-302 (Delaware), nor 703-304 (W. Virginia). If there are
overlay codes, you avoid using one for the immediate area code near or
at yours. For example, let's say a private dial tone company decides
to reinstate a single area code for the metro area around Washington,
DC, and gets area code 220. This would mean that 220 should not be
used in 202, 703, 301, 410, 302, 304 or 804. Or in 220 itself. And
none of those in 220. Not that difficult.
> But it only works if you have a single point in a multi-NPA
> area to focus upon. And it makes offering multiple levels of
> un-timed area hard to deploy -- if you elect to save line charges
> by reducing your free-calling area, does your dialing plan change?
> Even DC will have a hard time continuing the practice as fewer and
> fewer NXXs are locked out of the adjacent NPAs near DC.
Not true. In this area, there are several flavors of service. In all
of the following examples, if one pays for local calls, one may call
anywhere in the Washington Metro Area, which extends from Dulles
Airport, VA, to Arlington, Va, to DC, to Rockville, MD to Upper
Marlboro, MD. Call it an area 20 miles square.
Residential Maryland customers and commercial users in all three
jurisdictions can get measured untimed service, in which the rate is
10c per call with no time limit.
In Maryland they can also get measured timed service at 3c for the first
minute and 1.5c each additional minute.
Residential Maryland Customers have the option of buying $6.50 worth of
time or 65 local calls, for $3.50 more than the metered rate; for $10 more
than the metered rate, they can purchase unlimited local calling.
In Washington, DC, there are additional flavors for residences; you
can get the untimed, metered service, or you can get unlimited calling
in Washington, DC only, for slightly more (in which case calls outside
DC are 10c each) or you can get metro area (all calls are free).
Virginia has residential unlimited Metro Area Calling. Some people
who live on the fringe of the metro area can pay a surcharge of $5 a
month and get the ability to dial into the metro area either for free
or for 10c a call untimed, otherwise they pay intra-lata toll rates.
But in *all* cases, whether you pay nothing, 10c, or per minute for a
call, in the Washington area, all calls are dialed the same. NXX-XXXX
for local, NPA-NXX-XXXX for local numbers outside the area or for
local numbers, and 1+NPA+NXX+XXXX for non-local OR local numbers. If
I want a call to go through *unconditionally* and I don't know if it's
local, local in another area code, or long distance, I can *always*
dial it as 1 + NPA + NXX-XXXX.
Paul Robinson - TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM
------------------------------
From: bibi@leland.Stanford.EDU (Elizabeth Chen)
Subject: An 800 Number That Tells You the Calling Number
Organization: Stanford University, California
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 93 05:58:28 GMT
I saw a posting about an 800 number that tells your phone number when
you call it. I lost it. Can someone out there send the 800 number to
me directly?
Thanks in advance.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 11 Sep 1993 20:13:57 EDT
Reply-To: 0005066432@MCIMAIL.COM
Subject: Re: Caller ID Blocking Test Number
From: Paul Robinson <TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM>
Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring, MD USA
Steve Forrette <stevef@wrq.com>, writes:
> It has often been mentioned here that since *67 is used for
> both blocking and unblocking your number for Caller ID
> purposes, that you need to know the current state of line
> blocking in order to know if *67 will block or unblock.
> At least for the Seattle area, US West has provided a blocking
> test number at 206-625-9539. When you call it, it will tell
> you if your number was blocked. Note that if you call from
> 'out of area,' it says that the call was not blocked.
I can't be certain if MCI (A default carrier on that line) uses SS7,
so from my number in Maryland, I dialed 10288-1-206-625-9539 without
dialing *67 first. The phone in Seattle did not answer after six
rings. I called twice, and it does not answer.
We have Caller ID here and I tested it with someone in the area; he
gets the phone number I'm calling from if I don't dial *67 first.
This number doesn't answer when called long distance.
Paul Robinson - TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1993 11:59:13 EDT
From: Peter M. Weiss <PMW1@psuvm.psu.edu>
Subject: Re: How To Search the Archives For Past Articles
Organization: Penn State University
In article <telecom13.639.12@eecs.nwu.edu>, INPHELAN@delphi.com says:
> I am trying to do a research paper on Wireless Local Loop/Wireless
> Local Access. Since most of the RBOCs and GTE have done trials I
> assumed there would be some information about this in your libraries.
Forget searching the "telecom archives" per se, and get yourself into
Gopherspace and use Veronica to do a search. If you search for
/telecom*/, you will find over 5000 'hits' including MOSTLY TELECOM
Digest material. You could just as easily search for /wireless*/.
Pete (pmw1@psuvm.psu.edu) -- Penn State U
[Moderator's Note: Pete, could you write up something short to tell
people a little more about Gopherspace; how it works and how to get
access to it? A lot of readers are not familiar with that service. I
know very little about it myself. PAT]
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1993 14:06:46 EDT
From: Paul R. Coen <PCOEN@DRUNIVAC.DREW.EDU>
Subject: Won vs. One
Organization: Drew University Academic Technology
[Moderator's Note: In response to my note asking how there could be a
difference in the pronounciation of 'one' and 'won', Mr. Coen has
submitted this reply. PAT]
It seems like a diacriticial difference. In "won," many speakers tend
to stress and lengthen the "w" and extend the "n" slightly. "One"
tends to be more abrubt. A longer sound would make it easier to
understand through lousy reception. Stressing the "w" would also help
to distinguish it from the word "none." If you actually make a point
of telling people to pronounce it "won" instead of "one," they'll
really exaggerate the difference, too. Try getting someone to
pronouce a certain word as they normally would while letting them know
that you're paying attention to how they say it. You really can't --
if they're thinking about it, they don't pronounce it naturally.
There are probably accents where there is more of a difference between
the sounds than in mine -- I basically have that neutral accent that
you hear on broadcast news. It wouldn't surprise me to find an accent
in the United States where the difference was more significant.
------------------------------
From: Mark.Steiger@tdkt.kksys.com (Mark Steiger)
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1993 12:55:10 -0600
Subject: Caller ID and Voice Messaging
Organization: The Dark Knight's Table BBS: Minnetonka, MN (Free!)
Hello all!
I'm kinda curious about something. I have voice messaging from US
West. We're getting caller ID here in December. Are the phone numbers
of callers recorded on the message at all? I'd like to be able to
tell who left what message.
Thanks,
Origin: The Igloo BBS 612-574-2079 (1:282/4018.0)
Mark Steiger, Sysop, The Igloo BBS (612) 574-2079
Internet: mark@tdkt.kksys.com Fido: 1:282/4018 Simnet: 16:612/24
[Moderator's Note: The numbers have not been stamped on the voicemail
anywhere I have heard about. It is not done here in Chicago. There is
an option here you can turn on which tells you where voicemail came
from but the best it can do is handle intra-system mail between mail-
boxes. On stuff forwarded by your phone line, the origin says 'from
phone call' or something like that. Since voicemail is a separate
subsidiary of the parent Ameritech, it may be they are not supposed to
pass the data along, or not pass it along without making the same fea-
ture available to competing voicemail systems ... who knows.
One good work-around exists though: your Caller-ID display box will
hold several entries. *Do not* erase them until after you have cleared
the voicemail system of messages. All messages will say the date and
time they came in. As you listen to the legitimate messages, the
obscene crank calls and the people who just hang up without saying
anything, note the time voicemail says the message (or lack of one)
was received, and step your way through the Caller ID display memory
at the same time, matching the times given on one with the times given
on the other. The clock used for our Caller ID is a minute or so
different than the clock on voicemail, but they are close enough. The
other day an Insane Idiot called me, left nothing but a good hearty
belch om my voicemail and disconnected. Voicemail marked it at 3:47 AM
and Caller ID marked it at 3:46 AM. That was close enough for me; all
the evidence I needed. :) I waited until the next morning at 5:00 AM
and called him back -- using *67 first of course -- gave him a loud,
long, protracted belch in return, then hung up. :) PAT]
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V13 #645
******************************
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Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1993 19:28:10 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
Message-Id: <199309130028.AA13624@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #646
TELECOM Digest Sun, 12 Sep 93 19:28:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 646
Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson
International Call Re-Origination Services (Consum. Serv. via P Robinson)
Re: Trying to Make Sense of it All :-) (Fred R. Goldstein)
Re: Save the SSC (Bill Pearson)
Re: Modem Tax in Canada (Carl Oppedahl)
"Has Become Busy ..." (Paul Robinson)
Re: Recommendation Wanted For National Packet Network (Lang Zerner)
Re: Caller ID Blocking Test Number (S. Rathinam)
Have you voted yet in the Usenet election going on regards the
creation of comp.dcom.telecom.tech? Various messages which currently
appear in comp.dcom.telecom might be routed to that group instead if
it is created, and would not subsequently appear in the Digest.
Because your reading of telecom messages from Usenet might be
affected, you are entitled to vote YES or NO in the election. To create
the unmoderated group comp.dcom.telecom.tech not affiliated with
this Digest you would vote YES. If you instead wish to have the
moderated group comp.dcom.telecom (what you are reading now) be the
sole Usenet telecom newsgroup, you would vote NO. Votes must be sent by
*email only* to the address 'votes@geoworld.com' with a single line
of text: "I vote YES (NO) on the creation of comp.dcom.telecom.tech".
Your vote is important and will be counted. Vote Today!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1993 10:29:14 EDT
From: Paul Robinson <tdarcos@access.digex.net>
Subject: International Call Re-Origination Services
Looks like you're not the only one involved in this sort of thing,
Pat: Thought you might be interested in what others are doing:
Date: Wed, 8 Sep 1993 15:29:06 -0700
From: consumer.services@internet.com
To: Multiple recipients of list <consumer.services@internet.com>
Subject: CONSUMER.SERVICES digest 1
COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL, INC.
Substancially reduce cost of calls from almost ALL Countries to U.S.
and other destinations ...
CSInt'l is a revolutionary way to place INTERNATIONAL LONG DISTANCE
PHONE CALLS AT SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCED RATES (30 to 60%)!!
By routing all your international calls through the United States, we
place the LOWER RATES and COVERAGE of the U.S. phone system right in
your hand. And since all your calls are handled by our
state-of-the-art computer, all of its special features and advanced
abilities are also at your disposal.
With CSInt'l you can call FROM any of the 235 countries in the world
TO any of those same countries -- virtually the entire world.
You can start using CSI today WITHOUT CHANGING YOUR PHONE EQUIPMENT OR
SERVICE HOOK-UP IN ANY WAY. All you do to use the CSInt'l computer is
simply call it. There are no calling cards to get lost or stolen, no
billing account digits to enter, no PIN (Personal Identification
Numbers) to enter, NOTHING. In fact, you can place an international
call with as few as four digits!
All calls are completely automatic -- no operator assistance is
required. You are billed in six second increments instead of whole
minutes.
BENEFITS
Simple to Use.
No Risk.
Speed Dialing.
No Equipment Modifications Needed.
Keep the Line for as Many Calls as you Need.
Faster, Fully Automatic Dialing.
Eliminate Hotel Surcharges.
6-second Billing Increments.
Crystal Clear High Quality Digital Transmission.
48 Hour Activation.
And of course -- LOWER RATES.
HOW IT WORKS
We assign you a special unlisted U.S. phone number that you will call
and then hang up. Since you hang up (and we don't answer) there is no
charge for the call; however, our computer knows you called and WILL
CALL YOU BACK.
At this point you simply answer the phone and dial the number you wish
to call. That's all there is to it.
The CSI phone program does NOT have multiple levels of menus or or
long instructions to listen to. All of its functions are accessed
from a single familiar place. Nothing could be easier to use in
making long distance calls.
When you finish talking you can either hang up like you normally do,
OR you can press the star key twice (**). The ** hangs up the other
end of the call, but keeps you connected to the CSInt'l computer so
that you can place another call. You can use the ** as many times as
you like. In fact, we deduct another 5% off the per minute rate for
all calls you make using this feature. The ** feature is also handy
for hanging up on answering machines or voice computers that you don't
want to pay to talk to.
TOUCH TONE
You DO NOT have to live in a touch-tone dialing country to use
CSInt'l. Howerver, your phone must be able to produce touch- tones in
order for you to use CSInt'l.
Most phones have a tone/pulse switch that you simply flip to the tone
position when you answer the dialback call.
The sooner you get started the sooner you'll begin saving ...
Our pricing is the most thorough in the industry. We break the world
up into as many areas as possible to bring the best possible rates.
WE HAVE A PRICE THAT YOU WILL KNOW IN ADVANCE FOR EVERY POSSIBLE
COUNTRY TO COUNTRY CALL. Instead of sending you 600 pages of pricing
though, we have all of those prices in an IBM-PC compatible program
that you can use to look up any call price in seconds! This program
compares all countries prices with all other possible combinations of
calling destinations.
BILLING
Our billing is just like what you are used to. You use the service
and we send you a bill. The only thing we ask is that you place a
$250.00 (USD) REFUNDABLE SECURITY DEPOSIT on account with us. We
charge a $27.50 (USD) monthly service fee ONLY IF YOUR BILL IS less
than $100.00 (USD). This is simply to encourage you to use the
service. We accept all standard forms of payments, including all
major credit cards.
! GET STARTED !
To cut your phone bill in half, start using CSInt'l-DIALBACK today by
simply filling out the SERVICE INITIATION FORM below and INTERNET or
FAX it back to us if you choose credit card billing; otherwise, mail
it to the address enclosed.
So easy to begin.
Communications Systems International, Inc.
121 E. Pikes Peak Avenue, Suite 226A
Colorado Springs, CO 80903 USA
Phone: 011-1-719-471-3332 Fax: 1-719-471-2893 or 1-719-564-0541
And if you're interested in joining our international marketing
efforts ... the residual income has staggering possibilities, as you
can undoubtedly see. How does .08/min on your efforts sound? How
about .04/min on those who join "under" you? How about .02/min on
those directly beneath them? And, .01/min on everyone one level
under, .01/min all the way to the 5th level? When you're dealing with
such a global need, the residual income possibilities here are truly
exciting!
We at Communication Systems International would love to
encourage you to request more information of this revolutionary
opportunity. But, as we stand ready to fill that request, our primary
motivation of this message is to stimulate you into taking action now.
Please fill out the signup form and return it to us immediately, as
the sooner you do, the sooner you can begin calling at our significantly
reduced rates.
Michael D. Beatty 719-634-0378 Mavihoja@cscns.com
International Marketing, Long Distance &
Communications Specialist Extraordinaire
----------------
[Moderator's Note: Thanks for passing that along. If readers are not
familiar with 'CONSUMER SERVICES Digest', they may wish to send a note
to the address given above and be added to the list, at least for the
time needed to look it over. The above is from Issue #1. Well, this
Digest had a beginning once upon a time also. I wish them well.
Mainly though, I want to point out some critical differences between
CSI's program and Telepassport: no security deposit required if you
wish to pay by credit card or electronic funds transfer; no $100 per
month minimum with a $27.50 penalty. TP requires $25 per month in
minimum usage, that is it. No advance payments, etc. That stuff is a
rip off, as is the Multi-Level-Marketing approach they use. I don't
want any of that stuff where Telepassport is concerned.
All re-origination services, including TP use the basic approach shown
above on calls: you call a DID number; the switch recognizes you and
calls you back with USA dial tone at USA rates and with USA technology.
If anyone has not seen the file on Telepassport with its rates and
method of operation, they can write 'ptownson@eecs.nwu.edu' and ask
for a copy, or pull it from the archives (ftp lcs.mit.edu) where it is
filed as 'telepassport'. PAT]
------------------------------
From: goldstein@carafe.tay2.dec.com (Fred R. Goldstein)
Subject: Re: Trying to Make Sense of it All :-)
Organization: Digital Equipment Corp., Littleton MA USA
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1993 05:29:08 GMT
In article <telecom13.633.5@eecs.nwu.edu> madeline@well.sf.ca.us
(Madeline Gonzalez) writes:
> I'm trying to get a better understanding of what these emerging
> telecom standards are *about*: which type of network they're aimed at,
> which organization is sponsoring their definition/implementation, what
> the perceived benefits are of each, ... and *how they all fit
> together*! Can anyone help me with the ones I've listed below, or
> point me towards the right person or organization??...
What an amazingly comprehensive set of questions! Maybe I should use
this Madeline's note as the start of a syllabus for a course I've
thought about introducing at Northeastern. Not to mention a book I've
been putting off finishing. But with the baby due any moment now I
have doubts I'll have the time soon.
> Perhaps a whole separate posting could deal with the topic of "type of
> network"! It'd be nice to come up with a way to conceptually view
> modern networks and how they fit together ... how to categorize them;
> i.e., based on protocol? Type of switching (packet, circuit, ..)?
> long-distance trunks vs local loop? public/private nature? based on
> what's being carried (voice, data, etc.)? or the media used to carry
> it (metallic wire, fiber, air..)? Just got Quarterman's "The Matrix"
> which does a really good job on the worldwide *computer* networks..
> can anyone recommend a book or other literature that deals with *all*
> nets? (I'm currently in a very small town in rural Colorado with no
> timely access to a technical library ... but *can* mail-order, thank
> God :-) )
I have created a taxonomy of "networks" that I find very useful. It
creates six categories of networks, as viewed by end users. Each has
its own vocabulary, terms of reference, and experts. And nobody
understands them all; their partisans tend not to even understand what
the others are about, let alone respect them. In historical order,
with names that are based on an example, not definition, they are:
I. Telephony. Circuit-switched narrowband. Includes ISDN up to PRI,
switched 56, etc.
II. Terminal-to-host. Includes X.25, SNA. Connection-oriented
packet, master-slave application semantics.
III. Message-switched. Includes BBSs ("kiddiecomms"), X.400, uucp.
The network is defined at the applications layer. Not real time.
IV. Internet. Peer-to-peer packet switching. Usually connectionless.
Network is based on routers which don't see applications. Includes
TCP/IP, DECnet, (some of) OSI.
V. PC/Server. So-called "PC LANs"; dumb client PCs with network
defined by smart server. Often runs over Internet protocols, but
network is defined at the applications layer. Includes Netware, etc.
VI. Switched-topology network (STN). High-speed low-layer switching.
No need for routers since switches do it. Newest family, and is
one (promising) way to use ATM, but is not limited to ATM per se
(you could do it with Ethernet switches, fast circuit, etc.).
For starters, the word "LAN" has different meanings depending on who
you ask!
Fred R. Goldstein k1io goldstein@carafe.tay2.dec.com
Opinions are mine alone; sharing requires permission
------------------------------
From: Bill Pearson <wrp@cyclops.micr.virginia.edu>
Subject: Re: Save the SSC
Organization: University of Virginia
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1993 14:37:32 GMT
In article <telecom13.626.12@eecs.nwu.edu>, Dave Niebuhr
<dwn@dwn.ccd.bnl.gov> wrote:
>> Please somebody point out one direct positive result of non-war driven
>> big science projects. Didn't think you could do it.
> Two come readily to mind: L-Dopamine, developed by the late Dr. George
> Costas at Brookhaven National Laboratory in the 1970s. L-Dopa is used
> to treat the unfortunate victims of Hodgkins disease. That was big
> science and not war related.
This definition of BIG Science seems to suggest that anything
done at a National Laboratory is BIG Science. This certainly not the
way the term is traditionally used. BIG Science (as exemplified by the
SSC -- I hesitate to say Space Station because there is practically no
scientific justification) usually refers to a project with a highly
focussed goal and a very large budget. Although I am not familiar
with the work, Dr. Costas was almost certainly not given a budget
substantially larger than other "small science" researchers at
universities and other medical research institutes. Thus, the
discovery of L-Dopa would be considered an example of small science,
not big science.
> Another was the development of "hopping genes" in the 40s or 50s by
> Dr. Barbara McClintock, a Nobel Prize winner in Biology. This
> discovery is the basis of all genetic research done today, including
> the human genome project.
I am much more familiar with Dr. McClintock's work. Here is a
researcher who almost always worked alone. Small science, not big
science.
> A fourth was the Radon detectors now being sold across the US and
> possibly around the world. The developer was Dr. John Dietz of BNL.
> There are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of non-war driven big
> science projects that have benefitted human kind.
This statement would be true if the word "big" were removed
from the sentence. It is not clear that there have been "thousands"
of big science projects; the question remains, how does the scientific
benefit of these projects compare to more traditional research-group-
based small science.
> Need I remind you of Drs. Sabin and Salk? They are the reason that
> there is an almost zero chance on anyone contacting Polio, the scourge
> of the 50s.
Again, Sabin and Salk (despite the great support of the March
of Dimes) had relatively small research groups. Nothing that would
compare with the Manhattan project, the SSC, the Space Station, or the
Human Genome Project. However, recent collaborations of in human
genetics (Huntington's disease) might be genuine examples of "big
science", although it could just as easily be called a large
collaboration between many small research groups.
> I could go on, the list is endless. Pick a major childhood illness,
> chances are that someone has discovered either the cure or the prevention.
The question was about BIG science, not science. The successes
of BIG science in civilian research are difficult to name.
> [Moderator's Note: Thank you for that good listing in rebuttal. Many
> people are too young to remember anything about Polio. I had a friend
> as a child who had it. And who anymore remembers when Tuberculosis was
> a horrible scourge? The government had 'sanitariums' for people with TB
> (as it was called) where the victims were housed so that they could
> not spread it to others. That was in the 1930-50 era also. PAT]
Tuberculosis was brought under control (for 50 years at least)
by the development of modern antibiotics. Big or small science?
Fleming and penicillin was a combination of both. The discovery was a
classic example of small science, but the mass purification during
WWII was similar to the Manhattan project. Clearly there are times
when a scientific discovery can be applied more rapidly by massive
engineering projects. It is unlikely that penicillin would have been
developed as rapidly if it had not been needed to treat casualties in
WWII.
I think that the "rebuttal" missed the mark. There are lots
examples of scientific successes, but relatively few examples of the
success of large (personel and budget) goal-directed projects. There
are a few perhaps, but they are difficult to find. Most big-science
projects are in physics; medical research (until very recently) has
almost always been small science.
Bill Pearson
------------------------------
From: oppedahl@panix.com (Carl Oppedahl)
Subject: Re: Modem Tax in Canada
Date: 12 Sep 1993 15:49:47 -0400
Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC
In <telecom13.641.15@eecs.nwu.edu> tad@ssc.com (Tad Cook) writes:
> Eric_N._Florack.cru-mc@xerox.com writes:
> Here we go again. The Modem Tax rumormongers have demonstrated over
> the past few years that they will grab for ANY scrap of information
> that can be woven into their bizarre conspiracy theories.
It is not all rumors. The State of New York recently enacted a new
tax on any information providing by telephone or telegraph. It is 5%
above and beyond the sales tax already imposed. And that is on gross
receipts, not profits, so a business with a 4% profit margin now
simply goes out of business.
Or moves to New Jersey.
Carl Oppedahl AA2KW (patent lawyer)
1992 Commerce Street #309
Yorktown Heights, NY 10598-4412
voice 212-777-1330
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1993 15:07:42 EDT
Reply-To: "Tansin A. Darcos & Company" <0005066432@MCIMAIL.COM>
Subject: "Has Become Busy..."
From: Paul Robinson <TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM>
Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring, MD USA
TELECOM Moderator noted:
> [Moderator's Note: A curious bug in the Busy Call Return is if you
> dial your own number.. after a couple seconds it finds your line
> no longer busy (because you have hung up), so it calls you (to
> make sure you are still there and want to make the call) ...
> Your phone rings, there is a short silent pause and the equipment
> responds that, 'the number you are trying to call *did* become
> available, but it has since become busy again ...' <smile> and
> that will go on as long as you wish to play the game for up to
> thirty minutes or so, with you hanging up, it finding the line
> is free, calling you first to get you on the line and calling
> you second to put through the call, and reporting that 'the
> line has become busy again ...'
No, Virtual Pat, the system here is smarter than yours. I decided to
waste 75c and see what would happen here. Yes, the 'dial yourself and
it rings you back' trick *does* work, but after it calls you, the
announcement is "We're sorry, but we are unable to complete your
request as the number has become busy again" and it *cancels* the
request on its own volition.
Nice try, though. But, the announcement would be funny to someone who
has no idea why a computer called them to report that their request
had been uncompleted ...
Paul Robinson - TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 93 15:17:31 -0400 (EDT)
From: langz@asylum.sf.ca.us (Lang Zerner)
Subject: Re: Recommendation Wanted For National Packet Network
In <telecom13.633.13@eecs.nwu.edu> smlamont@hebron.connected.com
(Steve Lamont) writes:
> I use a commercial Internet service in Seattle, but it costs a lot to
> dial in when I travel. Can anyone recommend a national packet network
> that will help me save money? Does it require any special interface
> with my own Internet service (a real drawback)? What does it cost?
> How can I contact them?
Somebody has already recommended PC Pursuit for dialup connections.
You might also want to check out PSI's World-Dial service. I'm not
affiliated with PSI, even as a customer, so you'll have to evaluate
World-Dial for yourself, but it seems like one solution to your
problem.
World-Dial is a national dialup network designed specifically for
mobile Internet users. You can dial up to the local World-Dial point
of presence (usually located in a telephone company facility for
reliability), then use telnet or rlogin to connect to any site on the
global IP Internet. Charges are based on connection speed, ranging
from $2.75 to 6.50/hour during prime time (8am-8pm Eastern, M-F),
$1.25 to $4.00/hour non-prime.
You can get a more detailed description of the service and charges by
sending mail to world-dial-info@psi.com. For a list of local dialups
(points of presence, or POPs), send mail to pop-info@psi.com. Both
addresses automatically respond with a message containing the
information you want.
Again, I don't have anything to do with PSI, but it sounds like
World-Dial might be right for you if your site is on the IP Internet.
Be seeing you,
Lang
------------------------------
From: sys_srr@genb.cca.cr.rockwell.com
Subject: Re: Caller ID Blocking Test Number
Reply-To: sys_srr@genb.cca.cr.rockwell.com
Organization: Rockwell International
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 93 23:07:51 GMT
In article <telecom13.637.11@eecs.nwu.edu>, stevef@wrq.com (Steve
Forrette) writes:
> At least for the Seattle area, US West has provided a blocking test
> number at 206-625-9539. When you call it, it will tell you if your
> number was blocked. Note that if you call from 'out of area,' it
> says that the call was not blocked.
I used to live in Phoenix, AZ until a short time long ago. US West
gave two options (right before they provided Caller ID service) to
order blocking. (1) By sending in the attached card OR (2) By calling
an 800 number. I called the 800 number and answered the computer
voice -- asks for your phone number for which you request line
blocking and reads it back -- I am not sure if there is an ANI
comparison to verify if you are calling from the number you punched
in.
It then says something to the effect that you requested line blocking
and it may not be available for two weeks or so and to use *67 until
then. Just to make sure, I did it again after a week. About four or
five weeks after the service was provided, I called a friend and she
said my number was showing up (and I saw it when I visited with them
later). Then I called US West and 'told' them (to put it mildly) that
I wanted blocking immediately (my number was unlisted as well). They
provided it in three days after that. I was also informed there was
no blocking test number (after I asked a specific question). And to
another specific question, I was told *67 is NOT a toggle, but an OFF
of caller ID.
About three or four weeks after that, there was a note from the
Arizona Corporate Commision asking for comments on US West's providing
of Caller ID and line blocking services ... I replied to it a couple
of days ago suggesting exactly the same services mentioned (to provide
a blocking test number etc.)
Consider yourself lucky in Seattle :) [well, now, don't say "if only
it rains less"].
S.Rathinam sys_srr%harper@hobbes.cca.cr.rockwell.com"
Opinions, if any expressed are mine only and may not represent
those of any other party.
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V13 #646
******************************
To: telecom-recent@LCS.MIT.EDU
Subject: test
Date: Tue, 14 Sep 93 18:10:43 EDT
From: root@LCS
Sender: root@LCS
Message-ID: <9309141810.aa05046@MINTAKA.LCS.MIT.EDU>
test chrisb
Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by MINTAKA.LCS.MIT.EDU id aa11798;
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Date: Tue, 14 Sep 1993 05:43:51 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
Message-Id: <199309141043.AA07353@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #647
TELECOM Digest Tue, 14 Sep 93 05:43:45 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 647
Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson
New Reports on Telecom/Computer Networks (Tara Mahon via Monty Solomon)
New Report on PBX vs. ATM Technology (Tara Mahon via Monty Solomon)
Trans-California DIY FX Line (Paul Robinson)
Consumer Wins Big in LD Carrier Wars (Debbie Choo)
MCI Announces Advantage 800 Service (David Appell)
Video Phones Needed (Neil E. Berger)
Information Needed on Belgium Phone/Fax/Modem/Connections (Malcolm Goodier)
1-800-COLLECT No Longer Least Expensive? (Tom Lowe)
New Area Code Splits (Jim Wohlford)
Hallmark and Sprint -- Greeting/Calling Cards (Will Martin)
What is the Capacity of Internet? (Hu Min)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Sep 93 17:35:07 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <roscom!monty@Think.COM>
Subject: New Reports on Telecom/Computer Networks
FYI. From comp.newprod
From: "Tara D. Mahon" <tara@insight-corp.com>
Subject: New Reports on Telecom/Computer Networks
Date: Mon, 13 Sep 1993 03:05:55 CDT
LIVINGSTON, NJ. September 9, 1993: The recent court ruling giving
Bell Atlantic and the other RBOCs the green light to move full steam
ahead into video programming will bring the new information highway
and its attendant mass market for multimedia computing just a little
closer to reality. For multimedia computing applications, wireless
data personal communicators, and other aspects of computing's next
wave to become mass market phenomena, major changes must take place in
local telecommunications capability. According to recent studies by
Insight Research Corp., today's telecommunications landscape is about
to be rocked by a series of changes-changes that will transcend
traditional industry boundaries and cross technologies as never
before.
Insight's research suggests that the fast-packet ATM-based national
information highway will be only as effective as local voice and data
transport. One study, _Competition in the Local Loop: Telcos, Cable
TV, & Wireless in the Emerging Telecommunications Network 1993-1998_,
puts forth several possible scenarios for future competition among the
RBOCs, competitive access providers, cable TV operators, and wireless
services for market share of voice, data, and video. It takes the
bottom-up view that the technological and market changes on the local
level are the ones that will spur developments in telecommunications
throughout the decade.
The other study, _Network Topologies for Future Telecommunications
Services, TVs, Telephones & Change in Telecommunications Networks
1993-2000_, posits that consumer demand for new entertainment TV
services is remaking the infrastructure of the TV and telephone
networks. The huge revenue potential of interactive TV and games is
accelerating adoption of new technology in the TV and telephone
industries. Both networks will handle two-way, switched, wideband
traffic well before the year 2000, according to Insight, creating an
extensive level of overlapping, interconnecting, and competing
capabilities. But competition will only be apparent in the
local-distribution segments of both networks, Insight argues.
For more information and pricing data on the two reports, please
contact:
Tara D. Mahon tara@insight-corp.com
The Insight Research Corporation (201) 605-1400 voice
354 Eisenhower Parkway (201) 605-1440 fax
Livingston, NJ 07039
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Sep 93 17:34:26 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <roscom!monty@Think.COM>
Subject: New Report on PBX vs. ATM Technology
FYI. From comp.newprod
From: "Tara D. Mahon" <tara@insight-corp.com>
Subject: New Report on PBX vs. ATM Technology
Date: Mon, 13 Sep 1993 02:35:44 CDT
ATM Tidal Wave Could Put PBX Vendors Under Water
LIVINGSTON, NJ. September 6, 1993: If the PBX manufacturers that
supply big companies with their phone systems don't begin revamping
their sales strategies to cope with the competitive threat posed by
Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) technology they may soon be under
water, according to a new market research report from Insight Research
Corporation. Insight predicts PBX vendors have an eighteen month
window; if they can not provide value-added services in that time
their customs will start defecting to ATM platform vendors.
According to the report, PBX & Centrex: the Over 100-line Market, ATM
is a multiplexing and switching technology, and a good bet to create
new phone systems that mix voice, data, and video. ATM's multimedia
capabilities will spur customers to buy new products, but ATM
technology leverage could be applied first by data communication
vendors, putting PBX vendors at a significant competitive
disadvantage.
Three years of negative profits and an absence of exciting new
products have left the PBX industry vulnerable, the report notes.
Market leader AT&T announced a series of price increases that have
brought manufactures temporary relief, but the report says the
industry is still in trouble. The next eighteen months will be
critical.
The root cause of the PBX industry's trouble is that vendors have been
unable to smoothly migrate their customers from one product generation
to the next. In the next eighteen months Insight expects to see the
LAN-personal computer crowd begin offering low-cost ATM products that
move voice along with the data, making it difficult for customers to
remain loyal to their switch vendors.
According to the Insight report, the $3.5 billion PBX market will not
feel any substantial impact from ATM technology before late 1994. At
this point, Insight posits two scenarios: one suggests that PBX
vendors will successfully counter the lower-cost ATM alternatives by
adding value to their products, while the other scenario paints the
picture of an industry in decline.
The Industry in Decline Scenario:
PBX Lines Shipped to Locations Over 100 Lines
1994 1995 1996 1997 1998
100-400 Lines 1,583 1,534 1,424 1,267 1,074
400-1000 Lines 1,008 975 905 805 681
1000+ Lines 1,146 1,098 1,010 887 742
PBX & Centrex: The Over 100 Line Markets, is now available from the
Insight Research Corporation. For pricing information and a full
table of contents, please contact:
Tara D. Mahon tara@insight-corp.com
Insight Research Corporation (201) 605-1400 v
354 Eisenhower Parkway (201) 605-1440 f
Livingston, NJ 07039
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Sep 1993 11:49:00 EDT
Reply-To: 0005066432@MCIMAIL.COM
Subject: Trans-California DIY FX Line
From: Paul Robinson <TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM>
Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring, MD USA
"Timothy L. Kay" <timkay@netcom.com>, writes in "Re: How to Connect
Two Phone Lines (Conference Call)?" about setting up a Wats Extender
to increase the size of a non-toll area. He then writes about setting
up a "Trans-California Do It Yourself Foreign Exchange Line" (as I am
terming it):
> Which leads me to an idea. In California, a residence can call
> toll-free to neighboring central offices within 12 miles of your
> own CO. By strat- egically placing residential lines at just under
> 12 mile increments, and setting each line to call forward to the
> next one, a person could call toll-free an arbitrarily long
> distance. Do you suppose you could "call-forward chain" all the
> way from San Francisco to Los Angeles (400 miles)? What would the
> signal quality be like?
Might not be too bad, since the signal would stay in each office, and
the forwarding is done at the switch, rather than say through a Wats
Extender device at the Subcriber Site. Or it might be terrible. It
depends on how many GTE switches it would have to cross. :) (This is
the obligatory "bash GTE" message which is required anytime someone
posts about local service in California.)
It might be worth trying if we can get readers in the Golden State who
have Call Forwarding to try this as an experiment. Or people in the
rest of the country; could a call be placed locally from the West
Coast to the East Coast? Those interested in trying either experiment
are encouraged to write me about it.
But there are two problems with your idea.
1. There are large stretches of Desert in the middle of the state, and
there are mountainous areas between Los Angeles and San Francisco.
You might just discover that there are gaps: places where there is no
local service (because nobody lives in that area) or where two local
service areas are so distant that they do not touch.
Someone suggested trying this to me once for taking local buses. It
appears that because of connections, one could take local buses from
Los Angeles to the Mexican Border, getting on, paying the $1 or so,
getting a transfer and changing companies at each point. It would
work and it would probably cost about $4 in fares and transfer charges
to go each way, because there are points where two local bus companies
run their lines to the extreme point of their county.
2. The other problem is, even if there are local areas overlapping all
the way from Los Angeles to San Francisco, each service is going to cost
from $8 to $30 depending on what service is available and how much local
calls cost. Again, with the overlap in service, it's possible to
defeat local intra-lata charges anywhere in Southern California by
putting a series of call-forwarded lines in station, but you have to
use them enough to make the cost worth covering.
Let's say, for the 400 miles, there are needed about 15 relays. Each
relay requires a phone line in and one out, although it's all done in
the switch. That's roughly $30 per relay, per month, for a total of
$450 a month. If phone calls within California are as expenive as one
across the country, e.g. 25c per minute, you would have to use the
service a total of 1800 minutes a month, or an average of two hours a
day, weekdays to cover this cost. If you do have this kind of usage,
it would probably be cheaper to have both sides purchaase an internet
connection and exchange data that way. But for that kind of money,
unless you want a voice-class capability, it'd be cheaper to use
several accounts on PC Purusit.
Paul Robinson - TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM
------------------------------
From: debbchoo@hawaii.edu (Debbie Choo)
Subject: Consumer Wins Big in LD Carrier Wars
Organization: University of Hawaii
Date: Tue, 14 Sep 1993 09:59:59 GMT
Isn't the competition between the LD carriers wonderful?
Because of the heated competition, I've gotten $75 cash, $25 off my
phone bills, 2500 free American Airline free miles, and a free 9600
bps v.32 v.42bis Fax modem.
I was an AT&T LD subscriber, until I decided to switch to MCI in order
to get 2500 free frequent flyer bonus miles on my American Airlines
frequent flyer account (plus five free miles for every $1 that I spent
with MCI, but I didn't stay with MCI that long :). Then I heard an
offer on the radio I couldn't refuse: a free 9600 bps fax modem if I
switched to Sprint. So I did.
After I was switched to Sprint, MCI sent me a $75 check. By cash- ing
that check, I was switched back to MCI. Then on my next bill AT&T
inserted a blurb saying that by switching back to them, I could have a
$25 credit to my account. Since I was a happy sub- scriber of AT&T in
the first place, I switched back to them.
So I came full circle, ending up where I started with AT&T, but with
$75 in cash, a free fax modem, 2500 free bonus miles, and a $25
discount from AT&T that I otherwise wouldn't have gotten.
Anyone else have similar stories? I'd love to hear'em.
[Moderator's Note: Tell us about the Sprint free 9600 baud modem
offer. That is the one which interests me. PAT]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Sep 93 16:13 GMT
From: David Appell <0005946880@mcimail.com>
Subject: MCI Announces Advantage 800 Service
WASHINGTON, D.C., August 30, 1993 - Businesses with operations in
Canada and the U.S. will soon have the flexibility of being able to
answer toll-free, 800 calls from their customers at any of their
locations in either country, regardless of whether the calls originate
in Canada or the U.S. The new integrated Advantage 800 service,
announced today by MCI and the Stentor owner companies, marks a
significant improvement over current call routing capabilities.
Advantage 800 service will become commercially available by
year-end. With the introduction of 800 number portability in Canada
in January 1994, businesses and their customers will be able to use a
single 800 number for Canada and the U.S. (Portability has been
available in the U.S. since May 1.) The combination of Advantage 800
service with the benefits of a single 800 number will provide
businesses with a powerful marketing tool.
"The new MCI/Stentor Advantage 800 service is the first toll-free
cross-border service that combines the sophisticated features and
routing capabilities of two leading telecommunications firms," said
Wes Scott, president and chief executive officer of Stentor Resource
Centre Inc.
"It will offer businesses operating on both sides of the border
improved call handling, greater network management capabilities and
operational cost efficiencies by enabling them to manage their 800
service in Canada and the U.S. as a single market."
"Toll-free service has become an essential business tool and a
convenience most consumers couldn't imagine being without," added
Eugene Eidenberg, MCI executive vice president of corporate strategy
and global business initiatives. "Toll-free calling is used for
everything from home shopping and customer service to reservations and
customer hotlines. The new MCI/Stentor Advantage 800 service
effectively erases the Canada-U.S. border and opens up a whole new
world of opportunity for international companies to offer their
customers improved services."
Prior to making Advantage 800 service generally available to
business customers, MCI and Stentor will conduct trials with a select
set of customers operating in both countries.
Both MCI and Stentor are committed to ensuring excellent
coordination of customer sales and service. As with all MCI/Stentor
services, all service orders, provisioning requirements, customer
installation and customer service can be provided through a single
point of contact. Customers will be billed at current MCI/Stentor
rates, depending on where the call terminates.
Future Advantage 800 service enhancements will include advanced
voice processing capabilities, MCI's Enhanced Voice Services -- a
family of intelligent network-based 800 capabilities -- as well as
cross-border network usage reporting capabilities.
Advantage 800 service is the direct result of the alliance
between MCI and Stentor, announced in September 1992. The service is
the third in a series announced by the two companies this year. The
earlier announcements were Advantage Vnet -- a virtual private network
service now commercially available -- and Hyperstream frame relay, a
broadband packet data service planned for delivery later this year.
MCI Communications Corporation, headquartered in Washington,
D.C., offers a full range of domestic and global telecommunications
services. With 1992 revenue of more than $10 billion, the company is
the second largest U.S. long distance provider, with more than 65
offices in 55 countries and locations.
Stentor, an alliance of Canada's nine major telephone companies,
provides customers with uniform, leading-edge products and service
excellence across Canada and internationally. The nine partners are:
B.C. Tel, AFT Limited, SaskTel, Manitoba Telephone Systems, Bell
Canada, NB Tel, Maritime Telephone & Telegraph, Island Tel and
Newfoundland Telephone.
In the U.S., more information about Advantage 800 can be obtained
by calling 1-800-866-6784, or by calling Pam Small, MCI Communications
Corporation, 1-800-289-0073 or 202-887-3000, or Joanne Stanley/
Beverley Smith, Stentor Communications, 613-781-3301/3332.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 14 Sep 1993 02:06:46 CDT
From: Neil E. Berger
Subject: Video Phones Needed
I have need of two such phones, since both my parents are > 85 and
live over 800 miles away, and I am unable to see them as often as I or
they would like. I have looked at ATT and heard about (but not seen)
the MCI one and wonder if either of them are a good deal. The ATT are
now $1000 each and the MCI are $750 each. Obviously I need two. Big
bucks.
Do people think the price will drop soon? (The ATT price has already
dropped by about 1/3.) Do you think these phones will hold any value
three to five years from now? Has anyone ever seen any of them used
for less?
Are there any less expensive (and perhaps not as good) phone type
alternatives?
I was quite impressed with the "feel" of the ATT phone, and am
starting to believe that it was a good deal at any price. I guess ATT
used that feeling of mine to set a nice high price.
Which is the better video phone? (They are incompatable with each other.)
What thoughts do people have on all this?
I will be happy to summarize responses if people are interested.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Sep 1993 10:02:06 +0100
From: Malcolm G Goodier <mgg@de-montfort.ac.uk>
Subject: Information Needed on Belgium Phone/Fax/Modem Connections
Hi there!
I'm looking for some help that I couldn't really get from uk.telecom,
and as I cannot cannot find an equivalent group for Belgium I hope I
can try here.
I am about to leave the UK (Leicester, England) to live in Brussels
Belgium. I will be writing my PhD thesis and need to communicate back
to UK by fax, tele phone and modem. Currently I have a combined
telephone answering machine and a very old manually switched 300 baud
modem. Both are BABT approved for use on the UK public phone system
run by BT (British T Telecom), and as such have a standard BT plug to
connect to the socket.
I wish to buy a new internal fax/modem card for my PC, at least 2400
modem and group 3 fax, probably 14400 modem if I can afford it. I
would like answers to the following questions please, and any other
advice would be greatly appreciated.
1. Who runs the Belgium public telephone system?
2. What sort of plug/socket connections are used in Belgium?
3. Would my telephone/answering machine work in Belgium?
4. Would a fax/modem card bought in UK work in Belgium?
5. Any recommendations for a suitable fax/modem card that is cheap?
Thank you to anyone who can help me at all.
Replies by email would probably be best please.
Malcolm Goodier Senior Researcher
De Montfort University Leicester, UK
(I leave here in October but will keep my email address for a while)
mgg@dmu.ac.uk [JANET: mgg@uk.ac.dmu] [InterNet: mgg@dmu.ac.uk]
[Tel: +44 (0)533 57 7582] [Fax: +44 (0)533 57 7583]
------------------------------
From: tomlowe@netcom.com (Tom Lowe)
Subject: 1-800-COLLECT No Longer Least Expensive?
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1993 18:06:21 PDT
Has anyone else noticed that MCI has changed the wording on their ads
from:
"America's LEAST EXPENSIVE way to call collect"
to
"America's INEXPENSIVE way to call collect"
Does this mean there is now a cheaper way?
Tom Lowe tomlowe@netcom.com
[Moderator's Note: Yes, there is. The Orange Card people have started
a similar service. 1-800-TALK-425. Their surcharge is about 70-80
cents (I am not involved with the program), and the rates are 25 cents
per minute. By dialing the above number, you get an operator who will
place the call on a collect basis. I believe the surcharge is less
than any other similiar service. PAT]
------------------------------
From: jwohlfor@mason1.gmu.edu (Jim Wohlford)
Subject: Area Code Split Information Needed
Date: Mon, 13 Sep 1993 09:57:47 EDT
I am trying to put together a project plan for modifying billing
system software to accomodate new NPA splits. Does anyone know the
expiration date of the permissive dialing period for new area codes
905, 910, 810, and/or 610 (which are formerly part of 416, 919, 313
and 215, respectively). Any info would be useful/appreciated. If you
send private email to me I will summarize findings and post.
Thanks,
Jim Wohlford Compuserve 70214,636 jwohlfor@gmu.edu
George Mason University M.A. Telecommunications Program
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Sep 93 9:07:58 CDT
From: Will Martin on 7000 <asa@STL-07SIMA.ARMY.MIL>
Subject: Hallmark and Sprint -- Greeting/Calling Cards
I heard this weekend on the VOA's "Communications World" program on
shortwave:
Hallmark has teamed with Sprint to offer a new line of what they call
"Greeting/Calling" Cards. These are a Hallmark greeting card
containing a Sprint calling card good for 10 minutes of LD usage
"anywhere in the US". (I don't know if this includes AK and HI, or
places like Puerto Rico ...)
These will cost $6, and be test-marketed in November 93 in five US
markets: Chicago, Atlanta, Kansas City, LA, and NYC. Initial offer
appears to be 10 different cards in the "Christmas" category, to be
followed by ten different Valentine's Day cards. Expansion to other
types of cards will depend on the test-market results.
No details were given about the security on these -- if the calling
card part is readable inside the card when the prospective purchaser
picks up the card to look at it, they could easily just copy the
numbers and use up the calling-card value without buying the card.
Also, if so many calling cards will be issued, one would think that it
would be easy to come up with a method to determine valid numbers
after looking at a few of these cards. No one mentioned anything about
"mag-stripe" or related technology, and few phones are set up to read
such data sources anyway (plus people would be expected to use these
from home phones even though this would be an uneconomic usage...) so
I would expect they are just printed cards with a serial number that
identifies the ten minutes of use.
If they are enclosed in sealed packets attached to the cards, this
makes an easily-concealed shopliftable item; thieves could tear out
the calling cards and palm them, wouldn't have to steal the whole
greeting card ... and what about disposal of unsold cards? They're
now a much-more valuable item than last-year's cards were before.
No mention either of what happens when the ten minutes runs out. Does
the call get cut off, or does it automatically begin charging the
calling phone as if it was a Sprint 10XXX type call (and then at what
rates?) if that phone is chargeable [not a payphone], or does an
operator come on line and offer options, or what?
Pat, what happens to an Orange-Card call when the paid-for value runs
out? An abrupt cut-off? Any chance to continue the call in any way?
Are the callers warned with an announcement or something?
Will
[Moderator's Note: Orange Calling Cards offer open account credit. You
use them and pay for them at the end of the month. There are some sort
of pre-set credit limits in a few cases. I believe what you are referring
to are the pre-paid Talk Tickets and similar programs such as the one
offered by Western Union. On those, you get a one-minute warning and
are then cut off. PAT]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Sep 93 01:45:39 EDT
From: hu@geophy.physics.utoronto.ca
Subject: What is the Capacity of Internet?
The title says it all. I am wondering what is the capacity of
Internet, i.e., how many nodes can be connected to Internet.
Thanks,
HU MIN
[Moderator's Note: I don't think there is such a thing. PAT]
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V13 #647
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Date: Tue, 14 Sep 1993 06:29:34 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
Message-Id: <199309141129.AA00384@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #648
TELECOM Digest Tue, 14 Sep 93 06:29:30 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 648
Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson
Cutbacks at Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (Randall Gellens)
MA Modem Taxes on CI$ (Monty Solomon)
Packet Access -- 5ESS(R) Switch (Monty Solomon)
Re: Modem Tax in Canada (Tad Cook)
Re: Modem Tax in Canada (Eric N. Florack)
Re: Time Magazine Online (Bo Orloff)
Re: Notes on True Voice Demo (Eric N. Florack)
Re: Notes on True Voice Demo (David G. Lewis)
Re: AT&T TrueVoice DSP Analysis (Al Varney)
Re: Truevoice - Modem Tests Anyone? (Andy Sherman)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: RANDY@MPA15AB.mv-oc.Unisys.COM
Date: 13 SEP 93 18:06
Subject: Cutbacks at Nippon Telegraph and Telephone
Japanese companies are cutting jobs as Japan's economy slides toward a
recession, AP reported on 9/6/93. Among the companies announcing job
reductions are Toshiba, Fujitsu, and Nippon Telegraph and Telephone.
Toshiba plans to reduce its 75,000-employee work force by 5,000 jobs
while Fujitsu plans to cut 6,000 positions. Many of the companies are
reducing their work forces by reducing the number of new hires,
cutting part-time workers, transferring employees to subsidiaries with
lower salaries and benefits, and promoting early retirement plans.
Nippon Telegraph and Telephone announced an early retirement program
designed to cut its work force by 10,000 employees over the next 18
months (AP, 8/31/93). The company already has reduced hiring by 50
percent.
Randall Gellens randy@mv-oc.unisys.com
|A Series System Software Unisys Corporation
[Please forward bounce messages |Mission Viejo, CA
to: rgellens@mcimail.com]|
|Opinions are personal; facts are suspect; I speak only for myself|
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 14 Sep 93 03:00:36 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <roscom!monty@Think.COM>
Subject: MA Modem Taxes on CI$
FYI. From comp.dcom.modems
Subject: MA Modem Taxes on CI$
From: phil.leonard@channel1.com (Phil Leonard)
Date: Sat, 11 Sep 93 22:51:00 -0500
Organization: Channel 1(R) * 617-864-0100 Info * 617-354-7077 Modem
Well, people. It's official. CI$ is charging all Massachusetts people
for their On-Line time. Here's a portion of my bill:
Date Description Node Logon Min Amount
28-Aug SALES TAX 1.36
29-Aug MEMBERSHIP FEE 8.95
28-Aug BASIC SERVICES 08BTS 0:43 2 .00
TOTAL FOR SESSION .00
Anybody believe this is a HOAX now? I tell you, something has to be
done soon or this will get way out of hand. Everybody wants a piece of
the action. My CI$ hourly rate just jumped from $16 per hour to $16.80
thanks to this WONDERFUL State. Let's see, 5% Mass telecom charge,
2.5% Federal telecom charge and now a 5% Mass modem fee. That's a
whopping 12.5% tax. Not to mention I've been taxed 40% of my income
before I start. And I'll bet they aren't done yet. This is really
getting out of hand fast. No warnings, no laws, just tax 'em! Tax 'em!
Ahw, why not JUST Tax 'em! And here I thought the whole idea of
creating of this country, the UNITED STATES of AMERICA, was to get
away from TAXATION. Our government is succeeding to take control. I
hope something can be done soon. Our speech is getting awfully
expensive!
Phil Leonard phil.leonard@channel1.com
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 14 Sep 93 03:14:27 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <roscom!monty@Think.COM>
Subject: Packet Access -- 5ESS(R) Switch
FYI. From comp.dcom.isdn
From: jeana@cbnewse.cb.att.com (jean)
Subject: Packet Access -- 5ESS(R) Switch
Organization: AT&T
Date: Fri, 10 Sep 1993 14:06:55 GMT
Just for the record:
There are three methods of provisioning packet data on the 5ESS Switch
(from the 5E6 Software release and on). As an end-user you are
limited to what your Swltch Owner (usually your telephone company) has
decided to offer (tariff) in your service area.
They are:
D-Channel Packet: Very effect use of system (Switch) resources.
Easy to engineer and translate.
Should be priced at a very reasonable rate.
D-Channel Packet (like D-Channel Q.931) is
a dedicated, duplicated, nailed-up connection.
On-Demand B: This is a B channel with a software translation
of "DMD" assigned to it. That allows additional
translations to permit the customer to do Circuit
Switched applications (voice or data) as well as
packet data "on demand." The D Channel Q.931 is
used by the CPE to inform the Switch what the
usage will be when the call is placed. The Switch
then check to see if resources are available
(they're different for circuit switched calls
vs packet switched calls). If resources are
available (and, depending on engineering and
line assignment they might not be), the Switch
responds to the CPE. B Channel packet will use
more Switch resources than D and, thusly, this
should cost more tha D-Channel packet. ODB
is a single time slot assigned at the time of
the call.
Permanent Packet B: This is a B channel assigned to "X25". (And there
is no "." in the translations).
This is a dedicated, duplicated, nailed-up
eight-bit time slot that carries X.25 packet
only. Once assigned, it will not support any
circuit switched applications. It uses a *lot*
of system resources -- but if you need guaranteed
64Kbs bandwidth guaranteed without "contending"
for system access, this is what you want. If
you do, expect to pay more for it than the other
two.
Note: The term "nailed up" in the above context refers only
to access to the Switch resrouces (the Protocol Handlers --
they are not called Packet Handlers in the 5ESS Switch).
Where you go from there depends on other variables.
att!hrcce!jean
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Modem Tax in Canada
Date: Mon, 13 Sep 93 9:52:17 PDT
From: tad@ssc.com (Tad Cook)
In <telecom13.641.15@eecs.nwu.edu> tad@ssc.com (Tad Cook) writes:
>> Here we go again. The Modem Tax rumormongers have demonstrated over
>> the past few years that they will grab for ANY scrap of information
>> that can be woven into their bizarre conspiracy theories.
oppedahl@panix.com (Carl Oppedahl) writes:
> It is not all rumors. The State of New York recently enacted a new
> tax on any information providing by telephone or telegraph. It is 5%
> above and beyond the sales tax already imposed. And that is on gross
> receipts, not profits, so a business with a 4% profit margin now
> simply goes out of business.
> Or moves to New Jersey.
How can a tax on telephone or telegraph be characterized as a "modem
tax"?
Seems like one could characterize ANY tax or fees associated with
telephone service as a "modem tax," if the semantics are applied this
loosely.
tad@ssc.com (if it bounces, use 3288544@mcimail.com)| [put "attn Box #215"
Tad Cook | Packet Amateur Radio: | Home Phone: | on fax or cover pg!]
Seattle, WA | KT7H @ N7DUO.WA.USA.NA | 206-527-4089 | FAX: 206-525-1791
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Sep 1993 06:04:35 PDT
From: Eric_N._Florack.cru-mc@xerox.com
Subject: Re: Modem Tax in Canada
In #641, Tad Cook writes:
>> And, how, pray tell, would they know what was being carried, without
>> monitoring of said trunks, hmm?
> Huh? When the FCC ordered the temporary suspension of terminating
> charges for data carriers, they never monitored YOUR line to see if
> you were sending voice or data.
No, just the privately held lines of the service providers ... and
thereby, MY phone calls through that provider. Should we be moving
this chat to RISKS? The risks of allowing such a thing seem to me
quite obvious.
> this case, NB Tel charges less for fax lines. Since Eric is
> outraged that they are charging "differently for said line, and their
> costs are exactly the same", he really wants Canada to end their low
> cost deal for fax lines!
> Maybe he should complain that residential line charges should be as
> high as business line charges, since they are charging "differently
> for said line, and their costs are exactly the same."
You seem to have missed the private reply I've sent out to several,
yourself included, who have made similar suggestions. (Perhaps my
postmaster bounced yours ... it happens) In any case: I'll reply here
to save time:
Bunk.
Look, we're dealing with what is essentially a controlled commodity.
If they are able to make a cut-rate service out of one phone call type
... data... while charging the bigger bucks for voice service ... or,
as you point out, even bigger bucks for business voice service ...
when in fact the telco requirements for each connection is /exactly/
the same, suggests that the latter two groups are paying far too much
for their phone service. So, that is the first problem I have with
such things.
(There are those who have pointed to PCP, as such a service, and I
suggest that this is a different case altogether, since their circuts
cannot handle voice, but only packeted data. The lines and rates under
discussion here have voice ability ... telco just doesn't want you to
use the line as such ... but pay the higher prices for voice ... for
the same bloody connection!)
Second, they by the nature of the system, have to monitor the line for
content to ensure their 'system' (their gravy train, in short) isn't
being thwarted. Given the constant bellow re: privacy of communications,
it seems to me odd that so many should be approving of this tactic.
R,
/E
------------------------------
From: boo@netcom.com (Bo Orloff)
Subject: Re: Time Magazine Online
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Tue, 14 Sep 1993 08:19:06 GMT
Philip Elmer-DeWitt (ped@panix.com) wrote:
> Starting today (Sunday) at 4 p.m. Eastern Time, the world's oldest and
> biggest newsmagazine will plug into the world's newest and
> fastest-growing medium when {Time Magazine} begins publishing on America
> Online. Text of this week's issue will be posted Sunday afternoon, a
> day before the magazine is available on the newsstand. In addition,
> there will be bulletin boards where {Time} readers can mix it up with
> {Time} editors.
> For more information, message me at ped@well.com or philiped@aol.com.
I am curious as to the source for your assertion that TIME is the
world's oldest and biggest newsmagazine. I rather doubt that it's
either (though it is owned by one of the world's oldest and biggest
media/entertainment conglomerates).
Bo Orloff (boo@netcom.com)
[Moderator's Note: {Time Magazine} started in either 1921 or 1922, much
earlier than either {Newsweek} or {US News and World Report}, the
other two biggies in the newsmagazine business. That would make it the
oldest (at least of the three big ones). Regards 'which is bigger', are
we talking about size and content of each issue or parent company char-
acteristics. I believe Time-Warner with all their book and magazine
subsidiaries is larger than the Washington Post Company, owner of {News-
week}. The original statement is probably correct. PAT]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Sep 1993 06:06:38 PDT
From: Eric_N._Florack.cru-mc@xerox.com
Subject: Re: Notes on True Voice Demo
In #640, Al Varney tells me:
> I don't know how much of broadcasting applies to telephony, but
> I'll take your word for it.
I had thought the relationship an obvious one, but perhaps I
over-estamated how obvious a relationship it is.
It's like this, Al; both radio, particularly AM radio, and the
telephone folks, are dealing with the object of getting max voice
quality (or, at least a perception thereof) through a highly limited
bandwith and S/N ratio medium.
> Doesn't this just imply that the signal never reached the line's
> power limit -- and thus volume in both cases was not limited by the
> PCM encoding?
No. Limiting, in this case, is with respect to Limiting Amplifiers.
While I suspect that the levels were not, in fact, limited by the PCM,
I suggested that they may have been so limited (Multi-band) as a part
of the recording process ... thus given an inaccurate (at best)
representation of TrueVoice.
Given that the relationship is less than obvious, as you suggest,
perhaps I should give a short lesson on what multi-band limiting is.
Imagine, if you will, an audio EQ. Now, imagine an automatic gain
control system having been installed on each of the 16 bandpass knobs
on the EQ. This is sometimes called 'spectral limiting' ... perhaps
the name is a bit of a misnomer, since instead of limiting the
spectrum, it tends to make the available spectrum sound somewhat wider
than it is. (Gee, another connection to radio ... isn't making the
bandwidth sound wider than it is what TrueVoice seeks to accomplish?)
> I am somewhat confused by the "clipping" references. In normal
> calls, the companded PCM signal rarely hits the peak voltage value.
> Nothing below that value is clipped. This isn't a broadcast signal
> where maximum power is desired.
Actually, so am I. But, there it was, at the top of nearly every
waveform above a given threshold ... a chop, followed by a rounding
off ... as if the wave was being re-constructed after clipping. That
the peak of the waveform was actually above that of the point of the
clip, by several db suggests that the overall power was nowhere near
the limits of the line, but was being affected /prior to insertion
into the line/.
Put another way, it /looks/ from here like it was pre-proccesed.
Intentional or not, I don't have any idea. But it strikes me as not
possible that they'd not have seen and accounted for this problem,
assuming it was unintentional.
One person who watched the whole thing, suggested that the odd
waveforms we saw might have been part of the PCM process, and a
screw-up of some kind. It's possible, but ...
Of course, it's also possible that my equipment screwed up, as well, I
dunno. Still, I'm just reporting what I saw.
Regards,
/E
(You think my employer would PAY me for this?)
------------------------------
From: deej@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (david.g.lewis)
Subject: Re: Notes on True Voice Demo
Organization: AT&T
Date: Mon, 13 Sep 1993 14:54:55 GMT
In article <telecom13.640.13@eecs.nwu.edu> stevef@wrq.com (Steve
Forrette) writes:
> Does this mean that starting September 23, calls *originating* or
> calls *terminating* in Atlanta will have the TrueVoice treatment?
Yes.
Permit me to explain. (Note to my friends in Basking Ridge -- this was
explained in FOCUS ("For and about the employees of AT&T"), which is
non-proprietary information, and the information about deployment
beginning in Atlanta on 9/23 was in the {Atlanta Constitution} ...)
Calls originating in Atlanta carried by AT&T will have the
TrueVoice(SM) enhancement applied to the talkpath received by the
calling party. Calls terminating in Atlanta carried by AT&T will have
the TrueVoice enhancement applied to the talkpath received by the
called party.
In other words, if you're in Atlanta and homed on an AT&T office where
the TrueVoice enhancement technology is deployed, you'll hear the
enhanced sound on any call carried on AT&T, whether you place or
receive the call. The other party on the call will not hear the
enhanced sound unless they are also in an area where the Truevoice
enhancement technology is deployed. TrueVoice enhancement deployment
will be underway throughout 1993 and 1994; I believe we've announced
we expect it to be fully deployed by year-end 1994.
ObDisclaimer: I don't work on TrueVoice, I just know what I've seen in
the press.
David G Lewis AT&T Bell Laboratories
david.g.lewis@att.com or !att!goofy!deej Switching & ISDN Implementation
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Sep 93 01:17:03 CDT
From: varney@ihlpe.att.com
Subject: Re: AT&T TrueVoice DSP Analysis
Organization: AT&T Network Systems
In article <telecom13.644.11@eecs.nwu.edu> hollarn@knight.gannon.edu
writes:
> We can buy that there is an improvement using AT&T TrueVoice DSP.
> However, when you look at what AT&T is really selling the public, it
> is no match for true digital <-> digital communication. Basically,
> all they are selling is an increase in volume on the circuit and
> attempting to cut out the interference. This is not true rocket
> science ...
Maybe not, but have YOU ever tried to improve the quality of sound
on long distance calls without changing any customer or LEC network
equipment? Once you and your IXC competition are using the same PCM
interface to the LECs, and digital switches and digital transmission
equipment, it is not easy to improve sound quality from INSIDE the IXC
network.
Actually, AT&T is also selling digital<->digital communication.
ACCUNET(tm) Switched 56/1.5/32/45 are end-to-end digital. Our ISDN
equipment provides end-to-end digital data calls. Demand isn't
exactly taking the country by storm ... so maybe you want digital-
to-digital transmission, but most callers just want good-sounding
calls.
> You could even go further with this analysis by looking at the
> codecs at the local loop. The voice quality on a circuit is only as
> good as the codec that does the initial conversion from analog <-->
> digital.
Actually, the quality is also affected by slip rates, A/B bit
robbing, number of switches/DCS/multiplexors transited (each adds a
little delay), and echo handling. But I agree in principle -- I've
already mentioned (elsewhere) that CCITT has a spec/flowchart/procedure
for implementing 7 kHz audio using existing transmission facilities.
You just have to buy all new telephones (everywhere) or interwork it
with the existing networks by using ISDN's bearer capability to
identify the desired audio range to the called telephone. Here is a
DRAMATIC improvement in the quality of voice telephone sound -- but I
don't think people will jump for joy at this development (unless it's
free!).
I've also mentioned before (maybe elsewhere) that the Truevoice(tm)
enhancement of voice adds about 4 dB to the signal in order to make
the volume about the same as that of a local call. The
"local-is-louder" current practice is a distant hold-over of the Via
Net Loss toll trunk rules from the 1950/s, and are still with us in
the 1990's in the Bellcore Transmission Fixed Loss rules. In essence,
the plan applies an added 6 dB LOSS on all incoming IXC trunk
connections, and all intraLATA connections of >200 miles. Calls <200
miles receive 3 dB of added LOSS. Line-to-line calls receive 0 dB of
added LOSS.
So in essence, AT&T's Truevoice service increases the volume a
little inside the network to compensate for the LOSS added by the LEC
end office (or end office plus tandem). Why this LOSS is there in the
first place, and why it can't be wholesale removed, is the subject of
an in-process article. Those who can't wait can check out the Bell
System Technical Journal from September 1953, "Transmission Design of
Intertoll Telephone Trunks", by H. R. Huntley. This is the first
reference I've found to "via net loss" in trunk engineering. The need
for such loss is made clearer in the November 1963 BSTJ article by
Emling and Mitchell, "The Effects of Time Delay and Echoes on
Telephone Conversations".
Al Varney - just my opinion
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Sep 93 09:38:03 EDT
From: andys@internet.sbi.com (Andy Sherman)
Subject: Re: Truevoice - Modem Tests Anyone?
In article 6@eecs.nwu.edu, tatum@hotsun.nersc.gov (Jamie Tatum) writes:
> Since TrueVoice hasn't been released yet, have any of you Bell Labs
> people tested Truevoice with modems? Particularly with high speed, or
> 16.8 if you can get your hands on it. If it does cause problems (as I
> suspect it will) will there be a method of disabling it on a per call
> basis? I know that this should be of interest to all users of the
> Internet, especially UUCP because UUCP is a modem network (mostly
> comprised of 14.4's) and a lot of it is LD.
The TrueVoice patent was posted to the digest recently. In it, it was
either stated or strongly implied that TrueVoice was implemented in
the same DSPs that do echo cancellation. AT&T has always dropped echo
cancellation out of any circuit in response to the standard "disable
echo cancellation" tone emitted by modems. There is no reason to
believe that TrueVoice will behave any differently.
Andy Sherman
Salomon Inc - Unix Systems Support - Rutherford, NJ
(201) 896-7018 - andys@sbi.com or asherman@sbi.com
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V13 #648
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Date: Tue, 14 Sep 1993 07:14:58 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
Message-Id: <199309141214.AA27298@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #649
TELECOM Digest Tue, 14 Sep 93 07:40:45 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 649
Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson
Re: The One True Dialing Plan (David W. Tamkin)
Re: The One True Dialing Plan (Al Varney)
Re: The One True Dialing Plan (Paul Robinson)
Re: The One True Dialing Plan (Andrew Marc Greene)
Re: MCI Fiber Cut - 9/10/93 About 11:30 AM (Russell Sharpe)
Re: MCI Fiber Cut - 9/10/93 About 11:30 AM (David G. Lewis)
PSTN Switch DTMF Address Validators? (Neil Smith)
Bellcore Offers Documentation (Mike King)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 14 Sep 93 03:30 CDT
From: dattier@genesis.mcs.com (David W. Tamkin)
Subject: Re: The One True Dialing Plan
Reply-To: dattier@genesis.mcs.com (DWT)
Organization: Contributor Account on MCSNet, Chicago, Illinois 60657
John Payson wrote in <telecom13.644.13@eecs.nwu.edu> in comp.dcom.telecom:
> I subscribed for the "Call-Pak unlimited" which the operator said
> covered all calls within 312 as well as all calls within 708 except a
> few really distant exchanges. I asked for specifics, but was told
> that they did not have a list available -- if I gave them a specific
> exchange they could tell me if it was included, but otherwise not.
> BTW, even this information is only availale during somewhat extended
> business hours [something like 8-6 weekdays, 8-12 Sat. or somesuch].
> Requests for written information were unsuccessful.
HUH? There is a detailed map in the front of Centel's local directory
for Des Plaines and Park Ridge ("Des Plaines" includes the unincorpor-
ated area with Northbrook addresses where John must live and "Park
Ridge" includes the portion of Chicago where I used to have Centel
service).
Didn't you look at front of the directory *anyway* as any true telecom
buff would upon getting service in (perhaps even upon visiting) an
area? Did you refuse to accept one from them because you were sure
you already knew all the numbers you cared to know?
It makes it very clear that Mundelein is Outer Met and not covered by
Call-Pak Unlimited, which, I understand, ended May 13, 1993, anyway.
I knew that when I moved to Centel's satrapy in September, 1987 (for
reasons that have nothing to do with telephony, I returned to Illinois
Bell land in February, 1992.)
> A while later, enjoying the thrill of not having to worry whether each
> and every number I call will shaft me for $0.05/min, [which most do
> outside of a VERY small region for those without Call-Pak unlimitted]
> I stumbled across a very nice BBS in Mundelein, Ill. [I live in
> Northbrook].
You should have RTFD. I did, and I didn't open a full account on
MCSNet until it moved from Mundelein to Wheeling (it moved again and
is in Chicago now). In fact, when IBT started billing calls by CO
district instead by zone, they got sloppy about exchange boundaries
within CO district boundaries and started assigning numbers to new
service on prefixes intended for other exchanges in a CO district, so
I made sure that the prefix of MCSNet's number in Wheeling was
intended for Wheeling: the Wheeling CO serves both the Wheeling
exchange (Inner Met) and the Half Day exchange (Outer Met).
You could have called Centel to ask about that prefix as soon as the
office opened instead of continuing to call the system. (Did you run
up all that usage in a single night or on one Saturday's afternoon and
evening and the following Sunday?) That certainly would have nipped
the problem in the bud. Heck -- you may have continued calling it
after that bill was cut and have another doozy on the way next cycle
for the calls you made before the first surprise bill came in the
mail.
I gather from your description that you knew it was in Mundelein but
didn't realize Mundelein was Outer Met. So calling to find out where
that prefix was located wouldn't have helped; when I lived in their
area, Centel contracted with Illinois Bell for operator services, so
dialing 0 would have connected you to an Illinois Bell operator who
had no information about Centel (except to know that you were their
customer). For example, if you misdialed and then asked the operator
to arrange credit, (s)he'd say it was taken care of and then the
charge would go uncorrected unless you contacted Centel after the bill
came; they hadn't gotten that straightened out when I moved away. An
Illinois Bell operator could have told you that that prefix served
Mundelein but (1) you knew that and (2) the operator couldn't tell you
whether Mundelein was Inner Met or Outer Met for Centel customers.
> Is it just me or did I get royally shafted here? Is there anything I
> can do about it?
It's just you. It's true that they didn't have a current list of
prefixes compiled but they did provide a map, right there in the
directory. I doubt that you have a leg to stand on, John. Sorry.
Ask my brother's family how little I called them after they moved from
Northbrook to Barrington, which is Outer Met.
Read the directory. I won't say that it is your friend, however. It
is not your friend, because it tells you the truth no matter how much
you would rather hear something else.
David W. Tamkin Box 3284 Skokie, Illinois 60076-6284 312-714-5610
dattier@genesis.mcs.com CompuServe: 73720,1570 MCI Mail: 426-1818
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Sep 93 00:00:21 CDT
From: varney@ihlpe.att.com
Subject: Re: The One True Dialing Plan
Organization: AT&T
In article <telecom13.645.12@eecs.nwu.edu> 0005066432@MCIMAIL.COM writes:
> Al <varney@ihlpe.att.com>, writes:
>> In article <telecom13.627.16@eecs.nwu.edu> 0005066432@MCIMAIL.COM
>> (Paul Robinson) Writes:
>>> It would have been nice if they had instituted something like what
>>> Washington, DC area does: if the number is local to you and in you
>>> area code, you dial seven digits (or you may optionally dial the
>>> area code even though it is the same). If the number is local to
>>> you but outside your area code, you dial the area code plus seven
>>> digits. If it is long distance, even in the same area code, you
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>>> dial 1 + area code + 7 digits, but even on a local call you can
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>> This only works in DC because C&P and other TELCOs work very
>> hard to insure there are no (or minimal) overlaps in CO office code
>> assignments.
> Not true.
Paul, you are correct - I was wrong ... I read (or assumed) from
the DC reference that you were talking about inter-NPA seven-digit
dialing, which was (and I thought still) available in DC. Sorry for
the error.
>> .... And it makes offering multiple levels of
>> un-timed area hard to deploy -- if you elect to save line charges
>> by reducing your free-calling area, does your dialing plan change?
> .... In this area, there are several flavors of service. In all
> of the following examples, if one pays for local calls, one may call
> anywhere in the Washington Metro Area, which extends from Dulles
> Airport, VA, to Arlington, Va, to DC, to Rockville, MD to Upper
> Marlboro, MD. Call it an area 20 miles square.
> ...In Maryland they can also get measured timed service at 3c for the
> first minute and 1.5c each additional minute.
[ other cases deleted ]
> But in *all* cases, whether you pay nothing, 10c, or per minute for a
> call, in the Washington area, all calls are dialed the same. NXX-XXXX
> for local, NPA-NXX-XXXX for local numbers outside the area or for
> local numbers, and 1+NPA+NXX+XXXX for non-local OR local numbers.
OK, I'm confused again. If I pay per-minute rates for a call, how
can it be a "local" call. What makes a number "local", when it costs
money in the same way as intra-NPA "long distance" calls. This was
the point (above) about multiple free-calling-area plans. If I
purchase a calling plan that makes all intra-NPA calls "free", how do
I (personally) distinguish between "local" and "long distance" calls?
And if I call from a COCOT that charges $.25/minute anywhere in
the NPA, do I dial all calls with "1+" because they all cost the same?
If I have a "no free call area plan, do I consider all numbers to be
"long distance"? I just seems the "1+"="toll" idea makes the
assumption that almost all telephones in a given wire center will have
exactly the same free calling area (and those numbers are considered
"local").
Al Varney
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Sep 1993 10:40:23 EDT
Reply-To: 0005066432@MCIMAIL.COM
Subject: Re: The One True Dialing Plan
From: Paul Robinson <TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM>
Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring, MD USA
Olaf Seibert <rhialto@mbfys.kun.nl>, writes:
> I have been following this discussion, and, as a poor "foreigner",
> now my head hurts ...
> In <telecom13.607.8@eecs.nwu.edu> lachman@netcom.com
> (Hans Lachman) writes:
> [paraphrased]
>> local, long distance ...
>> area code, NPA ...
>> LATA ...
>> Toll, CO, FX line ...
> Help! Apparently these properties are in theory orthogonal,
> but I fail to see how a "local" call could have a different
> area code, and what exactly a LATA is, is completely beyond me
> In other articles, posters use phone number patterns like NXX
> and NNX as if that's as easy as pie ... could someone explain
> those terms please? (I didn't see a FAQ posting, I'm afraid.)
When the U.S. Government forced American Telephone & Telegraph Company
(AT&T) to spin off the local telephone companies that it owned, it did
so by splitting them off into seven companies. AT&T was known as "Ma
Bell", so the companies split off from it were known as "The Baby
Bells".
Well, each Baby Bell had certain areas where people made
short-distance calls, and they wanted to protect the revenue coming
from those calls, so the right to carry calls in those areas was
generally left to the Local Baby Bell. These areas divided the
service areas where the local companies could operate, and calls that
crossed a service area had to use a long-distance company. The
service areas are called LATAs for "Local Access and Transport Area".
The long distance companies are called IntereXchange Companies, or
IXCs.
Since about 1965, the United States has had ten digit telephone
numbers, in which the country was broken up into "Area Codes". With
the exception of the 700, 800 and 900 area codes, an area code does
not cross a state line. Within each area code, the subscriber is
assigned a specific seven digit number. The full ten-digit number is
unique; (except for 700 numbers) no two different subscribers will
have the same 10 digit number, nor will two different subscribers in
the same area code have the same 7-digit number. Within an area code,
the number is divided up into the prefix or exchange number, and the
suffix. The Prefix is the first three digits of the seven-digit
number. This usually identifies a specific place in that area code,
e.g. a particular telephone building handling that area, the building
being called an "exchange".
Originally, Area Codes and Prefixes were segregated by the second
digit. Area codes are called NPAs for "Numbering Plan Area." Area
codes were distinguished by being a number from 200 through 919, in
which the second digit is always 1 or 0. Prefixes were distinguished
by being a number from 220 to 999, in which the second digit is always
2 through 9. Thus the prefix could be referred to as NNX, where N is
2 through 9, and X is 0 throught 9. When some states got crowded,
they added new area codes; however, as areas got even more crowded,
and the number of area codes became scarse (and it takes a while to
get people to know that they should change to a new area code),
someone got the bright idea to allow the prefixes in an area code to
have anything for the second digit. This allows you to add about 15%
more numbers to an area without having to add an area code. These
prefixes, since they can have any digit in positions 2 and 3, but
still have to have 2-9 as the first digit, are referred to as "NXX".
> In order to bring this whole ordeal into some perspective, I'll
> give you a look at the situation here in the Netherlands...
> My phone number is 080-561030. That is made up of the city code
> (080), and a subscriber number (the rest). All city codes start
> with a 0, and none of the subscriber numbers do. So if you start
> dialing, the parsing done by the exchange is simple: if it starts
> with a 0, a city code follows, and it starts parsing the (variable
> length) city code. If no city code is given, the default is the one
> you're calling from.
Well, it's similar in the U.S. If you dial with a 1, you are dialing
another city code, same as in your country. The difference is that
the "city" codes are assigned to much larger geographical divisions,
called "states". Since a state can have more than one code, the codes
are called "Area" codes rather than "City" codes or "state" codes.
Also, one city can have more than one. New York and Los Angeles have
three each, while Southern California has five and is adding a sixth.
After the three-digit Area code, is the three-digit prefix that
defines where in that area code the subcriber is located, followed by
the four digit number that uniquely identifies that subscriber in that
prefix.
> As I said, city codes are variable length....
> After dialing the city code, you get a second dial tone ...
> Also, not all subscriber numbers are the same length.
As I understand it, Europe had older equipment and simply added more
digits in some areas; the U.S. tended to stabilize on a system of
standard numbering. See below.
> However, PTT telecom is striving to make all phone numbers the same
> length, either 0xx-yyyyyyy (3+7) or 0xxxx-yyyyy (5+5). This seems
> completely nonsensical to me, btw, since everyone is used to
> different length numbers, and they clearly have the technology to
> parse them.
Didn't Europe used to use different length measuring systems? And
someone got the idea that a measuring system where every unit is 10
multiples would be easier to use than one where, for example, a foot
is 12 inch-units, a yard is three foot-units, a mile is 1760
yard-units, and so on. In the European system, a meter is 100
centimeters, a kilometer is 1000 meters. But Die-Hard English Uniot
users don't like the Metric System.
If the phone system can be set up so that every phone number is the
same size, it causes less problems and is easier to use. You don't
have to compute how long the phone number is, you *know*. Software to
calculate locations and rate charges can be standardized and even done
by non-telecom people. Modem programs can use standardized dialing
directory sizes and can figure out where it is expensive to call and
where it is free, which probably can't be done in your country without
large routing tables.
> There are never problems with running out of numbers: if they do,
> they just prefix all existing subscriber numbers with an extra
> digit.
Again, I suspect the purpose is to make things _easier_. A
consistent, standard numbering plan is easier to use than one that you
have to guess how many numbers the call is. When someone in my office
is calling an overseas number in Tokyo, Paris or London, I can tell
*instantly* if they have given me too many or not enough numbers.
Paris is 331+ eight digits. Tokyo is 8133+ seven Digits, London is 71
or 81 plus seven digits. And it has been noted that people in
Britain are interested in getting standard phone numbers the way
London does.
> Also, the city codes aren't running out...In England there are less
> similarities...In France, you have Paris, and the rest of the country...
> I wonder when they run out of numbers, since both areas have
> fixed-length eight-digit phone numbers.
As I understand it, I think Paris is only using 1+3, 1+4 and 1+5 plus
seven digits. They will probably, if they ever get so large that this
doesn't work, is to change the numbering system again, so that some
places are in additional zones and perhaps move the whole country to
nine-digit national, eight-digit local numbers. Dial 1 + the zone
code + eight-digit local number. This would mean some parts of Paris
might be split into another zone, or something. They could divide the
country into six or eight or nine areas, give each area a single zone
digit, and make all local calls in that area eight digits long. If
you are in an area, and the number you are calling is in the same
area, dial eight digits, otherwise dial 1, the one-digit zone, and the
eight-digit local number.
As with Metric vrs English Measurement, those who are used to the old
system find the new one hard to understand. Those who get used to the
new one can't figure out why people hate the new one.
Paul Robinson - TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM
------------------------------
From: Andrew_Marc_Greene@frankston.com
Subject: Re: The One True Dialing Plan
Date: Mon, 13 Sep 1993 14:03 -0400
I like the idea of identifying the carrier on toll calls, especially
intra-LATA ones. It only takes a second or two for the carrier to
give a distinctive "bong" (or a marketroid "We're the one for you, New
England. Thank you for using New England Telephone." :-) How many
times have people on this list asked "How can I find out who's
carrying this interstate intra-LATA call?" only to be told "Dial 0
several times; the most common answer is probably right."
On the other hand, PAT's probably getting tired of this thread. :-)
Andrew
------------------------------
From: sharpe_r@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz (russell sharpe)
Subject: Re: MCI Fiber Cut - 9/10/93 About 11:30 AM
Date: 13 Sep 1993 11:01:20 GMT
Organization: Wellington City Council, Public Access
Reply-To: sharpe_r@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz
So, who *does* have a proprietary network of their own? Only AT&T?
The big three [AT&T, MCI, Sprint]? I was shocked [shocked!] to find
C&W blaming their problems on MCI, when I thought C&W had their own
net (maybe not so redundant, but not using other's fiber!).
I can only speak fron New Zealand's point of view, but I understand
when competitors loose their FOTS (Fibre Optic Transmission System),
they "overflow" onto the Main provides routes, at a cost.
This of course causes congestion, on the alternate route.
Fair trading means that interconnect calls cannot always be
restricted, unless the stability of the network is a stake.
Russell Sharpe: email: sharpe_r@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz
Voice: +64 4 5637779 snailmail: 171 Holborn Drive
Stokes Valley 6008 New Zealand
------------------------------
From: deej@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (david.g.lewis)
Subject: Re: MCI Fiber Cut - 9/10/93 About 11:30 AM
Organization: AT&T
Date: Mon, 13 Sep 1993 15:11:42 GMT
In article <telecom13.641.3@eecs.nwu.edu> decrsc!leesweet@uunet.UU.NET
(Lee Sweet) writes:
> I agree with the earlier poster: What is the scoop on alleged (;-)
> network redundancy, and routing around breaks in lines?
I can't speak for the competition, but AT&T has deployed FASTAR(TM)
technology which will automatically reroute DS3s around failures (such
as cable outages) within minutes. I don't remember the numbers; it's
not immediate -- calls will be dropped -- but the facilities will
typically be restored in something like ten minutes.
> By the way, is there any easy way to tell who uses what network plant?
> All that's been said is that MCI was hit, but I use Cable & Wireless
> for 90% of operations, and they had long distance problems Friday,
> which they blamed on the MCI cut. So, who *does* have a proprietary
> network of their own? Only AT&T? The big three [AT&T, MCI, Sprint]?
> I was shocked [shocked!] to find C&W blaming their problems on MCI,
> when I thought C&W had their own net (maybe not so redundant, but not
> using other's fiber!).
All the IXCs typically lease some capacity from other carriers (other
IXCs, LECs, CAPs, etc.). I expect that AT&T leases the least and owns
the most, that MCI and Sprint typically lease a greater portion of
capacity from AT&T, each other, and other IXCs, and C&W, WilTel, and
so on down the line will typically lease more and own less as you work
your way down to the pure resellers who own no transmission capacity
and lease it all. I have no data to back up this assertion, though.
> Also, a few 800s that I called on Friday did not do anything. Period.
> I could here the (what I thought was) the target DID being dialed, but
> I never got a ring. I assume this was an MCI 800 (!). Again,
> shouldn't (at least) the big three have redundant routing for
> less-than -catastrophic outages?
> How about some comment from the AT&T/MCI/Sprint people? (And, please,
> let's skip the 'well, OUR network ...' I assume that all are more or
> less similar in level of service, no?)
Well, no. AT&T has run ads based on Bell Labs service characterization
studies which assert that MCI and Sprint are from four to eight times
more likely to suffer a customer-affecting service outage, and will
lose something on the order of ten times as many calls as will AT&T (I
believe the numbers were something like an inbound call center
receiving 100,000 calls a year can be expected to have 30 calls
blocked on AT&T 800 service, compared to 360 calls blocked on MCI or
Sprint 800 service).
Now, you can claim that the difference between a P.0036 COS and a
P.0003 COS isn't worth arguing about -- which is exactly what MCI's
ads claimed - but if every call matters to the customer, it is worth
arguing about for the customer.
You can also challenge the validity of the study since it was done by
AT&T; however, what I've read, the methodology appeared fair. 800
service was purchased from AT&T, MCI, and Sprint; large numbers of
calls were placed to those numbers at various times; and the call
completion rate was calculated. None of the carriers involved knew
that it was a study as opposed to regular 800 service.
Make of it what you will.
David G Lewis AT&T Bell Laboratories
david.g.lewis@att.com or !att!goofy!deej Switching & ISDN Implementation
------------------------------
From: Neil Smith (WPG) <neils@microsoft.com>
Date: Mon, 13 Sep 93 09:01:56 PDT
Subject: PSTN Switch DTMF Address Validators?
I am looking for software which can validate whether or not a sequence
of dialed digits correctly cause a PSTN to effect a voice connection
given a simulated source and destination. I'm not interested in tones
or electrical circuit characteristics, just the address detection and
switching logic. Something which can emulate foreign telcos would be
more useful since I can cover North American switches myself.
Does anyone know how this is done in the real world (aside from
actually using live switches)?
Pointers to software, hardware, alternative techniques, or validation
services would be helpful.
Thanks,
neil
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Sep 93 12:51:17 EDT
From: mking@fsd.com (Mike King)
Subject: Bellcore Offers Documentation
I received a mailer from Bellcore last Friday. The newest edition of
{Telecommunications Transmission Engineering} (The Redbook) is now
offered for sale, in three volumes. Vol. 1 is "Principles," Vol. 2 is
"Facilities," and Vol. 3 is "Networks and Services."
"'Principles' explains the basic principles involved in the
transmission of signals over intraLATA communications facilities.
(BTW, they decode LATA to mean "local access and transport area" :-))."
"'Facilities' describes the main systems, media, circuits, terminal
units, and equipment that have been designed and used by the Bell
Operating Companies and exchange and interexchange carriers to provide
an extensive array of communications services."
"'Networks and Services' presents the latest networking concepts, the
newest special services, and the various components of the network
(loops, trunks, and switches), that assist the Bell Operating
Companies and exchange and interexchange carriers in providing
high-quality, low-cost communications services."
Each individual volume is $195, or all three can be ordered as a set
for $399. You can call 800-521-CORE or 908-699-5800 for more
information.
Mike King * Software Sourcerer * Fairchild Space * +1 301.428.5384
mking@fsd.com or 73710.1430@compuserve.com * (usual disclaimers)
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V13 #649
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Date: Wed, 15 Sep 1993 02:10:19 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
Message-Id: <199309150710.AA06413@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #650
TELECOM Digest Wed, 15 Sep 93 02:10:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 650
Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson
Telecommunications and Mational Labs (Dave Wiltzius)
Another Outage for MCI (Les Reeves)
What's a Good Phone System For a Small Business? (Tony DeSimone)
Dog Days for Telephone Networks (Les Reeves)
Air Fax (Randy Gellens)
Dial In on One Line, Dial Out on Another? (Joel M. Hoffman)
"Number, Please" Again? (Randy Gellens)
America Bashing at its Worst (Paul Robinson)
More News Bits (Randy Gellens)
Area 400? (was Re: International Toll-Free Standard Code) (Carl Moore)
CNID and 911 (Joshua Muskovitz)
Re: Answering Machine That Calls Pager? (Russell Sharpe)
Re: Answering Machine That Calls Pager? (Clarence Dold)
Re: Video Phones Needed (Andy Mell)
Re: Video Phones Needed (Steve Cogorno)
Re: Number Neye-in? Number Neye-in? (H. Shrikumar)
Re: Duck Ringer: Quack, Quack, Quack (Craig S. Williamson)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: wiltzius@anduin.ocf.llnl.gov (Dave Wiltzius)
Subject: Telecommunications and National Labs
Date: 15 Sep 1993 04:10:36 GMT
Organization: Lawrence Livermore Nat'l Lab.
It seems evident (which may be an understatement) that the
telecommunications industry is on the verge of providing access to
vast amounts of information. Emerging technolgies (and political
changes) will enable the telecommunications infrastructure to deliver
voice, video and data to every household and office. Likely
entertainment services will probably lead this era.
I suspect that this era could come to fruition sooner if the market
for such service applications could be accelerated. I would like to
propose that the national labs (specifically LLNL), could assist in
enabling these technologies by working with the prototype
infrastructure (likely ATM B-ISDN), help develop service applications
and finally use these service applications in our daily work routine.
LLNL could then be a showcase demonstration of the future of
telecommunications. The telecommunication industry would get a
jump-start since the service applications (mutually designed and
developed with industrial partners) would be demonstratable and beyond
a prototype, and the infrastructure would similarly be shaken-out in a
real-world environment. LLNL would get access to these services early
and would be able to investigate this technology for more advanced
uses, including the NII.
Some of the services for which applications could be developed
(not all of interest to LLNL as a business):
o continuing education
o virtual meetings/teleconferencing
o shopping (for businesses: ordering materials from vendors)
o entertainment (movie selection and delivery)
o home health care
o financial services
o energy management and smart-house type services
At this time, I would appreciate any feedback, opinions and
suggestions. Since 1989, the LLNL phone service has been using ISDN,
and the Lab has a lot of fibre in place. Please also keep in mind
that LLNL can get in matching-fund agreements where the industrial
partner(s) are allowed to commercially exploit the final product.
Responses via email (or phone!) would be appreciated.
Dave Wiltzius Lawrence Livermore Nat'l Lab wiltzius@llnl.gov
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 14 Sep 1993 18:06:09 EDT
From: LESREEVES@delphi.com
Subject: Another Outage for MCI
MCI suffered a seven-hour outage Sept. 13 in Everett, Ohio affecting
"millions" of residential and business customers. The company said a
highway crew cut a major communications cable at about 8:45 a.m. and
MCI engineers worked to repair the cable until 4:00 p.m. Traffic was
rerouted around the cut, but that system jammed due to a large volume
of callers dialing repeatedly to make a connection. MCI claims the
cable was clearly marked and the highway crew made no attempt to
contact the carrier before digging.
------------------------------
From: Tony DeSimone <tds@hoserve.att.com>
Date: Mon, 13 Sep 93 22:25:25 GMT
Subject: What's a Good Phone System For a Small Business?
Reply-To: Tony DeSimone <tds@hoserve.att.com>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
I have a friend (really!) who's looking for a key phone system for a
half-dozen phone sets. He wants part of this to be a sophisticated
voicemail system, with mailboxes for the whole staff selected via
menu, and including call-back for faxing stuff "hit 9 and enter a fax
number to receive a price list ..." (I'll talk to him later about the
pitfalls in that kind of service. What is the country code for Fiji,
anyway?) The phone sets have to have a silent ringer, as the system
is going into a recording studio.
My friend is under the mistaken impression that, because I work for
AT&T, I might know something about this. If anyone has some
suggestions or experience with that kind of system could you send mail
to me?
Thanks,
Tony DeSimone Room 3m321
Performance Analysis Department 101 Crawfords Corner Road
AT&T Bell Laboratories Holmdel, NJ 07733-3030
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Sep 1993 19:25:24 EDT
From: LESREEVES@delphi.com
Subject: Dog Days for Telephone Networks
From August 23 to September 3 the nation's telephone network
experienced five outages, according to the Network Reliability
Steering Committee. On August 31, there were three outages, the most
extensive affected 39,600 customers in Encinitas, California for just
under ten hours. The other outages were the result of a blown fuse in
Jersey City, New Jersey (Bell Atlantic) and a cable cut in Bangor,
Maine (Nynex). On August 23 Southwestern Bell's Oklahoma City central
tandem office failed due to a "software corruption in switch"; 50,000
customers lost service for three hours. A duplex interior bus failed
in Ft. Washington, Pennsylvania, on August 25, affecting an unknown
number of customers for 50 minutes.
------------------------------
From: RANDY@MPA15AB.mv-oc.Unisys.COM
Date: 13 SEP 93 17:21
Subject: Air Fax
Business travelers flying on American Airlines will be able to send
and receive faxes and communicate with office-based computers,
reported AP on 9/2. The airline announced it will change its
telephones from analog to digital technology on its 650 planes. "What
we are attempting is to meet the customer's needs by presenting the
office-in- the-sky concept," said Kathy Libonati, American Airlines'
managing director of product design. USAir, Alaska, Northwest and
Southwest airlines already have made similar commitments for their own
fleets. USAir was the first to begin changing to digital telephones
for its 412-jet fleet. USAir also is installing video screens for
each seat to show connecting flight information, weather, news and
some live television broadcasts.
Randall Gellens . . . . . . . . .|. . . . . . .randy@mv-oc.unisys.com
A Series System Software . . . . | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Unisys Corporation. . . . . . . .|. . [Please forward bounce messages
Mission Viejo, CA. . . . . . . . | . . . . .to: rgellens@mcimail.com]
Opinions are personal;. .facts are suspect; . I speak only for myself
------------------------------
From: joel@wam.umd.edu (Joel M. Hoffman)
Subject: Dial In on One Line, Dial Out on Another?
Date: Mon, 13 Sep 1993 14:51:04 GMT
Organization: Excelsior Computer Services
I just ordered Identi-ring (distinctive ringing), and I plan on using
one number for voice and the other for data. So now I need a device
to route incoming calls either to the phone or to the modem, depending
on the ringing pattern. I assume that's easy to find.
But I also have two lines. My identi-ring is on the second (my first
line rolls over to the second, and C&P said they couldn't put
identi-ring on such a line). BUT, I want to dial out on the first.
So, I want incoming data calls, which come in on the second line with
a special ring, to get to the modem, incomgin voice calls on both
lines to go to my two-line phone, but I want the modem to dial out on
line one.
Any ideas?
Thanks!
Joel (joel@wam.umd.edu)
------------------------------
From: RANDY@MPA15AB.mv-oc.Unisys.COM
Date: 15 SEP 93 00:03
Subject: "Number, Please" Again?
Ameritech is testing a telephone service that would allow users to
make calls by speaking commands into a phone, such as "call doctor" or
"call Mom at work" (Reported by AP, 9/7/93). Each member of a
household could enter up to 70 names and phone numbers into a
directory based at a switching center. Meanwhile, AT&T is making
voice-recognition capabilities available for businesses that use
interactive calling systems, which require callers to press a key in
order to route their calls to access specific people or services. By
using voice-recognition, the phone system would respond to a spoken
command.
Randall Gellens . . . . . . . . .|. . . . . . .randy@mv-oc.unisys.com
A Series System Software . . . . | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Unisys Corporation. . . . . . . .|. . [Please forward bounce messages
Mission Viejo, CA. . . . . . . . | . . . . .to: rgellens@mcimail.com]
Opinions are personal;. .facts are suspect; . I speak only for myself
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 12 Sep 1993 21:40:04 EDT
Reply-To: 0005066432@MCIMAIL.COM
Subject: America Bashing at its Worst
From: Paul Robinson <TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM>
Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring, MD USA
Olaf Seibert <rhialto@mbfys.kun.nl>, writes:
>> (Likewise, wouldn't you feel silly to dial a country code when
>> calling someone in the same country?)
> But you already do ... given the fact that USA/Canada has been so
> greedy to annex the only single-digit country code: 1.
Now just one minute here! That is only cruel and unfair, it's wrong.
I am not sure how far back the international dialing plan goes, but my
guess is that the U.S. then, probably had more telephones than all of
Europe and Asia combined. In any case, the code "1" also includes the
10+ countries and possessions of the U.S. and Great Britain in the
West Indies under international code 1809. The U.S. probably has 1/3
of the worlds telephones now, I don't know how many there were back
then, but it was probably just as large a gap.
And for your information, the U.S. (U.S. and Canada) isn't the ONLY
country to get a one-digit international code. What was the code for
the Soviet Union? One digit: 7.
Paul Robinson - TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM
------------------------------
From: RANDY@MPA15AB.mv-oc.Unisys.COM
Date: 14 SEP 93 18:19
Subject: More News Bits
Here are a few more items from an internal news roundup:
HOMELESS PEOPLE in Baltimore, Maryland, will have access to voice mail
to help them communicate with prospective employers and landlords (AP,
9/9/93). Bell Atlantic Mobile is offering the service through a
Salvation Army shelter. The company already operates a similar
service in Connecticut and plans to expand the program to New Jersey,
Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
THE PUN IS THE LOWEST FORM OF HUMOR ... You know you've got a network
virus when your node gets all stuffed up (Computerworld, 9/6/93).
TIME FOR A REALITY CHECK ... A new book, called "S.T.A.R.", by Gary
Reibsamen asserts that human destiny is controlled by a computer
placed deep within the Earth eons ago by an advanced civilization.
The computer uses data from human activities for a child's game called
"The Game of Life." Computerworld (9/6/93) did not specify whether
the book is marketed as fact or fiction.
Randall Gellens . . . . . . . . .|. . . . . . .randy@mv-oc.unisys.com
A Series System Software . . . . | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Unisys Corporation. . . . . . . .|. . [Please forward bounce messages
Mission Viejo, CA. . . . . . . . | . . . . .to: rgellens@mcimail.com]
Opinions are personal;. .facts are suspect; . I speak only for myself
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 14 Sep 93 11:26:07 EDT
From: Carl Moore <cmoore@BRL.MIL>
Subject: Area 400? (was Re: International Toll-Free Standard Code)
dan@sics.se (Dan Sahlin) wrote in July:
> In Hungary I noticed in an ad that you could dial 00 1 400 4908989
> to get your horoscope. As the ad was in Hungarian, I guess the number
> did not lead to North America, and, as far as I know, there is no
> country code 400 in North America. It seems Hungarian telecom is
> trapping these "impossible" numbers and use them locally for their
> "900" service. (In Sweden "900" numbers start with 071 ...)
I noticed no followup remarks on this, and I just now came across this
use of "400". Yes, there is no area code 400 in country code 1; but
400 was cited as one of the last-resort N00 codes available as area
codes should any more N0X/N1X area codes be needed before 1995. Some
previous messages have referred to fake area code 610 for such
"900-style" services, and people have been wondering what will happen
with 610 coming into use as a geographic area code in Pennsylvania. I
remember reading (in the digest) of something of this sort at
Hightstown, New Jersey, in area 609, and was that 609-490? I now
tried 609-490-8989, heard some clicks, but otherwise silence.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 14 Sep 93 20:42:52 EDT
From: Joshua E. Muskovitz <rocker@vnet.IBM.COM>
Subject: CNID and 911
Well, here in Sunny Kingston, NY, (served by New York Tel / NYNEX,)
911 *DOES* in fact use CNID to determine location. This was clearly
pointed out to me when I insisted on line blocking. NYTs solution to
the problem is to provide stickers for our phones which say "*69-911"
or something to that effect.
(You know, though, they never got around to sending me the stickers ...
Hmm.)
Despite my explaining to the NYT rep that (a) CNID for 911 is stupid,
and (b) *69 as a toggle is stupid, she didn't seem to think that
either was a problem. Oh well. I bet she doesn't read RISKS *or*
TELECOM. :-)
josh muskovitz
------------------------------
From: sharpe_r@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz (russell sharpe)
Subject: Re: Answering Machine That Calls Pager?
Date: 15 Sep 1993 01:13:55 GMT
Organization: Wellington City Council, Public Access
Reply-To: sharpe_r@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz
> tom@ulysses.att.com writes:
>> Can anyone tell me makes or models of answering machines that will
>> place a call to a pager to alert me that I have a message?
In New Zealand, we have a service called message manager, which can
Either Page a standard tone pager, or ring a designated Cell Phone (or
a landline) and play the message.
I'm sure that in the states there is some sort of "Smart Phone"
service similar, although I don't have any idea how costly I may be
there. (In NZ it is approx NZ$20 per month).
Russell Sharpe: email: sharpe_r@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz
Voice: +64 4 5637779
snailmail: 171 Holborn Drive
Stokes Valley 6008
New Zealand
------------------------------
From: dold@unislc.slc.unisys.com (Clarence Dold)
Subject: Re: Answering Machine That Calls Pager?
Organization: Unisys Corporation SLC
Date: Tue, 14 Sep 1993 17:03:22 GMT
Joel Upchurch (upchrch!joel@uunet.UU.NET) wrote:
> tom@ulysses.att.com (Tom Smith) writes:
>> Can anyone tell me makes or models of answering machines that will
>> place a call to a pager to alert me that I have a message?
> Some high end Panasonic answering machines have a feature called Call
> Transfer that will do what you want. At least the manual says it will.
NO! STOP!! ARGH!!
Well, I guess it wasn't really that bad when I tried it. The intent
of Message transfer is to forward a message. If you forward to a
voice phone, you hear your own outgoing message, and you press your
"secret code" to retrieve the message. When I set it to dial my
pager, I wasn't at home. Then I tested it! It would continually
redial the pager number, so that I couldn't dial in to stop it. My
phone was busy! When transferring to another voice number, it retries
at some sensible rate, but apparently my pager connection sounded like
a busy, so it retried immediately. Again, and again, and again ...
Mine is a Panasonic Easa-Phone KXT-2422.
Clarence A Dold - dold@tsmiti.sj.Unisys.COM ... pyramid!ctnews!tsmiti!dold
------------------------------
From: torq@gnu.ai.mit.edu (Andy Mell)
Subject: Re: Video Phones Needed
Date: 14 Sep 1993 19:02:51 GMT
Organization: MIT Artificial Intelligence Lab
Neil E. Berger wrote:
> Are there any less expensive (and perhaps not as good) phone type
> alternatives?
> Which is the better video phone? (They are incompatable with each other.)
British Telecom do a Relate 3000 VideoPhone, it is 350 British pounds,
and uses the M-VTS standard (Marconi Video Telephone Standard) So if
you look into whether either of the two American phones support M-VTS,
then its probable this will be the final standard.
> What thoughts do people have on all this?
I think Video phones are quite an important technology for me as a
deaf person unfortunately the frame refresh rate is not high enough
yet for lipreading, however sign language can be understood if its not
too fast.
Regards,
Andy
------------------------------
From: cogorno@netcom.com (Steve Cogorno)
Subject: Re: Video Phones Needed
Date: Tue, 14 Sep 93 12:53:35 PDT
> I have need of two such phones, since both my parents are > 85 and
> live over 800 miles away, and I am unable to see them as often as I or
> they would like.)====6,h I have looked at ATT and heard about (but not seen)
> the MCI one and wonder if either of them are a good deal. The ATT are
> now $1000 each and the MCI are $750 each. Obviously I need two. Big
> bucks.
You might want to contact AT&T about an installment plan. They sent me a
mailing that said they were willing to give me a videophone with payments
spread over 24 months (on approved credit, of course :-) .
> Which is the better video phone? (They are incompatable with each other.)
I have never seen the MCI phone, but the AT&T phone quality is great!
If they really are incompatible (that is really stupid!), I would be
inclined to buty the AT&T phone as I have been told that they were
produced compliant to some open standard so that they would be
compatible with other brands. (This is what the rep told me. She
might have just wanted me to buy the phone, but the compatibility
seems logical.)
Steve cogorno@netcom.com
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 14 Sep 1993 19:02:22 -0400
From: shri@freal.cs.umass.edu (H.Shrikumar)
Subject: Re: Number Neye-in? Number Neye-in?
Organization: UMass, Amherst MA + Temporal Systems Bombay India
In article <telecom13.641.10@eecs.nwu.edu> archie@cory.EECS.Berkeley.
EDU. wrote:
> On the aviation airwaves, [...] > you're supposed to say "niner" [...]
> Moreover, the whole alphabet is pronounced this way: Alpha, Bravo,
> Charlie, etc.
Also Steve Forrette, stevef@wrq.com said (in a prev article)
> The military solves this problem by pronouncing 9 as "Niner." Also, 1
> is pronounced as "won" instead of "one," and 3 is "tree."
I believe there used to be an old American standard for pronouncing
letters ... this one had first names for each letter. Some of them
have continued to persist in the International version. (C Charlie
and J Juliet are good examples. G used to be George in the American
system,in the International it is G Golf.) It used to be listed in the
ARRL handbooks.
If I am not mistaken, the international version is an ISO std ? Someone
know for sure ... and have the number ?
There _is_ also a version for numbers ... that goes something like this
UNO One, BISO Two, etc ... (foggy memory), NADA Zero.
I remember these from my ham radio days ... someof which is now a bit
foggy. I remember the alphabet version well, and it helps me a lot
when I spell out my name over the phone to airline and travel agent
type people. I find that most travel related people are quite familiar
with (or at least adapt to) such spellouts very fast. That is, after
the short double take, 'cause they dont expect a "customer" to use
this method, and that surprises them a little.
Incidentally, I find that most telephone operator types, incl ATT
and Sprint Cust Reps, get baffled beyond help by this spell-out
method. I have to grapple with such calls by spelling my name in
English (usual) pronounciation (Ech Aye Arr Ayii Ech Aye Arr Aye ...
etc), and have to do it at least twice correcting mistakes they make :-(
> [Moderator's Note: Now how could you possibly pronounce 'won' different-
> ly than 'one'? PAT]
"Lost game won." :-)
shrikumar ( shri@cs.umass.edu, shri@shakti.ncst.ernet.in )
------------------------------
From: Craig S. Williamson <craig@toontown.columbiasc.NCR.COM>
Subject: Re: Duck Ringer: Quack, Quack, Quack
Date: 11 Sep 93 20:51:43 GMT
Reply-To: "Craig S. Williamson" <craig@toontown.columbiasc.NCR.COM>
Organization: NCR E&M Columbia, SC
In article <telecom13.637.10@eecs.nwu.edu> mho@ficus.CS.UCLA.EDU (Mike
Ho (Guest)) writes:
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 13, Issue 637, Message 10 of 11
>My friend has a duck phone with a ringer that makes it go "waak, waak,
>waak" when it rings.
> I'd love to find this ringer and stick it inside my phone at work --
> or heck, bring the whole phone in -- but my friend won't part with his
> and won't let me dissect it.
> Does anyone know where I can find such a ringing device, or any other
> novelty ringers? Answers by e-mail are preferred, to keep needless
> quacking off the telecom group.
Well I do know where to get such a phone and thought that others in
this group might be interested also. Phoneco, Inc. has two duck phones
that quack. One is a one piece and the other is a two piece. The one
piece, Quacky 3, is $35, and the 2 piece, Quacky II, is $39. Their
phone number is: 608-582-4124. They have a catalog, which is where
I'm getting this info, that has specialty phones like this plus other
old style phones.
I hope this is what you are after.
Craig Williamson
Craig.Williamson@ColumbiaSC.NCR.COM
craig@toontown.ColumbiaSC.NCR.COM (home)
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V13 #650
******************************