Telecom/1996-04-telecom-walnutcreek.iso/back.issues/1993.volume.13/vol13.iss651-700

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Date: Thu, 16 Sep 1993 12:14:36 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #651

TELECOM Digest     Thu, 16 Sep 93 12:14:00 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 651

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Mongolia's Phone System (Dave Leibold)
    US West Gets Cable Waiver (Washington Post via Paul Robinson)
    Sprint and Harbinger*EDI (Sprint Govt. Division via John D. Gretzinger)
    Comparing LD Service Providers (Stephen Friedl)
    What is X.125? (David Muldowney)
    Justice to Choose Escrow Agents For Encryption Keys (Paul Robinson)
    Beam me up, Kinko! (Wall Street Journal via Les Reeves)
    ISDN and Echo Cancellation (Jim Rees)
    A Classification for All Kinds of Networks (Madeline Gonzalez)
    Seeking Technical Contact at Octel (Tim Chambers)
    Ancient Phone System in Spanish Hotel (Jonathan Haruni)
    Motorola Batteries Covered Under Warranty (Mark Earle)
    Key System For Business (Bonnie J. Johnson)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Thu, 16 Sep 1993 00:36:48 -0400
From: [e-mail] (Dave Leibold)
Subject: Mongolia's Phone System


I found some information on Mongolia's phone system, courtesy of a
"Lonely Planet" travel guide describing that nation. With a May 1993
publication date, the following information should not be too
obsolete.

The phone system is described as "primitive", where crosstalk is
plentiful, calls may take several tries to complete, and long distance
of any kind on the domestic network requires operator bookings. The
lack of phone installations among the general populace is not as much
for financial reasons as it is plant and switching limitations.

Costs of the phone service are actually quite low domestically.
Foreigners tend to get hit for high prices on calls. To understand the
financial picture better, the Mongolian currency is the togrog, with
100 mongos to the togros. For exchange, the official rate is USD$1.00
= T40. However, there is a "market rate" of USD$1 = T330 that is legal
within Mongolia and is common in cash exchanges. There is also the
"central" rate of USD$1 = T100 that's used on traveller's cheque
exchanges (one loses plenty of cash on travellers cheques; actual U.S.
dollars go far in Mongolia).

On rare occasions, payphones can be found, and these cost 15 mongo for
a local call. However, some hotel desks will allow local calls to be
placed for free.

Phone numbers in the capital Ulaan Bataar are 5 digits as well as
those in Erdenet. Four digit numbers are used in the "aimag" capitals,
and 3 digits in the countryside. There are plans to add the digit 3
before the Ulaan Bataar 5 digit numbers to make them 6 digits, and
there's talk of equipment upgrading.

Cable & Wireless runs a satellite link for international calls. Japan
plans to donate an INTELSAT earth station. Meanwhile, some embassies
and hotels have taken to installing INMARSAT facilities, for those
USD$12/minute calls. Cost of calls from Mongolia are T280/min to
Europe and T400/min to USA. Country code of Mongolia is 976, and the
city code for Ulaan Bataar is 1, where direct dialing can be done.

Faxing from Mongolia does not work half the time due to line
conditions, and it costs USD$10/page. The central post office in Ulaan
Bataar will handle fax services. Telex may be regarded as obsolete in
North America, but it's more reliable and prevalent.


Dave Leibold - via FidoNet node 1:250/98
INTERNET: [e-mail]

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

Date: Thu, 16 Sep 1993 09:33:24 EDT
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Subject: US West Gets Cable Waiver
From: Paul Robinson <[e-mail]>


US West gets Cable waiver
Digest, Business Section, {Washington Post},
September 15, Page D1

MCI Said Viacom Cable has joined the phone company's PCS consortium,
which plans to provide mobile personal communications services.  More
than 30 companies have been added to MCI's national PCS Consortium
since it was announced July 29, bringing the number of participating
companies to more than 200, District based MCI said.

 ---

US West Communications received a temporary FCC waiver from rules
prohibiting it from operating cable television systems in its phone
service area.  US West, which serves 14 Western states, is buying
25.51 percent of Time Warner Entertainment, which owns eight cable
systems in US West's phone service area.

 ---

The European Commission said it had no antitrust problems with British
Telecom's plan to take a stake in MCI.  Under the proposed $4.3
Billion venture, BT and MCI would create a joint venture to provide
global telecommunications services.  BT would take a 20 percent stake
in MCI and MCI would acquire BT North America.

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

From: [e-mail]
Date: 15 Sep 93 21:19:44
Subject: Sprint and Harbinger*EDI


SPRINT, HARBINGER*EDI SERVICES BRING ELECTRONIC EFFICIENCIES TO
GOVERNMENT


    WASHINGTON, D.C., Sept. 14, 1993 -- Sprint and Harbinger*EDI
Services Inc. today announced a marketing agreement aimed at reducing
costs and increasing operating efficiencies for the federal
government.

         The companies expect that by marketing access to new
electronic data interchange trading partners from the private sector,
government demand for Sprint's electronic data interchange service
will grow and generate significant savings to the federal government
and its private-sector trading partners.

         Electronic data interchange, or EDI, is a messaging
technology that allows the movement of documents directly from one
organization's computer to another organization's computer.  As a
result, information is processed faster and at a lesser cost than by
paper.

         Sprint won a Government Services Administration contract in
December 1991 to supply federal government agencies with SprintEDI(sm)
network service.  It is the only supplier making EDI service available
to the more than 100 federal agencies nationwide.

         "With the marketing agreement now in place, we can offer
government customers a broader range of trading partners and therefore
provide greater opportunities for cost reductions," said Don Teague,
vice president/general manager of Sprint Government Systems Division.

         "We also expect intra-government growth in demand for EDI
service as the Clinton administration's 'Reinventing Government'
initiative focuses on streamlining to gain greater cost efficiencies,"
Teague said.

         SprintEDI service interconnects with a number of EDI
value-added networks to offer government users broad connectivity,
including access to commercial and international entities to exchange
documents.  Document delivery methods include facsimile, postal, and
X.400 electronic messaging.  Another service option is translation
software which permits documents to be converted to X12 EDI standard
formats to ensure a high level of transmission reliability.

         "Our companies offer complementary services.  Sprint has a
history of bringing cost-efficient telecommunications solutions to the
government.  Harbinger*EDI has a strong track record in implementing
trading partner programs for large corporate organizations," said Ted
Ciochon, vice president, Harbinger*EDI.

         "Together, we can help the government accelerate its EDI
initiatives and make it more effective," Ciochon said.

         Harbinger*EDI Services is a privately held company
headquartered in Atlanta, GA.  In recent years, it has emerged as the
leader in providing PC-based EDI software, EDI value-added network
services, and trading partner implementation/consulting services.  It
has strengthened its PC software product and VAN services leadership
position by developing Trading Partner Implementation Programs.  These
programs allow corporate organizations to implement EDI programs
quickly for hundreds of trading partners.

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

From: [e-mail] (Stephen Friedl)
Subject: Comparing LD Service Providers
Date: Thu, 16 Sep 93 8:20:39 PDT


A customer has asked me to post this for him.

He recently had an outside consultant in who reviews ways to save
money on office expenses.  His review included their long distance
service, Sprint.  The consultant recommended they look at other LD
carriers (non-big 3) and concluded that they could save up to $2,000
per month by switching; a non-trivial sum.  They spend about $10,000
per month now.

He's been pitched by two the consultant recommended and, while he's
able to compare the direct costs of each, he is unable to evaluate the
quality of services.  He would like to know if there is a significant
difference in services (down time, delays when connecting, support,
etc.)  between the big 3 and everyone else.  He would also like to
know specifically about a LD carrier called WestCall, as well as the
relative merits of shared service providers (he knows how they work,
he'd just like a general opinion on whether they are worth it).

It just occurred to me to ask my customer if the consultant actually
has any financial interest in the carriers he recommended: hmmm ...


Thanks much,

Stephen J Friedl | Software Consultant | Tustin, CA |     [phone]
3B2-kind-of-guy  | I speak for me ONLY |   KA8CMY   | uunet!mtndew!friedl

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

From: David Muldowney <[e-mail]>
Subject: What is X.125?
Date: 16 Sep 1993 16:23:41 -0000
Organization: Broadcom Eireann Research Ltd, Dublin, Ireland.


Hi,

I was just wondering if someone could tell me what X.125 is, as it
does not appear to be in the CCITT Blue Book.


Thanks in advance,

David Muldowney            Tel: [phone]
Broadcom Eireann Research Ltd.    Fax: [phone]
Clanwilliam Place        E-Mail: [e-mail]
Dublin 2            Ireland

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

Date: Thu, 16 Sep 1993 11:08:10 EDT
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Subject: Justice to Choose Escrow Agents For Encryption Keys
From: Paul Robinson <[e-mail]>
Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring, MD USA


Justice to choose escrow agents for encryption keys

Summary from {Government Computer News}, September 13, 1993, Page 4.

During this month the Justice Department plans to announce the two
agencies that will manage the escrow key encryption chips.

This will allow federal agencies to use the draft Escrowed Encryption
Standard (EES).  Attorney General Janet Reno will make the appointment
of the two agents.  The National Institute of Standards and Technology
"will likely serve as one escrow agent."  NIST is reported as one of
the organizations that helped create it.

The person who made the announcement to the National Computer Systems
Security and Privacy Advisory Board was "Geoff Greiveldinger, special
counsel for the Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Section of Justice's
Criminal Division."

The article goes on to describe the background of the creation of the
chip including its development by the National Security Agency; the
article claims it will be used to replace older Data Encryption
Standard (DES) products.  It talks about the serial number, chip key
and family key that "authorized agencies must have to decipher
encrypted messages", and how it will use two key-escrow databases
using "existing wiretap guidelines requiring officials to obtain court
permission for electronic monitoring."

A special decoder box -- which currently no suppliers have been
selected to produce -- is being designed by the government to help
police and FBI users identify the chip number and unscramble the
encoded communications.

The Board raised questions about the cost -- including whether this
chip would make encryption more expensive and/or limit availability,
as well as costs passed on to customers due to maintenance and chip
replacement -- and export limitations, due to concerns whether this
new EES product may not be as marketable around the world as DES is,
due to the key release provisions.


Paul Robinson - [e-mail]

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

Date: Thu, 16 Sep 1993 08:07:33 EDT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Beam me up, Kinko!


Kinko's Service Corp.'s copy centers will feature public
videoconferencing facilities within two years, with Sprint providing
the transmission service.  Paul Orfalea, Kinko's founder, expects to
have videoconferencing equipment installed in 100 stores by 1994.
Callers will be able to access any site on Sprint's videoconferencing
network.  Kinko's selection of Sprint for its carrier was termed
"something of a coup for the long-distance carrier ..."

({Wall Street Journal}, "Sprint, Kinko's to build network for video
calls," 9/14/93, p. B10)

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

From: [e-mail]
Subject: ISDN and Echo Cancellation
Date: 15 Sep 1993 18:12:45 GMT
Organization: University of Michigan CITI


All this talk of TrueVoice being implemented in the echo cancellers
got me to thinking (a dangerous thing, I know).  If I have an ISDN
voice set, and make a long distance call to another ISDN voice set,
and the trunk is digital, then I've got a completely independent pair
of voice channels, one in each direction.  There isn't any place in
the entire link where the two halves of the conversation are combined.
No hybrids, no two-wire circuits.  In this case, there shouldn't be
any need for an echo canceller.

So my question is, does the network provide any way to leave out the
echo canceller for this type of call?  I don't see offhand how it
could know, but surely someone has thought about this.

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

From: [e-mail] (Madeline Gonzalez)
Subject: A Classification for All Kinds of Networks
Organization: The Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link, Sausalito, CA
Date: Wed, 15 Sep 1993 17:54:38 GMT


Fred Goldstein writes in response to my original posting:

> 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!

Thank you, Fred, for sharing your "taxonomy" (and a strange set of
beasts indeed is telecom :-) ).. *particularly* important I think is
that it is based on the persepective of *the user*, and not so much
from the perspective of the ever-changing implementing *technology*..
A historical ordering is also very helpful, since some of the
specifics of each only make sense if viewed in such an order!  I'll go
through it in more detail, these are just some immediate reactions.

At *some* point, I believe, all of us in this telecom field should
come to *some* sort of rudimentary understanding of what the Big
Picture is ... how else can we *truly* each work on effectively
designing and implementing our particular pixels!

Based on the number of responses to my original posting, I gather
there isn't alot of interest in this here. I'd very much appreciate
hearing about any work being done by standards organzations or any
other groups towards a common understanding of "telecom", primarily by
those in the telecom field itself, but as Fred has suggested, using
the perspective of the end users versus the technology (given that the
technology changes so frequently).  And if there are no *existing*
efforts underway, can any one suggest some fertile grounds for this
type of work to sprout?  Any existing groups or mailing lists? Or
would anyone out there be interested in *starting* one with me?

My background is in software and systems engineering at Bell Labs
(specifically user interface design and development for network
management systems) so I'm not an expert in any one area of network
technology per se, though can call myself "well-versed" in object-
oriented design and development techniques, and enjoy the process of
abstracting essentials and organizing info. For this type of effort,
though, it'd be essential to gather a group of people who understand
some of the specifics to eg., my original questions:

> In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail]
> (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??...

> 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..)?

What would the "result" be of our efforts?  I don't know ... a paper,
maybe, a book, or just a new USENET group where this could be an
*ongoing* dialog?  Open to suggestions.


Madeline   [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (Tim Chambers)
Subject: Seeking Technical Contact at Octel
Date: 15 Sep 1993 19:39:16 GMT
Organization: Hewlett-Packard (Tools for Embedded Systems)


My company uses an Octel voicemail system.  I am asking readers of
this newsgroup for assistance in helping me to make contact (preferably
via e-mail, but phone is ok) with someone at Octel who can help me
work through problems my company is having with a particular feature
of their system.  Let me stress that this isn't a bug report; the
issue is more sociological and I am seeking technical information from
Octel that I hope will help me resolve it.


Thank you in advance for any advice you can offer,


Tim Chambers                     Software Design Engineer
(Tools for Embedded Systems)     [e-mail]
Hewlett-Packard Company          [phone] (office)
P.O. Box 2197                    [phone] (MDS hotline)
Colorado Springs, CO 80901-2197  FAX: [phone]

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

From: Jonathan Haruni <[e-mail]>
Subject: Ancient Phone System in Spanish Hotel
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Organization: Micrognosis International, London
Date: Wed, 15 Sep 1993 14:14:14 GMT


In article <[e-mail]>, PAT wrote:

[of a hotel which charged for bogus phone calls in 1962]

> Thirty-one years ago they would have been using the old-fashioned cord
> boards with three or four operators on duty at one time.

For those of you interested in this sort of thing, you don't have to
go back 31 years to see it.  You can go to the city of Deva in
northern Spain, where I was last week and found an old black
bake-o-lite phone in my hotel room with no dial at all.  On further
investigation I found a cord board behind the reception desk, operated
by the receptionist herself.  For billing, there were two (relatively
modern) electromechanical pulse counters attached (very
unproffesionally) to the switchboard, with "trip odometers" and reset
buttons.  The operator actually had to reset the counter of the
outside line before plugging your room into it, and copy the unit
tally into a book when you were done.  I was amazed.  I made one phone
call, and they managed not to bill me for it.  The phone system was a
real sore thumb -- not at all indicative of the state of telephony in
the vicinity.

How widely are there ancient switchboards in active use?  I mean, not
by enthusiasts or museums, but simply because the owners haven't got
around to installing new ones yet?  Where else can they be found?


Jonathan Haruni

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

Date: Wed, 15 Sep 93 18:21:54 CDT
From: [e-mail] (Mark Earle)
Subject: Motorola Batteries Covered Under Warranty


My 8000H Cellular phone battery died recently. It was an "extended"
life battery purchased from my local cellular service provider. Turns
out Motorola batteries carry a one year warranty. Mine was on the 10th
month.  To claim your new battery, the place of sale simply requires
proof of purchase. In my case, I'd put the purchase receipt with my
cmt contract so it was easy to find. They gave me a new battery on the
spot. However, I did have to show them the warranty -- they were
unaware of it.

Pays to keep receipts, sometimes! :-)

mwe
Do not 'reply'. Instead, send to [e-mail]  |

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

Date: Thu, 16 Sep 93 12:25:07 EDT
From: Bonnie J Johnson <[e-mail]>
Subject: Key System for Business


Tony DeSimone wrote asking about a key system to recommend to a
friend.

Although we have a large CO here we began running out of lines.  We
went on the search (trying many) to find a key system that was
compatible and one which offered the functionally of our present
switch and auxillary services.

We ended up with the Meridian Norstar Key System.  Voicemail,
extensions as well as lines, intercom, choice of different sets and
other neat stuff on it.  Just my opinion.


Later,

bj

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

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #651
******************************










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Date: Thu, 16 Sep 1993 13:59:04 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #652

TELECOM Digest     Thu, 16 Sep 93 13:59:00 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 652

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    LDDS-Metromedia Merger (Les Reeves)
    Wiring Code (Mike Brand)
    Ringmate Hardware Wanted (Boris Pevzner)
    CA Caller ID is Here? (Jeff Crilly)
    800/900 Numbers Diverted to Italy (Alfredo Cotroneo)
    Waiting Lists Internationally? (Dave Leibold)
    AT&T Service Experience (Apurva Shrivastava)
    Fax Modem Offer From Sprint (Mark Earle)
    Need Telecom Data for The Commonwealth of Independent States (Jeff Johnson)
    Help Needed to Record Off Digital Phone System (Jeff Brown)
    Re: Three Letter Abbreviations For Airports (Paul Robinson)
    Re: Three Letter Abbreviations For Airports (Garrett Wollman)
    Re: Three Letter Abbreviations For Airports (Barton Bruce)
    Re: Three Letter Abbreviations For Airports (Lee Sweet)
    Re: Three Letter Abbreviations For Airports (Carl Moore)
    Re: Calculators in Their Early Days (John Pettitt)
    Re: Calculators in Their Early Days (Mark Terribile)
    Re: Calculators in Their Early Days (Charles "Chip" Roberson)
    Re: Calculators in Their Early Days (Fred Schimmel)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Wed, 15 Sep 1993 18:41:58 EDT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: LDDS-Metromedia Merger


Shareholders of Resurgens Communications and LDDS Communications
approved a three-way, $2.2 billion merger with Metromedia
Communications.  The newly formed company, LDDS Communications, will
have annual revenue of about $1.5 billion. It will do business as
LDDS-Metromedia Communications.  It will be the fourth largest
long-distance company.  LDDS-Metro will have a 2 percent share of the
$65 billion dollar per year U.S. long-distance market.

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

Subject: Wiring Code
From: [e-mail] (Mike Brand)
Date: Wed, 15 Sep 93 09:49:57 CDT
Organization: The Keeper of Time BBS  [phone]


Hello all,

I will soon be wiring my house for telephone, using Home Run wiring
and a 66 Block. I have run 4 pair to each outlet location, and 2-4
pair to some. What is the official Wiring Color Code, I want this to
be a nice a possible. By wiring code I mean the following:

My wire consists of 4 Pairs:
   -Blue/White, White/Blue (Tip/Ring)
   -Green/White, White/Green (Tip/Ring)
   -Brown/White, White/Brown (Tip/Ring)
   -Orange/White, White/Orange (Tip/Ring)

Which pair would be considered Line1, Line2, etc? Would is be similar
to the resistor color code where Brown would be Line1, Orange would be
Line2, Green Line3, and Blue Line4?

Am I correct with saying the color is TIP and white is RING?

I think this information is available in the archives, but I have no
way to access them, thus my post to the group!


Thanks,

Mike Brand - [e-mail]      The Keeper of Time BBS
  N9TLV                               1 708 389 1369

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

From: [e-mail] (Boris Pevzner)
Subject: Ringmate Hardware Wanted
Date: 15 Sep 1993 20:56:16 GMT
Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology


I would like to sign up for the New England Telephone's RINGMATE(sm)
distinctive ringing service as a money-saving alternative to having to
install a short-term low-volume separate phone line in addition to the
one that already exists in the place where I live.

I recall that some company markets a device that listens to the ring
of an incoming call and routes the call to one of the two phone sets
depending on RINGMATE(sm)'s ring pattern.

Can anyone please point me to that company?  I would also appreciate
hearing from someone who had experience with NET's RINGMATE(sm).


Thanks very much.

Boris Pevzner  [e-mail]   (10ATT) 0-700-HI-BORIS

P.S.: I will also be running BigmOuth on my PC on the same line.
      Perhaps, there is a way to use it to detect ring patterns?

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

From: [e-mail] (Jeff Crilly)
Subject: CA Caller ID is Here??
Date: Wed, 15 Sep 1993 18:12:48 GMT


We just installed a new phone system here.  Norther Meridan based
 -- presumably a centrex/IS system, though I must admit I don't know
much about the details of our system.  However, it is a 'world-wide'
phone system -- three number access to get to the Japan office or U.K.
offices.  I noticed that when my wife called my office phone from
home, her number was displayed on the phone.  (These are the Meridian
M2616 w/ display phones.)  We're definitely on a different exchange (I
live about 20 miles south of here.)

So what gives: is Caller-ID available in CA?  Or did we have to sign
some agreement saying we won't use the Caller-ID data?  Or is there a
feature in the switch that should have been turned off?


Thanks,

jeff  ([e-mail])

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

From: [e-mail] (Alfredo Cotroneo)
Subject: 800/900 Numbers Diverted to Italy
Date: Thu, 16 Sep 93 9:33:11 MET


I am looking for information on the possibility of establishing an 800
or 900 number in the US which might be diverted to Italy.  This would
appear the best solution for a low number of call/month.

MCI, Sprint and AT&T seem to require a business or home address in the
USA where they could "physically" install a phone. They would not just
install the line at their exchange and divert to Italy.

Any info will be greatly appreciated. Pse respond to:

[e-mail]. Thank You.


Alfredo E. Cotroneo, PO BOX 11028, I-20110 Milano, Italy
work: [e-mail] / personal: [e-mail]
fax: [phone] / ph: [phone] (2PM-5PM EST)


[Moderator's Note: This is the sort of thing Telepassport and USFI
can handle without any trouble. Your 800 number would terminate on
their switch and get diverted to wherever. You'd pay the Telepassport
rates from the USA to your country plus about ten cents a minute or
so on the 800 part of the connection here.  Contact my office.  PAT]

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

Date: Thu, 16 Sep 1993 03:57:25 -0400
From: [e-mail] (Dave Leibold)
Subject: Waiting Lists Internationally?


Years ago, there were reports that France had waiting lists of one to
two years to get phone service installed. Is that still the case
today?  What about waiting times in other nations?


Dave Leibold - via FidoNet node 1:250/98
INTERNET: [e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: I thought you were going to say they have waiting
lines of one or two years to reach Directory Assistance or the Inward
Operator. It isn't quite that bad calling the operator there, but
it seems like it on a bad day.  :)   PAT]

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

Date: Wed, 15 Sep 93 09:19:17 EDT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: AT&T Service Experience


I don't know about your experiences with AT&T, but here is one of
mine ...

I moved from NY to Georgia in April 1993 and after asking AT&T to be
my long distance carrier from my new address in Georgia, I asked for a
calling card.

In May, when I called up, they said it was on its way. Same reply in
June and July. On August 12th they discovered that they had sent it to
my address in NY even though their bills were coming in Georgia. Yeah,
I know their bills come through the local company but they have my new
billing address too.

After cancelling that card, they mailed a new one and asked me to call
back in six or seven days, if I did not receive it by then. SO I
CALLED BACK on the 18th of August. Same old story. Thay had again sent
it to my previous address.  SO I CALLED BACK on the 25th of August.
Same old story. SO I CALLED BACK on the 2nd of September. They had
mailed it to my address in Georgia but I had not received it. SO I
CALLED BACK on the 15th of September and they said it was mailed at
2620 ... address instead of 2602 ... Finally I caved in and gave in to
AT&T's pressure to have me off their customer list and asked them to
cancel that card and bid them farewell.

I called up SPRINT and asked if their offer for a modem was still on.
They said 'Yes' and I switched to them. The modem takes four to six
weeks to arrive, from the date you make the first call via SPRINT and
it takes about two weeks to switch one's LD carrier here. Hence I
called up a friend using the SPRINT access code 10333-1-AreaCode-7D
and was told that it should now take four to six weeks to arrive
(instead of the six to eight weeks had I waited for the LD carrier
switch). It is a 9600 bps FAX modem.

About AT&T's service, I have had a good experience with them till this
incident and hence decided to wait before I took a drastic step. For
one thing, whenever I call AT&T customer service, I am connected to a
service representative almost immediately. However, for MCI (I was an
MCI customer for some time, about two years back) and SPRINT, I have
to wait a long time, listening to the drone and then get someone on
the line. Also my billing with MCI was a mess. They kept on promising
free LD time but kept billing me for it.


Apurva Shrivastava  - [e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: I decided to try it myself, and switched to Sprint
on one of my lines. We'll see how it works out.  PAT]

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

Date: Tue, 14 Sep 93 15:51:25 CDT
From: [e-mail] (Mark Earle)
Subject: Fax Modem / Sprint


Pat et all,

The fax/modem offer from Sprint (1-800-Pin-Drop) is if you switch home
residential service to them. The modem is an intermal 1/2 card for
PC's, by Best Data Products. 9600 Fax, 2400 Data rate. No mention if
it's MNP/error correcting or not.  Called the "smart-1". This offer is
called the Dvorak Offer.

Probably, the modem/software offered have a retail value of $75-125,
depending on where you live and shop (I know, in San Fransisco it's
probably $29.99 at the grocery checkout :-)

Anyhow, I switched from LDS to Sprint. We'll see what I get and how
well this modem card works in my old 286 PC.


|   Do not 'reply'. Instead, send to [e-mail]  |


[Moderator's Note: I tried the number you gave 800-PIN-DROP and they
knew nothing about 'any free modems' ... I was referred to something
called the 'Partners' program 800-669-8585 and I suggest that is where
people call to sign up for their free modem. They took my order, and
said the line I gave them would be switched in two weeks more or less.
Once I 'activate' the account with a call, the modem will be put on
order to arrive a few weeks after that. I suppose it is worth being on
Sprint for awhile to get the modem. Others of you might want one also. PAT]

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

From: [e-mail] (JOHNSON  JEFFREY ALLEN)
Subject: Need Telecom Data for The Commonwealth of Independent States
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Date: Wed, 15 Sep 1993 01:17:38 GMT


I am conducting research on the following states: Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan.  Regular channels
have produced very little.  The information needed is fairly extensive
and may not exist.  Specifically, I am looking for telephony data
covering: infrastructure (residential telephones, pay phones, PBX's,
domestic lines, international lines...), traffic, prices, revenues,
expenses/costs, investment, labor and any other info. available.  The
more specific and detailed the data is, the better.  Would appreciate
data and sources if they exist.

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

From: [e-mail] (Jeff Brown)
Subject: Help Needed to Record Off Digital Phone System
Date: 14 Sep 1993 17:40:06 -0700
Organization: Speedway Free Access -- Dial 10288-1-503-520-2222


Hello out there in netland.  I am hoping that one of you telecom
experts can help me out with a problem.  I have a need to record
selected phone conversations off of an office digital phone system
(not analog).  I can currently use an induction coil, but it is very
cumbersome. I have a device for analog phones that takes the rj12 from
the wall and provides a mic output and another rj12 output, but this
doesn't work with a digital system.  Any suggestions?  Thanks for the
help, please respond email or here.


Jeff Brown on Speedway Free Access -- (10288)-1-503-520-2222
[e-mail]

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

Date: Thu, 16 Sep 1993 10:24:36 EDT
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Three Letter Abbreviations For Airports
From: Paul Robinson <[e-mail]>
Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring, MD USA


> Anything, for instance, near Dulles Airport in Fairfax (okay,
> Loudon County!), Virginia) seems to have a six-letter ID that
> starts with BCB....

> 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 ...))

Could the first three digits of the Zipcode in that area by any chance
be 232?  That would be a good reason for using BCB, as A-J could be
could be used for 1-9,0.


Paul Robinson - [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (Garrett Wollman)
Subject: Re: Three Letter Abbreviations For Airports
Organization: University of Vermont, EMBA Computer Facility
Date: Wed, 15 Sep 1993 21:59:10 GMT


In article <[e-mail]>, Lee Sweet <decrsc!leesweet@
uunet.UU.NET> wrote:

> Are the abbreviations related to the FAA/Airline (who controls?)
> three-letter IDs for airports?

There was a fascinating article on this in last December's United
In-Flight magazine.  Here are the constraints they worked with in
developing the airport code system:

- Cannot overlap with international airports in other
  countries;
- Cannot overlap with the radio call letter space;
  (so, no A[A-L]*, K*, N*, or W*)
- Must leave space for Canada (so, no Y*);
- Must be sufficiently different from other nearby airports.

The original coding system was a two-letter system, from the name of
the city; when this was extended to three letters, usually an `A' was
appended; hence, Meigs Field in Chicago is `CGA', and Washington
National is `DCA'.  The fourth criterion is why Dulles is `IAD'; `DIA'
and `DCA' were just too close to be easily recognizable in the face of
distortion.

The third criterion is why all Canadian airport codes begin with `Y',
so Montreal/Dorval is `YUL', Montreal/Mirabel `YMX', and
Toronto/Pearson is (I believe) `YYZ'.

The second criterion is why the original airport in Kansas City, Mo.,
was named `MKC' rather than the obvious `KCM'.  By parallel
construction, the new Kansas City International airport has been
designated `MCI'.  (This is also where we get `EWR' for Newark,
everybody's least favorite airport...)

The FAA is extremely reticent to change airport codes, because of all
the confusion this causes.  This is why the code for O'Hare Airport is
`ORD'; it inherited the code of the small military airfield that was
located there before United came.  This has caused some irritation to
cities who want to get getter airport codes (cities in both Colorado
and Utah have tried -- unsuccessfully -- to buy code `SKI' from its
present home in I think Idaho), or to ones building new airports (the
city of Denver is irritated that `DEN' will still refer to Stapleton
airport even when the new one is completed).

Now that is the situation as it stands for airports.  The real
confusion comes in when people try to make up codes for cities that
don't have airports, or that have funny codes.  Since the rise of
affordable air travel after deregulation, people have suddenly decided
that /every/ location had to have a three-letter code.  This can cause
confusion; for instance:

    Burlington International Airport (code BTV) is located in
beautiful South Burlington, Vermont.  (Well, it was beautiful when the
airport was built.)

    The Burlington bus terminal (also coded BTV) is located on
Main Street in downtown Burlington, about five miles from the airport.

    The Burlington train station (coded ESX by Amtrak) is located
in Essex Junction, Vermont, also about five miles from the airport.

This becomes more confusing when you have more than one possible
location for a code to represent.  For example, Amtrak's reservation
system uses the code `MTR' to represent Montreal (which, as I noted
above, is `YUL' and `YMX' to the airlines); this is easy enough until
you realize that you somehow have to figure out which train station in
Montreal you end up at, in order for this to be particularly useful.
To find this out, you have to know that Amtrak trains operating in
Canada are operated by CN, and so the station in question is CN's
Central Station, in the heart of the Underground City.

(Trivia: CN owns the tracks from Montreal all the way to White River
Junction, Vermont [about 100 miles southeast of the border].  At that
point, they interchange with tracks formerly owned by a Massachusetts
railroad company, but taken about two years ago for the Montrealer
because the original owners weren't performing proper maintenance.)

Now you mix in a steady stream of second-rate TV sportscasters, and
enjoy!


Garrett A. Wollman  [e-mail]
uvm-gen!wollman     UVM disagrees.

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

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Three Letter Abbreviations For Airports
Organization: Digital Equipment Computer Users Society
Date: 15 Sep 93 23:37:40 -0400


In article <[e-mail]>, decrsc![e-mail].
NET (Lee Sweet) writes:

> Are the abbreviations related to the FAA/Airline (who controls?)
> three-letter IDs for airports? Or possibly whatever coding system the

IATA City codes. Now the only trick is to remember what IATA stands
for.  The first two are probably International Association.

Call ANY travel agent fresh out of agent school, or probably any
Airline's 800 number and someone will surely know.

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

From: decrsc![e-mail] (Lee Sweet)
Subject: Re: Three Letter Abbreviations For Airports
Date: Wed, 15 Sep 1993 21:10:54 EDT


Yeah, I think it does, but the airport proper is mostly in Loudon.
BTW, that post was *supposed* to refer to the Orange Card bill thread,
and that may have been lost in the editing!


Lee Sweet                        Internet *lists* - [e-mail]
Chief Systems Consultant        Internet *e-mail* - [e-mail]
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: Wed, 15 Sep 93 18:02:42 EDT
From: Carl Moore <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Three Letter Abbreviations For Airports


Doesn't Dulles straddle the Fairfax-Loudoun county border in Virginia?
I think you'd still be in Fairfax county as you entered the airport on
the access road (expressway) from the east.

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

From: [e-mail] (John Pettitt)
Subject: Re: Calculators in Their Early Days
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Wed, 15 Sep 1993 18:58:32 GMT


Back around 1979 I used to make a living repairing calculators.
Mostly it was a matter of taking paper out of and retiming the print
engines.  However we had the contract to service the UK Atomic Energy
Lab at Harwell.  They had all sorts of fun machines.  My favorite was
the TI59 with a built in mag card reader.  An amazing feat of
engineering.

About the tame time we started selling commodre PET 2001 'computers'.
Ah 6502 assembler; those were the days ...

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

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Calculators in Their Early Days
Date: Wed, 15 Sep 1993 17:32:14 GMT


In article <[e-mail]>, TELECOM Moderator noted:

> [Moderator's Note: ...  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]

I think you'll find that 12345678 * 9 == 11,111,102 .  Perhaps you mean
12345679 * 9 ?

                                1/2
        12 + 144 + 20 + 3 ( 4 )                   2
        --------------------------- + 5( 11 ) == 9 + 0.0
                    7

    (A dozen, a gross, and a score
     Plus three times the square root of four
     Divided by seven,
     Plus five times eleven,
     Yields nine squared--and not a bit more.)


(This man's opinions are his own.)  From mole-end  Mark Terribile
[e-mail], Somewhere in Matawan, NJ


[Moderator's Note: Yes, 12345679 times 9 is what I meant. Sorry.  PAT]

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

Date: Thu, 16 Sep 1993 09:23:10 -0400
From: [e-mail] (Charles "Chip" Roberson)
Subject: Re: Calculators in Their Early Days
Organization: Alcatel Network Systems, Inc., Raleigh, NC


How do you get a '1' in the least significant digit with 9*8?

>        12345678 times 9 = 11,111,111

Chip
Alcatel Network Systems  *  2912 Wake Forest Road  *  Raleigh, NC 27609
Phone: [phone]                         FAX: [phone]
[e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (Fred Schimmel)
Subject: Re: Calculators in Their Early Days
Organization: Gandalf Data Ltd.
Date: Wed, 15 Sep 1993 22:01:08 GMT


[calculator anecdotes deleted]

> 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]

Gee PAT, everyone knows it's 12345679 * 9 = 11,111,111 ;^). {I realize
this isn't sci.math, but we gotta maintain that quest for accuracy}
Speaking of early calculators, remember when featuremania was the
craze and cheap (relatively) scientific calculators became available?
A 40 function (wow) model based on a chipset by MOS Technology (later
to ship the 6502 microprocessor which was the heart of Apple ]['s,
Commodore 64's and Atari's) had a bug in the trig functions. It got
ArcCos(0) as 0 instead of 90 degrees. Later, a liquidator tried to
sell these formerly $129 models for about $39, as long as you
remembered ArcCos(0)=90 degrees you were OK.


Fred Schimmel        [phone] x5890    |    email: [e-mail]
Gandalf Technologies Inc.                   |                            ^^
9 N. Olney Ave.                             |        My host is in Canada!!
Cherry Hill NJ  08003    USA                |  <<--- My desk is in US ---++


[Moderator's Note: Now listen you two ... (or is that you also?). I
don't care what anyone has to say about 12345679 or /8/ or whatever.
In this scholarly journal, *I* am moderator and I will say what I
want. Facts should never be allowed to stand in the way of a good
story!  If I say you can multiply 8 times 9 and come up with a one on
the end, I mean it! <smile> ... I wish I still had my old Burroughs
'punch the buttons in each column, yank the lever on the side back and
forth' machine. It was a great tool in business offices, as witnessed
by the thousands of places which had them.  Later, dudez!  :)   PAT]

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

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #652
******************************










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Date: Fri, 17 Sep 1993 01:10:07 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #653

TELECOM Digest     Fri, 17 Sep 93 01:09:30 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 653

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Telecom Archives Email Service Now Operating (TELECOM Moderator)
    Need Help Gathering Long Distance and International Prefixes (Toby Nixon)
    AT&T EasyReach-Gannett Trial (Les Reeves)
    ATT&T PublicPhone 2K Back On? (Ken Jongsma)
    Case of the Worn-Out Intercept (Andrew C. Green)
    Frame Relay FAQ? (Dave Manning)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: Telecom Archives Email Service Now Operating
Date: Thu, 16 Sep 93 23:07:42 EDT
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>


Well, it has been awhile in coming, and for the past couple days I have
been tearing my hair out trying to make the program work corectly, but
now it appears things are okay. You can beta-test it, and report any
problems which come to your attention.

Announcing the 'official' Telecom Archives Email Service. This script
has been installed right at the archives itself for the purpose of
obtaining files from the archives by email. It is especially intended
for users with UUCP/other access, but it works perfectly fine for
Internet users as well. A simple set of commands is used, many of
which have arguments following which would typically be file names.

Here is how to use it:

1. Send email to [e-mail].

2. The subject does not matter.

3. In the text (for starters, there are other commands you can use)
   you *must* begin with your first command as:

   REPLY yourname@site     It is essential this comes first.

   Then other suggested commands on your first use are:

   HELP
   INFO INFO   (INFO takes an argument, give INFO again as argument).
   INDEX
   END

4. Mail it. You should get back at REPLY ADDRESS three separate mail
   items, one being a help file, one being detailed documentation on
   the INFO command (INFO has several arguments it can take), and the
   third being the most recent mirror of the Telecom Archives directory.

   The command END is required so that .signatures and other stuff
   don't get picked up and possibly mis-interpreted.

   Watch for mail from "Telecom Archives via Email" with your files.

5. Other commands you can use will be explained in detail in the help
   file including SEND <filename>.

6. Unfortunatly, the compressed files ending in .Z *cannot* be
   successfully transferred using this service. For those you still
   need to use FTP in binary mode, or a similar program.

I hope this new service will be useful to you. I wish to give special
thanks to Clive Feather <[e-mail]> for providing the scripts I
am using to operate this service, and hope if you find it useful you
will drop him a note of thanks.

Thanks also go to [e-mail] for making the necessary tweaks
to minktaka.lcs.mit.edu to accomdate this service, and as always to
management at lcs.mit.edu and MIT itself for providing the storage
space for the Telecom Archives for several years now.

Try it, enjoy it, and let me know of any problems you encounter.


Patrick Townson
TELECOM Digest Moderator

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

From: [e-mail] (Toby Nixon)
Subject: Need Help Gathering Long Distance and International Prefixes
Date: 17 Sep 93 01:22:08 GMT
Organization: Microsoft Corporation, Redmond WA, USA


I'm trying to collect the long distance direct dial and international
direct dial prefixes for every country in the world.  I've managed to
extract quite a bit of information from the comp.dcom.telecom
archives, and gained more directly from users in various countries,
but there are still quite a few gaps in the list.

If you have knowledge about the dialing procedures in ANY country,
would you please check the list below and verify the information I
have? If what I have is correct as far as you know, there's no need to
reply.  If the information for a country is entirely missing, and you
can provide it to me, or if you see something that needs to be
corrected, please reply at your earliest convenience.  I'm also
interested if you find any spelling errors, missing countries (it's
amazing how many new ones there are!), or any other corrections that
are necessary.  By the way, the "W" characters you see in some of the
prefixes signify that it is necessary to wait for a second dial tone
at that point.

Please mail replies directly to [e-mail].  Thanks very much
for your help!


Toby Nixon
Program Manager - Windows Telephony
Digital Office Systems Group
Microsoft Corporation


Country                           Country   Long        International
Name                              Code      Distance    Direct Dial
                                            Prefix      Prefix
 -----------------                -------   --------    -------------

Afghanistan                       93
Albania                           355
Algeria                           213                   00
American Samoa                    684
Andorra                           33        16W         19W
Angola                            244                   00
Anguilla                          1         1           011
Antarctica                        672
Antigua                           1         1           011
Argentina                         54        0           00
Armenia                           7
Aruba                             297                   00
Ascension Island                  247                   00
Australia                         61        0           0011
Austria                           43                    900
Azerbaijan                        7
Bahamas                           1         1           011
Bahrain                           973                   0
Bangladesh                        880
Barbados                          1         1           011
Belarus                           7
Belgium                           32        0           00
Belize                            501
Benin                             229                   00
Bermuda                           1         1           011
Bhutan                            975
Bolivia                           591
Bosnia-Herzegovina                38        0           99
Botswana                          267                   09
Brazil                            55        0           00
British Virgin Islands            1         1           011
Brunei                            673
Bulgaria                          359
Burkina Faso                      226                   00
Burundi                           257                   00
Cameroon                          237                   00
Canada                            1         1           011
Cape Verde Islands                238                   00
Cayman Islands                    1         1           011
Central African Republic          236                   00
Chad                              235                   00
Chile                             56        0           00
China                             86
Christmas and Cocos Isand         672
Colombia                          57        9           90
Comoros                           269
Congo                             242                   00
Cook Islands                      682
Costa Rica                        506                   00
Croatia                           38        0           99
Cuba                              53
Cyprus                            357                   00
Czech Republic                    42        0           00
Denmark                           45                    009
Diego Garcia                      246                   00
Djibouti                          253                   00
Dominica                          1         1           011
Dominican Republic                1         1           011
Ecuador                           593
Egypt                             20                    00
El Salvador                       503                   0
Equatorial Guinea                 240                   00
Estonia                           372
Ethiopia                          251                   00
Faeroe Island                     298                   00
Falkland Islands                  500
Fiji Islands                      679
Finland                           358                   990
France                            33        16W         19W
French Antilles                   596                   19
French Guiana                     594
French Polynesia                  689
Gabon                             241                   00
Gambia                            220                   00
Georgia                           7
Germany                           49        0           00
Ghana                             233                   00
Gibraltar                         350                   00
Greece                            30        0           00
Greenland                         299                   00
Grenada                           1         1           011
Guadeloupe                        590
Guam                              671                   001
Guantanamo Bay                    5399
Guatemala                         502                   00
Guinea                            224                   00
Guinea-Bissau                     245                   00
Guyana                            592
Haiti                             509
Honduras                          504                   00
Hong Kong                         852                   001
Hungary                           36                    00
INMARSAT (Atlantic)               871
INMARSAT (Indian)                 873
INMARSAT (Pacific)                872
Iceland                           354
India                             91                    00
Indonesia                         62
Iran                              98                    00
Iraq                              964                   00
Ireland                           353       0           00
Israel                            972       0           00
Italy                             39        0           00
Ivory Coast                       225                   00
Jamaica                           1         1           011
Japan                             81                    001
Jordan                            962
Kazakhstan                        7
Kenya                             254                   01
Khmer Republic                    855
Kiribati                          686
Korea (North)                     850
Korea (South)                     82                    001
Kuwait                            965                   00
Kyrgyzstan                        7
Laos                              856
Latvia                            371
Lebanon                           961                   00
Lesotho                           266                   00
Liberia                           231                   00
Libya                             218                   00
Liechtenstein                     41        0           00
Lithuania                         370
Luxembourg                        352                   00
Macao                             853                   00
Macedonia                         38        0           99
Madagascar                        261                   00
Malawi                            265                   01
Malaysia                          60        0           007
Maldives                          960
Mali                              223                   00
Malta                             356
Marshall Islands                  692
Mauritania                        222                   00
Mauritius                         230                   00
Mayotte Island                    269                   00
Mexico                            52        91          98
Micronesia                        691
Moldova                           7
Monaco                            33        16W         19W
Mongolia                          976
Montserrat                        1         1           011
Morocco                           212       0           00W
Mozambique                        258                   00
Myanmar                           95
Namibia                           264                   09
Nauru                             674
Nepal                             977
Netherlands                       31        0           09W
Netherlands Antilles              599                   00
Nevis                             1         1           011
New Caledonia                     687
New Zealand                       64        0           00
Nicaragua                         505                   00
Niger                             227                   00
Nigeria                           234                   01
Niue                              683
Norfolk Island                    672
North America and Caribbean       1         1           011
Norway                            47                    095
Oman                              968
Pakistan                          92
Palau                             680
Panama                            507                   00
Papua New Guinea                  675
Paraguay                          595
Peru                              51
Philippines                       63                    00
Poland                            48
Portugal                          351                   097
Qatar                             974                   0
Republic of Yemen                 967
Reunion Island                    262                   00
Romania                           40
Russia                            7
Rwanda                            250                   00
Saipan                            670
San Marino                        39        0           00
Sao Tome                          239                   00
Saudi Arabia                      966                   00
Senegal Republic                  221                   12
Seychelle Islands                 248                   00
Sierra Leone                      232                   00
Singapore                         65                    005
Slovak Republic                   42        0           00
Slovenia                          38        0           99
Solomon Islands                   677
Somalia                           252                   00
South Africa                      27        0           09
Spain                             34                    07W
Sri Lanka                         94
St. Helena                        290                   00
St. Kitts                         1         1           011
St. Pierre and Miquelon           508
St. Vincent and the Grenadines    1         1           011
Sudan                             249                   00
Suriname                          597
Swaziland                         268                   00
Sweden                            46        0           009
Switzerland                       41        0           00
Syria                             963
Taiwan                            886                   002
Tajikistan                        7
Tanzania                          255                   00
Thailand                          66                    001
Togo                              228                   00
Tonga                             676
Trinidad and Tobago               1         1           011
Tunisia                           216                   00
Turkey                            90        9W          9W9W
Turkmenistan                      7
Turks and Caicos Islands          1         1           011
Tuvalu                            688
Uganda                            256                   00
Ukraine                           7
United Arab Emirates              971                   00
United Kingdom                    44        0           010
United States of America          1         1           011
Uruguay                           598
Uzbekistan                        7
Vanuatu                           678
Vatican City                      39        0           00
Venezuela                         58        0           00
Vietnam                           84
Wallis and Futuna Islands         681
Western Samoa                     685
Yemen (P.D.R.)                    969
Yugoslavia                        38        0           99
Zaire                             243                   00
Zambia                            260                   00
Zimbabwe                          263                   09

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

Date: Thu, 16 Sep 1993 18:06:49 EDT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: AT&T EasyReach-Gannett Trial


Gannett Co. and AT&T announced they are testing a telephone news and
information service available to AT&T's EasyReach Service subscribers.

Gannett supplies news, sports scores, weather reports, stock prices
and other information.  AT&T EasyReach Service provides a permanent
long-distance number to consumers.  EasyReach numbers are dialed with
10288-0-700 + seven digits.

Subscribers to AT&T's EasyReach service will be the test group for the
AT&T/USA Today Personalized Information Service.  A customer will
select areas of interest from a listing of more than 10,000
categories, including news, sports and stock quotes. then call a
number to get the information.  Some customers will be charged 25
cents a minute; others will pay 49 cents a minute. The test will run
for six months.

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

Date: 16 Sep 93 18:08:08 EDT
From: Ken Jongsma <[e-mail]>
Subject: ATT&T PublicPhone 2K Back On?


Could this be the answer to the great AT&T PublicPhone 2000 question?
Perhaps the keyboards will be turned back on in the near future. The
following appeared in the current {Communications Week}:

AT&T GETS FINE, THEN APPROVAL

The FCC recently fined AT&T for offering services against regulations,
but the commission then gave AT&T permission to offer the services. In
an Aug 19 ruling, the FCC fined AT&T $464,000 for providing specialized
information services through special public payphones. The commission
said the fine was levied against AT&T for services offered between Oct
6 and Oct 30, 1992, when it conducted an investigation of the services.

But on Aug 24, the FCC granted a waiver that allows AT&T to offer
Standalone Public Enhanced Communications Systems, which let customers
use special equipment to access weather services, stock quotes and
electronic mail. The FCC said its approval of SPECS is in the public
interest, but that it was compelled to fine AT&T for offering the
services without prior approval.

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

Talk about the need to reinvent government.


Ken

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

Date: Fri, 17 Sep 1993 00:52:33 CDT
From: Andrew C. Green <[e-mail]>
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Subject: Case of the Worn-Out Intercept


Despite living in this day and age, where everything is assumed to be
crisp, clean, digitally-recorded and stuffed-on-a-chip, I just
received what in my experience is the worst recording of an intercept
message that I've ever heard.

The occasion was my local call from the River North area of Chicago to
my wife's office down in the Loop.  The intercept occurred almost
immediately upon the completion of my dialing, and, curiously, was not
preceded by the usual tri-tone earsplitters. It sounded like an old
wax cylinder recording, complete with a big thumbprint in the middle:

(loud, through static, then fading) "WE'RE SORRY, YOUR
CALL CANNOT BE COMPLeted as dialed. mmmmmphhh..."

(...dead silence for a couple of seconds, then fade in...)

"...try again or caLL YOUR OPERATOR FOR ASSISTANCE. THIS IS A
RECORDING."  (chorus, repeat)

I listened for some time to be sure that it really was playing back
that badly, and wasn't an intermittent bad connection. It contained no
code number of any kind, by the way. It sounded like a mechanical
playback device, but I find that a bit difficult to believe. My wife's
office ((312) 269 exchange) has a nice modern phone system and it
seems an unlikely source for it, plus I don't believe the call routing
made it that far anyway. Our office system is similarly well-equipped
and doesn't have voice intercepts anyway. Any guesses as to the source?


Andrew C. Green
Datalogics, Inc.      Internet: [e-mail]
441 W. Huron          UUCP: ..!uunet!dlogics!acg
Chicago, IL  60610    FAX: [phone]

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

From: [e-mail] (Dave Manning)
Subject: Frame Relay FAQ?
Organization: University of Nebraska at Omaha
Date: Fri, 17 Sep 1993 01:10:56 GMT


The title says it all. Where can one look to get a fairly good
description of what frame is all about?


Thanks,

Dave   [e-mail]::::[e-mail]

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

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #653
******************************










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Date: Fri, 17 Sep 1993 03:39:19 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #654

TELECOM Digest     Fri, 17 Sep 93 03:39:00 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 654

Inside This Issue:                       Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Re: MCI Fiber Cut - 9/10/93 About 11:30 AM (Pat Turner)
    Re: MCI Fiber Cut - 9/10/93 About 11:30 AM (Rob Knauerhase)
    Re: Another Outage for MCI (John Clarke)
    Re: Boy, is AT&T Gonna Love This! (Willie Smith)
    Re: Boy, is AT&T Gonna Love This! (Vance Shipley)
    Re: Modem as Digital Phone? (Steve Cogorno)
    Re: Spread Spectrum Background and History (Chris Beaumont)
    Re: PacBell and GTE (Randy Gellens)
    Re: ISDN in the USA (Ketil Albertsen)
    Re: Can You Dial Area Code 810 From Your Switch Yet? (Antigone Press)
    Re: Answering Machine That Calls Pager? (Ray Normandeau)
    Re: Point of Sale ATM Card Readers and Customer PIN Keypads (Ross Anderson)
    Re: DTMF Pocket Dialers (Gary Breuckman)
    Re: Touring a Working CO? (Pete Lancashire)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Date: Thu, 16 Sep 93 18:15 EDT
Subject: Re: MCI Fiber Cut - 9/10/93 About 11:30 AM


> What ever happened to network redundancy and/or rapid rerouting?

They may have had the same luck we had down in Jacksonville center
(ZJX).  ZJX is on a fiber loop that covers the jacksonville area with
a transfer switch between the A & B sides.  I assume the resulting DS3
signal is fed in to a DDM1000, I've only been there once.  Anyway,
Tuesday before last an anomaly* on the A side caused the switch to
transfer to B.  Something caused it to transfer back to A.  Somewhere
in between the switch failed, isolating the mux from either fiber,
even though the A fiber was OTS for <100ms.  Since Bell and Alltel
thought the switch was failproof, it to    5i%uok an hour to fix.

In the mean time, ZJX was without any (PSTN) telephone service, having
to make do with two microwave links, HF, cellular and VHF repeaters.

*Telco speak for tech bumping fibers in a crossbox

> 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!).

Lots of people have facilities besides the big three.  Lots of
carriers can't afford to maintain facilities to a POP in every LATA in
the US, they then buy bandwidth from another carrier.  Wiltel would
the fourth largest carrier, and some of their links include a 1/4" steel
backhoe fade margin :-).

One small carrier in Alabama, Deltacom, was at one time a 100%
facilities based carrier.  They found a city, Arab, in the Birmingham
LATA that was socially and politically linked to the Huntsville LATA.
They set themselves up as a Dial 2 carrier with the independent telco.
Now they have digital microwave and fiber throughout Alabama.  My only
complaint is that their sites do not have gensets, relying solely on
battery backup.

Not the opinions of the FAA.


Patton Turner  KB4GRZ  FAA Telecommunications  [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (Rob Knauerhase)
Subject: Re: MCI Fiber Cut - 9/10/93 About 11:30 AM
Date: Fri, 17 Sep 1993 00:39:09 PDT
Organization: Intel Mobile Software Lab, Hillsboro, OR


In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] writes:

> 1. MCI no longer uses its old microwave routes for backup as they
>    used to.  They were deemed to costly to maintain.

So will they be changing their name to FCI, perhaps, then?


Rob Knauerhase   [[e-mail]]    Intel Mobile Software Lab

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

Date: Thu, 16 Sep 1993 11:33:00
From: John Clarke <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Another Outage for MCI


[e-mail] writes:

> 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
> [...]

It has occured to me that we only see postings regarding MCI outages
in comp.dcom.telecom.  Why is this?  Surely other carriers have
outages.  Is news of an outage really of any interest to comp.dcom.
telecom readers?  By the time the message gets sent to the Digest, and
then gets sent by the Digest to readers, and then gets read by the
readers, its probably old news anyways.  So why report this?  And why
only MCI?  Conspiracists want to know ...


john    [e-mail]
My opinions might be held by my company, or they might not, I don't know.


[Moderator's Note: I would encourage you to read back issues of the
Digest for the past two or three years. The AT&T outage a couple years
ago was covered very extensively as have been other problems Mother
has experienced.  Regards the original message on the most recent MCI
outage, it occurred mid-morning last Friday. It had been sent in to me
by a reader as of mid-afternoon the same day, and was circulating both
in the Digest and comp.dcom.telecom late Friday afternoon and early
Friday evening. This would be a matter of several hours which is not,
IMHO, a bad turn-around time. In fact when messages like that come
along, they are automatically pushed to the head of the queue in front
of other items to go out ASAP.  PAT]

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

From: [e-mail] (Willie Smith)
Subject: Re: Boy, is AT&T Gonna Love This!
Organization: PictureTel Corporation
Date: Thu, 16 Sep 1993 17:16:44 GMT


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] writes:

> 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.

As.yd[cqh a matter of fact, Qualcomm makes a chip to code voice down
to 4000, 4800, 8000, or 9600 (or auto-switch among them).  Once we get
a digital network, the sky's the limit!  My favorite concept (course,
now I can't use it, cuz everyone knows) is to pipe your favorite CD to
your buddy and encode your voice in the low order bits.  Or use a
photo-CD that you each have the only two copies of as a one-time pad
to generate 'unbreakable' encryption.  Who needs Clipper/ Capstone/
Skipjack when bits are (nearly) free and voice is 9600 baud?  Heck,
make a bunch of calls and split your data stream.


Willie Smith    [e-mail]       [e-mail]

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

From: Vance Shipley <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Boy, is AT&T Gonna Love This!
Organization: XeniTec Consulting, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
Date: Thu, 16 Sep 1993 12:28:57 GMT


In article <[e-mail]>, Paul Robinson
<[e-mail]> wrote:

> 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.  :)

One word ... isochronous.  Look it up.  You need a damn site more than
"an internet connection" to do full duplex voice.


Vance Shipley, [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (Steve Cogorno)
Subject: Re: Modem as Digital Phone?
Date: Thu, 16 Sep 93 18:14:18 PDT


Steve,

I am fairly certain that what you propose is impossible.  Modems by
their very nature are analog not digital devices.  Besides, a 9600 BPS
modem wouldn't be able to handle data fast enough.

What you would need is a Macintosh AV model -- they have an AT&T DSP
(digital signal processing) chip on-board.  You would need to purchase
a phone pod (between $50 and $100) for the type of telephone line you
have (POTS, PBX, Digital line, etc.)  The pod plugs into the back of
the Mac (in the GeoPort).  The standard system software comes with a
Voice Mail, FAX, and Speakerphone software.  BTW, the AVs also do
full-motion video, and out-of-the-box voice recognition with voice
response (you can select male or female.)


Steve    [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (Chris Beaumont)
Subject: Re: Spread Spectrum Background and History
Organization: Morningdew Associates
Date: Fri, 17 Sep 1993 01:18:45 GMT


I got a big kick out of reading Dan's post about the history of spread
spectrum, because George Antheil was my father.  Thanks for keeping an
interesting story alive!!


Chris Beaumont   [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail]
Date: 16 SEP 93 23:08
Subject: Re: PacBell and GTE


[e-mail] (David Gast) writes:

> 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.

Pac Bell doesn't allow false names for directory listings, either.
When I tried to have my second line listed in a pseudonym I've used
many times in the past, the insisted on seeing some proof that someone
existed with this name.  They faxed me the tariffs.

> PB bundles cancel call waiting with call waiting.  GTE does not.

But Pac Bell charges extra for every extra feature, and even with the
small "quantity discount" they offer for having multiple features, it
ads up qick.  GTE bundles the features in packages, so for a
reasonable set of features, GTE ends up cheaper, even though Pac
Bell's basic rate is less.

Having recent service from both GTE and Pac Bell, I can point to many
items in each's services that the other does better.

I still miss the way three-way calling worked on the GTD-5: if I was
talking to someone, I could flash for a three-way dialtone, then hang
up.  The phone would ring, and when I answered, I'd be talking to the
same person (this is the way call-waiting works when hanging up on one
party).  This is a great feature, because it lets me transfer the call
to any phone in the house.  The person on the line hears ringback
until I answer.  I wish I could get Pac Bell's three-way to act that
way.


Randall Gellens . . . . . [e-mail]
A Series System Software . Unisys Corporation
[Please forward bounce messages|  Mission Viejo, CA
to: [e-mail]]
Opinions are personal; facts are suspect; I speak only for myself

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

From: [e-mail] (Ketil Albertsen,TIH)
Subject: Re: ISDN in the USA
Organization: T I H / T I S I P
Date: Fri, 17 Sep 1993 03:34:13 GMT


In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (Dave
Evans) writes:

>> It [ISDN] 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.)

Disregarding the well known problems of 56 vs 64 kbps and mu-law vs
A-law for a moment, in another area the US decided to divert from the
original ISDN standards:

In the rest of the world (well, I am not sure about Canada and Japan),
the service provider delivers an internationally standardized T
interface to an NT1 which serves to isolate the user from the network
(subscriber line) both with respect to protocols and technology. Eg.
the phone company may replace the copper cable with an optical fiber
without affecting the user equipment.

In the US, the phone companies are not allowed to sell the standard T
interface to the customers; they are required to provide a "U"
interface which can be considered to be the end of the cable running
to the switch office, with no termination electronics. US customers
have been fooled to believe that this will save them money, as they
can (/must) buy their own terminator box at the department store (I
get the impression that ISDN NT1 boxes are terribly expensive in the
US -- I am happy that I don't have to buy one).

(I assume that the telco is allowed to sell NT1 boxes, too -- but
these become the property of the customer, not of the network provider.)

Of course they have been fooled -- the telco must install some sort of
terminator box as well, for providing the U interface, so you end up
having two termiantor boxes -- hardly cheaper than having one! And
while the ITU (CCITT) doesn't want to define physical/electrical
standards for the U interface to keep things flexible with respect to
future technology, the US market (? FCC?) has defined a standard U for
the US - making things just as rigid as following the T standard would
be. (If the telco would like to replace their old subscriber lines
with some future technology that doesn't fit well into the U interface,
they still are forced to convert the signals, in *their* (new, of
course) terminator box, to the U standard, so that it can be converted
by the user's terminator box to what the user really wants.  Hardly
cheaper than adapting directly to the T interface!)

What does this mean for the customer? To save the expense of a
separate user NT1, some companies make phones, modems/TAs etc. that
directly connects to the U interface! Although they may be cheaper
than an NT1 + a standard ISDN phone, there is no good reason why they
would be cheaper than a standard ISDN phone alone. (Similar for
modem/TA and other equipment).  And you cannot use this equipment with
any standardized ISDN T interface.  Furthermore, you loose
functionality that way: D channel arbitration is resolved by the NT1,
so if you don't have an NT1, in general you cannot multiplex separate
connections (two phones on separate B channels and various D channel
connections).

Also, a lot of network maintenance (outside the US) is based on the
phone switch being able to interrogate the NT1. This cannot be done in
the US system, where the NT1 may be absent. This may (although I
cannot say "will") lead to poorer system maintenance, which may lead
to poorer service.

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

From: [e-mail] (Antigone Press)
Subject: Re: Can You Dial Area Code 810 From Your Switch Yet?
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Fri, 17 Sep 1993 03:15:59 GMT


John Palmer ([e-mail]) wrote:

> 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).

Pacific Bell traps the call after 1-810- into a "We're sorry ... your
call cannot be completed as dialed..." recording.  (Same recording
exactly for 10ATT-1-810-XXX-XXXX or 10222-1-810-XXX-XXXX....)


Michael Ross       [e-mail]  (preferred)
Antigone Press     [e-mail]
San Francisco CA   FAX [phone]

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

Subject: Re: Answering Machine That Calls Pager?
From: [e-mail] (Ray Normandeau)
Date: 17 Sep 93 02:43:00 GMT
Organization: Invention Factory's BBS - New York City, NY - 212-274-8298v.32bis
Reply-To: [e-mail] (Ray Normandeau)


>> 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.

The TRS catalog now sells for $2.95. I would rather buy 47 Street
Photo's; at least they sell Panasonic answering machines that do the
same thing.

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

From: [e-mail] (Ross Anderson)
Subject: Re: Point of Sale ATM Card Readers and Customer PIN Keypads
Organization: U of Cambridge Computer Lab, UK
Date: Fri, 17 Sep 1993 05:02:07 GMT


[Moderator's Note: The original message in this thread appeared only
in comp.dcom.telecom, not in the Digest.  PAT]

Sydney Biddle Barrows ([e-mail]) wrote:

>  Here in California even small merchants have been authorized to use
>  a small ATM card reader with an attached keyboard for customer input
>  to facilitate purchases using ATM cards.  It seems to me these boxes
>  are unlikely to use any sophisticated DES, dedicated line, or other
>  kind of security.  Most likely they either transmit clear text or it
>  would be a simple matter to tap into the box and extract unencrypted
>  ATM card and customer entered PIN information.

Most PIN pads do indeed have a microcontroller with embedded DES which
encrypts the PIN en route to the bank. Some of them even encrypt it
properly.

But why waste time breaking in to the terminal?

The two standard attacks are:

-    build a false terminal and harvest account numbers and PINs;

-    observe the customers' PINs as they are entered (many stores take
    video recordings of the checkout in order to deter cashier fraud).
    Then get the customer account number from the tally roll.

Both of these tricks are in widespread use - see my article `Why
Cryptosystems Fail' to appear in the ACM Conference on Computer and
Communications Security, Fairfax, VA, 3-5 November this year.

The moral is that VISA's current plan to introduce PINs worldwide with
mag stripe cards is a bad idea. But then, it's the banks and their
customers who pay for fraud, not VISA.


Ross

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

Date: Thu, 16 Sep 93 16:21:01 -0700
From: [e-mail] (Gary Breuckman)
Subject: Re: DTMF Pocket Dialers


In article <[e-mail]> is written:

> 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.

Of course, some older exchanges just didn't accept touchtone at all, I
suppose most of those are gone now.  Other places touchtone is an
option that you have to pay for.  The charge was eliminated in
Wisconsin, and is now included 'at no additional cost' (meaning, they
charge EVERYONE for it now...).  Folks who are not paying for
touchtone would often (depending on how smart the exchange was) have
it disabled, so only pulse dialing would work.


[e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (Pete Lancashire)
Subject: Re: Touring a Working CO?
Organization: Sequent Computer Systems, Inc.
Date: Thu, 16 Sep 93 15:26:02 GMT


[e-mail] (Eric Hinson) writes:

> 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...

Eric ...

There are two ways of getting a tour. First the 'offical' way. Get the
name of your local co's PR person(s). And then get an offical tour.
Your ham license should help.

Next is the way I do it. Just look for someone there. And then knock
on the door. Especially on the weekends.

AND THEN TAKE A CAMARA!!! There are very few good pics of SXS or 'Mail
Boxes' around.

Good luck ...


Pete Lancashire  [e-mail]   Sr. Systems Engineer

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

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #654
******************************










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Date: Sun, 19 Sep 1993 21:08:19 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Telecom Archives Email Service


A new email service has been started to make access to the Telecom Archives
available to users who do not have the more conventional access methods of
FTP, Gopher or Web, to name three common connections.

The Telecom Archives Email Service can be contacted at:

                    [e-mail]

This is an automated address connected to a script which handles your
inquiries. The 'help' and 'info' files available from the service are
printed here for your reference. In summary, you can:

SEND for files in the archives including back issues of TELECOM Digest;

INFOrm yourself on changes and new files in the archives.

SEARCH the indexes of authors and subjects in TELECOM Digest since 1989.
This is useful when you recall a particular article but cannot remember
which issue it was in. The years 1989 through 1992 are indexed, and 1993
will be included in the indexes soon. I use grep -i to search the back
issues based on the strings you provide so you don't have to worry about
the upper/lower case involved -- you get back a list of the issues
you'll need to obtain for the desired articles.

If you make an error in entering commands or request a non-existent
file, the service will not just ignore you or throw your letter away.
You will get back a very verbose report, showing how your commands were
interpreted, and why your requests could not be met. You can also receive
manual assistance as required.

Much of this script (the backbone and principal parts of it in fact) were
written by Clive Feather ([e-mail]) and donated to the Archives as
a public service. I also wrote a few of the features available and added
some cosmetics.

Here is the HELP file:

                  The Telecom-Archives Email Service
                  ==================================
                  [Last modified September 19, 1993]

The Telecom Archives Email Service is a simple package to allow files
to be fetched by email. It understands a small set of commands, which
basically cause files to be sent in mail messages to an email address
specified in the message (this does not have to be the sender of the
message).

Messages are sent to the Telecom Archives Email Service by emailing
them to:
                  [e-mail]

The subject does not matter.

The message sent to the server should consist of a set of commands,
one per line. Each command begins with a keyword, which should be all
in the same case, though this can be either upper or lower case. The
first command must be a REPLY command: the server will use this to
determine the end of any introductory material and the start of the
actual commands.

Commands
========

The commands understood by the server are listed below. Some commands
take a single argument, which is separated from the command name by
one or more spaces. All other text on the command line is ignored.
An exception to this is when search mode is turned on; see notes below.

END
    The remainder of the message will be ignored by the info-server.
    This should be used to prevent signatures from being interpreted.

HELP
    Sends this file. This is equivalent to "INFO HELP".

HUMAN
    This should be used to obtain help; processing of your message will
    stop and the entire message will be sent to a human being. It is
    actually forwarded to [e-mail].

INDEX
    Sends the list of all files in the Telecom Archives. This is equiv-
    alent to "INFO INDEX".

INFO
    This command takes an argument and causes files to be sent in reply,
    like the SEND command, but these files are about TELECOM Digest and
    the Archives itself, such as a list of all files in the database,
    and a list of what has changed in the last week. Unlike the SEND
    command, the argument is lowercased before use. If you include a
    <filename> argument, you get that file. If you just say 'INFO'
    and do not include an argument, then you get an index of available
    info files about Telecom Digest and other things.

PASSWORD
    This command takes an argument, consisting of the name of a "file
    group", a slash, and then a password; for example: "private/pswd".
    If the password is correct for that file group, then the files in
    the file group, and the index file for it, become available for
    request. Until the password is correctly specified, the file group
    is not available. Files for a file group all have names including
    the group name; for example, all files in the file group "private"
    have names beginning ".private/" (note the dot). The index for
    the group can be fetched with the command "info index.private" once
    the password requirement has been met.

    WARNING - accessing files with a password that has not been
    obtained in a legitimate manner may be an offense under the law.
    Access to restricted file sets other than via a legitimately
    obtained password is expressly forbidden.

REPLY
    This takes an argument, which is the email address to which all
    replies should be sent. This *must* be the first command; the ser-
    ver uses it to determine the start of the commands to be executed.
    This may also occur elsewhere within the message; replies to subse-
    quent commands will be sent to the new address.

SEND
    This takes an argument, which is the name of a file or set of files
    to be requested. All files in the Archives database whose name
    includes the argument will be sent in reply. Thus, if the database
    included a package consisting of five files:

        software.dndlib.01
        software.dndlib.02
        software.dndlib.03
        software.dndlib.04
        software.dndlib.README

    then the whole package can be retrieved with the command:

        SEND software.dndlib

    whilst just part 3 can be retrieved with the command:

        SEND software.dndlib.03

    It is legal, though not necessarily useful, to use commands like:

        SEND ware.
        SEND dli

    both of which will send these five files (and probably others).

SEARCH-OFF
SEARCH-ON
    These two commands work together to allow searching the indexes
    of back issues of TELECOM Digest. Normally when using this email
    server, the first word on each line is taken as a command and
    the phrase following is taken as the argument, i.e. SEND filename.

    But when SEARCH-ON is given as the command (it has no arguments)
    then what you type on each line following is treated as the literal
    string to be grepped against possible entries in the index to
    subjects/authors files in the archives rather than as a command to
    the email server itself. Once the server encounters the phrase
    SEARCH-OFF, it resumes processing what follows as commands to
    the server rather than strings to be grepped from the indexes.

    As examples:

    REPLY yourname@site
    OHIO BELL
    END
       This will fail since the server has no such command as 'Ohio Bell'.

    REPLY yourname@site
    SEARCH-ON
    OHIO BELL  (or for that matter, ohio bell will work just as well)
    SEARCH-OFF
    END
       This will produce return mail from the server listing every
       instance of 'Ohio Bell' (up/low case does not matter) appearing
       in the indexes of subjects and authors. Had you given an author's
       name, you'd get back a list of every time that name appeared in
       the index with the titles of articles submitted, etc.

    In general, avoid the use of a server command as the first word in a
    search string in search mode. For example, 'end' (as the first word
    in the search string) will -- for obvious reasons -- close the
    server regardless of the status of search mode; it won't produce
    thousands of lines of subjects/authors with /end/ as part of the
    string.  All that really happens with SEARCH-ON is that the server
    is told to ignore 'typing errors' in 'commands' you enter and to
    instead treat it as something to search for in the indexes rather
    than a file to retrieve. Most server commands will continue to work
    regardless of SEARCH-ON (and likewise, most server commands cannot
    be the first word in a search string), but the results are mixed
    and unpredictable. When your email stream first flows into the
    script, the default is SEARCH-OFF (search=false). If you turn it
    on to search the indexes it is to your advantage to turn it off
    before entering other commands after it. If you get ten megs of
    email in your box listing all sorts of article titles from back
    issues of the Digest, don't say you were not warned!   <smile>.

VERBOSE
    A description of the effect of each command will be sent back to
    you. You'll get a letter back showing what I thought you were
    trying to say or asking for.

Acknowlegements:

This email server was constructed mostly by our friend Clive Feather
<[e-mail]>, to whom my grateful thanks are extended! Some features
and modifications were constructed by myself.

Additional notes:

To SUBMIT articles to TELECOM Digest, write to [e-mail].
To SUBSRIBE to TELECOM Digest, write to [e-mail].
To write to me personally, write to [e-mail].

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

Here is the INFO file:

Telecom Archives Email Server Basic Information:
================================================

To use the INFO command with the email server you would type:

INFO <argument>

 ... where <argument> can be one of these:

back-issues
    How to interpret the data in the subject/author indexes and obtain
    old copies the Digest from the archives.

faq
    The Frequently Asked Questions file for comp.dcom.telecom
    and the TELECOM Digest.

help
    The help file, also fetched by the HELP command.

index
    The index to data files, also fetched by the INDEX command.

info
    This file.

last-day
    A list of the data files that have changed in the last 24 hours.

last-week
    A list of the data files that have changed in the last 7 days.

last-month
    A list of the data files that have changed in the last 30 days.

products
    For information about the telecom products/services we offer.

orange-card
    For information about the Orange Calling Card, a no-surcharge,
    25 cent per minute calling card.

telepassport
    For information about the Telepassport International Calling
    Service; how to use it; how to sign up.

telecom-digest
    For information about the TELECOM Digest, and how to receive it.

For more detailed help using this service, send this message:

      REPLY  yourname@site
      HELP
      INDEX
      END

Or:   REPLY yourname@site
      HUMAN
      END

   Then your additional text typed here free form if you
   cannot figure this out and want email from a human.


Acknowledgement: Everyone please send a note of thanks to Clive
Feather <[e-mail]> for making this program available to
comp.dcom.telecom and the Digest.  PAT

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

That's the biz, sweethearts ... enjoy it!


PAT











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          20 Sep 93 18:53 EDT
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Date: Mon, 20 Sep 1993 15:30:03 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #655

TELECOM Digest     Mon, 20 Sep 93 15:29:30 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 655

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Economist Article: Imminent Death of Telephone Industry (Sean Burke)
    Day Long PacBell Outage (Urban Surfer)
    Tech Info Wanted on KX-T9000H Cordless (John Landwehr)
    GTE Beats Out Pacific Bell in ESS Feature (Lauren Weinstein)
    Good Hotel Upgrade or Teleslime? (Barton Bruce)
    CID Report From the 'Springs (Russell Kroll)
    Congressional Internet on Line (Michael G. Katzmann)
    Question on SDH VLSI Implementations (Pat Sullivan)
    From Internet to NIST? (Eric L. Hinson)
    Cellular Telephone Charging Methods (Richard Thomsen)
    Changed Country Codes (38 -> 38x) (Dalibor Cerar)
    AT&T Customer-Driven? (Jim Gottlieb)
    Milking a T1 - Equipment Pointers Desired (Jerry Glomph Black)
    Intelemate From DataLogic (Experiences?) (Bill Bailey)
    AT&T 1-800-OPERATOR (Christopher Zguris)

Be sure and try the new Telecom Archives automated Email Information
Service  ([e-mail]). It is intended to help all our
non-Internet participants made full use of the Archives. Ask me for
a help file if you have not seen it.   PAT]

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

From: [e-mail] (Sean Burke22)
Subject: Economist Article: Imminent Death of Telephone Industry
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Mon, 20 Sep 1993 05:37:18 GMT


Readers of these newsgroups might be interested in an article by
George Gilder published in {The Economist}, September 11-17.  Mr
Gilder is a senior fellow of the Discovery Institute in Seattle, and
has some interesting views on the major hardons which the telephone
and TV networks are having over multimedia, broadband fiber optics,
national information infrastructures, etc. If you enjoyed watching
dinosaurs like AT&T or IBM get their just deserts, Gilder predicts
that the big three TV networks and the Baby Bells will be next in
line, and will never even see it coming.

Here are some choice excerpts, intended to give you the flavor of the
article without trampling wholesale on the rights of the copyright
holder.  In this case laziness abets virtue -- I wouldn't type the
whole thing in even if I could. I've only quoted the provocative parts
 -- but the article has lots more facts, figures AND juicy invective.
All mispellings and typos are mine.

George Gilder writes in The Economist, September 11-17:

Proclaiming "multimedia convergence", "interactivity", "intelligent
networks", "500 channels of pay-per-view" and invoking vistas of
"high-definition television", seers in telephone and television
companies give stirring speeches about the future.  Contemplating
their revenues of tens of billions of dollars (see chart), their
laboratories full of new technology, their millions of mostly
satisfied shareholders and customers, their multiplying masses of
trade publications and cover-stories in national magazines, telephone
and television executives all too often seem unaware that their basic
technologies are dead.

 ... telecoms executives want to believe that televisions and
telephones can evolve bit by bit into the new digital world, with the
same companies supplying essentially the same services and offering
essentially the same jobs.  This dream cannot come true. Even to talk
of "telephones" and "televisions" reflects a lexicographic lag that
prevents many business leaders from detecting the onset of rigor
mortis in their still-profitable products.

 ...closer to the heart of the matter is the constant celebration of fibre
optics by telephone executives in public forums, accompanied by the
continued installation of millions of miles of the old twisted-pair
copper wire every year.

At the same time, the supposedly scarce realms of the radio-frequency
spectrum will open up due to a series of innovations that make
communications power (bandwidth) as cheap in the air as it is in wire
today.  Microcells using a protocol called Code Division Multiple
Access can use the entire radio-frequency spectrum every few miles or
even hundreds of yards. Billions of hertz of little-used spectrum are
available in the microwave domain and can be used for television
broadcasts or computer networks.

All these developments converge on one key fact of life, and death,
for telecommunications in the 1990s.  Television and telephone systems
 -- designed for a world in which spectrum or bandwidth was scarce --
are utterly unsuited for a world in bandwidth is abundant.

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

Sean Burke    [e-mail]

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

Date: Mon, 20 Sep 1993 11:53:14 PST
From: Urban Surfer <[e-mail]>
Subject: Day-Long PacBell Outage


On Wednesday, Sept 15th, 1993, Pacific Bell had a major extended
outage in Northwest Orange County, CA. My company lost dozens of T1's
and 56K circuits and suffered through heavy choking by Pac Bell. Here
is my account of the outage which is a mixture of on-the-scene
reports, an article in the {Orange County Register}, and a preliminary
post mortem by Pac Bell. PB's official report will be filed, by law,
within 30 days of the incident. There may be factual errors in this
report.

At about 3am, PB tech's reported a problem with the DACS IV at the
Anaheim 11 CO, in Cypress, CA. The DACS seemed to be responding
slowly. Some reports say that the techs were performing an emergency
upgrade of the DACS. According to the OCR, they left a voice mail for
Fred Jacobs, a PB trouble specialist. When he arrived at the office at
7:30 and heard the message, he gave the order to reboot the DACS. It
never came back up.

We experienced full outage of our T1's at 7:58. All our digital links
ride a fiber ring to the CO and connect to the DACS. There were a
total of 15 T3's terminated at the DACS. When PB discovered that there
were having serious problems, they began choking calls at the access
tandem so the switch wouldn't overload on "all circuits busy"
messages. This affected all POTS calls including 911 emergency
service, and switched 56K. There is no ISDN here yet.  The county went
into emergency mode and notified CB and ham operators. Police and
firemen patrolled the streets.

PB replaced the hard drive on the DACS and loaded backup tapes in.
They told us this would be completed by 11am. At 11am they told us
that they would need more time for testing. By this time, we were
receiving 15 minute status updates from our PB rep via cellular phone.
Fortunately, we had the foresight to rig 48 cellular circuits to our
PBX's. We also had plenty of mobile units.

Around noon time, PB gave up and called in Bellcore. An engineer
dialed in from Chicago to work the problem. According to OCR, the
original DACS software designer, known only as Jerry, was the
engineer. A standby DACS was brought in and Jerry supervised the
loading of tapes to get things back up. At 4pm our T1's popped back up
and we were back at 100%.

PB said that they still don't know what the problem was. They think it
was code or memory related. If anyone knows, I would appreciate an
explanation. I need to plan for extra redundancy in routing our T1's.
We will be taking a CO tour in a couple of weeks to plan this.


Matt Holdrege          [e-mail]        MH235

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

From: [e-mail] (John Landwehr)
Date: Mon, 20 Sep 93 09:57:02 -0500
Subject: Tech Info Wanted on KX-T9000H Cordless


I recently purchased a Panasonic KX-T9000H cordless 900MHz telephone.
(For those interested, it works very well! But seems to favor channel
11 95% of the time, and occasionally goes to channel 17 ... doesn't
seem to know or care about the other available 28 channels)

Inside the base unit, there are two dip switches next to the
tone/pulse switch.  Although the t/p switch is accessable from the
outside, the dip switches are not.  (However, there is a cutout in the
casing, but it is covered!)

Does anyone know what these might be used for?  I flipped them all,
and didn't notice any changes (including frequency).

Also, on the underside of the base is a soft panel.  On the handset,
there is another soft panel under the battery.  Both of these have
eight solder pads on the circuit boards which are accessable if the
soft panel is removed or the units are completely disassembled.

Possible programming panels?  Any ideas on how to use?


John Landwehr   [e-mail]

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

Date: Mon, 20 Sep 93 12:15 PDT
From: [e-mail] (Lauren Weinstein)
Subject: GTE Beats Out Pacific Bell in ESS Feature


Greetings.  Here's something that the GTE bashers in the audience
might find at least mildly interesting.  It turns out that GTE, with
their GTD5 switch, can offer their customers more control over their
call forwarding costs than Pacific and their 5ESS.

The issue revolves around standard "variable" call forwarding, the
type where the customer can enable and disable call forwarding to
whichever number they wish.  The GTD5 (and GTE policy) allows the
customer to request that fewer call "links" or "passes" be allowed for
forwarding than the default.  This can be critically important if a
business is forwarding a line into a system with a large rotary, but
needs to control the costs of those forwarded calls by limiting how
many simultaneous calls will be forwarded--especially important for
toll or long distance forwarding situations.

It can also be crucial if a business if forwarding to a single line
with call-waiting, where frequent multiple incoming calls would make
use of three-way very difficult due to the fact that a call wait beep
disables the ability to get a three-way dialtone.  In theory, cancel
call waiting could be used per call to try get around this, but in
practice that turns into a substantial hassle, especially for
non-telecom folks.  There are situations where you just want ONE call
at a time, and just want the other calls to go busy.

As I mentioned, GTE will happily arrange for this, and limit the
passes/links to one if you so request.  Pacific says no way.  They
claim the 5ESS won't even allow it, except for remote call forwarding
situations, where they charge extra for each pass/link.

So in this case, at least, GTE gets the customer service prize, and
Pacific Bell loses out.  If someone at Pacific knows of a way to
accomplish what I describe that isn't widely known, I'd sure like to
hear about it.  And similarly, if the 5ESS folks out at the Labs can
clarify the capabilities of 5ESS in terms of such control, that would
also be fascinating information.


Thanks much,

 --Lauren--

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

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Good Hotel Upgrade or Teleslime?
Date: 20 Sep 93 12:43:24 -0400
Organization: Cambridge Computer Associates, Inc.


A hotel owner I know has been approached by someone selling a service
that will put a FREE phone in each room.

Each phone has MANY buttons on it to dial for area services and info
that this service provider will go sell ads for.

Additionally, the phone has a card-swipe reader to facilitate credit
card purchases over the phone.

All the hotel gets is 1) free phones that are supposed to plug and
play on the current PBX, 2) enhanced service to guests, 3) revenue
from increased local calls (presumably even the info calls are charged
for).

This service company may be selling travel and lodging services for
the traveler's next destination that are paid for via a credit card
read in the swipe reader.

I believe the phone will NOT try to reroute LD calls via any other
carrier so this won't impact this properties contract with AT&T that
was negotiated by the chain they belong to. The customer probably can
also use the swipe reader in placing CC calls to the carrier of his
choice.

Apparently at larger sites (this is a 75 room one), these phones can
order pay-per-view TV service for the room, but this is not planned
here.

Is this really an innocent service that sells ads for area tourist
attractions, or is there some clever trick lurking here? Should the
hotel be holding out for some bigger cut of the action than just "FREE
PHONES THAT WILL BOOST YOUR LOCAL CALL TRAFFIC"?

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

Subject: CID Report From the 'Springs
From: cmptech![e-mail] (Russell Kroll)
Date: Mon, 20 Sep 93 05:51:24 MDT
Organization: Computech BBS at 719.260.6279 - Colorado Springs, CO


Well, Caller-ID and the CLASS services are here in Colorado Springs as
of September 14th.  US West did a mailing about two weeks before the
activation date letting people know about per-line blocking as well as
other things.  Here's how things work.

Per line blocking is free for awhile.  You *CAN'T* dial *67 to turn
delivery back on.  Attempting to do so results in reorder.  I believe
other readers of the Digest reported being able to Call Return (*69)
blocked calls.  Here, you simply get a message similar to:

"The last call was blocked, and can't be called with your last call
return service."

Another interesting thing about *69 is that it reads off the number
(719 260 6279 for example) then asks if you want to dial it by
pressing 1.  This is much better than that offered in Houston, where
*69 would either put the call through, or give a message.  The number
was not given prior to dialing.

It appears that they had their act together when they went to work on
this.

Oh yes, an update on that line that had the cable snaked across the
vacant lot next door ... it was buried about two weeks ago.


[e-mail] (Russell Kroll)  - or -  cmptech![e-mail]
This came from Computech BBS .... +1 719.260.6279 in Colorado Springs, CO.

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

From: slc1!vk2bea![e-mail] (Michael G. Katzmann)
Subject: Congressional Internet on Line
Date: 20 Sep 93 10:35:36 GMT
Organization: Broadcast Sports Technology., Crofton, MD


{Washington Technology} (September 9) reports that some members of the
House of Representatives have been supplied with Internet addresses.

Quote:

  Rep. Charlie Rose, D-NC., officially went public last month with the
E-mail addresses belonging to seven Congressmen participating in an
Internet access testbed under his supervision. Rose floated the names
and addresses out over the internet.

  Rose included with the addresses a message pleading with Internet
users that only constituents from the seven congressional districts
use the addresses. Under instructions entitled: "For Constituents,"
Rose wrote: "the primary goal of this pilot program is to allow
members to better serve their CONSTITUENTS."

  He added that Internet surfers should be patient as more
congressional members will be joining in the near future.

  Since the program started three months ago, only a handful of E-mail
letters have funnelled through the system to the seven congressional
offices. The house members fear that if public interest should swell,
an avalanche of E-mail could overwhelm the limited resources of the
congressional offices.

  Here are the addresses:
  *Rep. Charlie Rose, D-N.C.: [e-mail]
  *Rep. Perter Stark, D-Calif.: [e-mail]
  *Rep. Melvin Watt, D-N.C.: [e-mail]
  *Rep. Jay Dickey, R-Ark.: [e-mail]
  *Rep. Sam Gejdenson, D-Conn.: BOZRAH@@HR.HOUSE.GOV
  *Rep. Newt Gingrich, R-Ga.: [e-mail]
  *Rep. George Miller, D-Calif.: [e-mail]
  And for comments: [e-mail]


Michael Katzmann        Broadcast Sports Technology Inc.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~        Crofton, Maryland. U.S.A

NV3Z / VK2BEA / G4NYV    opel!vk2bea![e-mail]

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

Date: Mon, 20 Sep 93 06:38:41 EDT
From: [e-mail] (Pat Sullivan)
Subject: Question on SDH VLSI Implementations


I'm trying to find out where SONET/SDH realized in VLSI chipsets might
be available; would appreciate any info I could get on that. Also
trying to find out non-obvious companies who are making SONET/SDH
muxes etc., possibly using such VLSI chipsets.

Please reply direct.


Thanks,

Patrick Sullivan
Office of the Secretary of Defense
Arlington, VA.

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

From: [e-mail] (Eric L. Hinson)
Subject: From Internet to NIST?
Date: Mon, 20 Sep 1993 03:46:44 MDT


Is there a way to connect to NIST's time sync system [phone]
via the Internet (telnet, rlogin, or other protocol)?  Also, does
anybody know what type of computer(s) this service runs on?  I'm
curious also as to how it determines what UTC really IS (what does it
use as its time base)?


Eric L. Hinson / Internet: [e-mail] / Ham Radio: kb4rzf

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

Date: Mon, 20 Sep 1993 08:09:55 -0600
From: [e-mail] (Richard Thomsen)
Subject: Cellular Telephone Charging Methods


I just picked up some brochures for cellular telephone from US West
here in New Mexico.  They had one option which cost $2.00 per month,
and caused incomming telephone calls to be charged to the caller,
instead of the owner of the cellular account.  I did not know this was
available.  I wonder if those calling know?


Richard Thomsen    Los Alamos National Laboratory
Computer Networking Group (C-5)   [e-mail]
In case you did not realize, I speak only for myself.

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

From: [e-mail] (Dalibor Cerar)
Subject: Changed Country Codes (38 -> 38x)
Organization: University of Vaasa, Finland
Date: Mon, 20 Sep 1993 09:23:27 GMT


 From 1st of October, 1993, all exYugoslav countries will have new
country codes. New country codes are:

Bosnia ........ 387
Montenegro .... 381
Croatia ....... 385
Macedonia ..... 389
Slovenia ...... 386
Serbia ........ 381

Besides that, all phone numbers in Ljubljana, Slovenia, which start
with 1***** will be changed to 1x***** ("x" differs and represents the
part of the city).


Dalibor

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

Date: Mon, 20 Sep 93 19:57 PDT
From: [e-mail] (Jim Gottlieb)
Organization: Info Connections, West Los Angeles
Subject: AT&T Customer-Driven?


AT&T has come far in the last few years.  Slowly but surely the
monopoly attitude has been wearing off.

However, vestiges of its former life remain.  This is illustrated by
AT&T's continued refusal to provide caller ANI except on ISDN
facilities.  This topic comes up whenever telecom managers meet.

The other carriers, hungry for business, will deliver ANI any way the
customer wants.  DTMF?  Sure.  MF?  No problem.  This willingness to
be flexible has caused us to move most of our traffic off of AT&T and
onto carriers that act as if they really want our business.

AT&T needs to learn that in this day and age, they can not force
technology down its customers' throats.  We will go to the company
willing to meet our needs.


Jim Gottlieb
E-Mail: [e-mail]    In Japan: [e-mail]
V-Mail: [phone]   Fax: [phone]   Voice: 824-5454

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

From: Jerry Glomph Black <[e-mail]>
Subject: Milking a T1 - Equipment Pointers Desired!
Organization: MIT Lincoln Laboratory
Date: Mon, 20 Sep 93 03:16:25 -0400


I'm looking to squeeze as much as I can into a T1: A synch line
between two routers, plus a bunch of phone lines, some of which have
to carry fax/modem, most of which are for voice-only, and probably can
be low bit-rate.  We do it now with a fixed allocation (channel bank +
T1 Mux) which sucks because the digital stream (the synch line) can't
use the bandwidth of all the idle phone channels.  I know there's a
box out there that can do this, do you have any scoops on this?


Jerry Black, [e-mail]
(the only internet administrator in the Marshall Islands!)

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

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Intelemate From DataLogic (Experiences?)
Date: 20 Sep 1993 12:26:56 GMT
Organization: Northwestern University, Evanston IL USA


I've been looking for solutions to getting fax and modem over my
Norstar Key system and ran accross the Intelemate II. Has anyone used
or heard about this?

They claim it is a "portable telephone wall jack". It plugs between
the phone and the earpiece and provides all the Bell Telephone signal
standards to fax/modem. It is guaranteed to work on any phone and will
run on 9 volt or standard AC. It is priced just a little more than the
Northern Tel. ATA  $295 Intelemate II.

Are there any other products out there like the Intelemate from
DataLogic?  Their phone: [phone].


Thanks,

Bill   [e-mail]

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

Date: Mon, 20 Sep 93 23:38 GMT
From: Christopher Zguris <[e-mail]>
Subject: AT&T 1-800-OPERATOR


  I just saw AT&T's commercial for 800-OPERATOR. It must be their
response to MCI's 800-COLLECT. The commercial says theyr'e the
cheapest, why did AT&T set up an 800 number, why couldn't they just
reduce their collect call rates -- or is it simply better marketing to
have an 800 number? Maybe this is the reason 800-COLLECT advertising
no longer claims to be the cheapest way to place a collect call?


Christopher Zguris    [e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: May I suggest 1-800-TALK-425? That's the number which
Orange Communications has set up to do the same thing at 25 cents per
minute and something like 70-80 cents surcharge. They are the people who
put out the Orange Calling Card which as everyone here knows has made me
a millionaire in just six months. :)  Not quite, but now I get to sit
in the front of the bus rather than on the back seat, that's how profit-
able it has been! :)  Anyway, try 1-800-TALK-425.    PAT]

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

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #655
******************************










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Date: Mon, 20 Sep 1993 16:00:32 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #656

TELECOM Digest     Mon, 20 Sep 93 16:00:30 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 656

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Re: ISDN in the USA (Fred R. Goldstein)
    Re: ISDN in the USA (William Sohl)
    Re: ISDN in the USA (Paul Campbell)
    Re: Hotel Charges and Surcharges (Raymond Shwake)
    Re: Hotel Charges and Surcharges (Jack Winslade)
    Re: Newsfeed Wanted From Above (Dave Emery)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Fred R. Goldstein)
Subject: Re: ISDN in the USA
Organization: Digital Equipment Corp., Littleton MA USA
Date: Mon, 20 Sep 1993 12:36:22 GMT


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Ketil
Albertsen,TIH) writes:

> Disregarding the well known problems of 56 vs 64 kbps and mu-law vs
> A-law for a moment, in another area the US decided to divert from the
> original ISDN standards:

> In the rest of the world (well, I am not sure about Canada and Japan),
> the service provider delivers an internationally standardized T
> interface to an NT1 which serves to isolate the user from the network
> (subscriber line) both with respect to protocols and technology. Eg.
> the phone company may replace the copper cable with an optical fiber
> without affecting the user equipment.

> In the US, the phone companies are not allowed to sell the standard T
> interface to the customers; they are required to provide a "U"
> interface which can be considered to be the end of the cable running
> to the switch office, with no termination electronics. US customers
> have been fooled to believe that this will save them money, as they
> can (/must) buy their own terminator box at the department store (I
> get the impression that ISDN NT1 boxes are terribly expensive in the
> US -- I am happy that I don't have to buy one).

> (I assume that the telco is allowed to sell NT1 boxes, too -- but
> these become the property of the customer, not of the network provider.)

Nothing like more USA-bashing!  Just what we need here.  Anyway,
Ketil's description is a bit erroneous.  The whole NT business is tied
up in international monopoly politics.  When ISDN began to be talked
about in the late '70s, some people (including most Americans
involved) viewed it as a way to rationally digitize the telephone
network, which makes sense considering the economics.  Some Europeans,
though, viewed it as a way to extend their monopoly in
telecommuncations into the area of data communications and
teleprocessing.  Yep, CompUServe wouldn't be allowed in that model,
only the PTT's own service.  Of course that monopolist's dream fell by
the wayside as the PTTs were taught that their national economies were
more important than themselves.

The original PTT view had the S interface delivered to the customer,
with the PBX part of the monopoly.  Since the USA already had
competitive offering of PBXs, NT was split into NT1 (line terminator)
and NT2 (PBX).  But the FCC decided that NT1 was customer-premise
equipment and could be competitive TOO.  Anyone who remembers the
relative prices of telco and interconnect PBXs back before '83
(detariffing of PBXs, an act unrelated to "divestiture") will agree
that competition lowers prices.

NT1s ARE frightfully overpriced now, rumored because AT&T was forced
(antitrust threat or something) by a low-volume competitor to privide
them with a "price umbrella".  I hope this breaks soon, but it's
doubtful that a monopoly from the phone company would cost less.

> Of course they have been fooled -- the telco must install some sort of
> terminator box as well, for providing the U interface, so you end up
> having two termiantor boxes -- hardly cheaper than having one! And
> while the ITU (CCITT) doesn't want to define physical/electrical
> standards for the U interface to keep things flexible with respect to
> future technology, the US market (? FCC?) has defined a standard U for
> the US - making things just as rigid as following the T standard would
> be. (If the telco would like to replace their old subscriber lines
> with some future technology that doesn't fit well into the U interface,
> they still are forced to convert the signals, in *their* (new, of
> course) terminator box, to the U standard, so that it can be converted
> by the user's terminator box to what the user really wants.  Hardly
> cheaper than adapting directly to the T interface!)

The ITU didn't define a single U interface in the I series, but there
were six options described in the G series, including the US standard
2B1Q and the German 4B3T!  ANSI T1 defined U in the US.  It is of
course possible for the phone company to provide non-standard service.
We have lines with AT&T-defined AMI coding as well as 2B1Q.  It's a
free market here.  The phone company can provide 4B3T, raw glass,
ADSL, or ISDN-over-wet-string if they want, if they publish the spec
(for equipment suppliers).

The market wants 2B1Q.  Some ISDN devices are including integral NT1.
ISDN Systems Corp., for instance, plans to sell their (delayed) PC
ISDN card for $495 without NT1 and $645 with integral NT1.  AT&T makes
a phone with a U interface.  Xancomm sells a two-channel analog TA + NT1
+ UPS + packet-D box for $650.  None possible with telco-bundled NT1.
Even some European PTTs and Former PTTs are moving toward optional
user-provided NT1, with 2B1Q.  Personally I don't like integral NT1
devices UNLESS they also provide access for other devices, but some
do.

> Also, a lot of network maintenance (outside the US) is based on the
> phone switch being able to interrogate the NT1. This cannot be done in
> the US system, where the NT1 may be absent. This may (although I
> cannot say "will") lead to poorer system maintenance, which may lead
> to poorer service.

NT1 may not be a separate item, but its capabilities are generally
provided by integral NT1 devices.  Besides, if somebody wants to skimp
on what NT1 they buy, they shouldn't expect the same service as one
who buys a good NT1!  Ah, choice.  What a concept.


Fred R. Goldstein  k1io   [e-mail]
Opinions are mine alone; sharing requires permission

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

From: [e-mail] (sohl,william h)
Subject: Re: ISDN in the USA
Organization: Bellcore, Livingston, NJ
Date: Mon, 20 Sep 93 17:32:31 GMT


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Ketil
Albertsen,TIH) writes:

> In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (Dave
> Evans) writes:

>>> It [ISDN] 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.)

> Disregarding the well known problems of 56 vs 64 kbps and mu-law vs
> A-law for a moment, in another area the US decided to divert from the
> original ISDN standards:

The 56 vs 64 is an evolutionary problem in the USA.  Eventually, all
will be 64Kb.  The network takes time to be converted to 64Kb clear
trunking.

> In the rest of the world (well, I am not sure about Canada and Japan),
> the service provider delivers an internationally standardized T
> interface to an NT1 which serves to isolate the user from the network
> (subscriber line) both with respect to protocols and technology. Eg.
> the phone company may replace the copper cable with an optical fiber
> without affecting the user equipment.

Slight correction: The sevice provider outside the USA offers the T
interface to the customer's NT-2 equipment.  Outside the USA, the
service provide (the telco) provides the NT-1 to convert the line
signal (be it copper, fibre, or whatever) to the T-Interface.

> In the US, the phone companies are not allowed to sell the standard T
> interface to the customers; they are required to provide a "U"
> interface which can be considered to be the end of the cable running
> to the switch office, with no termination electronics. US customers
> have been fooled to believe that this will save them money, as they
> can (/must) buy their own terminator box at the department store (I
> get the impression that ISDN NT1 boxes are terribly expensive in the
> US -- I am happy that I don't have to buy one).

The customer premises equipment/interface situation in the USA began
long before ISDN.  Through the various Computer Inquiries (1, 2 & 3)
by the FCC the desicison was made by the FCC to mandate the USA
interface for many services to be the copper pair itself.

> (I assume that the telco is allowed to sell NT1 boxes, too -- but
> these become the property of the customer, not of the network provider.)

True.

> Of course they have been fooled -- the telco must install some sort of
> terminator box as well, for providing the U interface, so you end up
> having two termiantor boxes -- hardly cheaper than having one!

The terminator box for the U interface is nothing more than the same
jack that is used for a typical telephone installation.  There is
absolutely no electrical/electronic componentry provided as the U
termination on the customer premises by the telephone companies.  In a
residential environment, the jack is known as an RJ-11 jack.

> And while the ITU (CCITT) doesn't want to define physical/electrical
> standards for the U interface to keep things flexible with respect to
> future technology, the US market (? FCC?) has defined a standard U for
> the US - making things just as rigid as following the T standard would
> be. (If the telco would like to replace their old subscriber lines
> with some future technology that doesn't fit well into the U interface,
> they still are forced to convert the signals, in *their* (new, of
> course) terminator box, to the U standard, so that it can be converted
> by the user's terminator box to what the user really wants.  Hardly
> cheaper than adapting directly to the T interface!)

The decision mandating NT-1 being owned by the customer (end-user) was
an FCC decision, as already noted above.  In fact, the telephone
companies fought that decision long and hard to no avail.

> What does this mean for the customer? To save the expense of a
> separate user NT1, some companies make phones, modems/TAs etc. that
> directly connects to the U interface! Although they may be cheaper
> than an NT1 + a standard ISDN phone, there is no good reason why they
> would be cheaper than a standard ISDN phone alone. (Similar for
> modem/TA and other equipment).  And you cannot use this equipment with
> any standardized ISDN T interface.  Furthermore, you loose
> functionality that way: D channel arbitration is resolved by the NT1,
> so if you don't have an NT1, in general you cannot multiplex separate
> connections (two phones on separate B channels and various D channel
> connections).

> Also, a lot of network maintenance (outside the US) is based on the
> phone switch being able to interrogate the NT1. This cannot be done in
> the US system, where the NT1 may be absent.

There is always an NT-1, even if it is functionally incorporated into
the design of the ISDN set itself.  Also, the US U interface does
include significant maintenace related messaging and interaction with
the customer owned NT-1.

> This may (although I cannot say "will") lead to poorer system
> maintenance, which may lead to poorer service.

That has vbeen argued previously to the FCC, but the situation so far
(almost 20 years of customer owned terminating equipment for varios
data services and now ISDN) has not resulted in any identifieable
support of that argument.


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  [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (Strider)
Subject: Re: ISDN in the USA
Organization: University of Utah Computer Center Student Mail Machine
Date: Mon, 20 Sep 93 11:10:26 GMT


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Ketil
Albertsen,TIH) writes:

> In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (Dave
> Evans) writes:

( much deleted)

> while the ITU (CCITT) doesn't want to define physical/electrical
           ^^^^^

What does ITU stand for?  Thanks!


Paul W. Campbell    |MegaHertz Corporation
 [e-mail]    | Salt Lake City, UT
  [e-mail]| (w) 801-320-7543
   [e-mail]| (h) 801-261-9094


[Moderator's Note: I believe ITU might be the International Telecommuni-
cations Union.   PAT]

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

From: media!nearside![e-mail] (Raymond Shwake)
Subject: Re: Hotel Charges and Surcharges
Organization: IRS A/C (International)
Date: Mon, 20 Sep 1993 03:46:35 GMT


[e-mail] (Dave Niebuhr) writes:

> 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.

    As I completed my stay in Vancouver, B.C. *I* was almost stuck
with a similar call charge. However, as I'd come to inquiry upon
check-in about calls for local calls I could justly insist that *I* had
made no such call, that all my calls were made from public phones.
They also dropped the charges. Why argue over C$.80?


uunet!media!irscscm!nearside!shwake        shwake@rsxtech

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

Date: Mon, 20 Sep 93 10:29:40 CST
From: [e-mail] (Jack Winslade)
Subject: Re: Hotel Charges and Surcharges
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Organization: DRBBS Technical BBS, Omaha


In a message dated 12-SEP-93, Dave Niebuhr writes:

>> [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).

I'm curious to know what you mean by 'different'.  Omaha has always
been set up just like any mid-size city with Genuine Ma Bell switches
sprinkled about the area, each serving one or more NNX's, in a pattern
resembling the geographic divisions of the original phone service
areas.

I've worked at a few hotels in Omaha over the past 20 years.  Never at
the Blackstone, although I lived in the same apartment building with
their (former) executive houskeeper.  However, I'm familiar with the
ways Omaha hotels handled LD in the mid 70's, which I'm sure is the
same as it was in the late 60's.

On a historical note, the Blackstone no longer exists as a hotel.
It's now a marginally successful office building.  In its time, the
Blackstone was a fancy-schmancy midtown hotel.  It went down the tubes
fast when it was (opinion of former employees) taken over by the
Radison group.  It died a quiet death sometime in the past ten years
or so.

In the late 60's, the Blackstone was served out of the 402-348 office.
Blackstone was one of the very first numbers on 348, which was created
when part of the (world's first) original panel office was retired and
replaced with a 5 xbar.  (Trivia fans will note that this is the same
CO that serves the {in}famous 712-347 in Carter Lake.)

Blackstone used a cord board, with LD service provided by a dial 9-0
arrangement through a pre-TSPS cord board in the same building as the
Xbar switch.  (Those who know Jim Redelfs [[e-mail]] may
know that he worked this board during the early 70's.)  The lines from
the hotel were identified to the 0 operator as the hotel, and the 0
operator really had no way of verifying the room number other than
calling the hotel operator to verify that the extension was busy with
the 'sleeve' test.  This was seldom if ever done.

When the ticket was closed, someone would dial a TTY at the hotel and
key in the time, charges, and room number, which would be an inclusion
of the guest folio.  It was very possible for the 0 operator to
mistakenly dial one hotel in place of another and the hotel operator
could only assume that room xxx at the Blackstone had indeed made the
call.  However, if the original ticket was pulled, it would show the
correct hotel and room.

This was a very common method of billing hotel calls here and in other
areas.

Omaha did not get TSPS until 1975 or so.  (I distinctly remember it in
NYC in 1968, known to subscribers as Extended Direct Distance
Dialing.)  When it was installed here I remember one person thinking
something was wrong because of the delay after dialing 0 for operator.


Good day.      JSW
DRBBS Technical BBS, Omaha  (In remembrance of JGL)  (1:285/666.0)


[Moderator's Note: Jack, when I worked at the University of Chicago
in the phone room, 1958-61 we got all our time and charges on long
distance calls sent over the telex to us. IBT sometimes would not send
the charges for a couple hours although they were supposed to send
them in five minutes. I know the deal they had with hotels was if they
failed to supply T&C before the guest checked out (which sometimes
could happen if the guest made a call around 11 AM and checked out a
few minutes later) that IBT would eat the charges. At UC we got a
commission on student dormitory long distance calls, but not on long
distance calls from administrative offices. On the telex messages
which came in IBT was supposed to identify which extension or student
dorm room made the call, but they frequently got it wrong and we could
not bill the student room until after the phone bill arrived each
month. Or we would have to credit one student and charge another. PAT]

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

From: jjmhome!pig![e-mail] (Dave Emery)
Subject: Re: Newsfeed Wanted From Above
Date: 20 Sep 93 03:50:20 GMT
Reply-To: jjmhome!pig![e-mail]
Organization: Opinion Mongers Incorperated...


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Robert
Klotz) writes:

> Could someone please guide me to a source for satellite downlink
> news feeds in North America.

    The only commercially available satellite news feed for USENET
is Pagesat (part of ISS Inc) (contact [e-mail]) which is what I
use.  They transmit over a Ku band VSAT setup with a 24 or 30 inch
dish that can be mounted anywhere it can see the satellite (Satcom
K2).  The receiver is a modem sized box attached to a small fax modem
 -- output data is 9600 baud and they can supply various software
packages to use it including entry into standard news packages for
Unix (B and C news and INN).  The system costs $1800 with two free
years of service.  The newsgroup biz.pagesat covers this service.

    If you are interested in wire service news via satellite
rather than USENET feeds, there is a company called Digital Xpress
which supplies a variety of world wire services (AP, UPI, Rueters, AFP
etc) via C band TVRO.  Required equipment is a C band TVRO dish and
IRD capable of receiving and descrambling WGN (you do need a VCII+/RS)
and an outboard box called an INFOcipher which connects to the VCII+
data output (an RCA jack on many IRDs).  The feed is at 9600 baud in a
packetized format, and software is available for filtering and
displaying items on a variety of platforms.  There is a copyright
restriction against distributing or archiving the news stories which
are intended for personal home use only.

    The INFOcipher is around $150 and the service costs about $30
a month.  For some additional money you can also get real time
financial data via the same link (stock ticker and commodity reports).
Obviously the dish and IRD are the real cost item (figure >$1500 new).
XPRESS service is also provided via a 72 mhz FSK carrier on many cable
systems, one simply rents a box that connects to the cable and spits
out the same 9600 baud feed.

    If your need is commercial (EG you are willing to pay $$$)
there are also feeds available via Ku band VSAT of most domestic wire
services (particularly financial and sports information and national
news).  Mainstream Inc.  sells a package on K2 that includes most of
the AP, UPI, Dow Jones and Rueters services for newspapers and
financial use.  This is receivable with similar hardware to the
Pagesat USENET feed (not however exactly the same hardware).
Depending on what you order for information streams this service can
run between tens of dollars a months and thousands.  This service is
also available via SCA subcarrier (FM broadcast station) in many metro
areas, so you don't need a dish if you live in the coverage of an FM
station that carries it.

    There are other vendors that supply news streams via Ku band
satellite as well, and UPI distributes its entire news feed that way
on Satcom 4 using Equatorial Communications C-100 spread spectrum
technology.  Three foot or less dishes can be used for this, but the
receivers and access authorization come from UPI.  Data output is
RS-232 at various speeds depending on what wires you are interested
in.  Data format of newspaper wires is defined by ANPA standards and
incorperates a number of headers and embedded control charactors to
facilitate automatic entry into newspaper database sytems.

    The AP also supplies all its news wires via satellite, on
Satcom 3 C band.  This requires a 5 foot dish and receiver/modem and
time division multiplex demultiplexor.  Output data format and speeds
are similar to the UPI feeds.  The signal is in a narrow band SCPC
digital format at 112 kbs.

    Both of these wire service feeds are fairly expensive to very
expensive and more directed at newspapers and media organizations than
individuals.

    There are several other satellite data vendors as well, most
on Ku band - the sky is alive with information streams.


          David I. Emery  -  N1PRE  -  Lexington   Mass.
    Former senior technical consultant (and currently unemployed drunken bum)
Internet: jjmhome!pig![e-mail] (preferred) or [e-mail]
UUCP:     ...uunet!stratus.com!jjmhome!pig!die    Phone + fax: 1+(617)-863-9986

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

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #656
******************************










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Date: Tue, 21 Sep 1993 02:13:56 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: A Second Call For Votes


Attached below is a notice received from the Usenet vote-taker regards
the vote to establish or repudiate a proposed Usenet newsgroup
'comp.dcom.telecom.tech', which, while it would not *replace* our
Usenet gateway for telecom messages would IMHO greatly degrade the
quality of messages received for the mailing list of TELECOM Digest.

I earlier recommended a vote of NO as my personal opnion but encouraged
you in any event to cast your vote. Your vote *is* important regardless
of whether you agree with me or not, as your vote will detirmine the
way telecom messages are distributed on Usenet in the future and your
vote will detirmine which messages you will and will not likely see.

I again recommend a vote of NO.

If you have not been a reader/participant in the Digest for at least 2-3
months, since prior to when the discussion on this topic began, I must
in good conscience ask you to NOT vote, as we do not want to make it
appear the vote was stacked or manipulated by persons voting with no
real knowledge or concern in newsgroup operations. That is unfair to
the thousands of newsgroup readers who *do* care and know about the
history and relationship of Usenet and the mailing lists.

If you -- on that basis -- believe you are qualified and entitled to
vote, then you should cast your vote at this time.

If you voted earlier but did not get an ACK *and* do not see your
name on the list of bounced ACKS below, then consider your vote lost
in the mail (or somewhere) and cast your vote again.

You will vote YES if you believe an unmoderated telecom forum should
be established on Usenet. If the group is established, there is no
provision anticipated at this time to route the telecom messages from
there to the TELECOM Digest readers.

You will vote NO if you believe it best that telecom messages continue
to routed from Usenet readers exclusively to comp.dcom.telecom and
thus by extension, to the mailing list in which you are a participant.

Email to [e-mail]:

       I vote YES on the creation of comp.dcom.telecom.tech
 (or)  I vote NO  on the creation of comp.dcom.telecom.tech

As before, although you are under no obligation to do so, if you wish
to discuss your vote with me, a cc: [e-mail] will be
appreciated and held in confidence.

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

Now here follows the CFV I am required by Usenet netiquette to
distribute to you.

Date: Mon, 20 Sep 93 12:02:06 -0400
Path: bounce-back
From: [e-mail] (Andrew Solovay)
Subject: 2nd CFV: comp.dcom.telecom.tech
Followup-To: poster
Expires: 30 Sep 1993 00:00:00 GMT
Organization: Usenet Volunteer Votetakers
Reply-To: [e-mail]


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 <[e-mail]>.  For questions about
the proposed group, contact the group's proposer, <[e-mail]>.

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

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(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:

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You may add a comment, but anything other than a definite statement
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If you later change your mind you may send in another vote, which will
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Standard Guidelines for voting apply - one vote per person (not per
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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.

Bounce-ACK (as of 9/17/93)
==========

The following peoples vote-acknowledgements bounced when I sent them.
You need not reply; your vote has been counted. (If you would like to
confirm how your vote was counted, send EMail to
[e-mail].)

If you sent your vote on or before Sept. 17, you have not received an
acknowledgement, and you are not listed below, your vote may have been
lost; please resend your vote to <[e-mail]>.

comp.dcom.telecom.tech group vote Bounce Ack List
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
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[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
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[e-mail]
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[e-mail]


The following people have sent invalid votes, and have not since
superseded them with valid votes.

comp.dcom.telecom.tech group vote Mass Ack


Votes in error
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[e-mail]                                              Craig J Mathias
   ! Conflicting votes
[e-mail]            Ken Guertler, AMS, [phone]
   ! No votes
[e-mail]                                            Marshall Levin
   ! Conflicting votes
[e-mail]                                      Morris Galloway Jr.
   ! No votes
[e-mail]                                                    Persoft
   ! No votes
[e-mail]
   ! No votes












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Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1993 05:13:43 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #657

TELECOM Digest     Wed, 22 Sep 93 05:13:00 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 657

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Administrivia: Archives Automation Progress Report (TELECOM Moderator)
    Book Review: "The Internet Companion" by LaQuey/Ryer (Rob Slade)
    New Canadian Telecoms Listserv (Tyson Macaulay)
    Electronic Access to Government Services, Ottawa Conf. (Garth Graham)
    Cellular Modems For the PC ISA bus ([e-mail])
    Cellular Phone Options in NJ (Vipul Patel)
    Cellular Chargers, etc. (Frank Keeney)
    Alphapage in French Dictionary (Jean-Bernard Condat)
    1-800-Collect and Canada (David Leibold)
    International Frame-Relay/X.25 Connectivity (Chandra Prathuri)
    Crossed Wires? (Roy Smith)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Subject: Administrivia: Archives Automation Progress Report
Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1993 04:30:00 CDT


For my birthday this year, I thought a nice gift for all of you would
be a re-organized Telecom Archives, with as much automation as possible
in its use. I receive so many requests for archives files, I had to do
something, so beginning last week and continuing through today I have
spent quite a bit of time installing some scripts and changing the
layout of things a little. You may have noticed this past weekend there
were no issues of the Digest at all ... I spent about 16 hours each day
in the Archives instead.

For one, the Archives Email Information Service is now fully operational
for your use. I've already distributed help files. My apologies to
those of you who tried to pull files and got erroneous results or no
results at all on a few occassions. The script has a procedure to
update the files using a cron job as needed, and whenever an update is
is progress _or_ manual maintainence is going on, then there is a lock
which holds the mail at bay until the update is finished, typically
in 20-30 seconds. It was not working right at first, and the email
stream would come flying through when the script was out for lunch so
to speak. Now I think all is fine. If you have the original help file
you do not know about the SEARCH command to locate author and subject
titles from the archives over the past four years. Get a new copy.

The indexes have been updated through issue 650 (of several days ago)
and should now be quite searchable for stuff from throughout this year
as well as earlier years. I'll try to be more prompt about updating
the indexes in the future.

Many of you have complained about the work involved in getting a
single back issue from the 'telecom-recent' file in the archives. That
file is zeroed out on the x00th and x50th issues. By the time forty or
so issues have accumulated and you find out you need one from the
middle somewhere, it is a pain in the neck to have to FTP that whole
file and run it through an editor, etc.   So surprise ... in addition
to telecom-recent which will still be used for archival purposes, you
can now get *single issues* automatically on request. Beginning with
issue 651, they are filed as V13_651, V13_652 .... V13_657, etc in the
sub-directory entitled 'Volume.13-recent.issues'. You can pull them
automatically from [e-mail]. I will let those stack
up several dozen issues at a time, and pitch the oldest ones, always
leaving a few dozen there. You won't need to bother with telecom-recent
unless you want the entire collection to-date.

Anyway, if you are interested in having copies of those indexes to
subjects and authors for yourself, they are 'index-vol.9-10-11.subj'
and 'index-vol.12-13.subj', weighing in at 24,939 lines and 17,269
lines respectively, sorted in strict alpha order, so don't take them
unless your disk is able to handle it, your printer can deal with it
and your postmaster won't get itchy. Otherwise, just use SEARCH via
the email server to review them. Help is on line for SEARCH.

As you interact with the 'new archives' (!) let me know how it works
for you. MIT put me on a machine (not a work station mind you) with
the archives by my lonesome. Just me, the archives, and the mail hub
for MIT. I had forgotten what uptime: 0.13  0.05  0.01 looked like
until I went to sort -bfdt: +1 a 17,269 line file and the job was
finished in ten seconds ... <smile> ... Friday afternoon will mark my
fifty-first year in orbit. Thanks for your many kind notes.

PAT

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

Date: 21 Sep 93 10:54 -0600
From: Rob Slade <[e-mail]>
Subject: Book Review: "The Internet Companion" by LaQuey/Ryer


BKINTCMP.RVW   930818

Addison-Wesley Publishing Co.
1 Jacob Way   Reading, MA   01867-9984
800-527-5210  617-944-3700
5851 Guion Road  Indianapolis, IN   46254
800-447-2226

"The Internet Companion", LaQuey/Ryer, 1993, U$10.95/C$13.95
[e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail].
utexas.edu [e-mail]

It is difficult to know what is supposed to be "companionable" about
this volume.  Physically, it would be easy to carry it along with you.
You probably wouldn't want to, though.  This is not a guide for
explorations, either.  It does give one some background on the
Internet, but it is not in a step-by-step fashion.  (How to access the
Internet is the *last* topic to be covered.)  The newcomer to the
Internet will more likely want to read it all (possibly at one
sitting; it's small enough) and look at the network gestalt.

Chapter one, entitled "Why You Should Know About the Internet", would
seem to have the idea of "selling" the Internet.  The text is
interesting -- but it is *what* you might want to know about the
Internet.  The "why" is mostly confined to sidebars scattered
throughout the text.  Unfortunately these, if believed, might cause
some disappointment when newcomers actually confront the realities of
the Internet.  One example given is that of a medical researcher in
Africa using satellite communications and the Internet to support his
work.  Most people in remote locations, however, are cut off from the
Internet if they do not have dependable phone links: the Internet
depends on the phone rather than replacing it.  Another example used
comes from education where students are supposed to become enthused by
the information resources on the net.  All too often, however, the
enthusiasm is generated by commercial services which most educational
budgets cannot support.  Some fascinating data is out there but, as
the preface states, learning the Internet requires some commitment.

The second chapter purports to give you "the lowdown".  Again, there
is interesting background information, but most of it can be skipped
by those who actually want to *use* the net.  Even the section on
"acceptable use" deals only with the "commercialism" policy; a policy
which the authors admit is highly questionable in view of the actual
traffic on the Internet.  There is no attempt, at this point, to even
raise the issues of ethics or etiquette.

Chapter three brings up the various types of interpersonal
communication, such as email, distribution lists, Usenet news and
"talk".  Again, there is a lot of detail here that isn't really
needed, and some aspects that are left out.  The organization of
information follows no apparent logical progression.  It would be
difficult for a novice to discern between generic and system specific
information: distribution lists are first discussed with
"topic-request" Internet servers, and then all over again with BITNET
LISTSERVs.  Again, there may be some disappointments for some
explorers, as when the authors state that Usenet keeps all messages,
not mentioning that many sites now "expire" news after a week or less.

The last part of the chapter, dealing with "Netiquette", is a great
improvement.  Not merely a list of rules, it tells the reader *why* a
short reply might be offensive.

Chapter four raises issues associated with finding information.
Again, there is a lack of organization, and some confusion between
generic functions, such as ftp and telnet; specific services, such as
archive and WAIS; and sites such as a specific Freenet or a
supercomputer centre.  The listings are quite brief: most will only
get you to a site.  From there on, "HELP" help you.

Chapter five is supposed to deal with advanced Internet topics.  In
fact, it is a loose amalgam of urban legends, security, Internet
related organizations and other topics.  The security isn't bad; even
the few paragraphs on viral programs are realistic.  There is a
reprise on how to find someone's email address.  This might have some
advantages over the "Whole Internet" guide: the authors include some
information not listed in Krol's work.  Note, however, that they err
in saying that partial names can be used with the usenet-addresses
server at MIT.

Whenever I give a "beginner's guide to the nets" seminar, the one
invariable question is "how do I get access?"  This is what chapter
six tries to address, with limited success.  It's a difficult
question, certainly, but once again the lack of organization, and the
additional trivia added in, don't make the answer any easier.  It is
actually answered far better in the appendix.

The appendix is the one section that you might want to keep handy for
reference.  It's quite short, which is good, because -- you guessed it
 -- it could stand some logical order to it.  Yes, there *are* topical
divisions, but it is sometimes hard to figure out from their headings
what you might need.

This work is somewhat less technical than the UNIX biased "Whole
Internet Guide".  However, it goes too far in the opposite direction.
The authors boast that it was finished in less than two months.  It
shows.  Companies which are getting into the Internet in a big way
might make this the introductory volume for new users: it is generally
upbeat and non-threatening.  However, help should be on hand when
people actually start using the net.


copyright Robert M. Slade, 1993   BKINTCMP.RVW   930818
Permission is granted for free distribution with the full TELECOM Digest
and associated mailing lists/newsgroups.

Vancouver Institute for Research into User Security,   Canada    V7K 2G6
[e-mail]   [e-mail]   [e-mail]   Fidonet 1:153/733
[e-mail]                                                 604-526-3676
                     Ceterum censeo Datapac delendam esse



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

From: [e-mail] (Tyson Macaulay)
Subject: New Canadian Telecoms Listserv
Organization: Communications Research Centre, Ottawa, Canada
Date: Tue, 21 Sep 93 19:25:26 GMT


Announcing the CANADA GAZETTE NOTICE Listserv -

     The Canada Gazette Notices are extracts from the **Canada
Gazette**, a publication of Supply and Services Canada.  The Notices
distributed through this mailing list relate to the Communications
sector of the Department of Industry and Science Canada. The Notices
contain information about changes in telecommunications regulations
and legislation, as well as information regarding licensing
applications across Canada.  This publication is not the Canada
Gazette in its entirety, but merely extracts relating to
communications issues.

Presentation des AVIS de  GAZETTE du CANADA

     Les avis de Gazette du Canada sont des extraits de Gazette
du Canada, publiee par Approvisionnements et Services.  Les avis
distribues grace a cette liste concernent le secteur des
communications du ministere de l'Industrie et Sciences Canada.
Ces avis contiennent de l'information sur les changements
touchant la reglementation et la legislation dans le domaine des
telecommunications, ainsi que de l'information portant sur
l'application des autorisations sous licence a travers le Canada.
Cette publication n'est pas la revue integrale de Gazette Canada
mais simplement des extraits portant sur les questions de
communications.

To subscribe to the list, send email to / pour vous en registrer,
envoyer par courir electronic au suivant:

     [e-mail]

and in the body of the message put the command / dans le message
faites la command suivante:

     subscribe gazette-list Firstname Lastname
          (e.g., "subscribe gazette-list Clark Kent"


Addresses / Adresses:

     Administration: [e-mail]
     Problems: [e-mail]


Listserv Commands / Commandes Listserv:

     The basic commands you will want to know about are / les
commandes principles seront donc:

     subscribe gazette-list Firstname Lastname
          (e.g., "subscribe gazette-list Clark Kent")

     unsubscribe gazette-list

     information gazette-list
          (information about the list -- the same as this message
          / information concernante la liste -- la meme que ce
          message)

     help
          (more information on listserv commands / amples
          information sur commandes Listserv)


ARCHIVES:

Archives of Gazette Notices are available via FTP and Listserver
/ Archives des Avis de Gazette du Canada sont disponible a
travers FTP et Listserv:

FTP

hostname: debra.dgbt.doc.ca
login: anonymous
directory: /pub/isc/gazette


Listserver

address: [e-mail]
listserver commands / commandes listserv:

     index gazette
     get gazette <filename>

     (where <filename> is a name that appears in the index / ou
      <filename> est le nom qui apparait dans l'index)


SVP envoyer vos questions et commentaires a / Please send your
questions and comments to:


[e-mail]
Tyson Macaulay  DTP/DGCP/I&SC
Industry and Science Canada
7th Floor, Journal Tower North
300 Slater Street Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0C8   [phone]
e-mail:
[e-mail]
[e-mail]

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

Date: Tue, 21 Sep 93 20:06:01 EDT
From: [e-mail] (Garth Graham)
Subject: Electronic Access to Government Services, Ottawa Conf.
Reply to: [e-mail] (Tom Riley)


        PATHWAYS FOR SERVICE IN THE ELECTRONIC VILLAGE

       GOVERNMENT INFORMATION DISSEMINATION IN THE 90'S

        December 6 and 7, 1993, Ottawa Congress Centre


A two day training session and conference sponsored by;

   * TREASURY BOARD SECRETARIAT, GOVERNMENT OF CANADA
   * THE CANADIAN ACCESS AND PRIVACY ASSOCIATION (CAPA)
   * RILEY INFORMATION SERVICES INC.

How can government best serve the public through electronic means?  Be
a part of two days of consultation, debate and dialogue on the
changing nature of electronic information services and the policies
needed to face these new challenges.

Single window initiatives, one-stop shops, InfoCentres, business
centres, kiosks, smart cards, interactive national information
networks, all are part of the reinvention of government.  How will
this changing electronic infrastructure impact on you and all
Canadians?  Find out how emerging information practices reflect new
values as public service meets the challenge of a changing
technological environment.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
Public and private sector professionals, executives, managers, policy
makers and advisors, information professionals, records managers,
archivists, librarians, security managers, access and privacy coordinators,
personnel managers, consultants ...

All individuals involved with the development of access to government
services on the new electronic highways.

    THE AGENDA:
There will be simultaneous workshops running throughout the two days.
The only plenary sessions will be the keynote speakers.

DAY ONE: December 6, 1993

9 am - Keynote address:
   "Electronic information services in the 90's"
    Ian Clark, Secretary, Treasury Board Secretariat.

10:30 am - 12 noon
   Panel A - "Privacy on the electronic highway." Chair: Jacques Courteau,
                    President, Canadian Access and Privacy Assoc.

   Panel B - "A new social charter for our changing information
                   environment: a discussion."  Chair: Thomas Riley,
                   Riley Information Services, Toronto

1:45 pm - 3:15 pm
   Panel A - "Access and technology."  Chair: Stephanie Perrin,
                    Senior Policy Analyst, Government of Canada

   Panel B - "Government gateways and locator systems."
                    Chair: Greg Evanik, Director, Government of Canada

3:30 pm - 4:45 pm
   Panel A - "Survival of libraries in the electronic age."
                    Chair: Mark Hopkins, Metro Toronto Archivist

   Panel B - "Impact of privacy on electronic government: privacy vs.
                    efficiency."  Chair: Peter Gillis, Director,
                    Treasury Board Secretariat


DAY TWO: December 7, 1993

9 am - Keynote address:
   To be announced

10:30 am - 12 noon
   Panel A - "Equality of access and tolls on the information highways."
                    Chair: Michael Nelson, Manager, Treasury Board of Canada

   Panel B - "Ethical issues of selling government databases."  Chair: Mary
                   Francis Laughton, Communications Research Centre, Ottawa

1 pm - Feature speaker
   "Accountability and openness: the basis of democracy." Peter Calami,
    Editor, Editorial Page, The Ottawa Citizen

2 pm - 3:15 pm
   Panel A - "Impacts of new technologies on existing legislation."
                    Chair: Joanna Drewry, Treasury Board Secretariat

   Panel B - "Modes of delivery to: home, office, government offices,
                     info centres and other means."  Chair: Peter Brandon,
                     President, Sysnovators Ltd.

3:15 pm - Closing Speaker
   "Restructuring government in America for the electronic village:
    what the White House and Congress are up to." Dr. Harold Relyea,
    Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

3:45 pm - conference closes


                REGISTRATION

PATHWAYS FOR SERVICE IN THE ELECTRONIC VILLAGE
December 6 and 7, 1993, Ottawa Congress Centre

Forum fee includes: Two full days of workshops, exhibits, speakers, and
two lunches for $199.00 + GST = $212.93(CAD)       (GST No. R117997965)
Please make cheque payable to: Riley Information Services Inc.

To register (or to obtain further information) please contact Tom Riley by
email, fax or mail at:

     Riley Information Services
     633 Bay Street, Suite 2207, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5G 2G4
        email: [e-mail]
        Fax: [phone]                      Voice: 416-593-7352

NAME (to be used on name tag):
ORGANIZATION (to be used on name tag):
ADDRESS:
TELEPHONE:
FAX:
PURCHASE ORDER NUMBER:

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

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Cellular Modems for the PC ISA Bus
Organization: Atlas Telecom Inc.
Date: Tue, 21 Sep 1993 16:02:23 GMT


Hi,

I want to get the names of manufacturers who make cellular modems
on a PC ISA bus card.


Thanks,

Sameer

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

From: [e-mail] (Vipul Patel)
Subject: Cellular Phone Options in NJ
Organization: Digital Equipment Corp.
Date: Tue, 22 Sep 1993 18:31:12 GMT


As a new comer to the world of cellular phone, I will appreciate your
feedback on a couple of things:

1) The cellular phone box says that it has been already
   pre-programmed to go through "Cellular One" and they have
   assigned a phone number. It may get damaged if I try to
   reprogram.

   Am I stuck with "Cellular One?".

2) If not, how do I change my carrier?  Who are the carriers in NJ?

3) I am planning to purchase a rapid charger from someone other
   than Sony as it is very expensive. What other options do I have?
   How is "Direct Powerplus"?

4) Is there any Usenet forum that talks about cellular phones and
   computers?


Thanks,


Vipul


[Moderator's Note: No you are not stuck with any given carrier. You
can take the phone to any carrier (or the carrier's agent) of your
choice to obtain service. They may charge you to reprogram the phone.
They don't want you to reprogram it because the agent won't make the
money on it. You can purchase chargers from anywhere you please,
bearing in mind that you are looking for a *clean* DC supply of about
12 volts. Car batteries work fine as do power supplies from old CB
radios, intercoms, etc. Amperage is not too critical; but you want
it to be an amp or two at least for best and quickest charging
results. You can run the cellular phone or charge the battery using
one of those 13.8 DC supplies called 'Micronta' from Radio Shack.
Regards the forum where you should be, you are in the right place.  PAT]

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

From: [e-mail] (Frank Keeney)
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Date: Fri, 10 Sep 1993 08:43:28 -0800
Subject: Cellular Chargers etc.
Organization: Calcom Communications, [phone] x402


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?

In a previous message I listed the incorrect phone number. The number
below has been corrected:

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
[phone]

Sorry, I could not find their 800 number.


Origin: (1:102/645)
Frank Keeney                   | E-mail  [e-mail]
115 W. California Blvd., #411  | Fidonet 1:102/645
Pasadena, CA 91105-1509 USA    | UUCP    hatch!calcom!frank
                               | FAX     [phone]
                               | Voice Mail [phone] x402

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

From: [e-mail] (Jean-Bernard Condat)
Date: Tue, 21 Sep 1993 10:51:38 GMT
Subject: Alphapage in French dictionary


Alphapage, the French radiomessagery service from France Telecom Mobiles
radiomessagerie will be add to the official edition 1994 of the
"Le Petit Robert" dictionary:

          Alphapage-n.m-1987; nom depose, de alpha (numerique)
          et de l'anglo-americain to page-pager.

          Appareil de radiomessagerie qui affiche en toutes lettres
          des messages transmis par telephone ou par Minitel.

Alphapage, with at this time more than 165,000 customers, will give
his name to all French pagers. Don't hesitate to contact me via my
private Alphapage: dial [phone] with your Minitel or
[phone] and compose 0030006 for the code of my Alphapage.

Good luck with this new French word :-)


                         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: [phone], Fax: [phone]
         InterNet:  [e-mail]   or  [e-mail]


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

Date: Mon, 20 Sep 93 17:38 EDT
From: [e-mail] (woody)
Subject: 1-800-Collect and Canada


MCI operates the 1-800-Collect service from U.S. points for the
placing of collect calls. However, the number translates to 1 800 265
5328 and 265 is a current 800 prefix used within Canada. Canadian 800
number portability does not commence until January 1994, and there was
some indication that 265 was not to be included in U.S. portability
until that time.

There apparently was a customer in Canada that had that number, and
bore the brunt of Canadian callers attempting to dial 1 800 Collect.
Now, there is a recording stating that the 1 800 Collect is not
available in Canada yet, and that it would hopefully be in operation
by the end of summer.

One wonders how MCI pulled off a Canadian prefix assignment in advance
of Canadian 800 portability, and what became of the deluged Canadian
customer who probably had the number first.


David Leibold

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

From: [e-mail] (Chandra Prathuri)
Subject: International Frame-relay/X.25 Connectivity
Date: 21 Sep 93 19:28:27 GMT
Organization: Salomon Brothers


We are looking for x.25 or frame-relay line to Israel at 9600 baud or
more.  56kbs on Frame-relay is the ideal solution. We may not be able
to work with dailup async lines, as we need to run TCP/IP protocols on
top of the underlying protocols -- x.25 or frame-relay.  Any informa-
tion regarding this will be really helpful.


Thank you,


chandra

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

From: [e-mail] (Roy Smith)
Subject: Crossed Wires?
Date: 22 Sep 1993 00:54:00 GMT
Organization: New York University, School of Medicine


A very strange thing happened to me. I just got off the phone and
maybe ten seconds after I hung up, the phone rang again.  As I picked
it up, I could hear dial pulses on the line.  I said hello, and the
person at the other end seemed surprised to hear me.  To make a long
story short, we ended up chatting (sort of an odd thing to do with an
apparant wrong number, I know) and it turns out the person at the
other end was in the middle of dialing a call when I came on the line.
She lives just down the street from me (in an area where she has to be
in the same exchange as me), and was placing a call to somebody not
far away, in what is quite possibly the same CO.  Wierd.

    Turns out her brother owns the house next door, too.

Roy Smith <[e-mail]>
Hippocrates Project, Department of Microbiology, Coles 202
NYU School of Medicine, 550 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016

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

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #657
******************************










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Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1993 05:46:26 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #658

TELECOM Digest     Wed, 22 Sep 93 05:46:26 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 658

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    NAFTA on Telecommunications (Mike Riddle)
    For A Good Time, Call 202-653-1800 (was From Internet to NIST? (Robinson)
    Where's Dialogic? (Mer Industries)
    Cellular/Mobile Telephones (Aditya Talwar)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Wed, 22 Sep 93 02:45:45 CST
From: [e-mail] (Mike Riddle)
Subject: NAFTA on Telecommunications


Patrick:

Here is (supposedly) the chapter from the proposed NAFTA on
Telecommunications.  I thought it would make interesting reading for
the Digest:

                    Chapter Thirteen

                   Telecommunications

Article 1301: Scope and Coverage

1.   This Chapter applies to:

     (a) measures adopted or maintained by a Party relating to
 access to and use of public telecommunications
 transport networks or services by persons of another
 Party, including access and use by such persons
 operating private networks;

     (b) measures adopted or maintained by a Party relating to
 the provision of enhanced or value-added services by
 persons of another Party in the territory, or across
 the borders, of a Party; and

     (c) standards-related measures relating to attachment of
 terminal or other equipment to public
 telecommunications transport networks.

2.   Except to ensure that persons operating broadcast stations
and cable systems have continued access to and use of public
telecommunications transport networks and services, this Chapter
does not apply to any measure adopted or maintained by a Party
relating to cable or broadcast distribution of radio or
television programming.

3.   Nothing in this Chapter shall be construed to:

     (a) require a Party to authorize a person of another Party
 to establish, construct, acquire, lease, operate or
 provide telecommunications transport networks or
 telecommunications transport services;

     (b) require a Party, or require a Party to compel any
 person, to establish, construct, acquire, lease,
 operate or provide telecommunications transport
 networks or telecommunications transport services not
 offered to the public generally;

     (c) prevent a Party from prohibiting persons operating
 private networks from using such networks to provide
 public telecommunications transport networks or
 services to third persons; or

     (d) require a Party to compel any person engaged in the
 cable or broadcast distribution of radio or television
 programming to make available its cable or broadcast
 facilities as a public telecommunications transport
 network.


Article 1302: Access to and Use of Public Telecommunications
 Transport Networks and Services

1.   Each Party shall ensure that persons of another Party have
access to and use of any public telecommunications transport
network or service, including private leased circuits, offered in
its territory or across its borders for the conduct of their
business, on reasonable and non-discriminatory terms and
conditions, including as set out in paragraphs 2 through 8.

2.   Subject to paragraphs 6 and 7, each Party shall ensure that
such persons are permitted to:

     (a) purchase or lease, and attach terminal or other
 equipment that interfaces with the public
 telecommunications transport network;

     (b) interconnect private leased or owned circuits with
 public telecommunications transport networks in the
 territory, or across the borders, of that Party,
 including for use in providing dial-up access to and
 from their customers or users, or with circuits leased
 or owned by another person on terms and conditions
 mutually agreed by such persons;

     (c) perform switching, signalling and processing functions;
 and

     (d) use operating protocols of their choice.

3.   Each Party shall ensure that:

     (a) the pricing of public telecommunications transport
 services reflects economic costs directly related to
 providing such services; and

     (b) private leased circuits are available on a flat-rate
 pricing basis.

Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to prevent
cross-subsidization between public telecommunications transport
services.

4.   Each Party shall ensure that persons of another Party may
use public telecommunications transport networks or services for
the movement of information in its territory or across its
borders, including for intracorporate communications, and for
access to information contained in data bases or otherwise stored
in machine-readable form in the territory of any Party.

5.   Further to Article 2101 (General Exceptions), nothing in
this Chapter shall be construed to prevent a Party from adopting
or enforcing any measure necessary to:

     (a) ensure the security and confidentiality of messages; or

     (b) protect the privacy of subscribers to public
 telecommunications transport networks or services.

6.   Each Party shall ensure that no condition is imposed on
access to and use of public telecommunications transport networks
or services, other than that necessary to:

     (a) safeguard the public service responsibilities of
 providers of public telecommunications transport
 networks or services, in particular their ability to
 make their networks or services available to the public
 generally; or

     (b) protect the technical integrity of public
 telecommunications transport networks or services.

7.   Provided that conditions for access to and use of public
telecommunications transport networks or services satisfy the
criteria set out in paragraph 6, such conditions may include:

     (a) a restriction on resale or shared use of such services;

     (b) a requirement to use specified technical interfaces,
 including interface protocols, for interconnection with
 such networks or services;

     (c) a restriction on interconnection of private leased or
 owned circuits with such networks or services or with
 circuits leased or owned by another person, where such
 circuits are used in the provision of public
 telecommunications transport networks or services; and

     (d) a licensing, permit, registration or notification
 procedure which, if adopted or maintained, is
 transparent and applications filed thereunder are
 processed expeditiously.

8.   For purposes of this Article, "non-discriminatory" means on
terms and conditions no less favorable than those accorded to any
other customer or user of like public telecommunications
transport networks or services in like circumstances.


Article 1303: Conditions for the Provision of Enhanced or
 Value-Added Services

1.   Each Party shall ensure that:

     (a) any licensing, permit, registration or notification
 procedure that it adopts or maintains relating to the
 provision of enhanced or value-added services is
 transparent and non-discriminatory, and that
 applications filed thereunder are processed
 expeditiously; and

     (b) information required under such procedures is limited
 to that necessary to demonstrate that the applicant has
 the financial solvency to begin providing services or
 to assess conformity of the applicant's terminal or
 other equipment with the Party's applicable standards
 or technical regulations.

2.   A Party shall not require a person providing enhanced or
value-added services to:

     (a) provide those services to the public generally;

     (b) cost-justify its rates;

     (c) file a tariff;

     (d) interconnect its networks with any particular customer
 or network; or

     (e) conform with any particular standard or technical
 regulation for interconnection other than for
 interconnection to a public telecommunications
 transport network.

3.   Notwithstanding paragraph 2(c), a Party may require the
filing of a tariff by:

     (a) such provider to remedy a practice of that provider
 that the Party has found in a particular case to be
 anticompetitive under its law; or

     (b) a monopoly to which Article 1305 applies.


Article 1304: Standards-Related Measures

1.   Further to Article 904(4) (Unnecessary Obstacles), each
Party shall ensure that its standards-related measures relating
to the attachment of terminal or other equipment to the public
telecommunications transport networks, including such measures
relating to the use of testing and measuring equipment for
conformity assessment procedures, are adopted or maintained only
to the extent necessary to:

     (a) prevent technical damage to public telecommunications
 transport networks;

     (b) prevent technical interference with, or degradation of,
 public telecommunications transport services;

     (c) prevent electromagnetic interference, and ensure
 compatibility, with other uses of the electromagnetic
 spectrum;

     (d) prevent billing equipment malfunction; or

     (e) ensure users' safety and access to public
 telecommunications transport networks or services.

2.   A Party may require approval for the attachment to the
public telecommunications transport network of terminal or other
equipment that is not authorized, provided that the criteria for
such approval are consistent with paragraph 1.

3.   Each Party shall ensure that the network termination points
for its public telecommunications transport networks are defined
on a reasonable and transparent basis.

4.   A Party shall not require separate authorization for
equipment that is connected on the customer's side of authorized
equipment that serves as a protective device fulfilling the
criteria of paragraph 1.

5.   Further to Article 904(3) (Non-Discriminatory Treatment),
each Party shall:

     (a) ensure that its conformity assessment procedures are
 transparent and non-discriminatory and that
 applications filed thereunder are processed
 expeditiously;

     (b) permit any technically qualified entity to perform the
 testing required under the Party's conformity
 assessment procedures for terminal or other equipment
 to be attached to the public telecommunications
 transport network, subject to the Party's right to
 review the accuracy and completeness of the test
 results; and

     (c) ensure that any measure that it adopts or maintains
 requiring persons to be authorized to act as agents for
 suppliers of telecommunications equipment before the
 Party's relevant conformity assessment bodies is non-
 discriminatory.

6.   No later than one year after the date of entry into force of
this Agreement, each Party shall adopt, as part of its conformity
assessment procedures, provisions necessary to accept the test
results from laboratories or testing facilities in the territory
of another Party for tests performed in accordance with the
accepting Party's standards-related measures and procedures.

7.   The Telecommunications Standards Subcommittee established
under Article 913(5) (Committee on Standards-Related Measures)
shall perform the functions set out in Annex 913-B.


Article 1305: Monopolies

1.   Where a Party maintains or designates a monopoly to provide
public telecommunications transport networks or services, and the
monopoly, directly or through an affiliate, competes in the
provision of enhanced or value-added services or other
telecommunications-related services or telecommunications-related
goods, the Party shall ensure that the monopoly does not use its
monopoly position to engage in anticompetitive conduct in those
markets, either directly or through its dealings with its
affiliates, in such a manner as to affect adversely a person of
another Party.  Such conduct may include cross-subsidization,
predatory conduct and the discriminatory provision of access to
public telecommunications transport networks or services.

2.   To prevent such anticompetitive conduct, each Party shall
adopt or maintain effective measures such as:

     (a) accounting requirements;

     (b) requirements for structural separation;

     (c) rules to ensure that the monopoly accords its
 competitors access to and use of its public
 telecommunications transport networks or services on
 terms and conditions no less favorable than those it
 accords to itself or its affiliates; or

     (d) rules to ensure the timely disclosure of technical
 changes to public telecommunications transport networks
 and their interfaces.


Article 1306: Transparency

     Further to Article 1802, each Party shall make publicly
available its measures relating to access to and use of public
telecommunications transport networks or services, including
measures relating to:

     (a) tariffs and other terms and conditions of service;

     (b) specifications of technical interfaces with such
 networks or services;

     (c) information on bodies responsible for the preparation
 and adoption of standards-related measures affecting
 such access and use;

     (d) conditions applying to attachment of terminal or other
 equipment to the public telecommunications transport
 network; and

     (e) notification, permit, registration or licensing
 requirements.


Article 1307: Relationship to other Chapters

     In the event of any inconsistency between a provision of
this Chapter and the provision of another Chapter, the provision
of this Chapter shall prevail to the extent of such
inconsistency.


Article 1308: Relation to International Organizations and
 Agreements

     The Parties recognize the importance of international
standards for global compatibility and interoperability of
telecommunication networks or services and undertake to promote
such standards through the work of relevant international bodies,
including the International Telecommunications Union and the
International Organization for Standardization.


Article 1309: Technical Cooperation and Other Consultations

1.   To encourage the development of interoperable
telecommunications transport services infrastructure, the Parties
shall cooperate in the exchange of technical information, the
development of government-to-government training programs and
other related activities.  In implementing this obligation, the
Parties shall give special emphasis to existing exchange
programs.

2.   The Parties shall consult with a view to determining the
feasibility of further liberalizing trade in all
telecommunications services, including public telecommunications
transport networks and services.


Article 1310: Definitions

For purposes of this Chapter:

authorized equipment means terminal or other equipment that has
been approved for attachment to the public telecommunications
transport network in accordance with a Party's conformity
assessment procedures;

conformity assessment procedure means any procedure used,
directly or indirectly, to determine that a relevant technical
regulation or standard is fulfilled, including sampling, testing,
inspection, evaluation, verification, monitoring, auditing,
assurance of conformity, accreditation, registration or approval
used for such a purpose;

enhanced or value-added services means those telecommunications
services employing computer processing applications that:

     (a) act on the format, content, code, protocol or similar
 aspects of a customer's transmitted information;

     (b) provide a customer with additional, different or
 restructured information; or

     (c) involve customer interaction with stored information;

flat-rate pricing basis means pricing on the basis of a fixed
charge per period of time regardless of the amount of usage;

intracorporate communications means telecommunications through
which an enterprise communicates:

     (a) internally or with or among its subsidiaries, branches
 or affiliates, as defined by each Party; or

     (b) on a non-commercial basis with other persons that are
 fundamental to the economic activity of the enterprise
 and that have a continuing contractual relationship
 with it,

but does not include telecommunications services provided to
persons other than those described herein;

network termination point means the final demarcation of the
public telecommunications transport network at the customer's
premises;

private network means a telecommunications transport network that
is used exclusively for intracorporate communications;

protocol means a set of rules and formats that govern the
exchange of information between two peer entities for purposes of
transferring signaling or data in.

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

Date: Tue, 21 Sep 1993 13:05:16 -0400 (EDT)
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Subject: For A Good Time, Call 202-653-1800 (was From Internet to NIST?
From: Paul Robinson <[e-mail]>
Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring, MD USA


"Eric L. Hinson" <[e-mail]>, writes in Telecom Digest:

> Is there a way to connect to NIST's time sync system [phone]
> via the Internet (telnet, rlogin, or other protocol)?

Not that I know of, but you may not need it.  Also, NIST does not
provide time service; the Naval Observatory is the organization that
does that.  Note also that there is also a Washington, DC number that
the Naval Observatory uses to provide modem callers over the telephone
with the correct time as well: [phone].

There is, however, an equivalent service on Internet, called NTP, for
Network Time Protocol (don't confuse this with NNTP, which is used to
propagate newsgroups.)  It is documented as Internet RFCs:

rfc1361.txt   10pg  D. Mills, "Simple Network Time Protocol (SNTP)", 8/92
rfc1305.txt
rfc1305.ps   120pg  D. Mills, "Network Time Protocol (v3)", 04/92

These may be obtained via FTP from ds.internic.net or rs.internic.net,
in directory rfc, or by E-Mail to [e-mail], with the
message document-by-name rfc1361.txt in the message text.

There is at least one site that provides NTP; if you have newsgroup
access, try looking for groups to ask for the site(s) that provide
Network Time Service.  One of them, I think, *does* get some kind of
feed from the Naval Observatory.

The other alternative - If you cannot get an NTP feed - would be to
purchase a $200 clock kit that reads the time signal sent over the
air, and generates an RS-232 data stream that could be read into one
of the terminal ports, if you must have constant updating of the exact
time.  Otherwise, having your system spend 10c to call the Naval
Observatory at 1 Am each night might (or as often as is needed if you
think your clock drifts.)  I checked the clock on the AT compatible I
typed this message with, and it was exactly ONE SECOND FAST of the
time from the Naval Observatory; I haven't had to set the time on my
computer in months.

> Also, does anybody know what type of computer(s) this
> service runs on?  I'm curious also as to how it determines
> what UTC really IS (what does it use as its time base)?

The means to calculate time is done on the basis of a certain number
of decays of radioactive cecium.  A certain exact number of decays
will occur in a certain period of time, this exact number is used to
define the time period referred to as a "second".  From that, all
other measurements are made.  The device that does this measurement is
a (at one time) 1/2 million dollar device called an "atomic clock."

A voice demonstration of this is available.  If you either call the +1
[phone] number or the identical (and more expensive) service on
+1 (900) 410-TIME (8463), a male recording says "U.S. Naval
Observatory *MASTER CLOCK*. At the tone, Eastern Standard Time, 12
Hours, 25 Minutes, 40 Seconds."  Fweep!  "Universal Time, 16 Hours, 25
Minutes, 45 Seconds" Fweep! "U.S. Naval Observatory *MASTER CLOCK* ..."
and ticking occurs in the background.


Paul Robinson - [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (Mer Industries)
Subject: Where's Dialogic?
Organization: DataServe LTD. (An Internet Access Provider), Israel.
Date: Tue, 21 Sep 1993 12:26:38 GMT


Dialogic is quite a large company in the PC telecommunication hardware
business. I tried to locate them in the net, but couldn't. I need to
ask them some questions.

Anybody know how I can get in touch with these fellows? News, lists,
e-mail, FTP, anything?


Thanks,

Avi Nahir    C. Mer Industries Ltd.


[Moderator's Note: Surely ... Dialogic Corporation is located at 300
Littleton Road, Parsippany, NJ 07054. Phone: [phone], FAX: [phone].
My contact there is sales engineer Bob Kelly. He very graciously sent
me an extensive amount of documentation, 'c' routines and the like for
a D/4 type voice card I have here. They don't give their stuff away
free usually, but then you did not ask for it for free, just how to
reach them.  Good luck.   PAT]

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

Date: Tue, 21 Sep 93 15:30:20 CDT
From: [e-mail] (Aditya Talwar)
Subject: Cellular/Mobile Telephones


Here is a crazy question. I am writing a report on the Cellular
Telephone Industry in the ASEAN countries (Malaysia) and I am looking
for information sources on the Internet or Journals to update my
obsolete knowledge! I would sincerely appreciate any pointers.  Thanks
for your time.


Aditya Talwar|[e-mail]|buzz:713.952.2100 x405


[Moderator's Note: You might try sticking around here and reading our
various discussions on cellular phones. For message threads on this
topic here in the past, you might try the SEARCH routine in the email
service now available at [e-mail] or via FTP to
lcs.mit.edu.  PAT]

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

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #658
******************************

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          23 Sep 93 13:37 EDT
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Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1993 10:34:36 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #659

TELECOM Digest     Thu, 23 Sep 93 10:34:15 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 659

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    ATM/Frame Relay Conference (Pacific Rim) (Tsz-Mei Ko)
    Call Back Services in Trinidad (John Schmidt)
    Sprint's Dvorak (Free Modem) Offer (Roy M. Silvernail)
    Telephone Museum in Michigan (Jack Decker)
    What's With Pac Bell Airport Terminals? (David Kiviat)
    AT&T Call Manager Disappeared Again? (Alan Boritz)
    Thieves Like GSM Phones (Juha Veijalainen)
    US West Files For Big OPX Price Increase in Washington (Dave Ptasnik)
    Export of Encryption Software National Security Risk? ([e-mail])
    New Area Code 905 Now Works From 519 NPA (Nigel Allen)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Tsz-Mei Ko)
Subject: ATM/Frame Relay Conference (Pacific Rim)
Organization: Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1993 22:13:11 +0800


I'm posting the following for a friend.  Please don't reply to this
email.

                    Sep. 2,1993

 Dear Telecom Professional :

    You are cordially invited to attend the 1993 Broadband Workshop
(Frame Relay/SMDS/ATM) and the first Pacific Rim Frame Relay/SMDS/ATM
Interest Group (PRFASIG) meeting to be held in Taipei from November 22
to 24. You are also welcome to participate as a speaker at the
workshop.

    PRFASIG was formerly the Pacific Rim SMDS Interest Group (PRSIG)
which held successful workshops and meetings in Taipei and Singapore
during the past year. At the Singapore meeting in May, the charter and
scope of PRSIG were broadened to include Frame Relay and ATM,
consequently the new name PRFASIG was conceived.

    The purpose of the 1993 Broadband Workshop and the first PRFASIG
meeting is to provide a common forum for all interested parties of the
telecommunications industry in the Pacific Rim to share experiences
and insight on emerging broadband technologies and services, and to
explore opportunities for cooperation. Your expertise and contribution
to this workshop will be greatly appreciated.

    We are looking forward to your acceptance of this invitation and
thank you in advance. A tentative agenda as well as a copy of the
Singapore meeting minutes are enclosed for your information. Details
on the exact location of this workshop will follow shortly. Please
send your reply and all correspondences to:

Cheng-Sheng Lin
1993 Broadband Workshop
Telecommunication Laboratories (TL)
12, Lane 551, Min-Tsu Road, Sec. 3
Yang-Mei, Taoyuan, Taiwan, 326 R.O.C.
Tel: [phone]   Fax: [phone]


Sincerely yours,

Maria Chou
Chair
PRFASIG

****Please respond by October 8, 1993 ****


= AGENDA ========================================================

1993 Broadband Workshop


Tentative Agenda :

Time : November 22-24,1993
Place: Taipei, Taiwan

Number of Sessions : 8

  1. Introduction and Goals of the Workshop

  2. Session I : Overview : Standards, Technology and Services.

     . Broadband Applications and Market Drive
       - Video
       - Multimedia
       - Highspeed Data
       - LAN interconnection...

     . Broadband Technology Overview
       - Architecture/Model/Functions
       - SONET, ATM, AAL, OAM, Signaling

     . Broandband Standards Development and Status
       - ATM Forum
       - TSS

     . Broadband Services
       - Frame Relay
       - Cell Relay
       - SMDS


   3. Session II : System, Product, Network and Service Trial

     . Broadband Systems & Network Architecture
       - Switching functions and architecture
       - Interworking unit
       - Evolution

     . Broadband Components and Products

       - Chips
       - Subsystems
       - HUB...

     . ATM VP SW design & Application

     . Broadband Service Trials (or experimental test bed)


  4. Session III : Broadband User Needs

     . Hospital Users

     . Science and Technology Organization Users

     . Industry Users (Financial, Insurance, Medical)


  5. Session IV : Broadband Services from Telecommunications
     Service Providers

     . Planning & Deployment Plans

     . Trial Plans

     . Market Needs

     . Services

     . DGT role


  6. Session V : Broadband Equipment Suppliers

     . Switch (includes Cross Connect)

     . CPE


  7. Session VI : Interest Groups - PRFASIG, U.S.SIG, European
     SIG, ATM Forum, FR forum, Monte Jade science and technology
     association (Yu-Sen Association)

     . Role

     . Activities


  8. Session VII : Open Issues for Discussion

     . Broadband Traffic Management

     . Broadband Signaling Architecture and Protocols

     . Broadband Network Operations


  9. Session VIII : PRFASIG meetings



=== MEETING MINUTES =====================================


PRSIG MEETING (5/15/93) MINUTES

 . Maria Chou (Chair) called the meeting to order at 8:30 am.  Since
there were significantly more countries (Taiwan, R.O.C., Singapore,
Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Australia, U.S., Indonesia, Thailand)
represented than at last year's Taipei meeting, Maria again went
through the approved PRSIG bylaws.  Cheng-sheng Lin (Treasurer) and
Wayne Tsou (Secretary) gave financial and secretarial reports which
are attached.

 . New businesses: there was a proposal from the floor for a joint
meeting withNorth American SMDS Interest Group (NASIG) and the
European SMDS Interest Group (ESIG), or to invite NASIG and ESIG
members to the next PRSIG meeting.  Steve Cortez (DSC) suggested our
officers meet with NASIG and ESIG counterparts at the INTEROP FALL '93
conference (August).  Steve agreed to set up the meeting.

 . It was agreed that there should have more user involvement at this
forum to stimulate discussions of service applications.  Maria asked
attendees to provide contact information for potential SMDS users so
they can be invited to the next workshop and/or PRSIG meeting.

 . The following parties agreed to provide appropriate contacts:

 - Local carriers (e.g., Singapore Telecom, Malaysia, Japan's IDC, DGT
Taiwan, R.O.C, Telecom) will provide contacts of their prospective
customers.

 - David Brown (QPSX), in Australia.

 - Friedrich Knopf (Siemens), users of British Telecom's SuperJanet service
and at the University of Stuttgart.

 - Gene Choy (Cisco) and Dan Murray (ADC/Kentrox), will provide their
customer contacts.

 . The Group discussed the possibility of broadening the charter to
include other broadband technologies and services.  Each country in
the region has different strategies:

  - Taiwan, R.O.C. is deploying Frame Relay this year and is planning
SMDS trials for the future

  - Singapore is trialing a MAN service and looking at Frame Relay and
SMDS.

  - Japan plans to deploy Frame Relay next year

  - Malaysia has Frame Relay trials planned for next year.

The common denominators to all of these strategies: they want to
eventually evolve to a multi-services ATM platform and are currently
considering Frame Relay and SMDS (or SMDS-like service).  So it would
be beneficial to have one forum in the Pacific Rim region for
discussing all Frame Relay, SMDS, and ATM issues.

 . It was therefore decided to broaden the Group's charter to include
Frame Relay and ATM.  A new name for the Group was then solicited.
Among the suggestions were: Emerging Broadband Services Interest
Group, Emerging Broadband Data Services Interest Group, Frame
Relay/ATM/SMDS Interest Group, Broadband Services Interest Group, and
Broadband Data Services Interest Group.  After some debate, "Pacific
Rim Frame Relay/ATM/SMDS Interest Group (PRFASIG)" was voted the new
name.

 . Dr. Liang (TL of Taiwan, R.O.C.) noted there may be a ATM
Conference in late October or November of this year in Taipei
initiated by Monte Jade Science and Technology Association and he
suggested the next/first PRFASIG meeting to be held in conjunction
with this ATM conference.  David Brown (QPSX) will ask Telecom
Australia if they would be interested in hosting the next meeting in
Australia.

 .  Meeting was adjourned at noon.


Respectfully submitted,

Wayne Tsou
Secretary of PRFASIG

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

Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1993 23:49:45 EDT
From: JOHN SCHMIDT <[e-mail]>
Subject: Call Back Services in Trinidad


The following article appears on page 2 of the _Sunday Express_ for
September 19th, published in Port Of Spain, Trinidad:


TSTT VOWS HARD LINE ON CUT RATE OVERSEAS CALLS

TSTT has warned that it will take a hard line against subscribers to
the call-back services being offered by local agents in conjunction
with foreign telephone companies.

The local telecommunications service strongly advises its customers
not to subscribe to what it describes as illegal call-back services or
else their lines will be disconnected.

"TSTT will be actively monitoring the misuse of its network for
call-back services and will take immediate action to disconnect any
lines, to terminate any service, and to otherwise remove network
access to any TSTT telecommunications facilities which are used for
such services" said the company's public relations officer, Patt
Christopher.

The condemnation of the proposed overseas calling service came in
response to an advertisement in which a San Fernando {Trinidad} based
security company offered a system designed to slash international
telephone bills by up to half.

Industrial Security Consultants (ISC) and its American partner
Interworld Communications Corporation (ICC) invited prospective
subscribers to pay a nominal fee which would entitle them to a
personal identification number which would guarantee savings on
overseas calls and faxes.

The subscriber, they said, has only to dial a toll free number and ICC
will return the call and put it through, saving the subscriber between
35 and 50 percent on normal foreign calls.

Director of Telecommunications Winston Ragbir said on Friday that
although similar telecommunications systems are operating in other
Caribbean islands, they are illegal in Trinidad and Tobago.

"TSTT is the sole provider for that service. We can't give permission
for those companies to operate here.  Government has an agreement with
TSTT and Cable and Wireless for telecommunications services. It is a
Government policy", he said.

As to claims the call-back service does substantially reduce overseas
billing Ragbir said "It is economically true but illegal".

He explained how it works: "Rates vary from country to country.
Companies in the USA charge less.  Overseas calls are therefore
directed to the USA to make it appear as if it is coming from the
cheaper end."

Stressing that this type of service is "unlawful", Christopher
explained that it involved the unauthorised use of telecommunications
networks in both Trinidad and Tobago and abroad in order to circumvent
the established international procedures for processing calls.  In so
doing, she added, call-back services misuse TSTT's local and
international services.

"In their unlawful and unauthorised use of TSTT's service, system,
equipment and facilities, call-back operators exploit the significant
capital investment made by TSTT for its customers.  Their actions are
parasitic and are therefore detrimental to the long-term growth and
development of telecommunications facilities and services in Trinidad
and Tobago," Christopher said.

Contacted on the situation, managing director of ISC, Ambrose
Carrington said that the project was still in its early stage, and
that his company will be holding discussions next week with
representatives of ICC on the "legal" avenues.

 __END OF STORY__

Kind of sounds like "Ma Bell" in the old days ... (and my father
worked for Western Electric for over 30 years.)  I guess TSTT makes a
bundle on international calls, and doesn't like the idea of
competition at all :-(


John H. Schmidt, P.E.              |Internet: [e-mail]
Technical Director, WBAU           |Phone--Days     [phone]
Adelphi University                 |       Evenings [phone]
Garden City, New York 11530        |Fax-------------[phone]

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

Subject: Sprint's Dvorak (Free Modem) Offer
From: [e-mail] (Roy M. Silvernail)
Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1993 17:53:37 CST
Organization: The Villa CyberSpace, executive headquarters


I decided it was worthwhile to switch my modem line to Sprint and get
that free modem.  It was actually a pleasant experience ...

When I called 800-669-8585, I got an "all representatives are busy"
message, but it was from a live human being!  He took my name and
number, and promised that a representative would return the call
within 45 minutes.  It took only 20 minutes.

The rep knew of the offer, and filled me in on the details.  After
asking my monthly volume, he offered the Most plan, which gives me a
20% discount on whatever number I call the most (no minimum, no
monthly charge).  He also offered a Sprint Calling Card, which is
free.  I accepted both.  Sprint will also refund my $5 changeover fee
with a gift certificate.

He then asked a few questions for their records, like address, how
long I'd been at my present job (but didn't ask anything further about
the job), whether I had a checking account or credit card (and again,
with no further prying for details), and whether I owned or rented.
He asked for my SSN, but was very understanding when I told him I
preferred not to disclose it.  There was no problem leaving that space
blank.

The rep closed by giving me a toll-free customer service number, and
asking that I suggest Sprint to my friends.  (I told him that I had
already passed the offer along to a couple of people)

The Most plan should come in handy, since most of my traffic lately
has been to a California support BBS (keeping up on modem software
updates for my Connection 96+ SoftModem).

Thanks, Mark Earle and PAT, for passing this offer along!


Roy M. Silvernail |+|  [e-mail]

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

Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1993 00:24:00 -0400
From: [e-mail] (Jack Decker)
Subject: Telephone Museum in Michigan
Reply-To: [e-mail]


A telephone nuseum worth a visit when you are in the area:

Montrose Historical & Telephone Pioneer Museum
144 E. Hickory Street
P.O. Box 577
Montrose, Michigan  48457
Hours: 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays ONLY (other times by
appointment/special arrangement).
Call (313 639-6644 for more information.


Jack

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

From: [e-mail] (David Kiviat)
Subject: What's With Pac Bell Airport Terminals?
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1993 07:54:11 GMT


Pac Bell has had terminal telephones in airports for years now but
when you try to use them as a terminal (they have a full keyboard)
instead of as a TTY or an overly complex telephone they just reply
"This option has not been implemented yet". It would be very usefull
to have these terminals working so people could check their E-mail
between flights.

My question to Pac Bell people who may be reading this is 'How many
more years is it going to take to get these phones fully implemented?"

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

Subject: AT&T Call Manager Disappeared Again?
From: drharry![e-mail] (Alan Boritz)
Date: Wed, 22 Sep 93 22:07:33 EST
Organization: Harry's Place BBS - Mahwah NJ - [phone]


Is AT&T silently dropping this service (again)?  I just found it
disabled on one of my lines at home and called AT&T.  The billing rep
said that they were advised to tell customers that Call Manager is not
working in the New York City area, and that they have no estimate for
repair.  The billing rep also gave a phone number to call for more
information (1-908-204-4182).

This seems like an awful lot of trouble to go to, without trying to
fix the problem.  Is AT&T trying to discourage Call Manager users from
using the product, and eventually eliminate it?


[e-mail]  or  uunet!drharry!aboritz
Harry's Place BBS (drharry.UUCP) - Mahwah NJ USA - [phone]

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

From: [e-mail]
Date: 22 SEP 93 10:48
Subject: Thieves Like GSM Phones


Following information is based on an article in 'Tietoviikko',
a Finnish data processing weekly, on 23.09.1993.

New type of crime has hit GSM phone owners.  With analog mobile
phones, especially with older NMT450, phone fraud was the problem.

Not with GSM.  Intelligent SIM card prevents fraud, but now criminals
are stealing phones and resell them or use their own quite legal SIM
cards.  According to the article GSM phones do not identify themselves
to the network, so there is no way to know whether the actual phone is
stolen or not.  SIM card in the phone has to be valid, though.

Operators are creating a new system, where phones would send their ID
which then would be compared against database of stolen phones.  Calls
from stolen units would be blocked even when the SIM card is valid.

All GSM phones have this equipment ID feature, but it is not currently
used.  It would need to be 'activated', whatever that means.

SIM -cards have a four to eight number PIN associated with them.
Currently some phones, like mine, have also a 'phone lock' PIN.  When
you turn on the phone, you'll have to type in the phone lock code (0
to eight digits) and then the SIM PIN (four to eight digits).

I suspect, though, that most users don't bother with extra security.


Juha Veijalainen    4ge system analyst, tel. [phone]
  Unisys Finland    Internet: [e-mail]
>> Mielipiteet omiani ** Opinions are PERSONAL, facts are suspect <<

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

Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1993 08:35:18 PDT
From: Dave Ptasnik  <[e-mail]>
Subject: US West Files For Big OPX Price Increase in Washington (at Least)


Excerpts from a Tele-Communications Association letter -

On August 31, 1993 US West (re)filed a terminal loop rate increase
tariff.  The intent of this tariff filing is to withdraw all termial
loop service (ie OPX's, tie lines, and centron/centraflex mileage
charges, etc.) from the exchange service transport tariff, redesignate
them as private lines, and bring them under the private line transport
tariff.  Since the pricing rules uncer the private line transport
tariff require the addition of subsidies to support other
telecommunications rate payers, this tariff filing, if approved, will
result ina substantial increase in the cost of terminal loops.

Using US West's figures, OPX's in the same central office will
increase 220 percent on recurring charges and 385 percent on
installation charges ...

                     ________________

Other rates equally horrible were gone into.  In one of my
applications, installation of a Centron OPX to a different CO would go
from about $60 to over $250, monthlies would go from about $25 to
about $50.  Kinda ugly.  While this letter did not specifically
mention it, I think this proposal would slightly raise basic line
rates for businesses with four lines or less, and lower basic rates
for businesses with over four lines, so that both would be the same
price.  I don't know the intended overall revenue effect, but it sure
seems like US West is encouraging businesses with multiple locations
in the same town to not have a networked voice system.

Customers ought to look at this one very carefully, and hold on to
their wallets tightly.


All of the above is nothing more than the personal opinion of -

Dave Ptasnik          [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Export of Encryption Software National Security Risk?
Date: Wed, 22 Sep 93 20:47:05 PDT


(From {The Wall Street Journal}, 22 Sept 93, pg. B6.)
Copyright (C) 1993 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

                 U.S. Grand Jury Probing
                Encryption Software Sales

    SAN JOSE, Calif. -- A federal grand jury is probing sales of
encryption software, programs used to protect data from eavesdroppers
by putting it into code.

    The U.S. District Court here has subpoenaed two small companies
that sell programs based on a software code called PGP, for Pretty
Good Privacy.  Developed by Boulder, Colo., computer consultant Philip
Zimmermann, the software has been widely copied internationally since
Mr. Zimmermann made it available for free in the U.S.

    ViaCrypt, a division of Phoenix-based Lemcom Systems Inc., and
Austin Code Works, Austin, Texas, have been asked to supply documents
about their software that incorporates the coding program.

    The government has been trying to limit proliferation of
encryption programs, and regards their export as a violation of laws
restricting technology transfers that could threaten national
security.  But computer users contend that software publishers are
entitled to the same free-speech protections as any other publisher,
and say it is too late to stop the spread of coding programs.

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

Date: Thu, 23 Sep 93 01:50:51 EDT
From: [e-mail] (Nigel Allen)
Subject: New area code 905 now works from 519 NPA
Organization: National Capital FreeNet, Ottawa
Reply-To: [e-mail]


Chris Farrar, sysop of the Professional Thinkers Guild BBS in Windsor,
Ontario (FidoNet 1:246/20, modem [phone]) posted the following
message in the C-TELECOM echo on Fidonet.

21 Sep 1993 (1650 EDT)

Phone numbers that will be in area code 905 after the upcoming split
are now dialable as 1-905-NXX-XXXX from the 519 (Windsor) area.
Previous to this, Bell would intercept the call after eight digits were
dialed, even though 905 was active.  A test with AT&T from Jackson MI
on Saturday Sept 18, would not connect with NPA 905 numbers.

Chris

[Note from NDA: The official date for the introduction of 905 is
October 4, 1993. I suspect some COCOTs and PBXs will still block 905
after that date because their administrators didn't bother to
reprogram them for the new area code.]


Nigel Allen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada  [e-mail]

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

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #659
******************************

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          23 Sep 93 14:05 EDT
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Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1993 11:03:51 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #660

TELECOM Digest     Thu, 23 Sep 93 11:03:30 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 660

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    FAQ on the Internet Multicasting Service (Mark Boolootian)
    Close-out Consumer Telephone Equipment From Heartland America (Nigel Allen)
    H & V Distance Computing Algorithm Wanted (Jimmy Gauvin)
    Information Wanted on Six-bit Code (Johan M. Karlsson)
    Old Phone Located; Good Home Wanted (Rich Greenberg)
    Tariff Rates for ISDN, T1, SMDS (John L. MacFarlane)
    Snail-Mail Revenge (Les Reeves)
    All Shook Up (Randy Gellens)

                     ----------------------
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: [e-mail].
 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: [phone].

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

From: [e-mail] (Mark Boolootian)
Subject: FAQ on the Internet Multicasting Service
Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1993 12:07:29 PDT


In October and November, the Internet Multicasting Service will be
releasing a series of eight half-hour programs entitled "Hell's Bells:
A Radio History of the Telephone."  In the below FAQ, they claim the
series "is one of the best radio programs we've ever heard."

Everything you need to know about the IMS can be found below.


            FAQ for the Internet Multicasting Service
            =========================================

Tired of that last subtle twist in "alt.ascii.the-letter-a"?

Do you find that com-priv has the information content of a free
real estate seminar at your local Holiday Inn?

Looking for an alternative?

     You've found it in this FAQ about the Internet
     Multicasting Service!

What's an FAQ?

     An exchange of information cleverly patterned as a Socratic
     dialogue.

Huh?  What's a Socratic dialogue?

     A set of Frequently Asked Questions and their answers.
     Socrates was a famous philosopher in ancient Greece.

So what's with the dead Greek and what does that have to do with
cyberspace?

     Just in case you are intimidated by modern computer
     technology, we want to put you at ease.  Compared to a dead
     Greek, we're *all* Unix experts.

Enough! What *is* the Internet Multicasting Service?

     We're the first station in cyberspace, a source of news and
     information for the Internet community.  We run two
     channels: Internet Talk Radio is a science and technology
     channel and the Internet Town Hall is devoted to public
     affairs.

     The Internet Multicasting Service is a non-profit
     corporation located in the National Press Building.  We're
     right next to all the other members of the press, like the
     Kansas City Star and the Arkansas Gazette.  They're not too
     sure exactly what we do, but as long as the rent gets paid
     they leave us alone.

"Station in cyberspace"?  Get real!

     No, really.  We run a "radio" station, publishing sound
     files which you listen to on your personal computer.  You
     know that funny sound your Mac makes when you start it up,
     quacking like a duck or talking like Bart Simpson?  Think of
     our programs as a very long version of that duck.

Gee, aren't the files big?

     Well, our programming is published in a sound format called
     Pulse Code Modulation, which is 8000 samples per second with
     each sample being 8 bits.  Those 8 bits are encoded with mu-
     law encoding (which is a logarithmic encoding that fits 14
     bits of information into 8 bits but you didn't want to know
     that).

     What this all means is that an hour of programming is 30
     Megabytes.  We'll typically publish anywhere from 30 minutes
     to 90 minutes of programming per day.

Oh my!  Do you mean to tell me that you expect me to download 45
megabytes of data?  Are you nuts?

     Yes.

Seriously, how do I get the files to my computer?

     The easiest way is to use your computer on the Internet.  We
     put the files onto UUNET which acts as a main distribution
     point for large regional networks around the world, such as
     IIJ in Japan, NASA, EUnet in Europe, and many others.

     If you are a UUNET customer, you simply use anonymous ftp to
     ftp.uu.net.  If you belong to some other network, you'll
     look for the files on your local file server.

My regional server doesn't have the files.  Is there some other
way to find them?

     We maintain a list of known anonymous FTP sites around the
     world.  There may be many others (do an Archie search on one
     of our file names and see if you recognize any of the
     servers).  To get the known anonymous FTP sites list, send
     mail to:

         [e-mail]

What if I just found a new site which isn't on the list?

     Tell us about it!  Send us mail at:

         [e-mail]

What if I'm not on the Internet.  Can I get the files from
CompuServe?

     Whew.  That would be a bit tough!  You're welcome to try and
     use an FTP to mail gateway, but this isn't something we'd
     want to do on our weekend.

I'm on the Internet, but I dial into my interactive account on a
300 baud modem.  Can I get the files?

     Sure.  Just use Kermit, Xmodem, or something else.  Of
     course, it will take approximately 222 hours to download a
     1-hour program.

What are you, a wise guy?  I've got one of those whizbang fancy
modems with 32bis and lots of features.  How about that?

     That makes more sense.

Is there a better way?

     Well, in the ideal world, your network manager on your
     neighborhood or corporate LAN sucks the files in every night
     and puts them on a file server on your local Ethernet.  If
     you're connected at 10 million bits per second, a 30
     megabyte file doesn't seem quite as bad.

     We realize this makes it tough on the home user, but
     eventually we'll all have ISDN, cable TV, or some other
     miracle giving us decent bandwidth into the home.  Until
     then, the Internet Multicasting Service is trying to figure
     out what it means to be a cyberstation.  You can't please
     all the people all of the time, but we hope to address the
     information needs of at least part of the Internet.

OK, we've got the files.  Now, how do I display them on my
screen?

     This is radio.  You don't.

No, I mean how do you see them?

     Ah, you mean "do you publish transcripts?"  The answer is no
     and the reason is that would increase our production costs
     dramatically.  However, that doesn't mean that we think that
     ASCII is unimportant.  A real cyberstation needs to employ
     all data types and multiple distribution techniques.  For
     our "radio" metaphor, however, we just do audio files.

How do I play the files on my Sun?

     If you are running SunOS 4.1.3 or later, simply pick
     the AudioTool from your OpenWindows menu.

     Or, use the "play" command.  You can usually find that
     in /usr/demo/SOUND (or any other place your demo
     directory has been placed).

     You can play the files directly, or use a tool like Xmosaic
     or Gopher.

How do I play the files on my NeXT?

     The Sun .au format is almost identical to the NeXT .snd
     format.  Use your standard sound playing utilities.

Can I convert the files to other formats?

     Sure.  Use the famous SoX program, available for Unix and
     DOS platforms from ftp.cwi.nl.

How do I play the files on Ultrix?

     AudioFile was developed by DEC's Cambridge Research
     Laboratory.  Supports a variety of audio devices, a
     programming API and library, and some core and
     contributed applications.

     AudioFile is available for anonymous FTP from:

          crl.dec.com:/pub/DEC/AF/AF2R@.tar.Z

How do I play the files on my PC?

     The source files are in the Sun .au format, which is
     almost identical to the PC .wav format.  If you use
     SOX, you can easily convert the files to a .wav file
     and play them using any of your standard sound
     utilities.

     Another approach is to bring the native files straight
     down (no conversion) and use PLANY.  This clever little
     program will handle pretty much any sound format on a
     Soundblaster card. The software is widely mirrored, but
     one source is:

          ftp.uga.edu:/msdos/mirror/sound/plany12.zip

How do I play your files on the Macintosh?

     The native sound format for the Mac is the .aiff
     format. You can convert the files to .aiff format using
     a variety of tools.  You can convert the file on a Unix
     machine using the SoX program.  Or, you can do the same
     thing on your Mac using UUTool.

     UUTool is available in the /util/compression directory
     on the host mac.archive.umich.edu.  The files are also
     mirrored in the following places:

         wuarchive.wustl.edu:mirrors/archive.umich.edu/mac,
         src.doc.ic.ac.uk:packages/mac/umich,
         archie.au:micros/mac/umich.

     To play the files, you can use AudioShop.  AudioShop
     distributes a demo version of their program that can
     play .aiff files.  Simply load the file and play it.
     AudioShop does not require System 7 so should work on
     most Macintosh systems.  (Provided that you have enough
     disk space.  ;-)

     The AudioShop Demo is available in the
     mac/sound/soundutil directory on mac.archive.umich.edu
     and is also mirrored.

But I wanna play the file on my Mac in the native format with
my existing Internet tools.  How do I do that?

     You really want lots of things!  OK ... you want a
     u-law playing program.  Mac Mosaic and the latest
     Turbogopher all have the ability to call the u-law
     playing program.  You can find the package in the usual
     places, such as:

          mac.archive.umich.edu:
         /mac/sound/soundutil/ulaw1.4.cpt.hqx

Are there other ways to play the files?

     Sure!  Do whatever you want!  Lots of neat things you can
     do.  For example, its simple to download the program to your
     MAC Powerbook or Sparcbook and put the computer on the seat
     next to you on the ride home.  Expensive radio, but where
     else would you hear such great programming?

     Lots of other things have been done.  One guy spools the
     data into the company voicemail system.  Several
     corporations run little automatic radio stations, either
     using IP multicasting (check out isi.edu:/mbone/faq.txt) or
     at the Ethernet level (look for the radio and tuner programs
     on ftp.cwi.nl).

I want to be a scholar.  How do I learn more about sound?

     The ultimate source for Sound is the AudioFormats FAQ
     maintained by the good people at CWI in the
     Netherlands.  You can find lots of good stuff in:

         ftp.cwi.nl:/pub/audio/

Why don't you publish the files in MAC format?  How come you
don't compress the files?

     Well, we could.  But, think about this.  In our first
     season, we published about 1.5 Gigabytes of files in four
     months.  We think our steady-state rate is going to be about
     300 Mbytes per week.

     If we publish in both the PCM and MAC formats, we would
     double (at least) the amount of data on the network.  There
     is an old rule in networks which basically says that if you
     have to play with your data (e.g., fragment it), you should
     do so at the last possible hop.

     We want network managers to bring the files in and *then* do
     the conversions locally, publishing in whatever formats are
     appropriate for the next hop.  If you have lots of MAC
     users, maybe you produce .aiff files.  If you have lots of
     users using UUCP with 9600 bps modems, maybe you convert to
     GSM or some other low-volume format.

Enough of this technical mumbo-jumbo.  What can I hear?

     Our flagship show on Internet Talk Radio is "Geek of the
     Week" featuring in-depth interviews with members of the
     technical community.  We've talked to all sorts of famous
     engineers about topics such as the next generation of
     TCP/IP, resource discovery protocols, network security, and
     how to put toasters on the Internet.

Can I order audiocassettes of "Geek of the Week"?

     Of course.  O'Reilly & Associates has issued their new
     ORAudio line of audiocassettes.  Send mail to [e-mail]
     and they'll tell you all about it.  You can also get
     information from them through gopher space or through their
     whiz-bang, hypertext, multimedia magazine, the Global
     Network Navigator ([e-mail]).

Is "Geek of the Week" your only show?

     Au contraire.  We also syndicate two radio shows from the
     public radio world.  TechNation: Americans and Technology
     features great interviews by Dr. Moira Gunn, a former rocket
     scientist at NASA.  SOUNDPRINT is an NPR show that features
     thoughtful looks at important topics.

     We also carry occasional specials.  In October and November
     of 1993, for example, we're really pleased to carry "Hell's
     Bells: A Radio History of the Telephone."  This series
     consists of 8 half-hour programs and is one of the best
     radio programs we've ever heard.

What about the Internet Town Hall channel?

     We have our own broadcast booth in the National Press Club,
     joining C-SPAN and National Public Radio as the official
     licensees for the National Press Club Luncheon series.
     Speakers ranging from Miss Manners to Yassar Arafat to the
     Dalai Lama appear on this series.

How do you pay for all this?

     We use a public radio-like model of short, tasteful
     acknowledgements for our underwriters.

Underwriters?  Don't you mean ads?

     Call them what you will.

Are ads legal?

     You must be referring to the Appropriate Use Policy (AUP) on
     NSFNET or other networks.  No problem!  Turns out that the
     AUP is a rational thing and, since our radio shows feature
     informative, educational material, we fit right into the
     policies of government and research networks.  Of course,
     Bart Simpson might not, but we're not a Fox affiliate.  Yet.

People actually pay to advertise on this?

     Don't be snide.  We reach 100,000 people in 30 countries.
     If you're looking for a tasteful alternative to FooWorld, we
     actually have better demographics than most of the trade
     press!

     We've had quite good support so far.  Sun Microsystems and
     O'Reilly & Associates started it off.  (Thanks, guys!)
     UUNET Technologies and MFS Datanet are providing us with a
     10 Mbps Internet feed.  Beame & Whiteside provides us with
     TCP/IP software for our PC systems.  Lots of other
     organizations are eager to support the first station in
     cyberspace.  If you have excess money you want to dispose
     of, send mail to [e-mail].

Are there any restrictions on what I can do with the files?

     Well, you can't take our ads out and put your own in and
     resell the files.  We would not be pleased.

     Basically, we'll allow you to copy the files as many times
     as you want to as many people so long as:

         1) money doesn't change hands; and
         2) you don't alter the data.

How do I get more information?

     To get this faq, send mail to:

         [e-mail]

     To subscribe to the announcements list, send mail to:

         [e-mail]

     For a list of known FTP sites, send mail to:

         [e-mail]

     To talk to a human, send mail to:

         [e-mail]

What else does the Internet Multicasting Service do?

     The radio station seems to be working out well, so we
     decided to work with Dr. Marshall T. Rose of Dover Beach
     Consulting to help start a new kind of telephone company.
     For more information, send mail to:

         [e-mail]

     We also occasionally pull cheap stunts, like the time we
     linked up National Public Radio's Talk of the Nation:
     Science Friday to the Internet for an hour of live national
     radio.  If you're on the announcements list, you'll hear
     about these special events as they occur.

Can I start my own radio station?

     You bet!  Next time you're in the National Press Building
     stop by for a tour.  We'd be happy to show you our digital
     production facilities and studio and how we set up our 10
     Mbps link into the Internet.  Since we're a non-profit,
     we're encouraging anybody else to get into the brand new
     field of desktop broadcasting.

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

Date: Wed, 22 Sep 93 22:13:07 -0400
From: [e-mail] (Nigel Allen)
Subject: Close-Out Consumer Telephone Equipment From Heartland America
Organization: The National Capital FreeNet, Ottawa


Readers in the U.S. may be interested in the cheap (and presumably
discontinued) consumer telephones offered by Heartland America.  A
recent ad offers a 10-channel cordless phone for US $69, for example.
To request a catalog, call 1-800-486-1549; to order, call
1-800-229-2901. The company will not ship to addresses outside the
U.S., and I have had no dealings with it myself.  The company sells a
lot of non-telecom merchandise as well.


Nigel Allen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada    [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (Jimmy Gauvin)
Subject: H & V Distance Computing Algorithm Wanted
Organization: Universite Laval
Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1993 18:19:28 GMT


Hi,

Can somebody please tell me how to calculate the distance between two
NPA-NXXs given their H & V coordinates?


Thanks.

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

From: [e-mail] (Johan M Karlsson)
Subject: Information Wanted on Six-bit Code
Date: 23 Sep 1993 11:06:18 GMT
Organization: Communication Systems, Lund Institute of Technology, Sweden


I just wonder if anybody know anything about the Six-bit code called
TTS, that was used by many newspapers in the 70's to receive stories
from the wire services. Like what does the letters TTS stand for?

Would be very happy for an answer!


Johan

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

From: [e-mail] (Rich Greenberg)
Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1993 13:23:15 PDT
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Subject: Old Phone Located; Good Home Wanted


One of my hobbies is to cruise garage sales looking for telephones,
recondition (usually just clean up) them, and resell them.

One that I came across may be of interest to the readers of The Telcom
Digest and c.d.t.

Its a 500 phone, dated 1971, rotary dial, in PINK.  Its working, and
in good shape except for two minor cracks in the case that I will
epoxy.  Came with an extra long pink cord (with the plug cut off)
which you may have with it, or I will put on a modular cord.

Email if interested.  I am in Los Angeles near LAX, and would prefer
not to ship it.


Rich Greenberg            Work: ETi Solutions, Oceanside & L.A. CA 310-348-7677
N6LRT   TinselTown, USA   Play: [e-mail]                  310-649-0238
I speak for myself only.       Canines: Chinook & Husky

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

From: [e-mail] (John L. MacFarlane)
Subject: Tariff Rates For ISDN, T1, SMDS
Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1993 11:06:46 GMT
Organization: Software.Com


Hello all,

Can anyone give me advise on where to find the tariff rates for local
T1, ISDN and SMDS services? I realize these rates vary with location
and I am also interested in this variance.


My appreciation in advance,

John MacFarlane    [e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: Have you asked your own telco what they charge for
the services mentioned?    PAT]

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

Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1993 17:14:35 -0400 (EDT)
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Snail-Mail Revenge


The U.S. Postal Service is trying to coerce businesses into using its
Express Mail instead of private couriers, according to rivals in the
parcel industry.

During the past three years, the USPS has audited dozens of companies
and fined them more than $500,000 in "back postage" fees for shipping
"non-urgent" mail through services such as UPS and Federal Express.

Under federal law, couriers can only be used to ship "urgent" mail,
which the government defines as  correspondence requiring an immediate
response.

So companies shipping out invoices or letters by private carrier for
overnight or two-day delivery could be opening themselves up to an
audit.

"Postal inspectors are being used as marketing tools to lure
businesses away from couriers," said Peter Farkas, counsel for the Air
Courier Conference of America.

The companies audited so far  --  including:

Equifax of Atlanta GA, and GTE Corp. of Stamford, Conn., are being
charged fees for the amount that the postal service would have collected
if the business materials had been sent by first-class mail.

"What we are doing is totally covered by federal statute", says Paul
Griffo, a spokesman for the US Postal Inspection Service.

In 1974, Congress amended the 1872 law that gave the government a
total monopoly on first-class mail by allowing private companies to
transport urgent next-day packages, but it required the shippers to
pay at least twice the Postal Service's first-class mail rate.

Since then, the private courier business has become a grown into a $20
billion-a-year market.

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

From: [e-mail]
Date: 23 SEP 93 10:08
Subject: All Shook Up


The Monday (9/20) edition of {The Los Angeles Times} notes that Andrew
Cuomo, an assistant secretary of Housing and Urban Develipment,
complained to aids that his desk occasionally trembled.  A baffled
building crew couldn't find a thing until superintendent Elaine
Robinson opened a drawer and discovered Cuomo's pager, which vibrates
when activiated, displaying a dozen unanswered calls.


Randall Gellens . . . . . . . . .|. . . . . . [e-mail]
A Series System Software . . . . | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Unisys Corporation. . . . . . . .|. . [Please forward bounce messages
Mission Viejo, CA. . . . . . . . | . . . . .to: [e-mail]]
Opinions are personal;. .facts are suspect; . I speak only for myself

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

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #660
******************************

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Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1993 12:55:15 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #661

TELECOM Digest     Thu, 23 Sep 93 12:55:00 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 661

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Telecom Questions About Kentucky (Johan Hammarstr|m)
    I Authorized WHAT? (Les Reeves)
    Pager Number Being Forwarded to a Voice Number? (Dean Sokoya)
    'People Damage' During Electrical Storm (Bert Roseberry)
    Skypage by Modem (Steve Hutzley)
    Pointer Please: Heard of "Genius"; Phone Product From Canada? (H.Shrikumar)
    Message From Moscow (TELECOM Moderator via Sergey V. Sidorenko)
    Trivia: Kiribati is North East South and West at Same Time (H.Shrikumar)
    How Much Power Will Telco Allow From Phone Line? (Neil Hamilton)
    Telix File Transfer Upload Question (Gregory Veal)
    Need Information on Teleprotector (Christopher Vaz)
    Request For Information on R2 Line Signalling on T1 (Anant Ghotkar)
    Information Wanted on E-mail/V-mail Integration (Heli Leinonen)
    Update on 410-287 (Carl Moore)
    Caller ID Display Boxes - Best Models/Mfgrs? (Steve Bookman)
    Using Rechargable Alkaline Batteries for Cellular Phone (Yilmaz Cengeloglu)
    Ohio Scientific C1P Nostalgia (Karim Alim)
    Which Operating System for a Dialogics/T1 VRU, Solaris, SCO, NT? (Burgoyne)
    Ordering Distinctive Ring (Ken Levitt)
    How to Unlock a Diamond Tel 90X Cellular Phone? (Peter J. Scott)
    What Sort of Stability Required For a Country Code? (Carl Moore)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Johan Hammarstr|m <[e-mail]>
Subject: Telecom Questions About Kentucky
Organization: Telia Research Sundsvall AB
Date: Wed, 22 Sep 93 16:03:48 GMT


Hi!

    I am a system engineer from Sundsvall, Sweden. I want to get
some names of companies which should be placed in Kentucky, USA (I
would prefer around Louisville but it isn't necesary). The companies
should be either:

- Operator which handles wireless access to the PSTN (Public
  Switched Telephony Network).

- Developer of wireless- or PSTN- exchange nodes.

Thanks in advance.


Johan Hammarstr|m          E-mail: [e-mail]
Telia Research AB
Box 883                    Tel:    [phone]
S-851 24 Sundsvall, Sweden Telefax:[phone]

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

Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1993 18:28:48 EDT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: I Authorized WHAT?


The following *NEW* text appears on a single page separating the
local service portion of my telephone bill from the
toll section of this month's bill:

When using a Long Distance Carrier other than your preferred Long
Distance Carrier to make long distance calls (including calling card,
collect or third number calls) or when using certain other Providers
of telecommunications services, you are authorizing that Carrier or
Provider to bill and collect for the calls that you placed over its
Network.

Upon request, Southern Bell provides your billing name and address to
those Long Distance Carriers or other Providers of telecommunications
services for use in billing your calls.


[Moderator's Note: That is correct. When you dial a telephone number
that is legally taken to be a request to the telco for service. When
you request the service, i.e. make the necessary motions with your
fingers to establish the connection, it follows that you are author-
izing them to bill you for the service. In that same vein, the FCC
requires telcos to share billing information with each other which
would include the name and address of the person who used the service.
Non-pub numbers are not exempt from the requirement that the name and
address of the subscriber be given to other carriers.   PAT]

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

Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1993 16:24:55 CDT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Pager Number Being Forwarded to a Voice Number
Organization: University of Illinois at Chicago, ADN Computer Center


I'm just wondering if its possible for a pager number to be forwared
to a voice mail. I place a call thru to AmeriTech pager to enquire
about this but they inform me that this is not possible. But since all
phone lines have to go thru the local Central Office, is it possible
for the pager number to be forwared at the switch station to another
number?

I'll appreciate if I get an answer (hopefully, get posted) on this
one.


Deen Sokoya, [e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: You called me on the telephone about this yesterday
and as I explained to you, certainly all phones (for the purposes of
this discussion) go through central office switches, and certainly all
can have various features such as call forwarding. But in the case of
pagers, the paging company (in this case Ameritech) is supplying you
with a phone line for your ease in using *their* service. They are not
supplying you that phone line for your use in calling wherever you
want to call. They make their money from your use of their airtime,
not from your use of the phone they gave you to connect with them. If
you want call forwarding on a phone line, *you* have to be the owner
of the phone. In the case at hand, Ameritech is the 'customer' of
Illinois Bell, not yourself. Ameritech -- or for that matter, any
paging company -- does not wish to supply you with a phone dedicated
to your use of their system and allow you to use the phone for other
purposes while they are paying the bill. In the meantime, I seem to
have misplaced the address you gave me for the information you wanted
me to mail. Please write or call me again.   PAT]

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

From: Bert Roseberry <[e-mail]>
Subject: 'People Damage' During Electrical Storm
Organization: Digital Equipment Computer Users Society
Date: 22 Sep 93 19:47:44 -0400
Organization: DECUServe


What's the general feeling, not about equipment damage, but about
people damage while on a phone during an electrical storm?  I've had
phones destroyed and I've heard stories about people getting hurt but
I wonder what the real story is.


Bert Roseberry        [e-mail]    -or-
            [e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: It is wise to not use your phone, modem, computer,
etc during an electrical storm. For all we have learned over the
centuries, we have yet to learn ways to conquer Mother Nature and her
friends fire and electricity when they visit us randomly. Lightning
does strike telco facilities and can travel easily down the wire to
your phone. There are protections in place, but no protection works
when a million volts looks at you and decides you are next.  PAT]

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

From: [e-mail] (Steve Hutzley)
Subject: Skypage by Modem
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1993 16:54:05 GMT


Any information on this would be greatly appreciated, espically for a
DOS based machine.


Thanks.

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

Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1993 12:17:43 -0400
From: [e-mail] (H.Shrikumar)
Subject: Pointer Please: Heard of "Genius"; Phone Product From Canada
Organization: UMass, Amherst MA + Temporal Systems Bombay India


Hi,

 I recently heard a mention from a friend of mine about a product
called "GENIUS" out of Canada. This is supposed to help "exisitng
{<(rotary?) phones exploit new services" ... or some such.

  Has someone heard about this? Could you mail me any pointers please?
Thanks.

  And BTW, anyone used it? ... Comments on how it works and good/bad ?


shrikumar ( [e-mail], [e-mail], [phone] )

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

Organization: "Demos Plus" Company, Moscow, Russia
From: Sergey V. Sidorenko <[e-mail]>
Subject: kUPL@ TELEGRAFNYJ MODEM [phone]
Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1993 09:36:30 GMT
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Organization: ACB UNIBEST


[Moderator's Note: This message came to me from Russia. I have no idea
at all what he is saying, except I think it has to do with a BBS or
public access site in Moscow. This was the entire text. Can someone
read it to me?  PAT]


sRO^NO KUPL@ TELEGRAFNYJ MODEM
tEL: [phone]  sIDORENKO sERGEJ.

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

Date: Thu, 23 Sep 93 01:22:04 -0400
From: [e-mail] (H.Shrikumar)
Subject: Trivia: Kiribati is North East South and West at Same Time


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] wrote:

> use the bandwidth of all the idle phone channels.  I know there's a
> box out there that can do this, do you have any scoops on this?

  Never used them, but the Black Box and RAD catalogs have information
of several muxes. I have them at home, and can mail you addresses, etc.
if you need.

> Jerry Black, [e-mail]
> (the only internet administrator in the Marshall Islands!)

  Ah ... Marshall Islands ... reminds me of something I wanted to
share with the net.

  When the mention of Marshall Islands came up a while ago (re shift
of the International Date Line) I was looking it up in the map (a
{National Geographic} wall map) and noticed that KIRIBATI is the only
country in the world to have contiguous territory all of North and
South and East and West. The archipelago straddles both the equator
and the date line.  So in Kiribati, if you forgot to do something
yesterday, guess one could take a boat to the other island and have it
done there. :-)

 And I thought telecommuting 10:30 hours east each day, which I do
regularly, was confusing ! :-)

 Wonder if they have North-South and East-West Summits locally ? :-)


shrikumar ( [e-mail], [e-mail] )

PS: Yes sir, Kiribati *is* a country, and not a possesion like its
neighbours.  The Country code in X.400 series is C = KI. And further ...

Geographical Names:

Ki-ri-bati \'kir-e-,bas--sic\
 or formerly Gil-bert \'gil-bert\
islands W Pacific SSE of the Marshalls; a Brit. territory 1976-79;
became an independent member of the Commonwealth 1979 capital Tarawa area
102 sq mi (265 sq km), pop 63,848


[Moderator's Note: While you are correct about their geographical
positioning, I think they operate entirely within one time zone and
one day for local convenience.  PAT]

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

From: [e-mail] (Neil Hamilton)
Subject: How Much Power Will Telco Allow From Phone Line?
Organization: NSTN Network Operations Centre, Nova Scotia, Canada
Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1993 17:01:34 GMT


If one wanted to power a certain low power device from a standard phone
line, how much power would the telco allow to be drawn?

Neil Hamilton, PEng (EE)    phone [phone] fax [phone]
Applied Microelectronics, Halifax, NS      [e-mail]
Industrial Technology Advisor (NRC/IRAP)   [e-mail]

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

Date: Thu, 23 Sep 93 0:00:01 PDT
From: Gregory Veal <[e-mail]>
Subject: Telix File Transfer Upload


    I need help, Im trying to UPLOAD a file to my UNIX account from my
PC at home. In the past I have download files to my a:\ and every
thing work using the commands: sz filename But, my question is how do
I upload. My Path or A:/ for upload and download, modem 9600 , 386pc ,
ect. Thanks for your timely response.


Greg Veal

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

Organization: City University of New York/ University Computer Center
Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1993 23:08:48 EDT
From: Christopher Vaz <[e-mail]>
Subject: Need Information on Teleprotector


I have bought a teleprotector(henceforth T-P) (from Radio Shack) which
is a device that helps an answering machine disconnect when a phone is
picked up.  It is indeed auto-disconnecting my machine -- however,
there seems to be one problem. When I pick up the phone, it
disconnects the machine but only after a couple of seconds, and in
fact, the machine saves, as a message, that part of the conversation
that the caller has left until the time the phone is picked up, and
even a little part of my conversation with the caller -- i.e.  my
"Hello" and a few sentences of mine thereafter. Is this common with a
T-P or does this seem strange to any of you folks out there who do or
do not use a T-P?


Christopher Vaz   [e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: Doesn't the documentation say something about a
trim pot in there you can adjust a little if this happens? It is
hearing you, but not soon enough. If you adjust it too far the other
way then the answering machine won't pick up the line at all. There
should be a middle point where it works just fine.  Anyone else care
to comment?  PAT]

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

From: [e-mail] (Anant Ghotkar)
Subject: Request For Information on R2 Line Signalling on T1.
Date: Thu, 23 Sep 93 9:09:51 EDT


Can anybody over there throw some light on details of R2 line
signalling on T1? I only know that the line signalling information is
sent in LSB of all the 24 timeslots of a T1 in 6th and 12th frame of a
multiframe.

Thanks in advance.


Anant

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

From: [e-mail] (Heli Leinonen)
Subject: Information Wanted on E-mail/V-mail Integration
Date: 23 Sep 1993 14:40:08 GMT
Organization: Telecom Finland


Hello!

Please, could you do me a favour, and help me get a certain Bellcore
document. It would require you just a phone call to (800) 521-CORE in
USA.

Bellcore announced in Integrated Messaging News, June 1993 issue a new
service called Message Transport and Routing Service, which should
enable a customer to use one telephone number to transmit an
electronic message in any medium (voice, e-mail or fax) from one mail
system to another. A copy of a Bellcore document MTRS SR-INS-002662
describing the service, the article says, could be obtained by calling
(800) 521-CORE. I would be most interested in this service, but I am
not able to call from abroad to 800-numbers. Please, could you help me
obtain this article by ordering it for me? I would appreciate it very
much.

In addition, I would be most interested to hear about other development
projects (or products or services) dealing with the integration of
different messaging media - voice mail, electronic mail and fax.

My name and address is:

Heli Leinonen
Telecom Finland
Business Systems R&D
P.O. Box 140
SF-00511 HELSINKI
FINLAND

Thank you very much in advance.


Best Regards,

Heli Leinonen.


[Moderator's Note: Perhaps readers will be kind enough to supply you
with Bellcore's regular POTS number so you can call them direct and
get what you are seeking.  PAT]

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

Date: Thu, 23 Sep 93 11:17:14 EDT
From: Carl Moore <[e-mail]>
Subject: Update on 410-287


In North East, MD, the local exchange is 410-287.  This morning, I
plugged the AT&T touchtone phone into the jack and did hear a faint
hum, which was interrupted when I pushed any button on the phone;
however, pushing the buttons did not emit the touch-tone sounds
(contrasts with my hearing such after my Newark phone number had been
removed from my apartment there).

And, darn, I don't have the call forward-if-busy or
forward-if-no-answer at North East unless I go into the "Answercall"
feature (my Newark number is forwarding to the switchboard it was
forwarding to earlier).

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

From: [e-mail] (Steve Bookman)
Subject: Caller ID Display Boxes - Best Models/Mfgrs?
Date: 23 Sep 1993 09:46:34 -0400
Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC


Caller ID is being introduced to large new areas of NYC and other
places this fall.  It would be helpful to know other readers'
experiences with the Caller ID LCD screen display boxes which are
installed between the telco's line and the user's telephone extension.

Which are most reasonable in price/reliable in operation?

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

From: [e-mail] (Yilmaz Cengeloglu)
Subject: Using Rechargable Alkaline Batteries For Cellular Phone
Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1993 08:22:51 GMT
Organization: Martin Marietta, Daytona Beach, Florida


I have a Novatel PTR 825 cellular phone.  I am using alkaline
batteries. It uses five AA size alkaline batteries. It cost $34
and I have found it very useful when I am traveling. I do not have to
carry charger and wait for charging.  I just replace the alkaline
batteries.

My question is that can I use rechargable alkaline batteries instead
of regular alkaline batteries?  Would they do any damage to the phone
or would they last shorter than regular batteries?


Yilmaz  [e-mail]

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

Date: Thu, 16 Sep 93 18:15 GMT
From: Karim Alim <[e-mail]>
Subject: Ohio Scientific C1P Nostalgia


I normally try not to get carried away with those in-the-good-old-days
discussions, but you really struck a nerve in the Digest (Vol. 13 #639).

I thought I was the ONLY person in the world to actually purchase a C1P.
(grin)  No one even BELIEVES me when I tell them it had only 4K RAM.  (The
Microsoft 8K BASIC-IN-ROM was twice the size of the RAM.)

I think that's when my interest in telephones started, too.  For $20
(I kid you not!) I bought the guts of a Vadic modem.  With about half
a dozen Rat Shack alligator clip-wires and two 6-volt lantern
batteries (connected to provide +12 and -12 volts) you could have a
working modem!

You needed to make some mods to the C1P motherboard (about $0.50 in
diodes and transistors) in order to be able to use the RS-232 stuff
already on the C1P (for some reason OSI just never bothered to put on
a DB connector.)  And this guy at U. Maryland had written a terminal
emulation program for the C1P called "CHAT" (CHAllenger Terminal, half
in assembly and half in BASIC) ... my B&W television would only support
about 22 chars x 20 lines when using the homebuilt RF modulator.

And unscrewing the microphone on the telephone receiver (you can do
that?  It comes off?) revealed the two magical connections to which
the final alligator clips were attached ... (transformer?  Who needs a
transformer?)

Of course, back then the Arpanet was free for the hacking, and the
nice people at MIT would let you play with their expensive toys for no
charge or even no good reason ... ahhhh ...

Thanks for the memories.  Plus now I can always say that at least ONE
other person bought a C1P.  (grin)

I lusted after your TI calculator too -- I guess it's just as well I
could never afford it ...


[Moderator's Note: Like President Carter, I freely admitted to having
lust in my heart, but mine was for an Apple ][+. I finally yielded to my
desires and yielded a couple paychecks over to the local dealer. Once
I did that, the C-1-P never came out of the closet again. I finally
wound up giving it to a little fellow about ten years ago who used it
to learn BASIC programming. Yes, 4K of RAM! Expandable to 8K if you
were not afraid of soldering and installing chips. The Apple ][+ had
48 K expandable to 64K by using a 'Language Card' in a slot.  PAT]

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

From: [e-mail] (J. Robert Burgoyne)
Subject: Which Operating System for a Dialogics/T1 VRU, Solaris, SCO, NT?
Date: 23 Sep 1993 15:31:32 GMT
Organization: Maryland FYI Publishing, Laurel, MD USA (301)-317-0726


I'd like to get some feedback from people who are actually developing
similar applications.

Our client has developed a system already using SCO, but they're somewhat
disappointed with SCO; it seems to crash with regularity.

Anyone?


J. Robert Burgoyne              Maryland FYI              Laurel, Maryland
  301-317-0726 24 Hours    [e-mail]    301-317-0587 FAX

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

Date: Thu, 23 Sep 93 10:00:43 EDT
From: [e-mail] (Ken Levitt)
Subject: Ordering Distinctive Ring


I currently have a business number which is permanently forwarded to
my residential number at the central office.  New England Telephone
calls this service "Remote Call Forwarding".

Distinctive ring service just became available in my exchange (called
Ring-Mate) and I wanted to get rid of my remote forwarding service and
make that existing number a Ring-Mate number attached to my home
phone.

NET tells me that is OK to conduct business on a Ring-Mate residential
number, but I would lose my business listing in the White Pages,
which I can't do.

One solution seems to be getting a new Ring-Mate number at home and
having the business line forward to the new number.  This is my
fall-back solution, but it seems wasteful and unnecessarily expensive.

Doing away with my residential line and making both lines business
class with Ring-Mate seemed like an option, but this would cost more
than the option listed above.

Does anyone have any creative solutions to this problem?


Ken Levitt - On FidoNet gateway node 1:16/390     UUCP: zorro9!levitt
INTERNET: [e-mail] or [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (Peter J. Scott)
Subject: How to Unlock a Diamond Tel 90X Cellular Phone?
Date: 23 Sep 1993 22:31:13 GMT
Organization: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA/Caltech
Reply-To: [e-mail]


A friend of mine who owns a Diamond Tel 90X phone recently had an
irritating experience when it locked up on him and he couldn't get it
unlocked.  He said he wound up going to some place that looked like an
opium den to pay an outrageous sum to have it unlocked.  I don't know
anything about cellular phones and he doesn't have net access, so I
said I'd ask around to see if anyone knew how to unlock that kind of
phone so I could tell him in case it happens again.

Thanks in advance.

Peter Scott, NASA/JPL/Caltech   ([e-mail])

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

Date: Wed, 22 Sep 93 18:13:48 EDT
From: Carl Moore <[e-mail]>
Subject: What Sort of Stability Required For a Country Code?


Given the publicity over the bloody breakup of Yugoslavia, I was
somewhat surprised to see that it is indeed getting country codes to
account for the breakup.  Wasn't some sort of stability (in terms of
boundaries etc.) required before country codes could be handed out?
There was some note of that when some of the 37x codes were handed out
to the three Baltic republics and Moldova.

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

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #661
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Date: Sun, 26 Sep 1993 13:12:00 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #662

TELECOM Digest     Sun, 26 Sep 93 13:12:00 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 662

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    AT&T's Allen Says Family Upheavals Impact U.S. Economically (Nigel Allen)
    Dangerous Information on AT&T Cards (Barton Bruce)
    Telecomics Jamboree (Dave Leibold)
    Bell Canada 905 Testing (Dave Leibold)
    Hotel Call Accounting Systems (Dave Leibold)
    HELL'S BELLS: A Radio History of the Telephone (Mark Boolootian)
    "Internetworking with TCP/IP" by Comer/Stevens (Rob Slade)
    God Gets a Second Line (Don Kimberlin)

                     ----------------------
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: [e-mail].
 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: [phone].

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

Date: Sun, 26 Sep 93 05:00:25 -0400
From: [e-mail] (Nigel Allen)
Subject: AT&T's Allen Says Family Upheavals Impact U.S. Economically
Organization: The National Capital FreeNet, Ottawa


Here is a press release from AT&T. I don't work for AT&T, and I'm not
related to AT&T chairman Robert E. Allen, but I thought this might be
of interest to some readers of this newsgroup.

Allen says family upheavals impact nation economically.

 AT&T Media Contacts:
 Herb Linnen
 202-457-3933 (office)
 202-333-9162 (home)

 Jim McGann
 202-457-3942 (office)
 301-585-5519 (home)


ALLEN SAYS FAMILY UPHEAVALS IMPACT NATION ECONOMICALLY

     WASHINGTON -- AT&T Board Chairman Robert E. Allen said today
there is a slow but growing recognition that the problems of families
and children impact the nation's economic well-being.

     "As a nation we are coming late to the aid of children and their
families and our slow response only adds to the debt owed," Allen told
some 300 government, education and health care leaders attending a
national forum on early education and care.

     "We have NOT traditionally linked the well-being of children to
the success of business or the governance of nations," Allen said.
"Yet increasingly we seem to be acknowledging that upheavals in the
American family aren't self-contained -- they intersect with business
and economic circles and loop into the social fabric of this nation."

     Allen said poverty "tyrannizes one out of five school children
and one in four preschoolers.  Too many of our children endure a
barrage of violence that many adults cannot even envision.  And too
many schools and school children are denied the strong and stable hand
of family and community."

     Allen said he was "heartened by the Clinton Administration's
advocacy of children's rights."  He added: "With its backing, we may
truly start to solve our child care problems.  We may inally, for
example, take advantage of early childhood programs that have already
proven their effectiveness."

     Among the positive prospects, Allen said, were full funding for
the Women, Infants and Children's program by 1996, more funding for
Head Start programs and immunizations for all children to prevent the
remergence of diseases already eradicated.

     Part of the problem, he said, "is the mistaken notion that a
preschooler, like the family itself, is somehow off-limits, sealed
away in sanctity from the rest of the world.  But there's no
protection in that notion.  Only the sure, sad realization that many
needs of our youngest children are today going unmet."

     Allen said, however, attitudes are changing because "we are
coming to see that our kids need a conspiracy of adults plotting to
arm them with the skills and strength to find their way."

     AT&T is contributing to the well-being of children through
philanthropic programs and work-family benefits for its employees.

     The AT&T Foundation, which gave more than $33 million in cash
grants in 1992, supports a range of innovative health, social-services
and education initiatives for young children and their families.  The
AT&T Foundation also is working with the Families and Work Institute
and local agencies in the state of West Virginia, Boston and Kansas
City, Mo., to develop a pilot program to enhance the quality of
child-care services.

     In addition, AT&T offers employee benefits such as resource and
referral and consultation on child care.  The Family Care Development
Fund -- administered by AT&T, the Communications Workers of America
and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers -- has
committed $25 million over six years to increasing the quality and
supply of child and elder care through grants to organizations in
communities where AT&T employees live and work.

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

[Moderator's Note: AT&T has always been socially involved in the
communities where they are located. I've kept many of my accounts with
them over the years simply because they are willing to return money to
the community in forms like that described above.   PAT]

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

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Dangerous Information on AT&T Cards
Organization: Digital Equipment Computer Users Society
Date: 25 Sep 93 20:06:13 -0400
Organization: Cambridge Computer Associates, Inc.


AT&T will cheerfully omit the last four digit PIN fron the credit card
they send you and then mail it to you seperately.

That makes sense. Anyone ripping off you mail feeling the credit card
inside gets useless plastic. If you lose it, no one can use it.

But right there on the bottom of the card is the FULL number and
apparently ALL you need to make calls from some international site!

Is there simply NO fraud being done from international sites, or why
is AT&T being foolish?

FWIW, it seems you CAN get the card with out that printed on the
bottom!  Simply have the card set to be a restricted one (e.g. 'call
home only') and have them reissue it. Then get the card restored to
full functionality.  The card number and pin won't change.

There may be an easier way, but that is what seems to WORK.

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

Date: Sun, 26 Sep 1993 02:56:37 -0400
From: [e-mail] (Dave Leibold)
Subject: Telecomics Jamboree


Plenty of phone references in the comics:

Hi and Lois 25 May 93:

A depiction of an interactive voice response system is given; for the
punch line, the system then tells the caller "if you're fed up with
these systems and want to talk to a real *person*, mash all the
buttons at once ... *HARD*!"

Charlie 9 Sept 93:

"... what our tribe is demanding in the lawsuit is all land in
area code 307 and zip code 57520 and 57709..."

Shoe 10 Sept 93:

"Organic call waiting" is described as "if you call me and I'm on
another call... you get a busy signal."

Adam 9 Sept 93:

We learn in a graphic way that "infant nursery monitors are five times
more likely to pick up steamy cellular phone conversations while
you're asleep than when you're awake"


Dave Leibold - via FidoNet node 1:250/98
INTERNET: [e-mail]

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

Date: Sun, 26 Sep 1993 03:19:37 -0400
From: [e-mail] (Dave Leibold)
Subject: Bell Canada 905 Testing


As of 1st September, Bell Canada formally activated the 905 area code
(surrounding Toronto) to allow for debugging of the 905 dialing before
the global, public start-up date of 4th October 1993. The Bell News
recommends that Bell Ontario employees try out 905 and report any bugs
to a fault report centre.

Bell Canada's 416/905 faults command post is 1 800 CODE 905 for those
within the province of Ontario. Outside Ontario, Digest readers should
not call Bell Canada for problems that are the responsibility of their
local telephone companies (and especially before the 4th October
official start date).


Dave Leibold - via FidoNet node 1:250/98
INTERNET: [e-mail]

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

Date: Sun, 26 Sep 1993 01:37:36 -0400
From: [e-mail] (Dave Leibold)
Subject: Hotel Call Accounting Systems


Part of my work in the past the linking of a hotel PBX billing systems
to another system that bills the hotel guests. A hotel PBX can send
extension and called number data to a "call accounting system" which
determines costs of calls and which extensions get billed for these
calls. These costs can be billed to the guest manually, or
automatically to a "property management system" that maintains guest
billings and reservations.

In diagram form, a call accounting setup might look like this:

                    HOBIC data from carrier
                               |
                               |
                               v
+-----------+  SMDR   +-----------------+   i/f   +---------------+
| Hotel PBX | ------> | Call Accounting | <-----> | Hotel Billing |
+-----------+         +-----------------+         +---------------+

SMDR (Station Message Detail Recording?) data is sent from the PBX.
This is usually a typical RS-232 data line that sends extension and
calling data from the PBX (but usually doesn't receive data back).

HOBIC is a special hotel billing feature offered by the telephone
carrier to send data on calls placed from the hotel through the
carrier's long distance service. This data is normally sent regarding
operator-assisted calls, such as person-to-person, card, collect or
other special cases. This allows the hotel to bill for calls placed
through the operator where the charge is not apparent from the dialing
sequence (the operator call could be no charge to the hotel, as in the
case of a card or collect call, or it could be extremely expensive in
the case of a person-to-person call). Some call accounting systems
have a "HOBIC Merge" which combines both the HOBIC data and the SMDR
data so that all types of calls may be billed.

The call accounting unit will handle the rating of calls using data
supplied by rate diskettes or cartridges. If the hotel has a computer
system that bills guests, an optional interface (i/f) link will send
the data necessary to bill the extension, and thus the room and guest.
Such data is sent through a typical serial RS-232 connection.

SMDR data formats change from one type of PBX to another. The i/f
format can also vary, but one format common to most systems sends the
following from the call accounting unit:

001A XYZ 09/21  2345 13:45 0008 $002.45 905-034-2657 L

The 001A is a sequence number than increments with each new call report.

The XYZ is a site identifier that is common to the type of call
accounting system used, or set up according to the hotel name. It
remains constant within a hotel site.

09/21 is the date (21st September)

2345 represents the extension number that was dialed (not necessarily
the room number, as some hotels set up extensions so that rooms below
the 10th floor require a 7 plus the room number).

13:45 is the time of the call

0008 is the duration of the call (8 minutes in this case)

$002.45 is the cost of the call as calculated by the call accounting system

905-034-2657 is the dialed number, and the L following that is a flag
to indicate a local call (long distance usually doesn't have a flag,
except F to indicate an international call, perhaps).

The record is often sent down with a carriage return and/or line feed
ending the record, then the hotel system receiving a call record will
send an acknowledgement such as a control-F to indicate that the call
billing data was received at the other end; if there were errors in
the record data, a "negative acknowledgement" or "nak" is sent
(usually control-U) to order the call accounting system to send the
billing data again. A few systems will even add a checksum character
to improve data integrity. Some systems don't have the ack/nak at
all, meaning billing records could be lost if there are severe
transmission errors or if the property management system side is shut
down.

Systems that rate the calls at the hotel normally lack "answer
supervision" which indicates when the call is answered and billable
under regular long distance conditions. Thus, a hotel call accounting
system will usually take a "guess" as to when the call starts and
bill according to the guessed time on line. If the hook is off for a
few minutes, it's usually a good indication that a call is in
progress. Of course, if one rings a number and waits for 20 rings
without answering, there is a risk of a charge for getting no answer.
On the other hand, charges are missed if the system waits too long
before starting to charge. Offering hotels direct access to answer
supervision would eliminate such inaccuracies.


Dave Leibold - via FidoNet node 1:250/98
INTERNET: [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (Mark Boolootian)
Subject: HELL'S BELLS: A Radio History of the Telephone
Date: Sun, 26 Sep 1993 01:28:41 PDT


Forwarded to the group FYI:

  From: [e-mail]
  Subject: HELL'S BELLS: A Radio History of the Telephone
  Org: Internet Multicasting Service
  Channel: Internet Talk Radio
  Date: Wed, 23 Sep 93 04:00:00 -0400

"HELL'S BELLS: A Radio History of the Telephone" shows what happens
when good government meets great production.  This 8-part series
was sponsored by the Telecommunications Education Trust established
by the California Public Utilities Commission and was produced by
Greg McVicar and Pacific Multimedia for Western Public Radio.  One
of *the* most exciting series that we've seen, HELL'S BELLS is a
fascinating glimpse into the history of telecommunications and has
great relevance for those interested in the future of the Internet.

"HELL'S BELLS: A Radio History of the Telephone" is "c" and "p"
1993, Pacific Multimedia, All Rights Reserved.  Funds for the
development of this series were provided by the Telecommunications
Education Trust, established by the California Public Utilities
Commission.

California non-profits seeking tapes or transcripts should contact
the TET Repository, Consumer Action, 116 New Montgomery Street,
# 233, San Francisco, California, 94105.  Attn: Tony Pettinato.
Fax: [phone].  All others seeking tapes or transcripts may
purchase them through the producers at Pacific Multimedia, P.O. Box
2282, Walnut Creek, Calif., 94595, USA.  Fax: +1-510=938-2850.

Send your comments about HELL's BELLS to [e-mail].

Rebroadcast of HELL'S BELLS on Internet Talk Radio is made possible
by support from Sun Microsystems and O'Reilly & Associates.  Network
connectivity for the Internet Multicasting Service is provided by
UUNET Technologies and MFS Datanet.

ITR Program Files:

Size          Name                      Description
==========    ======================    ===========================
14,179,808    092393_hell_01_ITR.au     HELL'S BELLS: Episode 1
              092393_hell_ITR.readme    (This File)

For our new FAQ on Internet Talk Radio, send mail to [e-mail].

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

Date: 26 Sep 93 12:09 -0600
From: Rob Slade <[e-mail]>
Subject: "Internetworking with TCP/IP" by Comer/Stevens


BKINTTCP.RVW   930812

Prentice Hall, Inc.
113 Sylvan Avenue
Englewood Cliffs, NJ   07632
[phone]   FAX [phone]

11711 N. College Ave.
Carmel, IN   46032-9903

15 Columbus Circle
New York, NY   10023
800-428-5331

"Internetworking with TCP/IP", Comer/Stevens, vol 1, 2

If only my calculus text had been this good.

"Internetworking with TCP/IP" is intended as a text for a course in
the problem of communication between networks with dissimilar
protocols, with reference to the use of the TCP/IP protocol suite as a
means to overcome the problem.  This should not prevent those
interested in using TCP/IP from looking at it: the material is quite
complete and detailed.  As both text and reference, it succeeds
admirably.

After the first two chapters introduce general "inter"networking
concepts and communications technology, three sections of chapters
deal successively with basic connection services, routing and
gateways, and then move into applications issues.  The chapters are
many (twenty-seven) and usually short.  The same structure is followed
for most: the presentation of a particular problem of interconnection,
the presentation of the "internet" answer, a detailed look at this
answer, and an examination of its strengths and weaknesses.

The author states that the reader should have a familiarity with
programming and basic data structures.  This is quite reasonable,
given the topic.  For much of the book, however, the descriptions are
clear enough that the intelligent novice should be able to make sense
of it.

It is also suggested that this work could be used as a text for a more
general communications course and, again, I agree wholeheartedly.
While TCP/IP, and the related suite of protocols (generally one per
chapter) are used as the specific examples, it is the concepts that
are stressed.  The book is refreshingly free of bias or "side", and
when a particular aspect of TCP/IP is weak, it definitely says so.

Comer is an excellent writer.  The book's layout and structure is well
organized and logical.  In addition, the writing itself is not only
clear, but an "easy read" for so technical a subject.  The text is
broken by boldfaced topical section headings, and supported by one
sentence conceptual summations.  By the end of the first three
chapters you are well aware that when italics show up, you'd better
read carefully.

Volume II of the set is not so much a "follow on" as supporting
material for Volume I.  Much of the same material is covered, but in
terms of the programming and implementation of various TCP/IP related
protocols.  While Volume I could be used with a fairly naive audience,
Volume II definitely requires a programming background, preferably in
C.

The second volume does not cover all of the protocols dealt with in
the first.  Discussion of implementation requires considerably more
detail: six chapters are devoted to aspects of TCP alone.
Nevertheless, the examples given should address most of the concepts
needed to implement other protocols in the suite.


copyright Robert M. Slade, 1993   BKINTTCP.RVW   930812
Permission granted to distribute with the full TELECOM Digest and
associated newsgroups/mailing lists.

Postscriptum - There *is* a volume III.  PH just never got around to
sending it.


Vancouver Institute for Research into User Security,   Canada    V7K 2G6
[e-mail]   [e-mail]   [e-mail]   Fidonet 1:153/733
[e-mail]                                                 604-526-3676

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

Date: Sun, 26 Sep 1993 02:14:18 -0400
From: [e-mail] (Don Kimberlin)
Subject: God Gets a Second Line


[Originally posted on the Fidonet FCC conference]

* Original Area: FCC
* Original From: Don Kimberlin (1:250/701)
* Original To  : All (1:250/730)

Recent news contains yet another way telephone companies have found to
make money:

     HEAVENLY HOT LINE GETTING SECOND NUMBER. "BEST-OF-BOOK"
             By: Arieh O'Sullivan, Associated Press

        JERUSALEM - Faxing notes to God has been such a hit that the
Israeli phone company has opened another line to the divine and plans
to publish a book of the best prayers and messages.

        In January, the national phone company, Bezek, decided to make
a business of the hundreds of notes stuffed each day into the crannies
of Jerusalem's Wailing Wall.

        It opened a fax line to receive the messages, which are copied
and sent by messenger to the wall, Jerusalem's holiest shrine of
Judaism.

        On Tuesday, Bezek set up another line for those seeking divine
intervention but unable to get to the wall personally to plant a note.

        Author Joyce Shira Starr will use the best of the messages
from the new second line in a book she'll start writing next spring.

        But for those who want their innermost desires to remain
between them and God, the first line set up in January will continue
to be confidential.

        About 70 faxes are sent daily from around the world, mainly
originating in the United States and Europe.  While God presumably
understands any language, only faxes sent in English will be
considered for publication in Starr's forthcoming book.  Starr and
Bezek will share jointly in the profits from book sales.

<end quoted story>

        The number of the original (and still confidential) fax line
in Isreal is [phone], while the new line for publishable faxes
to the Wailing Wall is [phone].  Calls to both numbers are
chargeable to the orginating party at international telephone rates as
applicable to a call to Israel.


 * Origin: Borderline! BBS Kannapolis,N.C. [phone] (1:379/37.0)
Don Kimberlin - via FidoNet node 1:250/98
INTERNET: [e-mail]

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

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #662
******************************


Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by MINTAKA.LCS.MIT.EDU id aa10766;
          26 Sep 93 22:57 EDT
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Date: Sun, 26 Sep 1993 19:34:10 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #663

TELECOM Digest     Sun, 26 Sep 93 19:34:00 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 663

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    FTP Sites as International Arms Traffickers (Monty Solomon)
    European Modem Standards (Jonathan White)
    Areacode Split and Lookup Script? (Tim Nelson)
    MCI Outage Again? (Fred E.J. Linton )
    700-555-4141 From a Payphone (David A. Cantor)
    Access to Sprint VPN from Mexico (Ing. Hugo E. Garcia Torres)
    Need Info on Southern Calif. Rates and FCC Rate Setting Rules (A. Friedman)
    800 ==> POTS (Christopher Zguris)
    Ethics of Rebates and Bribes to Customers (Paul Robinson)
    Re: Ethics of Rebates and Bribes to Customers (Joe Bergstein)
    Sprint's Modem Offer Revisited (Chris Ambler)
    Re: Sprint's Free Modem Offer (Eric L. Hinson)
    Re: Alphapage in French Dictionary (Christopher Zguris)
    Re: Changed Country Codes (38 -> 38x) (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
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: [e-mail].
 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: [phone].

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

Date: Sun, 26 Sep 93 05:51:06 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <roscom![e-mail]>
Subject: FTP Sites as International Arms Traffickers


Passed along FYI from comp.archives.admin:

 From: [e-mail] (Edward Vielmetti)
 Newsgroups: comp.archives.admin
 Subject: FTP sites as international arms traffickers
 Date: 23 Sep 1993 23:06:30 -0400
 Organization: Msen, Inc. -- Ann Arbor, MI (account info: [phone])
 Message-ID: <27to7m$[e-mail]>


Curiouser and curiouser....  --Ed


 Date: Tue, 21 Sep 1993 21:13:17 GMT
 From: Grady Ward <[e-mail]>
 Subject: File 2--NEW State Dept FLASH on Moby Clipper (Grady Ward)


 In a fresh (to me, stunning) development, the Austin Code Works
 received a letter today (Tuesday 9/21/93) from the State Department,
 Bureau of Politico Military Affairs, Office of Defense Trade Controls
 advising them, in part, of their need to register as an International
 Arms Trafficker *even if* their crypto material is intended solely for
 *domestic* publication, regardless of whether they are selling
 executables, source, descriptions, algorithms of any crypto (and
 presumably viral detection) software or documentation, as defined by
 ITAR.

 This requirement literally implies that a Cereal manufacturer is
 required to register as an arms trafficker if it wants to include a
 secret de/coder ring in the box, has a cardboard outline of a de/coder
 printed on the box, or even a description how to construct or use a
 de/coder ring.


 Complete text of the letter follows:


 (State Department Seal)
 United States Department of State


 Bureau of Politico-Military Affairs
 Office of Defense Trade Controls


 Washington, D.C. 20522-0602


 AUG 31 1993


 Austin Code Works
 11100 Leafwood Lane
 Austin, TX  78750-3587


 Dear Sir:


 It has come to the attention of this office that your company is
 making cryptographic source code and technical data available
 for commercial export claiming a technical data exemption
 from the International Traffic in Arms Regulations.
 Cryptographic software, including source code, is a munitions
 article as defined in 22 CFR # 120.1, category XIII(b).  Further,
 the exemptions listed in 22 CFR # 125.4 for technical data do
 not apply to cryptographic software and source code.  A valid
 Department of State license is required to export cryptographic
 source code.  As such, it would be a violation of the
 International Traffic in Arms Regulations to export
 cryptographic source code without a valid Department of State
 export license.

 We take this opportunity of advise you that any company or
 individual who engages in the United State in the business of
 either manufacturing or exporting defense articles or
 furnishing defense services is required to register for a fee
 with the Office of Defense Trade Controls (DTC) pursuant to 22
 U.S.C. # 2778(b)(1)(A) and 22 C.F.R. Part 122.  Furthermore, the
 export of such defense articles and related technical data must
 be licensed by the Department of State in accordance with 22
 U.S.C # 2778(b)(1)(B)(2) and 22 D.F.R. Parts 120-130
 (International Traffic in Arms Regulations).  A booklet entitled
 "REGISTRATION: The First Step in Defense Trade" is enclosed.

 If you are unsure whether an article is on the U.S. Munitions
 List, you may send five (5) copies of descriptive literature
 about the product and request a commodity jurisdiction
 determination from this office according to 22 C.F.R # 120.5 of
 the ITAR.

 If you have any questions regarding the matters discussed in
 this letter, please do not hesitate to contact this office at (703)
 875-6650.


 Sincerely,


 (signed) Clyde G. Bryant, Jr., Chief
 Compliance and Enforcement Branch


 ++++++++++++++++


 I guess this means that all FTP sites who implement the GET command
 and have anything to do with crypto or viral detection, including
 RFCs, overviews or discussions of specific techniques or algorithms,
 etc. must be registered as International Arms Traffickers *even if*
 they disallow all but domestic FTP connections.

 What to do now.

 My advice to this new twist of the NSA and State Department regulating
 activities *within* the United States is twofold:


 (1) GET and FAMILIARIZE yourself with PGP sources or other crypto
 options NOW and upload it to your local BBS (if you deem it still
 legal for you to do these things) and

 (2) Consider supporting the Electronic Freedom Foundation.

 PGP sites:


         black.ox.ac.uk          (129.67.1.165)
         src.doc.ic.ac.uk        (146.169.2.1)
         ftp.demon.co.uk         (158.152.1.65)
         ghost.dsi.unimi.it      (149.132.2.1)
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         soda.berkeley.edu       (128.32.149.19)


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 Washington, D.C.  20001
 202/347-5400 voice
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 FTP  ftp.eff.org

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

From: [e-mail] (Jonathan White)
Subject: European Modem Standards
Date: 26 Sep 1993 18:28:29 -0400
Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC


Please excuse me if this is talked over a lot, I don't get a chance to
read this group much anymore. A friend has asked me to send her a
modem to Rome but I'm not sure what standards are neccessary and what
they are and what manufactuers support them. Is v.22 1200 baud and
v.22bis 1200 baud 2400bps etc.? I'd appreciate replies by e-mail. If
there is interest I can sumerize and post.


Thanks in advance,

jonathan

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

Subject: Areacode Split and Lookup Script Wanted
Date: Sun, 26 Sep 1993 11:37:21 -0400
From: Tim Nelson <[e-mail]>
Reply-To: [e-mail]


Now that areacodes seem to be generated quite quickly, and more are
coming all the time, I was wondering whether anyone has updated the
UNIX shell script which was originally distributed a while ago, for
doing areacode lookups.

If so, where would it be located?


[e-mail]   NCR Canada [phone]

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

From: [e-mail] (Fred E.J. Linton )
Date: 26 Sep 93 20:39:46 GMT
Subject: MCI Outage Again?


The day before yesterday, while logged in to MCI Mail, I found myself
being disconnected (politely, with a "sorry 'bout this" apology
screen) each time I sought to read messages in my IN box.  Today, I
get an "all circuits busy" voice interrupt each time I dial 1 800 967
9600, or 1 800 456 6245, or 1 800 234 6245, or even 1 800 444 3333
(for MCI Mail, or for MCI Customer Service).

What's going on?  AT&T (as also AT&T Mail) seems unaffected :-).


Fred E.J. Linton  <[e-mail]> = <[e-mail]>

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

Date: Sun, 26 Sep 1993 13:45:03 EDT
From: David A. Cantor <[e-mail]>
Subject: 700-555-4141 From a Payphone


I found a SNET payphone in Ledyard, CT which indicated that AT&T
handled operator-assisted long-distance calls and that Sprint handled
non-operator-assisted long-distance calls.  I got curious, so I
dialed 1-700-555-4141.  I got a few ring back signals, then a recorded
"AT&T Operator" and a live operator who said, "You can't dial 700
calls from a payphone." I said, "sorry," and I hung up.

Hmm.  Seems you should be able to dial that particular 700 number from
a payphone.  Even neglecting that one number, you should certainly be
able to dial 10288-0-700-xxx-xxxx.  I'm sorry now that I didn't press
the AT&T operator for more information.


David A. Cantor          [phone]
131 D.W. Highway, #505   Nashua, NH  03060


[Moderator's Note: Of course you can dial 700 numbers from payphones.
What do you suppose happens to AT&T Easy Reach calls put through that
way?  She probably meant no one-plus 700 calls could be dialed, but in
that event you might have tried zero-plus 700-555-4141 to see what
would happen.   PAT]

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

From: [e-mail] (Ing. Hugo E. Garcia Torres)
Subject: Access to Sprint VPN From Mexico
Date: 26 Sep 1993 02:14:34 GMT
Organization: ITESM, Campus Monterrey


Colleagues,

At the ITESM in Monterrey Mexico is a project related with
videoconference using SW56 networks from the US. We are installing an
E1 to be able to use the Sprint Meeting Channel (SMC) and to access
the SW56 network from this company. We have already bought a
PictureTel equipment.

We receive the E1 from TELMEX using a Newbridge 3600 Mainstreet. This
E1 will be delivered in the border to Sprint which is going to take it
all the way up to Dallas where the SMC facilities are located. In
Dallas we will dedicate two 56 k channels to access the SW 56 VPN
network.

What I would like to know is what piece of equipment do I need either
at the Newbridge or between the Newbridge and the PictureTel equipment
to be able to dial directly from our facilities to the VPN? The
Newbridge has v.35 interface and the PictureTel has a V.35.

The people from PictureTel recommend to using Dowty equipment named
TUI for this purpose; do any of you have a different idea? Some contact
with Dowty? Phone or fax? Email would be great!

All help will be appreciated.


Many thanks,

Hugo Garcia

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

From: [e-mail] (Aryeh Friedman)
Subject: Need Info on Southern Calif Rates and FCC Rate Setting Rules
Date: 26 Sep 1993 04:53:53 GMT
Organization: UC Santa Cruz Dept. of Econ.


I need to know where I can find the following either on-line or off-line
for little or no cost:

1) An regualations the FCC has on how carriers may set rates for local
and intreLATA service;

2) A "rate map" for Southern California (SLO and Bakersfield south)
the map must show in a pictural form what numbers are local to each
CO;

3) T-1 rates for all carriers in Southern California

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

Date: Sun, 26 Sep 93 16:45 GMT
From: Christopher Zguris <[e-mail]>
Subject: 800 ==> POTS


If someone were to call an 800 number that terminates on a POTS line
equipped with caller ID, what would the caller ID box display?


Christopher Zguris   [e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: Generally it says 'outside'. On the other hand, if
you dial an 800 number from a cellular phone, the number delivered to
the called party (the ANI) will be something oddball. Here in Chicago
my ANI on the 800 number shows a *312* number in Hickory Hills, IL
as the number calling me. Tracing back that number through the name
and address service gets me the response that yes, it is in a suburb
of Chicago, and yes, it is still a 312 number, the subscriber being
given as "IBT Co, address not listed in records at customer's request."
Trying to dial the number gets an intercept saying it is in service
for outgoing calls only. A few minutes ago I got a call from a guy in
Miami with a strange caller-ID message: The display gave a local
number here in Chicago. Cross-checking it produced the answer that
'the number is not listed in our records', which is not to be confused
with non-pub numbers. The above means it just isn't in the database at
all. The guy in Miami said to me his caller-ID includes the name of
the caller, and on long distance calls the 'caller name' is sometimes
given as 'Bell Atlantic' or 'Southwestern Bell'.  Weirdness.   PAT]

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

Date: Sun, 26 Sep 1993 13:34:59 EDT
Reply-To: Tansin A. Darcos & Company <[e-mail]>
Subject: Ethics of Rebates and Bribes to Customers
From: Paul Robinson <[e-mail]>
Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring, MD USA


I got into a discussion with the sysop of a local BBS about the use of
special offers by long distance telephone companies to encourage
people to set their phone to have that company as the "default"
carrier for a particular line.  Please note that in the U.S., a person
can always use any major carrier by dialing the number "10", the
three-digit code of the carrier, then 1 and the 10 digit number; the
"default" only comes in if someone dials "1" without the "10" code
first.

For example, currently I have three telephone lines at home (I used to
have four; I dropped one I no longer needed).  Two of them are set up
for AT&T, and one of them is set up for MCI, because I saw an ad on TV
where they offered a premium (a canvas bag that is strapped over the
shoulders) to switch the default carrier to their service.  They also
sent me a coupon to cover the cost of switching the account.  Note
that my total long-distance usage in one year is probably less than
$30; yet the company did not ask me to estimate how much usage I would
give them in order to get the premium they sent me.  (And it is a
really nice bag.)

AT&T is sometimes offering cash rebates amounting to $75.  And now
Sprint has an offer of a 9600 baud modem for switching to them.

But the sysop of that BBS brought up an interesting point about people
who go with one Long Distance Company for a premium, then turn around
and one month later, switch to another long distance company for
another premium.  The term he used to described this was "unethical".

I'd like to ask other people what their opinion is.  I stated that
since the only requirement on these offers is that the customer keep
the service as default carrier for one month, switching a line after
the one month period is complying with the terms under which the
premium was offered.  I thought that the term "unethical" does not
seem to fit here: the carrier makes the terms of the premium; they can
decide to require the customer to make a certain level of usage, or
wait 60 days, or any number of things.  That they have the opportunity
to do this and do not, indicates that if the customer complies with
the precise terms agreed upon, that if they switch after the minimum
period, there is no unethical conduct on their part.

This is my analysis of the situation.  I see no conflict nor do I
necessarily see it as unethical.  The customer and long distance
company meet as equals: the long distance company is free to set the
terms under which it will offer a premium (gift or rebate) to the
customer.  Also, I note that in the cases where they offer free long
distance, they *do* offer it based on the amount of usage in the
fourth month of connection.

Also, in many areas one can obtain a reduced price cellular phone by
taking a minimum one year contract with a cellular company; it is
perfectly legitimate to switch cellular carriers to get a better rate
after the minimum contract period ends.  Then again, you are still
paying for monthly service to the cellular company that paid a
discount on your phone.

I have not participated in such activities as seeing who gives the
best "bribe of the month" in long distance service, but I do not see
where complying with the exact terms of the offer constitutes
unethical conduct.  But I could be rationalizing this, and I'd like to
hear some answers from people.


Paul Robinson - [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (Joe Bergstein)
Date: Sun, 26 Sep 1993 02:28:35 -0500
Subject: Re: Ethics of Rebates and Bribes to Customers


Paul Robinson wrote:

> AT&T is sometimes offering cash rebates amounting to $75.  And
> now Sprint has an offer of a 9600 baud modem for switching to them.

> But the sysop of that BBS brought up an interesting point about
> people who go with one Long Distance Company for a premium, then turn
> around and one month later, switch to another long distance company for
> another premium.  The term he used to described this was "unethical".

> I'd like to ask other people what their opinion is.

1.  As long as you adhere to the terms of the carrier's offer (e.g.
remain a customer for one month), switching back could not be deemed
unethical: the carrier made an offer which you accepted, after which
you made a decision to switch.

2.  More importantly, it may not be necessary to go through all the
hassle.  I have used Sprint since 1979, and I received one of those
$75 "checks" from AT&T, which, if cashed, allow AT&T to issue orders
to your LEC to switch you to AT&T.  Well, rather than go throught the
trouble of swithing for one month just to get the $75, I called Sprint
and asked them if they would accept the check.

"Gladly" was the reply.  Just mail it to a certain address, and we'll
credit your account for $75.  If AT&T will buy you as a customer for
$75, then Sprint thinks it's worth $75 to keep you as a customer.
Just call Sprint Customer Service!

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

From: [e-mail] (Chris Ambler)
Subject: Sprint's Modem Offer Revisited
Organization: The Phishtank
Date: Sun, 26 Sep 1993 21:48:05 GMT


Now, this is interesting. I called to find out more about their Dvorak
offer, having read the followup but not the original post. Knowing
nothing about the type of modem, the spring rep told me it was a 9600
baud modem, external. I asked what the make and model number was, and
he was unable to tell me. At about this time, my search of previous
articles showed the original article, which said it was a 2400 baud,
9600 fax modem. I asked the rep, and he assured me it was a 9600 baud
data modem, external. He still could not find the make and model
number, though.

So I signed up for two lines (two modems, he assured me as well), got the
reps full name and extension, and will wait and see what happens.

A few years back, USRobotics had a promotion which incorrectly stated
the product they were giving away (or for cheap) and were forced to
produce the advertised model, not the intended one. We shall see if
Sprint feels so inclined should the intended model be different from
the one that the rep promised.

Ironically, I was planning on switching one line over to their 'the
most' promotion, as I'm working with a firm in Florida (I'm in
California) and call their data line many times weekly. Today was a
bonus day :-)


[e-mail] | Christopher J. Ambler
[e-mail]  | Author, FSUUCP 1.4
FSVMP Voice BBS Demo System - 805-544-3754

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

From: [e-mail] (Eric L. Hinson)
Subject: Sprint's Free Modem Offer
Date: Sun, 26 Sep 1993 17:26:18 MDT


Hello everyone,

First off, I would like to publicly thank everyone who has responded
to my questions about various telecommunications topics on
comp.dcom.telecom.  All of you have been most helpful and informative.
I really appreciate your efforts in answering my questions.

Well, I also decided to give this Sprint free modem deal a try, and
was also pleasantly surprised by the results.  There appears to be no
catches that I could detect, and the people at Sprint were quite
helpful and didn't probe too much into my business. :)

I am very interested in hearing from (via e-mail) those of you who
read comp.dcom.telecom who have taken advantage of this amazing offer.
I missed the initial post, so I'm not very clear as to what kind of
modem this is that they are giving away, other than it is a 9600
external modem.  Could someone please let me know where to look (the
file I need from the archives) that contains this initial article?
Thanks very much for your help with this matter.


Eric L. Hinson / Internet: [e-mail] / Ham Radio Call: kb4rzf
USPS: 69 Sanford St. St. Augustine, FL 32084 USA / Phone#: [phone]

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

Date: Sun, 26 Sep 93 15:41 GMT
From: Christopher Zguris <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Alphapage in French dictionary


In TELECOM Digest V13 #657 Alphapage was written about, what is
Alphapage and what was that message about? It went right over my head.
Could someone explain what Alphapage is?


Christopher Zguris   [e-mail]

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

Date: Sun, 26 Sep 93 14:01:04 EDT
From: Carl Moore <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Changed Country Codes (38 -> 38x)


Ljubljana has been listed as country/city code +38 61 in Yugoslavia,
and it's in Slovenia (which will be +386).  I counted 5 asterisks in
the message you sent.  Are you saying that in Yugoslavia, Ljubljana
phone numbers were of the form +38 61 abcde? (And this would be
changing to +386 1xabcde, with x varying as to part of the city,
right?)

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

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #663
******************************


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Date: Sun, 26 Sep 1993 20:47:12 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #664

TELECOM Digest     Sun, 26 Sep 93 20:47:00 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 664

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Review: "Data Communications and Networking Dictionary" (Rob Slade)
    Re: Getting Rate Distance From V&H Co-ordinate (David Leibold)
    Analogy With Baseball Scorer (Carl Moore)
    List Companies That Sell Directory Listing Information? (Sean Goggin)
    Premier ESP(tm) Clicks and Pops? (Dan Wilder)
    Recent AT&T Racist Screw-Up (Mark Thorson)
    Re: Atomic Clocks (was: For A Good Time, Call 202-653-1800) (Lou Fernandez)
    Re: For A Good Time, Call 202-653-1800 (Steven M. Bass)
    Re: For A Good Time, Call 202-653-1800 (David E. Bernholdt)
    Re: For A Good Time, Call 202-653-1800 (Tom Ace)
    Re: For a Good Time, Call 202-653-1800 (Randal Hayes)
    Re: kUPL@ TELEGRAFNYJ MODEM [phone] (Vlad Gershkovich)
    Re: kUPL@ TELEGRAFNYJ MODEM [phone] (Jim Rees)
    Re: kUPL@ TELEGRAFNYJ MODEM [phone] (Steve Gaarder)
    Re: kUPL@ TELEGRAFNYJ MODEM [phone] (Brian D. McMahon)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 26 Sep 93 14:47 -0600
From: Rob Slade <[e-mail]>
Subject: "Data Communications and Networking Dictionary", Pardoe/Wenig


BKDTCMDC.RVW  930825

CBM Books
101 Witmer Road  PO Box 446
Horsham, PA   19044
215-957-4265   215-957-4287
Fax: [phone]
[e-mail]  [e-mail]

"Data Communications & Networking Dictionary", Pardoe/Wenig, 1992, U$24.00

You can get data communications glossaries just about anywhere.  Most
makers of telecommunications equipment will give them out free.  Quite
a few communications related books will have a section of terminology
in the appendices.  These sources tend to reflect the emphasis of the
book or company, and to be incomplete in other areas.  Also, as the
authors state in the preface, communications and networking is a
rapidly expanding field, and terminology is growing apace.

This book is quite recent and up to date (1992).  It is also more
complete than the freebies you will get from router manufacturers.
Make no mistake, however: this *is* a glossary, *not* a dictionary.
The entries, while many, are quite terse, and no attempt is made to
look for origins, derivations or references.  Sometimes the entries
are simplified to the point of error.  "Hamming code" is identified as
error detection by redundant information: no mention is made of the
fact that "redundant" bits must be deliberately encoded, and that the
major purpose of Hamming code is error correction.  To be fair, they
are likely using redundant in the technical sense (which is included
in the work).

There are some definite gaps.  The "Bell" modem standards are easy to
find but the "V." standards are a bit more elusive.  There is an entry
under "V series recommendations", out of order in the "V" section, but
no pointer to the actual listings.  *They* are found in the "C"
section -- under CCITT.  (So are the X series.)  BITNET is listed but
not Internet (although the IAB, ICMP and IP are there).  This is not
due to the normal "big blue" bias: DECnet is included as well.  (So is
Pathworks.)  However, PROFS is included without any mention of, say,
All-in-1.  There is no entry under "notes".  (There is no entry for
"groupware".)

There is also no entry under BBS, bulletin board or electronic
bulletin board, and likewise no mention of Fidonet.  By the same token
there *is* an entry for CompuServe, but none for Prodigy, GEnie or
others of that ilk.  "Electronic mail" is listed, but not "email" (or
"e-mail").  (After a while, this "spot the bias" game gets to be quite
interesting.  I haven't come to any final conclusion.)  (Novell isn't
there -- but "NetWare" is.)

If you don't have a data communications glossary, and need one, here's
one.  However, the price is a bit steep in relation to what you might
get elsewhere.  If you call up your friendly neighbourhood communi-
cations supplier and hint hard enough, they might give you one.  On
the other hand, if you *are* a communications supplier, and need promos.


copyright Robert M. Slade, 1993   BKDTCMDC.RVW  930825
Permission granted to distribute with the full Telecom Digest and
associated newsgroups/mailing lists.


Vancouver Institute for Research into User Security,   Canada    V7K 2G6
[e-mail]   [e-mail]   [e-mail]   Fidonet 1:153/733
[e-mail]                                                 604-526-3676

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

Date: Sun, 26 Sep 93 22:25 EDT
From: [e-mail] (woody)
Subject: Re: Getting Rate Distance From V&H Co-ordinate


From: [e-mail] (Jimmy Gauvin):

> Can somebody please tell me how to calculate the distance between two
> NPA-NXXs given their H & V coordinates?

I wrote something that should explain how to turn a pair of V&H
co-ordinates into a rate distance, at least the way Bell Canada does
it (which is normally the same way as most places in North America.)

As for the relationship between V&H and the familiar
longitude/latitude, I compared some V&Hes with a topographic map, only
to find that there isn't a simple relationship between the two
co-ordinate systems. The examples I have will need to be worked on to
see what kind of formula might be in effect.

Perhaps a copy of the following doc should be dropped into the Archives:

David Leibold

 . . . .

How long distance charges are calculated
(updated 23 September 1993)

The following information deals specifically with calling from Ontario
and Quebec (Bell Canada). However, it may be possible to obtain
similar information from the tariffs of other companies.

The Bell tariffs specify how much a long distance call costs. First,
all calls from a given exchange will have the same set of rates. That
is, calls to Hamilton will cost the same from Etobicoke as they do
from Scarborough since both Etobicoke and Scarborough are considered
to be part of the Toronto (Canada) exchange.

The "rate distance" is used to determine the distance from one general
exchange to another, and the rate billed will be according to the rate
distance. To calculate a rate distance, you need to find out what the
"V-H" co-ordinates are for the place you call from and the place you
call to.

Toronto  has a V of 4981 and an H of 2488.
Hamilton has a V of 5097 and an H of 2504.

The differences between V and H are taken. In the Toronto-Hamilton
case, the difference of V is 4981 - 5097 = -116 and H is 2488 - 2504 =
-16.  Ignore minus signs to get the differences: DV = 116 and DH = 16.

Divide DV and DH by 3, rounded to nearest integer. Thus, DV becomes
116/3 = 38 2/3, round to 39. DH becomes 16/3 = 5 1/3 round to 5.
Square the new DV and DH to get 39*39=1521 and 5*5=25. Add the squares
to get 1521+25=1546. If this result is less than 1778 (and it is),
multiply by a special multiplying factor (which is 0.9 here) to get
1546*0.9=1391.4, then take square root: sqr(1391.4) = 37 + fraction.
Round *up* to 38 (don't round if the square root comes out exactly)
and that's the rate distance.

Now you can have the situation if that sum of squares above goes to
1778 or higher. What happens is that you divide DV and DH by three
again before doing the calculations, repeating as many times as
necessary. Keep a count of how many times 3 is divided into DV and DH.
Once the count is below 1778, the multiplying factor will be 0.1 *
(9**N) where N is the number of times 3 is divided (always have N at
least 1, for the first division).

A minimum rate distance is assigned according to "N" (the number of
divisions of 3). For N=1, there is no minimum (no problem with our
Hamilton calculation, as N=1 there). For N=2, though, the rate
distance must be at least 41 (use 41 if the calculated rate distance
doesn't get that high). For N=3, the minimum is 121. In fact, when N
goes above 1, the minimum rate distance is 40 * (3 ** (N-2)) + 1.

And that's the way it's done ... in Ontario and Quebec, Canada, the
full details are in CRTC tariff 6716, that is, the main Bell tariff
which should be available through Bell's Business Office or the
Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission. To get
the V and H co-ordinates for whatever centres are involved, you need
to dig up CRTC tariff 7063 (Ontario, Quebec, eastern NWT, St Pierre &
Miquelon), or AT&T Communication Tariff FCC #10 (for everywhere else).
FCC #10 is presumably available through the U.S. Federal
Communications Commission, or through AT&T.

In the Toronto-Hamilton example, the 38 rate miles (assuming no
calculation errors) represents a base rate of 31 cents/minute (as of
September 1989) The discount for the given time is then applied, but
all long distance calls have a minimum charge of 37 cents each. These
rates and rate calculations are subject to change, however.

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

Date: Sun, 26 Sep 93 18:46:03 EDT
From: Carl Moore <[e-mail]>
Subject: Analogy With Baseball Scorer


I may probe quite a bit with zipcodes, phone prefixes, etc., but I do
not seek to change things.  I have heard the following, which I will
use as an analogy: The person who scores a baseball game does have to
interpret the things which happen on the playing field, but does not
change the calls made by the umpire.

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

Date: Sun, 26 Sep 93 19:57:53 EDT
From: [e-mail] (Sean Goggin)
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Subject: List Companies That Sell Directory Listing Information?


I have 57358 unique local street addresses with full names on a local
voters list.  I would like to add their phone numbers to the list.  I
am in Waterloo, Ontario Canada and my area code 519.

Could people please email me any companies that sell directory listing
information?

The only one I know of is:
    Infodirect       [phone]

Thank you very much and I'll send a summary to comp.dcom.telecom if, I
get any.


[e-mail] ... Mortice.Kern.Systems.Waterloo.Ontario.Can.

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

From: [e-mail] (Dan Wilder)
Subject: Premier ESP(tm) Clicks and Pops?
Date: Sun, 26 Sep 1993 12:16:05 -0700
Organization: Connected INC -- Internet Services


We have a Premier ESP 1224 system installed in 1991 which has
exhibited consistent clicks and pops coincident with incoming calls.
The installer technician would not say anything about this except to
note that the "behaviour was normal."  Unfortunately we did not press
the issue while the system was under warranty.  Now we are trying to
add modems, and have observed that these clicks and pops severely
disturb data communications.

Anybody else with similar observations?


Dan Wilder    <[e-mail]> <[e-mail]>

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

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Recent AT&T Racist Screw-Up
Date: Sun, 26 Sep 93 08:01:06 PDT


Over in soc.culture.african.american there's been a furor over the
recent in-house AT&T employee magazine {Focus}, which had an
illustration depicting callers in several continents.  The caller on
the phone in Africa is a monkey!

This illustration has been published in several places, including the
current issue of {Time Magazine}.  Blacks have been rightly outraged
by this incident, which is all the more shocking coming from AT&T, one
of the most progressive companies in America on the issue of race
relations.  AT&T has an excellent record of recruiting minority
employees and charitable donations.

If you received one of these magazines, I suggest you save it.  It may
become valuable.  There are a number of collectors of racist memorab-
ilia (BTW, most of them are black) who would like to get one of these
things.


Mark Thorson

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

From: [e-mail] (Lou Fernandez)
Subject: Re: Atomic Clocks (was: For A Good Time, Call 202-653-1800)
Organization: Sequent Computer Systems Inc.
Date: Sun, 26 Sep 93 17:13:11 GMT


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] writes:

 <useful data deleted>

> The means to calculate time is done on the basis of a certain number
> of decays of radioactive cecium.  A certain exact number of decays
> will occur in a certain period of time, this exact number is used to
> define the time period referred to as a "second".  From that, all
> other measurements are made.  The device that does this measurement is
> a (at one time) 1/2 million dollar device called an "atomic clock."

Hmmm.  Who makes the atomic clock you describe and what's the model
number?

The atomic clocks I've read about use a different mechanism.  The ones
which use cesium atoms depend on exciting an oscillation between two
quantum-mechanical energy states (hyperfine levels F3 and F4).  The
frequency of this oscillation is 9.192 631 77 GHz.  This is an exact
frequency because the second is defined as 9,192,631,770 cycles of
this resonant frequency.  Cesium clocks are available for $25k.

For more than you ever wanted to know about time, frequency and
clocks, I recommend you consult the July 1991 issue of the Proceeding
of the IEEE, Special Issue on Time and Frequency.


Louis F. Fernandez    Sequent Computer Systems
[e-mail]    Beaverton, OR 97006-6063

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

From: [e-mail] (Steven M. Bass)
Subject: Re: For A Good Time, Call 202-653-1800
Organization: Motorola Codex, Canton, Massachusetts
Date: Sun, 26 Sep 1993 17:42:30 GMT


Paul Robinson <[e-mail]> writes:

>> Also, does anybody know what type of computer(s) this
>> service runs on?  I'm curious also as to how it determines
>> what UTC really IS (what does it use as its time base)?

> The means to calculate time is done on the basis of a certain number
> of decays of radioactive cecium.  A certain exact number of decays
> will occur in a certain period of time, this exact number is used to
> define the time period referred to as a "second".  From that, all
> other measurements are made.  The device that does this measurement is
> a (at one time) 1/2 million dollar device called an "atomic clock."

This is not quite right. Cesium based atomic frequency standards are
based on transitions between two states of atomic cesium, not due to
deacy of radioactive cesium. The frequency of this transition is
extremely stable if you keep the cesium atoms in a vacuum system and
away from external perturbations (magnetic fields primarily). The
second is defined by this frequency. As far as cost goes, commercial
cesium standards cost on the order of $30,000 and up these days. Of
course the cesium standards that NIST and the Naval Observatory use to
provide the US standard reference cost a great deal more.

(This information gathered in a previous job for a manufacturer of
cesium beam atomic clocks.)


Steven Bass  [e-mail]   Motorola Codex

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

Date: 26 Sep 1993 19:26:37 GMT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: For A Good Time, Call 202-653-1800
Organization: Battelle - Pacific Northwest Laboratories


Radioactive decay is a statistical process, so you will never see an
_exact_ number of decays in any time period.

The definition of a second (adopted 13 October 1967) is:

    The second is the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the the
    radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine
    levels of the ground state of the atom of cesium 133.

And that, I believe, is pretty much how the atomic clocks determine it
 -- produce a cesium maser using that transition and count the peaks in
the light it emits. Accuracy of 1 part in 100 billion is reported to
be possible.

More detailed descriptions can be found in "Atomic Frequency
Standards" NBS Tech. News Bull. 45, 8--11 (Jan 1961) and R.E.
Beechler, R.C. Mockler, and J.M. Richardson, "Cesium Beam Atomic Time
and Frequency Standards," Metrologia, 1, 114--131 (July 1965).

I believe, the NIST (formerly NBS) switched in the last few years to a
newer atomic clock, using more recent technological advances and
perhaps no longer using cesium but another atom, but I that's just
from memory.

Incidentally, the Nobel Prize in physics was recently awarded for
the development of the techniques used in atomic clocks and related
devices.


David E. Bernholdt, MSIN K1-90           | Email: [e-mail]
Molecular Science Research Center        | Phone: [phone]
Pacific Northwest Laboratory, P.O.B. 999 | Fax:   [phone]
Richland, WA  99352                      | I speak only for myself!

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

Date: Sun, 26 Sep 93 15:19:51 PDT
From: awry![e-mail] (Tom Ace)
Subject: Re: For A Good Time, Call 202-653-1800


Paul Robinson ([e-mail]) wrote, in Telecom Digest vol. 13
issue 658:

> The means to calculate time is done on the basis of a certain number
> of decays of radioactive cecium.  A certain exact number of decays
> will occur in a certain period of time, this exact number is used to
> define the time period referred to as a "second".

No.  The transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground
state of a Cesium-133 atom is associated with radiation of a precise
frequency, and that (NOT radioactive decay) serves as the time base
used in cesium clocks.  (The two slightly different energy states in
this case are associated with the relative alignment of the magnetic
moments of an atom's nucleus and electrons.)  Because of its random
nature, radioactive decay would make a poor time standard.


Tom Ace          [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail]
Date: 26 Sep 93 10:55 CST
Subject: For a Good Time, Call 202-653-1800


> Also, NIST does not provide time service......

The National Institute of Standards (NIST) does indeed offer a time
service, available by dialing 303/499-7111.

> Also, does anybody know what kind of computer this runs on?

> From a USA Today article dated 4/23/93:

 "The National Institute of Standards and Technology in Boulder,
 Colo., cherishes seconds so highly it unveiled an atomic clock
 Thursday that won't lose or gain a second in the next million
 years. Which makes the clock, NIST-7, considerably more accurate
 than its predecessors, such as the NSB-6 model -- which might have
 lost a second every 300,000 years if it hadn't been dismantled
 with the arrival of the $3 million NIST-7.The 9-foot-long, 18 inch
 round tube keeps time by counting vibrations of atoms."

Unfortunately, this article didn't say what type of computer is used
in the NIST-7. Of course, someone could simply call NIST and ask,
right?

Just dusting off my files to provide some trivial input ...


[e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: Not too many people are left but us old folks who
remember when Western Union operated their Time Service (it was dis-
continued in the late 1960's) with their grand-master clock getting
its synch from the US Naval Observatory clock and the grand-master
clock in turn synching master clocks in cities all over the USA, who
in turn synched all the sub-masters who in turn synched all the local
clocks everywhere via pulses sent on the telegraph wires. And those
clocks were *everywhere*. In addition to the telegraph offices of
course, 'Western Union clocks' were found in all radio stations,
schools, offices, public auditoriums and wherever knowledge of the
correct time was very essential. A subscription to Time Service cost
but a few dollars per year and many merchants and public institutions
installed a WU clock in their window as a courtesy to passers-by. If
anyone is interested, I will hunt down the large article which appeared
some time ago in the Digest and reprint it for new readers.   PAT]

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

Date: Sun, 26 Sep 93 11:29:24 -0400
From: Vlad Gershkovich <[e-mail]>
Subject: kUPL@ TELEGRAFNYJ MODEM [phone]
Organization: Motorola Codex, Canton Mass.


> [Moderator's Note: This message came to me from Russia. I have no idea
> at all what he is saying, except I think it has to do with a BBS or
> public access site in Moscow. This was the entire text. Can someone
> read it to me?  PAT]

> sRO^NO KUPL@ TELEGRAFNYJ MODEM
> tEL: [phone]  sIDORENKO sERGEJ.

"Will urgently buy telegraph modem"
telephone in Moscow (095) and the name (Sidorenko Sergej)

If you want to complain, write to "[e-mail]" or
"[e-mail]" (Eugene Peskin - RELCOM's moderator of USENET)
Cyrillic alphabet is 8bit - the 8th bit got cut a mail server
somewhere on the way! But, anyhow, they should NOT be posting in
Russian on GLOBAL USENET anyhow!


Vlad

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

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: kUPL@ TELEGRAFNYJ MODEM [phone]
Date: 26 Sep 1993 19:22:03 GMT
Organization: University of Michigan CITI


In article <[e-mail]>, Sergey V. Sidorenko
<[e-mail]> writes:

  sRO^NO KUPL@ TELEGRAFNYJ MODEM
  tEL: [phone]  sIDORENKO sERGEJ.

The '95' part would be a city code.  The country code for most of the
FSU is 7, so the full phone number would be [phone].  I don't
know what city that would be.

I read Russian but I'm not familiar with that particular transliteration
scheme.

I asked my friend who is a librarian and works with various Russian
transliteration schemes, and she says,

  "it is not the standard transliteration scheme, but a transliteration
  scheme for computers.

  what it seems to say:

  (this person wants to) urgently buy a telegraphic (?) modem"

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

Date: Sun, 26 Sep 1993 02:14:29 -0400
From: anarres![e-mail]
Subject: kUPL@  TELEGRAFNYJ MODEM [phone]


Passing that through a little transliteration program I wrote back
during the coup in the Soviet Union (remember then? I was glued to my
Usenet feed!)  produces:

Srochno kuplyu telegrafnyy modem
Tel: [phone]  Sidorenko Sergey.

Which I read as offering to buy a modem. I'm not sure just what
"srochno" means in this context; my dictionary defines it as "of term;
to be paid at a fixed date; due; payable".  "Kuplyu" means "I buy"; I
don't know whether a "telegrafnyy modem" is a special kind of modem or
just a modem in general.

Why this is here is a puzzle; probably it was sent to the wrong
address.


Steve Gaarder   [e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: Well no, it was not sent to the wrong address. He
wrote '[e-mail]' which is just an alias
that points at me. That is, he did not post to a newsgroup where it
found its way to comp.dcom.telecom; some news program found it lacking
authorization and shoved it to me. He mailed it direct, albiet to an
alias I had forgotten existed, going back to the days of jsol. So he
must think we can do something for him. Fancy that; he wants to buy
a modem, and here I thought he was looking for publicity for his BBS
or similar and decided to give it to him.  PAT]

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

Date: Sun, 26 Sep 1993 14:10:51 -0500 (cdt)
From: Brian D McMahon <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: kUPL@ TELEGRAFNYJ MODEM [phone]


> [Moderator's Note: This message came to me from Russia. I have no idea
> at all what he is saying, except I think it has to do with a BBS or
> public access site in Moscow. This was the entire text. Can someone
> read it to me?  PAT]

> sRO^NO KUPL@ TELEGRAFNYJ MODEM
> tEL: [phone]  sIDORENKO sERGEJ.

Hi, Pat.  That would be "srochno kuplyu telegrafnyj modem," or
"urgently (want to) buy a telegraphic modem."  Signed by Sergej
Sidorenko.

I have no idea what a "telegraphic" modem is; I'm not up on the
technical terminology.  At a guess, the gentleman wants to buy a FAX
modem.

The message text, BTW, is in a format known as KOI-7, one of several
mutually incompatible (sigh) methods of transmitting Russian Cyrillic
text over the net.  Upper and lower case are reversed, as you probably
guessed.


Brian McMahon        <[e-mail]>        <[e-mail]>
Postmaster / Acad. Software Support   Grinnell College Computer Services
Grinnell, Iowa 50112 USA   Voice: [phone]   Fax: [phone]


[Moderator's Note: You think then a 'telegraphic modem' would be a fax
modem?  My thanks to the 27 other responses I received to this query.
I selected a few to use here which make a good representative sample
of the lot.  PAT]

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

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #664
******************************


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Date: Sun, 26 Sep 1993 21:45:37 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #665

TELECOM Digest     Sun, 26 Sep 93 21:45:00 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 665

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Re: Information Wanted on Six-bit Code (Dik T. Winter)
    Re: Information Wanted on Six-bit Code (Dave Emery)
    Re: Information Wanted on E-mail/V-mail Integration (Al Varney)
    Re: Pager Number Being Forwarded to a Voice Number (Steve Forrette)
    Re: Pager Number Being Forwarded to a Voice Number (Scott Dorsey)
    Re: Pager Number Being Forwarded to a Voice Number (John R. Levine)
    Re: How Much Power Will Telco Allow From Phone Line? (Carl Oppedahl)
    Re: Need Information on Teleprotector (Gary Breuckman)
    Re: Cellular Phone Options in NJ (Fritz Whittington)
    Re: Cellular Phone Options in NJ (Marc Unangst)
    Re: Book Review: "The Internet Companion" (Michael L. Barrow)
    Re: AT&T Call Manager Disappeared Again? (Paul Hess)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Dik T. Winter)
Subject: Re: Information Wanted on Six-bit Code
Organization: CWI, Amsterdam
Date: Sun, 26 Sep 1993 19:36:43 GMT


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Johan M
Karlsson) writes:

> I just wonder if anybody know anything about the Six-bit code called
> TTS, that was used by many newspapers in the 70's to receive stories
> from the wire services. Like what does the letters TTS stand for?

I presume TTS means Tele Type Setting.  And I know the codes.  There
are two variants, English and US (and probably more).  The codes have
shifting codes to go from lower to upper case vv., but also from lower
to upper rail (a typesetting term).  So there are in fact four cases.
The codes include normal letters, digits and symbols; italics and
small caps.  I must have the code tables somewhere in machine readable
form.


dik t. winter, cwi, kruislaan 413, 1098 sj  amsterdam, nederland
home: bovenover 215, 1025 jn  amsterdam, nederland; e-mail: [e-mail]

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

From: jjmhome!pig![e-mail] (Dave Emery)
Subject: Re: Information Wanted on Six-bit Code
Date: 26 Sep 93 16:03:52 GMT
Reply-To: jjmhome!pig![e-mail]
Organization: Opinion Mongers Incorperated...


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Johan M
Karlsson) writes:

> I just wonder if anybody know anything about the Six-bit code called
> TTS, that was used by many newspapers in the 70's to receive stories
> from the wire services. Like what does the letters TTS stand for?

    TTS standards for TeleTypeSetter.  Indeed it is a 6 bit code
which was developed by AT&T's now defunct Teletype subsidiary in the
early 50s as a means of inputing news stories direct to Linotype
machines.  As such it incorporates the special control characters that
operate Linotype machines such as upper rail and lower rail shifts and
em space and en space.

    Originally in the days long before computers in the pockets of
every reporter, the wire services had computerized systems that ran on
mainframes for creating formated stock tables, sports box scores,
racing information and other highly structured text.  Sending this
material in TTS code ready for direct input into a type casting
machine saved local newspapers the services of several compositors and
made it possible for them to publish reams of this sort of material at
low cost.

    Later, in the 60's and early 70s the wire services developed
computer programs to format (perform hyphenation and justification)
their regular news feed into standard newspaper columns using Linotype
control characters.  Many of the newspaper oriented wire service wires
(particularly the AP A wire) were transmitted in TTS code in this era
and could be directly input to a linotype machine.

    TTS code was popular for wire service distribution for another
reason, it supported upper and lower case.  The earlier Baudot
alphabet only supported upper case which meant that a human being had
to worry about getting the case correct in transcribing stories into
type -- but TTS had the correct case already.

    TTS format paper tape in fact became a standard in the
printing industry for input to composition equipment of later
generations than Linotype machines.  TTS represented an alphabet for
encoding text formated for printing, and may still see some use for
this purpose today.

    Teletype developed a modification of their model 15 workhorse
wire service teleprinter to print TTS in upper and lower case on rolls
of Teletype paper; this machine was called the model 20 monitor
printer.  Many newspapers which did not actually use TTS input to
their typesetting machines for news stories used these machines to
print out stories in upper and lower case for later entry by human
compositors.

    Newspapers which used TTS input directly usually punched the
TTS into 6 level paper tape for off line entry into Linotype machines.
So a typical newspaper would have a monitor printer and a tape punch
on each of their tts wires.

    TTS wire transmissions were usually low speed (66 or 75 wpm)
at baud rates adjusted for the 8.42 element code.  This resulted in
some strange low baud rates that gave the designers of serial port
boards for early minicomputers fits.

    TTS was largely replaced in the mid 70s by the high speed
ASCII wire transmissions and by newspaper computerized composition
systems which could do hyphenation and justification automatically and
output text direct to optical typesetters.  Remnents of it survive,
however, in the standard ASCII format for transmitting wire service
news stories which incorperates ASCII versions of some of the special
typesetter control characters.

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

Date: Sun, 26 Sep 93 14:04:35 CDT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Information Wanted on E-mail/V-mail Integration
Organization: AT&T


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail].
fi (Heli Leinonen) writes:

> .... A copy of a Bellcore document MTRS SR-INS-002662
> describing the service, the article says, could be obtained by calling
> (800) 521-CORE. I would be most interested in this service, but I am
> not able to call from abroad to 800-numbers.

   Bellcore Customer Service is on [phone].
   FAX is on [phone].

   Most SR-nnnn documents cost from  US$50 to $200.


Al Varney

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

From: [e-mail] (Steve Forrette)
Subject: Re: Pager Number Being Forwarded to a Voice Number
Date: 24 Sep 1993 22:34:16 GMT
Organization: Walker Richer & Quinn, Inc.
Reply-To: [e-mail] (Steve Forrette)


In <[e-mail]> [e-mail] writes:

> I'm just wondering if its possible for a pager number to be forwared
> to a voice mail.

> [Moderator's Note: certainly all phones (for the purposes of
> this discussion) go through central office switches, and certainly all
> can have various features such as call forwarding.

Well, this is not strictly true.  While it is obviously true that the
pager numbers go through the CO, they are most certainly provided to
the paging company on DID trunks, where the paging company can pay the
telco around $.50/month/number instead of the regular local line rate.
DID trunks, as their name implies, are trunk side connections to the
CO, as opposed to the line side connections that POTS uses.  No custom
calling features are available on any trunk side connection.  Also,
even if the paging company wanted to allow you to, the telco is not
likely to allow them to swich one number in a block of DID numbers
over to a different class of service.  So there is no way that the
telco could do this.  Of course, the paging company could do something
like this by forwarding the call through their equipment and back out
into the network on a different line, but then their equipment would
have to be set up to do this, and it is likely not.


Steve Forrette, [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (Scott Dorsey)
Subject: Re: Pager Number Being Forwarded to a Voice Number
Date: 26 Sep 1993 18:03:05 GMT
Organization: NASA Langley Research Center and Reptile Farm


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] writes:

> I'm just wondering if its possible for a pager number to be forwared
> to a voice mail. I place a call thru to AmeriTech pager to enquire
> about this but they inform me that this is not possible. But since all
> phone lines have to go thru the local Central Office, is it possible
> for the pager number to be forwared at the switch station to another
> number?

While our Esteemed Moderator has pointed out that the pager provider
is probably unwilling to forward his number to yours, let me point out
that you can do it yourself.

Instead of forwarding your pager number to your voicemail, just
forward your voicemail number to your pager, and give that number out
instead.  This assumes that you control your voicemail.  Otherwise you
may need to get yourself a phone line that you can forward either to
your voicemail or your pager, depending on your preference at the
moment.


scott

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

Date: Sun, 26 Sep 93 12:51 EDT
From: [e-mail] (John R Levine)
Subject: Re: Pager Number Being Forwarded to a Voice Number
Organization: I.E.C.C.


In article <[e-mail]> was written:

> I'm just wondering if its possible for a pager number to be forwared
> to a voice mail. I place a call thru to AmeriTech pager to enquire
> about this but they inform me that this is not possible. ...

It's quite likely that the pager company has a block of several
thousand phone numbers assigned but only a dozen or so trunks, using
the same DID service that is commonly used to attach PBXes.
Considering that a typical pager number is in use for only a few
minutes per day, this makes a lot more sense than having an actual
line per number. Since DID numbers don't correspond to actual lines,
there are a lot of things that are technically not possible. (PBX
users often get call forwarding, but it's implemented in the PBX, not
in the central office.)  Also, as Pat noted, the paging company is in
the paging business and doesn't have to offer any services it doesn't
want to, regardless of whether it's technically easy or hard.

If you want a single number for your pager and your voice mail, get a
normal home line with remotely reprogrammable call forwarding and
point it at either your pager or your voice mail, as needed. (Or bag
the voice mail and get an answering machine.) Many voice mail systems
can arrange to page you whenever there's a message waiting, giving you
the best features of both.


Regards,

John Levine, [e-mail], {spdcc|ima|world}!iecc!johnl

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

From: [e-mail] (Carl Oppedahl)
Subject: Re: How Much Power Will Telco Allow From Phone Line?
Date: 26 Sep 1993 10:27:00 -0400
Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC


In <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Neil
Hamilton) writes:

> If one wanted to power a certain low power device from a standard phone
> line, how much power would the telco allow to be drawn?

Don't do it.  You would be breaking the law and misusing the system.

Here's why:

First of all, it is illegal to use other than Part 68 type-accepted
equipment on the line.  Your "certain low power device" is probably
not.

The requirement of Part 68 acceptance is for a good reason -- the
telco wants some level of scrutiny to reduce the odds that something
would go wrong in your premises that would electrocute a worker or
ruin central office gear or interfere with service of other customers.
Your clpd -- are you absolutely sure it would never do any of these
things?  Even after a drop test and all the other tests required for
Part 68 acceptance?

A phone off the hook typically draws 20 mA at about 10-14 volts, or
about a quarter of a watt.  (This is from The Phone Book, published by
Consumer Reports.)  You will never get more power than that in any
consistent way.  But if you draw that much power for a day, the telco
will probably flag your line as a "trouble" line, and will turn off
your dial tone or do other testing activities.  For all they know
there is a short on the line somewhere causing this.


Carl Oppedahl AA2KW  (patent lawyer)
1992 Commerce Street #309
Yorktown Heights, NY  10598-4412
voice 212-777-1330

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

From: [e-mail] (Gary Breuckman)
Subject: Re: Need Information on Teleprotector
Date: Sun, 26 Sep 1993 00:43:19 GMT


In article <[e-mail]> Christopher Vaz
<[e-mail]> writes:

> I have bought a teleprotector(henceforth T-P) (from Radio Shack) which
> is a device that helps an answering machine disconnect when a phone is
> picked up.  It is indeed auto-disconnecting my machine -- however,
> there seems to be one problem. When I pick up the phone, it
> disconnects the machine but only after a couple of seconds, and in
> fact, the machine saves, as a message, that part of the conversation
> that the caller has left until the time the phone is picked up, and
> even a little part of my conversation with the caller -- i.e.  my
> "Hello" and a few sentences of mine thereafter. Is this common with a
> T-P or does this seem strange to any of you folks out there who do or
> do not use a T-P?

> [Moderator's Note: Doesn't the documentation say something about a
> trim pot in there you can adjust a little if this happens? It is
> hearing you, but not soon enough. If you adjust it too far the other
> way then the answering machine won't pick up the line at all. There
> should be a middle point where it works just fine.  Anyone else care
> to comment?  PAT]

I've used one of these devices for some time, and have the same
observations about the cutoff.  While I *thought* I knew what was in
there, I never noticed it was easy to pop the cover off, which I did.
Inside are four diodes (bridge to handle reversed polarity), two zener
diodes, a resistor, and one active device (transistor, scr, whatever...).

These things work on line voltage. You can do the same thing in many
cases with just a zener diode in series -- when that's the only device
off-hook, there's a voltage drop across the zener but the answering
machine still works ok.  If another device (without the protector)
goes off-hook, the voltage on the line drops to a point below the
zener's voltage, and the answering machine is effectively disconnected.

The problem is, the disconnection is DC voltage disconnection, some of
the audio still leaks through.  If the answering machine does not have
the feature that detects voltage drop (if it did, you wouldn't
purchase the protector!), it continues to record at the reduced level
until the circuit that detects audio decides no one is there anymore
(five to ten seconds) and stops recording.  Mine does this, and the
level recorded is VERY low, but you can still make it out sometimes,
at least the local half of the call.

You can also use these to stop an extension phone from disconnecting
your modem call (the device connects to the PHONE!).  I've seen units
enclosed in what looks like a standard modular T connector that do the
same thing.


[e-mail]

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

Date: Sun, 26 Sep 93 15:48:19 CDT
From: [e-mail] (Fritz Whittington)
Subject: Cellular Phone Options in NJ


> As a new comer to the world of cellular phone, I will appreciate your
> feedback on a couple of things:

 (some deleted)

> 3) I am planning to purchase a rapid charger from someone other
>    than Sony as it is very expensive. What other options do I have?
>    How is "Direct Powerplus"?

> [Moderator's Note: No you are not stuck with any given carrier. You
> can take the phone to any carrier (or the carrier's agent) of your
> choice to obtain service. They may charge you to reprogram the phone.
> They don't want you to reprogram it because the agent won't make the
> money on it. You can purchase chargers from anywhere you please,
> bearing in mind that you are looking for a *clean* DC supply of about
> 12 volts. Car batteries work fine as do power supplies from old CB
> radios, intercoms, etc. Amperage is not too critical; but you want
> it to be an amp or two at least for best and quickest charging
> results. You can run the cellular phone or charge the battery using
> one of those 13.8 DC supplies called 'Micronta' from Radio Shack.
> Regards the forum where you should be, you are in the right place.  PAT]

I note he did use the word 'Sony' which may have clued you.  But your
answer might mislead some people who don't read very carefully.  My
Novatel batteries, for instance, are 6.2 volts; connecting to a car
battery would probably be a 'warming' experience.


Fritz Whittington Texas Instruments, P.O. Box 655474, MS 446 Dallas, TX 75265
    Shipping address: 13510 North Central Expressway, MS 446 Dallas, TX 75243
[e-mail]                 Office: [phone]     FAX: [phone]
Since I am not an official TI spokesperson, these opinions contain no spokes.


[Moderator's Note: Yeah, someone else yesterday mentioned to me they
bought a cell phone using 6.2 volt batteries. The ones I've had all
were twelve volt things: plug 'em in the cigarette lighter; use a spare
power supply from an old CB; whatever you wanted. Make sure you put a
fuse in the line, ha ha -- nothing like getting the polarity reversed
if you want to blow a diode in the phone.  PAT]

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

From: [e-mail] (Marc Unangst)
Subject: Re: Cellular Phone Options in NJ
Date: 26 Sep 1993 10:52:49 -0400
Organization: The Programmers' Pit Stop, Pittsburgh, PA


Pat writes:

> You can purchase chargers from anywhere you please, bearing in mind
> that you are looking for a *clean* DC supply of about 12 volts. Car
> batteries work fine as do power supplies from old CB radios,
> intercoms, etc. Amperage is not too critical; but you want it to be an
> amp or two at least for best and quickest charging results.

Ack!  Sorry, Pat, but this is *wrong*.  What you say is correct for a
standard trickle-charger, but this guy wants a rapid-charger.
Rapid-chargers work at higher voltages and currents than regular
trickle-chargers, and it's very important to get one that monitors the
state of the battery and shuts off when it becomes fully charged.
Otherwise, you will damage your batteries by overcharging them if you
leave them in the charger too long.

How much does Sony want for the rapid-charger?  $50 or $75 isn't
unreasonable for a good rapid-charger; you may be better off spending
a bit more and buying their charger, rather than spending $40 or $50
each year to replace your battery pack.  Properly cared for, most
nicad packs will take in excess of 1000 charges; if you abuse them,
they can conk out after less than 100.


Marc Unangst, N8VRH    [e-mail]

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

Date: Sun, 26 Sep 1993 11:13:01 -0500
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Book Review: "The Internet Companion"


In TELECOM Digest Volume 13, Issue 657, Rob Slade <[e-mail].
ab.ca> writes:

> This work is somewhat less technical than the UNIX biased "Whole
> Internet Guide".  However, it goes too far in the opposite direction.
> The authors boast that it was finished in less than two months.  It
> shows.  Companies which are getting into the Internet in a big way
> might make this the introductory volume for new users: it is generally
> upbeat and non-threatening.  However, help should be on hand when
> people actually start using the net.

I think that you bashed this book a little too much. I also hold
introductory Internet seminars in my capacity as Director of the
Boston Computer Society Internet SIG and I recommend this book for
very new users.  Even though people ask about getting Internet access,
most people don't really know what this really means. I find that "The
Internet Companion" does an excellent job at explaining the culture
and resources of the Internet in a non-threatening manner. Of course,
I suggest that they move on to one of the other books that cover more
detail on getting access and taking advantage of it.

Also, help is not always on hand when people start using the net.
That's why we started the BCS Internet SIG.

That's my $0.02!


Michael L. Barrow
Network Analyst/Resnet Support Coordinator
Distributed Computing and Network Services
MIT Information Systems
Director, BCS Internet SIG

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

From: [e-mail] (Paul Hess)
Subject: Re: AT&T Call Manager Disappeared Again?
Date: 26 Sep 1993 12:09:09 -0400
Organization: Hess Consulting (AI) - 800-323-8790


In article <[e-mail]>, Alan Boritz <drharry!
[e-mail]> wrote:

> Is AT&T silently dropping this service (again)?  I just found it
> disabled on one of my lines at home and called AT&T.  The billing rep
> said that they were advised to tell customers that Call Manager is not
> working in the New York City area, and that they have no estimate for
> repair.  The billing rep also gave a phone number to call for more
> information (1-908-204-4182).

> This seems like an awful lot of trouble to go to, without trying to
> fix the problem.  Is AT&T trying to discourage Call Manager users from
> using the product, and eventually eliminate it?

I recently switched to AT&T and had a horrible time trying to get Call
Manager implemented.  I spent about two to four hours worth of my time
on the phone with AT&T reps over the course of two months.  At any
given time during the two month period, whomever I was speaking to was
always positive that (a) they understand now why it still isn't working
and (b) it will be activated fairly soon.

Needless to say, I'm on the verge of switching away after wasting all
that time with them (similar problems on other features also), despite
the fact that they were always very pleasant and courteous.  The MCI
service people seem much more empowered to fix problems on the spot
rather than referring it to others or leaving messages to solve my
problems.


Paul Hess            |  Analysis, Planning and Development
Hess Consulting      |  AI, Neural Nets, and Optimization Algorithms
P.O. Box 2905        |  Phone:  [phone], In Va.: 703-803-6808
Manassas, VA  22110  |  E-Mail: [e-mail],  Fax: [phone]

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

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #665
******************************


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Date: Mon, 27 Sep 1993 00:14:11 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #666

TELECOM Digest     Mon, 27 Sep 93 00:14:00 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 666

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Re: What's With Pac Bell Airport Terminals? (Marty Lyons)
    Re: What's With Pac Bell Airport Terminals? (Jack Powers)
    Re: What's With Pac Bell Airport Terminals? (Steven King)
    Re: GTE Beats Out Pacific Bell in ESS Feature (Randy Gellens)
    Re: GTE Beats Out Pacific Bell in ESS Feature (Billy Youdelman)
    Re: How Much Power Will Telco Allow From Phone Line? (Keith G. McRae)
    Re: How Much Power Will Telco Allow From Phone Line? (Gary Tennyson)
    Re: H & V Distance Computing Algorithm Wanted (Thomas B. Libert)
    Re: H & V Distance Computing Algorithm Wanted (Stu Jeffery)
    Re: AT&T Customer-Driven? (Bob Yazz)
    Re: Tariff Rates For ISDN, T1, SMDS (William H. Sohl)
    Re: Operating System for Dialogic (Bob Natale)
    Re: Caller ID Display Boxes - Best Models/Mfgrs? (Dave Niebuhr)
    Re: New Area Code 905 Now Works From 519 NPA (Mark Brader)
    Re: ISDN in the USA (Al Varney)
    Re: Crossed Wires (Dave Carpentier)

                     ----------------------
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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love offerings to PO Box 1570, Chicago, IL 60690. :)  Phone: [phone].

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

From: [e-mail] (Marty Lyons)
Subject: Re: What's With Pac Bell Airport Terminals?
Date: 27 Sep 1993 00:41:13 GMT
Organization: CERFnet


[e-mail] (David Kiviat) writes:

> Pac Bell has had terminal telephones in airports for years now but
> when you try to use them as a terminal (they have a full keyboard)
> instead of as a TTY or an overly complex telephone they just reply
> "This option has not been implemented yet". It would be very usefull
> to have these terminals working so people could check their E-mail
> between flights.

I just tried to use one last week, and called AT&T (These were AT&T
phones, which is probably what you saw, not Pac Bell).  In any event,
AT&T said they are awaiting FCC approval to allow use of the built in
keyboard.  They are only approved currently to allow you to plug your
laptop/powerbook into the data jack they have just above the built in
keyboard.


        Marty Lyons * Sprocket Labs, Inc. * [e-mail]
1030 East El Camino Real, Suite 450, Sunnyvale, CA 94087, USA [phone]

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

From: [e-mail] (Jack Powers)
Subject: Re: What's With Pac Bell Airport Terminals?
Organization: Netsys Inc.
Date: Mon, 27 Sep 1993 02:52:30 GMT


[e-mail] (David Kiviat) writes:

> My question to Pac Bell people who may be reading this is 'How many
> more years is it going to take to get these phones fully implemented?"

You might have more luck asking AT&T this question, since the phones
belong to them.

The worked initially, and later were "negatively augmented" when some
lawyer figured out that the new features weren't permitted by current
tariffs.


Jack Powers

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

From: [e-mail] (Steven King, Software Archaeologist)
Subject: Re: What's With Pac Bell Airport Terminals?
Date: 26 Sep 1993 15:34:25 GMT
Organization: Motorola Inc., Cellular Infrastructure Group
Reply-To: [e-mail]


[e-mail] (David Kiviat) publicly declared:

> Pac Bell has had terminal telephones in airports for years now but
> when you try to use them as a terminal (they have a full keyboard)
> instead of as a TTY or an overly complex telephone they just reply
> "This option has not been implemented yet". It would be very usefull
> to have these terminals working so people could check their E-mail
> between flights.

I had the misfortune of waiting for a late plane at Chicago's Midway
airport last night. I tried to while away the hours (well, only half
an hour really, but half an hour at Midway feels like hours) by
playing with the AT&T Public Phone 2000. I meant to call my BBS and
check my mail, that sort of thing.

No dice. The computer-oriented selections give "This option has not
been implemented yet". Bummer. I checked the TDD function and that
seemed to be working. At least it didn't give me an error message. I
didn't actually try to make a call with it.

Looks like the phones are limited to TDD and don't support regular
modem traffic. Too bad. The software's obviously there, and a cheap
2400 bps modem wouldn't add anything to the cost of an individual
unit.

I seem to remember that AT&T had some sort of tariff problem with
these phones. Something about being both a service and information
provider.  I thought that might be the reason the modem was disabled.
On the other hand, about two weeks ago I was in a hotel with a fully
functional Public Phone 2000, modem and all. Anyone know the full
story?

My beef with these phones is that though they have a 2400 bps modem
they default to 1200 bps. Can't these things autobaud? I'd set it for
2400 and let it hunt downward if a slower modem answered. I don't
imagine many services having modems slower than 2400 these days. The
standard data format is 7E1, too. Not 8N1 as I would expect. At least
7E1 and 8N1 will play nicely together if they have to.

Nice idea, AT&T, but someone on your development staff needs to move
out of the 80s!


Steven King -- Motorola Cellular Infrastructure Group

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

From: [e-mail]
Date: 26 SEP 93 15:21
Subject: Re: GTE Beats Out Pacific Bell in ESS Feature


[e-mail] (Lauren Weinstein) writes:

> The issue revolves around standard "variable" call forwarding, the
> type where the customer can enable and disable call forwarding to
> whichever number they wish.  The GTD5 (and GTE policy) allows the
> customer to request that fewer call "links" or "passes" be allowed for
> forwarding than the default.

This is interesting, because earlier this year I recounted in this
forum my experiences getting GTE to permit *more* than the default of
one call at a time through an ordinary residential CFV.

To summarize, I kept getting responses such as "it isn't possible to
have more than one call at a time" and "it is possible, but not
tariffed -- try remote call forwarding."  Finally, in response to a
very badly worded description of the problem, an actual tech at the
GTD5 called me, and typed in the magic incantations to set my CCF
queue to two.  Ever since, it has worked fine.

I'm pleased to hear that the default is now two, and that GTE will
change this value on request.


Randall Gellens . . . . . . . . .|. . . . . . [e-mail]
A Series System Software . . . . | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Unisys Corporation. . . . . . . .|. . [Please forward bounce messages
Mission Viejo, CA. . . . . . . . | . . . . .to: [e-mail]]
Opinions are personal;. .facts are suspect; . I speak only for myself

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

From: [e-mail] (Billy Youdelman)
Subject: Re: PacBell and GTE
Date: 26 Sep 93 20:12:29 -0400
Organization: DECUServe


David Gast <[e-mail]> writes:

> 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.

Randall Gellens <[e-mail]> writes:

> Pac Bell doesn't allow false names for directory listings, either.
> When I tried to have my second line listed in a pseudonym I've used
> many times in the past, the insisted on seeing some proof that someone
> existed with this name.  They faxed me the tariffs.

I'm in the Culver City phone book as both Billy Youdelman (my real
name) and Billy Yodelman (a common mis-spelling of it).  I'm in the
Pac Bell part of CC.


Billy Y.


[Moderator's Note: Yes, but the difference is both names relate back
to a person who is commonly known by both. Try asking for a totally
false name of a person who does not exist in this context and see what
they have to say.  PAT]

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

From: mcraek@@jupiter.sun.csd.unb.ca (Keith G. McRae)
Subject: Re: How Much Power Will Telco Allow From Phone Line?
Organization: The New Brunswick Telephone Company
Date: Sun, 26 Sep 1993 21:39:15 GMT


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail]
(Neil Hamilton) writes:

> If one wanted to power a certain low power device from a standard phone
> line, how much power would the telco allow to be drawn?

In Canada at least, absolutely none.  To quote Paul Soles (archane
Canadiana, eh?) "This is the Law".  This has to do with the potential
interference that could be induced on adjacent cable pairs, affecting
other subscribers and all that.  We used to power stuff from the line
ouselves for a while there, but CSA (I think) made us stop.  Sorry! :-)


Keith G. McRae, NBTel CSE     Internet: [e-mail]
  Moncton, N.B., Canada            Envoy100(tm): KEITH.MCRAE
       My opinions are my own, everything else is mortgaged

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

Subject: How Much Power Will Telco Allow From Phone Line?
From: [e-mail] (gary)
Date: Sun, 26 Sep 93 19:06:39 CDT


[e-mail] (Neil Hamilton) writes:

> If one wanted to power a certain low power device from a standard phone
> line, how much power would the telco allow to be drawn?

Do you mean in the on-hook mode, or the off-hook mode?  This question
is usually asked in the context of 'how much current can be drawn in
the on-hook state?.  In the US, FCC Part 68 assigns Ringer Equivalence
Numbers using a formula that is partly based on on-hook dc resistance.
The short story is that you must have at least five megohms between
tip and ring to look like a REN of 5.0, which is a reasonable upper
limit on REN's.

In Canada, I believe that CS-03 uses load numbers rather than REN's,
but the concept is the same.  Under CS-03, I think you can go as low
as 2.0 megohms and still meet the upper load number.

Good luck.


Gary Tennyson  BellSouth Telecommunications, Inc.
Internet:      [e-mail]

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

From: Thomas B. Libert <[e-mail]>
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Organization: Computing Solutions Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan
Subject: Re: H & V Distance Computing Algorithm Wanted
Date: Sun, 26 Sep 93 14:43:23 EDT


The H & V numbers are computed from the Donald Elliptical projection,
a two-point equidistant projection designed by Jay K. Donald of AT&T
around 1956.  The projection allows you to use the simple cartesian
distance formula to compute a reasonably good approximation for the
true distance.  Just compute sqrt((h2 - h1)^2 + (v2 - v1)^2), and
multiply by a scale factor (ten miles?  something like that.)

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

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: H & V Distance Computing Algorithm Wanted
Date: Sun, 26 Sep 93 22:33:32 PDT


Jimmy Gauvin ([e-mail]) writes:

> Can somebody please tell me how to calculate the distance between two
> NPA-NXXs given their H & V coordinates?

The following is the answer in two forms:

1. as a text statement:

D = Square Root of (((V1 - V2)squared + (H1 - H2)squared)/10) where D
is in miles and V and H are values in the V and H Coordinate System.

For example the distance from San Diego ( 9462 7632)
   to San Franciso (8493 8717) is: 460.02,
   to Sacramento (8303 8581) is: 473.70,
   to Los Angles (9213 7878) is: 110.69.

2. as a C program:
/*
 * This program computes distance in miles between
 * two points given their V and H coordinates.
 *
 */

#include <stdio.h>
#include <math.h>

main()
{
    float D;
    int V1, V2, H1, H2;

while ( 1 == 1)
    {

    printf( "enter V and H for first point:\n" );
    scanf( "%i%i", &V1, &H1 );
    printf( "enter V and H for second point:\n" );
    scanf( "%i%i", &V2, &H2 );

    D = sqrt((pow ((V1-V2), 2) + pow ((H1-H2), 2) ) / 10 );

    printf( "Distance in miles =  %7.2f \n", D);
    printf (" \n");

    }
}

         ------------- tear here ----------------


Good luck,

Stuart Jeffery    415-966-8199

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

From: Bob Yazz <[e-mail]>
From: [e-mail] (Bob Yazz)
Subject: Re: AT&T Customer-Driven?
Date: Sun, 26 Sep 93 23:10:51 GMT


[e-mail] (Jim Gottlieb) writes:

> The other carriers, hungry for business, will deliver ANI any way the
> customer wants.  DTMF?  Sure.  MF?  No problem.

Could you say who delivers ANI via DTMF (touchtone tones)?  I
presently have a personal and programmable 800 number from Cable &
Wireless, but I would like also to get ANI and they don't offer it.
(The caller's numbers do appear on the bill at the end of the month
but I'm interested in immediacy of that info.)


Best wishes,

== Bob Yazz ==

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

From: [e-mail] (sohl,william h)
Subject: Re: Tariff Rates For ISDN, T1, SMDS
Organization: Bellcore, Livingston, NJ
Date: Sun, 26 Sep 93 16:35:19 GMT


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail]
(John L. MacFarlane) writes:

> Can anyone give me advise on where to find the tariff rates for local
> T1, ISDN and SMDS services? I realize these rates vary with location
> and I am also interested in this variance.

> [Moderator's Note: Have you asked your own telco what they charge for
> the services mentioned?    PAT]

We have an ISDN summary document available which provides an overview
of the ISDN tariffs for the regional Bell Operating Companies.  It is
available by contacting us at our ISDN Information Hotline [phone]-ISDN.
The document is available at no charge.

Sorry, but as to the other rates/tariffs for T1 and SMDS, you'll have
to check with the individual service provider in the different areas
you might want service.


Bill Sohl & Barbara Shaw of Bellcore's ISDN Hotline
Bill Sohl (K2UNK) BELLCORE (Bell Communications Research, Inc.)
Morristown, NJ             email via UUCP      bcr!cc!whs70
201-829-2879 Weekdays      email via Internet  [e-mail]

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

Date: Sun, 26 Sep 1993 15:03:40 -0400
From: [e-mail] (Bob Natale)
Subject: Re: Operating System for Dialogic


[e-mail] (J. Robert Burgoyne) wrote:


> I'd like to get some feedback from people who are actually developing
> similar applications.

> Our client has developed a system already using SCO, but they're somewhat
> disappointed with SCO; it seems to crash with regularity.

We have used Dialogic h/w and s/w with Interactive UNIX (now owned by
Sun) with excellent results.


Bob Natale               American Computer           301-258-9850 [tel]
Director                 209 Perry Pkwy              301-921-0434 [fax]
Network Mgmt Products    Gaithersburg MD 20877          [e-mail]

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

Date: Sun, 26 Sep 93 16:01:35 EDT
From: [e-mail] (Dave Niebuhr)
Subject: Re: Caller ID Display Boxes - Best Models/Mfgrs?


In TELECOM Digest V13 #661 [e-mail] (Steve Bookman) said:

> Caller ID is being introduced to large new areas of NYC and other
> places this fall.  It would be helpful to know other readers'
> experiences with the Caller ID LCD screen display boxes which are
> installed between the telco's line and the user's telephone extension.

> Which are most reasonable in price/reliable in operation?

I've had an AT&T Model 85 for about a year (I live on Long Island,
Area Code 516) and the cost was about $1 US per number capability (85
numbers).

The LCD is useless in bright light (it's in the kitchen) and I would
prefer a colored display of either red, green, blue or yellow that
stands out in those conditions.

There is a provision for having the owner of the phone displayed but
that isn't available yet.

On the same or at least a similar vein, people in AC 516 are going to
be given the Automatic Call Rejection (block-blocking) option soon.
The tariffs has been filed and according to NYTel, it will be
available on Oct. 22.

Those who have CallID (NYTel's term) will get it automatically while
those who don't can subscribe to it.  I think that is kind of dumb
since if one doesn't have Caller ID, then the called party doesn't
have a clue as to who is on the other end to begin with.

The monthly cost for ACR will be about $3 US for those who don't have
CID and the blurb in the newspaper didn't have anything about the
charge for CID and ACR even though other options were given.

I haven't decided whether or not to take ACR since I receive so
few "blocked" calls to begin with and I know who has line blocking,
that I don't feel that its worth it to begin with.


Dave Niebuhr      Internet: [e-mail] (preferred)
                            [e-mail] / Bitnet: niebuhr@bnl
Senior Technical Specialist, Scientific Computing Facility
Brookhaven National Laboratory Upton, NY 11973  (516)-282-3093

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

From: [e-mail] (Mark Brader)
Subject: Re: New Area Code 905 Now Works From 519 NPA
Organization: SoftQuad Inc., Toronto, Canada
Date: Sun, 26 Sep 93 22:51:24 GMT


> Phone numbers that will be in area code 905 after the upcoming split
> are now dialable as 1-905-NXX-XXXX from the 519 (Windsor) area.

Note that Bell Canada uses "1 means toll" dialing.  I assume that the
above refers to long-distance calls from 519 to the future 905.

Area code 416 now borders on area codes 519, 613, and 705 in Ontario,
and 716 in New York state.  After the split, 416 will border only on
905, while 905 will border on each of the above codes and 416.  Calls
between 416 and 905 will be dialed as 10 digits if local, 11 digits if
long distance.  (e.g. 416-239-4801 or 1-416-239-4801, depending on
where in 905 you're calling from.  As has, I think, already been
noted, at least some of this dialing already works too.)

Is there local calling between 416 and any of 519, 613, 705, or 716
now?  If so, how are these calls dialed (my guess: 7 digits), and will
this be changing?  The 416/716 border is particularly interesting if
there is local calling there, since it is not within Bell Canada.


Mark Brader, SoftQuad Inc., Toronto, utzoo!sq!msb, [e-mail]

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

Date: Sun, 26 Sep 93 13:32:41 CDT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: ISDN in the USA
Organization: AT&T


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail].
com (Fred R. Goldstein) writes:

> In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Ketil
> Albertsen,TIH) writes:

>> Disregarding the well known problems of 56 vs 64 kbps and mu-law vs
>> A-law for a moment, in another area the US decided to divert from the
>> original ISDN standards:

>> In the rest of the world ...
>> the service provider delivers an internationally standardized T
>> interface to an NT1 which serves to isolate the user from the network
>> (subscriber line) both with respect to protocols and technology. Eg.
>> the phone company may replace the copper cable with an optical fiber
>> without affecting the user equipment.

>> In the US, the phone companies are not allowed to sell the standard T
>> interface to the customers; they are required to provide a "U"
>> interface which can be considered to be the end of the cable running
>> to the switch office, with no termination electronics.

   As I understand it, they are not required to provide a "U"
interface; they ARE prohibited from owning the NT1.  I don't believe
there is anything stopping the "T" interface from being offered by the
USA TELCOs.  For high-density business service, costs could drive the
TELCO to put a CO or DLC or other "T" interface close enough to the
customer to avoid the "U" interface.

> Nothing like more USA-bashing!  Just what we need here.  Anyway,
> Ketil's description is a bit erroneous.  The whole NT business is tied
> up in international monopoly politics.  When ISDN began to be talked
> about in the late '70s, some people (including most Americans
> involved) viewed it as a way to rationally digitize the telephone
> network, which makes sense considering the economics.  Some Europeans,
> though, viewed it as a way to extend their monopoly in
> telecommuncations into the area of data communications and
> teleprocessing.

   As I've mentioned before, the switch vendors in many countries also
benefit from a non-standard NT1 interface.  If/when true competition
for the CO switch market reaches a country, the costs of building/
testing/certifying a non-standard ISDN interface would artificially
price foreign vendors out of the market.  Thus the "in-country" vendor
and PTT can continue to claim the market is open when it has been
locked up by "standards".  And of course, with sufficient numbers of
these non-standard NT1 deployed, one could never win a bid that had to
include the cost of NT1 replacement.


Al Varney - just my opinion, of course

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

From: [e-mail]
Date: Sun, 26 Sep 1993 06:14:21 -0400
Subject: Re: Crossed Wires


[e-mail] (Roy Smith) wrote:

> maybe ten seconds after I hung up, the phone rang again.  As I picked
> it up, I could hear dial pulses on the line.  I said hello, and the
> person at the other end seemed surprised to hear me.  To make a long

Assuming you're on a simple POTS line, the phone wasn't actually
"ringing", it was "tinkling" - reacting to the dial pulses of another
phone by gently ringing the bells. When dialing via my butt-set on a
POTS line, a sub- scriber _may_ answer the phone - thinking it was
ringing. The usual fix to this is to reverse the tip-ring connection.
But this is moot in your case.  The problem you seem to be having is
probably a line fault, like a wet cable/ broken insulation etc.  It
would be a good idea to report this to the local teleco, if you
haven't already, as you could end up with misdirected long distance
charges.


Dave Carpentier      Murillo (Thunder Bay), ON

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

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #666
******************************


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Date: Mon, 27 Sep 1993 01:57:00 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #667

TELECOM Digest     Mon, 27 Sep 93 01:57:00 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 667

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Homeless Fire Kills Fiber in CT (Barton Bruce)
    Modem Traveling FAQ (was Re: European Modem Standards) (Carl Oppedahl)
    Attempt to Make Call When Line is Disconnected (Carl Moore)
    No Answer Transfer Availability - Why Not and When? (John Landwehr)
    British Magazine During Survey of Cellphone Users (Darren Ingram)
    Help Needed With da Vinci Email (Jake Sherosky)
    Protecting Privacy or Surveillance? (Julia Lommatzsch)
    Strange Billing Practices (AT&T) (Steve Cogorno)
    Is Digest Traffic Slowing Down? ([e-mail])
    Information Wanted on Optic Fiber Installation (Kazutaka Murakami)
    In Search of Memorex / United Telecom Phones (Help!) (Rob Hansen)
    Telecom Help Needed - Chicago Kildare (Jim Puls)
    [USA] FCC Part 68 REN Type A and B (H. Peter Anvin)
    Pseudo-Foreign Prefixes: Any Near Detroit? (Carl Moore)
    Deltacom (Jack Dominey)
    Re: Deltacom (Patton Turner)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Homeless Fire Kills Fiber in CT
Organization: Digital Equipment Computer Users Society
Date: 27 Sep 93 00:36:08 -0400
Organization: Cambridge Computer Associates, Inc.


We lost a data line between our Camb MA office and our NY one early in
the day on Sunday.

This circuit was carried by Southern Pacific. The local carriers at
the ends could loop the CSUs and so the tail ckts were both ok. Word
had it that there were 'some DS3s out somewhere in CT' so no one was
going to look at anything else until they were fixed.

Later I got someone that was more helpful. SP only was down six or
seven DS3s, but there were something like 271 DS3s affected, and
whatever alternate routes might have been available from different
carriers were already consumed or otherwise unavailable.

The fibers may have actually belonged to Southern NE Bell, but carry
traffic for many of the major carriers.

Getting a candid/honest/clear answer seemed MOST difficult. Whenever
they don't want to say something, the pull the magic 'proprietary'
incantation.

That is utter hogwash, and it is totally reasonable to be told how
one's circuits are routed, and to be able to request totally diverse
routing for different circuits. Everyone KNOWS they all use each
other's circuits -- so what! Just NO BULLSHIT please.

Apparently some homeless folks lit a fire in a barrel under a bridge
and the cable was burned right to the fibers.

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

From: [e-mail] (Carl Oppedahl)
Subject: Modem Traveling FAQ (was Re: European Modem Standards)
Date: 26 Sep 1993 23:39:35 -0400
Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC


In <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Jonathan White) writes:

> Please excuse me if this is talked over a lot, I don't get a chance to
> read this group much anymore. A friend has asked me to send her a
> modem to Rome but I'm not sure what standards are neccessary and what
> they are and what manufactuers support them. Is v.22 1200 baud and
> v.22bis 1200 baud 2400bps etc.? I'd appreciate replies by e-mail. If
> there is interest I can sumerize and post.

Here is an FAQ on the subject.

I request that readers send me proposed additions and changes to this
FAQ.

Dialing -  If you use rotary dial, be aware that many countries use
make/break ratios differing from those used in the US.  If you have
trouble reliably rotary-dialing, study your modem manaul and try
setting the make/break ratio to the other ratio.

Some countries do rotary dialing differently than in the US.  Sweden,
for example, relates one click with "0", two clicks with "1", and so
on up to ten clicks meaning "9" on the dial.  This differs from most
countries where one click means "1" and so on.  New Zealand, I have
been told, uses a reversed correspondence, so that ten clicks means
"1", nine clicks means "2", and so on up to one click meaning "0".  In
such countries you would need to translate the phone number to be
dialed, before giving the dialing string to the modem.

  US:      1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
  NZ:      0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
  Sweden:  0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

If you use tone dialing you should have no trouble dialing.  The
dual-tone-multifrequency (DTMF) tones used are standard worldwide.

Dial tone detection - Some modems (most of them, nowadays) actively
listen for dial tone, and will not commence dialing until they hear a
dial tone.  If they are picky and listen only for a precision US dial
tone (a mix of two defined sine waves) they might not work well in
some other country where the dial tone is different.  So you might
have to program the modem to "blind dial", namely, to dial without
having actually recognized a dial tone.  My Practical Peripherals
14400FX PKT (which is a good choice for traveling) can be programmed
to blind dial by putting X0 in the dialing string.  You would have to
study your manual to see how your modem can be told to do this.

Call progress detection - Some modems will attempt to detect and
report such things as busy signals and ringing sounds.  They may not
be able to recognize the sounds emitted by non-US exchanges.  You may
have to disable these features in the modem, or in your communications
software.

Distinctive ringing - Some equipment (e.g. fax switcher boxes) will
watch for patterns of sound and silence in an incoming ring.  The
patterns are different from country to country and the equipment could
get confused.  You might have to turn off this feature if you are
receiving calls.

The plugs and jacks - To complete your hookup you will typically need
an adaptor.  One way to do this is to find an adaptor that will
receive the US-style modular plug and that will in turn plug into the
wall.  Another way is to buy a replacement cord that has the domestic
plug at one end (to plug into the wall) and a modular plug on the
other end (to plug into your CPE (customer provided equipment).
Sometimes I will get luck when traveling and the place I am visiting
will already have US-style modular plugs in place.  Some hotels do
this, for example, outside of the US.

Ground start - Some exchanges use "ground start", in which CPE
requests a dial tone by grounding one of the wires of the telephone
line.  US CPE is loop start, which requests a dial tone by connecting
the two wires of the line to each other (through a 600 ohm impedence).
To use US-style equipment you need to order a loop start line from
your telco.

The data signaling protocols - Most modems nowadays are 2400 bps or
faster, following the V.22bis, V.32 and V.32bis protocol standards.
If the number you are calling is also V.22bis, V.32 or V.32bis, you
should have no trouble.

But if the modem you are calling is slower than 2400 bps, you need to
check further.  The standards for 300 and 1200 bps data communications
are different in the US and elsewhere.  Study the documentation for
your modem to be sure it can be programmed to follow the protocol for
the modem you are calling, if it is slower than 2400 bps.

Modems in Germany - I have been told that to be PTT-approved in
Germany, a modem must be programmed so that it will never retry a busy
number more than a preset number of times.

Fax sending - If you have a Group III fax machine and are sending to
Group III fax machines, then you will have no fax compatibility
problems anywhere in the world.

The law - Finally, you must keep in mind that some countries are
rather strict about what you can and cannot plug into their telephone
jacks.  It is possible to imagine any of several motives for this,
from the concern that defective CPE might electrocute a telephone
worker to the concern that CPE obtained from a source other than the
PTT would reduce the PTT's revenues on overpriced CPE.

If the CPE you propose to use has a US FCC Part 68 registration
number, it is unlikely it would pose any safety risk anywhere in the
world.  Most PTT's, in certifying equipment for use in their systems,
use the same standards the FCC does under Part 68.

Nonetheless, you would be wise to find out what is legal and what is
not in your country before connecting CPE to your lines.

However, even though it may not pose a safety risk, the equipment may
not *work* if it expects U.S. signalling levels.  However, modem
manufacturers don't like to change their product for export, and most
modems are designed to work even at the lower signalling levels
present in some other countries.

Thanks to:

H. Peter Anvin N9ITP ([e-mail])


Carl Oppedahl AA2KW  (patent lawyer)
1992 Commerce Street #309
Yorktown Heights, NY  10598-4412
voice 212-777-1330

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

Date: Sun, 27 Sep 93 14:33:11 EDT
From: Carl Moore <[e-mail]>
Subject: Attempt to Make Call When Line is Disconnected


I have just moved from Delaware to Maryland.  I have switched my
Delaware telephone number to remote call forwarding (to the same
answering service number that it was forwarding to earlier).  Because
of this switch, that number no longer connects to the place I was
living at in Delaware.  I plugged my phones (an AT&T touchtone desk
model and a dial-pulse model in the shape of a Corvette automobile)
in, and although there was no dial tone (just a soft but audible
background hum), pushing the buttons did get a response (touchtone or
dial pulse as the case may be).  But when I plugged the dial-pulse
phone into a jack in the new place (Maryland), I heard nothing at all;
is this common for a disconnected line?

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

From: [e-mail] (John Landwehr)
Date: Sun, 26 Sep 93 13:23:20 -0500
Subject: No Answer Transfer Availability: Why Not and When?


On many cellular phones, you can order no answer/busy -transfer
service.  Then, I remember seeing a posting for some regional bell's
voicemail system that required you to purchase it for voicemail to
work on your home line.

Ameritech in Chicago doesn't seem to have this service.

Anyone know why, or when it might happen?


John Landwehr


[Moderator's Note: Ameritech *does* have it unless they discontinued
it just recently. I had it for quite awhile on my cell phone.  PAT]

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

Date: Mon, 27 Sep 93 06:00 GMT
From: Darren Ingram <[e-mail]>
Subject: British Magazine Doing Survey of Cellphone Users
Reply-To: [e-mail]


URGENT APPEAL!

What Mobile & Cellphone, the monthly guide to personal mobile
communications (available from all good newsagents in the UK), is
planning a feature on typical usage patterns of cellular
communications.

We are looking for users to kindly send us details of their
cellphone/One2One/Rabbit bills to compare different scenarios of what
tariff may suit other people.  A lot of the data will be averaged out,
but we would like to feature specific people. Permission would be
sought to use *any* personal information, and we would *not* be
printing details of phone calls you made!  The personal details we
would propose to extract/use would be forwarded to you for clearance
beforehand.

As a matter of urgency we require a copy of a recent typical bill,
details of your airtime provider/tariff and perhaps some details of
call usage. If you have itemised billing and do not mind us looking at
your bill that is even better.  If you are concerned about 'numbers'
getting out, perhaps copy the bill and erase (with tippex/felt pen)
the numbers AFTER the area code.  Your thoughts on the service you
receive from the cellular company and air time provider may also be
useful.. if not for this article but for something in the future.

For example, if you called 0101 212 215 8030 block out the bill so
that we could see 0101 212 --- ---- followed by the duration/cost.  A
brief note about your usage/self would also be appreciated.

Material can be sent by post to me, by fax, or by e-mail if you can
OCR it or fancy typing it all in!  Please remember that unless you are
contacted, *no* personal details (even your name) will be printed or
passed on.

What Mobile & Cellphone is published by Blah Publishing in
London.

Address all correspondence to:
Darren Ingram, News Editor - What Mobile & Cellphone, c/o M2
Communications Limited, Reptile House, 2nd Floor, 20 Heathfield
Road, Coventry CV5 8BT.  Fax [phone] E-mail:
[e-mail]

Also, any interesting gossip you hear on the mobile scene is always
listened to ... we have very discreet ears!

Your co-operation in this matter is appreciated.


Darren Ingram

* M2 Communications publishes Satnews and Data Broadcasting News (two
fortnightly subscription satellite communications and broadcasting
titles) as well as providing editorial services to a number of
publications including Cabling World, Mobile & Cellular, Personal
Computer World. Personal Computer Magazine, Mobile Europe, Mobile Asia
Pacific, TELE-satellit and Kable Public Service Infomatics.

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

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Help Needed With Da Vinci Email
Organization: Penn State University
Date: Sun, 26 Sep 1993 16:15:45 EDT


I would appreciate any information on Da Vinci Email. I am working on
a project for a data communications class and need any and all info. I
can get ... thanks for your help.

Help on any of the following would be great:

What I am doing is a project using netnews, to find out about a topics
significance to data communications. Basically, we have three general
areas:

1) A clear and pricise overview of Da Vinci Email-what it is; the
history of it so the literature you mentioned would help in this area;

2) A statement of the importance of Da Vinci with respect to data
communications-the litature may help, or any insights you may have for
example id Da Vinci was the first Email in the country, that would be
very significant;

3) Advantages and Disadvantages of Da Vinci Email-ie.how it is better
than other Email packages(??).


Thanks for any help anyone can give; I appreciate it.


Jake Sherosky

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

From: [e-mail] (Julia Lommatzsch)
Subject: Surveillance or Protection of Privacy?
Organization: Bowling Green State University B.G., Oh.
Date: Sun, 26 Sep 1993 16:44:10 GMT


Caller ID certainly has heightened awareness of privacy issues. I've
been reading THE ONE TO ONE FUTURE, and the authors have some really
eye-opening points: "Make Money Protecting Privacy, Not Threatening
It".  The book describes an example of this concept.

Harry H. Hart III runs a company, FreeFone.  An extensive
questionnaire is completed by participants, and then the information
is SOLD to companies who want to advertise.  These companies receive
all kinds of demographic and psychographic profiles, but no NAMES!

Here's how it all comes together.  When participants make PHONE calls,
they can opt to hear a :05 message; if they listen, FreeFone CREDITS
their phone bills by a nickel for each message.  Now, if I listen to
Hallmark's ad, and I CHOOSE to respond, ONLY then does the company
learn my identity.

Protecting privacy or surveillance?  You tell me.

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

From: [e-mail] (Steve Cogorno)
Subject: Strange Billing Practices (AT&T)
Date: Sun, 26 Sep 93 21:30:26 PDT


I recently disconnected my phone line (because I am moving out of the
area), and yesterday I received a strange bill from AT&T.  Apparently,
there were about 12 calling card calls that did not make it onto my
local phone company bills, and when the number was disconnected, they
audited their tapes and found un-billed calls.

I don't mind them sending me a bill for calling card calls (that I
probably made), but these calls were made in October of LAST YEAR!  I
can't belive that AT&T waited almost 12 FULL BILLING CYCLES before
they caught this.  The agent said that it can take UP TO 18 MONTHS for
calling card calls to process.  Has anyone else had this kind of
experience?


Steve    [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail]
Date: Sun, 26 Sep 93 13:05:25 EDT
Subject: Is Digest Traffic Slowing Down?


Greetings, Pat!

I've noticed a distinct drop-off in activity in the newsgroup into
which the Digest is gatewayed.  Has something happened?

There are many of us out here who depend upon c.d.t. -- not getting it
each and every day is like not having breakfast.

We miss you ...


[Moderator's Note: Well gosh, thanks! If anything, the inbound mail
has increased, but with more and more of it being from people asking
for individual files from the archives. That was becoming a drain on
time, answering those questions and pulling missing copies of the
Digest for people.  I spent much time over the past two weeks putting
together the email server which is now operating there:

                  [e-mail]

and getting it nearly bug free. In addition, the Archives main
directory had become very unweildy with 200+ entries to scan looking
for single files. I kept putting off the work 'until there was time',
and that never happened.

So two weekends ago I bit the bullet and said I will stick with
archives stuff until it is totally operating and the files reorganized.
The end result is going to be a new help file and index which I send
out soon -- maybe tomorrow. My sincere thanks go to all the people who
helped test it by pulling files. I am indeed sorry for some of the
bizarre results you got at times when pulling files (the server would
reply 'sending file' then cat: would claim there was no such file,
etc. What you are going to find when visiting the Archives now is that
all files have been sorted into appropriate sub-directories based on
their content. The main directory now just references the various
divisions or sub-directories, some of which include 'back.issues',
'carriers', 'history', 'glossaries', 'technical', 'reports'
'areacodes' 'miscellaneous' and 'country.codes'.

You can now search the back issues for author names and subject titles
using email, and you can pull individual issues missing from your
collection instead of having to take forty or fifty unwanted copies as
well. It took a lot of time away from editorial work on the Digest but
it is almost finished; now the Digest can get back up to speed. If you
have FTP permission, check it out now. The new and final version of
the email server documentation will be out ASAP in a day or so and
available here.  Archives space and network mail resources are donated
by MIT who get my sincere thanks for their efforts. Clive Feather
([e-mail]) wrote most of the script and is already busy working
on a revision.  Thanks for your patience.  PAT]

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

From: [e-mail] (Kazutaka Murakami)
Subject: Information Wanted on Optic Fiber Installation
Reply-To: [e-mail] (Kazutaka Murakami)
Organization: Electrical and Computer Engineering, Carnegie Mellon
Date: Sun, 26 Sep 1993 15:59:43 GMT


Does anyone have the information on the current installation of optic
fiber system in the US? Or anyone know any article on this?  Also I'd
like to have information on the future deployment plan.


Thanks in advance,

Kazu

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

From: [e-mail] (Rob Hansen)
Subject: In Search of Memorex / United Telecom Phones (help!)
Date: Sun, 26 Sep 93 12:37:12 PDT


We are a software company that has a need to replace some of our
broken phones and upgrade some users.

We're trying to locate 10 to 15 "Memorex/Telex" or "United Telecom"
phones, model numbers 2037L or 3037L, for use on our Lexar switch.
These are the 37-key display phones.

The phones should use pulse coded modulation (PCM), not adapted delta
modulation (ADM).

Any pointers would be very much appreciated!


Rob   [e-mail]
Support Hotline:    Rob  Hansen   Support Faxline:
800/322-5590                    310/322-3431
Inference Corporation  [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (Jim Puls)
Subject: Telecom Help Needed - Chicago Kildare
Date: Sun, 26 Sep 1993 16:40:14 CDT


A client of mine is looking for some telecom expertise, possibly for
hire.  The client is located in the Chicago-Kildare CO area, and has
a problem with unreliable lines, both leased and dial up.

While I'm not a telecom expert, I'd guess it would involve
localization of the problem, on or off premesis, and possible
interaction with IBT, the local carrier to get things resolved.

Please note that this is a relatively small job.  If you are
interested, please reply by email or voice to [phone].  By the
way, I'm not affiliated with MCS.COM, except as a customer of theirs.


Thanks,

Jim    email to [e-mail]

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

From: hpa (H. Peter Anvin N9ITP)
Subject: [USA] FCC part 68 REN type A and B
Reply-To: [e-mail] (H. Peter Anvin)
Organization: Hierarchial directory structure
Date: Mon, 27 Sep 1993 04:17:08 GMT


It has been published that the sum of the Ringer Equivalence Numbers
(REN) of telephone equipment on a line should not exceed a fixed
number, usually 5.0.  However, what about the letters A and B that
occur appended?  My understanding is that they signify different
current-consumption characteristics of the device, and since they are
always set out, they must have some meaning.

Hence: how does the A's and B's come in when you are checking for
ringer overload on your line?


INTERNET: [e-mail]         FINGER/TALK: [e-mail]
IBM MAIL: I036073 at IBMMAIL  NeXTMAIL:    [e-mail]

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

Date: Sun, 26 Sep 93 16:57:51 EDT
From: Carl Moore <[e-mail]>
Subject: Pseudo-Foreign Prefixes: Any Near Detroit?


Are there any pseudo-foreign exchanges in the Detroit (Michigan) area?
I am asking this because of the upcoming 313/810 split there.  In the
case of an area code split, such prefixes could be affected differently
 from other prefixes serving the same geographic area.  For example,
in Maryland, Annapolis went into 410 EXCEPT that 261 and 858, since
they are there for Washington metro service, stayed in 301.  Another
example: Laurel (Md.) stayed in 301 EXCEPT that 792 and 880, since
they are there for Baltimore metro service, went into 410.

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

From: [e-mail] (jdominey)
Date: 26 Sep 93 19:47:11 GMT
Subject: Deltacom


A few issues back, Patton Turner ([e-mail]) wrote:

> One small carrier in Alabama, Deltacom, was at one time a 100%
> facilities based carrier.  They found a city, Arab, in the Birmingham
> LATA that was socially and politically linked to the Huntsville LATA.
> They set themselves up as a Dial 2 carrier with the independent telco.

My understanding, based on my days as a hapless sales droid covering
large portions of Alabama, was that Deltacom was basically started by
the local telco (Brindlee Mountain Telephone Company?).  I heard that
at one point they were reselling AT&T service -- at least we had a POP
there tariffed for T45 -- but I'm sure things have changed since then.

While their biggest sales leverage came from being the hometown
company, they did offer features customers liked at a very low price.
I hope for the sake of my successors that the price differential has
narrowed, and for the sake of AT&T and the customers that my
successors are better sales people!

(No official AT&T statements above.)


Jack Dominey    AT&T Network Planning   [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail]
Date: Sun, 26 Sep 93 22:52 EDT
Subject: Re: Deltacom


Jack Dominey writes:

> My understanding, based on my days as a hapless sales droid covering
> large portions of Alabama, was that Deltacom was basically started by
> the local telco (Brindlee Mountain Telephone Company?).

Yes.

> I heard that at one point they were reselling AT&T service -- at
> least we had a POP there tariffed for T45 -- but I'm sure things have
> changed since then.

I wasn't sure how they were started. The initial company was called
Southern Interexchange.  I'm not sure when the Delta Communuications
name started.  They grew a lot around 1988/89 when they installed
fiber from Birmingham to Huntsville through Arab.  They crossed the
river on the US231 bridge, this may have been a first for the Alabama
Highway Department.

Deltacom is still in the long distance and interconnect bussiness. I
think {Telephony} did a story on them in 1992.


Patton Turner  KB4GRZ  FAA Telecommunications  [e-mail]

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

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #667
******************************


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Date: Wed, 29 Sep 1993 19:13:00 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #668

TELECOM Digest     Wed, 29 Sep 93 19:13:00 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 668

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Seeking Cellular Phone Programming Information (Allan Bond)
    Pactel-BellSouth Combined Offering (Les Reeves)
    Shared Tenant Services (John Hammond)
    International Telex Directory (Van Schallenberg)
    AT&T Presents Office Cellular System ([e-mail])
    What Would You Ask the FCC? (Charlie Hofacker)
    Managing Remote Telecom Projects? (Laird P. Broadfield)
    Did PUC Change Machine-Call Rules in California? (Chris Ambler)
    CAM-NET -- Who Are They? (Steve Pozgaj)
    Telemanagement Software (Larry Herman)
    Introduction to Informatics Magazine (Tom Worthington)
    The Well-Rested Repairman (was Re: Telecom Help Needed) (Andrew C. Green)
    ISDN Approved in Tennessee (Les Reeves)
    The Perfect Phone (Reid Goldsborough)
    How Does One Contact Ameritech Email (John Eichler)
    Newsgroup Wanted on Health Level 7 (Seth B. Rothenberg)
    Multi-line Telephony Devices (Bob Rankin)
    Changes in Cellular Billing From PacTel in San Diego (Laird P. Broadfield)
    Working Mother Mag Drops Sprint (Phillip Dampier)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Allan Bond)
Subject: Seeking Ce;lular Phone Programming Information
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Date: Tue, 28 Sep 1993 19:06:15 GMT


I heard a rumor that cellular phone programming information is
available from an FTP site or other such resource around the internet.

Can anyone tell me where I might find this valuable data?  I'd like to
change some default settings (e.g. password, etc.) on my cellular phone.


Many thanks,

Allan Bond    708-538-4884  [e-mail]
Senior Software Engineer    Internet: [e-mail]
LMPS, Schaumburg            MotoMail: Q10643

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

Date: Tue, 28 Sep 1993 18:16:30 EDT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Pactel-BellSouth Combined Offering


BellSouth and PacTel Cellular have planned a trial of personal number
calling. The technology employs a data base that allows the phone
system to locate a user via their personal number and forward calls to
their current location. The system includes a screening option that
allows only callers with a special numeric code to get through.
Trials will begin with PacTel Cellular customers in the Atlanta area
in December.

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

From: [e-mail]
Organization: Chrysalis / 52 Lines / Dallas, Texas / [phone]
Date: Tue, 28 Sep 93 18:25:06
Subject: Shared Tenant Services


I am working on a project using PBX's in a Shared Tenant Service
mode.  Can anyone help me figure out how to allow a hold line for each
tenant on a large PBX such as the AT&T 85 or would someone like to
work directly on the problem?

My land line is [phone].
My address is 3116 Mahanna ST. #3  Dallas TX 75235-8775


Thanks,

John Hammond

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

From: [e-mail] (u951007)
Subject: International Telex Directory
Organization: Oklahoma State University Computer Center, Stillwater OK
Date: Tue, 28 Sep 1993 23:48:38 GMT


Does anyone know of an international telex directory data base, such as
Jaeger and Waldmann, that can be accessed via Internet?


Thanks,

Van Schallenberg
[e-mail]   [e-mail]

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

Subject: AT&T Presents Office Cellular System
From: [e-mail] (Herd Beast)
Date: Wed, 29 Sep 93 07:54:45 EDT
Organization: [MindVox] / Phantom Access Technologies / (+1 800-MindVox)


A new cable-free phone switchboard was intoduced in San Diego, CA, by
AT&T.

The system is called Trans-Talk 9000 and is the first in a line of
systems to bering to vision of what AT&T calls the "cellular office".

Six cellular phones connect to this system.  The users of these phones
can stay connected from as far away as 150 meters, without need wires.

AT&T claims that many workers spend more than half their time at work
away from their desk, especially at hospitals, stores, factories, etc.

In the future, AT&T says, the systems will allow monitored "skipping"
of one switchboard to another, creating an internal cellular service
for the employees, who will be able to stay connected even while
moving from one department to another.

The system uses a mechanism for choosing a different frequency out of
150 and changing that frequency often for protection from call
monitoring.

The Trans-Talk 9000, which should be available early in '94 will be
about $795, and will fit into AT&Ts cellular activity, as expressed by
the 12.6 billion dollar merger with McCaw Communications.


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

From: Charlie Hofacker <[e-mail]>
Subject: What Would You Ask the FCC?
Date: Wed, 29 Sep 1993 12:00:17 EDT


Several weeks from now I am going to have lunch with Andrew C. Barret
who is an FCC commissioner.  I will certainly not be able to
monopolize the conversation but I anticipate being able to ask him a
few questions.

What would *you* ask?  I know there are thoughtful and knowledgeable
readers out there who are concerned with US telecom policy - please
email or post your suggestions.  I would also post or email a note on
how lunch went if anybody was interested.


Charlie Hofacker   [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (Laird P. Broadfield)
Subject: Managing Remote Telecom Projects?
Date: 29 Sep 93 10:07:16 GMT


I'm prompted by the recent spate of "need a few hours of time from
someone telecom-literate in Xyyyzzzzz, QQ" messages to ask: how may of
you find yourselves managing occasional projects in distant states,
and how do you manage things like finding out what service is
available, getting rate info, ordering service, and so forth?

Friday I had to spend more than an hour struggling my way through
umpty-ump different people at GTE Tampa (three thousand miles away;
I'm glad they had a toll free number) just to find out whether they
*offered* unmeasured business service (the answer _appears_ to be yes,
information confirming or denying would be appreciated.)  (I never did
find out whether the lines our client had ordered were measured or
unmeasured, because the rep finally figured out that despite my having
the order numbers, I wasn't actually the customer.)  (The customer is
in Baton Rouge, even if they *did* know what dialtone was, they
wouldn't be much help.)

This is likely to become more of an issue for us as our business
expands from installing our equipment in large healthcare facilities
(where a few additional lines is an internal no-big-deal) to small,
remote facilities (where four more lines is twice what they've ever
had.)  Anybody out there in a similar situation have any suggestions
or war stories, or should we just article the Digest once a week,
saying "need somebody in Timbuktu, MD this week..."?  :-)


Laird P. Broadfield   [e-mail]  ...{ucsd, nosc}!crash!lairdb

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

From: [e-mail] (Chris Ambler -- Fubar)
Subject: Did PUC Change Machine-Call Rules in California?
Organization: The Phishtank
Date: Wed, 29 Sep 1993 06:39:44 GMT


I got a call this evening on my residential line from a machine doing
the typical pitch and record. When it started recording, I said
(paraphrased):

  Wonderful, the old illegal machine making cold calls. Thanks so much
  for stating your company name in the pitch; I will be sending in a
  complaint first thing tomorrow morning. Have a nice evening.

The owner actually CALLED BACK 2 HOURS LATER in person! He claimed
that on 19 April 1993 the PUC (California) removed this law, making
machine cold calls legal.

Is this the case? Does anyone know if this is true, and if so, WHY it
was done? If it's not true, any rule number I can quote back in his
face would be lovely ...


[e-mail] | Christopher J. Ambler
[e-mail]  | Author, FSUUCP 1.4
FSVMP Voice BBS Demo System - 805-544-3754

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

From: [e-mail] (Steve Pozgaj)
Subject: CAM-NET - Who Are They?
Organization: Digital Media Networks, Toronto, Canada
Date: Wed, 29 Sep 1993 03:58:27 -0400


A guy came to the house the other night with a "Home Phone Club"
offer.  The claim is 10-35% savings on long distance via a seven-digit
access code to their network.  Seems the only catch is a signed appli-
cation and a $2/month minimum fee.  They also give 30 minutes free in
the sign-up month.  Sounds too good to be true ... which prompts me to
ask:

Anybody ever heard of these guys?  Anybody use the service?  Is it
really what it claims to be?

I hate to be so skeptical, but, these days, it pays to "ask the net".


Steve Pozgaj

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

Date: Wed, 29 Sep 93  10:11:09 EDT
From: Larry Herman <[e-mail]>
Subject: Telemanagement Software
Organization: Georgetown University Telecommunications


I am interested in what Telemanagement software packages different
colleges and universities might be using and how those who use them
feel about their system.  I am interested in systems that support
Cable and Wire Records, Trouble Reporting/Help Desk, Service Order,
Billing, Call Accounting, and Inventory.

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

From: [e-mail] (Tom Worthington)
Subject: Introduction to Informatics Magazine
Organization: Australian Defence Force Academy, Canberra, Australia
Date: Wed, 29 Sep 1993 01:46:36 GMT


Keith Power, Editor of {Informatics Magazine}, has asked me for leads
about teleworking. He is interested in preparing an article about how
using computers and communications has changed work habits, particularly
for those working from home.

Informatics is a magazine for IT professionals, so Keith is particularly
interested to hear from professionals on how they use teleworking in
their own work.

Contact: Keith Power, Editor, Informatics, ph: [phone]
fax: [phone]


Tom Worthington, Director of the Community Affairs Board
Australian Computer Society Inc., Fax: [phone]
Internet: [e-mail]         28 September 1993

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

Date: Tue, 28 Sep 1993 17:53:18 CDT
From: Andrew C. Green <[e-mail]>
Subject: The Well-Rested Repairman (was Re: Telecom Help Needed)


[e-mail] (Jim Puls) writes:

> While I'm not a telecom expert, I'd guess it would involve
> localization of the problem, on or off premesis, and possible
> interaction with IBT, the local carrier to get things resolved.

Heh, heh. Just last week my parents in Wilmette, north of Chicago,
discovered that incoming calls to their house generated a single
"ding" on the phone, followed by a dropped call. It seemed that the
ring voltage was enough to short a wet pair somewhere, since they
could actually answer the phone if they were _real_ quick, otherwise
the system would break the connection and return a rapid busy to the
caller. Purely my amateur diagnosis, you understand.

Anyway, they called IBT for repairs, and the next morning at the crack
of dawn a repairman came roaring up the alley in his big truck.  The
gentleman rang the doorbell, told them he'd have to temporarily
disconnect the phone, then spent the morning driving up and down the
alley, climbing various poles, frowning at the wires, etc.

At about noon, Mom noticed that things seemed awfully quiet down
there. The phone was still dead, so Dad went down to the alley to see
how repairs were proceeding. He came back almost immediately.

MOM: How's it going down there?

DAD: He's asleep in the truck.

Yup. It was lunchtime, after all, so I guess if he wants to have a
snooze instead of a sandwich, he's entitled. At least he wasn't
blocking anyone's garage. I understand that he awoke within the hour
and, properly refreshed, had the job done shortly thereafter.  I will
banish any thoughts about someone trying to reach 911 while he was
snoring away out back. ;-) (I believe he'd only disconnected one
house.) The moral, I suppose, is that there are still jobs out there
where you can be your own boss. Or maybe it's that Rome wasn't built
in a day. Or you can't hurry perfection. Or...?


Andrew C. Green
Datalogics, Inc.      Internet: [e-mail]
441 W. Huron          UUCP: ..!uunet!dlogics!acg
Chicago, IL  60610    FAX: [phone]


[Well Rested Moderator's Note: Interesting you mention it. As a matter
of fact. I've fallen asleep working on this Digest a couple times and
woke up a few hours later to find myself still logged in, still in my
editor right where I left off. As absent-minded as I can be sometimes,
I decided to set myself up with an idle timer; now if I don't send or
receive any data for several minutes it idles out and disconnects. I
am glad the guy fell asleep in his truck rather than at the top of a
pole somewhere though. :)   PAT]

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

Date: Tue, 28 Sep 1993 18:12:46 EDT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: ISDN Approved in Tennessee


A BellSouth tariff offering digital service to to residential
customers using ISDN standards was approved in Tennessee.

According to the tariff, which becomes effective October 21,
Tennesseeans will be able to get two digital lines at 64,000
bits/second and a 16,000 bit/second signaling line, in place of a
single analog line, for $13.85 per month on top of their regular
residential rates, which average about $8-12 in different parts of the
state. For another $3, they can add Caller ID features.

For small business customers, the per-line rate is $99.50, which
includes Caller ID and a technology called "hunting," previously
offered mainly to big customers with calling centers. Business line
rates in the state average $27-$39. As with the residential rates, the
rates are exclusive of long distance charges.

BellSouth's South Central Bell operating unit conducted a trial of the
technology starting last January with over 125 customers, who
installed the service without charge. During that trial the company
defined procedures, worked with equipment and software vendors to
develop applications, and established a system integration program.

BellSouth expects small businesses to use ISDN for image processing,
videoconferencing, connecting LANs and for accessing databases. It
expects residences to use the service for working from home, for
security, for accessing information services and for energy
management. The company has been offering ISDN services through its
switches, an offering called ESSX, since 1991. Last February it became
the first regional Bell to offer what's called primary rate ISDN,
offering 23 64,000 bit/second digital lines and a 64,000 bit/second
signaling line, under the name MegaLink.

BellSouth said tariffs for individual ISDN service in the other eight
states where it does business should be filed by the end of this year.

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

From: [e-mail] ( Reid Goldsborough)
Subject: The Perfect Phone
Date: 29 Sep 93 14:37:41 GMT
Organization: Philadelphia Area Computer Society


I'm in search of the perfect two-line speakerphone. I've tested out a
Panasonic (serious crosstalk problem), AT&T (didn't have autoredial
and other features), GE (uses unconventional handset wiring and can't
be used with Plantronics headset), and BellSouth (chintsy).

I'd like to get my hands on a Northwestern Bell or Southwestern Bell
two-line speakerphone. Northwestern Bell says try places like
Hechenger's and Circuit City, but they don't carry it. I've also tried
Best, Staples, Office Max, 47th Street Photo, and Quill.

Anybody know where I might find a Northwestern Bell or Southwestern
Bell two-line speakerphone? Mail-order would be best. Thanks. Please
send email if you would. Thanks again!


Reid Goldsborough   [e-mail]

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

Date: Tue, 28 Sep 1993 09:38:00 -0500
From: [e-mail] (John Eichler)
Subject: How Does One Contact Ameritech Email?
Reply-To: [e-mail] (John Eichler)
Organization: The GrapeVine BBS *** N. Little Rock, AR *** [phone]


I have an inlaw in Saginaw Michigan who works for Ameritech.  She has
access to Ameritech email throughout Michigan which she uses on a
day-to-day basis.  I asked her for her email address so I could send
her messages and she could only give me her WAN ID.

My question is twofold: First, does Ameritech in Michigan have a
gateway to the Internet (I assume they do but don't know for sure).
And second, what would the address of this gateway be so I could
address her as ID@gateway?

I would appreciate this information from anyone who knows the answers.
Also if anyone knows how she should enter my email address so she can
send me mail I would also appreciate knowing how.


Thanks in advance,

Email: [e-mail]
The GrapeVine / Ferret Face BBS  [phone]
PGP Distribution Site, UseNet, RIME, ThrobNet, MediaNet, U'niNet, ForthNet
RecoveryNet, MetroLink.  Putting Communications back in Telecommunication

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

From: [e-mail] (Seth B Rothenberg)
Subject: Newsgroup Wanted on Health Level 7
Date: 28 Sep 93 15:50:17 GMT
Organization: University of Pittsburgh


Can someone point me to a newsgroup on EDI - or specifically on Health
Level 7?

Thanks.

Seth

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

Date: Wed, 29 Sep 93 10:03:28 EDT
From: Bob Rankin <[e-mail]>
Subject: Multi-Line Telephony Devices


Can anyone recommend a multi-line system for IBM-compatible (ISA-bus)
PCs that has the ability to shell out to a user written program?  Or a
hardware platform with a toolkit that will allow me to develop a
multi-line interactive application? (Two to eight lines will suffice.)

I have used the BigMouth card and the menu-based software that comes
with it to answer a call with a greeting, then shell out to my program
that requests touchtone inputs.  This is a single-line card, and I
would like to expand my system so multiple users can call in and use
the application at the same time.  Any suggestions?


Regards,

Bob Rankin


[Moderator's Note: BigMouth does have a multi-line card. Have you
considered using it?   PAT]

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

From: [e-mail] (Laird P. Broadfield)
Subject: Changes in Cellular Billing From PacTel in San Diego
Date: 28 Sep 93 10:22:25 GMT


PacTel Cellular San Diego has (just recently) added several new
billing plans, all tied in to a one year service committment.  Since
in the past the San Diego market has been fairly low-competition (no
rate-fights, no mad slasher advertisements) I'm wondering if there's
some drastic change coming in the next few months that's motivating
them to try to lock people in now.  (Ron, is there something we ought
to know?  :-)

Anybody know anything interesting on this?

FYI, old rates:
"Normal" plan:     $35/mo, .20/min offpeak, .40/min peak
Low-use plan:      $19/mo (?), .19/min offpeak, .79/min peak

Both old plans are month-to-month, and include small discounts for
heavy users (for example, 3% off over 150 minutes, etc.)

New rates, requiring a one year committment:
(plan name, monthly charge, peak rate, offpeak rate, included minutes)
Security:       25.95,      0.74,      0.19,         10
Convenience:    44.95,      0.38,      0.18,         40
Advantage120:   69.95,      0.38,      0.18,         120
Advantage220:   98.95,      0.36,      0.16,         220
Advantage420:  148.95,      0.35,      0.15,         420

Included minutes are applied chronologically, *not* most-expensive
first.  Also, long-time readers will recall that the CA PUC has ruled
out bundling, so term contracts are extremely unusual and we pay
through the nose for equipment.


Laird P. Broadfield   [e-mail]  ...{ucsd, nosc}!crash!lairdb

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

From: [e-mail] (Phillip Dampier)
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Date: Tue, 28 Sep 1993 13:37:06 -0500
Subject: Working Mother Mag Drops Sprint


WORKING MOTHER MAGAZINE DROPS SPRINT FROM '100 BEST' LIST AFTER WORKER
COMPLAINTS EXPOSE ABUSES

(Sprint Employee Network)
September 27, 1993

Sprint Long Distance is no longer one of the "100 Best Companies for
Working Mothers" and it never really was, according to Sprint employees
who urged {Working Mother} magazine to drop the company from its
annual listing for 1993.

Sprint's previous recognition by the magazine for the past two years
had been "completely undeserved," said Dallas service representative
Audrey Hall, a spokesperson for the Sprint Employee Network,
representing telephone operators, service reps, and telemarketers at
Sprint locations around the country.

"I along with all my friends wondered exactly what Sprint company they
were talking about" when last year's {Working Mother} list came out,
said Gloria Melton, a Jacksonville, Fla. operator.  "The only thing we
could figure out was that those (pro-working-mother) policies were for
management," she said.

The operators and service reps point to inflexible hours and frequent
shift changes at Sprint that make it difficult for the mainly female
workforce to juggle family and work responsibilities.

The Sprint workers were also subjected to severe electronic monitoring,
and operators and service reps complain of policies that prevent them
from hanging up on obscene and threatening phone callers, according to
the Sprint Employee Network.

"We wish that Sprint truly were deserving of recognition as a good
company for working women, and we're trying to make that a reality,"
said Laura Cordingly, a network activist also from Jacksonville.

{Working Mother} has found that a number of companies didn't actually
merit its highly sought-after "100 Best" ranking, according to the
{Wall Street Journal}. Corporate claims have "been heavily inflated
by hype," and "At many companies, only headquarters workers are
eligible" for generous family policies, according to Journal writer
Sue Schellenbarger.

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

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #668
******************************


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Date: Fri, 1 Oct 1993 02:01:49 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #669

TELECOM Digest     Fri, 1 Oct 93 02:01:45 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 669

Inside This Issue:                       Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Caller ID From BT (Clive Feather)
    Octocom Expresso 8386 RackMount (John Gloria)
    Book Review: "Internet System Handbook" by Lynch/Rose (Rob Slade)
    NY Tel LATA Calls (was Re: Public Access internet sites) (Danny O'Bedlam)
    Service Outage in DC (Paul Robinson)
    Pager Software For UNIX (David J. Broderick)
    Looking for a E1 Bit Error Rate Tester (Ed Sinamark)
    European Alphanumeric Paging Providers (Allan D. Griefer)
    Description of ROLMlink Protocol (Pat Barron)
    Siemens Purchases Polish Telecom Companies (Randall Gellens)
    China Tightening Telecom Control (Randall Gellens)
    Merlin Pulls Disappearing Act? (Alan Boritz)
    DPC-550 Testmode (Ben Black)

                     ----------------------
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: [e-mail].
 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: [phone].

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

From: [e-mail] (Clive Feather)
Subject: Caller ID From BT
Date: Thu, 30 Sep 93 15:16:36 BST


BT sent me SIN227 (BT Analogue Caller Display Service) the day after I
requested it. It's 25 or so pages long, so I thought readers of the
TELECOM Digest might appreciate a summary.

Notes for non-UK readers:

* The protocol is *not* the same as the Bellcore one; I don't know why.
* You can block your outgoing number by dialling 141 in front of any
  call. This prefixes any other code (like 131 or 132 for Mercury).
* Where a line has blocking on all calls, a different code (not yet
  decided) is used to unblock.
* Blocking does not affect operator services or the malicious call
  bureau.

The basic protocol is intended for sending data from the exchange to
customer's equipment, either before ringing starts, or without ringing
the phone at all.

The physical protocol is:

  - Polarity reversal occurs on the (idle) line.
  - The exchange is silent for >= 100ms.
  - The exchange puts an alert tone on the line for between 88ms and 110ms;
    this tone consists of 2130Hz and 2750Hz (both +/- 1.1%); the receiver
    should look for at least 20ms of both tones or 30ms of the lower tone.
  - The exchange goes silent.
  - Between 15ms and 25ms after the end of the alert tone, the receiver
    should put a DC load and an AC load on the line. The AC load is described
    as 827 ohms in series with {1386 ohms and 139nF in parallel}. The DC load
    should be no more than 0.5mA (and should be well over the 0.12 limit for
    an idle line). However, to clear the line of noise, the load should
    a plain resistance of between 240 to 350 ohms for the first 14ms to
    16ms of the DC load.
  - At least 45ms after the end of the guard tone, between 96 and 315
    bits of alternating 0s and 1s will be sent (see below for encoding).
    This will be followed by between 55 and 90 1s, and then the data.
  - At least 50ms, and no more than 150ms, after the end of the data,
    the receiver should remove the DC and AC loads from the line.
  - At least 200ms after the end of the data, the exchange will either
    cancel the polarity reversal, or will start to send the ringing tone.

Data is transmitted using FSK at 1200 baud +/- 1%. A 0 is 2100Hz and a 1
is 1300Hz, both +/- 1.5%. The data is sent one octet at a time, in the
standard serial format:

    start bit (0)
    least significant bit
    next 6 bits in order
    most significant bit
    1 to 10 stop bits (all 1s)

The message consists of between 3 and 258 octets. The message format is:

    Message type byte
    Length byte - gives number of parameter bytes
    0 to 255 parameter bytes
    Checksum; the checksum has at least two stop bits

The (normal addition) sum of all the bytes, including the checksum byte,
is 0 mod 256.

There is an implication that several messages may be sent, so long as
the total is less than 2500ms (about 300 octets).

The parameter bytes transmit zero or more parameter blocks. Each
parameter block has the format:

    Parameter type byte
    Data length byte - gives number of data bytes
    0 to 253 data bytes

Type and length bytes are true binary numbers. Data bytes may be binary
or ASCII characters (codes 32 to 127, except that dollar sign is replaced
by pound sterling sign); I show the latter in double quotes.

The only message type described is type 128. This has the following
parameter types.

  - Call type (17); the data is 1 byte:
      *   1 = voice call (default if call type not sent)
      *   2 = ring-back-when-free call (this is a voice-like call)
      * 129 = message waiting call
      * future types with the top bit clear will be voice-like calls, such
        as fax; rules applying to voice calls will apply to them
      * future types with the top bit set will be other types of call
  - Time and date (1); the data is 8 characters, giving MMDDHHMM; for
    example, "09291452" means 14:52 on September 29th. For voice-like
    calls, or if no call type is sent, the time is correct to within 1
    minute. For other types, the time is defined by the call type.
  - Calling line number (2); the data is a string (up to 18 bytes) giving
    the number of the caller, or an alternative presentation number
    (e.g. main number when calling from a PBX, or an associated 0800 number).
    Spaces and dashes may occur in the number; a trailing dash means that the
    number is incomplete. Examples given in the document are:
        "071 250 7587"
        "0171-250-"
        "00 33-"
        "0351-3210"
  - Called line number (3); same format.
  - Reason calling line number omitted (4), does not occur if parameter type
    2 is provided; the data is a single byte:
      * "P" = number withheld (using 141)
      * "O" = number not available
    No explanation is given if parameter type 3 is omitted.
  - Name or text (7); the data is a string of up to 20 bytes. Examples
    given in the document are:
        "Simon Jones"
        "BT Payphone"
        "International call"
        "Ring-back call"
    This information might be related to the calling line number, or it
    might be related to the call type. It is not possible to tell,
    except for as below.
  - Reason for no name (8); an explanation of why there is no name
    provided. If parameter types 7 and 8 are both sent, then the former is
    text other than the caller's name. Data is 1 byte:
      * "P" = name withheld
      * "O" = name not available
  - Message system status (19); the data is 1 byte, giving the number of
    messages waiting in the message system (1 means either 1 or number
    not known). This is expected to be sent as a no-ring call.

All types are optional. Type 17 will always be sent first, and the
other seven types listed here will be sent before any types introduced
in the future.


Clive D.W. Feather     | Santa Cruz Operation
[e-mail]          | Croxley Centre
Phone: [phone] | Hatters Lane, Watford
Fax:   [phone] | WD1 8YN, United Kingdom | <== * NOTE NEW INFORMATION *

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

From: [e-mail] (John Gloria)
Subject: Octocom Expresso 8386 RackMount
Date: 30 Sep 93 16:31:53 GMT
Organization: Pacific * Bell


I have been given the *opportunity* to gather some information in
modem technology. Basically, my responsibility is find out what our
modem technology has to offer in a 16 rack mounted modem configuration
to allow dial-in access for telecommuting purposes.  Since long term
planning and use is our goal, the need for V.42BIS and all the various
MNPs/CLASSes, etc., are desired. Since V.FAST is the next step
(future?), we want to invest in a product that will allow a migration
path to V.FAST.  We are thinking in terms of the established vendors
(reliability/ warrtany/service), e.g., TeleBit, MultiTech, Hayes, etc.
Any assistance and or direction would be appreciated.

I received a quote today regarding the Octocom Expresso 8396 Rackmount
modem; Octocom 1816 Chassis; Octocom PS 1802 Power Supply. Since I
have little experience in modem technology I would like responses on
this particular unit and or recommendations on other units.


Thanks,

John

PACIFIC BELL - Product & Technology - Systems Engineering
John P. Gloria - Workstation Support Engineer
2600 Camino Ramon - Mail Stop: 2S151 - San Ramon, CA 94583
Voice:510-823-2933 - FAX:[phone] - Email:[e-mail]
John Gloria - [e-mail]

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

Date: 30 Sep 93 14:29 -0600
From: Rob Slade <[e-mail]>
Subject: Book Review: "Internet System Handbook" by Lynch/Rose


BKINTSYS.RVW  930824

Addison-Wesley Publishing Co.
1 Jacob Way    Reading, MA   01867-9984
800-527-5210   617-944-3700

5851 Guion Road   Indianapolis, IN   46254
800-447-2226
"Internet System Handbook", Lynch/Rose, 1993, 0-201-56741-5

I'm beginning to wonder about "handbook" in all these titles of
telephone book sized tomes.  On the other hand, you have to love an
author/editor who opines that the reason the Internet succeeded was
because the researchers' hearts were pure.

In the preface, the editors suggest that this book is for the
competent engineer, manager and administrator.  Unfortunately, they
are less clear on *what* the work is for.

The book is divided into four parts.  The first section deals with an
historical and organizational background to the Internet.  The three
articles have very similar contents but slightly differing perspectives.

 From a "Readers' Digest" anecdotal overview we move to an international
examination, and thence, to a discussion of the evolving standard.

The second section deals with technical aspects of the major protocols
and applications of the Internet.  As promised, the chapters are
written by the people who built the Internet.  The author of the
chapter on "Core Protocols", for example, is Vinton Cerf.  As well as
the core protocols, routing protocols, the main applications (mail,
FTP and remote access), practical routing, host networking, security
and applications development are covered.

Part three, titled "Infrastructure," covers issues not centrally
relevant to the operation of the Internet, but supporting its use.
Network performance and management, backbone and node tools, directory
services and operational security are dealt with here.  Details are,
perhaps, necessarily restricted in this section.  The chapter on
directory services, for example, gives sample finger and WHOIS
sessions but does not offer any contacts for NETFIND, Knowbot or X.500
servers.

The title of the final section can be interpreted different ways.
There is a very specific article on the impending node number
exhaustion on the Internet, a generic change and evolution of
internetworking (which turns out to be more nearly a treatise on the
evolution of computing itself) and an excellent annotated bibliography
by John Quarterman (cf. BKMATRIX.RVW).  The bibliographic information
contained in the book overall might be worth the price alone.
Quarterman's contribution is carefully and fully researched and well
organized.  It includes not only texts, but periodicals and online
sources as well.

The editors see this work as a reference. It certainly is that, and,
as well, it is a pointer to further information in the bibliographies.
Although the style is very different, the contents are remarkably
similar to Douglas Comer's "Internetworking with TCP/IP" (cf
BKINTTCP.RVW).  This work tends to add some material from the "higher"
(application level) layers of the communications model.  Comer's work
tends to be more directly connected with technical detail; this work,
while definitely technical, introduces the reader to the people of the
Internet.


copyright Robert M. Slade, 1993   BKINTSYS.RVW  930824
Permission granted to distribute with full copies of the TELECOM Digest
and associated mailing lists/newsgroups.


Vancouver      [e-mail]
Institute for  [e-mail]
Research into  [e-mail]
User           [e-mail]
Security       Canada V7K 2G6

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

From: [e-mail] (Danny O'Bedlam)
Subject: NY Tel LATA Calls (was Re: Public Access internet sites)
Date: 30 Sep 1993 16:58:53 -0400
Organization: Whatever Four


Much has been said in the previous thread about whether or not 212
<--> 718 calls are local, toll or what.

I should emphasize I do not have the tariff handy for reference, but
in a nutshell:

    All calls within 212, 718, and 917, are the same local area
from non-pay phones.  If you use a COCOT you are calling at your own
risk, you can be charged for more than a regular local call than a
NYTel pay phone may charge you.  What makes it confusing is that
calling from Brooklyn to Bronx (both 718) will be .40 instead of .25.
Some pay phones in Manhattan will also charge more to the outlying
areas of 718.  Also keep in mind that area code 917 is co-extant with
both 212 and 718.


Danny Lieberman PO Box 3131 Church St Sta New York NY 10008-3131 [USA]
[e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail]
NYC & Environs Bicycle mailing list: [e-mail]

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

Date: Thu, 30 Sep 1993 23:29:32 EDT
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Subject: Service Outage in DC
From: Paul Robinson <[e-mail]>
Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring, MD USA


Since early Thursday, Lottery Agents in the District of Columbia were
reporting that they were unable to sell tickets via their computer
terminals.  These terminals are connected by telephone line to the
contractor that runs the lottery operation for the DC Charitable Games
Control Board.

The outage was critical as DC is one of the states involved in the
multistate "Powerball" lottery, which recently had a $78 million
winner in Wisconsin.  As a result of the outage, lottery agents were
unable to sell tickets.

Later it was determined that a large portion of southeast Washington
was without phone service -- including 911 -- due to a break in the
phone system.  Persons with emergencies in that area were being
referred by television stations to use the seven-digit police emergency
number if they could find a phone that works.

A spokesperson for C&P Telephone of Washington, DC stated that a
backhoe at a construction site on 1st Street, SE, cut through one of
its fiber optic cables.  Some 15,000 customers were reported to be
without service.

A large part of southeast Washington is known as the Anacostia section
because it is on the east shore of the Anacostia River, a branch of
the Potomac River that splits Maryland and the District from Virginia.
This section's residents are almost all black and it is the poorest
part of town.  Because of the intent to assist that part of the city,
southeast is also the part of town where the operating facilities for
the lottery contractor are located.

Note: All mail is read/responded every day.  If a message is sent to this
account, and you expect a reply, if one is not received within 24 hours,
resend your message; some systems do not send mail to MCI Mail correctly.


Paul Robinson - [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (David J. Broderick)
Subject: Pager Software for UNIX
Organization: DSG, Dept. of Computer Science, Trinity College Dublin
Date: Thu, 30 Sep 1993 18:54:16 GMT


    Does anybody know of any code, that is available for
connecting up to a central pager exchange, by modem, and calling a
pager, all from the UNIX command line.

    Thanks,


David

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

From: [e-mail] (Ed Sinamark)
Subject: Looking for a E1 Bit Error Rate Tester?
Organization: Summa Four Inc.
Date: Thu, 30 Sep 93 20:14:56 GMT


In order to properly perform a required test I am looking for a cheap
E1 test box that will provide a PRBS Bit Error Rate Test on an E1
trunk (2.048 Mb/s).  Does anyone know companies that make such a
device?  We currently use a Tau-Tron 5120 to perform our standard E1
test but need an additional PRBS stream to perform a required receiver
sensitivity test.


Thanks for any info,

Ed Sinamark         | The opinions expressed
25 Sundial Ave      | above are my own and
Manchester, NH 03103| not those of my employer
[e-mail]   |

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

From: [e-mail] (Allan D. Griefer)
Subject: European Alphanumeric Paging Providers
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Thu, 30 Sep 1993 20:02:11 GMT


I'm in desperate need of one or more alphanumeric pagers that can be
used in Zurich, Switzerland, Rome, Italy, and Winchester, UK.  I'd
prefer that they were Motorola Advisor pagers and were supported from
a paging system that can be accessed by IXO automatic paging
protocols.

Can anyone point me to a service provider for these?


Al   [e-mail] or [e-mail]
Al Griefer, KC6ZTW    [e-mail]
EMT-1A, AHA CPR Instructor     San Jose, CA

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

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Description of ROLMlink protocol
Date: Thu, 30 Sep 1993 15:00:54 -0400
Organization: Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA


Does anyone have a description of the ROLMlink used by ROLM phone
switches (like the Redwood and the 9751) to communicate with ROLM
digital phones?  I am looking for both the electrical and functional
specifications; in the end, I'd like to be able to build devices that
I could attach to ROLMlink channels.

All I know about it right now is that it is a synchronous protocol
that runs at 256Kbps.


Thanks,

Pat

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

From: [e-mail]
Date: 30 SEP 93 19:37
Subject: Siemens Purchases Polish Telecom Companies


An internal news round-up had the following item:

Siemens has purchased two Polish telecommunications companies, Zwut
S.A.  of Warsaw and Elwro S.A.  of Wroclaw (AP, 9/23/93).  The two
companies were formerly state owned.  Siemens has operated a joint
venture company with Zwut to make digital telephone equipment since
1990.  As a result of the purchase, Poland's telephone authority
Telekomunkacja Polska will approve Siemens' digital phone system as
one of the nation's official telecommunications systems.  As part of
its modernization plan, Telekomunkacja Polska plans to expand the
telephone network from 11 telephone lines per 100 persons to 25 lines
per 100 persons by the year 2000.


Randall Gellens . . . . . . . . .|. . . . . . [e-mail]
A Series System Software . . . . | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Unisys Corporation. . . . . . . .|. . [Please forward bounce messages
Mission Viejo, CA. . . . . . . . | . . . . .to: [e-mail]]
Opinions are personal;. .facts are suspect; . I speak only for myself

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

From: [e-mail]
Date: 30 SEP 93 19:28
Subject: China Tightening Telecom Control


An internal news roundup carried the following item:

The Peoples Republic of China reportedly is tightening control over
computer messaging and other forms of communications, such as mobile
telephones and electronic pagers, according to the China Daily (AP,
9/15/93).  Starting in November businesses must have government
licenses to rent or sell pagers, mobile telephones or other
communications systems using wires or satellites.  The Ministry of
Telecommunications also will require companies offering such
communications services to report their existence to local authorities.
No reason has been given forr the new controls on these previously
unrestricted services.

Randall Gellens . . . . . . . . .|. . . . . . [e-mail]
A Series System Software . . . . | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Unisys Corporation. . . . . . . .|. . [Please forward bounce messages
Mission Viejo, CA. . . . . . . . | . . . . .to: [e-mail]]
Opinions are personal;. .facts are suspect; . I speak only for myself

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

Subject: Merlin Pulls Disappearing Act?
From: drharry![e-mail] (Alan Boritz)
Date: Thu, 30 Sep 93 20:38:42 EST
Organization: Harry's Place BBS - Mahwah NJ - [phone]


Where have all the Merlin resellers and reconditioners gone?  A friend
was recently looking to purchase a few voice terminals with built-in
speakerphones and found that AT&T must have published their price
lists with the decimal points in the wrong place. ;) Equipment to
expand basic Merlin key systems cost almost as much a hefty chunk of a
new key system (with all of the features that AT&T left out on
purpose, like usable outbound restriction, last number redial, etc.).
Ignoring for the moment that AT&T must have hired for their small
business key systems all of the marketing people IBM let go ;), is
anyone other than AT&T marketing Merlin-compatible KSU's and terminal
equipment?


[e-mail]  or  uunet!drharry!aboritz
Harry's Place BBS (drharry.UUCP) - Mahwah NJ USA - [phone]

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

Date: 30 Sep 93 16:44:46 EDT
From: Ben Black <[e-mail]>
Subject: DPC-550 Testmode


I have a Motorola DPC-550 flipfone and need info on the manual test
mode. I know how to put it in test mode, but I don't know any of the
functions other than entering negative SID's for the C Scan mode.

Specifically, how can i get the phone to tell me what SID it's locked
onto?

I'll be glad to summarize any email responses for the list -- or if
you'd rather I didn't ... that's ok too.


Ben

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

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #669
******************************


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Date: Fri, 1 Oct 1993 02:40:29 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #670

TELECOM Digest     Fri, 1 Oct 93 02:40:20 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 670

Inside This Issue:                       Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Dedicated High Speed Serial Comms (Peter C. Bosch)
    Annoucing rec.radio.broadcasting (William Pfeiffer)
    Dell France Gives Strange Night Phone Message (Jean-Bernard Condat)
    Network Autonomous Agents (Jason Rosenberg)
    BONDING Specification Available On Line (David E. Martin)
    Skypage by Modem (Stephen Fleming)
    Information on AT&T Spirit (CS308E1 and CS616E1) (Rich Williams)
    Looking For PCMICA Radio (Lok Liu)

                     ----------------------
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: [e-mail].
 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: [phone].

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

From: [e-mail] (Peter C. Bosch)
Subject: Dedicated High Speed Serial Comms
Date: 30 Sep 1993 22:44:04 GMT
Organization: Martin Marietta Corp, Moorestown NJ
Reply-To: [e-mail]


                        === What: ===

    (Abbreviated version.  Details follow under "Details:")

    Request for knowledge on the subject of bidirectional
application-specific communications.  If you know anything that you
are willing to share about data encoding protocols, data transmission
media, current or soon-to-be available hardware, data distribution
architectures, etc., I would appreciate it if you would read on, and
share.  Otherwise, thanks for reading this far ...

                        === Who: ===

    My name is Pete Bosch.  I work for Martin Marietta, and I am
involved in an R&D effort to propose a new architecture for a class of
device that we build.  My portion, currently, of the project is to
perform a tradeoff study of various communications architectures.

        ======== P L E A S E   N O T E =========
        I am pursuing this avenue as one of many
        researching directions.  I am not asking
        for a complete "solution" to my problem,
        but  rather  for pieces  of  the puzzle.
        (Indeed,  I  would be flabbergasted if I
        did receive a  complete solution, except
        if it came from in-house!            :-)
        I've found the internet to be a valuable
        source  of  information in the past, and
        am simply trying to  do  a thorough job,
        and "Leave no stone unturned..."
        ========================================

                          === Details: ===

Requirements:

o  One central device (CPU)  will conduct two-way communications with
   between 4,000 and 40,000 devices (Modules) located coplanarly,
   within 100 meters of the CPU, and within 10 meters of each other.

o  Each module will contain an ASIC, a DSP, or a uController, depending
   on processing needs, etc.

o  These devices will receive messages addressed to one, several,
   or all.

o  The modules will be required to perform some basic processing and
   initiate actions based upon the content of the messages and a trigger.
   On any given message, one specific module may also be solicited for
   a response.

o  Some scheme must exist for a module to reply to a specific message,
   if requested by the CPU.

o  Data rates will need to be around 10 MBit/s, with a low bit error
   rate.

o  Cost of transcievers is very important, as is that of cabling/
   physical medium. (Mainly because of the sheer number of such devices.)

o  Message sizes vary, from a few bytes, "Everybody, Go!" to a very large
   number of bytes, ("Module number 144232, here's a new copy of your
   dataspace...  03FE5D00B1421 ... etc. (Tens of KBytes, w/ checksums.)"

Current Approach:

    Currently, twisted pair is used, with simple Manchester
encoding, approx. 2MBit/s.  Messages are sent via a fanout network, to
all modules, in parallel.  Replies are returned to the main CPU via
two serially daisy-chained opposing loop twisted pair i/f's.  As only
one module is solicited for reply, there are (theoretically) no reply
packet collisions.

Drawbacks:

    Too much copper.  Speed limited.  Reply mechanism is not robust.

Concerns:

    +/- of optical (IR or otherwise) messaging from hub?
        (Line of sight is not a problem.)
    +/- of NRZI vs OOK vs Manchester?
    +/- of RF messaging from hub? ( I acknowledge this is unlikely.)
    How to construct more robust reply mechanism without
        needing miles of wire?

              === Request: ===

If you know of work that has been done that is similar, if you know of
a device, architecture, encoding scheme, etc, that may be suitable for
use here, if your doctoral thesis was applicable to this, or if you
just want to say, "Remember to account for interferometry of multiple
synchronized infrared transmitters...", or whatever, please reply to:

            [e-mail]

* * New Issue * * *
Several days have elapsed since I wrote the above.  I have learned, and
my concerns have grown.  I add the following:

A while ago some information was posted on Mil-Std-1553, parts,
suppliers, and boards ... I printed this out and added it to my
archives, but something bothers me, namely the 750kBits/s data rate.

I need something that will deliver 10 MBits/s.  I know that RS-422
will do this over very short distances, although that's not taking
protocol and ED/C into acount, which brings me to my first question:
Are there devices and techniques currently on the market that will
enable me to *inexpensively* achieve ~10 MBit/s transfer rates?  (By
inexpensively, I mean _on_the_order_of_ $10 per Xmt/Rcv device. (say,
$0 to $25)) Ideally, this would include reception and endec.

Second question:

I've read numerous papers that claim 100 MBit/s over twisted pair is
reality, using FDDI 5B/6B, or some such.  This means (I believe) that
someone's pushing bits at or near 120 MBits/s over TP copper.  Now I
realize that this technique is likely to be much more expensive, but
I'd like to combine both techniques in a system, using the 100MBit
scheme to push long distance (100 m) over a trunk connection, and
then, once the messages are in the vicinity of the controlled
device(s), demux the 100 MBit/s message stream into 8 separate 10
MBit/s streams, each to a controlled element of the system.

Who is doing this?  What hardware are they using?  What protocol and
medium are they using?  Please tell me this is not academic
pie-in-the-sky. (Imagine my consternation as I tell my boss, who has
just pushed through a budget for an Engineering Prototype, "But,
Susan/Bill, Mondo Schmuckatelli at Transylvania U. wrote a paper,
_proving_ that it can be done!  Wanna read it? " (Hello, unemployment!))

Please reply via e-mail to the address below.  I will post a summary of
answers to this portion of my request (if I get any) late next week.


Thank you,

[e-mail]
Pete Bosch   Martin Marietta
199 Borton Landing Rd.
Moorestown, New Jersey  08057
[phone]

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

From: [e-mail] (RRB)
Subject: Annoucing rec.radio.broadcasting
Date: Thu, 30 Sep 1993 19:43:05 CDT


Greetings:

In many ways, the subjects of telecommunication and radio broadcasting
intermingle.  There have been articles pertaining to radio
broadcasting, in this forum, in the past, so I thought I would take
the time to introduce you to the Usenet newsgroup rec.radio.broadcasting
and its email digest, Airwaves (formerly the Internet Radio Journal).

Rec.radio.broadcasting (r.r.b) was founded in April of 1992, in order
to provide a forum for discussion of topics pertaining to 'domestic
broadcast radio'.   Already in existence was rec.radio.shortwave,
which centers around the International radio scene, and rec.radio.noncomm
who's focus is, obviously, non-commercial radio. Rec.radio.broadcasting
was intended to 'fill the gap' between these groups.

Airwaves Radio Journal is a periodic email digest consisting, mainly,
of articles found in the newsgroup.  It is intended for people who
either cannot access the newsgroup from their system or for some
reason prefer a digestified format for reading.  Subscriptions to
Airwaves are free, and available to anyone who has an email account on
the Internet, or on a system gatewayed to and from the Internet (such
as CompuServe, GEnie, AOL, MCImail, AT&Tmail, Bitnet, and FidoNet to
name a few).

        -=*=- DOMESTIC BROADCAST RADIO  -=*=-

By domestic, we mean broadcasts which are intended, primarily,for
reception in the same country/nation in which they originate.  R.R.B
is an international newsgroup, though, and the term 'domestic' should
not be taken to imply 'USA' or even North American.  Readers in other
nations are encouraged to participate.

            -=*=- SUBJECTS -=*=-

If it has to do with broadcast radio, and not _specifically_
international shortwave, it is welcome here.  Occasionally an article
which IS primarily about shortwave will be posted if the subject seems
broad enough that our readership might be interested, or be able to
assist the poster in some way.

Generally, if a subject 'seems' like it would be of interest to the
radio broadcasting community (which includes those involved in
creating, transmitting or listening to broadcast radio) will be
published.  These subjects include (but are not limited to).

1)  Formats and programming.
2)  Engineering and technical matters and interests.
3)  Technologies affecting the industry, and its 'offspring' industries.
4)  Legislation affecting the industry, and its 'offspring' industries.
5)  Pirate broadcasting (especially non-shortwave, domestic pirates).
6)  Community broadcasting (including non-commercial and clandestine stations).
7)  DXing (long distance reception) on the standard broadcast bands
8)  General station information.  Who is going on and off the air, and why.
9)  Radio's historical and cultural significance.
10) Radio's current and future trends.
11) Political and news coverage and its impact.
12) Job openings and help to those seeking work in the industry.
13) Information on equipment and techniques involved in transmission and
    reception of broadcast radio signals.
14) The International Scene and how broadcast radio is shaping up in the
    various nations of the world.
15) Gabfesting and all matters of general interest to those involved
    in, or interested in, the general subject of domestic radio broadcasting.


            -=*=- POSTING -=*=-

1) If you are in Usenet, post to rrb/Airwaves as you would any other
           Usenet group.  The software does the rest.

                             - OR -

2) Email your article directly to [e-mail]. Using other
   addresses to post will needlessly delay your article.  You might
   consider installing an alias in your mailer for emailed articles,
   especially if you post a lot of stuff.  See the end of this file
   for all applicable addresses.

   Rec.radio.broadcasting IS a loosely moderated group, however in
   practice there is usually little interference from the moderator
   provided that articles stay within (or reasonably close) to the
   charter of the group, posters edit as much quoted text as possible,
   avoid flames and personal attack, and most importantly ...

       :-) use your brains more than your brawn (-:


                          -=*=- ARCHIVES -=*=-

   Archives of past Airwaves (and its previous incarnation as the
   Internet Radio Journal) are kept for anonymous FTP at Internet site
   deja-vu.aiss.uiuc.edu <128.174.53.10>.  They can be found in the directory
   /misc/rec.radio.b-cast.  In that directory you will find a file called
   INDEX, which contains the issue numbers of all Journals, and the
   title of each article contained within.  The archives are updated
   every week or so. To determine when the last update was, look at
   the date on the file called "<-Archive Last Updated At".

             If you need help with FTP, write me.

   The Journals are arranged in sub-directories of about 100 issues each,
   and are in compressed (.Z) format.  Remember that compressed files
   should always be sent using the "binary" mode. If you have trouble accessing
   anything, or if you have any questions about the archives, send email
   to [e-mail].  If you appreciate the archives, send
   your notes of appreciation to the site admin, C. Lance Moxley
   <[e-mail]>.  He has been very gracious in his
   willingness to store our archives on his machine.

   * Please do not bother the system admin with problems, direct those to me. *

            -=*=- ENJOY THE GROUP! -=*=-

    I hope you enjoy the group.  Remember, it is only as good as it's
    contributors.  So don't be shy :-). If you have a question, or answer,
    even if you are not sure, post - post - post.


I am open to suggestions on how to improve this group.  Send them via
e-mail to [e-mail] -or- [e-mail].

Thanks to all who have, and continue to, participate.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled newsgroup :-).


William Pfeiffer
Moderator of  rec.radio.broadcasting -
Editor of Airwaves Radio Journal


-=*=- -=*=- -=*=- -=*=- -=*=-   Addresses:   -=*=- -=*=- -=*=- -=*=- -=*=-

Article submissions  -----   -----   -----   ----- [e-mail]
Airwaves subscriptions -----  -----  -----   ----- [e-mail]
Archive site    -----  -----  -----  -----   ----- [e-mail]
Other communications -----   -----   -----   ----- [e-mail]

-=*=- -=*=- -=*=- -=*=- -=*=- -=*=- -=*=- -=*=- -=*=- -=*=- -=*=- -=*=- -=*=-


[TELECOM Moderator's Note: Bill has been a personal friend for many
years (off-hand, I'd say fifteen years) and I can personally vouch for
his efforts at making AIRWAVES one of the finest e-journals available
on the Internet. If you are not already familiar with it, may I suggest
you subscribe -- at least temporarily -- and see what you think.  PAT]

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

From: [e-mail] (Jean-Bernard Condat)
Date: Thu, 30 Sep 1993 09:06:26 GMT
Subject: Dell France give strange night phone message


     On all Dell ads in France, you can read uncredible PCs with so
uncredible prices.  To contact Dell France based in Montpellier, you
can easily dial a free number: 05 444 999.

     Yesterday, I receive a new ad in my PO Box and try to ask for
more information. I phone the toll free number at 6:35 pm and have
the following message (in French language!):

     "For a technical reason, your call cannot be forward to the
     right person or service at this time.

     Please hold the line, we will be automatically transfer to
     an operator...

     [A wonderful girl voice present me in French and bad English
     language... the Dell company... stop ten seconds after...
     for the beginning message "For a technical reason..."]

     I listen for some minutes, re-dial the same number and press
for leaving a voice message.  The PBX ask me for an another phone
number "out of the company"... and give me the local radio... the
bad "France Info".  I found that the leader Dell company have, at
this time some important phone problems.  All my colleagues are
listening to the same message :-)


                         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: [phone], Fax: [phone]
         InterNet:  [e-mail]   or  [e-mail]

***For a free subscription to _Chaos Digest_, send a message to:
   [e-mail]
   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: Another good e-journal. Try it out!   PAT]

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

From: [e-mail] (Jason Rosenberg)
Subject: Network Autonomous Agents
Organization: UCLA, Computer Science Department
Date: Thu, 30 Sep 93 21:13:59 GMT


Hello,

I am in the process of formulating possible research projects, and I
am looking for some background information in a few areas.

I have been interested in artificial intelligence/neural networks for
some time, but I have also spent the last few years working in the
information retrieval field.  Additionally, I am becoming increasingly
interested in networking and multi-media technology, as these fields
seem to be important for the future.

I have been throwing around the idea of autonomous information agents,
which are capable of exploring a network in search of information
requested by a user.  I would like to have such an agent have at least
pseudo-ai capabilities.  In addition, it should attempt to handle
multi-media forms of information.

I know vaguely about a few things like gopher, etc.  What are the
shortcomings of existing systems, and what are possible areas for
improvement?

Also of interest might be network agents which are capable of arranging
teleconferences and scheduling meetings, travel plans, etc.

What other kinds of network agents might be of interest?

I know that the idea of agents is not completely new, and as a
starting point I am looking for any and or all references to work done
in the area to date.

Also, any spirited discussion on the subject would be interesting.  I
realize my ideas here are quite vague, but I would like very much to
see what the net has to say.

I apologize of crossposting this as widely as I have, as I am trying
to find the best places to discuss this sort of thing.  Please respond
either to the net or by e-mail.  If you do send me e-mail, please tell
me where you read this posting, so I have an idea where the audience
is ...


Thanks,

Jason Rosenberg                           Computer Science Department
[e-mail]                         University of California
{uunet,rutgers,ucbvax}!ucla-cs!jason      Los Angeles, CA  90024

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

Date: Thu, 30 Sep 1993 16:20:53 -0500
From: David E. Martin <[e-mail]>
Subject: BONDING Specification Available On Line


Chip Sharp at Teleos has made available electronic copies of the
BONDING (Bandwidth on Demand Interoperability Group) 1.0 and 1.1
specifications.  I have archived them on our information server.  The
specs are available via WWW, gopher, anonymous FTP, DECnet COPY, and
AFS (see instructions below).

The following files are available:

- aaareadme-networks       help file (in ascii text)
- bdmain.doc               main body of BONDING 1.0 specification
                           (Word for Windows 2.0 format)
- bdmain.ps                main body of BONDING 1.0 specification (Postscript)
- bdannex.doc              annex of BONDING 1.0 specification (Word
                           for Windows 2.0 format)
- bdannex.ps               annex of BONDING 1.0 specification (Postscript)
- bd_v1_1.doc              changes for BONDING 1.1 specification (Word
                           for Windows 2.0 format)
- bd_v1_1.ps               changes for BONDING 1.1 specification (Postscript)

Instructions:

WWW
server: www.hep.net
URL: gopher://www.hep.net:70/11/info_center/networks/bonding

Gopher
server: gopher.hep.net
Bookmark:
Name=Bandwidth on Demand Interoperability Group (BONDING) Documents
Type=1
Port=70
Path=1/info_center/networks/bonding
Host=gopher.hep.net

Anonymous FTP
server: ftp.hep.net
directory: networks/bonding

DECnet COPY (only for those on HEP-NSI DECnet)
HEPNET::[ANON_FTP.NETWORKS.BONDING]

AFS
/afs/hepafs1.hep.net/public/anon_ftp/networks/bonding


David E. Martin
National HEPnet Management                      Phone: [phone]
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory           FAX: [phone]
P.O. Box 500, MS 368; Batavia, IL 60510  USA    E-Mail: [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Skypage by Modem
Date: Thu, 30 Sep 93 14:54:24 PDT


Piece of cake.  Set your comm program to 2400 bps, 8/N/1, and dial
(800)SKY-WORD with it.  Enter the PIN number, and you can type in
alpha messages up to 80 characters.

SkyTel will send you a brochure describing this in more detail if you
want it.


Stephen Fleming    [e-mail]

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

Date: Thu, 30 Sep 93 09:45:51 EST
From: Rich Williams <[e-mail]>
Subject: Information Wanted on AT&T Spirit (CS308E1 and CS616E1).
Organization: Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana


My mother has just become the owner of a AT&T Spirit Phone system. She
is a landlord and a recent tenant left in a hurry leaving his office
behind. The local service provider said the equipment is not theirs
the tenant paid for it mom's lawyer said it's hers now. She asked me
what it was and what she should do with it, not knowing I decided to
ask here before buying the books from our local service provider. Here
is what she has.

    1 AT&T CS308E1 Controller
    1 AT&T CS616E1 Expantion

Of course all the 66 block to rj junk too, but no terminals.

Thanks for any information and guidance.


Best regards,

Rich  Williams               |  Systems Administrator
[e-mail]          |  Purdue University
                             |  Math Department
#include <std/disclaimer.h>  |  West Lafayette, IN 47907

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

From: Lok Liu <[e-mail]>
Subject: Looking For PCMICA Radio
Date: Thu, 30 Sep 1993 11:08:23 -0400
Organization: Electrical and Computer Engineering, Carnegie Mellon, Pitts, PA


Right now I am working on a research project. I have run into trouble
in finding the components that I need.  Does anyone know where I can
find a PCMICA two ways radio or fax/data modem that consumes very
little power?  If you do, can you tell me where I can find the speci-
fication on those parts.


Thank you,

Lok

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

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #670
******************************


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From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #671

TELECOM Digest     Fri, 1 Oct 93 07:46:00 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 671

Inside This Issue:                       Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Universal Service Symposium Announcement (Andrew Blau)
    Book Review: "Exploring the World of Online Systems" - Resnick (Rob Slade)
    Radio Spectrum Auctions (John Gilbert)
    DES Key Search Paper (Monty Solomon)
    Ad on French Electronic Phone Book [11] (Jean-Bernard Condat)
    ATM and IP (John L. MacFarlane)
    More 416/905 Split Information (David Leibold)
    Information Wanted on GDM (Andre van Heerdon)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Thu, 30 Sep 1993 10:58:04 -0400
From: Andrew Blau <[e-mail]>
Subject: Universal Service Symposium Announcement


The Administration's NII "Agenda for Action" calls "a broad, modern
concept of Universal Service" a top priority in its infrastructure
development plans; the document also announced a series of public
hearings, beginning by the end of this year, to explore the issue of
defining and sustaining universal service in the future.

In light of the renewed interest in defining and supporting universal
service, the Benton Foundation and the Columbia Institute for
Tele-Information announce the following one-day symposium:

                     Universal Service:
              New Challenges and New Options
            in Tomorrow's Network of Networks

   A seminar for policymakers, public interest advocates
                   and nonprofit leaders

                   Jointly sponsored by

                   The Benton Foundation
                            &
        The Columbia Institute for Tele-Information
                    Columbia University

                 Friday, October 15, 1993
                       8:30 - 5:00

                           at
                    1333 H St., N.W.
                  (The AAAS Building)
                  Main Conference Room
                     Washington, DC

Universal service -- ensuring that basic communications services are
available to all -- is fast moving to the forefront of communication
policy issues. Competition threatens to erode the traditional means by
which universal telephone service has been supported.  At the same
time, the popular definition of what services should be universal may
expand as health, education, and other civic sector functions are
delivered through communications networks that will integrate voice,
video and data.  On September 15, the White House released "The
National Information Infrastructure: Agenda for Action," which
announced that the effort to develop "a broad, modern concept of
Universal Service" will be a leading goal of this Administration.

In order to bring public interest advocates, nonprofit leaders and
policymaking staff the latest analyses of these issues, the Benton
Foundation and the Columbia Institute for Tele-Information (CITI) at
Columbia University invite you to join leading academic experts and
policy makers to:

   o   explore what universal service has meant and why current programs to
       achieve it may unravel;

   o   consider recent findings on who remains without basic service today;

   o   hear new proposals to define and support universal service in the
       future; and

   o   address the special challenge of extending service affordably
       to rural areas.

We are proud to have a distinguished panel of experts addressing these
issues, including:

Nolan Bowie
      Associate Professor of Communications, Temple University
Bruce Egan
      Research Fellow, Columbia Institute for Tele-Information
Michael Einhorn
      Economist, US Department of Justice
Susan Hadden
      Professor of Public Affairs, LBJ School, University of Texas, Austin
Koichiro Hayashi
      President & CEO, NTT America
Heather Hudson
      Director, Telecommunications Management & Policy Program,
        University of San Francisco
Milton Mueller
      Assistant Professor of Communications, Rutgers University
Eli Noam
      Director, Columbia Institute for Tele-Information
      Professor of Economics & Finance, Columbia University
Jorge Schement
      Associate Professor of Communications, Rutgers University
Steven Wildman
      Director,
        Program In Telecommunications Science, Management & Policy
      Associate Professor of Communications Studies,
        Northwestern University

We hope you can join these and other experts to explore fresh analyses
and new proposals for addressing what policymakers, industry leaders
and public interest advocates all agree will be a top issue in
communications policy as the information superhighway is built.
Please RSVP by October 7, either by faxing back the attached reply
form to the Benton Foundation (202-638-5771) or by email to
[e-mail], so that we may plan accordingly.  Attendance is
limited.

[ ] Yes, I will be able to attend the symposium on Universal Service
on Friday, October 15, at 1333 H St., N.W., Washington, D.C.

[ ] No, I can't make it, but please keep me informed about Benton
Foundation and Columbia Institute for Tele-Information events.

Name:   _________________________________________________________

Organization: ___________________________________________________

Address: ________________________________________________________

Telephone number: _____________________  Fax:  __________________

email:  _____________________________

     <><o><><o><><o><><o><><o><><o><><o><><o><><o><><o><><o><>

    About the Benton Foundation's Communications Policy Project

Founded in 1980, the Benton Foundation is dedicated to "media in the
public interest."  For the last 13 years, the foundation has initiated
a number of communications policy projects designed to make media
access and diversity subjects of widespread discussion and public
decision making.  In early 1993, Benton launched an initiative in
collaboration with the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
to strengthen public interest advocacy in communications policy and
recruit nonprofit involvement to these issues.  The Communications
Policy Project has several interrelated goals:

o to build a new constituency among nonprofit groups to participate in
  policy advocacy initiatives;

o to advance analysis of selected policy issues to help nonprofits see
  their stake in the policy debate and to equip them with leading edge
  research and policy options in support of public interest values;

o to provide concrete illustrations of the social benefits these new
  technologies can deliver; and

o to encourage demonstrations of nonprofit uses of new technologies that
  will help create an expanded vision of the new electronic environment.

Questions about the program may be directed to Andrew Blau, Program
Coordinator (202-638-5770, x31; [e-mail]), or Larry Kirkman,
Executive Director (202-638-5770, x22).

        About the Columbia Institute for Tele-Information

The Columbia Institute for Tele-Information (CITI) celebrates its
tenth anniversary this year. The Institute's precursor, The Center for
Telecommunications and Information Studies, was the first research
center for communications established at a business school in the
United States.

CITI supports the independent study of economic, policy and management
issues involving the telecommunication, computer, and electronic mass
media industries.  It provides a research environment and national
meeting ground in New York City for academic researchers, government
policymakers, and private and non-profit sector experts.

Economics and allied disciplines are the analytical methodologies
central to CITI research. The Institute has published over 650 working
papers and 18 books.

For more information, contact CITI, c/o Columbia University, Graduate
School of Business, 802 Uris Hall, New York, NY 10027, tel: [phone].


Andrew Blau
Communications Policy Project
The Benton Foundation
One Farragut Sq. South, N.W., 12th Fl.
Washington, DC  20006
v: 202.638.5770, x31    f: 202.638.5771   [e-mail]

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

Date: 30 Sep 93 12:55 -0600
From: Rob Slade <[e-mail]>
Subject: Book Review: "Exploring the World of Online Systems" by Resnick


BKETWOOS.RVW  930823

Sybex Computer Books
2021 Challenger Drive
Alameda, CA   94501  USA
510-523-8233  800-227-2346
Fax: [phone]

or

Firefly Books
250 Sparks Avenue
Willowdale, Ontario  M2H 2S4
416-499-8412  Fax: [phone]
"Exploring the World of Online Services", Resnick, 1993, U$17.95/C$25.95

The "world" part of the title is a bit grandiose.  One has come to
expect, unfortunately, that a particular work will cover either
commercial services or "the nets," but not both.  However, even
dealing strictly with commercial information services, there is still
a lot of room in the cover statement that the book "compares and
contrasts the most popular online services, including CompuServe and
Prodigy".  The *only* services included are CompuServe and Prodigy.

The book certainly promises "the world".  Chapter one gives the usual
"all the business information in the known universe at the click of a
mouse" pitch.  To be fair, Resnick does suggest a number of rules to
try to keep the costs down.  For example, she talks about "narrowing"
a search with added terms, but doesn't go into the complexity of
setting up an appropriate data base search.

Part one of the book (chapters two to ten) is the "how to" section
with part two being the "what's there".  Chapter two, for example, is
supposed to tell you about modems and communication software.  Except
for a brief discussion of the pros and cons of generic terminal
software versus service specific "front ends", one wonders why the
chapter was included.  A section dealing with communications
parameters finally comes down to, "Oh, it's all too technical, just
use 2400,8,N,1 and it'll probably work."  Chapter three talks about
logging in: Prodigy users get pretty short shrift here.  (In a section
titled "Protecting Your Password" the fifth sentence is enough to make
any security types shudder: it advises, nay, commands! that you write
down your password.)  Chapter four purports to help you navigate the
services: it reminds you of the chapters in software manuals that give
the basics of menu usage.  Chapter five talks about the various
possible charging and surcharge options but lacks specifics.

Chapter six discusses email.  This chapter could be used as an example
of most of what the book is -- and isn't.  The contents are mostly a
sequence of commands for WinCIM, the Windows version of CompuServe's
own "front end" communication program.  Seven pages are devoted to
sending and receiving mail on CompuServe, less than a page on Prodigy.
Nowhere does it tell you how to send a message if you don't have the
CIM.  One page discusses the difference between public and private
messages.  Two pages purport to cover online etiquette: this seems to
reduce to "don't advertise unless you pay" and "aren't smileys cute!"
You are told that CompuServe can send email to the Internet: you are
*not* told, as in most other places in the book, that it is a
surcharge, nor are you told how to do it.

Chapter seven says that you can upload and download.  (It also
recommends that you use PKZIP version 2.04C.  I guess that, in the
rush to get the book out, the disasters of that particular version
went unnoticed.)  Chapter eight briefly looks at topical "bulletin
boards" (static conferencing), "real time" conferencing and chat
functions.  Chapter nine discusses data base searching.  Again,
Resnick promises more than CompuServe can supply.  Many of the
examples of valuable information are taken from sources other than
CompuServe, *all* of the instructions are for CompuServe.  This topic,
more than any other, promises big dividends for business.  While there
are some tentative observations about having to learn where the
information is and how to use it, the reality is that data base access
is an art in itself, and a lot of time, and money, have to be invested
to start getting returns.  Chapter ten lists some of the problems you
may encounter trying to telecommute while travelling.  Unfortunately,
the list of horrors mentioned is not exhaustive, as many travelling
members of the online community can attest.

Part two concentrates more on the services and information that can be
found in various places.  It starts off, however, with chapter eleven
purporting to compare online services.  Given the complexity of the
offerings, a "spec sheet" type approach seems called for.  Instead, we
again get an anecdotal listing of various features.  Chapter twelve
talks first about financial information services, then various online
services other than CompuServe and Prodigy, and, finally, online
brokerages.  Thirteen discusses making business contacts online;
fourteen, electronic malls; fifteen, travel services.  Sixteen starts
out with technical support, then briefly lists some other online
services, then gives us some "pie-in-the-sky" speculation about future
directions.  A final appendix gives a few pages each to GEnie,
American Online and Delphi as "The Rest of the Pack".

This book would have made a good magazine article.  With many
repetitions of the same text, a lot of WinCIM screen shots and large
print, it has been expanded to a book.  Considering the material that
could have been included, one can certainly see gaping holes.  On the
other hand, given the price of the book, it is certainly cheaper to
get an idea of what is available "out there" in here, first.  For
business people who are interested in getting into online systems in a
big way, this might be a start.

It is by no means the final word.  Communication is still a difficult
process, likely because of the necessary number of entities
(communications software, communications port, cabling, modem, phone
line, phone service, etc.) involved.  Resnick's brief overview simply
does not provide enough information, and this extends to other areas
of the book as well.  Note also that many of the services, outside of
purely commercial data bases, that are listed in the book can also be
obtained through local bulletin board systems, Fidonet, Freenet or the
Internet, at greatly reduced cost, sometimes even free.

If this book contained more about systems other than CompuServe and
Prodigy, it might have served as a vehicle for choosing among the
various competing online services.  As it is, it might almost be worth
buying the user guides for the different systems: they contain more
information.  And they can't be much more biased.


copyright Robert M. Slade, 1993   BKETWOOS.RVW  930823
Permission granted to distribute with full copies of the Telecom Digest
and associated mailing lists/newsgroups.

Vancouver Institute for Research into User Security,   Canada    V7K 2G6
[e-mail]   [e-mail]   [e-mail]   Fidonet 1:153/733
[e-mail]                                                 604-526-3676

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

From: [e-mail] (John Gilbert)
Subject: Radio Spectrum Auctions
Organization: Motorola, LMPS
Date: Thu, 30 Sep 1993 15:53:38 GMT


Radio spectrum auctions were approved in August by Congress.  These
Auctions are expected to raise $10 billion for the government.
Licenses to be awarded include, PCS, advanced messsaging, cellular
video, interactive television, satellite services and others.

My question: Once you win an auction for spectrum have you "bought"
rights to this spectrum in perpetuity?  Or is the auction in fact some
sort of high tech rental agreement?  If you actually "buy" lifetime
rights, what happens when the current technology is obsolete and the
FCC wants to re-allocate the spectrum to some other use?  (If
television broadcasters ever "owned" the spectrum for TV channels
70-83, we might not have cellular telephones today).


John Gilbert    [e-mail]

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

Date: Wed, 29 Sep 93 00:44:00 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <roscom![e-mail]>
Subject: DES Key Search Paper


FYI.  From rec.video.satellite

 Newsgroups: rec.video.satellite
 Date: Tue, 28 Sep 1993 08:14:52 CDT
 Sender: HOMESAT - Home Satellite Technology <[e-mail]>
 From: "Dr. Robert R. Wier" <[e-mail]>
 Subject: DES encryption

Here's a thing which recently came in which I thought might be of
interest to you VCII(+) fans out there ...


Bob Wier

========== insert usual discalimers here =================
  internet: [e-mail] (watch for address change)


Subject: Re: DES Key Search Paper (fwd)

Michael Weiner presented a paper at Crypto93 that describes a fast DES
key search engine that uses a special inside-out DES chip that he
designed.  This chip takes a single plaintext/ciphertext pair and
quickly tries DES keys until it finds one that produces the given
ciphertext from the given plaintext.  Weiner can get these chips made
for $10.50 each in quantity, and can build a special machine with
57000 of these chips for $1 million.  This machine can exhaust the DES
key space in seven hours, finding a key in 3.5 hours on the average.
He works for Bell Northern Research in Ottawa, and says they have not
actually built this machine, but he has the chip fully designed and
ready for fabrication.

This is a stunning breakthrough in the realization of practical DES
cracking.  BTW -- note that PEM uses straight 56-bit DES.

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

From: [e-mail] (Jean-Bernard Condat)
Date: Fri, 01 Oct 1993 07:53:50 GMT
Subject: Ad on French Electronic Phone Book [11]


The French electronic phone book ("l'annuaire electronique") is very
efficient and easily available from any Minitel. You dial 11 and you
have it.  Free the three first minutes, "he is an uncredible example
for all other countries" said Mr. Jean-Francois Berry, President of
the AFUTT (Association Francaise des Utilisateurs du Telephone).

But if you need the address of "La Boutique du Dos" in Paris, the system
refuse to answer to your question "Boutique du Dos". Why?

The AFUTT ask to have the possibility to identify the name and address of
a person with the only phone number. This fact is possible, at this time,
under a lot of restrictions and for a 18.00 FF fees.

But some strange thing are possible:

*  If you ask Felicitas, institut psycho-matrimonial in Paris 14th, you
   have some screens explaining you all the activities of this love
   agency. The text describing monthly three boys and three girls are
   available, too :-)

* Some international datas are no up-to-date: the area code of Wiesbaden
  in Germany is 6121 in the French electronic phone book and not the 611
  like some months.

Do you have similar mistakes in your national electronic phone books?


                         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: [phone], Fax: [phone]
         InterNet:  [e-mail]   or  [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (John L. MacFarlane)
Subject: ATM and IP
Date: Thu, 30 Sep 1993 21:14:41 GMT
Organization: Software.Com


Hello all,

It seems to me that the movement to ATM telco networks is going to
have rather negative implications for the Internet Protocol. It is
generally believed that the most efficient transfers over IP occurs
when the IP packets are not fragmented (i.e. PMTU discovery). ATM
proposes a 48 byte data payload for each cell, thus the MTU of the ATM
network will be 48 bytes (avoiding any fragmentation at the ATM
Adoption Layer). This does not leave much room for data after the
necessary headers which accompany UDP (or worse TCP) packets are
included.

I guess the ATM folks have discovered more efficient algorithms for
fragmentation than the Internet folks have been able to field.

What's up with that?


[e-mail]

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

Date: Thu, 30 Sep 93 00:41 EDT
From: [e-mail] (woody)
Subject: More 416/905 Split Information


Thanks to Rod Potter and York University, there is information on the
416/905 split available for those with gopher access. The gopher
should be pointable to gopher.yorku.ca. From there, proceed to the
"Other" information services menu, then the "Interesting Places"
sub-menu, then the 416/905 info should be found.

That menu also contains a document called "Toronto Calling". Versions
of this have been circulating for years in the Toronto area. Due to
its local nature, I have not sent this to the Digest Archives, but it
could be an inspiration to those who want to make similar telephone
guides in other cities.

Some stray notes on the 416/905 split: there are a few places in 905
that have local calling to adjacent area codes such as 519, 613 and
705. Only a seven digit local number is required to call across the
905 border for these points, whereas local calls between 905 and 416
require ten digits (416 or 905 + number depending on destination).

On a slightly related note: the 313/810 split in the Detroit area was
mentioned in some of the recent Michigan books, at least those found
on the Phonefiche. Alas, the phone books state that more details would
follow in the next editions, some of which will not be printed until
1994 is well underway.


David Leibold

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

From: Andre van Heerden <[e-mail]>
Organization: Rand Afrikaans University
Date: Thu, 30 Sep 1993 08:28:34 GMT+2
Subject: Information Wanted on GSM
Reply-To: [e-mail]


Hello Digest readers,

I would like the following information on GSM:


- People's general impression with the GSM service;

- Which countries use GSM;

- Tariffs/ Charging methods in the different countries
that use GSM (UK, France, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Hong Kong ....);

- The cost of a GSM handset in the different countries;

- How effective (implementation and cost) is GSM in a rural area;l

Please e-mail me directly. I will summarize for the Digest.


Thanks in advance.


Andre van Heerden              Tel: [phone]
Cybernetics Laboratory         Fax: [phone]
Rand Afrikaans University    Email: [e-mail]
P O Box 524     Aucklandpark  2006   SOUTH AFRICA

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

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #671
******************************


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Date: Sun, 3 Oct 1993 19:17:00 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #672

TELECOM Digest     Sun, 3 Oct 93 19:17:00 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 672

Inside This Issue:                       Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    U.C. Berkeley Short Courses on Broadband Communications (Harvey Stern)
    AT&T Long Distance, Wholesale (Monty Solomon)
    Sprint Announces Service For Georgia Inmates (Les Reeves)
    Dandelot Report on Telecommunications in France (Nigel Allen)
    Does a US Modem Work in the UK? (Dinesh Rehani)
    AT&T G3 Switch vs ISDN (Sydney Biddle Barrows)
    Pager Service and SSNs? (Scott McClure)
    SSAN Now Required by SNET (David A. Cantor)
    Looking For SoftSwitch and Retix (Ed Greenberg)
    Where is Latest Areacodes Program? (Ian Service)
    Re: Looking for a E1 Bit Error Rate Tester (Steven L. Spak)
    OpenView Forum - Conference BOF ([e-mail])
    Pac Bell Commercials Use Duritti Column (Randall Gellens)

                     ----------------------
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: [e-mail].
 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: [phone].

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

From: [e-mail]
Subject: U.C. Berkeley Short Courses on Broadband Communications
Date: 3 Oct 1993 22:25:07 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 ISDN 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 (November 3-5, 1993)

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: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
email: [e-mail]

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

Date: Sun, 3 Oct 93 04:21:31 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <roscom![e-mail]>
Subject: AT&T Long Distance, Wholesale


FYI.  From biz.misc

 From: [e-mail] (Philip Pavarini, Jr.)
 Newsgroups: biz.misc
 Subject: AT&T Long Distance, Wholesale???!!!
 Date: 30 Sep 1993 02:29:52 GMT
 Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
 Reply-To: [e-mail] (Philip Pavarini, Jr.)


*  Tired of paying outragous prices
   for QUALITY long distance service?


*  Spend over $75 per month in long distance?


* Most others won't tell you their rates and compare them;
  here's ours:


    COMMERCIAL INTERSTATE BASE DAY RATES BY MILEAGE BAND
      based on 16-second minimum, 6-second increments

----------------------------------------------------------------
Mileage     AT&T SDN/DNS AT&T CustomNET  AT&T CustomNET   AT&T
Band         through US  standard rates  $1500+/month  PRO WATTS
-----------------------------------------discount rate----------
0 to 55        0.1670        0.2350         0.2000        0.2290
56 to 292      0.1850        0.2560         0.2180        0.2490
293 to 430     0.1970        0.2710         0.2300        0.2640
431 to 925     0.2050        0.2710         0.2300        0.2640
926 to 1910    0.2160        0.2830         0.2400        0.2750
1911 to 3000   0.2160        0.2830         0.2400        0.2750
3001 to 4250   0.2160        0.2830         0.2400        0.2750
4251 plus      0.2160        0.2830         0.2400        0.2750
----------------------------------------------------------------
Calling      0.30/surcharge|   Between 0.70 and 0.80/surcharge
Card         Same rates as | 0.2600         0.2210          ???
Charges      above SDN plan| Above are flat per min. day rates.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Summary of   * Flat-rate   | * Most of AT&T's Commercial long
Savings      total savings | distance plans include complicated
             and WHOLESALE | incremental discounts and other
             rates ALL of  | complicated savings plans.  Like
             the time. Not | the discounted rates above for
             based on      | AT&T CustomNET customers who spend
             monthly min.  | over $1500 per month.  Smaller
                           | discounts are also given to
                           | customers spending over $25 & $200.
             ---------------------------------------------------
       You call AT&T directly on all plans for service problems.
----------------------------------------------------------------

We also offer a variety of GREAT ways to save you money on your AT&T
long distance, like free long distance for joining us.  But we won't
mention them here, so we don't make our plan seem complicated.  You
will get the above rates -- NO FEES, MINIMUMS or SURCHARGES.  Period.

That's right, WHOLESALE AT&T Long Distance.  THIS IS NOT ANOTHER
ATTEMPT TO GET YOU TO CHANGE LONG DISTANCE COMPANIES.  You can save a
substantial amount on your long distance service (Compared to ANY long
distance company.) and if you are already with AT&T you don't even
need to switch carriers!  We're even lower than MCI, Sprint and Allnet
 -- call for complete comparison chart.

In addition to the great wholesale rates we already offer, we've just
begun a new program.  THE CUSTOMER LOYALTY REBATE OFFER.  You get 5%
of your first years gross long distance bill BACK!  You get 10% of
your second years gross long distance bill BACK!  You get 15% of your
third years gross long distance bill BACK!

Don't settle for less than the best, AT&T.

Residential, toll-free 800, and Teleconferencing Wholesale programs
also available.  Call for more information 24 hours/7 days:
[phone].  Or contact me directly at [phone] during normal
business hours.

WHOLESALE AT&T LONG DISTANCE!  Residential/Commercial.  Why not
call today for more information?  [phone] 24hrs/day.

=================================================================
Phil Pavarini, Jr.   ---   (INTERNET [e-mail])


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

[Telecom Moderator's Note: Well, Phil Pavarini, Jr. is not offering
anything I don't have available also, but I don't mind letting other
folks get in messages about their services from time to time. It is
not well known, but almost anyone can get on the AT&T SDN program if
their monthly usage is at least a little above the average. The rates
Phil quotes above are about the same as what I get for people who
sign up via my office for US Fibercom services. USFI is the single
largest reseller/aggregator of AT&T in the USA.) Services like this
plus the Orange Card, 800 numbers and Telepassport are what pay the
bills here. I do think Phil could be a bit more tasteful in his way
of advertising however.  PAT]

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

Date: Sun, 03 Oct 1993 14:16:13 EDT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Sprint Announces Service For Georgia Inmates


Sprint and Harris Electronic Systems have teamed up to offer a new pay
phone system in Georgia prisons.  The system, designed to reduce
telephone and credit card fraud, provides each inmate with a personal
identification number and a predetermined list of allowed phone
numbers.  Sprint said the project, which has a potential value of $32
million, will service 16,000 inmates in 21 state prisons.

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

From: [e-mail] (Nigel Allen)
Date: Sun, 3 Oct 1993 16:15:00 -0400
Organization: CRS Online  (Toronto, Ontario)
Subject: Dandelot Report on Telecommunications in France


The Dandelot report on telecommunications in France is available free
of charge (in French only) by writing to:

 Ministere de l'Industrie, des Postes et Telecommunications
 Messages (rapport Dandelot)
 20 avenue de Segur
 F-75700 Paris  France
 fax  [phone]

The report recommends turning France Telecom into a business
corporation (societe anonyme) with majority government ownership, but
with a minority interest held by the public and traded on the stock
exchange.


Nigel Allen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada    [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (Dinesh Rehani)
Subject: Does a US Modem Work in the UK?
Date: 3 Oct 1993 22:50:56 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (USA)


I'm planning to buy a notebook with a built-in fax/modem card in the
US. The big question is, will the modem work in the UK?  I know the
physical jacks/wiring are different, but provided I can get the
appropriate connections, do I have anything else to worry about? Are
the actual electrical signals etc any different in various countries?

I'll appreciate any suggestions / comments.


[e-mail]   Dinesh Rehani

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

From: [e-mail] (Sydney Biddle Barrows)
Subject: AT&T G3 Switch vs ISDN
Date: 3 Oct 1993 16:24:43 -0700
Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA


Do AT&T G3 switches (which we have installed in our dorms) support
ISDN?

What data rate (bits/sec, bytes/sec, baud) does ISDN support?  Does
ISDN support TCP/IP, AppleTalk, Novelle, or Microsoft network protocol
codes?

Our campus bought a bunch of G3 switches and claims to be able to
provide low cost voice AND DATA connections.  However, I have seen no
evidence of any ability to provide cost effective data services.

Does ISDN support multiple simultaneous 10 megabit per second
(ethernet style) data communications?


Thanks,

AJ Annala

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

From: [e-mail] (Scott McClure)
Subject: Pager Service and SSNs?
Organization: NIX - The Network Information eXchange
Date: Sun, 3 Oct 1993 02:32:36 GMT


Hi all,

    I just picked up a NEC "Facts Relay" Pager from the local
Price Club, with four months of service ($94.00).  Of course, PacTel
paging isn't open on Saturday or Sunday afternoons, so I have to wait
until Monday to start the service (grrr...).

    Anyway, I was reading through the "Subscriber Service
Agreement, Terms and Conditions."  Interesting reading.  I'll share
the highlights with you:


"... The subscriber also acknowledges carrier's right, pursuant to
appropriate regulatory proceedures, to change the technical configur-
ation of its system in such a way which might make the pager incompat-
ible with the paging services ..."

Convenietly lets them off the hook for supporting the installed base
of pagers ...

"... Carrier shall not be deemed in default of this agreement for
delay, errors, or defects in the Paging Service due to any force
majeure condition, including, but not limited to the following: fire,
power blackout, inability to secure facilities, acts or omissions of
carriers (including satellite and connecting carriers), acts of God,
the elements, rain, earthquake, nuclear accident, volcanic action, or
other causes beyond carrier's resonable control, whether or not
similar to the foregoing, and whether or not foreseen, unforseen, or
foreseeable by parties ..."

Hmm ... they forgot sunspots, spontainious human combustion, black
holes, supernovas, server crashes, hackers, crackers, and phreaks (oh,
my!)

"Subscriber, if an individual, warrants that he/she is 18 years of
age."

Well, hell.  I guess I'm too old for a pager.

Of course, my personal favorite is the nice little card they included
for me to sign, which included the following:

"Driver's license number:_____________________________________"

Yeah, like that's really going to help them find someone in
California.  State law says that no one's personal information can be
given out from DMV records without prior written consent from the
individual (law enforcement agencies excepted, of course).  Unless of
course, someone out there knows something I don't......  8-)

"Social Security Number:______________________________________"

What the f%&*$ do they need this for?  I really object to giving it
out for something like this.  The SSN was never intended to be an ID
number, except for use by the Social Security Agency.  With someone's
social, you can access their credit card information, bank account
data, and lots of other things.  It even allows tampering with some of
these.

Can they *legally* require someone's SSN for this?

Thanks,


Scott

INTERNET:  [e-mail]
Non-MX:  ryptyde![e-mail]
ICBMnet: 32-54N/117-15W


[Moderator's Note: No one can legally require your SSN. However anyone
is free to say they will only choose to do business with you provided
you supply the information they request. Since they contemplate entering
a business relationship with you, they have a lawful right to make an
inquiry into your credit history. Your credit history is filed under
your SSN. So you have the right to refuse to provide the information
and they have the right to decline doing business with you. Regards
the driver's license number, it cannot be given out without *your*
permission. They are asking your implied permission by requesting you
to fill out that form. Again, you are free to refuse. So are they.  PAT]

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

From: [e-mail] (David A. Cantor)
Subject: SSAN Now Required by SNET
Organization: MV Communications, Inc.
Date: Sun, 3 Oct 1993 03:21:59 GMT


I *hate* to give out my Social Security Account Number to entities
other than the government and my employer(s).

Today I called the SNET business office (yes, it was Saturday, so I
guess I have one good thing to say about SNET -- they work on
Saturday) to arrange for telephone service at my new residence.

I was told that in order for them to properly check my credit, I would
have to give them my SSAN.  I told them that I don't give that out,
and the rep said, rather begrudgingly, that I *could* get telephone
service without giving them my SSAN, but I would (1) have to appear in
person at one of their business offices and present enough
identification to convince them that I am who I claim I am, and (2)
probably have to wait two to three weeks for the credit check to be
completed before phone service could be turned on, and (3) probably be
frustrated later because the credit check usually results in them
finding out my SSAN without my help, so there's no reason to withhold
it from them.


David A. Cantor               [phone]
131 D.W. Highway, #505        Foxwoods blackjack dealer
Nashua, NH  03060             Moving soon to New London, CT


[Moderator's Note: She was quite correct. SSN's are in many public
data bases. I'm not saying you necessarily need to make it easier for
them to get, but they will get it. You'll lose, they won't.   PAT]

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

From: [e-mail] (Ed Greenberg)
Subject: Looking For SoftSwitch and Retix
Organization: Netcom Online Communications Services (408-241-9760 login: guest)
Date: Sun, 03 Oct 1993 20:40:56 GMT


Can anyone please provide me with phone numbers (or even cities) for
SoftSwitch and Retix?


Thanks,

Ed Greenberg   [e-mail]   Ham Radio: KM6CG

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

From: [e-mail] (Ian Service)
Subject: Where is the Latest Areacodes Program?
Date: 3 Oct 1993 11:27:50 GMT
Organization: Stratus Computer, Inc.


Subject line pretty much says it all. I am looking for a copy of the
areacodes program/shell script. As mine is getting rather out of date.
A really useful tool!


All opinions are my own and do not represent anyone else.
Ian Service                [e-mail]
Stratus Computer Inc.                TEL [phone]
M/S M3-2-BKW,  55 Fairbanks Boulevard    FAX [phone]
Marlboro MA 01752-1298


[Moderator's Note: The one in the archives is not up to date either.
Maybe our resident areacode expert Carl Moore needs to look it over
and bring it up to date so it can be distributed to sites wanting to
use it.   PAT]

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

From: [e-mail] (Steven L. Spak)
Subject: Re: Looking for a E1 Bit Error Rate Tester
Date: 3 Oct 1993 10:48:33 GMT
Organization: George Washington University


TTC or Telecommunications Techniques Corp. in Germantown, Maryland
makes the E1 "Intercepter" -- sorry, no contact number.


Steven Spak    [e-mail]
Transmission Engineer
Tel:[phone]   Fax:[phone]

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

From: [e-mail]
Subject: OpenView Forum - Conference BOF
Organization: Martin Marietta
Date: Sun, 3 Oct 1993 20:34:13 GMT



                 INVITATION FOR BOF TOPICS AND CHAIRS


MEMBERS' CONFERENCE
OCTOBER 31-NOVEMBER 3, 1993
WESTIN GALLERIA  DALLAS, TEXAS

PROGRAM
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1
5:30pm-6:30pm    Birds-of-a-Feather Sessions

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2
5:30pm-6:30pm    Birds-of-a-Feather Sessions

Birds-of-a-Feather Sessions

Birds-of-a-Feather Sessions are your opportunity to discuss
up-to-the-minute topics or to begin the formation of Special Interest
Groups and Working Groups. Session topics will be posted daily during
the conference.

To suggest a topic or to moderate a Birds-of-a-Feather Session, please
contact the symposium hotline at 1-800- 538-6680, or electronically at
[e-mail].

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

From: [e-mail]
Date: 3 OCT 93 18:50
Subject: Pac Bell Commercials Use Duritti Column


Anyone exposed to California radio or TV must have heard the Pacific
Bell series of "Tomorrow Will Be Better" ads.  The theme music is
"Otis" by The Duritti Column.  This is a very obscure band; I wonder
how they picked it?


Randall Gellens            [e-mail]|
A Series System Software
Unisys Corporation         [Please forward bounce messages|
Mission Viejo, CA          to: [e-mail]]|
Opinions are personal;. .facts are suspect; . I speak only for myself|

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

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #672
******************************


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Date: Sun, 3 Oct 1993 20:04:02 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #673

TELECOM Digest     Sun, 3 Oct 93 20:04:00 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 673

Inside This Issue:                       Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Book Review: "The ABCs of Local Area Networks" by Dortch (Rob Slade)
    Area Code 917 in NYC for Beepers (Christopher Zguris)
    Overseas Connection, How? (Helmut Heller)
    BellSouth Surplus Sales Center (Nigel Allen)
    Four-Wire Pay Phones? (Scott McClure)
    Weird Behavior Caused by Too Many Ringers? (Toby Nixon)
    Canadian Long-Distance Wars on US TV (Garrett Wollman)
    Cities for 919/910 Split (Carl Moore)
    OKI 900 Cellular Telephone Help Needed (Dan Veeneman)
    Oftel Consults on Calling Line ID (Office of Telecom via Darren Ingram)
    Audio Signal -> Telephone - HOW ? (Angelo Haritsis)
    Radio Spectrum Auctions (Robert J. Keller)

                     ----------------------
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: [e-mail].
 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: [phone].

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

Date:  3 Oct 93 14:28 -0600
From: Rob Slade <[e-mail]>
Subject: Book Review: "The ABCs of Local Area Networks" by Dortch


BKABCLAN.RVW  930902

Sybex Computer Books
2021 Challenger Drive
Alameda, CA   94501  USA
510-523-8233  800-227-2346
Fax: [phone]

or

Firefly Books
250 Sparks Avenue
Willowdale, Ontario M2H 2S4
416-499-8412  Fax: [phone]

"The ABC's of Lcoal Area Networks", Dortch, 1990, U$19.95/C$25.95
[e-mail], [e-mail] or [e-mail]

This author's bias is evident almost immediately.  His definition
includes physical proximity and desktop machines only.  This is
confirmed by the remainder of chapter one, which admits to large
networks, but prefers to talk about the small (very small) business
with five or ten micros.  This is not necessarily a fault.  The view
is quite practical, and a refreshing change from those who promise
fantastic performance -- as long as you are willing to spend a million
bucks on a hundred-node LAN.

The material does not delve deeply into technical details.  It is
difficult to judge whether there is *too* little: chapter two deals
with LAN components, and discusses cabling and cable choice.  Coaxial
cable is described, and some of the pro's and con's are cited.
However, aside from saying that there are fire- and water-resistant
types, there are no details regarding the choice among, say, thick or
thin coax, nor where you would need plenum coated (fire- resistant)
cable.

The "components" spill over into chapter three.  While entitled, "The
Network Operating System," it also manages to squeeze in some thoughts
on standards organizations, uninterruptable power supplies and access
methods.  (That's access to the wire, not security provisions.)

Chapters four and five discuss security and management concerns.  Both
of these chapters are quite good -- but both leave a lot to be
desired, as well.  Security, for example, deals only with intrusion
attempts from outside.  The suggestions are positive and practical,
and cover many areas too frequently missed.  Similarly for management
concerns in chapter five, documentation and backups can *never* be
overemphasized.  While I very much respect Dortch's wish not to become
bogged down in specific network operating systems, I feel that some
examples of "effective rights" and management of resources would be of
great benefit here.

(You thought, when reviewing a LAN book, I couldn't talk about viral
programs?  Dortch does.  He seems to consider them a management,
rather than security, issue.  Quite possibly correct.  His suggestions
for dealing with them, however, are unimpressive.  He denigrates
antiviral software and takes the usual "buy commercial; avoid
shareware/BBSes" line.)

Chapter six goes comparison shopping for LANs.  I was rather surprised
at how short the chapter was.  Still, it covers the basic territory,
dividing LAN operating systems, rather arbitrarily, but reasonably
functionally, into basic and advanced.  A "quick and dirty" overview
of the major players is presented.  There are many topics missed here,
but what is given is likely good enough for the purchaser of a small
system.

This book is practical.  Chapters seven and eight re-examine some of
the choices regarding LANs; how to buy, what to buy and, indeed,
*whether* to buy.  A number of suggestions are offered as to how to
*avoid* buying a LAN.  Along with some good reasons why not to.  Some
of the material in chapter seven extends earlier chapters, and fills
in some of the gaps.  One weakness: the book rightly suggests you be
wary of incompetent local suppliers (the current buzzword is "system
integrators") but fails to offer suggestions as to how to assess
competence.

Chapter nine does some forecasting, from a 1990 perspective.
Unfortunately, some of the dating shows.  Dortch downplays the use of
mini and mainframe computers as servers, unaware of the rapid advances
that would take place.  It is interesting to note, rather sadly, that
some of the advances have yet to come, such as communications servers.
Still, it is an interesting and thought-provoking section, as
intended.

There are five appendices, which vary in usefulness.  Appendices A and
B are fairly useless tips on the DOS backup programs, viral protection
and reliability issues.  Appendix C is a fairly decent review of
cabling concerns (and is reprinted from a vendor's seminar).  D is a
list of magazines and resources, mostly pretty good.  The last is a
four-page glossary of networking terms.

To paraphrase the carnival barkers, this is only the beginning, folks,
only the beginning.  However, it is a fairly good beginning.  For the
user or manager confronting the possibility of purchasing a LAN for
the first time, this does provide some of the basic background.  If
you are looking at more than, say, thirty nodes, or if you need more
than one server, or if you need advanced capabilities, you are going
to need more information than this book provides.  And you are going
to want it, remember, *before* you buy.  As Dortch points out, LANs
acquire an inertia of their own.  Trying to retrofit a LAN is a
nightmare.

For those who are already managing LANs there will be nothing this
book can tell you.  It might remind you of a few things you should be
doing but aren't: you know who you are.  For new or prospective
managers of small LANs, this book is a good introduction.  For those
potentially looking at larger LANs, this is still a good introduction,
with the caveat that further study will be needed.

(In commenting on the draft of this review, Michael Dortch expressed a
willingness to try to respond to any comments readers might wish to
send to him at the email addresses listed above, or faxed to
[phone].  He is currently a columnist for {Communications Week}
magazine.)

copyright Robert M. Slade, 1993   BKABCLAN.RVW  930902.
Permission granted to distribute with unedited copies of the Telecom
Digest and associated mailing lists/newsgroups.


Vancouver Institute for Research into User Security,   Canada    V7K 2G6
[e-mail]   [e-mail]   [e-mail]   Fidonet 1:153/733
[e-mail]                                                 604-526-3676

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

Date: Sun, 3 Oct 93 21:22 GMT
From: Christopher Zguris <[e-mail]>
Subject: Area Code 917 in NYC for Beepers


  I just found out -- the hard way -- that my beeper telephone number
has been changed from area code 212 to 917. I don't recall getting
anything in the mail about the change. I thought the change would
affect new accounts, I didn't realize existing beepers would be
changed over to 917. How will COCOT's and PBX's treat 917, as local or
long distance?

  When I dial my beeper number, it rings a couple times then I get the
message "Due to an area code change, your call cannot be completed as
dialed, dial again using area code 917."


Christopher Zguris   [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (Helmut Heller)
Subject: Overseas Connection, How?
Reply-To: [e-mail] (Helmut Heller)
Organization: Leibniz-Rechenzentrum, Muenchen (Germany)
Date: Sun, 3 Oct 1993 15:25:54 GMT


Hello,

I am desperately trying to connect to a modem in the United States
from Germany. After lowering the data rate to 300bps I can finally
connect, but I lose the connection before I can even transfer the
first message.

Now I have this faint memory trace that one has to do someting special
to dial overseas, but what do I have to do? Can anyone help?  Could it
have to do with a Guard Tone (what is that anyway?)?  Or somehow
(how?) disabling some echo-barriers in satellites for full-duplex
connections?

Please help me by directly sending e-mail to:
[e-mail]


Thanks A LOT!!!

Servus, Helmut  (DH0MAD)   Phone: ++89/2394-4565
[e-mail]  FAX: ++89/2394-4607
Helmut Heller, Ludwig Maximilians University, Institute for Medical Optics
Theoretical Biophysics Group, Room 230

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

Date: Sun, 3 Oct 93 12:28:33 -0400
From: [e-mail] (Nigel Allen)
Subject: BellSouth Surplus Sales Center
Organization: National Capital FreeNet, Ottawa


BellSouth operates a Surplus Sales Center where you can buy surplus
telecommunications equipment and other stuff such as office furniture.

For more information, contact:

 BellSouth Surplus Sales Center
 3213 8th Ave. North
 Birmingham, AL 35222
 telephone [phone] or [phone]
 fax [phone]

Other telephone companies have their own surplus sales centers, I
would expect.


Nigel Allen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada     [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (Scott McClure)
Subject: Four-wire Pay Phones?
Organization: NIX - The Network Information eXchange
Date: Sun, 3 Oct 1993 06:28:30 GMT


Hi all,

    I was tracing a line in our building the other day (ahh, the
joys of can-diving!) and came across what appeared to be a four-wire line
for a pay phone. Is this normal?  What would each of the four conductors
be used for, compared with a normal two-wire line?


Thanks,

Scott
INTERNET:  [e-mail]
Non-MX:  ryptyde![e-mail]
ICBMnet: 32-54N/117-15W

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

From: [e-mail] (Toby Nixon)
Subject: Weird Behavior Caused by Too Many Ringers??
Date: 03 Oct 93 22:10:10 GMT
Organization: Microsoft Corporation, Redmond WA, USA


Yesterday, a friend of our family called me at work to say she wasn't
able to get through to our phone at home.  Sure enough, when I called
to try it, I heard a real brief ringback, a loud couple of clicks,
followed by a fast busy.  Very strange!

I thought maybe the answering machine was misbehaving, so I called the
next-door neighbor and had her walk over and ask my wife to call me.
She could call out just fine, but when I tried to call her back, I
still got the same thing, even after unplugging the answering machine
from the line.  All she heard on her end was a single very short ring,
and then when she picked up she got dial tone!

I called GTE repair.  They ran a test from the switch and pronounced
the line to be fine, but offered to come out to the house for $22 and
try to isolate it further (trying to sell me their $1.50/month wire
maintenance service in the same breath).  I passed on that, and
decided to try a few more things.

I got my wife to start in the basement, unplugging devices to see if
the problem would go away.  When she unplugged my modems from the wall
(they share a jack), sure enough, I could call in.  But the modems
were powered off and couldn't have been picking up the line!  After
she plugged them back in, though, I could still call in -- very very
strange.  It seems to still be working fine now.

I'm wondering: could this behavior possibly be caused by having too
many ringers on the line?  I haven't gone through and added up all of
the ringer equivalencies, but we have two modems, four hardwired
phones, a cordless phone, an answering machine, an "answering machine
stopper", and one of those two-line Radio Shack switchboxes with an
electronic ringer in it, all plugged in.  If this WAS too much of a
load, would some sort of protective circuit in the switch trip when it
tried to ring, shunting the incoming call to fast busy and stopping
the ringing at the house, even though nobody had picked up on the
line?

What's really weird is that we've had all this stuff hooked up for
months with no problems, and after doing nothing more than
disconnecting and reconnecting the modems, it seems to now be working
fine again.  Well, I did have my wife plug a phone dirctly into the
demarc box to see if I could call her on that (I could), but when she
plugged the house wires back into the demarc jack the problem
reappeared until after disconnecting and reconnecting the modems.

Anybody have any ideas?  Should I go through the process of adding up
the ringer equivalencies and disconnect some devices to get it back
under 5 (assuming it is over now)?  Or should I just write this off as
a one-time anomaly and not worry about it?


Toby

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

From: [e-mail] (Garrett Wollman)
Subject: Canadian Long-Distance Wars on US TV
Organization: University of Vermont, EMBA Computer Facility
Date: Sun, 3 Oct 1993 22:13:33 GMT


Recently, I noticed that the Canadian LD company Unitel has taken to
advertising on our local TV stations here in Burlington, Vermont,
which sometimes pull a larger audience in Montreal than in their
theoretical service area.  I've noticed that the ads on the US
stations give a different number to call than the Canadian versions of
the same ads (800 949 1414 as opposed to 949 4545), although I didn't
try to call the number from this side to see if it got anywhere.  (If
it did, it would be interesting to know how many calls they get from
Americans who hear "45 percent" and "one month free" and call
without hearing to the bit about "there are now two long-distance
companies in Canada".)

I have not noticed if these ads appear during prime time programs,
since I don't watch US commercial TV during prime time, but during the
late night period they are often sandwiched in between ads for Club
Super-Sexe and the Montreal morning radio wars (it's now a pitched
battle between CHOM and "Mix 96" [which I believe to be the old
CJFM]).  During the "late-night talk-show wars" it has been unusual to
see a local advertisement during the Tonight Show; they are almost all
either national brokered spots or Montreal businesses, since the
Montreal competition at that hour is so weak.


Garrett A. Wollman   [e-mail]
uvm-gen!wollman      UVM disagrees.

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

Date: Sun, 3 Oct 93 17:56:45 EDT
From: Carl Moore <[e-mail]>
Subject: Cities For 919/910 Split


With the 919/910 split in North Carolina scheduled to begin 14
November, could someone summarize what big cities go to what area
code?  Here is what my home machine's area-codes file now has for 919:

919 Greenville, Raleigh and Williamston, North Carolina.

(Williamston is apparently small.  I "inherited" that line before I
started putting in revisions and corrections myself.)

If it is possible to send me hard copy regarding 919/910 split, please
write to me directly in the email and I'll discuss arrangements that
way.  Thanks.


[Moderator's Note: While you are at it Carl, you might like to take a
look at the areacodes script which is quite out of date and see if it
can be updated both to current reality and in anticipation of changes
expected over the next year.   PAT]

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

Subject: OKI 900 Cellular Telephone Help Needed
From: Dan Veeneman <ftgcorp![e-mail]>
Date: Sun, 03 Oct 93 13:23:31 EDT
Organization: Fountainhead Title Group


Hello,

Our company is looking for some kind of serial interface to connect a
customer database PC to a OKI 900 cellular telephone.  The OKI has the
capability to store telephone numbers and a short alpha code, and we'd
like to have all our company phones set up with the same list of
numbers and codes.  We use about 20 of these phones, and we'd like to
be able to program each phone without having to use the keypad on each
one.

I know there is a connector on the bottom of the phone that has some
kind of data port, however OKI Telecom will not release any information
on it.  Does anyone have any information on the interface or a idea of
how we could accomplish this programming?


[e-mail] (Dan Veeneman)
The Fountainhead Title Group Corporation
Real Estate Title Services

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

Date: Sun, 3 Oct 93 10:05 GMT
From: Darren Ingram <[e-mail]>
Subject: Oftel Consults on Calling Line Identification
Reply-To: [e-mail]



Date: 30 September 1993

Office of Telecommunications
Export House, 50 Ludgate Hill, London EC4M 7JJ
Telephone 07l -634 8750/l/2 Facsimile 07l 634 8842

OFTEL CONSULTS ON CALLING LINE IDENTIFICATION

Don Cruickshank, Director General of Telecommunications, today
published a Consultative Document on calling line identification (CLI)
 -- the service that allows subscribers to find out the telephone number
of the caller before answering the call.


Don Cruickshank said: "The modernisation of our telecommunications
networks has led to the prospect of innovative services such as
calling line identification. For many consumers such a service would
solve persistent problems -- for example by being able to identify
nuisance callers before accepting the call.

Calling line identification will also allow an exciting new range of
services to be provided over the telephone network. 'Call back when
free' and 'selective call forwarding' -- where calls from certain
numbers could be diverted to, say, a mobile while others go to an
anwering machine -- are two examples of what could become available.

But CLI does raise a number of important questions, particularly
concerning the privacy of the caller.  Even subscribers who might not
choose to take the service themselves would reveal their number or
identity to those they call unless blocking options were available. In
this way CLI, if introduced, would affect every telephone user. I am
therefore anxious to receive the views of a very wide range of
telephone users in response to this consultation exercise. I can then
do my best to ensure from the start that the service offered is the
one that customers want."

The Consultative Document concentrates on the privacy and economic
issues raised by CLI and recommends a way of introducing the service
so that, in OFTEL's view, the advantages considerably outweigh the
drawbacks. Central to the privacy issue is how telephone users will be
able to block the display of their number to the person they are
calling. There are a number of possibilities, all with points in
favour and against. OFTEL is keen to have users' reactions to these
alternatives.  Comments are invited on a number of specific questions
including two concerning technical matters.

CLI has implications beyond telecommunications in how the data --
mainly subscribers' numbers -- obtained through the service are used.
The Data Protection Registrar will therefore beinvolved in the
consultation and his views are included in the document.

Copies of the Consultative Document -- Callinq Line Identification --
are available, free of charge, from OFTEL's Press Office (tel: 071-634
8754). Comments on the issues raised are required by 19 November 1993.

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

Darren Ingram, Satnews, Coventry, UK tel. [phone]
[e-mail] Subscribe satnews

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

From: [e-mail] (Angelo Haritsis)
Subject: Audio Signal -> Telephone - HOW?
Date: 3 Oct 93 18:37:47 GMT
Organization: Dept. of Computing, Imperial College, London


Hello all,

Does anyone know how I can connect audio output onto a telephone so
that the audio signal can be fed directly onto the voice input of a
telephone?  How is this done for a UK telephone (if it is different
than other countries).

I would appreciate answers by personal e-mail.

Thanks in advance,

#include <standard.disclaimer.h>
Angelo Haritsis, Applied Systems Section
s-mail: Dpt of Computing,Imperial College, 180 Queen's Gate, London SW7 2BZ, UK
e-mail: [e-mail] - tel:[phone] - fax:[phone]

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

Reply-To: [e-mail] (Robert J. Keller)
Date: Sun, 03 Oct 1993 13:42:44
Subject: Radio Spectrum Auctions
From: [e-mail] (Robert J. Keller)


[e-mail] (John Gilbert) wrote:

> Radio spectrum auctions were approved in August by Congress.

> My question: Once you win an auction for spectrum have you "bought"
> rights to this spectrum in perpetuity?  Or is the auction in fact some
> sort of high tech rental agreement?  If you actually "buy" lifetime
> rights, what happens when the current technology is obsolete and the
> FCC wants to re-allocate the spectrum to some other use?  (If
> television broadcasters ever "owned" the spectrum for TV channels
> 70-83, we might not have cellular telephones today).

The rights won in an auction will not be "lifetime" rights, but only
license term rights.  Currently, most non-broadcast licenses are
issued for a ten year term, and my be renewed for subsequent ten year
terms by the licensee.  (I believe the term for broadcast licenses is
seven years.)  Nothing in the auction legislation changes that.
Rather, it merely says that when there is more than one mutually
exclusive application for a new license, the FCC may (and in many
cases must) use a competitive bidding procedure rather than a lottery
to award the license.

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

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #673
******************************


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Date: Mon, 4 Oct 1993 01:50:00 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #674

TELECOM Digest     Mon, 4 Oct 93 01:50:00 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 674

Inside This Issue:                       Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Product Review: Mirror III by SoftKlone (MS-DOS) (Rob Slade)
    Satellite Information Wanted (John T. Ellis)
    Access Fee and Universal Service Fund (John R. Levine)
    Sprint's Calling Cards, and USWest Updates my Account (Roy M. Silvernail)
    Disabling Ring (Jack Lowry)
    Cellular Service in Northeastern Vermont? (John R. Levine)
    Capacity of Area Codes and IP Numbers (David Jones)
    AML Carrier? (Yutang Chuang)
    Does Your Credit Card Number Change When Your Area Code Does? (B. Miller)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date:  3 Oct 93 14:51 -0600
From: Rob Slade <[e-mail]>
Subject: Product Review: Mirror III by SoftKlone (MS-DOS)


PCMIRROR.RVW  930908
                               Comparison Review

Company and product:

SoftKlone Distributing Corp.
327 Office Plaza Dr., #100
Tallahassee, FL   32301-2776
904-878-8564   fax: [phone]
BBS: 904-878-9884   [e-mail]
[e-mail]   [e-mail]


Mirror III v2.5

Summary: basic terminal emulation, can run in background under DOS


Cost  U$149

Rating (1-4, 1 = poor, 4 = very good)
      "Friendliness"
            Installation      1
            Ease of use       3
            Help systems      3
      Compatibility           3
      Company
            Stability         2
            Support           3
      Documentation           3
      Hardware required       3
      Performance             2
      Availability            2
      Local Support           2

General Description:

Mirror was originally a clone of the Crosstalk XVI program.  It
provides basic terminal emulation and file transfer.  It has a
relatively easy to use script capability, and can run file transfers
and scripts in the "background" while other DOS programs are run in
the foreground.

          Comparison of features and specifications

User Friendliness

Installation

Installation is actually a three-part process.  The INSTALL program
copies the files, and does some of the initial configuration.
(Because certain features are "add-in" modules, some of the functions
must be chosen here so they can be copied.)  SETUP (which can be
invoked by a switch on the Mirror program itself, as long as the
SETUP.EXE program is present) performs more configuration and
preference setting.  It can be run again at any time.  NEWUSER is a
script which chooses other "canned" scripts in order to connect to
various common services.

The installation program is not terribly "smart".  In fact, it's
downright stupid.  Although you can choose to eliminate certain
functions in order to save disk or memory space, almost all the files
are copied onto the target disk before the options are presented.  The
installation program tells you that up to 1.3 Megabytes, but as little
as 390K of disk space is needed, depending upon options chosen.
Instead, if the installation program runs out of disk space, it simply
terminates, leaving the installation incomplete.  It is then quite
difficult to determine what more needs to be done.  This may be a
problem where disk space is already limited.  (Response from the
company indicates that the message is due to a "Custom Install"
feature that has been removed from the program without all references
being taken out.)

In addition, one of the few options that seems to avoid copying all
the files across is that for the Prism script language files.
Unfortunately, choosing *not* to have the Prism files copied is a
problem, since the installation cannot complete without them (even
though the PRISM.MAF file was previously copied).

Suffice it to say that after several attempts I simply gave up and
tried a manual installation, guessing at the files needed.

Ease of use

Mirror provides both its original "status screen" interface, as well
as a "dialing directory" interface which may be more familiar to users
of packages like Procomm.  Thus, users have a choice depending upon
what they feel more comfortable with.  Almost all features are
available from both interfaces, although more complex tasks will
likely be faster and easier through the command line interface of the
status screen.  Two kinds of menus, as well as the command line, are
available when "online" in the terminal screen.  (It is interesting to
note that "rodent support" has even been extended to the status screen
display.)

At first glance, this seems to mean that users must learn two sets of
commands.  In practice, however, one interface will likely be used in
preference over the other.  A user might start with the dialing
directory's menu interface, but then migrate to the status screen as
tasks become more complex.  (The choice of interface need not be
exlcusive: there are functions for access to either interface from the
other.)  Unfortunately, there will be little crossover here, although
the menu items from the dialing directory suggest the commands used in
the status screen.

Help systems

Help is available via the F1 key on the dialing directory screen, and
"HELP", "HELP command" or "command ??" on the command line.  Since the
function keys are assignable in the status screen, F1 is not bound to
the help feature (although it can be assigned to "@HELP|").  The help
text is not always helpful: some of the entries are very terse and
difficult to interpret.

Compatibility

Mirror was designed to be compatible with Crosstalk, and uses the same
script language (and basic commands) which the Crosstalk XVI program
did.

Terminal emulation and file transfers are reasonably good.  Mirror
(and Crosstalk) have always had problems with Kermit transfers, and
this is still the case.

Company Stability

At one time Softklone got sued over the issue of compatibility with
Crosstalk.  However, that was quite a while ago, and they seem to have
survived.

Company Support

The usual.  I did, however, receive a response to my initial draft of
the review, somewhat unusual, unfortunately, with commercial software
houses.  Therfore, extra marks.  The response did not, however,
address a number of the issues raised, and took seven days.

Documentation

Documentation includes a "Mirror III" book for version 2, a version
2.5 "New Features" booklet, a "Quick Start Procedures" card and a
"Prism" programming language manual.  The documentation is quite
clear, and even makes an attempt to educate the novice user.  There
is, for example, a chapter on "Communications Parameters" as well as
an "Introduction to Data Communications" appendix.  A number of the
explanations could use improvement; it really isn't that hard to
explain what "data bits" are; but it is nice to see the effort being
made.  Data communications is an extremely useful tool, but one that
few computer users can approach without help, and most communications
packages don't help much.

System Requirements

Although the installation program suggests that a minimum of 390K is
needed for installation (and, indeed, I got a "bare bones" setup to
work with less than 200K), your will likely need a hard disk for the
installation program.

Performance

Mirror has an "Answer Mode", but this should *not* be confused with a
"host mode" as on other communications packages.  Answer mode will put
the modem into answer mode (odd to choose such obviously confusing
terminology) and wait for a connection.  Account and password support
is provided, and minimal sign-on banners, but any prompts or functions
you wish to make available to callers must be programmed.  If you do
not program prompts and menus, callers must be familiar with Mirror or
Crosstalk commands.  (Perhaps the first one to teach them should be
"HELP".)  Security provisions, however, are much stronger than for
either Procomm or HyperACCESS, although possibly more time-consuming
to set up.

A handy feature is Mirror's "background" capability.  Since modem or
terminal communication does not strain the capabilities of even modest
desktop systems, pressing both "Shift" keys together will allow you to
run another DOS session while Mirror transfers a file in the
background.  "Shift-Shift" will bring Mirror back into the foreground
(although the "second" session will be suspended while Mirror is in
the foreground).

Prism is a programming language extension of the original script
language.  Unlike some other packages, it really is an extension:
scripts from previous versions of Mirror or Crosstalk work fine.  This
backwards compatibility does not seem to have exacted any toll in
terms of performance.  Prism programs look very much like Pascal, and
anything you can't do with Prism probably requires dedicated
programming.

Prism is not compiled as are the macro or script languages of some
recent communications packages.  This means that scripts and programs
can be written, run and amended from the "source" text files.  There
will be some speed considerations here, but it is difficult to
envisage a situation where this would be a real problem.  (Prism files
can be "protected" and compressed to prevent alteration.)

Mirror has always had difficulty with determining when a connection
has been established.  This does not seem to have improved.  I tried
using the standard dialling commands to get a connection: this effort
failed.  My previous experience with Mirror led to the use of my own
scripts to monitor call progress (connecting to the modem as if it
were a "local host").  These worked just as well with the new version.
(In fairness, this may have to do with the fact that the installation
never did complete, and modem installation may have been affected.)

Local Support

Softklone is accessible via the Internet addresses above.  These are
not yet listed in the documentation.

Support Requirements

As noted, Mirror may have some difficulties with identifying
connections established through certain modems.  This may require some
script programming.

copyright Robert M. Slade, 1993   PCMIRROR.RVW  930826
Permission granted to distribute with uneditted copies of the Telecom
Digest and associated mailing lists/newsgroups.

Postscriptum - Subsequent to their initial response to my draft review,
SoftKlone have demonstrated themselves not only willing but eager to
address the issues raised.  They are currently working on the problem of
Kermit operation over 7 bit connections.


Vancouver      [e-mail]
Institute for  [e-mail]
Research into  [e-mail]
User           [e-mail]
Security       Canada V7K 2G6

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

From: [e-mail] (John T Ellis)
Subject: Satellite Information Wanted
Date: 3 Oct 1993 17:44:42 GMT
Organization: Motorola Inc., Cellular Infrastructure Group


To all -

I am a member of a satellite task force here at Motorola.  We are
investigating the use of satellites as links between our switches,
cell sites and the land network.  As part of this task force, it is my
responsibility to summarize any and all information that is available
on geosynchronous satellites.  I would like information on where I can
find answers to the following questions, a contact or two on the net
or in industry that I can work with if more questions or comments
arise, as well as any other pointers people may have.

I hope to hear from many of you.

Please excuse the misuse of terms or concepts.  The knowledge I have
is limited and obtained from word-of-mouth as well as a little
reading.  Thanks.

Use of links

switch-to-switch links: 2 4800/9600 baud data links
                        T1/E1 links used for voice circuits

switch-to-cell   links: 2 4800 baud data links
                        T1/E1 links used for voice circuits

switch-to-land   links: T1/E1 links used for voice circuits


Questions

(1) From what I have been led to believe, there are two styles of
geosynchronous satellite systems -- contention and non-contention.
Contention refers to those links which are not dedicated links and are
shared between multiple subscribers.  Under this system, the
transmission delay is ~236milliseconds (up and down physical time) +
any queueing delay.

Non-contention refers to those links which are dedicated links with
only one customer using them.  They are also refered to as SCPC links
 -- Single Customer Per Channel.  The delay on these links is
~236milliseconds (up and down physical time).

Are there any other styles of geosynchronous satellites?

For those systems that queue, what types of queueing are employed?

Do satellite providers gurantee some maximum/minimum queue time?


(2) Generally, satellite's use either the Ku or C bands for
transmision.  The choice being dependent on the atmospheric conditions
of the ground based station.  Since I'm not an rf person, I may be
wrong, but I thought you used Ku bands where there was not much
precipitation (which would cause defractions and reflection) and you
used the C band when there was.

Is this correct?

Are there any other bands that satellites transmit on?

Anything else on the rf that is important to know as it affects
transmission times or need of retransmission?


(3) I have heard the term "grade-of-service" in conjunction with
satellite links.  The higher the grade-of-service, the more expensive
the link.  I assume that the grade-of-service is a measure of:
stability of link, cleanliness of link (BER), amount of delay apart
from transmission.

Is this correct?

What other characteristics of a link are included in the measure of
grade-of-service?

Is the measurement of grade-of-service an industry standard?  If so,
what is the scale?  If not, how do you rate providers using their
grade-of-service measure?

For each grade-of-service, what would be an expected range of cost
on a monthly basis?

(4) How many geosynchronous satellites are available for commercial
use?  For each satellite, who is the providor (name and address)
and where is it located (degrees, minutes)?

(5) How are charges assessed for satellite links?  Are they a combination
of the grade-of-service and bandwidth purchased?


(6) Given the usage and questions 1-5 above, what other information do I
need to know?


(7) What literature do I want to look for?  Is there a recommended book
that is considered the "bible?"


(8) Who on the net or in industry would I want to speak with regarding
the above as well as any other questions/comments that may arise
later?


John T. Ellis 708-632-7857
Motorola Cellular  [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (John R Levine)
Subject: Access Fee and Universal Service Fund
Date: Mon, 4 Oct 93 0:19:01 EDT


I hadn't realized that the FCC still maintains a universal service
fund used to subsidize small expensive-to-run rural utilities.  My
cousin who runs a small telco in Vermont is in town for the USTA
meeting (keynote, a guy from NYNEX presumably speaking on "Why God
wants us to monopolize cable, data, and everything else".)  She says
that her telco gets a great deal of money from this fund (probably as
much as they make from their for basic service) which she believes is
funded from the $3.50 access fee we all pay.

She also mentioned that there is an upper limit of 200,000 access
lines on the size of telcos that can qualify for the subsidy, and New
England Tel in Vermont recently exceeded that size, so they're
applying to the FCC to get a waiver.  Getting a waiver wouldn't be
unreasonable, since Vermont is the most rural state in the country,
with most people living in small towns with small and expensive to
operate exchanges.  (The biggest town, Burlington, only has 50K people
or so, hardly a major metropolis.)  I'd think an obvious solution
would be for NET to reincorporate as "New England Tel Vermont/North"
and "New England Tel Vermont/South" but what do I know.

Is anyone more familiar with the current operation of the universal
service fund?  My cousin is in the process of taking the telco over
with her more technically oriented brothers from her parents, so she's
still vague on the details.


Regards,

John Levine, [e-mail], {spdcc|ima|world}!iecc!johnl


[Moderator's Note: I don't think they would be allowed to come in the
back door in the way you suggest. Generally where the federal government
is concerned, simply changing corporate status while making no real
change in the realities of the business and its operation won't pass
muster where liability is concerned.  PAT]

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

From: [e-mail] (Roy M. Silvernail)
Subject: Sprint's Calling Cards, and USWest Updates my Account
Date: Sun, 3 Oct 1993 23:27:01 CST


My Sprint Calling Card arrived Friday, along with a letter from USWest
about my phone service.

The Sprint card is quite attractive (all silver), and has my PIN
printed on both sides. :-( I called Sprint about this, and it was
suggested that I memorize the number and leave the card home.  They do
not have cards available without the PIN.  (double :-( )

When I asked what functionality I'd be losing by not having the
mag-striped card with me, the rep said "probably none.  Our customers
mostly report that the phones don't take the mag stripe, and they have
to manually enter their numbers anyway." (Come to think of it, my
USWest card's stripe has only worked for me once.)

The USWest letter was a bit different.  It was a notice of service
change.  In big, bold, underlined letters, it said,

FOLLOWING ARE THE SERVICES YOU RECENTLY REQUESTED OR THE CHANGES MADE TO
YOUR U S WEST COMMUNICATIONS ACCOUNT 612-822-xxxx (my voice number was
listed) ...

The letter's first paragraph clearly states that it lists tariffed and
non-tariffed services.  It shows only Touch Tone service.  My Call
Waiting and Linebacker seem to have disappeared.  Besides, I didn't
order any changes to the voice line.

A helpful USWest representative explained that the list of services
was for the second line, but my account is listed under the main
number.  She agreed heartily that the letter was misleading to the
point of astonishment, but said it "used to be worse".  She had no
idea why Linebacker wasn't listed.  She took a moment to check the
status of both numbers, and they're both correct.


Roy M. Silvernail |+|  [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (jack lowry)
Subject: Disabling Ring
Organization: Prism Medical Systems
Date: Mon, 04 Oct 1993 01:35:37 GMT


In my office we have five incoming voice lines. Due to the number of
poeple and type of work we do the first line is transferred to another
office using call forwarding.

But this line is still connected to the in-house phone system.  So when
it rings prior to call fowarding taking effect we all jump to answer
the phone.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to disable the ring on this
line?  Disconnecting the line from the phone system is not an option
as we on occasion need the line to make outgoing calls.


Thanks,

Jack Lowry Prism Medical Systems   [e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: Is the phone in question an older style with a
mechanical bell inside? If so, open the phone. In the back corner
where the wheel to turn the bell loudness up and down is located,
you'll note there is a little metal backstop preventing the wheel from
being turned any further. Slightly bend it out of the way, and the
wheel can now be turned so that the bell clapper has no space to move
at all. Presto, when the phone 'rings', you will hear nothing, or
maybe just a soft 'tick' sound as the clapper taps against the bell.
The phone is still alive, and you can use it all you want; you just
won't have any ringing since you paralyzed the clapper. To restore the
ringing, just the little wheel back the other way where it was orig-
inally. There is also a device (may be available from Hell Direct, at
1-800-HI-HELLO) which you plug in the line in series with the phone
and it absorbs the ringing current before it reaches the bell. PAT]

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

From: [e-mail] (John R Levine)
Subject: Cellular Service in Nnortheastern Vermont?
Date: Sun, 3 Oct 93 13:57:24 EDT
Organization: I.E.C.C.


My wife and I own a woodlot in the Northeast Kindgom of Vermont, where
we spend an increasing amount of time, and it's getting to be a pain
to be out of touch much of the time.  (There's a pay phone on every
corner, but there aren't a whole lot of corners.)  So I'm thinking of
getting a cellular phone.  Before I do so, can anyone report how the
cellular service is up there?

We're in Charleston and Morgan, just west of Island Pond, and about
ten miles south of the Canadian border.  My understanding is that
cellular service in Vermont is mostly installed alonng major highways,
so since we're not too far from I-91, we might be OK.  I also
understand that service in southern Quebec is great, since that area
is well-developed resorts and farms, unlike the Vermont which (up
there at least) is mostly woodlot and marginal dairy.  A Canadian dial
tone would be expensive to use, but it's better than nothing.

Does anyone have actual experience to report?


TIA,

John Levine, [e-mail], {spdcc|ima|world}!iecc!johnl

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

From: [e-mail] (David Jones)
Subject: Capacity of Area Codes and IP Numbers
Organization: CSRI, University of Toronto
Date: Sun, 3 Oct 1993 12:54:59 -0400


A while ago, having nothing better to do, I determined which area
codes were in use, and more interestingly, which were not.  I came up
with:

  likely to be used: 610 710 810 910
  unlikely: 200 211 300 311 400 500 511 600 700 711 811

The codes in the "unlikely" row end in 00 or 11.  It seems that Bell
wants these codes for special services (800 900 911 611 411) and I've
seen others in this group.  From the "likely" row, it appears that 810
is being taken.  All other area codes are taken.

How long do we have before we run out of area codes?  Only three more
to go before Bell must dig in to their "reserved" list.  On a similar
note, how much longer before we run out of IP network addresses?  The
Internet is expanding at 10%/month, and there is waste due to network
granularity (a 2000 node network takes up a Class B address leaving
over 63,000 combinations unused).

Even better: what happens once we're full on both networks?


David Jones, M.A.Sc student, Electronics Group (VLSI), University of Toronto
email: [e-mail], finger for more info


[Moderator's Note: Actually, all those in your 'likely to be used'
list are in fact in use or soon to be. The x00 and x11 numbers have
other functions assigned to them or planned for them. I do not know
exactly what you mean by 'reserved list', and in any event Bell does
not assign the area codes any longer. That is done by Bellcore, and
that organization has indicated they want to get out of the job also.
The current plan beginning late next year or early in 1995 is to use
area codes which 'look like' exchanges, with '334' set to be installed
in Alabama when? -- sometime early in 1995, I think.  PAT]

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

From: [e-mail] (Yutang Chuang)
Subject: AML Carrier?
Organization: The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio
Date: Sun, 3 Oct 1993 18:11:13 GMT


I am not familiar with telecom terms. But, my loacl telco told me that
my second phone line recently added has this 'AML carrier' that would
cause modem communication difficulty. (For my case, the modem does not
answer consistently. i.e. it won't answer right at number of rings set
for S0) So, what is this AML stuff? Only thing I know it has to do
with using this to carry more phone lines as the telco phone lines are
in scarce.

And, after the telco removed the AML, the modem now answers correctly.
But, when dial out, it does not connect to 14400 which it did before
the AML was removed. What could be wrong?

Thanks for any help.


Yutang Chuang   Internet:  [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (Bruce J. Miller)
Subject: Does Your Credit Card Number Change When Your Area Code Does?
Organization: Unisys Government Systems Group, Valley Forge Labs, Paoli, PA
Date: Mon, 04 Oct 1993 03:28:08 GMT


My section of the 215 area code (SE PA) will be changed to 610
starting 1 January 1994.  I currently hold an MCI card and a Bell
Atlantic IQ card which have my phone number as the first ten digits.
Both companies pride themselves (and advertise) this practice of
having the customer's actual phone number as part of the credit card
number.

Since this type of area code splitting has been fairly common, could
someone tell me whether I could expect the two card issuers to supply
me with new cards, with my new number, after the first of the year?
It would almost seem that this would be necessary, since once my area
code changes to 610, my current number could reappear within the
(newly defined) 215 area code.

Tales (horror or otherwise) of experience with this situation would be
of interest.


[e-mail] (Bruce J. Miller)  (or [e-mail])


[Moderator's Note: Yes, they will issue new cards. The same thing occ-
urred when suburban Chicago broke away from 312 and formed 708 a few
years ago.   PAT]

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

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #674
******************************


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From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #675

TELECOM Digest     Mon, 4 Oct 93 02:24:00 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 675

Inside This Issue:                       Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    An Overview of R&D Directions at NTT Part 2 of 2 (Mark Boolootian)
    Cellular Firms May Face Big Fines (Gregory Youngblood)
    MFCR2 - Where in the World is it Used? (David Duehren)
    215 Area in Lancaster County (Carl Moore)
    How to Extend a Phone Line by a Non-Physical Link? (George C. Hawkins)
    Info on/Comparison of New 900MHz Cordless Phones? ([e-mail])
----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Mark Boolootian)
Subject: An Overview of R&D Rirections at NTT Part 2 of 2
Date: Mon, 04 Oct 1993 00:23:30 PDT


Passsed along FYI:

  From: [e-mail] (David Farber)
  Subject: An overview of R&D directions at NTT. Part 2 of 2

Endowing the network with distributed intelligence and broadband
capabilities is thus the key to establish a robust, service-ready
platform to support multimedia applications.  Besides these basic
infrastructure upgrades, there are other important issues that also
have to be addressed: devising efficient means of creating multimedia
information, developing user-friendly systems that support cooperative
work from remote sites over the network, and evolving simple means of
controlling diverse services.

This actually entails a number of interrelated R&D themes.  First, we
are developing the technology that will allow workstations and
personal computers to simultaneously handle audio, computer graphics,
and video images extracted from media received from multiple locations
over ATM- switched lines.  Second, media conversion capability is an
essential prerequisite in a multivendor environment in order to freely
exchange data between different vendors' equipment that has different
functional and performance capabilities.  Other areas on NTT's R&D
agenda include voice and image recognition to extract logical data
from patterns, and voice and image synthesis to recreate a sense of
presence and markedly enhance the human interfaces.

Exemplifying NTT's work in the multimedia area is a terminal developed
by the company that synchronizes audio and video for application to
computer-supported cooperative work.  Even though people participating
in a cooperative project are scattered among several remote locations,
their desktops can be superimposed as semi-transparent overlays on one
anothers' screens thus creating a common visual space.  The system
flexibly accommodates just about any medium a participant in the work
might prefer to use -- including virtually any wordprocessing program,
a stylus pen, printed materials, and gestures.  The system provides a
high- performance conferencing environment and is so intuitive that
users can start using the system with little or no special training.

3.5 Security

One advantage of digital technology penetrating to the level of
terminal equipment is that this makes it easier to implement security
features.  This is important, because as society conducts more and
more activities over accessible public networks -- televoting,
electronic fund transfers, and so on -- this increases the need for
enhanced security and greater personal privacy of communications.
Also, as customers assume greater direct control over their own
services, measures must be taken to ensure that the security and
reliability of the network itself is not in any way compromised.

Concern for security has prompted NTT to explore encryption
technologies for application to the public network.  The main emphasis
is on verifying the cryptographic strength of algorithms - even to the
extent of inviting attack by outside cryptographers as a challenge -
and on developing more secure ciphers.  Many of the futuristic VI&P
services that NTT plans to make available will also involve
security-related technologies, including a reliable system of digital
signatures, fail-safe procedures for managing and distributing
encryption keys, and custom LSIs specifically designed for encryption
applications.

For example, if we change over entirely to electronic verification of
financial transactions, business orders, and so on, then we will need
a reliable electronic surrogate for seals and signatures.  This led
NTT to develop a sophisticated electronic signature system that, for
example, provides assurance that electronic mail actually comes from
the purported sender (and also prevents the sender from later
disavowing that he sent the message) and also ensures that the message
was not tampered with enroute or forged.  These capabilities have been
implemented in software on an IC card.  The device is now in the final
testing stage and should be available for commercial application in
the near future.

4.  Breakthrough Technologies

(1) Photonics

Nowhere has progress been so rapid or the potential benefits so great
as in the area of photonics.  The availability of optical frequency-
division multiplexing and free-space digital optics that exploit the
massive parallelism and enormous bandwidth potential of light should
enable ATM switching of tens of thousands of circuits at data
throughputs in the terabit range across spans of hundreds of
kilometers.  In effect, this will permit the delivery of video to
subscribers on demand for roughly the same cost as delivering the
ordinary telephone service today.  And recent work on ultra stable
solitons (waves that do not broaden or weaken as they propagate
through a defect-free fiber holds out the prospect of transport across
unrepeatered spans measuring thousands of kilometers.

Meanwhile, interconnections between chips, between broads, and between
devices have emerged as a performance bottleneck as chip sizes have
increased and gate speeds have been accelerated by downscaling VLSI
feature sizes.  Here again, photonics holds the solution in the form
of optical interconnections at all levels of the interconnect
hierarchy.  Farther down the road, emerging free-space photopic
technologies including holography and optically addressed spatial
light modulators hold out enormous promise for the storage and
manipulation of images.

While the potential is clearly there, fully unlocking it will have to
await further maturation of optoelectronic integrated circuits (OEICs)
which, as the name suggests, combine optical elements together with
electronic circuits on the same chip.  NTT is at the forefront of this
field and recently demonstrated an OEIC that monolithically integrates
photodiodes (which convert light into electricity) with field-effect
transistors (which amplify the detected signal).  The device transfers
data at a rate of 10 Gbit/s and exhibits unparalleled sensitivity.

The tempo of advances in the field of photonics is evolving very
rapidly with diminishing cycle times from initial exploratory work in
the laboratory to actual deployment in the field.  For examples, NTT
is now developing a practical optical interconnection module for ATM
switching systems and planar photopic switching arrays that use light
to control light.

(2)  Nano-electronics

Widespread penetration of VI&P services cannot be achieved without
enhancing the performance of all the underlying hardware.  To give
large- scale ATM switches and broadband multimedia-capable terminals
the ability to handle the prodigious amounts of data and the complex
high- speed processing demanded by future services, they must be
realized more compactly and economically.

This, to a great extent, depends on techniques for patterning ever finer
design rules on VLSI chips.

NTT has had a compact synchrotron in operation since 1989, but only
recently succeeded in integrating the main production steps --
collimating the soft X-rays, transferring the pattern on the mask to
the wafer, and carving the mask itself -- into one continuous process.
NTT is now positioned to explore ULSI technologies with printed
features as small as 0.2 micron.  This calls for processing precision
down to several tens of nanometers, and thus represents the first
tentative step into the new realm of nanometer scales.  This order of
device miniaturization will open the way to one gigabit (one billion
bits) random access memories and immense-scale ATM switches for
telecommunications.

As chip geometries edge into the deep submicron region, designing and
testing such devices becomes increasingly difficult. To meet this
challenge, NTT is working on an intelligent design system that will
verify the design and provide assurance in advance that the chip will
actually function as it is supposed to.

When device dimensions fall below 100 nanometers, quantum effects
begin to appear that are satisfactorily explained using the wavelike
nature of particles.  One type of device that NTT researchers are
currently exploring that deliberately exploits quantum effects is the
resonant- tunneling transistor.  The underlying principle of this
device is the quantum well, an ultra-thin layer of semiconductor
sandwiched between two 1-nm-thick cladding barriers of higher bandgap
material that confine electrons in the well.  A practical version of
this device would have a huge impact on communications, for it would
permit switching speeds at least an order of magnitude faster than the
fastest speed today of 0.1 picosecond.

(3) Intelligent Information Processing

Great strides have been made in applying computer-aided instruction
(CAI) and other design-support tools incorporating expert knowledge in
the area of intelligent information processing.  For example, by
applying these expert system techniques to the management of services,
network resources, and operations, it is possible for network managers
without extensive expertise to develop fairly sophisticated management
control procedures.  The availability of these user-friendly tools
should also help to alleviate a particular problem associated with
advanced services, that of feature interaction.  Feature interaction
crops up when services become so complicated that they begin to
impinge and interfere with each another.

Looking further out on the horizon, we envision services that could
handle much more complicated tasks such as smart communications
surrogate that could handle our communications for us when we are away
by screening calls, taking messages, or forwarding calls from
particular people.  Before services such as these can be made
available, however, considerable work remains to develop more
user-friendly human interfaces and much smarter systems that can
recognize ordinary conversation and written input.

Going beyond expert systems, research is also being concentrated on
applications of artificial intelligence (AI).  This cannot be divorced
from a general inquiry into the way humans perceive and process
information, and efforts are being made to accumulate a store of
theoretical knowledge about the way people learn and communicate.

For example, valuable insights might be gained by investigating how
the minute magnetic field patterns outside the head that reflect
neural activity of the brain are perturbed in response to audio
stimulation.  Accumulated knowledge in this area of human information
processing will undoubtedly lead to fresh perceptions relating to
speech processing and conversational cognition.

CONCLUSIONS

Progress toward the target VI&P service-ready network will be paced by
how quickly we address the R&D themes reviewed in this paper.  We have
now reached the point where we are ready to pull all the disparate
technologies together into an integrated system and begin trial
services to assess their technical and economic viability.  To this
end, we constructed a high-speed broadband testbed network between
NTT's Musashino and Yokosuka R&D Centers that incorporates ATM
switching, fiber-optic transmission, and enhanced intelligent
capabilities.  First, we will evaluate broadband transmission and
fiber in the local loop as a viable platform for supporting broadband
delivery.  In terms of services, we will assess N- ISDN multimedia
delivery first.  After the infrastructure proves dependable, we will
proceed to evaluate B-ISDN services.

The network will be upgraded in a series of progressive enhancements
as customer needs and technological capabilities continue to evolve.
Here I will briefly trace how the migration to the target architecture
is likely to unfold into the 21st Century [Fig. 3 (omitted): 21st
Century Network, which illustrates the remarks detailed below, DKK.]

First, the network will be upgraded to support ubiquitous multimedia
wide-area communications including high-speed digital transport.  To
meet these needs, the network must be invested with high-speed,
variable-bit-rate capabilities based on ATM switching and lightwave
transmission technologies -- capabilities that push the network toward
full-scale B-ISDN.  Multinational and other large business enterprises
will feature prominently in the first wave of ISDN customers with
their prodigious multimedia and high-speed networking needs.  After
that, fiber will be extended to the home to meet the demand of
residential subscribers for multimedia services, and this will open
the way to ubiquitous deployment of B-ISDN.

Meanwhile, in the same timeframe, the network will be upgraded to an
intelligent architecture that will support the rapid deployment of
diverse advanced voice and data services.  This will also open up more
ubiquitous access to the network through personal phone numbers
(independent of a network address) and a host of other innovative
services tailored to the needs and preferences of individuals.  One
implication is the need for -- faster common channel signaling, which
again underscores the need for ATM switching.  In a parallel
development, network management and operations functions will be
further integrated, and this will facilitate customer networking -
that is, giving customers greater discretionary control over their own
services.

Multimedia wireless systems will also be enhanced to provide wireless
access via satellite and access in sparsely populated areas that lack
a reliable terrestrial infrastructure.

These will certainly be the key developments transforming the network,
but they may prove-in sooner, than projected.  NTT's commitment to
fundamental research in photonics and nano-electronics leaves open the
possibility of a major breakthrough speeding up transformation of the
network.

NTT is striving to deploy a robust VI&P service-ready infrastructure
that will meet the increasingly network-oriented needs of society in
the 21st century.  To achieve this goal, NTT remains firmly committed
to the pursuit of research and development across the entire spectrum
of telecom-related science and technology and also to the pursuit of
robust vendor- independent standards.


NTT Review Vol. 5 No. 3 (May 1993)

Work Architecture - Present and Future
       Toshiharu Aoki

Multivendor Integration Architecture Conformance Test Environment
       Tatsumori Hashimoto, et al.

Review of Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) for Telecommunications
Equipment - Emission and Immunity Problems
       Masamitsu Tokuda, et al.

Emission from Telecommunication Equipment - Limits and Measurement
Methods
       Tsuyoshi Ideguchi , et al.

Electromagnetic Immunity Limits and Test Methods for
Telecommunications Equipment - For Protection of Telecommunications
Equipment from Electromagnetic Noise
       Fujio Amemiya, et al.

EMC Design Approaches for Telecommunication Equipment
       Yoshimasa Kaneko, et al.

Electromagnetic Disturbance Protection for Telecommunications Terminal
Equipment
       Kusuo Takagi, et al.

New Grounding System for Telecommunication Buildings
       Mituo Hattori, et al.

HDTV Transmission Service Now Available in the Satellite Video
Communication Service
       Koji Nakamura, et al.

Real-Time Configuration Management System for Line Operation
       Katsuya Yamashita, et al.

Construction of a Distributed Software Development Environment
       Shuichi Fukuyama, et al.

Security Control for a Distributed Software Development Environment
       Hideo Asami, et al.

Color Facsimile System Using Ion Flow Printing
       Makoto Omodani, et al.

NTT Data Communications Systems Corporation's International Business
       Toshiyuki Ueno

NTT Review Vol. 5, No. 4 (July 1993)

Assuring Stable Business Foundations in a Tough Operating Environment -
Overview of Fiscal 1993 Business Operation Plan
       Management Planning Department, General Planning
       Headquarters, NTT

NTT's First Step as a "Global Carrier" Representing Asia - Participation in
Project to Install One Million Additional Telephone Lines in Rural Areas of
Thailand
       Kazuo Asada

ACE Mole Introduced to Indonesia on a Full-scale Basis
       Sakae Ebine, et al.

Building a Global MHS Network for Interconnecting Electronic Mail
Systems by NTTPC Communications
       Keiko Nakajima, et al.

Frame Relay Service Pre-Connection Test
       Hideo Shimoda, et al.

Toward Improving Reliability in Telecommunications Networks -
Prevention of Failure Occurrence, Quick Service Recovery and Prevention
of Service Interruption are Fundamental
       Yukifusa Okano, et al.

Approach for Reliability Design: Present State and Future Trends - For
Reliable Telecommunications Services
       Kenshi Takaki, et al.

Approach in Developing Reliability Design Support Tools for
Telecommunications Networks - Evaluating Telecommunications Networks
Reliability Under Various Conditions, Including Disasters
       Hitoshi Watanabe, et al.

Telecommunications Service Means a Lot in the Very Moments of
Emergencies Caused by Natural Disasters - Telecommunications Disaster
Prevention Measures and Service Restoration Examples
       Haruhisa Maki

Electronic Cross-connect for Fiber Optic Subscriber Netrworks
       Takanori Umayahara, et al.

Development of "Group Security Service ^TM"
       Kazuhiko Ogawa, et al.

Network Architecture Applications in NTT Networks
       Sadahiko Kano

Nodal System Architecture
       Masatoshi Kawarasaki

Artificial Conversational Speech Signal for Evaluating Speech Device
Performance
       Hiromi Nagabuchi, et al.

US Conec Spreads MT Connector into North American Markets
       Toshiaki Satake, et al.

Standardization Trends for Digital Cellular Systems
       Kota Kinoshita

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

Subject: Cellular Firms May Face Big Fines
From: [e-mail] (Gregory Youngblood)
Date: Sun, 03 Oct 93 22:30:22 PDT
Organization: TCS Computer Systems


[The following is from an unknown newspaper from an unknown date (the
article was faxed to me by my regional office).  I thought it would be
of interest for the others.

[Moderator's Note: The article appeared in the {San Fransisco Chronicle}
not too long ago.  PAT]

CELLULAR FIRMS MAY FACE BIG FINES

PUC claims most facilities in state lack proper permits

        By john Eckhouse
        Chronicle Staff Writer

Most California cellular-telephone transmission facilities may have
been built without proper permits, and investigation by the California
Public Utilities Commission has disclosed.

The PUC could order the removal of hundreds of antennas and switching
offices, putting a major crimp in cellular-phone service, if it finds
the cellular companies guilty during hearings that began this week.

But rather than anger the public and disrupt service, the PUC seems
more likely to settle for cash.  It probably will levy fines of
millioins of dollars.  According to a PUC staff memo, cellular
companies might be fined as much as $500,000 per incident, plus $2,000
for each day a violation continues.

In a hint of the outcome, McCaw Cellular Communications reached a
settlement with the PUC last Friday.  McCaw, the country's largest
cellular company, agreed to pay a $145,000 find for prematurely
beginning construction on three cellular sites.

State investigators alleged that McCaw violated PUC regulations at 57
other sites, but the matter was dropped because of the settlement --
which also includes a provision barring either party from talking to
the press about the settlement without the other's approval.

"I think $145,000 is a pretty big hit and will get everybody's
attention," said Steve Carlson, executive director of the Cellular
Carriers Assocation of California, a cellular-industry trade group.

After reviewing the permit process for 391 of the 682 cellular sites
in California, the PUC staff said that it was "very disheartened to
find that the apparent violations" of PUC regulations "are far more
pervasive and extensive than suspected."  Only 34 of the 391 sites did
not appear to violate PUC regulations.

"We feel there has been some 'cutting of the corners' here, and we
want to put an end to it," said James Quinn, PUC staff counsel.  "We
want to make sure the public knows what's being proposed and has the
right to protest before construction begins."

The PUC staff said that three companies -- Bay Area Cellular
Telephone, which operates under the name Cellular One; GTE Mobilnet;
and Los Angeles Cellular Telephone Co. -- had a pattern of beginning
cellular site construction before obtaining PUC approval.  Six test
cases from the 357 alleged violations are being heard before a PUC
administrative law judge.  In its filings, the PUC staff alleged that:

- Cellular One improperly asked for and obtained PUC approval to begin
building a major switching office at 9th and Howard streets in San
Francisco before getting all the necessary city construction permits.

- LA Cellular built a 60-foot tower adjacent to a high-school
playground, but failed to get the required approval from the Office of
the State Architect.  Also, that LA Cellular failed to build a
perimter fence around the tower, 60 feet from its base, which the
state requires so that no students would be hurt if the tower
collapsed.

- GTE Mobilnet built a tower in Santa Rosa without any permit, and
misrepresented the height of the structure.

The cellular companies contend that most of the alleged violations of
the PUC's General Order 159 are minor and technical in nature.

"We think the PUC has taken a very literal reading of 159 without
taking into account either standard construction practices or the
prior practices of the cellular industry," said Adam Andersen,
Cellular One's senior counsel.  Contractors generally do not obtain
permits for things like electrical or sprinkler work until just before
that particular part of the job begins, he said.  Yet the PUC will not
grant approval for ANY work unless all permits have been obatined.

Regarding the tower in Santa Rosa, GTE Mobilnet said that it was
misled by its landlord, who eroneously told the company that a permit
was not required because he had obtained one when an existing tower
was built on the property.

"We're contested the PUC's view, because we think we acted reasonably
and prudently," said Jim Squqeri, the company's outside legal counsel.
"We think the PUC needs to clarify the responsibility of a tenant and
the scope of obligation a carrier has to investigate and determine
whether a landlord's representation's are accurate."

The landlard, William H. Colelough, could not be reached for comment.

"We got all necessary approvals and abided by the terms of those
approvals," said David Wilson, outside attorney for LA Cellular.

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

[NOTE: Any typos or mistakes are my own.  Typos I'm sorry for.  As for
the rest, please keep in mind this is from a fax and the type is not
legible in some areas..]


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 | [e-mail] |    Cellular Telephoney Groups

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

From: [e-mail] (David Duehren)
Subject: MFCR2 - Where in the World is it Used?
Date: 03 Oct 1993 17:28:12 -0400
Organization: Brooktrout Technology, Needham MA (USA)


I am interested in finding out what percentage of the world uses E1
rather than T1, as well as R2 MF signalling as oppossed to R1
signalling which is what is used in the US with T1.  R2 signalling is
described in CCITT (now ITU) recommendations Q.400-Q.490.  If you
anyone can point me to a reference or just indicate whether his
country uses R2 and/or E1, I would appreciate it very much.  Please
send e-mail as I am in infrequent reader of this group.  Thank you.


David Duehren   [e-mail]
Brooktrout Technology Inc  1-617-449-4100
144 Gould St.    Needham, MA 02194-2317

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

Date: Sun, 03 Oct 93 13:29:45 EDT
From: Carl Moore <[e-mail]>
Subject: 215 Area in Lancaster County


I have again visited Denver / Adamstown / Terre Hill area (i.e., the
part of Lancaster County, Pa. in the 215 area, omitting the part
served by 215-593 Atglen) and made calls on both the Orange Card and
AT&T from all three exchanges.

Adamstown -- I stopped at a convenience store and found COCOTs from two
different companies.  Both of them displayed 484-xxxx numbers, but one
had 717 (to which Adamstown is changing) and the other had 215.

Denver: At Zinn's, all the pay phones displayed "DENVER 717-336" and
were from Denver & Ephrata telco, and I have written the following to
be included in the "history" file (assumed this also applies to
Adamstown).  'On 25 September 1993, I noticed that (during permissive
dialing) all long distance from there was to be dialed as 1+NPA+7D
(with 0+NPA+7D for all 0+), with "1 717" apparently being dropped
after the full cutover to 717.'

By coincidence, 1 + NPA + 7D on all long distance is the way it's done
now in Maryland etc.

Terre Hill: pay phone still displays 215-445, with 355-xxx apparently
being a toll call to Feasterville and 1-717-355-xxxx being a local
call to New Holland.  (I assume Terre Hill and Atglen are going to
610.)

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

From: George C. Hawkins <[e-mail]>
Subject: How to Extend a Phone Line by a Non-Physical Link?
Organization: Trinity College, Dublin
Date: Sun, 03 Oct 1993 23:46:20 GMT


Hi there,

I have a phone plugged in in one building, but now I'm in a different
building and want to use this phone in this other building. Rather
than buy 20 metres of phone cable to extend the line out from the old
building to the new I'd like some kind of non-physical link.

 From my office in the new building I can see the window of the old
office so I think it would be perfectly feasible to have some kind of
transmitter in the window of my old office pointed directly at some
kind of receiver in the window of my new office (the people in the old
building don't mind me keeping the line and they wouldn't mind me
installing any gadgetry).

The exact situation is that the new office faces the old office across
a two lane road so they're not too far apart. Both offices are on the
third floor and the distance really is so short that I think you
probably could string a cable between the two buildings if it weren't
for the fact that the police would probably cut it down.

The phone is just your standard push button affair. I just want to
maintain my old phone number on moving to the new location. I'm sure
in America you can probably get all this done automatically by the
phone company but I don't live in America so I have to do it myself.

So any suggestions? I don't know anything about this area, but I'm the
kind of person who given the basic idea can go off buy the components
and stick them together with a soldering iron. As I can see one office
from the other the idea of directed transmission rather than
broadcasting to the world sounds good to me, as it minimizes the
chance of interfering with others, maybe you think I don't have to
worry about that, all comments on all aspects welcome.


Thanks for your time,

George

George lives at:
[e-mail] (mostly)   |   [e-mail] (sometimes)   |


[Moderator's Note: You are correct that in the USA it is quite possible
just moving across the street would allow you to keep the same number
you have presently, and more than likely just moving across the street
you would stay on the same cable and quite possibly the same pair, albiet
a different opening on the pair.  PAT]

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

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Info on/Comparison of New 900MHz Cordless Phones?
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Organization: Center of Excellence for Document Analysis and Recognition
Date: Mon, 4 Oct 1993 05:30:11 GMT


I'd like to get some info on the new 900MHz cordless phones, and a
comparison of the available models. I've heard that these phones are
clearer, have a longer range, and are more secure; is this true? They
do seem to cost a tidy sum (one model was $300 or so).


Ajay    [e-mail]

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

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #675
******************************


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Date: Mon, 4 Oct 1993 09:52:04 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #676

TELECOM Digest     Mon, 4 Oct 93 09:52:00 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 676

Inside This Issue:                       Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Re: ATM and IP (Tarl Neustaedter)
    Re: ATM and IP (Lars J. Poulsen)
    Re: ATM and IP (Fred R. Goldstein)
    Re: ATM and IP (Garrett Wollman)
    Re: Sprint's Modem Offer Revisited (Christopher Vaz)
    Re: Sprint's Modem Offer Revisited (Doug Williams)
    Re: Sprint's Modem Offer Revisited (John McGing)
    Re: Sprint's Modem Offer Revisited (Adam Lasnik)
    Sprint Offer is 24/96 Faxmodem (Larry Nathanson)
    Re: Dangerous Information on AT&T Cards (Paolo Bellutta)
    Re: Dangerous Information on AT&T Cards (Carl Oppedahl)
    Re: The Perfect Phone (Rob Knauerhase)
    Re: The Perfect Phone (Ehud Gavron)
    Re: The Perfect Phone (Gregory Youngblood)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: ATM and IP
Date: 4 Oct 1993 00:44:19 GMT
Organization: Consultsrios Telefsnicos, S.A. de C.V.


In article <[e-mail]>, John.MacFarlane@software.
com (John L. MacFarlane) writes:

> [...] the MTU of the ATM network will be 48 bytes [...]
> This does not leave much room for data after the necessary headers
> which accompany UDP (or worse TCP) packets are included.

Yup. If you were to run IP over such a protocol, you would not have IP
fragment it to the 48 byte size, instead you would run another
fragment- and-reassemble protocol underneath IP, which uses far less
in the way of headers. Conceivably no header bytes in most 48-byte
payloads, but that's up to the implementor. The appearance to IP would
be that a larger packet is being allowed -- probably the ethernet or
FDDI multi-Kbyte sizes.

> I guess the ATM folks have discovered more efficient algorithms for
> fragmentation than the Internet folks have been able to field.

Nope. Different needs. ATM is aimed at real-time data transfer, such
as video. The original two proposals were for 32-byte payloads and
64-byte payloads. The french were determined to have small packets so
that they could keep the latency between packets to a minimum. The
rest of the world wanted 64-bytes as a more useful size for moving
data.

48 bytes is the way this was compromised. It is probably too large for
the real-time uses that the french had in mind, and its too small for
good data-packet use, requiring additional overhead to present a large
packet size for data users.


Tarl Neustaedter        [e-mail]      [work]
Ashland, MA, USA        [e-mail] [home]
Disclaimer: My employer is not responsible for my opinions

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

From: [e-mail] (Lars J Poulsen)
Subject: Re: ATM and IP
Organization: DKnet
Date: Mon, 4 Oct 1993 00:32:15 GMT


[e-mail] (John L. MacFarlane) writes:

> It seems to me that the movement to ATM telco networks is going to
> have rather negative implications for the Internet Protocol. It is
> generally believed that the most efficient transfers over IP occurs
> when the IP packets are not fragmented (i.e. PMTU discovery). ATM
> proposes a 48 byte data payload for each cell, thus the MTU of the ATM
> network will be 48 bytes (avoiding any fragmentation at the ATM
> Adoption Layer). This does not leave much room for data after the
> necessary headers which accompany UDP (or worse TCP) packets are
> included.

> I guess the ATM folks have discovered more efficient algorithms for
> fragmentation than the Internet folks have been able to field.

ATM is not ideal for anything!! It is an example of political
compromise in the face of technical conflict.

For each application of ATM, there is a different overlay called an
ATM Adaptation Layer. The adaptation layer used for packet switched
data networks provides for fragmentation and reassembly to be done
invisibly below the IP layer. (See the appropriate RFC for more
details).


Lars Poulsen            Internet E-mail: [e-mail]
CMC Network Products        Phone: (011-) [phone]
Hvidovre Strandvej 72 B        Internets: designed and built
DK-2650 Hvidovre, DENMARK    while you wait (and wait ...)

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

From: [e-mail] (Fred R. Goldstein)
Subject: Re: ATM and IP
Organization: Digital Equipment Corp., Littleton MA USA
Date: Sun, 3 Oct 1993 21:57:24 GMT


No, that's not how ATM works.  ATM is NOT a "packet" transmission
service, but a "cell" service.  A cell is typically a fraction of a
packet.  An ATM Adaptation layer is almost always present, so the
service seen by higher layers will be variable-length packets, if
that's what they want.

IP over ATM is already fairly well understood.  The initial "standard"
uses AAL Type 5, which has no per-cell overhead, no header, and an
8-octet trailer, plus a bit in the cell header which tells the AAL
that it's the last cell (thus trailer present).  The AAL's payload can
be up to 64K bytes long, with one IP and TCP/UDP header at the front.


Fred R. Goldstein   k1io   [e-mail]
Opinions are mine alone; sharing requires permission

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

From: [e-mail] (Garrett Wollman)
Subject: Re: ATM and IP
Organization: University of Vermont, EMBA Computer Facility
Date: Sun, 3 Oct 1993 21:00:42 GMT


A lot of people will disagree.  Many telco people think (rather
naively, in my opinion) that ATM will take over the world, and there
won't be a network layer any more.  Many Internet people, on the other
hand, think that ATM will flop, and the investment would be better put
towards running IPng over the same point-to-point links that form the
ATM mesh.  (This is called the "end-to-end principle": don't perform
any function in a layer lower than absolutely necessary.)

> It is generally believed that the most efficient transfers over IP
> occurs when the IP packets are not fragmented (i.e. PMTU discovery).

This is not true.  It is generally believed that the most efficient IP
packet switching occurs when packets do not need to be fragmented.
What Path MTU discovery provides is a way to determine the minimum MTU
along a path, which allows the end systems (and /only/ the end
systems) to perform fragmentation or adjust segment sizes as
necessary.  This is an important difference: PMTU discovery does not
seek to completely avoid fragmentation altogether, it seeks to avoid
the necessity of having a high-speed router fragment the packet in
mid-stream, and conversely, to use as large a packet size as possible
without fragmentation in order to reduce the total overhead of IP and
ULP headers.

> ATM proposes a 48 byte data payload for each cell, thus the MTU of
> the ATM network will be 48 bytes (avoiding any fragmentation at the
> ATM Adoption Layer).

No.  For one thing, IP specifies a minimum allowed MTU, and it's
considerably greater than 48 bytes.  Furthermore, the ATM adaptation
layers provide a considerably greater MTU as seen by the IP layer.  A
large IP packet can get converted into as many ATM cells as needed,
without the explicit knowledge of IP (or any other ULP, for that
matter).

> I guess the ATM folks have discovered more efficient algorithms for
> fragmentation than the Internet folks have been able to field.

Not at all.  The ATM folks just have really tiny headers (five bytes)
and a really fast physical layer.  This hides the fact that they have
such tiny cells.  Note that ATM includes about 10% overhead for that
five-byte header; compare that to a maximally-sized Ethergram with 1%
overhead.  But ATM can get away with it because the underlying network
is so fast.  (And note that ATM just gets fatter when you add in
AAL5.)


Garrett A. Wollman    [e-mail]
uvm-gen!wollman       UVM disagrees.

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

Organization: City University of New York/ University Computer Center
Date: Sun, 03 Oct 1993 21:27:37 EDT
From: Christopher Vaz <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Sprint's Modem Offer Revisited


In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (Eric L.
Hinson) says:

> Well, I also decided to give this Sprint free modem deal a try, and
> was also pleasantly surprised by the results.  There appears to be no
> catches that I could detect, and the people at Sprint were quite
> helpful and didn't probe too much into my business. :)

> I missed the initial post, so I'm not very clear as to what kind of
> modem this is that they are giving away, other than it is a 9600
> external modem.  Could someone please let me know where to look (the
> file I need from the archives) that contains this initial article?
> Thanks very much for your help with this matter.

Could someone please either repost the original post detailing this
Dvorak offer, or please email me with the information as this sounds
interesting.  Or, please let me also know where I can get the original
file.


Thanks,

Christopher Vaz   [e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: The essence of it is that Sprint is giving away a
free modem to people who convert to their long distance service. Read
on for more details. You have to deal with the Sprint Partners Program
(I think it is called); not with the regular order takers.    PAT]

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

Date: Mon, 03 Oct 1993 03:55:31 GMT
From: [e-mail] (Doug Williams)
Subject: Re: Sprint's Modem Offer Revisited
Organization: University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail].
calpoly.edu (Chris Ambler) writes:

> I asked the rep, and he assured me it was a 9600 baud data modem,
> external. He still could not find the make and model number, though.

When I called, I was told that the modem was manufactured by a company
called Fast Data Products, and the actual modem being offered was the
Smart One.  I too was assured that the modem could handle 9600 baud
data.


doug

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

From: [e-mail] (John McGing)
Subject: Re: Sprint's Modem Offer Revisited
Date: 03 Oct 1993 22:17:54 -0400
Organization: Express Access Online Communications, Greenbelt, MD USA
Reply-To: [e-mail]


I was about to call when I too reread the post which said 2400 data/9600
fax and the juice ain't worth the squeeze for that <g>.  But 9600 data
is worth it.

If anyone can confirm what the product is, it would be mighty helpful <g>.


John
[e-mail]  woodb!oss2cc![e-mail]
J.MCGING on GEnie  70142,1357 on Compuserve     My post, my ideas


[Moderator's Note: I personally thought the 9600 fax modem was worth
it. I can easily make use of one of those.   PAT]

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

From: [e-mail] (Adam Lasnik)
Subject: Re: Sprint's Modem Offer Revisited
Date: 04 Oct 93 02:24:13 GMT
Reply-To: [e-mail]


A previous poster mentioned that, when querying Sprint about their
modem offer, he was unable to get 'brand name' details.  Fortunately,
I had no such problem. :)

Here's the deal ... you get a 9600bps data/fax/send-receive external
modem by a company called (I'm pretty sure) "Best Products," located
in Chatsworth, California.  The offer is good until sometime in early
November, or until stock runs out, whichever is later.

What *I* would like to know is if you could sign up under the free
modem promotion AND also take advantage of a recent promotion I saw in
a {Newsweek} ad, whereby you get your "Most" discount at FIFTY percent
instead of twenty percent for six months.  Sounds pretty good to me!
Theoretically, that should enable calls to be made, coast to coast,
for as little as five cents a minute -- maybe even less if the other
person is a Sprint customer!  I haven't checked on this lately though.

<sigh> ... I'm really tempted to switch, but the people at MCI have
actually been pretty nice and generous to me.  Good customer service
(so far) AND a (first month) $105 credit :) I mean, I'd actually feel
guilty to switch now.  Besides, I already have a 14.4 modem <grin>


ADAM "KEYS" LASNIK    Northwestern '93, Amgen '94
BUT THESE OPINIONS ARE MINE, SO THERE! :)

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

From: [e-mail] (Larry Nathanson)
Subject: Sprint Offer is 24/96 Faxmodem
Date: 04 Oct 1993 09:46:34 -0400
Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC


I called Sprint (1-800-669-8585) and asked the friendly lady about the
offer.  She said this works by changing my service over to Sprint.
When I make my first call on Sprint, I will automatically be sent a
modem.  When I asked about the modem, she suggested I call "Dvorak" at
800-632-2378.

They answer the phone there with "Best Data Systems".  I spoke with
Tom Westlake, who told me that they are running two promotions -- one
for a 9624FQ, and one for a 2400 Game modem.  The former is a 2400
baud data modem, 9600 baud fax modem.  The latter he thinks is just a
2400 baud data modem.

Either way, it doesn't sound like they are offering a free 9600 baud
data modem.  So I'm not switching anything so fast. Now if anyone
knows where I can get a written promise of a 9600 baud data modem for
switching, I'd do so in a second!

Recently, I got a call from Diane Worthy at Sprint. She says:
(emphasis mine)

"The 9624FQ modem as advertised in the "On Computers" radio program
(*AS STATED* by On Computers) is an IBM compatable *only* internal
modem.  The offer ended Sept 26."

She stated that Sprint has called back all of the people who said they
had Macs, to make them a different offer.  If you have any questions
as to what you may or may not be getting, I'd suggest you call her!


Larry

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

From: [e-mail] (Paolo Bellutta)
Subject: Re: Dangerous Information on AT&T Cards
Organization: Oregon Health Sciences University
Date: Sun, 03 Oct 1993 23:33:55 GMT


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail]
writes:

> But right there on the bottom of the card is the FULL number and
> apparently ALL you need to make calls from some international site!

When I use my AT&T calling card and universal card from Italy I have
to dial the international card number *and the PIN* so if it is not on
the card (like on the universal card) you don't have all the info to
dial even from abroad.  Am I mistaken?


Paolo Bellutta -- [e-mail] - tel: [phone]
o.O'  BICC - OHSU - 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park rd. - Portland, OR

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

From: [e-mail] (Carl Oppedahl)
Subject: Re: Dangerous Information on AT&T Cards
Date: 03 Oct 1993 16:47:52 -0400
Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC


In <[e-mail]> [e-mail] writes:

> But right there on the bottom of the card is the FULL number and
> apparently ALL you need to make calls from some international site!

> Is there simply NO fraud being done from international sites, or why
> is AT&T being foolish?

I have always assumed the reason for the entire international number
being on the card is some ancient treaty or contract or tariff between
the phone companies of the world, which spells out the details of
international calling card use.  Like maybe, if you go to a phone
center in someplace outside the US (run by the PTT, of course), there
would be some circumstance where they would be entitled to ask to see
the card and all the digits would have to be there for some reason.

But while we are on the subject of what is foolish and what is not,
why does anyone physically carry a calling card anywhere?  I can't
figure that part out.  Why not just memorize the number and then leave
the card in a safe place?  That's what I do.

Or, if you feel you *must* carry some physical thing with you to
remind you what your calling card number is, why use the card itself?
It is bulky and people might see it.  As the poster correctly points
out, the international number, at least, is there for the taking.  Why
not carry a piece of paper with the number on it, but not labeled as a
calling card number.  Better, why not change or scramble the digits in
some easy-to-undo way and then write them on a piece of paper?

I suppose the only possible non-stupid reason to carry a calling card
is so that the magnetic stripe can be used in one of the handful of
pay phones that read stripes.  But with many privately owned pay
phones, the stripe reader can only be used for billing at the inflated
rate set by the owner (e.g. ripoff rates charged to your local phone
number, or to your Visa or Mastercard).


Carl Oppedahl AA2KW  (patent lawyer)
1992 Commerce Street #309
Yorktown Heights, NY  10598-4412
voice 212-777-1330

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

Date: Sun, 03 Oct 93 23:17 PDT
From: [e-mail] (Rob Knauerhase)
Subject: Re: The Perfect Phone


In comp.dcom.telecom Reid writes:

> Anybody know where I might find a Northwestern Bell or Southwestern
> Bell two-line speakerphone? Mail-order would be best. Thanks. Please
> send email if you would. Thanks again!

Funny you should ask.  I just today got a 'Damark' catalog that has
the exact thing you want.  It says "BELL Phones, by Northwestern Bell
Phones" two-line LCD Speakerphone with 30-number memory.  The text
says that it also has three-way conferencing, mute dialing, busy
redial up to 15 times, dial ringers, LCD window with time, date,
alarm, timer and number display.  Model Easytouch 2602S.

It's $49.99 (Orig. $79.95, mfr. suggested retail 149.99).  Item number
B-8310-312520.  Sounds like a pretty good phone for that price; had I
kept my second line I'd consider it myself.

Damark's phone number is 800-729-9000.  I haven't ordered anything
from them (yet, though I've gotten several catalogs), but they were
helpful in answering questions about something else I asked them
about.

Good luck.


Rob Knauerhase    Intel Mobile Software Lab   [[e-mail]]

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

From: [e-mail] (Ehud Gavron)
Subject: Re: The Perfect Phone
Date: 04 Oct 1993 00:20 MST
Organization: ACES Research Inc.
Reply-To: [e-mail]


In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail]
(Reid Goldsborough) writes:

> I'm in search of the perfect two-line speakerphone. I've tested out a
> Panasonic (serious crosstalk problem), AT&T (didn't have autoredial
> and other features), GE (uses unconventional handset wiring and can't
> be used with Plantronics headset), and BellSouth (chintsy).

I got a Northwestern Bell two-line speakerphone from Damark
International.  It doesn't have any crosstalk problems.  It not only
has autoredial but busy redial with programmable delay.  It uses
standard wiring and even includes two jacks so you can use one
two-pair or two one-pair wiring schemes.  It has 30 programmable
buttons (four AA batteries required) and is pretty good.

The only weak point is in conference calling across the two lines, the
parties have trouble hearing low-level sounds between each other.


Ehud Gavron      [e-mail]

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

Subject: Re: The Perfect Phone
From: [e-mail] (Gregory Youngblood)
Date: Mon, 04 Oct 93 02:29:39 PDT
Organization: TCS Computer Systems


[e-mail] ( Reid Goldsborough) writes:

> I'm in search of the perfect two-line speakerphone. I've tested out a
> Panasonic (serious crosstalk problem), AT&T (didn't have autoredial
> and other features), GE (uses unconventional handset wiring and can't
> be used with Plantronics headset), and BellSouth (chintsy).

> I'd like to get my hands on a Northwestern Bell or Southwestern Bell
> two-line speakerphone. Northwestern Bell says try places like
> Hechenger's and Circuit City, but they don't carry it. I've also tried
> Best, Staples, Office Max, 47th Street Photo, and Quill.

> Anybody know where I might find a Northwestern Bell or Southwestern
> Bell two-line speakerphone? Mail-order would be best. Thanks. Please
> send email if you would. Thanks again!

I don't know where you might find this, but I got my phone at either
OfficeMax/Bizmart (Office Depot?) or Walmart.

I dont know what features you want, but here's the scoop:

Two line, speaker, conference, about a 20 phone number one touch dial
and a standard handset.  I like this phone because the speaker phone
works pretty good, and the handset is heavier than those cheap phones
(like it has some extra weight) and just feels comfortable.  This is a
Pac*Tel FE5300 phone.  It can be wall mounted, or comes with two
plastic foots to elevate the rear and make it a desk phone.  I hadn't
had any cross talk problems on it, and the conference button actually
didn't loose too much volume like I had expected it to ... I think I
spent like 70 or 80 dollars on this phone about two years ago.


Greg

The Complete Solution BBS  | Allfiles List: | Anonymous UUCP Calls Accepted
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------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #676
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Date: Mon, 4 Oct 1993 10:27:32 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #677

TELECOM Digest     Mon, 4 Oct 93 10:27:30 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 677

Inside This Issue:                       Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Traveling Modem FAQ (was Re: Does US Modem Work in UK?) (Carl Oppedahl)
    Distributed ACDs / Unifi Corp. (Dick Rhoads)
    A Structural Problem In Industry (Lars J. Poulsen)
    1-900 Companies (Emmanuel Disini)
    Cam-Net Long Distance Service (David Rabson)
    Telco Voice Mail (Randy Gellens)
    Caller-Id/Caller-Name for PC (Scott M. Pfeffer)
    Re: 800 ==> POTS (Jon Edelson)
    Re: 800 ==> POTS (Steve Forrette)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Carl Oppedahl)
Subject: Traveling Modem FAQ (was Re: Does US Modem Work in UK?)
Date: 4 Oct 1993 10:44:31 -0400
Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC


In <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Dinesh
Rehani) writes:

> I'm planning to buy a notebook with a built-in fax/modem card in the
> US. The big question is, will the modem work in the UK?  I know the
> physical jacks/wiring are different, but provided I can get the
> appropriate connections, do I have anything else to worry about? Are
> the actual electrical signals etc any different in various countries?

I request that readers send me proposed additions and changes to this
FAQ.

A frequently asked generic question is, "Will my telephone customer
premises equipment (CPE) work in country X?"  Followup questions are
typically, "How will I plug it in?" and "Will it work on the local AC
power?"

Broadly speaking the answer to the first question is usually yes.  You
would have to buy an adaptor to fit the local telephone jacks, and a
power adaptor for the AC power.  But it may not be legal -- not
because it is dangerous or won't work, but because the national
telephone regulator does not like competition with its own modems.
Here are some details.

Dialing.  If you use rotary dial, be aware that many countries use
make/break ratios differing from those used in the US.  If you have
trouble reliably rotary-dialing, study your modem manaul and try
setting the make/break ratio to the other ratio.  For example, with my
ZyXEL modem the default ratio, set by &P0, is 39%/61%.  The other
ratio is 33%/67%, set by &P1.

Some countries do rotary dialing differently than in the US.  Sweden,
for example, relates one click with "0", two clicks with "1", and so
on up to ten clicks meaning "9" on the dial.  This differs from most
countries where one click means "1" and so on.  New Zealand, I have
been told, uses a reversed correspondence, so that ten clicks means
"1", nine clicks means "2", and so on up to one click meaning "0".  In
such countries you would need to translate the phone number to be
dialed, before giving the dialing string to the modem.

    US:      1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
    NZ:      9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
    Sweden:  0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

A New Zealand reader says that "with American modems, to dial 769-4501
we'd use ATDP3416509.  But all exchanges here now support tone
dialling, so it's somewhat slower to use pulse dialling."

If you use tone dialing (on a line that is tone compatible) you should
have no trouble dialing anywhere in the world.  The dual-tone-multi-
frequency (DTMF) tones used are standard worldwide.

Dial tone detection.  Some modems (most of them, nowadays) actively
listen for dial tone, and will not commence dialing until they hear a
dial tone.  If they are picky and listen only for a precision US dial
tone (a mix of two defined sine waves) they might not work well in
some other country where the dial tone is different.  So you might
have to program the modem to "blind dial", namely, to dial without
having actually recognized a dial tone.  My Practical Peripherals
14400FX PKT (which is a good choice for traveling) can be programmed
to blind dial by putting X0 in the dialing string.  You would have to
study your manual to see how your modem can be told to do this.

Call progress detection.  Some modems will attempt to detect and
report such things as busy signals and ringing sounds.  They may not
be able to recognize the sounds emitted by non-US exchanges.  You may
have to disable these features in the modem, or in your communications
software.

Distinctive ringing.  Some equipment (e.g. fax switcher boxes) will
watch for patterns of sound and silence in an incoming ring.  The
patterns are different from country to country and the equipment could
get confused.  You might have to turn off this feature if you are
receiving calls.

The plugs and jacks.  To complete your hookup you will typically need
an adaptor.  One way to do this is to find an adaptor that will
receive the US-style modular plug and that will in turn plug into the
wall.  Another way is to buy a replacement cord that has the domestic
plug at one end (to plug into the wall) and a modular plug on the
other end (to plug into your CPE (customer provided equipment).
Sometimes I will get luck when traveling and the place I am visiting
will already have US-style modular plugs in place.  Some hotels do
this, for example, outside of the US.

Ground start.  Some exchanges use "ground start", in which CPE
requests a dial tone by grounding one of the wires of the telephone
line.  US CPE is loop start, which requests a dial tone by connecting
the two wires of the line to each other (through a 600 ohm impedence).
To use US-style equipment you need to order a loop start line from
your telco.

The data signaling protocols.  Most modems nowadays are 2400 bps or
faster, following the V.22bis, V.32 and V.32bis protocol standards.
If the number you are calling is also V.22bis, V.32 or V.32bis, you
should have no trouble.

But if the modem you are calling is slower than 2400 bps, you need to
check further.  The standards for 300 and 1200 bps data communications
are different in the US and elsewhere.  Study the documentation for
your modem to be sure it can be programmed to follow the protocol for
the modem you are calling, if it is slower than 2400 bps.

AC power.  If the CPE you plan to use fits into a slot in your
computer, and gets its power from the computer, then you need not
worry about the non-US voltage or frequency of the power; you already
solved that problem when you figured out how to plug in your computer.

Another possibility is that your modem runs on batteries, or gets its
power from the telephone line.  In either case, you would not have to
worry about the non-US voltage or frequency.

But if your modem draws on AC power, you will have to think about how
to plug in your modem to that power.  There are three possible issues
 -- the voltage, the frequency, and the shape and size of the prongs on
the power plug.

Some CPE nowadays has the ability to adapt automatically to the
domestic current.  You can tell this from the labeling on the AC
adaptor or the case -- it will say something like "100-240 volts AC,
50-60 Hz".  If the domestic current falls within the range recited on
the equipment, you are in luck and all you need is a plug that fits
into the domestic outlets.  Adaptors to do this are inexpensive and
easy to find -- for example, Radio Shack sells them.

Many countries use a voltage about double that of the US but with the
same frequency, 60 Hz.  For those countries just get a transformer-
type power adaptor.  You can recognize that it is a transformer-type
adaptor because it (1) looks like a transformer, (2) has a rather low
limit on the permitted power level (typically 100 or 200 watts), and
(3) comes with warnings not to use it with hair dryers or irons.

The other typically marketed power adaptor simply contains a large
diode.  It works only with pure-resistive devices like hair dryers and
irons, but will ruin virtually all consumer electronic devices.  Don't
use one of these with your modem.

If you are in a 50-Hz country (e.g. Japan) and have a device that says
it only works on 60 Hz, you have to decide whether or not to be a
gambler.  The reality is that most consumer electronics that says it
only works on 60 Hz will really work on 50 Hz, with the only harm
being a power transformer that runs a little hotter than usual.  But
some devices will be harmed by it, while others will not work right
(but will not be damaged permanently).  If you are very sure that your
device is powered by a purely transformer-type AC adaptor, you can
probably get away with merely correcting the voltage (with a
transformer-type power adaptor) and finding a mechanical adaptor for
the plug.  But you should know that this can be a bit risky.  Before
trying this I suggest you check to be sure there is a source of
replacement AC adaptors for your device.

This all sounds very risky and unpredictable, but it does not have to
be that way.  I travel with a transformer-type adaptor (which drops
240 volts to 120 volts), a handful of AC power adaptor plugs, a
handful of telephone cords and telephone plug adaptors, and my modem
quick-reference card.  In many countries, visiting many patent
clients, I have never been unable to telecommunicate, and have never
had equipment damaged by the local power.

Modems in Germany.  I have been told that to be PTT-approved in
Germany, a modem must be programmed so that it will never retry a busy
number more than a preset number of times.  This is obviously
irrelevant to any modem usage decision -- if you are in Germany and
have a German-approved modem it will have this feature.  Modems made
for other markets almost certainly will not.  I just figured you would
find this to be interesting.  It has been reported that in Germany,
PTT certification of a modem takes many years, so if this is true,
don't expect to get any new feature as quickly there as in other
countries.

One commenter suggests that in 1994 the European Community will defang
the PTTs of the member countries, and that a less protectionist and
more consumer-friendly EC approval process will be used instead for
CPE.

Fax sending.  If you have a Group III fax machine and are sending to
Group III fax machines, then you will have no fax compatibility problems
anywhere in the world.

The law.  Finally, you must keep in mind that some countries are
rather strict about what you can and cannot plug into their telephone
jacks.  It is possible to imagine any of several motives for this,
from the concern that defective CPE might electrocute a telephone
worker to the concern that CPE obtained from a source other than the
PTT would reduce the PTT's revenues on overpriced CPE.

If the CPE you propose to use has a US FCC Part 68 registration
number, it is unlikely it would pose any safety risk anywhere in the
world.  Most PTT's, in certifying equipment for use in their systems,
use the same standards the FCC does under Part 68.

Nonetheless, you would be wise to find out what is legal and what is
not in your country before connecting CPE to your lines.

However, even though it may not pose a safety risk, the equipment may
not *work* if it expects U.S. signalling levels.  However, modem
manufacturers don't like to change their product for export, and most
modems are designed to work even at the lower signalling levels
present in some other countries.

Thanks to:
H. Peter Anvin N9ITP ([e-mail])
Charlie Mingo ([e-mail])
Pat Cain <[e-mail]>


Carl Oppedahl AA2KW  (patent lawyer)
1992 Commerce Street #309
Yorktown Heights, NY  10598-4412
voice 212-777-1330

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

From: [e-mail] (Dick Rhoads)
Subject: Distributed ACDs / Unifi Corp.
Date: 4 Oct 1993 12:57:58 GMT
Organization: Hewlett-Packard NARC Atlanta


I have a group of about 50 people who would like to be in one ACD
group.  Unfortunately, they are in about 20 different cities (nationwide).

I know a little about Unifi Corp's "Distributed Call Center", which
uses BRI connections to make many, individual connections "look like"
a distributed ACD.

Does anyone have experience with Unifi that they would like to comment
on?

Can anyone suggest alternatives they have used to solve this type of
problem?

Thanks for your help.


Dick Rhoads                                     Hewlett-Packard Company
Phone   : [phone]                          Atlanta Technology Center
FAX     : [phone]                          2015 South Park Place
HPDesk  : Dick Rhoads/HPATC                     Atlanta, Georgia 30339 USA
Internet: [e-mail]
X.400   : C=US; AD=ATTMAIL; PD=HP; ORG=HP; OU1=HPATC; SN=RHOADS; FN=DICK

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

From: [e-mail] (Lars J Poulsen)
Subject: A Structural Problem In Industry
Organization: DKnet
Date: Mon, 4 Oct 1993 10:35:58 GMT


[e-mail] (John T Ellis) writes:

> Subject: Re: Satellite Information Wanted

> I am a member of a satellite task force here at Motorola.  We are
> investigating the use of satellites as links between our switches,
> cell sites and the land network.  As part of this task force, it is my
> responsibility to summarize any and all information that is available
> on geosynchronous satellites.  I would like information on where I can
> find answers to the following questions, a contact or two on the net
> or in industry that I can work with if more questions or comments
> arise, as well as any other pointers people may have.

(followed by some rather basic questions about commercial satellite
operations).

I don't mean to attack John, or even Motorola, but I think this is a
very good example of something that is running rampant in today's
business climate; and not just in the US -- I see the same thing here
in Denmark.

Challenged by tight profit margins, companies are laying off lots of
senior people with decades of experience, and with great overview
knowledge in their field of business. Then they give the work that
these senior people used to do to "young turks" just out of school,
with no overview and background knowledge, but a great appetite for
finding out, and a great desire to prove themselves.

These young, bright people then go out and ask us old-timers to share
our accumulated knowledge. Many of us will. If we do a good job, these
young people will deliver good results, proving to management that
getting rid of those old fogies and hiring someone half the age at
half the salary was an excellent business decision. Guess whose job
will be on the line next?

I am troubled by this. Is anybody else? (Yes, this may be borderline
telecom related, but I think it is very important to much of the core
readership of this group.)

Are there any solutions for (a) improving the carreer odds of mature
prefessionals and (b) for society ?


Lars Poulsen            Internet E-mail: [e-mail]
CMC Network Products        Phone: (011-) [phone]
Hvidovre Strandvej 72 B        Internets: designed and built
DK-2650 Hvidovre, DENMARK    while you wait (and wait ...)

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

From: [e-mail] (Disini SW, Emmanuel Disini,CST)
Subject: 1-900 Companies
Date: 4 Oct 1993 06:22:54 -0500
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway


Does anyone know where I can get a list of companies that offer 1-900
(or 976-xxxx) services in the US? (Companies like Independent
Entertainments).  Please cc your responses to [e-mail].


Thanks!

Joel Disini


[Moderator's Note: I do not understand. Do you wish to use the services
of these companies, or do you wish to contract with them to become an
information provider? I think you speak to your local telco about setting
up a 976 number; and there are several carriers you can speak to about
setting up 900 numbers. Were you trying to set one up of your own or
use one which belongs to someone else, or?  PAT]

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

Date: Mon, 4 Oct 93 02:01:13 MDT
From: [e-mail] (David Rabson)
Subject: Cam-Net Long Distance Service


I used Cam-Net when I lived in Vancouver and was quite pleased with
their service.  At that time, they had a local access number (so it
wouldn't have been very useful outside Vancouver and Burnaby) and
charged $5 a month plus the cost of calls.  Their service was mostly
useful for calls to the United States, for which their rates were 35%
less than B.C. Tel.'s, but they also offered small discounts (about
5%-10%) for calls to Ontario and overseas.


David Rabson

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

From: [e-mail]
Date: 3 OCT 93 23:08
Subject: Telco Voice Mail


There's been a lot of talk about how unfair it is for a telephone
company to compete with its own customers, for example by offering
voice mail.

While in general I agree that there is too much danger of hidden
cross-subsidies and other advantages, I looked into some of the
specific charges that have been made, and they seem to be, at least in
this instance, unfounded.

For example, it has been said that Joe's Burgers and Voice Mail
couldn't offer stutter dial tone, and that customers would have to buy
call forwarding busy/don't answer on top of Joe's services.

I called Pacific Bell and asked about this.  I was told that, indeed,
every network service used by voice mail is publically available.
Both Message Waiting Indicator and Call Forwarding can be bought by a
subscriber, or an Enhanced Service Provider.  The services can be
billed to the subscriber or to the ESP.

The interface for the voice mail is an industry standard developed for
answering services, called Simple Message Desk Interface or Forward
Calling Information.  This is a four-wire analog circuit which
indicates the incoming trunk, called number, condition for forward,
etc, from the switch to the voice mail.  In the other direction,
commands to turn MWI on or off are sent.

The Message Center is set up with incoming Centrex trunks and a SMDI
line from every switch in its service area.  The economies of scale
from having the voice mail on a single large machine outweigh the cost
of these lines, I guess.

On a related topic, it's been discussed here and in Risks that telco
voice mail messages are archived and available to law enforcement
agencies.  I looked into this, and it turns out that because of the
huge amount of data, the constant change, and the need for maximum
performance and uninterrupted availability, actual messages are not
backed up at all. Instead, mirrored disks are used to guard against
data loss.

I'm not trying to be an apologist for telco services, and in general I
don't like the idea of telcos offering such services.  But in these
cases, the facts seem to be different that the common perception.

Extra disclaimer:  although my company does make hardware and
software used for the Message Center, I do not work in that area,
and the information contained here came from calling Pacific
Bell.


Randall Gellens             [e-mail]
A Series System Software
Unisys Corporation          [Please forward bounce messages
Mission Viejo, CA           to: [e-mail]]
Opinions are personal;. .facts are suspect; . I speak only for myself

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

From: [e-mail] (Scott M. Pfeffer)
Subject: Caller-ID/Caller-Name for PC
Date: 3 Oct 93 19:40:11 GMT
Organization: Southwestern Bell Telephone Company


I recently subscribed to Southwestern Bell's Caller-ID service.
Simultaneously, I went to my local computer supplier and purchased a
US Robotics 14.4KB Fax/Modem (internal) for my COMPAQ '386 desktop
computer.

I have subsequently been searching for hardware and/or software that
functions as a caller ID receiver that installs directly into my
personal computer.

Has anyone such a device, or heard of such a device?  I'd much rather
have something in my computer, where I can store numbers indefinitely,
use them to track incoming calls even when I am at home to receive
them, keep track of the length of calls, etc.

Am I pipe-dreaming, or is any of this currently available?


Thank you,

Scott Pfeffer    Information Services, Southwestern Bell Telephone

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

From: [e-mail] (Jon Edelson)
Subject: Re: 800 ==> POTS
Organization: Princeton University
Date: Mon, 04 Oct 1993 12:37:06 GMT


In article <[e-mail]> Christopher Zguris <0004854540@
mcimail.com> writes:

> If someone were to call an 800 number that terminates on a POTS line
> equipped with caller ID, what would the caller ID box display?

> [Moderator's Note: Generally it says 'outside'. On the other hand, if
> you dial an 800 number from a cellular phone, the number delivered to
> the called party (the ANI) will be something oddball.

Are any of the 800 carriers capable of spitting the ANI down the line
_as if_ it were caller_ID, so that someone with a POTS line and a
'personal' 800 number can get the ANI with 'personal' equipment?

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

From: [e-mail] (Steve Forrette)
Subject: Re: 800 ==> POTS
Date: 04 Oct 1993 12:38:34 GMT
Organization: Walker Richer & Quinn, Inc.
Reply-To: [e-mail] (Steve Forrette)


In <[e-mail]> TELECOM Moderator noted in response
to Christopher Zguris <[e-mail]>:

> [Moderator's Note: On the other hand, if you dial an 800 number from
> a cellular phone, the number delivered to the called party (the ANI)
> will be something oddball.

Not necessarily.  On my US West Cellular account in Seattle, my actual
cellular number is given to 800 ANI subscribers.  (Cellular One gives
out a generic number for all subscribers.).  When I was roaming in
Denver earlier this year, it was interesting to note that when I was
using my Seattle US West account in Denver, that my Seattle cellular
number was still returned as the 800 ANI.  I though this to be quite
interesting considering that it's likely that they were not
transporting the call back to Seattle, but just spoofing the ANI in
Denver before handing the call off to AT&T.


Steve Forrette, [e-mail]

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

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #677
******************************


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Date: Mon, 4 Oct 1993 11:30:17 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #678

TELECOM Digest     Mon, 4 Oct 93 11:30:00 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 678

Inside This Issue:                       Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Re: ATM and IP (R. Kevin Oberman)
    Re: ATM and IP (Ketil Albertsen)
    Re: Weird Behavior Caused by Too Many Ringers? (Tim White)
    Re: Weird Behavior Caused by Too Many Ringers? (A. Padgett Peterson)
    Re: Area Code 917 in NYC for Beepers (Paul Hardwick)
    Re: Area Code 917 in NYC for Beepers (Dave Niebuhr)
    Re: Four-wire Pay Phones? (Danny Burstein)
    Re: Four-wire Pay Phones? (Michael D. Sullivan)
    Re: 800 ==> POTS (Dave Levenson)
    Re: What's With Pac Bell Airport Terminals? (Larry Nathanson)
    Re: What's With Pac Bell Airport Terminals? (Eric N. Florack)
    Re: PacBell and GTE (Rich Greenberg)
    Re: PacBell and GTE (Robert M. Topolski)
    Re: Atomic Clocks (Cliff Sharp)
    Re: Atomic Clocks (Dean Cookson)
    Re: Looking for a E1 Bit Error Rate Tester? (Brian Woodroffe)
    Re: [USA] FCC Part 68 REN Type A and B (Carl Oppedahl)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: ATM and IP
Date: Mon, 4 Oct 93 15:27:43 GMT
Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail]
(John L. MacFarlane) writes:

> It seems to me that the movement to ATM telco networks is going to
> have rather negative implications for the Internet Protocol. It is
> generally believed that the most efficient transfers over IP occurs
> when the IP packets are not fragmented (i.e. PMTU discovery). ATM
> proposes a 48 byte data payload for each cell, thus the MTU of the ATM
> network will be 48 bytes (avoiding any fragmentation at the ATM
> Adoption Layer). This does not leave much room for data after the
> necessary headers which accompany UDP (or worse TCP) packets are
> included.

> I guess the ATM folks have discovered more efficient algorithms for
> fragmentation than the Internet folks have been able to field.

This really should be on comp.dcom.cell-relay or comp.protocols.tcp-ip.

Cells and packets are not the same thing and the MTU of an IP link
over ATM whould NOT be 48 bytes.

The way any protocol is transmitted over ATM is by the use of "ATM
Adaptation Layers" (AALs) which break a packet down into cells. This
is done (sort of) at the datalink layer without interaction at the
network layer where IP exists.  RFC 1483 describes how this is to be
done for IP. In 1483 is is specified that the IP payload shall not
exceed 2^^16-1 octets or 65535 octets as the MTU.  There are, as you
might expect, a LOT of details, so if you are really interested in
this, get a copy of the RFC.

48 bytes cells are really too small for optimal data use, but were a
compromise with the Telecoms who will be using ATM for voice and would
have preferred a much smaller payload. But 48 bytes will work OK. Just
not as efficiently as might have been possible with a larger payload..


R. Kevin Oberman        Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Internet: [e-mail]    [phone]

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

From: [e-mail] (Ketil Albertsen,TIH)
Subject: Re: ATM and IP
Organization: T I H / T I S I P
Date: Mon, 4 Oct 1993 09:32:53 GMT


The simple answer is that ATM provides an (end-to-end) *virtual
circuit switched* connection - not 100% reliable, but sequenced.
Frames get there in order. You can accept the fragmentation without
putting a header in each and every cell; you treat an ATM virtual
channel as if it were a physical line without seeing the physical
fragmentation.

Think of it as a modem: you are not worried about the modem
"fragmenting" your bits into 8 bit bytes and appending a "header"
(start bit) and "trailer" (stop bits). Nor should you worry about ATM
doing something similar, although with larger units than bytes.

If we inspect the modem analogy a little closer, we note that each
virtual ATM channel is a modem-analogy -- the ATM line provides
(variable-bitrate) almost arbitrary multiplexing; we don't "need" IP
for doing that. We don't "need" TCP for establishing and maintaining
connections, and sequencing.  If we could start from scratch with ATM,
there would be very little reason to use IP and much of TCP at all --
we could build TCP functionality directly on ATM with (comparatively)
minimal effort. Well, history is there, and there is a need to
interface to implementations who don't know nothing but IP, so the
TCP/IP world will end up making far less efficient use of ATM than eg.
an OSI Transport will. (After all, OSI Transport and ATM was standardized
by the same organization.)

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

From: [e-mail] (Tim White)
Subject: Re: Weird Behavior Caused by Too Many Ringers?
Date: 4 Oct 1993 02:50:29 GMT
Organization: Youngstown State/Youngstown Free-Net


One time when I was working in Albuquerque for US WEST, a woman
noticed my Bell truck and asked me to check her phones.  She said that
sometimes only one would ring -- other times maybe three or four might
ring.  Sometimes, she claimed, all the phones might ring when someone
called in.

[Moderator's Smile: Sounds like she may have been a bit overloaded.  PAT]

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

Date: Mon, 4 Oct 93 07:59:14 -0400
From: [e-mail] (A. Padgett Peterson)
Subject: Re: Weird Behavior Caused by Too Many Ringers?


[e-mail] (Toby Nixon) wrote:

> Yesterday, a friend of our family called me at work to say she wasn't
> able to get through to our phone at home.  Sure enough, when I called
> to try it, I heard a real brief ringback, a loud couple of clicks,
> followed by a fast busy.  Very strange!

(lots left off)

Occasionally (about once a year) I experience something similar:
anyone calling either of my two lines gets a busy and on pickup any
phone is powered but no dial tone.

The procedure is then to go around the house unplugging things, wait a
minute, then plug them back in. I have in the past put it down to the
collection of 1983 vintage $9.95 two-line-plus-hold boxes, faxes,
modems, extra ringer on the alternate line, answering machine, caller
id, etc. reaching a peculiar state e.g. within limits for total line
load but once in a while, since most devices connect to either line,
things get unbalanced enough to cause a lock-up.

The first time it happened was when the cordless in the big garage had
the batteries go south, the most recent opened up when everything in
the kitchen distribution was accidently directed to the alternate
line. The confusing part is that whenever this happens *both* lines go
down.

On the whole, Southern Bell has provided remarkably few outages and we
now can recognize when the line amplifier at the substation goes out.
(We get two conversations or a connect and a dial tone simultaneousely).

Just one of the joys of modern life (meanwhile certain people outside
the US -- and some in -- are gnashing their teeth -- two cheap home
lines. Ten devices, outages once a year. Expectation of clean 14,400
modem connections, such a life 8*).


Warmly,

Padgett

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

From: [e-mail] (Paul Hardwick)
Subject: Re: Area Code 917 in NYC for Beepers
Date: 3 Oct 1993 23:06:16 -0400
Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC


Besides the pagers the 917 area code is being used for cellular phones.

Do you have your own pager service or is it provided by your company?
If the latter, your company was probably notified but didn't bother to
tell anyone.


Paul Hardwick  |  Technical Consulting  |  InterNet: [e-mail]
P.O. Box 1482  |  for MVS (SP/XA/ESA)   |  Voice:    [phone]
NY, NY 10274   |  and 3rd party addons  |  Fax:      [phone]

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

Date: Mon, 4 Oct 93 08:46:27 EDT
From: [e-mail] (Dave Niebuhr)
Subject: Re: Area Code 917 in NYC for Beepers


In TELECOM Digest V13 Issue #673 Christopher Zguris   [e-mail]
writes:

> I just found out -- the hard way -- that my beeper telephone number
> has been changed from area code 212 to 917. I don't recall getting
> anything in the mail about the change. I thought the change would
> affect new accounts, I didn't realize existing beepers would be
> changed over to 917. How will COCOT's and PBX's treat 917, as local or
> long distance?

> When I dial my beeper number, it rings a couple times then I get the
> message "Due to an area code change, your call cannot be completed as
> dialed, dial again using area code 917."

Area code 917 came into being in either late 1992 or early 1993 at
about the same time that the Bronx went to area code 718 which also
has Queens, Kings(Brooklyn) and Richmond (Staten Island) Counties.

This left Manhattan as being the only area in area code 212.

Also, area code 917 overlays all five boroughs of NYC and in addition
to pagers, it is used for other services although I can't remember
what they are right now (maybe cellular phones?).


Dave Niebuhr      Internet: [e-mail] (preferred)
                            [e-mail] / Bitnet: niebuhr@bnl
Senior Technical Specialist, Scientific Computing Facility
Brookhaven National Laboratory Upton, NY 11973  (516)-282-3093

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

From: [e-mail] (danny burstein)
Subject: Re: Four-wire Pay Phones?
Date: 4 Oct 1993 00:34:05 -0400
Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC


In <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Scott
McClure) writes:

> I was tracing a line in our building the other day (ahh, the
> joys of can-diving!) and came across what appeared to be a four-wire line
> for a pay phone. Is this normal?  What would each of the four conductors
> be used for, compared with a normal two-wire line?

Assuming it is a phone company coin phone, the lines are there to
allow for GROUND START operation.

Regular phones use "loop start", where simply connecting the two wires
(Tip/Ring) together gets you a dial tone. Coin lines, on the other
hand, use ground start, which involves shorting the telco power line
to the ground.  (I'll leave the reasons as an exercise to the student ..._)


[e-mail] adds: all the usual disclaimers regarding liability,


[Moderator's Note: All the telco payphones around here are 'dialtone first'
and have been for many years. What you say used to be correct; the money
going in the slot tripped a little finger which shorted the line to ground
to produce dialtone. As kids in the 1950's we'd get free payphone calls by
unscrewing the mouthpiece and touching one of the metal contacts to the
wire known to be ground. By the time the operator responded with 'number
please?' we had the mouthpeice screwed back on and were ready to continue
with our call. A relative of mine owned a drug store with a payphone
in the front of the store. The store's business phone was in back at
the pharmacy. I got a two-line turn button phone and installed it back
there with the store phone on one side of the turn button, and the pay
phone on the other side of the turn button. I used the third button posi-
tion (the momentary press down and release) to supply ground to the pay-
phone line. From the pharmacy phone, you could turn the button to the
side with the payphone line (dead at that point), press the button for
a second and release it, and get dialtone on the payphone line. It worked
just fine for a few days, but the telephone inspector came around and
voiced his disapproval in rather strong language.   :)     PAT]

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

From: [e-mail] (Michael D. Sullivan)
Subject: Re: Four-wire Pay Phones?
Organization: The Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link, Sausalito, CA
Date: Mon, 4 Oct 1993 06:43:18 GMT


In <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Scott
McClure) writes:

> I was tracing a line in our building the other day (ahh, the
> joys of can-diving!) and came across what appeared to be a four-wire line
> for a pay phone. Is this normal?  What would each of the four conductors
> be used for, compared with a normal two-wire line?

The extra conductors are used for coin control.  Real LEC coin phones
do not operate on a regular subscriber line, like COCOT phones, they
operate on a special four-wire coin line.  This enables the telco to
accept or refund your coins without transmitting in-band signals that
a dastardly cheater might try to imitate.


Michael D. Sullivan <[e-mail] (MIME capable)>
<[e-mail]>  <[e-mail]>

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

From: [e-mail] (Dave Levenson)
Subject: Re: 800 ==> POTS
Organization: Westmark, Inc.
Date: Sun, 03 Oct 1993 22:59:33 GMT


In article <[e-mail]>, Christopher Zguris <0004854540@
mcimail.com> writes:

> If someone were to call an 800 number that terminates on a POTS line
> equipped with caller ID, what would the caller ID box display?

That depends upon the long distance carrier who provides the 800
service.  Here in NJ, when we get 800 calls via Cable & Wireless and
delivered to a POTS line, the Caller*ID shows the calling number, even
if it's from out of the area.  When we get 800 calls via Telecom*USA
delivered to a POTS line, the Caller*ID shows OUT OF AREA.

Can anybody in NJ post comparable info for other 800 service provders?


Dave Levenson        Internet: [e-mail]
Westmark, Inc.        UUCP: {uunet | rutgers | att}!westmark!dave
Stirling, NJ, USA    Voice: 908 647 0900  Fax: [phone]

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

From: [e-mail] (Larry Nathanson)
Subject: Re: What's With Pac Bell Airport Terminals?
Date: 04 Oct 1993 10:54:46 -0400
Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC


In <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Steven King,
Software Archaeologist) writes:

> No dice. The computer-oriented selections give "This option has not
> been implemented yet". Bummer. I checked the TDD function and that
> seemed to be working. At least it didn't give me an error message. I
> didn't actually try to make a call with it.

I played with one of these last December in a FL airport (Tampa, I
think), where the option was turned on.  It was interesting checking
email from the middle of an airport.

I remember reading something about these needing to be turned off for
some legal reason, however I don't recall what it was.

But I do beleive the "not implemented yet" message is a lie; it's been
turned off.


L

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

Date: Mon, 04 Oct 1993 07:53:56 PDT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: What's With Pac Bell Airport Terminals?


> I just tried to use one last week, and called AT&T (These were AT&T
> phones, which is probably what you saw, not Pac Bell).  In any event,
> AT&T said they are awaiting FCC approval to allow use of the built in
> keyboard.  They are only approved currently to allow you to plug your
> laptop/powerbook into the data jack they have just above the built in
> keyboard.

Idle question:

Will these phones be routed differently than normal phones? I mean,
for example, if these terminals sent a control signal to the switch,
on the call being a data one (ie: made from the terminal), they would
be able to use a packet arrangement not unlike PCP ... thus raising
their profit margin, or at least making efficient use of their
available capacity.


/E

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

From: [e-mail] (Rich Greenberg)
Subject: Re: PacBell and GTE
Organization: Netcom Online Communications Services (408-241-9760 login: guest)
Date: Mon, 04 Oct 1993 15:37:45 GMT


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Billy Youdelman)
writes:

> David Gast <[e-mail]> writes:

>> GTE will not allow a pseudonym to be used for a directory listing.  (I
[...]
> Randall Gellens <[e-mail]> writes:
>> Pac Bell doesn't allow false names for directory listings, either.
[...]
> [Moderator's Note: Yes, but the difference is both names relate back
> to a person who is commonly known by both. Try asking for a totally
> false name of a person who does not exist in this context and see what
> they have to say.  PAT]

When I added my second line, I told the PacTelDroid to send the bill
to me but to list it in the name of "my nephew who was living with
me".  Thats exactly what they did.  The "nephew's" name is actually
the kennel name of one of my dogs.


Rich Greenberg            Work: ETi Solutions, Oceanside & L.A. CA 310-348-7677
N6LRT   TinselTown, USA   Play: [e-mail]                  310-649-0238
I speak for myself only.  Canines: Chinook & Husky

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

From: [e-mail] (Robert M. Topolski)
Subject: Re: PacBell and GTE
Organization: Amateur radio KJ6YT
Date: Mon, 04 Oct 1993 07:06:56 GMT


I did.  PacBell listed my 2nd line as Smith, Billy B. I didn't want
to list my BBS in the phone book and I never got a hassle.  I did, for
about a week though, get a bunch of phone calls from a U-haul dealer
trying to collect on a debt owed by a Billy Smith before I put the BBS
on the line.


Robert M. Topolski <[e-mail]>

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

Subject: Re: Atomic Clocks
Date: Mon, 04 Oct 93 10:11:14 CDT
From: Cliff Sharp <[e-mail]>


In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (Lou Fernandez)
writes:

> The atomic clocks I've read about use a different mechanism.  The ones
> which use cesium atoms depend on exciting an oscillation between two
> quantum-mechanical energy states (hyperfine levels F3 and F4).  The
> frequency of this oscillation is 9.192 631 77 GHz.  This is an exact
> frequency because the second is defined as 9,192,631,770 cycles of
> this resonant frequency.  Cesium clocks are available for $25k.

   There's an easier way to access an atomic clock, if you want to do
a bit of hardware hacking.  All (I believe) of the TV networks use a
cesium-rubidium atomic clock as their master timebase, so network
shows you watch locally are locked indirectly to that clock.
Unfortunately, the frequency you'd get is 3,579,545 Hz, and that might
be a bit of a chore to use as a PLL synthesizer reference to generate
your chosen frequency ... not to mention having to tap into your TV
set to get it.

   Just a thought ...

   On another note, since "they" keep changing the clocks by about a
millisecond per year these days, I wonder if they'll change the
official 9,192,631,770 number?

   ObNit: it's not that many _cycles_, it's that many _transitions_.
I imagine they mean transitions between the quantum states.


Cliff Sharp   [e-mail]   OR  [e-mail]
  WA9PDM                 Use whichever one works

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

From: [e-mail] (Dean Cookson)
Subject: Re: Atomic Clocks
Organization: The MITRE Corporation, Bedford, MA
Date: Mon, 04  Oct 1993 13:27:11 GMT


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] writes:

> <useful data deleted>

>> The means to calculate time is done on the basis of a certain number
>> of decays of radioactive cecium.  A certain exact number of decays
>> will occur in a certain period of time, this exact number is used to
>> define the time period referred to as a "second".  From that, all
>> other measurements are made.  The device that does this measurement is
>> a (at one time) 1/2 million dollar device called an "atomic clock."

This can't be.  Radioactive decay is a statistical process.  There is
no 'certain periof of time' in which an 'exact number of decays will
occur.  If you observe a sample for a given period of time, n number
of times you will get a Poisson distribution of number of decays.


Dean Cookson / [e-mail] / 617 271-2714    DoD #207  AMA #573534
The MITRE Corp. Burlington Rd., Bedford, Ma. 01730  KotNML  /  KotB

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

Date: Mon, 4 Oct 93 09:43:17 BST
From: Brian Woodroffe <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Looking for a E1 Bit Error Rate Tester?


Hewlett-Packard make a range of E1 test gear; eg HP37722A, HP37732A
HP33742A etc. HP has an office in Burlington (Boston). My knowledge of
USA geography is less than perfect but I think that it is slose to NH?


Regards,

Brian Woodroffe
Edinburgh   Scotland

PS: I helped design the HP37722A.

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

From: [e-mail] (Carl Oppedahl)
Subject: Re: [USA] FCC Part 68 REN Type A and B
Date: 04 Oct 1993 09:28:28 -0400
Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC


In <[e-mail]> hpa (H. Peter Anvin N9ITP) writes:

> It has been published that the sum of the Ringer Equivalence Numbers
> (REN) of telephone equipment on a line should not exceed a fixed
> number, usually 5.0.  However, what about the letters A and B that
> occur appended?  My understanding is that they signify different
> current-consumption characteristics of the device, and since they are
> always set out, they must have some meaning.

> Hence: how does the A's and B's come in when you are checking for
> ringer overload on your line?

The main issue here is the danger of overloading the ring generator in
the central office, and the overload situation is partly a function of
the frequency of the ringing current.  In most of the US, the ringing
signal is 20 Hz, and the REN, whether expressed in A or B, provides
assurance that the ringer will draw only the specified power increment
at 20 Hz.

(This is all drawn from The Phone Book, published by {Consumer Reports},
page 271.)

But there are some places, especially on party lines, where the
central office intentionally generates a signal at a very different
frequency, anywhere from 15.3 Hz to 68Hz.  Different frequencies might
be used to ring different parties on the line, for example.

If you see a REN of, say, 1.0A, this only promises that the phone's
power draw will be at or below 1 at 20 and 30 Hz.  But if you see a
REM of 1.0B, this tells you much more.  The power draw will be at or
below 1 for the entire range from 15.3 Hz to 68 Hz.

Hope this helps.


Carl Oppedahl AA2KW  (patent lawyer)
1992 Commerce Street #309
Yorktown Heights, NY  10598-4412
voice 212-777-1330

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

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #678
******************************


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Date: Mon, 4 Oct 1993 23:59:03 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #679

TELECOM Digest     Mon, 4 Oct 93 23:59:00 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 679

Inside This Issue:                       Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Re: AML Carrier? (Steve Forrette)
    Re: AML Carrier? (Fred R. Goldstein)
    Re: AML Carrier? (Steven H. Lichter)
    Re: AT&T G3 Switch vs ISDN (Bob Larribeau)
    Re: 800 ==> POTS (John R Levine)
    Re: 800 ==> POTS (Al Varney)
    Re: Telco Voice Mail (Macy Hallock)
    Re: Telco Voice Mail (Randy Gellens)
    Re: Overseas Connection, How? (danny burstein)
    Re: Overseas Connection, How? (Lars J. Poulsen)
    Free Seminar: "Telecommunications Analysis" (Sonic via Rory Stuart)

                 ------------------------
TELECOM Digest is an e-journal devoted mostly -- but not entirely --
to discussions on telecommunications in general, and voice telephony
in particular. It is published daily, and is reader-written, meaning
the people who read it are the people who submit articles to it. The
Digest is a not-for-profit activity of Patrick Townson Associates, a
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Write and ask for our products and services file.

TELECOM Digest is distributed free of charge to qualified subscribers
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Back issues and many other files of interest are available free of
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may reach us by phone: [phone] or fax: [phone].  Thank you!



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

From: [e-mail] (Steve Forrette)
Subject: Re: AML Carrier?
Date: 5 Oct 1993 02:06:22 GMT
Organization: Walker Richer & Quinn, Inc.
Reply-To: [e-mail] (Steve Forrette)


In <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Yutang
Chuang) writes:

> I am not familiar with telecom terms. But, my loacl telco told me that
> my second phone line recently added has this 'AML carrier' that would
> cause modem communication difficulty.

An AML has also been referred to here as a SLC-1.  It basically takes
a second line, shifts up the frequency of the signal, and transmits
only the AC portion on top of a regular line's pair.  The matched AML
at the other end of the line shifts the signal down to the original
frequency, regenerates DC loop current and AC ringing when appropriate,
and delivers what looks like a standard loop start line, more or less,
to the subscriber.  I had a line served by one of these beasts a year
or so ago from US West in Seattle, because of a pair shortage in the
neighborhood (I've since moved on to a better neighborhood where I can
have all the pairs I want :-)).

In my case, I didn't have any problems running a modem on it, surprisingly
enough.  Even at 9600bps, things seemed to work fine.  I never tried
receiving calls though.  The problems I had were not in the bandwidth,
but instead in the on-hook voltage and so on.  My multi-line phones
always thought the line was off-hook because of the low voltage, so
the 'in use' light was always on.  Since the AML gets no direct DC
signalling from the CO, it generates the DC loop current and AC
ringing current from a local battery, which is charged whenever the
primary line is on-hook.  So, there are limitations to how well it can
simulate the CO.  I was surprised that the timing of the signals was
just fine, though, as I got ringing at normal cadences, and switchhook
flashes for call waiting and three-way calling worked normally.
Considering the technology used, I was quite impressed.  But it could
not deliver service with the same reliablility and characteristics of
a normal line.


Steve Forrette, [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (Fred R. Goldstein)
Subject: Re: AML Carrier?
Organization: Digital Equipment Corp., Littleton MA USA
Date: Tue, 5 Oct 1993 02:07:07 GMT


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail]
(Yutang Chuang) writes:

> I am not familiar with telecom terms. But, my loacl telco told me that
> my second phone line recently added has this 'AML carrier' that would
> cause modem communication difficulty. (For my case, the modem does not
> answer consistently. i.e. it won't answer right at number of rings set
> for S0) So, what is this AML stuff? Only thing I know it has to do
> with using this to carry more phone lines as the telco phone lines are
> in scarce.

Yell and scream!  AML stands for "Additional Main Line", and it's a
very, very primitive mulitplexor.  Basically, it takes one analog pair
of wire and leaves it as-is, and superimposes a second line atop it,
using primitive modulation at barely-supersonic frequencies (something
on the order of 18 and 28 kHz).  The AML device is powered at your end
by the remote central office, which during a call delivers around 16
volts, so AML only provides low loop voltage and weak ring voltage, as
well as cruddy audio.

It's kind of guaranteed to make modems fail, and isn't famous for
voice quality either.  I wonder who the local phone company is; most
Bell companies have more class.


Fred R. Goldstein  k1io  [e-mail]
Opinions are mine alone; sharing requires permission

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

From: [e-mail] (Steven H. Lichter)
Subject: Re: AML Carrier?
Date: 5 Oct 1993 00:55:18 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (USA)


This is a very old form of Supscriber Carrier. I don't know if or why
there would be problems, but as with anything of that type it is
possible. We have not used it in many years so I don't remember much
about it other then there were seven channels on each pair of wires.


Steven H. Lichter    GTECalif COEI

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

From: Bob Larribeau <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: AT&T G3 Switch vs ISDN
Date: Mon, 04 Oct 93 07:18:55 -0700
Organization: Combinet


> Do AT&T G3 switches (which we have installed in our dorms) support
> ISDN?

Not directly.  If you have an ISDN Terminal Adapter (TA) that converts
ISDN to analog service then they should work.  You can't plug existing
analog equipment directly into an ISDN service.

> What data rate (bits/sec, bytes/sec, baud) does ISDN support?  Does
> ISDN support TCP/IP, AppleTalk, Novelle, or Microsoft network protocol
> codes?

An ISDN Basic Rate Interface (BRI) supports two B-channels at 64 kbps
each of circuit switced data or voice and one D-channel at 16 kbps of
packet switched data (X.25).

LAN protocols are supported by the equipment that you connect ot the
ISDN network.  For example the Combinet bridges support any Ethernet
based protocols using both B-channels giving 128 kbps.  You can add
compression to this and get 500 kbps effective throughput for many
applications.


Bob Larribeau   San Francisco

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

Date: Mon, 4 Oct 93 15:31 EDT
From: [e-mail] (John R Levine)
Subject: Re: 800 ==> POTS
Organization: I.E.C.C.


> [Moderator's Note: On the other hand, if you dial an 800 number from a
> cellular phone, the number delivered to the called party (the ANI) will
> be something oddball.

If you get your cellular service from the wireline (B) carrier, I'd
expect correct ANI.  Wireline carriers have to offer equal access,
meaning that if the ANI isn't right, the LD carriers can't bill calls
correctly.

Non-wireline (A) carriers don't have equal access, so they tend to
force you to use their long distance company at their prices.  That
means that they can capture the billing records at the cellular switch
and need not use a standard FG D interface to the long distance
company.


Regards,

John Levine, [e-mail], {spdcc|ima|world}!iecc!johnl

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

Date: Mon,  4 Oct 93 14:33:23 CDT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: 800 ==> POTS
Organization: AT&T


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail]
(Jon Edelson) writes:

> In article <[e-mail]> Christopher Zguris <0004854540@
> mcimail.com> writes:

>> If someone were to call an 800 number that terminates on a POTS line
>> equipped with caller ID, what would the caller ID box display?

>> [Moderator's Note: Generally it says 'outside'. On the other hand, if
>> you dial an 800 number from a cellular phone, the number delivered to
>> the called party (the ANI) will be something oddball.

> Are any of the 800 carriers capable of spitting the ANI down the line
> _as if_ it were caller_ID, so that someone with a POTS line and a
> 'personal' 800 number can get the ANI with 'personal' equipment?

   Note that your definition of a "POTS line" probably suggests a line
connected to an LEC CO switch.  The only way to get Caller ID on such
lines is to have the switch believe that it has "calling party"
information.  To accomplish this, the IXC would have to:
1) deliver "calling party" to the LEC (something not widely done), and
2) convert ANI information to "calling party (and thus lie to the LEC
   and the customer).

   Since ANI is not equal to "calling party" on many calls (PBX, call
forwarded calls, special billing numbers, some cellular, operator
handled, etc.), these forms of "caller ID" would be confused with real
"caller ID" displays.

   Another effect: Call Trace would output the ANI data as the "caller
ID", when it is clearly possible to call forward a telephone to an 800
number and thus have the forwarded telephone wrongly labeled as the
"caller".


Al Varney - just my opinion

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

Date: Mon, 4 Oct 93 21:14 EDT
From: [e-mail] (Macy Hallock)
Subject: Re: Telco Voice Mail
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Organization: F M Systems/Telemax  Medina, Ohio USA


In article <[e-mail]> is written:

> There's been a lot of talk about how unfair it is for a telephone
> company to compete with its own customers, for example by offering
> voice mail.

> While in general I agree that there is too much danger of hidden
> cross-subsidies and other advantages, I looked into some of the
> specific charges that have been made, and they seem to be, at least in
> this instance, unfounded.

Perhaps you didn't look deeply enough ...

I've considered setting up a voice mail service here with this type of
interconnection.  Its not as simple and easy as you might think.

> For example, it has been said that Joe's Burgers and Voice Mail
> couldn't offer stutter dial tone, and that customers would have to buy
> call forwarding busy/don't answer on top of Joe's services.

> I called Pacific Bell and asked about this.  I was told that, indeed,
> every network service used by voice mail is publically available.
> Both Message Waiting Indicator and Call Forwarding can be bought by a
> subscriber, or an Enhanced Service Provider.  The services can be
> billed to the subscriber or to the ESP.

That may be true, but at what cost?  SMDI rates are very high here.
There are charges not only for the data link, but for the leased line,
and lines to every CO you intend to connect these services to.  These
rates exclude all but the most well financed of competitors.

Even local companies with their own Centrex service complain about the
cost of setting up a integrated voice mail service in their own
Centrex group.  The minimum you can get away with is still over $400
per month for the SMDI link and data channel.  This is for one SMDI in
only one Centrex group, not the entire CO or multiple CO's.

> The interface for the voice mail is an industry standard developed for
> answering services, called Simple Message Desk Interface or Forward
> Calling Information.  This is a four-wire analog circuit which
> indicates the incoming trunk, called number, condition for forward,
> etc, from the switch to the voice mail.  In the other direction,
> commands to turn MWI on or off are sent.

What if the station you want to control is not part of your Centrex
group?  (You have to pay extra to add them to your Centrex group.)

In fact, Ohio Bell has dragged their feet about introducing Call
Forward Don't Answer here for non Centrex users.  They want to make
all users convert to measured service first ...

As for GTE North, well I can't find anyone with a clue about SMDI.

> The Message Center is set up with incoming Centrex trunks and a SMDI
> line from every switch in its service area.  The economies of scale
> from having the voice mail on a single large machine outweigh the cost
> of these lines, I guess.

Only for the largest of companies.  The cost of the SMDI on each CO is
$400+, each 4 wire data circuit is from $60 to $600 per month. (Note
that only analog data service can be used, not the less expensive
digital circuits.)

> On a related topic, it's been discussed here and in Risks that telco
> voice mail messages are archived and available to law enforcement
> agencies.  I looked into this, and it turns out that because of the
> huge amount of data, the constant change, and the need for maximum
> performance and uninterrupted availability, actual messages are not
> backed up at all. Instead, mirrored disks are used to guard against
> data loss.

The hazard appears to be loss of messages by poor maintenance, not
retention of data.  It seems as though very few telco central office
techs know how to fix voice mail systems.

I might add my concerns about getting the telco to fix any SMDI link I
might put in, who would understand it?  (Bear in mind I just went
through a week of finger pointing and head scratching over a T1
circuit that OBT could figure out that their tech had installed into
the wrong house cable.)

> I'm not trying to be an apologist for telco services, and in general I
> don't like the idea of telcos offering such services.  But in these
> cases, the facts seem to be different that the common perception.

If it were a level playing field, I'd agree.  It's not.

Do you think the phone company would let me advertise my voice mail
service in its billing stuffer newsletter for free?  How about for a
reasonable price?  Think I could plug it in page five of their white
pages, too? (In the part about residential services, right after Touch
Tone and Custom Calling?)

Are beginning to see my reason for concern?


Macy Hallock N8OBG  Voice:+1.216.723.3030  Fax:[phone] [e-mail]
Telemax Inc. and F M Systems Inc.  152 Highland Drive   Medina, Ohio 44256 USA
------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Date: 04 OCT 93 18:49
Subject: Re: Telco Voice Mail


>> I called Pacific Bell and asked about this.  I was told that, indeed,
>> every network service used by voice mail is publically available.
>> Both Message Waiting Indicator and Call Forwarding can be bought by a
>> subscriber, or an Enhanced Service Provider.  The services can be
>> billed to the subscriber or to the ESP.

> That may be true, but at what cost?  SMDI rates are very high here.
> There are charges not only for the data link, but for the leased line,
> and lines to every CO you intend to connect these services to.  These
> rates exclude all but the most well financed of competitors.

>> The Message Center is set up with incoming Centrex trunks and a SMDI
>> line from every switch in its service area.  The economies of scale
>> from having the voice mail on a single large machine outweigh the cost
>> of these lines, I guess.

> Only for the largest of companies.  The cost of the SMDI on each
> CO is $400+, each 4 wire data circuit is from $60 to $600 per
> month. (Note that only analog data service can be used, not the
> less expensive digital circuits)

The fact that the SMDI lines and associated services carry a high
set-up cost which prohibits small companies from using them does not
mean that such services should not be offered.  The fact that only a
large and well-financed company can get the economies of scale from
mainframe-based voice mail does not mean that no one should be able to
offer mainframe-based voice mail.  If it is cheaper per line to offer
voice mail in this way, that is a good thing, as I see it.  The mere
fact that there is a high entry fee does not mean that it is unfair to
use a service.


> In fact, Ohio Bell has dragged their feet about introducing Call
> Forward Don't Answer here for non Centrex users.  They want to make
> all users convert to measured service first...

The push to get subscribers onto measured service is a bad thing, done
out of greed.  I hate it.

>> On a related topic, it's been discussed here and in Risks that telco
>> voice mail messages are archived and available to law enforcement
>> agencies.  I looked into this, and it turns out that because of the
>> huge amount of data, the constant change, and the need for maximum
>> performance and uninterrupted availability, actual messages are not
>> backed up at all. Instead, mirrored disks are used to guard against
>> data loss.

> The hazard appears to be loss of messages by poor maintenance, not
> retention of data.  It seems as though very few telco central office
> techs know how to fix voice mail systems.

I was responding to a specific concern which was discussed in TELECOM
Digest, Risks, and one of the Privacy digests, which was the archiving
of voice messages.  I wasn't addressing the issue of loss of data,
which, as you point out, is a danger of poor operations.

> I might add my concerns about getting the telco to fix any SMDI link
> I might put in, who would understand it?  (Bear in mind I just went
> through a week of finger pointing and head scratching over a T1
> circuit that OBT could figure out that their tech had installed into
> the wrong house cable...)

Poor performance on telco's part is an unfortunate fact of life in
many areas, but isn't unfair competition, unless they are doing it on
purpose.

>> I'm not trying to be an apologist for telco services, and in general I
>> don't like the idea of telcos offering such services.  But in these
>> cases, the facts seem to be different that the common perception.

> If it were a level playing field, I'd agree.  It's not.

> Do you think the phone company would let me advertise my voice
> mail service in its billing stuffer newsletter for free?
> How about for a reasonable price?  Think I could plug it in page
> five of their white pages, too? (In the part about residential
> services, right after Touch Tone and Custom Calling?)

> Are beginning to see my reason for concern?

I never said there was no cause for concern (my original message noted
the danger of cross-subsidies, for example).  At least around here,
the telcos do not (so far as I know) advertise voice mail or other
enhanced offerings in bill stuffers.  However, voice mail is listed
(with their other offerings) in the white pages.  I hadn't thought
about that before.  Perhaps they should have to add a note that voice
mail (and other enhanced services) are also available from other
companies.


Randall Gellens           [e-mail]|
A Series System Software
Unisys Corporation        [Please forward bounce messages|
Mission Viejo, CA         to: [e-mail]]|
Opinions are personal;. .facts are suspect; . I speak only for myself

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

From: [e-mail] (danny burstein)
Subject: Re: Overseas Connection, How?
Date: 5 Oct 1993 00:38:51 -0400
Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC


In <[e-mail]> [e-mail]-
muenchen.de (Helmut Heller) writes:

> Hello,

> I am desperately trying to connect to a modem in the United States
> from Germany. After lowering the data rate to 300bps I can finally
> connect, but I lose the connection before I can even transfer the
> first message.

> Now I have this faint memory trace that one has to do someting special
> to dial overseas, but what do I have to do? Can anyone help?  Could it
> have to do with a Guard Tone (what is that anyway?)?  Or somehow
> (how?) disabling some echo-barriers in satellites for full-duplex
> connections?

Given that you have to drop to 300 baud and lose the connection anyway,
the most likely scenarios are:

  a) Your high speed modem is not-compatable with the other one.
Remember that speeds above 300 baud have different protocols, and only
in the last few years have they been standardized.  Check to make sure
that the modems at both ends use the same procedures.

For example, US Robotics had its own system for going to 2400 and
above, whicih would not work with anyone else.

There are international standards now for all the differnet sppeeeds
(up to 14.4K, higher speeds are still the manufacturer's own) so if
BOTH modems follow the specs, they should work.

  b) One modem may be using an "error correction" protocol, which adds
another ten or so seconds when setting up initial connection. You can
get around this by increasing the time the modem waits for a
connection, or by disabling the error correction.


[e-mail] adds: all the usual disclaimers regarding liability,
intelligence, accuracy apply. spelling disclaimer is doubled.

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

Date: Mon, 4 Oct 93 11:14:52 +0100
From: [e-mail] (Lars J Poulsen)
Subject: Re: Overseas Connection, How?


In comp.dcom.telecom is written:

> I am desperately trying to connect to a modem in the United States
> from Germany. After lowering the data rate to 300bps I can finally
> connect, but I lose the connection before I can even transfer the
> first message.

> Now I have this faint memory trace that one has to do someting special
> to dial overseas, but what do I have to do? Can anyone help?  Could it
> have to do with a Guard Tone (what is that anyway?)?  Or somehow
> (how?) disabling some echo-barriers in satellites for full-duplex
> connections?

(1) 2400 bps should in fact work better than 300 bps. V.22bis (2400
    bps) was the first modulation to be widely deployed in identical
    application in Europe and North America.

(2) Echo cancelers and echo suppressors are not installed in the
    satellites but in the national/regional transit central offices.
    They are switched out by the 2100 Hz answer tone when the
    remote modem answers.

(3) A guard tone is a continuous tone placed on the channel to
    make sure there is never silence on the channel. This is needed
    on some connections that use "silence suppression" as compression.
    This is very effective on speech, even though it may clip the
    beginning of some words after a pause.
    I would not expect this to be needed on modems using a full-duplex
    async modulation.

Are you having this problem with modems of the current generation?  Do
you know the modem types at both ends?


Lars Poulsen            Internet E-mail: [e-mail]
CMC Network Products        Phone: (011-) [phone]
Hvidovre Strandvej 72 B        Internets: designed and built
DK-2650 Hvidovre, DENMARK    while you wait (and wait ...)

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

Date: Tue, 5 Oct 93 00:26:16 EDT
From: [e-mail] (Rory Stuart)
Subject: Free Seminar: "Telecommunications Analysis"


I am posting this at the request of a friend who does not have net
access.  I am not affiliated with Sonic Perceptions, so please respond
directly to them, and not to me!

Thanks,

Rory Stuart,   NYNEX Science & Technology, Inc.

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

HEAD acoustics GmbH in association with Sonic Perceptions, Inc.  is
offering a FREE one day seminar and product introduction entitled,
"Telecommunications Analysis: Objective and Subjective Approaches" for
engineers and managers involved in: Research and Development, Acoustic
Testing, Quality Control, Systems Analysis interested in learning
about: (1) Transmission performance testing of both analog and digital
telephones, including non-linear and time varying systems, (2) Easy,
flexible adaptation to standards for certification measurements, (3)
Transmission system performance investigations, (4) Quality assurance
investigations, (5) Subjective and objective testing of terminals,
lines, switches and other telecom system components, (6) Complete
in-situ hands-free terminal testing including conference and mobile
applications.

Seminars will be held on October 12, 1993 in Arlington Heights, (Chicago)
IL and on October 15, 1993 in Newark, NJ.  For more information, please
contact Sonic Perceptions, Inc., 28 Knight Street, Norwalk, CT  06851, TEL
203-838-2650, FAX [phone].

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

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #679
******************************


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Date: Tue, 5 Oct 1993 01:24:16 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #680

TELECOM Digest     Tue, 5 Oct 93 01:24:00 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 680

Inside This Issue:                       Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Re: Radio Spectrum Auctions (Cliff Sharp)
    Re: Radio Spectrum Auctions (Michael D. Sullivan)
    Re: Pac Bell Commercials Use Duritti Column (Khee Chan)
    Re: PacBell and GTE (Rich Greenberg)
    Re: PacBell and GTE (Arthur Rubin)
    Re: PacBell and GTE (Carl Moore)
    Re: Pager Number Being Forwarded to a Voice Number (Bill Mayhew)
    Re: Pager Number Being Forwarded to a Voice Number (Steve Gibbons)
    Re: Pager Number Being Forwarded to a Voice Number (Bob Kusumoto)
    Re: Telco Voice Mail (Al Varney)
    Re: Telco Voice Mail (John R. Levine)
    Re: Capacity of Area Codes and IP Numbers (Lars J. Poulsen)

                 ----------------------------
TELECOM Digest is an e-journal devoted mostly -- but not entirely --
to discussions on telecommunications in general, and voice telephony
in particular. It is published daily, and is reader-written, meaning
the people who read it are the people who submit articles to it. The
Digest is a not-for-profit activity of Patrick Townson Associates, a
telecommunications consulting firm in Chicago, Illinois. PTA markets a
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calling card known as the Orange Card.  In addition, we are marketing
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Write and ask for our products and services file.

TELECOM Digest is distributed free of charge to qualified subscribers
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Back issues and many other files of interest are available free of
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may reach us by phone: [phone] or fax: [phone].  Thank you!

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

Subject: Re: Radio Spectrum Auctions
Date: Tue, 5 Oct 93 00:38:47 CDT
From: Cliff Sharp <[e-mail]>


> Radio spectrum auctions were approved in August by Congress.  These
> Auctions are expected to raise $10 billion for the government.
> Licenses to be awarded include, PCS, advanced messsaging, cellular
> video, interactive television, satellite services and others.

> My question: Once you win an auction for spectrum have you "bought"
> rights to this spectrum in perpetuity?  Or is the auction in fact some
> sort of high tech rental agreement?  If you actually "buy" lifetime

   Yes to both.

   If you "buy" the spectrum, and move in very fast and occupy it in a
useful way (read "popular and successful"), you'll be virtually
immovable.  FCC will probably follow their tradition of allowing six (?)
months from space allocation to final implementation to see if you're
really serious and have enough capital, and follow the usage of the
spectrum allocated to you; if you get it running and it gets used
liberally, you're pretty much there.  (But see below.)  If your
service isn't very popular, though, or someone else comes along with
clout and a better idea, you may expect to be challenged and possibly
"moved" (perhaps to /dev/null).

> rights, what happens when the current technology is obsolete and the
> FCC wants to re-allocate the spectrum to some other use?  (If

   Discussion in the rec.radio.amateur groups is saying that VHF
television, probably the mightiest stronghold in spectrum allocation,
is being phased out by 2004 (HDTV will occupy UHF frequencies, and VHF
[54-72, 76-88, and 174-216 MHz] can simulcast in NTSC until 2004, then
the frequencies may go to land mobile service).  Many amateur radio
allocations over the years have been removed and given to commercial
interests; traditionally, hams were given the "useless" frequencies,
then when they showed the frequencies weren't useless after all FCC
stepped in and took them back.  It's done at the whim of the current
Directors of FCC, unless the frequencies in question are _so_
popularly used that they wouldn't stand a chance of moving the current
occupants.

> television broadcasters ever "owned" the spectrum for TV channels
> 70-83, we might not have cellular telephones today).

   Actually, those channels were reserved for "repeater" service, i.e.
for mountainous areas where people in a valley couldn't get good
reception on channel 5 or whatever; a station could be set up on a
mountaintop to translate channel 5 to channel 76 for the valley folk.
Since cable exists (not that it would appear in these areas due to
financial reasons), it's the "replacement" and the frequencies were
reallocated.

   And BTW, don't even think of bidding on one of those allocations
unless you have the finances of Motorola et al., since bidding is
going to start very high and go even higher.


Cliff Sharp     [e-mail]   OR  [e-mail]
  WA9PDM                  Use whichever one works

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

From: [e-mail] (Michael D. Sullivan)
Subject: Re: Radio Spectrum Auctions
Organization: The Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link, Sausalito, CA
Date: Tue, 5 Oct 1993 05:48:10 GMT


In <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (John
Gilbert) writes:

> My question: Once you win an auction for spectrum have you "bought"
> rights to this spectrum in perpetuity?  Or is the auction in fact some
> sort of high tech rental agreement?  If you actually "buy" lifetime
> rights, what happens when the current technology is obsolete and the
> FCC wants to re-allocate the spectrum to some other use?  (If
> television broadcasters ever "owned" the spectrum for TV channels
> 70-83, we might not have cellular telephones today).

The legislation makes clear that once you get a license by auction you
have neither more nor less rights than if you had gotten the spectrum
by lottery, comparative hearing, or uncontested.  You get a license
for a term of years.  Renewal at the end of that term is not
gruaranteed, but is very likely if you are well behaved.  The auction
legislation does not permit auctions at renewal time.  In other words,
renewal will be nearly free (but you may have to beat out challengers
in a hearing, if there are any).

The FCC remains free to revoke your license if you commit major
violations, and the statute does not give you any special right to
have your auction payment refunded pro rata.

The FCC can still reallocate your spectrum out from under you.  This
is a very touchy subject, however, politically, and the FCC is
unlikely to do this to commercial spectrum users or public safety
users without making alternative spectrum available and giving you
grandfather rights for some time.  For example, the private microwave
users in the spectrum reallocated for PCS will have a transition
period in which they have the right to negotiate with a PCS licensee
needing access to their spectrum; unless they work out a deal for
relocation (e.g., PCS pays micro licensee to move to another band or
to fiber), the microwave licensee is entitled to interference
protection for several years.  Public safety licensees cannot be
forced to move at all (although they can be paid to do so).

In fact, one reason TV channels 70-83 were reallocated for cellular,
SMR, public safety, and other land mobile services in 1974 was that
there were very few TV licensees in that band.  The ones that were
there were allowed to change channels or stay for a while under a
grandfather clause.


Mike Sullivan, communications lawyer
Michael D. Sullivan <[e-mail] (MIME capable)>
   <[e-mail]>  <[e-mail]>

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

Organization: ESOC European Space Operations Centre
Date: Mon, 4 Oct 1993 15:58:21 CET
From: Khee Chan <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Pac Bell Commercials Use Duritti Column


In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail]-oc.
Unisys.COM says:

> Anyone exposed to California radio or TV must have heard the Pacific
> Bell series of "Tomorrow Will Be Better" ads.  The theme music is
> "Otis" by The Duritti Column.  This is a very obscure band; I wonder
> how they picked it?

I would hazard a guess that the music itself has some telecom connota-
tions.

The first time I heard it I thought that the sequence of the tones
sounded very much like the idle tones (mark or space) transmitted by
radio teletypes over the air.  The more I hear the music the more I am
sure that the connection is delibrate -- someone in PacBell or their ad
agency knows their radio!  Not that RTTY is all that common now but
they can still be found on the HF bands.  I used to play RTTY a lot
when I was a radio ham in England -- in fact I am still licensed as
G0DXS.


Khee Chan   BITNET/EARN: kchan@esoc, kchan@caltech     SPAN: jplsp::kchan
INTERNET: [e-mail], [e-mail]
I speak for no-one, and no-one speaks for me. Sometimes not even myself!

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

From: [e-mail] (Rich Greenberg)
Subject: Re: PacBell and GTE
Organization: Netcom Online Communications Services (408-241-9760 login: guest)
Date: Mon, 4 Oct 1993 18:43:43 GMT


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Rich
Greenberg) writes:

>> David Gast <[e-mail]> writes:
>>> GTE will not allow a pseudonym to be used for a directory listing.  (I

> [...]

> When I added my second line, I told the PacTelDroid to send the bill
> to me but to list it in the name of "my nephew who was living with
> me".  Thats exactly what they did.  The "nephew's" name is actually
> the kennel name of one of my dogs.

A bit more on this ... because its used mostly as an outgoing modem
line, and only rings in one place with the ringer turned down, I
usually don't answer the second line.  Occasionally I do, and its
always a wrong number or a telemarketer looking for my dog.  Sometimes
I let the computer answer it, and one time must have gotten a
hacker/cracker looking for modem tones, because he/she spent 10
minutes trying to break into the dumb ascii terminal that they had
reached.


Rich Greenberg Work: ETi Solutions, Oceanside & L.A. CA
310-348-7677 N6LRT TinselTown, USA Play: [e-mail]
310-649-0238 I speak for myself only.  Canines: Chinook & Husky

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

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: PacBell and GTE
Date: 04 Oct 93 17:35:36 GMT
Organization: Beckman Instruments, Inc.


In <[e-mail]> [e-mail]
writes:

> Pac Bell doesn't allow false names for directory listings, either.
> When I tried to have my second line listed in a pseudonym I've used
> many times in the past, the insisted on seeing some proof that someone
> existed with this name.  They faxed me the tariffs.

Send in a photocopy of your "NCC-1701 crew" ID card ... no problem! :-)


Arthur L. Rubin: [e-mail] (work) Beckman Instruments/Brea
[e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] (personal)
My opinions are my own, and do not represent those of my employer.

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

Date: Mon, 04 Oct 93 16:32:32 EDT
From: Carl Moore <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: PacBell and GTE


But to handle alternate spellings of last names, phone directories commonly
say something like "_____ -- see also _____".

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

From: [e-mail] (Bill Mayhew)
Subject: Re: Pager Number Being Forwarded to a Voice Number
Organization: Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine
Date: Mon, 04 Oct 1993 13:41:12 GMT


> DID trunks.

Yes indeed, that is what the pager companies have.  I am pretty sure
that my company, USA Mobile, has about a dozen lines in the Akron, OH,
216 920-xxxx exchange.  I've noticed that when I call my own pager
that I receive a busy or reorder about one time in ten.  My voicemail
forwarder doesn't do call progress detection, so I blind dial my pager
twice, separated by a few minutes, to make sure my pager gets
activeated.

Our secretary chastised me for, "not hanging up your pager when you're
done."  I thought for a moment I'd try to explain that it is on a DID
trunk, but then realized it probably wasn't worth the hassle.  I just
said that I'd try to be less forgetful :-)


Bill Mayhew        NEOUCOM Computer Services Department
Rootstown, OH  44272-9995  USA      phone: [phone]
[e-mail]       amateur radio 146.58: N8WED

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

From: sunquest!nereid![e-mail] (Steve Gibbons)
Subject: Re: Pager Number Being Forwarded to a Voice Number
Date: 05 Oct 93 04:45:00 GMT
Organization: Sunquest Information Systems, Instrument Interfacing


In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (John R
Levine) writes ...

> If you want a single number for your pager and your voice mail, get a
> normal home line with remotely reprogrammable call forwarding and
> point it at either your pager or your voice mail, as needed. (Or bag
> the voice mail and get an answering machine.) Many voice mail systems
> can arrange to page you whenever there's a message waiting, giving you
> the best features of both.

Since the subject got brought up ... I've been trying to convince our
Octel system at work to forward urgent voice mail to my Alpha-Bravo
(acting as a digital pager in this case.)  So far, the telcom guys and
myself have been totally unsuccesful, and USWest says that the Octel
system can't forward to my pager because the paging service says
"thank you for calling" at the end of the DTMF entry.  This makes
absoluteley no sense to me, since I can tell a plain-old data-modem to
blind dial the DID line, pause a certain number of seconds, DTMF the
return number (pluss a '#'), and hang up; and everything works fine.

Granted, I know next to nothing about our Octel system; the USWest
business line has been "busy" for the last eight hours straight; and our
telcom guys are way overworked ...

If anyone can help, I'd much appreciate it.

Relevant? information that I have off-hand: Octel Aspen system.  (No
idea on version number, but I think we had an upgrade recently.  That
may have been just hardware though ...)

Motorola Alpha-Bravo 158.10000MHz
(I really don't see what the frequency has to do with it, but the
TelCom guys said that the USWest guys said that it was relevant.)

Paging service: PacTel
DID line: [phone]
Manual Digital operation proceeds as follows:

1) Dial DID line
2) wait three seconds, tops for four beeps
4) enter callback number via DTMF, "*" means "-", "#" ends sequence
5) voice responds "thank you for calling."
6) remote hangs up.

 From memory, what we've tried on the Octel system:
Configure my mailbox to forward to pager # and pager-type (1 through 6, I
beleive)

Working pager configurations didn't "take" so we invented several new ones.
LP5551212#D    LPP5551212#D    LPPPPPPP666#D  none of which were effective.

On a related note, (assuming I can get the basic service up-and-running),
does anyone know if it's possible to forward the caller's actual line
(if known) to a pager.  From the configuration screens, it doesn't
appear so.

I realize that I'm way out of my element here, and greatly appreciate
any help that's offered.


[e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (Bob Kusumoto)
Subject: Re: Pager Number Being Forwarded to a Voice Number
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Organization: University of Chicago -- Academic & Public Computing
Date: Tue, 05 Oct 1993 03:01:20 GMT


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] writes:

> I'm just wondering if its possible for a pager number to be forwared
> to a voice mail. I place a call thru to AmeriTech pager to enquire
> about this but they inform me that this is not possible. But since all
> phone lines have to go thru the local Central Office, is it possible
> for the pager number to be forwared at the switch station to another
> number?

Since you do mention Ameritech pager (and I have one), they do offer a
voicemail feature along with the paging service.  It's a bit pricey
compared to some voicemail services (really depends on the features
you want).  Talk to them.  I'm happy about the service I'm getting
from them so call me a satified customer (ps they also have a service
that will give you toll free access to your pager/voicemail from an
IBT payphone in the chicagoland area, I probably abuse this service a
bit).

Since we're on the Ameritech topic, I just want to slam the residental
voicemail service.  A friend of mine in Hyde Park recently got this on
his number and there have been a few glitchs (which occurred on the
weekend so mileage may vary).  The first one was about a month back
where the system would switch to the voicemail and then just give a
busy signal.  Lasted a couple days or so.  The second time was last
Sunday.  When the system switched to the voicemail box, it just kept
ringing and ringing.  I tried again later after waiting around 15
minutes on hold with 611 and it worked like it should.  Just want
people to know that its not 100% reliable (yet), and since Ameritech
is touting this service as having a business-like voicemail, you might
want to reconsider.  Just one man's opinion.


Bob Kusumoto
Internet:  [e-mail]
Bitnet:    kus3%midway@uchicago[.bitnet]
UUCP:  ...!{oddjob,gargoyle}!midway!kus3

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

Date: Mon,  4 Oct 93 13:06:01 CDT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Telco Voice Mail
Organization: AT&T Network Systems, Lisle, IL


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail].
COM writes:

> There's been a lot of talk about how unfair it is for a telephone
> company to compete with its own customers, for example by offering
> voice mail.

> While in general I agree that there is too much danger of hidden
> cross-subsidies and other advantages, I looked into some of the
> specific charges that have been made, and they seem to be, at least in
> this instance, unfounded.

   Well, you didn't address the "cross-subsidy" issue -- and neither
will I.

> For example, it has been said that Joe's Burgers and Voice Mail
> couldn't offer stutter dial tone, and that customers would have to buy
> call forwarding busy/don't answer on top of Joe's services.

> I called Pacific Bell and asked about this.  I was told that, indeed,
> every network service used by voice mail is publically available. ...

> The interface for the voice mail is an industry standard developed for
> answering services, called Simple Message Desk Interface or Forward
> Calling Information.

   Bellcore also has requirements for ISDN-Message Dest Interfaces,
which avoid the need for a separate SMDI line.  (ISDN callers also get
special handling -- want to leave a "data" message?)

> The Message Center is set up with incoming Centrex trunks and a SMDI
> line from every switch in its service area.  The economies of scale
> from having the voice mail on a single large machine outweigh the cost
> of these lines, I guess.

   Actually, with SS7 interconnections between CO switches, all the
information used by a public voice mail system can be tandemed through
the public network to one CO, and then sent to the VM provider.  (Not
necessarily the most diverse, reliable design, you understand.  Lines
to multiple COs might improve reliability.)  Thus the cost of lines
from every switch is avoided.  The protocol to turn on/off the Message
Waiting Indicator is also handled by SS7.

   There is still one unmentioned advantage to the TELCO-offered voice
mail; the TELCO gets to decide when to deploy SS7, and when and where
to deploy the MWI and voice mail interface software.  So early VM
players have to use the "lines to every switch" kludge, and then pay
again to change over to the SS7 version.  On the other hand, I
wouldn't want to have a collection of VM providers "vote" as to when
to deploy SS7-based Message Services.

> Extra disclaimer:  although my company does make hardware and
> software used for the Message Center, I do not work in that area,
> and the information contained here came from calling Pacific
> Bell.

   Ditto, except my company makes Switches, and the information came
from (mostly) Bellcore documents.  None-the-less, it is still "just my
opinion".


Al Varney

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

Date: Mon, 4 Oct 93 15:27 EDT
From: [e-mail] (John R Levine)
Subject: Re: Telco Voice Mail
Organization: I.E.C.C.


> I called Pacific Bell and asked about this.  I was told that, indeed,
> every network service used by voice mail is publically available.

Have you checked the prices?  In some areas, forward on no answer,
forward on busy, and stutter dial tone together cost more than does
voice mail.

Claims have also been made that the set of exchanges where these
features are available just magically happens to be the exact same set
of exchanges where Pac Tel offers voice mail, so if you want to offer
voice mail somewhere that Pac Tel doesn't, tough noogies.

Finally, keep in mind the big hidden subsidy: the large regulated
business base means that RBOCs can raise capital for their unregulated
escapades far more cheaply than could an independent company going
into the same business, because lenders know there's always the
regulated cash cow to bail them out.


Regards,

John Levine, [e-mail], {spdcc|ima|world}!iecc!johnl

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

From: [e-mail] (Lars J Poulsen)
Subject: Re: Capacity of Area Codes and IP Numbers
Organization: DKnet
Date: Tue, 5 Oct 1993 04:01:52 GMT


[e-mail] (David Jones) writes:

>  ... how much longer before we run out of IP network addresses?  The
> Internet is expanding at 10%/month, and there is waste due to network
> granularity (a 2000 node network takes up a Class B address leaving
> over 63,000 combinations unused).

New routing technology allows us to issue a cluster of eight
contiguous class C network numbers to your 2000-node company instead
of the class B number. If you think this is cutting it too close, you
can ask for a cluster of 16 class C numbers. This change dramatically
reduces the wasted space.

In the past, such assignments would have resulted in a dramatic
increase in the size of the routing tables that must be searched for
each packet as it goes through each router in the backbone networks,
but we are now deploying a routing protocol that allows us to
represent each such cluster by a single table entry instead of a table
entry for each class C number.

Eventually, this more compact use of the address space may not suffice.
Several options exist at that point:

1) Ration the number space by market mechanisms.
   I.e. charge rent on the network numbers. This could be very effective.

2) Add numbers from a different number space. One likely candidate
   is to allow all the high-level protocols (TCP and above) to run
   over a different network-level packet protocol, such as the
   ISO Connection-Less Network Protocol, which allows addresses
   of 160 bits. Such a dual-protocol network is already deployed
   in many organizations. No changes are required for old systems
   to talk to other old systems, but a (large) software update will
   be required somewhere in order for old systems to talk to new
   systems. (Other candidates for a new undercarriage are new
   protocols with names like PI and SIP.)

3) Partition the universe by "area codes". Systems within each area code
   would continue unmodified, but a special mechanism would be introduced
   in a super-backbone to create dynamic address translations on the
   fly. "I am 196.13.165.12 and I want to talk to 213.214.1.17 in the
   Africa zone; please let me know what address to use for her."
   "I heard you. Her temporary address will be 253.17.1.111, and she
   will be given the temporary address 252.111.46.12 for you".
   The address tranlation glue could be hidden in the name-to-address
   translation mechanism.

Two years ago, we thought we would be dead by now, but the new address
assignment has given us enough time to study the problem that we can
afford to take the time to try out all of these mechanisms. The
collapse is still two years away!


Lars Poulsen            Internet E-mail: [e-mail]
CMC Network Products        Phone: (011-) [phone]
Hvidovre Strandvej 72 B        Internets: designed and built
DK-2650 Hvidovre, DENMARK    while you wait (and wait ...)

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

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #680
******************************


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Date: Wed, 6 Oct 1993 10:46:03 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #681

TELECOM Digest     Wed, 6 Oct 93 10:43:00 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 681

Inside This Issue:                       Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Best Products Nomination (Syllabus Press, via Mary Grush)
    National Electronic Phone Books (Paul Robinson)
    Compiled Questions for FCC Commish (Charlie Hofacker)
    Two-Line Princess Phones (Bob Schwartz)
    X.32 Source Code? (Bengt-Arne Skoog)
    Using a French Phone in North America (John J. Chew III)
    What is PCN and DCS1800? (Bjoern Carlsson)

                 ----------------------------
TELECOM Digest is an e-journal devoted mostly -- but not entirely --
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----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 05 Oct 93 21:19 GMT
From: [e-mail] (Syllabus Press, Editorial Dept,PAS)
Subject: Best Products Nomination


Contact: Mary Grush
Higher Education Product Companion (HEPC) magazine
[e-mail]

***

HEPC magazine is interested in getting responses to the attached
questionnaire, by October 10, 1993. We would like to receive your
responses, and please route to any interested individuals or groups
you may identify. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

Please send e-mail responses to: [e-mail]

Send Us Your Nominations for Best Products for Higher Education

The December issue of HEPC will feature the best products for higher
education.  Join your peers in selecting the products that you think
are the most beneficial to your work and we will feature them in our
special "Best Products" issue. Fill out this brief questionnaire and
e-mail to [e-mail], fax it to our editorial
offices at [phone], or mail it to HEPC "Best Products"
Nominations, 1307 S. Mary Ave., Ste. 218, Sunnyvale, CA 94087. Please
limit your response to one answer per product type. Please nominate
only those products in categories that you are familiar with. Please
fill out the necessary product information regarding vendor,
manufacturer or brand name, and version or model number. Thank you for
your interest in HEPC. We look forward to your responses.

Is your use of technology done in a higher education environment, or is your
work involved with higher education?
o  Yes
o  No

What is your primary use of technology? (check only one)
o  Administrative
o  Instructional
o  Personal Productivity

What personal computer systems do you nominate?
Desktop (ie; Dell 466/T, i486 DX2 66MHz)
   Product_____________________________________________________
 Manufacturer_________________
Laptop or Portable (ie: Macintosh PowerBook 165c)
 Product_____________________________________________________
 Manufacturer_________________
Workstations (ie: Sun SPARCStation)
 Product_____________________________________________________
 Manufacturer_________________

Which of the following operating systems/environments do you nominate?
o  DOS version ________
o  Macintosh OS System 7.x
o  DOS _____ with Windows version _______
o  OS/2 version _______
o  Macintosh OS (prior to System 7) ________
o  UNIX version _______
o  NeXTSTEP version _______
o  Windows NT
o  Other OS or environment
   Product___________________________________
   Manufacturer____________________________________

Which of the following types of multimedia products do you nominate?
   Animation and rendering software
   Product___________________________________
   Manufacturer____________________________________
   Authoring systems for courseware/multimedia
   Product__________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   CD-ROM drives
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   CD-ROM discs (content)
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   Digital audio cards
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   Digital video cards
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   Scanners
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   Other multimedia products
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________

Which of the following display devices do you nominate?
   Color monitor
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   Monochrome monitor
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   Projection systems
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   LCD panels
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   Video accelerators/24-bit color cards
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________

Which of the following video presentation devices do you nominate?
   Videodisc player
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   Videotape player
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   Video camera
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   Video projector/monitor
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   Slide projector
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________

Which of the following peripherals do you nominate?
   Laser printer
   Product__________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   Dot matrix/inkjet printer
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   Plotters
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   Hard drives
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   Backup/Archive units
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   Optical drives
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   Interface products (keypads, mice, pens, voice recorders)
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________

Which of the following types of networking and communications products do you
nominate?
   Local Area Network software
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   Local Area Network hardware
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
 E-mail system
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   Modems
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   Communications software
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   Remote access software
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________

Which of the following types of educational products do you nominate?
   Collaborative learning
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   ESL (English as a second language)
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   Adult literacy software
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   Biological science or medical curriculum software
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   Physical science software
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   Business or economics curriculum software
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   Engineering curriculum software
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   Mathematical curriculum software
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   Arts and humanities curriculum software
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   Social sciences curriculum software
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   Foreign language curriculum software
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   Instructional videodiscs
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________

Which of the following types of applications software do you nominate?
   Accounting or financial
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   Administrative modules (student info/admissions/etc.)
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   CAD/CAM/CAE
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   Databases
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   Desktop publishing
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   Disk utilities/Data retrieval software
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   Draw/paint/illustration software
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   Library systems
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   Mathematical packages
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   Outline/idea processors
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   Presentation software
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   Programming languages
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   Simulation/modeling software
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   Spreadsheets
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   Statistical/Data analysis packages
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   Utilities
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   Visualization software
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________
   Word processing
   Product___________________________________
  Manufacturer____________________________________

Please e-mail, fax, or mail your response to our editorial offices.
E-mail to [e-mail]; fax to [phone]; or
mail to HEPC "Best Products" Nominations, 1307 S. Mary Ave., Ste. 218,
Sunnyvale, CA 94087.

We need to receive your response no later than October 10, 1993 to
include your suggestions in our "Best Products" issue.

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

Date: Wed, 6 Oct 1993 10:29:47 EDT
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Subject: National Electronic Phone Books
From: Paul Robinson <[e-mail]>
Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring, MD USA


Jean-Bernard Condat <[e-mail]>, writes:

> Do you have similar mistakes in your national electronic phone
> books?

To the best of my knowledge, France is the only country that operates
a national electronic telephone directory.  It apparently came about
because directory assistance from operators in France had (still has?)
the two service levels reminiscent of third-world countries, e.g. slim
and none.

Also, the French Government subsidized (meaning the taxpayers were
robbed to pay for) giving away a Minitel Terminal to every household
in the country.  The equivalent would have been giving every house in
the U.S. a computer, which would have cost about US 50,000,000,000
Dollars.

North America has some privately operated computerized directory
systems, such as the Directory Assistance Centers for the 160+ area
codes.  Compuserve also has a (very expensive, did anyone expect
otherwise?)  inquiry system to allow searching for people, something
similar to a plan Lotus wanted to offer of almost every household in
the U.S. until complaints forced them to shelve the plan due to
concerns over privacy.


Paul Robinson - [e-mail]

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

From: Charlie Hofacker <[e-mail]>
Subject: Compiled Questions for FCC Commish
Date: Tue, 5 Oct 1993 13:58:40 EDT


In a previous posting I asked for questions that I might pose to
Andrew C. Barrett, one of three FCC commissioners.  Here is a
compilation of the questions I received so far.  If you want to add to
this list, email me at the address below.

After the luncheon, I will post what transpired.  Hopefully what
transpired will consist of something more than chit chat about the
salad dressing between Mr. Barrett and the Associate Dean's secretary.

Charlie Hofacker <[e-mail]>
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
   "Local telephone service in the US is on the verge of a great
   transition from monopoly to competitive service.  Does the FCC have
   a coherent policy on the difficult issues involved, such as market
   power of former monopolies, and the status of existing tariff-based
   subsidies?"

Jim Olsen   -   [e-mail]
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
I'd ask the commissioner why the FCC is violating the freedom
of speech right in trying to censor Howard Stern.

From: [e-mail] (Stephen Zielke)
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
    A most gracious offer.  I would want to explore two areas.  The
    first would be who is to become the chief telecommunications
    architect in the U.S.A. when Judge H. Green passes to the higher
    life?  This should get things off on a pleasant note.

    The second question would be how we can deploy digital
    subscriber services (Basic Rate ISDN, etc.), when the
    infrastructure in certain areas is wholly unsuited to
    doing so.  As an example, in GTE service areas it is
    next to impossible to get ISDN service and will remain
    so for the indefinate future.

From: "H.A. Kippenhan Jr." <[e-mail]>
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
1) I'd ask him how come GTE (in my case) gets to charge me for a calling
radius that includes about 8 miles of ocean.   ...

2) I'd also ask him how GTE can charge me for "GTE long distance calls"
when my long distance company is AT&T.

From: [e-mail] (Andy)
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Would you ask him whether or not the FCC is going to decide on stricter
(more precise) definitions of obscenity and indecency, and let all
broadcasters know exactly when safe harbor is? Right now, these three
issues are a mystery to everyone, and it's hard for our station (and
most others I know of) to be able to figure out what we can broadcast
and when.

# Daniel M. Rosenberg        [e-mail]   [phone]
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
    What is your opinion regarding bringing competition to local
phone service?

Marc L. Kozam
UUCP: {media,mimsy}!mlksoft!kozam
Internet: mlksoft![e-mail]
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
The number one question that I would ask would be about the status of
the AT&T payphones with terminals installed....

From: Scott Dorsey <[e-mail]>
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
The most important question I'd ask is how the FCC views the future of the
RBOC's, as they (the RBOC's) continue to push into unreguated services.

John Levine, [e-mail], {spdcc|ima|world}!iecc!johnl
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
One big one -- if Congress goes ahead and passes a law mandating competition
for telephone service on the local level, is the FCC going to try to make
sure that universal access is maintained?  If universal access is mandated
in the law, how is the FCC going to regulate it?            ...

From: Robert Bocher <[e-mail]>
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
I'd ask two questions:  1) get a straight-from-the-horses-mouth
statement about a topic that pops up periodically: the so-called "modem
tax" (where a surcharge is imposed on a residential line if it is uded
for modeming), and 2) ask if the FCC plans to continue nibbling away at
amateur radio allocations to provide bandwith for emerging technologies.
Case in point: 220-222mhz given to commerical two-way, rather than take
away 2mhz from broadcasting (which has some something like 21,000 times
the space ham radio has).
If I had the time, I'd ask a 3rd question:  Does he plan on
incorporating some kind of discount access to the so-called "national
data highway" for the general consumer - i.e. you and me for SMTP e-mail
and news.

From: "Paul R. Coen" <[e-mail]>
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
I would ask what the FCC's position on MicroBroadcasting is going to
be over the next few years, and is there ANY chance that they may
make broadcast licensed attainable by the 'common man?' That is,
in the $1000 to $5000 range rather than the $10000 to (more commonly)
$50000 range.

[e-mail] | Christopher J. Ambler
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
I'm a bit biased, but I would ask just what are the FCC's true feelings
toward the personal radio services in general, and the Amateur Radio
Service in particular.  Are we perceived as a pain in the a**, or as
a useful service worthy of continuation into the next century, or
both?  What would the FCC like to see happen in the Amateur Service
over the next 10, 20, 30 years?  Are we living up to the charter given
to us in Part 97.1?

From: [e-mail] (Mike Morris)
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Ask why TV stations don't transmit the time so that VCRs and TVs can know
the correct time.  ...                                                   ade

Why doesn't caller id work between phone companies?


From: [e-mail] (Cont Tim Hogard)

[Moderator's Note: What I received was unfortunatly trunacated at this
point so the comments of Hogard (and others?) are not available.  PAT]

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

Subject: Two-Line Princess phones
From: [e-mail] (Bob Schwartz)
Date: Tue, 05 Oct 93 10:34:35 PDT
Organization: Bill Correctors, Inc., Marin County, California


Does anyone know where I can find several two line Princess phones for
sale? seems that *most* two-line phones take up just too much space.
With an illuminated dial, two lines, and a hold button, who needs
speed dialing!


Bob Schwartz                                       [e-mail]
Bill Correctors, Inc.   [phone]   Marin County, California

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

From: [e-mail] (Bengt-Arne Skoog)
Subject: X.32 Source Code Wanted
Organization: Hgskolan Karlskrona/Ronneby (HK/R)
Date: Wed, 6 Oct 1993 06:34:14 GMT


Hi!

I'm about to enter a project including X.32 communication and 3270
terminal emulation. If anybody know where I can find source code (free
or commercial) covering any of this topics, PLEASE tell me!


Thanks,
Dan Bystrom   [e-mail]  [e-mail]
fax:     [phone] Phone:   [phone]

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

From: [e-mail] (John J. Chew III)
Subject: Using a French Phone in North America?
Organization: The Poslfit Committee
Date: Wed, 6 Oct 93 06:53:31 GMT


I have a French phone (specifically, a France Telecom TENOR) that I
would like to use here in Canada.  At first, I naively thought that if
I just unplugged the RJ-11 to French phone plug cord from the back of
the phone and replaced it with an RJ-11 to RJ-11 cord, it would work.
It didn't, so here I am using valuable net bandwidth to ask:

1. Does anyone have the pinouts for a TENOR's RJ-11 jack?

2. Failing that, can someone tell me what the signal assignments are for
   the contacts on a standard French phone plug, so that I can try tracing
   the old cord to answer question #1?

E-mail to [e-mail] or a followup to this group as
appropriate.


Thanks,

john j. chew, iii / department of mathematics / university of toronto
[e-mail] / [e-mail] / [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (Bjoern Carlsson)
Subject: What is PCN and DCS1800?
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Organization: University of Kalmar, Sweden
Date: Wed, 6 Oct 1993 06:52:09 GMT


I need information about personal communocations network(PCN) using
the European DCS1800.

Important subjects:
    -DCS1800 Network interfaces and signaling
    -about PCN
    -microcells

Tell me about magazines, databases, companys or what so ever that will
help me.  Very grateful for answers.


Bjorn C

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

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #681
******************************


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Date: Wed, 6 Oct 1993 12:29:36 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #682

TELECOM Digest     Wed, 6 Oct 93 12:29:30 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 682

Inside This Issue:                       Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Book Review: "Glossbrenner's Master Guide to GEnie" (Rob Slade)
    TUP/SS7 Software (Trillium) (Rajeev Gupta)
    Re: Premier ESP(tm) Clicks (Jack Mcgee)
    NEC, NEAX User Groups? (Doug H. Kerr)
    North American Numbering Plan Launch in California (Joel Van Dyk)
    Finland Dialing Changes (David Leibold)
    905 Officially Active (David Leibold)
    Tekelec Offers CompuCALL Test Equipment (Monty Solomon)
    Seeking RF Modem Ventors (For CATV) (Jack Powers)
    Single Line Programmable Voice Card on PC? (Bitter)
    Thanks For Using AT&T at Residence Inn (J. Philip Miller)
    Demon Dialers Information Wanted (Josh Mereminsky)
    Call Screening ([e-mail])
    Wanted: DDS and DMS Information (Devasena Pathy)
    The Moderator's Breakfast (Clive Feather)

                 ----------------------------
TELECOM Digest is an e-journal devoted mostly -- but not entirely --
to discussions on telecommunications in general, and voice telephony
in particular. It is published daily, and is reader-written, meaning
the people who read it are the people who submit articles to it. The
Digest is a not-for-profit activity of Patrick Townson Associates, a
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TELECOM Digest is distributed free of charge to qualified subscribers
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Back issues and many other files of interest are available free of
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TELECOM Digest is compilation-copyrighted, 1993 by Patrick Townson
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Article submissions come to: [e-mail], and if you wish, you
may reach us by phone: [phone] or fax: [phone].  Thank you!

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

Date: 6 Oct 93 10:30 -0600
From: Rob Slade <[e-mail]>
Subject: "Glossbrenner's Master Guide to GEnie"


BKMGENIE.RVW  980827

Glossbrenner's Choice
699 River Road
Yardley, PA   19067-1965
215-736-1213
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]

or

McGraw-Hill Ryerson/Osborne
300 Water Street
Whitby, Ontario  L1N 9B6
416-430-5000   fax: [phone]

"Glossbrenner's Master Guide to GEnie", Glossbrenner, 1991, 0-07-881659-9,
U$39.95

It is amazing how fast things change.  This book is copyright 1991.
In two years GEnie has changed enough that I'm not sure how much is
still valid.  (As only one minor example, GEnie's rate structure has
recently changed to a "per hour" charge as well as the monthly base
rate.)  Glossbrenner has done a very good job of making GEnie
accessible, but if you rely on this book's examples you may find
yourself a bit confused at times.

Glossbrenner's book will likely save you the price of its purchase
anyway.  The book is liberally sprinkled with time- and money- (which
is the same thing, online) saving tips.  There are also a number of
commands which you would likely not find for a while in your own
explorations.  These will help you almost from the moment you sign on.
If you plan to use GEnie, this work is a good investment.

The user of commercial online services tends to be less technically
adventuresome than the BBS nerds, so the fact that chapter one deals
with modems and communications software is wise.  This discussion is
not complete.  The section on software is very terse.  The discussion
of modems deals with MNP levels 2 and 4, error correction, which GEnie
sometimes supports, but not level 5, compression, which GEnie doesn't
support, but which is more generally desired by the wider data
communications crowd.  (Oddly, Glossbrenner and, seemingly, GEnie
recommend against the use of MNP error correction.)  The book goes far
enough into details on modems to recommend an external modem.  (I
concur, although he left out my favourite reason.  When the system
gets really stuck, you can always "punch off" with the "Talk/Data"
switch.)

Chapter two starts into GEnie itself, with instructions on signing on
and navigation.  This is where the age begins to show: a significant
portion of this chapter is dedicated to "Star*Services" -- which don't
exist anymore.

Chapter three is *highly* recommended.  "RoundTables" on GEnie are the
topic centres.  They contain static conferencing, bulletin boards,
real time "chat" conferences and file libraries related to the topic.
As Glossbrenner says, they are the "heart and soul" of GEnie.  They
will also, very likely, drive you nuts.  I have been involved with
online systems for a decade; I have seen every interface going; I have
used some pretty weird services; but I hope *never* again to go
through the agony of my first few hours exploring GEnie's "RTs".  Once
you get used to them, there are some *very* powerful commands, but
initially ... well, just get the book, read chapter three and spare
yourself a *lot* of grief.

Chapter four wants to talk about the online community.  I know why: it
is a great temptation to share this new community with others.
Unfortunately, it is also difficult to describe.  However, it does
lead in to chapter five, where the mechanics of email and chat are
dealt with.  Again, this is highly recommended reading.  Suffice it to
say that GEnie is the only system I have ever seen that doesn't let
you read, and reply to, messages one by one.  An important point
Glossbrenner notes is that the asterisk, used on almost all messaging
systems for emphasis of a word or phrase, is the command character for
the GEnie editor.  I found this out after seven attempts to post an
article, the last line of which started with "*write..."  The "*w"
command means "wipe the buffer".  Unfortunately, and unusually,
Glossbrenner does not say anything about email etiquette, or the
common sources of misunderstandings for beginners.  (Another fairly
major change has taken place: GEnie now has Internet access for
email.)

Chapters six to fourteen basically list the various resources,
services and RoundTables associated with, respectively, computing,
travel, finance and business, shopping, news/weather/sports, games
(online gaming), professional services, leisure, and education.  These
chapters will appeal or not, depending upon your interest in the
topics.  Again, as you think you might want to explore some areas, try
them out "on paper" first.  You can pick up tips more easily here than
online.

Chapter fifteen covers the Aladdin front end for GEnie.  This commands
another whole review: suffice it that you can deduct the price of
Aladdin's documentation, and whatever charges are required to obtain
it, from the cost of the book since a copy of the MS-DOS version is
included as well as this mini manual.  (Again, at the time the book
was written there was a plan to introduce an Aladdin version for the
Mac as well as the current MS-DOS and Atari ST versions.  The Mac
plans have been tabled.)  The version of Aladdin included with the
book is older, although still usable.  I received my copy directly
from "Glossbrenner's Choice", and the package contained an updated
version.

The price of the book seems quite high.  The content, however, is
substantial, and the usage credit and Aladdin copy effectively reduce
the price still more.  In addition, the work will likely save you its
own cover price within a few months.  If you use GEnie, or, more
particularly, if you plan to start using GEnie, I would recommend this
purchase.

Alfred Glossbrenner's comments on this review included the information
that the publisher does not plan an update at this time.  The
Glossbrenner's themselves, however, are preparing updated material on
floppy disk to include with the book.  This will only be available if
you order direct from the "Glossbrenner's Choice" address.  The price
will be U$44.95 shipped to Canadian addresses.


copyright Robert M. Slade, 1993   BKMGENIE.RVW  980827
Permission granted to distribute with unedited copies of the TELECOM Digest
and associated mailing lists/newsgroups.

Vancouver Institute for Research into User Security, Canada V7K 2G6
[e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] Fidonet 1:153/733
[e-mail] 604-526-3676

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

From: [e-mail] (Rajeev Gupta)
Subject: TUP/SS7 Software (Trillium)
Organization: Trillium Digital Systems, Inc.
Date: Wed, 6 Oct 93 01:40:43 GMT


For additional information contact:

Robert Musslewhite, Trillium Digital Systems, Inc.
Phone: [phone]
Fax:   [phone]
Email: [e-mail]


           TRILLIUM ANNOUNCES RELEASE OF TUP SS7 SOFTWARE

   Los Angeles, California, October 1, 1993 -- Trillium Digital
Systems, Inc. announced today the release of the Telephone User Part
(TUP) of its Signalling System No. 7 (SS7) Portable Communications
Software.

   The TUP software complies with CCITT Recommendations Q.721 - Q.725
and provides basic services for establishment and release of circuit
switched network connections, enbloc or overlap signalling, charging,
and supplementary services for user access to the calling and called
party address identification.

   Robert Musslewhite, Vice President of Marketing and Sales, stated
"Our TUP software, in conjunction with other Trillium SS7 software,
provides a high quality, complete and proven solution by which
manufacturers may add SS7 capabilities to their products. TUP rounds
out our existing SS7 software products which include MTP Level 2, MTP
Level 3, ISUP, SCCP, and TCAP."

   The TUP software is available immediately. Trillium offers a number
of licensing options.  The fee for a single use buyout option, with
rights to distribute an unlimited number of object copies with no
additional fees, is $55,000 USD for manufacturers located within the
U.S. and $60,500 USD for manufacturers located outside the U.S. The
fee includes source software, documentation, a training course and
technical support.

   Trillium Portable Communications Software is written in the C
programming language and may be licensed by manufacturers in source
form for integration into their products. Trillium software is
designed using the Trillium Advanced Portability Architecture (TAPA)
so that it may be integrated into a wide range of product
architectures.  Manufacturers select Trillium technology to speed the
time to market, lower the cost and reduce the risk of developing and
providing support for standards based communications protocols within
their products.

   Trillium Digital Systems, Inc., a privately held company founded in
1988, designs, markets, licenses and supports standards based (CCITT,
ANSI, ISO, ETSI) communications software. Trillium software is
available for the Signalling System 7 (SS7), Integrated Services
Digital Networks (ISDN), X.25, Frame Relay, Asynchronous Transfer Mode
(ATM), Internet and other communications protocols. Trillium has
licensed its source software to over 70 computer and communications
equipment manufacturers throughout the world for use in telephone
switches, cellular switches, packet switches, voice messaging systems,
terminal adapters, test equipment and other products.

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

Subject: Re: Premier ESP(tm) Clicks
From: [e-mail] (Jack Mcgee)
Date: 3 Oct 93 21:03:00 GMT
Organization: Ed Hopper's BBS - Berkeley Lake (Atlanta), GA - 404-446-9462
Reply-To: [e-mail] (Jack Mcgee)


DW> We have a Premier ESP 1224 system installed in 1991 which has exhibited
DW> consistent clicks and pops coincident with incoming calls.

We have a Premier system, I believe its the 1224, at least the same
family.  I've never noticed that problem. I assume you are saying that
all users will hear a pop or click when a call rings into the system.
In any case, we don't hear any pops or clicks, nor are modem calls a
problem.

I'm really pleased with the features of our system, but our keysets
seem not too reliable.  And darned expensive to have repaired.


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

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

From: Doug H. Kerr <[e-mail]>
Organization:  Amarillo College PCAD-ML
Date: Wed, 6 Oct 1993 15:51:52 GMT
Subject: NEC, NEAX User Groups?


Does anyone know of any user groups or lists for users of NEC or NEAX
switches?  We've got a NEC 2400 with 5200 software and would like to
correspond with anyone with a similar set-up.  Thanks in advance.


Doug Kerr, Telcom. Coor., Amarillo College, P.O.BOX 447, Amarillo,
Texas, 79178, Voice 806-3715498, Fax [phone]

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

From: [e-mail] (Joel Van Dyk)
Subject: North American Numbering Plan Launch in California
Organization: Morgan Stanley & Company, Inc.
Date: Wed, 6 Oct 1993 10:13:51 -0400


I just got handed an article from a journal (the person didn't know
which one) by our ROLM vendor, stating that California will have an
October NANP launch, followed by Indiana on Dec. 1st.  Can anyone
confirm this?  I thought the plan wasn't supposed to kick off until
Jan. 1, 1995.

Thanks.


[Moderator's Note: Huh?  What is an 'NANP launch' ???  Is this
something that was printed in the magazine or is it heresay passed
along by your friend who thought that is what he read, or ??? Let's
begin if you don't mind by explaining the meaning of your term.  PAT]

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

Date: Tue, 5 Oct 93 20:45 EDT
From: [e-mail] (woody)
Subject: Finland Dialing Changes?


I was looking through a recent Finland phone book, and noticed
something that looked like an upcoming change to use 00+ for
international dialing and 0+ for domestic dialing (or at least 0xx
area codes, changed from the current 9xx domestic codes). There were
two dates mentioned, 1 Jan 94 and 11 Oct 96. The first date sounded
like a date at which the changes become "permissive" and the 1996 date
would seem to be the time at which the changeover is complete.

I didn't have a Finnish dictionary handy to find out the exact message
of the numbering plan changes, and could only infer from listed
numbers and clues.  There was something else that looked like dialing
would be done using something like 101109+xxx or is that an inquiry
number?


David Leibold   [e-mail]   [e-mail]

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

Date: Tue, 5 Oct 93 20:50 EDT
From: [e-mail] (woody)
Subject: 905 Officially Active


As of 4th October 1993 the 905 area code is officially active for
service, replacing area code 416 for those numbers outside
Metropolitan Toronto. Until 25 March 1994, area code 416 will still
complete calls to points outside Toronto, but 905 should be active
now.

I tried the number identifying 1 800 852.9932 from a (905) point, and
the area code still came up as 416. The 800 ANI might take some time
to change.

I happen to live in (416) and work in (905); this will be some fun for
the company with revised letterheads, support numbers, etc.


David Leibold   [e-mail]   [e-mail]   work: +1 905 738.0001

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

Date: Wed, 6 Oct 93 03:20:14 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <roscom![e-mail]>
Subject: Tekelec Offers CompuCALL Test Equipment


FYI.  From comp.newprod

 From: [e-mail]
 Subject: Tekelec Offers CompuCALL Test Equipment
 Date: Sun, 03 Oct 1993 20:58:45 CDT

Tekelec's Chameleon 32-plus/20-plus/22-plus Protocol Analyzers Support
CompuCALL Applications

    CALABASAS, Calif., September 13, 1993 -- Tekelec (NASDAQ: TKLC)
today announced that its Chameleon 32-plus and Chameleon 20-plus or
22-plus protocol analyzers and simulators support CompuCALL
applications.

    Tekelec's CompuCALL Simulator application enables the Chameleon
32-plus, Chameleon 20-plus or Chameleon 22-plus to simulate either a
central office switch such as the DMS-100, a PBX such as the MSL-100
or an Adjunct Host Processor.  It is designed for use by application
developers, telephone companies and switch manufacturers.

    Application developers working on a host rarely have access to a
switch.  Tekelec's Chameleon 32-plus, Chameleon 20-plus or Chameleon
22-plus provide the ability to simulate the switch side of the link,
enabling application developers to test their CompuCALL application.
Conversely, switch manufacturers and telephone companies usually do
not have access to a host to verify their CompuCALL link.  The
Chameleon 32-plus', Chameleon 20-plus' or Chameleon 22-plus' ability
to simulate a host helps switch manufacturers and telephone companies
verify the functioning of their switch.

    Both the CompuCALL Simulation software package and the CompuCALL
Analysis software package can be run on the Chameleon 32-plus,
Chameleon 20-plus or the Chameleon 22-plus.

    For more information, call 800.TEKELEC; 26580 West Agoura Road, Calabasas,
California, 91302; 818.880.5656; FAX [phone].

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

From: [e-mail] (Jack Powers)
Subject: Seeking RF Modem Ventors (For CATV)
Organization: The Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link, Sausalito, CA
Date: Wed, 6 Oct 1993 01:06:08 GMT


I am compiling a list of suppliers of RF modems of the type that could
be used on cable TV systems.  (Yes, I know that few CATV systems are
two-way equipped.)  If you know of such a supplier, please email
whatever information you can about how to contact them, even if it is
just a name. I will summarize responses for all contributers (and for
the list, if anyone expresses interest).


Jack Powers    Phone/fax [phone]   [e-mail]
 ============= No disclaimer, I'm FREE! ================

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

Date: Tue, 5 Oct 93 15:14:53 PDT
From: [e-mail] (Bitter)
Subject: Single Line Programmable Voice Card on PC?


I have a voice application written in C which runs fine on a PC with
Dialogic hardware and software.  But I only need one line, and the
Dialogic hardware is too expensive.

I'm looking to port to a single line card which can be programmed in
C, much like the Dialogic.  If it were Dialogic compatable that would
be ideal.

I need full call-progress capability - detect busy, no answer,
intercept, voice, silence, etc.  And it needs to be good -- the
BigMouth board and developers kit doesn't cut it.

Another possibility is a cheaper two line board.  Does anyone have
experience with the NewVoice product line, which is supposedly
Dialogic compatible?

Thanks for any leads.


Mark Bitter ([e-mail])   [phone] Ext 2425
Citicorp/TTI;  3100 Ocean Park Blvd;  Santa Monica, CA 90405

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

From: [e-mail] (J. Philip Miller)
Subject: Thanks For Using AT&T at Residence Inn
Date: Wed, 6 Oct 1993 10:55:03 CDT


I am staying at the Residence Inn in La Jolla CA, and when trying to
do a long distance call I noted the very long time interval before the
"boing" appeared, despite the fact that they claimed to be using AT&T.
What was more amazing, however, was that the message after I entered
by AT&T CC number was "Thank you for using AT&T at Residence Inn".
Now what is going on here -- is the local PBX providing the boing and
message even though it is all via AT&T or what?


J. Philip Miller, Professor, Division of Biostatistics, Box 8067
    Washington University Medical School, St. Louis MO 63110
     [e-mail] - [phone] [362-2693(FAX)]

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

From: Josh Mereminsky <[e-mail]>
Subject: Demon Dialers Information Wanted
Date: Wed, 6 Oct 1993 12:47:45 GMT


I'm looking for information on 'Demon Dialers'; something that can
dial a number, recognize a busy signal, and redial until it finally
gets through.  Can someone enlighten me as to:

1) How well these products work;
2) What products exist on the market and how much they cost;
3) Where they can be bought -- and if you might have one of these for
   sale?

(No, I'm not trying to get rich on radio stations -- just want to get
good tee times through computerized reservation systems!)


Thanks,

Josh Mereminsky   NCR Corporation - LCPD
San Diego, CA     [e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: I think Zoom Electronics still makes these, but
they have largely been superceded by telco's automatic redial last
number feature which works as well, or maybe better.  PAT]

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

Date: Wed, 06 Oct 1993 00:01:10 CDT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Call Screening
Organization: University of Illinois at Chicago, ADN Computer Center


Got a teeny little problem here. I've been getting a lot of harassing
phone calls here at home from this psychopath I used to date. I really
don't want to change my number since I run a business out of my home.
I checked with Illinois Bell and they have a feature which blocks
calls from certain numbers that you designate. Unfortunately, they say
that it's new and it's offered on just about every exchange in my area
except mine. They of course won't say when I will be able to get it
("by the end of 94, for sure"). Any ideas on other ways to handle
this, or to get Ma Bell to offer the service everywhere? I don't think
caller ID is that great an option since it doesn't stop people from
calling in the middle of the night, leaving messages, etc.


Thanks for any help,

Brendan


[Moderator's Note: Call screening won't help either if the person has
any brains. When they find their line is blocked from reaching you, they
will go to another phone and call from there instead. Have you told
the person to quit calling, and are you willing to make a scene out of
it? Illinois Bell will help you if you promise in writing to prosecute
the offender regardless of their findings. Not everyone is willing to
go that far of course.   PAT]

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

From: [e-mail] (devasena pathy)
Subject: Wanted: DDS and DMS Info
Date: 6 Oct 1993 05:31:35 GMT
Organization: Comp Sci, RMIT, Melbourne, Australia


I am a student at RMIT and am doing a group project on Telecom special
facilities. If anyone out there in Telecom could send me info at
[e-mail] on DMS and/or DDS (how it works, it's
for a Data Communications subject), it would be most appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Dev

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

From: [e-mail] (Clive Feather)
Subject: The Moderator's Breakfast
Date: Tue, 5 Oct 93 23:17:50 BST


Walking into my local McDonald's the other day, I noticed a new
promotion they are running. If you buy a breakfast burger (minimum
cost #0.99), you get a voucher. Three vouchers can be exchanged for a
#1.00 British Telecom Phonecard (prepaid debit card), with a picture
of a breakfast burger on it; there are four designs to choose from.

Given our Esteemed Moderator's eating preferences, will we be seeing
McOrange Cards and McTalkTickets soon ?


Clive D.W. Feather     | Santa Cruz Operation
[e-mail]          | Croxley Centre
Phone: [phone] | Hatters Lane, Watford
Fax:   [phone] | WD1 8YN, United Kingdom | <== * NOTE NEW INFORMATION *


[Moderator's Note: That's my eating *necessities*, not my eating'prefer-
ences' ... I'm not doing any more with the Talk Tickets except exhausting
my remaining inventory of $2 sample tickets still on hand. But I have a
new promotion of my own: 'they' say I'm the only person 'they' know who
can (with one hand) have a finger inserted somewhere in your personal area
while at the same time have my other hand in your pocket getting all your
money *and make you feel good about it at the same time* ...

Now with that in mind, I am offering the Three Dollar Digest Note. It
looks just like a US Treasury Note would look if we had a three dollar
bill, and it has my picture on it. The picture is done in such a way
that no matter what angle you view it at, it appears my eyes are
always watching you. Under my photo and signature is the phrase,
'Treasurer of the TELECOM Digest Largesse'. The reverse side has the
phrase "In Moderator We Trust" and my promise to tell you what I want
you to know about while ignoring the rest. Pick up your Three Dollar
Bills today at any participating Digest, or if you prefer to order by
mail, send cash money (no checks or money orders please, I do not like
signing my name to things) to my post office box, and be sure to wrap
it good to conceal it so the greedy post office clerks or the mail room
help at First National Bank won't get into it.  <smile> ...

Seriously, it is that time of the month again; if you find the Digest
useful or helpful in your work or personal life, remember it costs money
and Illinois Bell will not accept three dollar bills as payment. Your
generous support is another matter. Checks payable to Ameritech for
credit to 312-465-2700 will be accepted gratefully.  Thanks so much.  PAT]

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

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #682
******************************


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Date: Wed, 6 Oct 1993 20:55:53 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #683

TELECOM Digest     Wed, 6 Oct 93 20:55:30 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 683

Inside This Issue:                       Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Book Review: "Using MS-DOS Kermit" by Gianone (Rob Slade)
    U.S. Robotics Announces the Addition of SNMP Management (Ed Brill)
    Telecom Group Vote (Steve Cogorno)
    Sprint Offer is 24/96 Faxmodem (Cliff Sharp)
    Re: Sprint's Modem Offer Revisited (Mickey Ferguson)
    Re: Pager Number Being Forwarded to a Voice Number (Macy Hallock)
    Re: AT&T's Allen Says Family Upheavals Impact U.S. Economically (J Krueger)
    Re: Dangerous Information on AT&T Cards (Steve Forrette)
    Re: Overseas Connection, How? (Rich Mintz)
    Re: Telco Voice Mail (Sean Wheeler)
    Re: Four-wire Pay Phones? (Paul Robinson)
    Re: AT&T G3 Switch vs ISDN (Bob Larribeau)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date:  6 Oct 93 12:10 -0600
From: Rob Slade <[e-mail]>
Subject: Book Review: "Using MS-DOS Kermit" by Gianone


BKUMSKMT.RVW  930831

Digital Press
PO Box 3027
One Burlington Woods Drive
Burlington, MA   01803-9593
800-DIGITAL (800-344-4825)

"Using MS-DOS Kermit", Gianone, 1992
[e-mail]   [e-mail]

On the one hand, I don't like this book.  It is responsible for the
fact that the full Kermit documentation isn't included with the
standard MS-DOS Kermit distribution any more.  On the other hand, I
like this book.  It is responsible for the wider acceptance Kermit is
having these days, and Kermit is an excellent protocol, system and
program.

Frank da Cruz can't exactly be seen as a disinterested bystander
regarding all things "Kermit", so his praise of the book and its
author in the Foreword are a bit suspect.  By the end of chapter one,
however, I was willing to suspend disbelief.  It is one of the best
general descriptions of the terminal emulation and file transfer
processes I have ever read, pitched at just the right level for the
non-technical reader.  Chapter two is a quick look at getting started
with Kermit on MS-DOS, and three is a quick look at MS-DOS, itself.
Again, chapter three is about all most people need to know to use DOS
on a hard disk, presented in admirable form.

Chapter four deals fully with connection of modems, serial cables and
phone jacks.  Five covers testing of the setup, and some
troubleshooting tests.  Unlike most commercial communications program
manuals, who want you to call their own BBS (long distance), the
author has found an 800 number service to try out.  (And it even works
from Canada.)

The process of using the program starts with chapter six.  In proper
pedagogical style, the user is introduced to the invocation and
termination of the program, and the help system, along with some
examples of the command structure.  Chapter seven, entitled, "Getting
Online", discusses communications parameters, not simply in terms of
the commands needed, but describes what each parameter is, and what
might result from an error.  There is a brief discussion of MNP
(Microcom Networking Protocol), which provides error correction and
data compression in modern modems), and, although I have no right to
expect it, I wish there was a bit on modem commands and settings here.

Chapters eight to twelve cover the basics of communications commands.
Terminal emulation is discussed thoroughly, and leads to key
reassignment.  File transfer, in chapter nine, leads to Kermit server
operations: on the host in chapter ten, and the PC as server in
chapter eleven.  Chapter twelve covers non-protocol ASCII transfers.

Chapter thirteen revisits terminal emulation with character sets and
translations.  This, of course, also covers character translations in
file transfer.  Chapter fourteen is the longest except for the command
reference: it deals with macros and scripts.  Even here the book does
not become too technical; the intelligent novice should be quite
comfortable in writing some fairly advanced scripts.  Chapter fifteen
is cute: it covers features for the physically, auditorily or visually
challenged -- and jumps from the previous ten point type up to fourteen
point in order to do it.  Network connections are discussed in chapter
sixteen and, as promised, the command reference is in seventeen.  The
command reference also covers non-standard environments and devices.

The glossary that Gianone has put together is of the same quality.
Quite complete in terms of both data communications and the MS-DOS
platform, the entries are clear and accessible to the intelligent
novice.

Three appendices round out the book.  One is a set of tables of
information, ranging from RS-232 pin assignments through selected
"Hayes compatible" AT commands to ASCII codes.  The second is a set of
terminal "escape" sequences, while the third is a description of the
files on the Kermit distribution diskette.  At first I was a bit taken
aback at the technical level of these appendices.  These are the type
of tables that I have been collecting for years while doing
communications disgnostics and consulting.  On the other hand, all it
proves is that this book is for techies, too.  I'll certainly be using
it for reference in place of some of my well thumbed old tattered
pages.

Buy this book.  If you are thinking of using MS-Kermit, buy this book.
It is excellent documentation, and you get a free copy of MS-Kermit
with it.  If you are thinking of using Kermit on various platforms,
buy this book.  It is excellent documentation on Kermit as a whole,
since the various versions at least make an attempt to present a
consistent interface.  If you are happy with another communications
package, won't consider using non-commercial software, use a Mac and
would never be caught dead using a command line interface, buy this
book.  It is an excellent presentation of data communications, and
explains the functions, and not merely which keys to press.  The
material is broadly based, and is applicable to many systems of
terminal emulation and file transfer.

And who knows, you may just end up using Kermit after all ...

copyright Robert M. Slade, 1993   BKUMSKMT.RVW  930831
Permission granted to distribute with unedited copies of the TELECOM
Digest and associated mailing lists/newsgroups.


Vancouver Institute for Research into User Security,   Canada    V7K 2G6
[e-mail]   [e-mail]   [e-mail]   Fidonet 1:153/733
[e-mail]                                                 604-526-3676

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

From: usr![e-mail] (Ed Brill)
Subject: U.S. Robotics Announces the Addition of SNMP Management
Organization: U.S. Robotics, Inc.
Date: Wed, 6 Oct 1993 16:37:07 GMT


The following is a new product announcement from U.S. Robotics.

Inquiries should be directed to 1-800-DIAL-USR or [phone].
The USR Systems Products Sales group does not presently maintain an
e-mail address, though I would be happy to forward electronic
inquiries to them.

--Ed

SKOKIE, Ill., -- October 6, 1993 -- U.S. Robotics, Inc., today
announced the addition of Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) to
its line of Total Control internetworking products. With U.S.
Robotics' Total Control Manager, network administrators can easily
access and manage their network from a single console. Total Control
Manager will ship in October.

Total Control Manager can be added to both the Enterprise Network Hub
and the Transaction Processing Hub. These complete, one-vendor
solutions solve the problem of network integration by combining X.25
PADs, modems, terminal servers, CSU/DSUs, and network interfaces into
one centrally managed chassis.

The Enterprise Network Hub enables organizations with remote locations
to aggregate their dial traffic onto T1 lines and route it through a
packet-switched network to their host computer at a central site.

The Transaction Processing Hub reduces verification times for credit
card, point-of-sale, and inquiry/response transaction processing
applications by interfacing with the local exchange carriers'
services, including Feature Group B, D and 800 lines and routing
traffic via T1 trunks to LAN interfaces.

"SNMP has really become the de facto management standard in the
industry," said Jonathan Zakin, U.S. Robotics executive vice president
of sales and marketing. "By incorporating it into the Total Control
products, we no longer add to the number of management consoles on the
network.  With SNMP, we become part of the solution of the future."

For Baxter Healthcare Corp., a Total Control customer since 1991, SNMP
is a feature it is eager to have. "We have a goal at Baxter to
completely automate the entire network's recovery and operation," said
Steve Tindall, project leader of Baxter's telecommunications group.
"This is a long way off, but industry standards incorporated in a
single network platform are one way this goal will be accomplished.
With SNMP we can watch most of the network, and since Total Control
will now have SNMP, we're one step closer to our goal."

Customers can purchase U.S. Robotics' Total Control Manager with
Novell's Netware Management Platform for $3999. For those networks
already using the Novell Netware Management Platform, the cost is
$2059.

U.S. Robotics will also provide MIB extensions for customers using
packages like HP Openview, SunNet Manager, and Netview 6000 so Total
Control can be easily added to these management programs. These MIB
extensions will also be available via Internet.

The Enterprise Network Hub and Transaction Processing Hub are a
logical extension of the company's Total Control product line. U.S.
Robotics' Total Control line of intelligent management systems,
introduced in 1990, was the company's first entry into this market.

Both products use a common architecture, which consists of a 1 Gbps
backplane, andcircuit and packet-switched buses to minimize processing
time. Through downloadable software-defined technology, U.S. Robotics
can easily modify and enhance its products to take advantage of new
and emerging technologies.

U.S. Robotics, Inc., (NASDAQ:USRX), is a leading designer,manufacturer
and marketer of data communications systems and products.  Both
corporate headquarters and manufacturing operations are based in
Skokie, Illinois.  U.S. Robotics owns and operates U.S. Robotics Ltd.
in Slough, England, U.S. Robotics, s.a. in Lille, France and P.N.B.,
s.a. based in Suresnes, France.  The company markets its products to
business, industry, government agencies and original equipment
manufacturers.

                             ----------

All products mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of
their respective manufacturers.

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

From: [e-mail] (Steve Cogorno)
Subject: Telecom Group Vote
Date: Wed, 6 Oct 93 13:27:07 PDT


Was it just me or was anyone else offended by the fact that the votes
for the telecom newsgroup were published?  I think that it is highly
improper that the names of the voters and how they voted were mail
out.


Steve   [e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: Since you are one of ten or eleven inquiries I got
on this today, I'll use your letter as the example for the purpose of
an answer. On Usenet it is the custom that following an election the
voting results are published in their entirity to allow the voters and
other interested parties to check and confirm the results. This is
probably due to the occassional misdelivery or loss of email, and also
to avoid charges of errors or fraud by the votetakers. Usenet has
always done it that way. It is also considered good form to publish at
least the initial call for discussion and later for votes in a
conspicuous way in 'relevant and related' newsgroups where interested
readers will see them in the event they wish to participate in the
discussion (which goes on in news.groups) and the voting itself.
Readers of comp.dcom.telecom and the TELECOM Digest were given the
message calling for discussion when it was issued, and the two
messages calling for votes when they were issued not so much because I
felt like publishing them as because 'netiquette' demands that I do so
at least where the comp.dcom.telecom side of things is concerned.
Ditto with the results. The message came out; Usenet's custom is to
post the whole thing; comp.dcom.telecom is a group affected by the
vote so it was posted.  I hope that answers your question.  PAT]

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

Subject: Sprint Offer is 24/96 Faxmodem
Date: Wed, 6 Oct 93 14:18:07 CDT
From: Cliff Sharp <[e-mail]>


   I decided to do some investigating on my own after reading the
miscellaneous posts on the Sprint offer.  So ...

   Called at 8:14 AM CDT; recorded message said that I'd have to call
back between 7 AM and 10 PM CST (???).  Same at 8:35.

   At 9:30, called and talked to Angela (didn't catch the last name), and
she answered questions and provided details.  The offer is still open (see
quote below from Diane Worthy); when asked about a minimum switchover period,
she said there was none, and the modem would be shipped after I made my first
Sprint call.  She told me the modem they were giving out was the 9624FQ,
the "Smart One", and gave me the same number she gave to Larry Nathanson,
1-800-632-BEST.  Decided at 7:30 AM PDT they wouldn't answer, and waited.

   (Ignoring chronological order, at 1:50 PM Angela called me back
after a HUMAN told me the reps were busy (yes, it's true!).  She did
confirm that they automatically send along the $5 certificate for the
LD provider switch fee.  I told her about Diane Worthy's statement
"offer ended" and she checked and said that she had no notice of it,
and her latest information confirmed an earlier article here (I lost
it!  Thought I'd saved it) that said the offer is good until end of
November or end of supply.  Didn't think to ask about Adam Lasnik's
question about the Newsweek "50% off MOST plan" ad; sorry, Adam.
Also, she asked for my or my spouse's SSN and I declined, and she
politely told me that that was okay but it would delay processing of
the order a little.)

   12:45: called BEST and got Lisa, described what I wanted and what
I'd seen quoted from Tom Westlake; she switched me to him.  He told me
that the 9624FQ is an IBM-PC internal card, 2400  (/1200/300) data, 9600
fax send, 4800 fax receive..

 From Larry Nathanson's post:

> Recently, I got a call from Diane Worthy at Sprint. She says:
> (emphasis mine)

> "The 9624FQ modem as advertised in the "On Computers" radio program
> (*AS STATED* by On Computers) is an IBM compatable *only* internal
> modem.  The offer ended Sept 26."

> She stated that Sprint has called back all of the people who said they
> had Macs, to make them a different offer. [...]

 From Tom Westlake:

   "Sprint isn't, but we are, offering a different deal to the Mac
users."  I interrupted (shouldn't have) and said this contradicted
what Diane Worthy was quoted as having said.  He said that it's
possible they were also now making these arrangements; I said that it
was also possible that Sprint was taking credit for something they
weren't doing themselves.  But ...

   Mac users should identify themselves at the git-go, and an external
equivalent of the modem will be substituted (by whoever ...).  Cable
NOT included, but Tom confirmed that it's 2400 data/4800 fax rcv/9600
fax send.

 From me:

   I'm going to change over the modem line to Sprint for a while and
see.  It's not heavy usage here, and despite it all I could use _some_
fax receive capability (currently have 4800 baud send-only),
especially for "free".  I may tell them I'm a Macintosh user, though,
as it's true (once in a great while, anyway :-).

   Gee, the MOST plan ... guess I'll save a LOT on those `gettime`
calls I make to the Naval Observatory to set the unix clock.  :-)

   Now, does anyone think I'll get a $75 check from AT&T to switch
back?  :-) (My typical LD usage is $5 a month, with a high of $20.)


 Cliff Sharp  |   [e-mail]   OR  [e-mail]
   WA9PDM     |              Use whichever one works

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

Date: Wed, 6 Oct 93 10:34:09 PDT
From: [e-mail] (Mickey Ferguson)
Subject: Re: Sprint's Modem Offer Revisited


In article <[e-mail]> Adam Lasnik wrote
[pertaining to the Sprint 9600 baud modem offer):

> What *I* would like to know is if you could sign up under the free
> modem promotion AND also take advantage of a recent promotion I saw in
> a {Newsweek} ad, whereby you get your "Most" discount at FIFTY percent
> instead of twenty percent for six months.  Sounds pretty good to me!
> Theoretically, that should enable calls to be made, coast to coast,
> for as little as five cents a minute -- maybe even less if the other
> person is a Sprint customer!  I haven't checked on this lately though.

I tried this very thing.  I talked to Sprint (and by the way, unlike
what one person wrote, I didn't have to transfer to another customer
service specialist who knew about these promotional offers -- the
person I reached knew directly) and they thought it was a pretty good
idea and a nice try on my part, but no way, Jose.

Here are the details of the two choices:

1) You get the 50% off calls to the one number you dial the most, as
opposed to the normal 20% off.  If that customer also happens to be a
Sprint customer, you get 60% off instead of 36% off.  (Each of these
numbers is 20% off the discounted price.)  This is good for the first
six months only.

2)  You get a 9600 data, 9600 fax modem.

They also cover the cost of the charge from switching your long
distance carrier, which was $5.62 here in California.

For me, the first choice was by far the best, because I already have a
14,400 data/fax modem, and besides, 99.9% of my calls go to only one
number -- my girlfriend :) down in Southern California, while I'm up
here in Northern California.  :( Well, at least my calls are only 4-5
cents/minute at the 60% discounted rate.


Mickey Ferguson                Project Manager
Internet:  [e-mail]   Octel Communications Corporation
Phone:  [phone]        Fax:  [phone]

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

Date: Wed, 6 Oct 93 08:12 EDT
From: [e-mail] (Macy Hallock)
Subject: Re: Pager Number Being Forwarded to a Voice Number
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Organization: F M Systems/Telemax  Medina, Ohio USA


In article <[e-mail]> is written:

> Since the subject got brought up ... I've been trying to convince our
> Octel system at work to forward urgent voice mail to my Alpha-Bravo
> (acting as a digital pager in this case.)

Sounds odd.  Octel's outdial feature is designed for this.  There are
some restrictions in the software, though.  Especially in the older
versions.

Perhaps there is an alternative you can live with:

What seems to work best is a pager with a direct in dial number, as
opposed to one that you have to dial a general access number then the
pager number, followed by a number to be displayed.

Most paging companies will offer you a second, direct dial number for
a small monthly charge, typically about $3/mo.  This should show as
the "second address" number on your pager, and should not require a
callback number to be dialed.  This would work even with the oldest
versions of Octel I've seen.

It really sounds like an application problem in using the software.  I
think you should be able to do what you originally wanted.

Octel has some great people who know these things, but you and I
cannot talk directly to them, only the Octel dealer/vendor can.  I've
been known to work with repair techs to get them to setup a conference
call about such things.  Since I've been in telecom for 20 odd years,
its not too hard to work with them once they realize I'm not out to
make their lives more difficult.


Regards,

Macy Hallock N8OBG  Voice:+1.216.723.3030  Fax:[phone] [e-mail]
Telemax Inc. and F M Systems Inc.   152 Highland Drive   Medina, Ohio 44256 USA
------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Jon Krueger)
Subject: Re: AT&T's Allen Says Family Upheavals Impact U.S. Economically
Date: 6 Oct 93 06:33:36 GMT
Reply-To: [e-mail] (Jon Krueger)
Organization: Ingres Corporation, a subsidiary of The ASK Group, Inc.


When we hear that family upheavals impact the nation, someone is
talking about projectile vomiting.

AT&T's Allen might better have skipped the corporatespeak and just
said family problems cost the nation money.

I congratulate and thank AT&T for its support of health, social
services, and education programs.  The problems they address are real.
Prentious diction does nothing to solve them.  If anything it takes
away from the effort.


Jon Krueger  [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (Steve Forrette)
Subject: Re: Dangerous Information on AT&T Cards
Date: 6 Oct 1993 23:18:13 GMT
Organization: Walker Richer & Quinn, Inc.
Reply-To: [e-mail] (Steve Forrette)


In <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Paolo Bellutta)
writes:

> When I use my AT&T calling card and universal card from Italy I have
> to dial the international card number *and the PIN* so if it is not on
> the card (like on the universal card) you don't have all the info to
> dial even from abroad.  Am I mistaken?

Were you using the USA Direct number from Italy?  If so, then the
regular card number is all that is needed.  The International Number
is for when you use the local PTT's billing mechnisms, like charging a
call (either back to the US or otherwise) by calling the local
operator and giving the international number to her.


Steve Forrette, [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (Rich Mintz)
Subject: Re: Overseas Connection, How?
Date: 6 Oct 1993 23:24:39 GMT
Organization: California State University, Chico


> I am desperately trying to connect to a modem in the United States
> from Germany. After lowering the data rate to 300bps I can finally
> connect, but I lose the connection before I can even transfer the
> first message.

If it is a Hayes compatible modem, you might try adjusting the 'B'
parameter to 1. If I remember right, this lets the modem that you are
connecting to a modem that's Bell compatible (?) and not using CCITT.
Try typing AT B1 and waiting for the OK result code. The few times
I've placed calls to BBS's in Europe, I remember having to adjust this
parameter to 0 (opposite situation from yours). The 'B' parameter may
or may not apply to the new higher speed baud rates and
compression/error checking protocols. Good luck.


Rich

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

From: [e-mail] (Sean Wheeler)
Subject: Re: Telco Voice Mail
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Wed, 6 Oct 1993 04:18:24 GMT


Macy Hallock ([e-mail]) wrote:

[much whining about OBT techs deleted]

Just thought you might like to know that OBT (Ameritech) does not
really handle any of the voice mail itself.  They outsource the VM
service with a company that owns, maintains, and administrates all of
the VM gear.  All they do is provide the Centrex integration features
(ie. SMDI channels and MWI class of service).


Sean D. Wheeler  [e-mail]

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

Date: Wed, 6 Oct 1993 01:46:13 -0400 (EDT)
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Four-wire Pay Phones?
From: Paul Robinson <[e-mail]>
Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring, MD USA


Scott McClure <[e-mail]>, writes:

> I was tracing a line in our building the other day
> (ahh, the joys of can-diving!) and came across what appeared
> to be a four-wire line for a pay phone. Is this normal?  What
> would each of the four conductors be used for, compared with a
> normal two-wire line?

Anti-Theft alarm.  Here's a story.  There was a mention in {TV Guide}
a few years ago about whether TV corrupts public morals, including a
mention that on some episode of some TV show was an exact and explicit
show and tell of how to pop the coin box in a pay telephone.  The
article in {TV Guide} mentioned that the show failed to state that the
box has a burglar alarm attached to it, so someone who saw how to do
this got caught when the burglar alarm tripped when he popped the
coinbox.

Shortly thereafter I ran into a coinbox retriever for the local
telephone company and mentioned this to him and he confirmed it.  I
asked him, "Well, how do you remove the coin box if they are alarmed,
do you turn the alarm off?" and he said, "No, the alarm goes off when
I pull the box too."  I guess with the main difference that either he
calls in when he starts or they already know what route he is taking
so they know which boxes will trip.

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

From: Bob Larribeau <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: AT&T G3 Switch vs ISDN
Date: Wed, 06 Oct 93 06:33:28 -0700
Organization: Combinet


> Do AT&T G3 switches (which we have installed in our dorms) support
> ISDN?

> What data rate (bits/sec, bytes/sec, baud) does ISDN support?  Does
> ISDN support TCP/IP, AppleTalk, Novelle, or Microsoft network protocol
> codes?

> Our campus bought a bunch of G3 switches and claims to be able to
> provide low cost voice AND DATA connections.  However, I have seen no
> evidence of any ability to provide cost effective data services.

> Does ISDN support multiple simultaneous 10 megabit per second
> (ethernet style) data communications?

I posted an inappropriate response to this previously.  I was confused
between the AT&T Definity G3 PBX switch and Fax G3 Switches.

The AT&T Definity with Generic 3 (G3) software supports basic rate
ISDN that is compatible with the 5ESS Custom ISDN implementation.
Don't assume that any ISDN terminal that works on the 5ESS Custom will
work on the Definity -- I have seen some that work on the 5ESS and do
not work on the Definity.

ISDN Terminal Adapters (TAs) provide basic B-channel circuit switched
connectivity at 56/64 kbps and/or D-channel X.25 connectivity at 9.6+
kbps.  You would need a router or routing software to support network
protocols mentioned above.

Combinet (and other companies) make Ethernet bridges that operate over
ISDN and that will support any network protocol at 128 kbps plus
compression (typcially 4:1).


Bob Larribeau   San Francisco

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

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #683
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Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1993 11:40:00 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #684

TELECOM Digest     Thu, 7 Oct 93 11:40:00 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 684

Inside This Issue:                       Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Senior Engineers and the Modern Corporation (Lars J. Poulsen)
    900/976-Type of VOICEMAIL Software Sought ([e-mail])
    For the Sake of the Free World! ([e-mail])
    New Phone Number Plan In Turquia and Tunisia (Jean-Bernard Condat)
    Numbering Change in the UK (Liz Auchinvole)
    215 Area in Lancaster County (Carl Moore)
    Wanted: Conference Bridge (Android Rubin)
    Please Help Me on the PTT Coordinates in Far East (Bernard Guillaumot)
    Ringing a Phone on Stage in a Play (Gregory Marr)
    Re: Atomic Clocks (Gary Tennyson)
    Re: Atomic Clocks (Adams Douglas)
    Re: Digital Telephone Answering Machines (Michael Schuster)
    Re: Looking for a E1 Bit Error Rate Tester? (Bernard Rupe)
    Re: AML Carrier? (Neil R. Henry)
    Re: Thanks For Using AT&T at Residence Inn (Steve Forrette)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Lars J Poulsen)
Subject: Senior Engineers and the Modern Corporation
Date: Thu, 7 Oct 93 10:31:29 MET


In an earlier message in the TELECOM Digest, I said:

 From [e-mail] Wed Oct  6 08:48:45 CDT 1993k

> I don't mean to attack John, or even Motorola, but I think this is a
> very good example of something that is running rampant in today's
> business climate; and not just in the US -- I see the same thing here
> in Denmark.

[description of general problems of age-ism]

> Are there any solutions for (a) improving the carreer odds of mature
> professionals and (b) for society ?

Despite my above quoted disclaimer, I have upset someone at Motorola,
who explains that the specific query that prompted my note is NOT an
example of this trend, indeed could not be, because Motorola:

 --- Quote Begin ---
     Has a published CORPORATE policy on respecting Senior service.
        (10 years or more)

        Requires that the CEO approve the termination of employees with more
        than 10 years of service.

        Holds an annual dinner/dance party for people who reach
        significant service milestones (10, 15, 20 years etc) and also
        gives the employee a gift at each milestone.

        Has many employees that have long service time (30, 35, 40+ years)

    While you did not attack Motorola directly I feel that you have
    tarnished our reputation and I would like some form of retraction
    posted to the news group.
 --- Quote End ---

I would have liked to quote the attribution on this message, but since
it was privately addressed, and did not contain explicit permission to
forward, I have with regrets deleted the headers and signatures.  I do
however wish to add a few more quotes, and my comments.

>> First of all the Cellular Division of Motorola has NEVER laid off
>> an employee, old or young. While there have been cutbacks at other
>> they were done as buyouts and there was no targeting of older
>> employees.

>> While you did not attack Motorola directly I feel that you have
>> tarnished our reputation and I would like some form of retraction
>> posted to the news group.

I am happy to. I salute Motorola, and I hope that this is recognized
as industry leadership. While not all companies are in the enviable
situation of doing business in an expanding "can't lose" market like
cellular telephones, I do not doubt the track record nor the Corporate
commitment described above.

>> I would also point out that most companies that are cutting the
>> people that you speak of are those who have not kept pace with the
>> competition in their markets and as such are not competitive any
>> longer. Motorola is not one of these companies. In addition many of
>> the older engineers that I come in contact with do not keep their
>> skills up to date an are thus lost in the swirl of technology
>> evolution.

>> Oh, yea I an not a 'Young Turk' who is out to impress anyone. I
>> have been here for 12 years and am looking forward to many more
>> years here at Motorola.

I have recently moved to Denmark for a temporary assignment with a
local subsidiary of Rockwell International. One of the things that has
struck me here is how fiercely persecuted older employees in any
industry are. The state employment service tells anyone over 45 flat
out that they should not expect to ever get a job again!! Companies
openly mention in their ads for professional jobs that they are
looking for applicants aged 25 to 37. The banking sector has gone
though a round of mergers and consolidation, and in the process
appears to have laid off everyone over 40. Thus I have become acutely
aware of a problem that looks like it will only get more severe.

Those who know me, will recognize that I am not generally accustomed
to flaming people who ask questions.


Lars Poulsen            Internet E-mail: [e-mail]
CMC Network Products        Phone: (011-) [phone]
Hvidovre Strandvej 72 B        Telefax:      [phone]
DK-2650 Hvidovre,        Internets: designed and built
DENMARK                while you wait (and wait ...)

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

Subject: 900/976-Type of VOICEMAIL Software Sought
From: [e-mail]
Date: Thu, 07 Oct 93 08:19:51 EDT
Organization: Medical Center Associates Inc.


Hey folks, I need some advice about a service in the Atlanta area
started up about six months ago that is similar to the 976/900
services. It's similar in the sense that you call this service to meet
and talk to people.

The difference is that you pre-paid a block of time (membership) and
then the minutes get deducted as you respond to these personal ads.

Features of this system:

* Since it's not a 976/900 number, you can call from anywhere (no blocking)

* You can listen to all ads for free.

* Women call place ads and respond at no cost (free membership).

* A member can call forward their mailbox to their home phone and
  have other members reach them for a 15 minute charge against their
  pre-paid block of time and talk for as long as desired.

* Much more economical than traditional 976/900 services (Avg is .35/minute)

* Very popular in this area !!!

So ... I'm contemplating starting a competetive service to this and am
curious as to who may sell this type of sophisticated voicemail
software and what kind of investment we are talking about to start up
something of this nature.

Please don't suggest that I call them and inquire since they are not
friendly at all unless you have a credit card handy.

The existing service is not very honest in the sense that you are
charged a minimum number of minutes regardless of how fast you
navigate through the menus.

I appreciate if anyone who may be familiar with this type of setup help
me get started in my quest!


Thanks,

Phil
Medical Center Associates Inc.       [e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: You need at least a 286, and preferably 386 with
about a hundred meg hard drive, and about a meg of RAM on the board.
For proper operation, the computer should be dedicated to this one
task. You need as many Dialogic cards as you want lines (divided by
four, since each card will handle four lines). These cards will set
you back about $1000 for each one. A good opening configuration might
be 8-12 lines, or 2-3 Dialogic cards.  The cards have to be the type
which can recognize call progress tones for the purpose of making
outgoing calls. You could have all the phone lines come in on T-1
in which case another card is needed, or you can just have analog
phone lines dropped there. If you want to add conference ability
between the participants on line at any given time (as well as out-
calls to persons willing to take calls at home, etc) then you need
the bridge equipment as well.

You might assume there will be equipment expenses of $4000-5000 in
addtition to the purchase of the software, which is rather special-
ized, and so far as I know comes from only a few vendors in the USA.
The Dialogic card does not come with software other than the 'driver'
which interfaces it to DOS and a very small sample voicemail program.
Now if you are good at writing code -- and I mean good -- Dialogic's
manual which comes with all their cards has a couple hundred pages of
'c' routines you can use, but it is not child's play or anything
similar to writing your own checkbook balancing program.  One vendor
of such systems and software is Announcement Technologies, c/o John
Higdon <[e-mail]>. I believe he only sells complete systems,
maybe not. Assuming the costs of the equipment noted above, the
software, etc. you get an approximate idea of the start-up costs. He'd
quote you his prices of course; my figures above should not be taken
as authoritative.

When you get your equipment and software, then you must decide how to
administer it. Men get 'those desires' 24 hours per day. Do you hire
two or three people to administer the business functions (credit
card approval; signing up women for free, etc) or do you go with a
service bureau and give them a cut, or ??  I'd think if a person had
$8000-$10,000 they could probably get a decent and competitive service
like this up and running. There are other vendors besides Higdon; he
is the first one which came to mind.  PAT]

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

From: [e-mail]
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Date: Wed, 06 Oct 93 21:45:36 EDT
Subject: For the Sake of the Free World!


Help!  In 1991, a corporation that I had an interest in had several
900 numbers with MCI, AT&T, and Telesphere Communications.  Well, in
November 1991, the FBI, IRS, and some Postal Inspectors kicked in
our door and took all of our equipment.

Now, two years later, the FBI is accusing us of trying to rip off AT&T
for over $1.6MM.  A 23 count indictment was handed down against the
principals of the corporation.  (USA vs MAYDAK et al Case#93-133 US
District Court of W. PA).

AT&T claims that $800,000.00 worth of calls were made from AT&T
("black") Public Phones (you know, those phones at the airport)
located in some truck stop in Oregon.  After reviewing the evidence,
we find that it doesn't consist of telephone bills, only ANI or
"automatic number identifier!"  The prosecution says that the ANI is
equal to a fingerprint and that it is flawless.

Come on, we all know you can change your ANI by having the local Bell
operator get you 1-800-321-0288.  AT&T asks for your number and then
converts it to ANI.

What we need is "expert witnesses."  People who are in the
telecommunications field that can testify (for a price) that ANI isn't
flawless.  Someone that can point our lawyers in the right direction
as to what questions to ask, etc ...

Also, any articles on ANI, flaws, court rulings on its use, stories of
hackers calling 900 numbers etc ...

The problem here is that if the court rules based on this ANI, it
could set a theory that it is indeed the fingerprint of the telephone.
Next thing you know, the neighborhood twelve year old hacker will be
changing his phone number to yours and you'll be in court for hacking
800 numbers, using fraud credit cards, etc ...

If anyone can be of help, please contact me via "[e-mail]" or
toll-free FAX @ 1-800-572-4403.  Articles can be mailed to:  IBOS DEFENSE
FUND  613 CROSS STREET   E. MCKEESPORT, PA  15035.  Thanx.


[Moderator's Note: While it is true that ANI is not flawless, neither
is it likely that twelve year old hackers would be lined up at a truck
stop in Oregon to use the same old phones over and over again to dial
a telco operator, get connected to 1-800-CALL-ATT and lie to the operator
about their calling number. $800,000 from the same phones at some truck
stop in Oregon? As the late Jack Benny would say, "Really, Mary ...".
Couldn't this traveling caravan of a fraud ring have been smart enough
to have at least spread out the calls they made from phones all over
the USA instead of working from that one location? Or was that the
only place they could find with public phones which allowed calls to
900 numbers in error?

A problem in your account is the last I heard, AT&T will not connect
to 900 via 800-CALL-ATT, nor will 800-CALL-ATT allow billing 'to the
telephone you are calling from' if that phone is a public coin phone,
a phone with Billed Number Screening on it or similar. I don't think
they even allow 900 calls to be billed to their own calling cards.
Maybe the truck stop management and/or local telco (whoever operated
the 'black phones') had forgotten to block 900/976 calls; someone
found this out and dialed for dollars from those phones.  Generally,
calls to 900 numbers have to be dialed direct from a phone upon which
the charges can be applied with no further ado ... no coin deposits;
no credit card or third-number billing, etc. So while ANI -- like
fingerprints -- is not flawless, it provides a preponderance of
evidence which, when taken in context with other details in a case
such as yours is considered very accurate.

What the government is alleging -- I assume -- is that some one or
more members of your organization stood there and made those calls to
your own 900 numbers, billing them to the truck stop. AT&T paid your
organization the proceeds, the truck stop (or local telco, or whoever)
got billed, made a stink and the whole mess got charged back to AT&T.
By that point, your organization was no longer in existence, and now
AT&T wants their money. Is that the way it happened? Good luck, but
I don't think you are gonna find a bunch of twelve year old phreaks
hanging out at truck stops in Oregon all night, or for that matter,
any person(s) diddling their ANI and lying to the operator about their
number in sufficient quantity to make $800,000 worth of fraud calls all
from the same truck stop in Oregon.  Keep us posted.   PAT]

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

From: [e-mail] (Jean-Bernard Condat)
Date: Thu,  6 Oct 1993 16:48:19 GMT
Subject: New Phone Number Plan In Turquia and Tunisia


Since August 1st, 19993, a new phone number plan is available in
Turquia. This modification will be efficient in some months. The
new area codes with be three-digit codes:

  Adana 322, Ankara 312, Bursa 224, Deizli 258, Eskisehir 222,
  Gaziantep 342, Istanbul 212-216, Malatya 422, Samsun 362, Izmir 232,
  Izmit (n/a), Kozan (n/a).

Since October 1st, 1993, the new phone number plan is available in
Tunisia, too.  You must add a number before the phone number asked.
The area codes are unchanged. The number to add for each town is
the following:

  Beja 4, Bizerte 4,  Gabes 2, Gafsa 2, Jendouba 6, Kairouan 2,
  Kasserine 4, Kebeli 4, Le Kef 2, Mahdia 6, Medenine 6, Monastir 4,
  Nabeul 2, Sfax 2, Sidi Bouzid 6, Siliana 8, Sousse 2, Tataouine 8,
  Tozeur 4, Zaghouan 6, [mobil phone 7].

No change for phone number with area code 1 (Tunis...).


                         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: [phone], Fax: [phone]
         InterNet:  [e-mail]   or  [e-mail]

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

Date: Thu, 07 Oct 93 09:16:52 BST
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Numbering Change in the UK


Most of the code numbers in the UK are changing on 16 April 1995.
What it will mean when dialing from anywhere overseas will be that
after the 44 UK country code the digit 1 should be inserted.  However,
there are five areas which will have completely NEW codes.  They are:

    532 xxxxxx (Leeds)      which becomes 113 2xx xxxx
    742 xxxxxx (Sheffield)  which becomes 114 2xx xxxx
    602 xxxxxx (Nottingham) which becomes 115 9xx xxxx
    533 xxxxxx (Leicester)  which becomes 116 2xx xxxx
    272 xxxxxx (Bristol)    which becomes 117 9xx xxxx

Mobile 'phone numbers are not changing; neither are the 0800 numbers.

Hope this is of interest -- it is a bit early but time flies when you
are having fun!!


Liz Auchinvole (Mrs)
Telecommunications   AEA Technology
Harwell   Nr Didcot  Oxon OX11 ORA   UK
Tel: [phone]  Fax: [phone]

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

Date: Thu, 7 Oct 93 10:09:39 EDT
From: Carl Moore <[e-mail]>
Subject: 215 Area in Lancaster County


Remember Sean?  I received the following regarding 717 area.
Has this been sent to telecom yet?

 ----- Forwarded message # 1:

Date: Wed, 6 Oct 1993 01:47:43 -0400
From: "[e-mail]" <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: 215 Area in Lancaster County
Reply-To: [e-mail]

Carl,

I haven't been reading the DIGEST recently, so I'm not sure if you've
received this news yet.  I live in Duncannon, PA (717-834) just north
of Harrisburg, and am connected to the world via Sprint-United
Telephone.  I received the following in this month's bill:

Beginning November 1, 1993

* When direct dialing a long distance call inside your area code, dial
the seven digits of the number only. *Do not use the "1"*

* When placing any operator-assisted calls, including calling card
calls, within or outside your area code, dial "0" followed by the area
code and seven digits of the number.

You have until July 31, 1994 to complete these dialing and
reprogramming changes.

sean    [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (Android Rubin)
Subject: Wanted: Conference Bridge
Date: 6 Oct 1993 16:32:52 -0700
Organization: Apple Computer, Inc., Cupertino, California


I need to find a vendor who sells a reasonably priced 8 line
conference bridge that is: Computer controlable, via RS-232 or IBM PC
card.  Prefer a digital bridge, but price is important, so I'm
flexible.  (ie, T1 systems at 20k is too pricey)

I'm interested in finding used equipment, also, so if you know someone
who wants to sell something similar to above, please let me know.


Andy   [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail]

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

Subject: Please Help Me on the PTT Coordinates in Far East..
From: [e-mail] (Bernard.Guillaumot)
Date: Thu, 07 Oct 93 03:09:34
Organization: TNIS consultants


Hi,

Can someone please advise me on PTTs coordinates (addresses, phone,
email and fax number ... email/fax number is the most useful for me) for
the following countries/towns in Far-East:

  - Singapore/State of Singapore (Singapore Telecom ?),
  - Tokyo/Japan (KDD ?),
  - Hongkong/Hongkong, (Hongkong Telecom ?)
  - Seoul/Corea,
  - Taipai/Taiwan.

I have a urgent need of the "availability/cost/install. delay" of the
following kind of telecommunication circuits:

      M1020, numeric 64K, 128K, 256K and ISDN.

Between Singapore and all others sites (Tokyo, Seoul, Taipai, Hong-Kong),
Between Hongkong and Taipai,
Between Taipai and Tokyo,
Between Tokyo and Seoul,
Between Taipai and Seoul and so on ;-)

Why? I have to design a voice/data/extented-LAN mesh network.

Mabe you can help me by the addresses (postal, fax, email, ..) of the
PTT or carriers in these country and any details regarding them.  Any
help you can give will be gratefully appreciated.


Best regards,

Bernard

[e-mail] (Bernard.Guillaumot)
T.nis - Telecoms dedicated private server : (33)-{1}46-085-205 - GMT+0100

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

From: Gregory Marr <[e-mail]>
Subject: Ringing a Phone on the Stage in a Play
Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1993 02:26:19 EDT


I'm looking for a device, preferably cheap/do-it-yourself for ringing
a phone. The phone will be on a stage during a play, and the director
wants it to be able to ring.  Any help that you could give me would be
greatly appreciated.


WPI Lens and Lights | [phone] - (office) Alden Hall SB6
Student Activities  | Providing Projection, Audio and Lighting
100 Institute Road  | services for WPI and beyond since 1962.
Worcester, MA 01609 | Greg Marr, Head Projectionist, [e-mail]

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

Subject: Re: Atomic Clocks
From: [e-mail] (Gary Tennyson)
Date: Thu, 07 Oct 93 07:38:17 CDT


[e-mail] (Dean Cookson) writes:

> In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] writes:

>>> The means to calculate time is done on the basis of a certain number
>>> of decays of radioactive cecium.  A certain exact number of decays
>>> will occur in a certain period of time, this exact number is used to
>>> define the time period referred to as a "second".  From that, all
>>> other measurements are made.  The device that does this measurement is
>>> a (at one time) 1/2 million dollar device called an "atomic clock."

> This can't be.  Radioactive decay is a statistical process.  There is
> no 'certain periof of time' in which an 'exact number of decays will
> occur.  If you observe a sample for a given period of time, n number
> of times you will get a Poisson distribution of number of decays.

You are right.  If you look at the spectral distribution directly out
of the atomic clock, it has a wide distribution.  It is used, however,
to provide long-term lock to a clock with much better short-term
characteristics.  The output of that clock is what is made available
to the user.


Gary Tennyson     BellSouth Telecommunications, Inc.
Internet:         [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (Adams Douglas)
Subject: Re: Atomic Clocks
Organization: CTS Network Services (crash, ctsnet), El Cajon, CA
Date: 06 Oct 93 15:35:36 PDT


Cliff Sharp ([e-mail]) wrote:

> On another note, since "they" keep changing the clocks by about a
> millisecond per year these days, I wonder if they'll change the
> official 9,192,631,770 number?

They won't. The reference is a standard. The reason they add leap
seconds to the UT1 time is because the Earth is not a perfect clock
and speeds up and slows down (although it mostly slows down due to
lunar tidal drag). The second will be a second forever, there will be
more seconds in a year after a while, though.


Adams Douglas  [e-mail]  San Diego, CA

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

From: [e-mail] (Michael Schuster)
Subject: Re: Digital Telephone Answering Machines
Date: 6 Oct 1993 09:55:42 -0400
Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC


In article <[e-mail]>, Wayne Ling <[e-mail]>
wrote:

> I am shopping for a telephone answering machine.  I notice that
> there are some new digital answering machines in the market,
> notably the AT&T 1343 and the Sanyo.  I suppose that the digital
> answering machines are superior because of its capability to
> random access and delete individual messages.  However, the digital
> ones do command higher prices because of newer technology
> and possibly more features.

I have had the Panasonic KXT-8000 since introduction.  Audio quality
is good (not fantastic) but allows 18 minutes total.  Still on the
original set of backup batteries.  It's been 100% reliable and I'm
quite pleased with it.


Mike Schuster  [e-mail] | [e-mail]
[e-mail] | GEnie: MSCHUSTER

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

From: [e-mail] (Bernard Rupe)
Subject: Re: Looking for a E1 Bit Error Rate Tester?
Date: 7 Oct 1993 14:40:13 GMT
Organization: Motorola Inc., Cellular Infrastructure Group


Network Probe also makes a Bit Error Rate (BER) tester.  The model
number is 7100.


Bernie Rupe                 501 W. Shure Drive  Room 1315
Motorola, Inc.                  Arlington Heights, IL 60004
Cellular Infrastructure Group    [phone]   [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (Neil R. Henry)
Subject: Re: AML Carrier?
Organization: Netcom Online Communications Services (408-241-9760 login: guest)
Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1993 17:07:49 GMT


I recently had GTE service installed up here in the hills of Los
Gatos, california.  The service technician explained that it was
"standard" for rural service.  Already I am having difficult with 14.4
connections and have a lot more garbage on the screen during sessions.
Does anyone have any experience in fighting to get a dedicated pair?
Perhaps California PUC could provide some info (?).  There is a small,
sealed 16v. battery to power my ring.  Often after I pick up the line,
it continues to buzz on the line for several seconds.  Like a ring
signal.

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

From: [e-mail] (Steve Forrette)
Subject: Re: Thanks For Using AT&T at Residence Inn
Date: 7 Oct 1993 12:35:14 GMT
Organization: Walker Richer & Quinn, Inc.
Reply-To: [e-mail] (Steve Forrette)


In <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (J. Philip
Miller) writes:

> I am staying at the Residence Inn in La Jolla CA, and when trying to
> do a long distance call I noted the very long time interval before the
> "boing" appeared, despite the fact that they claimed to be using AT&T.
> What was more amazing, however, was that the message after I entered
> by AT&T CC number was "Thank you for using AT&T at Residence Inn".
> Now what is going on here -- is the local PBX providing the boing and
> message even though it is all via AT&T or what?

It may be that AT&T actually does provide a custom message from within
the regular calling card validation system.  When I was staying at an
Embassy Suites location last December, I had the occasion to place a
collect call using the AT&T operator.  Everything went normally,
except that she said "Thank you for using AT&T, and enjoy your stay at
Embassy Suites."  It was definately the regular AT&T operator, and not
someone at the hotel or some AOS.  I guess that a special notation
appeared on her screen based on the ANI which identified the property
I was calling from.  I noticed that not all of the operators would say
the special greeting, though.


Steve Forrette, [e-mail]

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

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #684
******************************


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Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1993 12:19:42 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #685

TELECOM Digest     Thu, 7 Oct 93 12:19:30 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 685

Inside This Issue:                       Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Re: Finland Dialing Changes? (Antti Hannula)
    Re: Finland Dialing Changes? (Pertti Tapola)
    Re: North American Numbering Plan Launch in California (Carl Moore)
    Re: North American Numbering Plan Launch in California (Moe Knight)
    Re: North American Numbering Plan Launch in California (Joel Van Dyk)
    Re: AT&T's Allen Says Family Upheavals Impact U.S. Economically (Hunter)
    Re: Satellite Information Wanted (Pat Turner)
    Re: SNET "Requires" SSAN (David A. Cantor)
    Re: Area Code 917 in NYC for Beepers (Bob Frankston)
    Re: Info on/Comparison of New 900MHz Cordless Phones? (Irving Wolfe)
    Re: What is PCN and DCS1800? (Martin Cullen)
    Re: Premier ESP(tm) Clicks (Dan Wilder)
    Phone Pocket Dialers Wanted (Thomas J. Beckman)
    Cities For 910 and 919 in North Carolina (Carl Moore)

                 ----------------------------
TELECOM Digest is an e-journal devoted mostly -- but not entirely --
to discussions on telecommunications in general, and voice telephony
in particular. It is published daily, and is reader-written, meaning
the people who read it are the people who submit articles to it. The
Digest is a not-for-profit activity of Patrick Townson Associates, a
telecommunications consulting firm in Chicago, Illinois. PTA markets a
variety of telecom-related services including a no-surcharge telephone
calling card known as the Orange Card.  In addition, we are marketing
representatives for AT&T, and US Fibercom, AT&T's largest aggregator/
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----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Antti Hannula)
Subject: Re: Finland Dialing Changes?
Date: 7 Oct 93 06:20:37 GMT
Organization: Helsinki University of Technology


In <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (woody) writes:

> I didn't have a Finnish dictionary handy to find out the exact message
> of the numbering plan changes, and could only infer from listed
> numbers and clues.  There was something else that looked like dialing
> would be done using something like 101109+xxx or is that an inquiry
> number?

Effective 1st of January, 1994, the long distance calls are free for
the competition in Finland. The operator is chosen by an additional
prefix, which is for the Telecom Finland 101 and for a private long
distance company 109 (they do not actually have another trunk network,
they just interconnected the local switching systems).

So, for example, if you want to dial within Finland a long distance
call by using the Telecom lines, you would dial 101+area code+number.

How this affects the calls from abroad, I don't know.


Antti Hannula   Telecom Finland
Telecom Reseacrh Centre  [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (Pertti Tapola)
Subject: Re: Finland Dialing Changes?
Date: 7 Oct 1993 11:13:05 GMT
Organization: Nokia Telecommunications
Reply-To: [e-mail]


In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (woody) writes:

> I was looking through a recent Finland phone book, and noticed
> something that looked like an upcoming change to use 00+ for
> international dialing and 0+ for domestic dialing (or at least 0xx
> area codes, changed from the current 9xx domestic codes). There were
> two dates mentioned, 1 Jan 94 and 11 Oct 96. The first date sounded
> like a date at which the changes become "permissive" and the 1996 date
> would seem to be the time at which the changeover is complete.

> I didn't have a Finnish dictionary handy to find out the exact message
> of the numbering plan changes, and could only infer from listed
> numbers and clues.  There was something else that looked like dialing
> would be done using something like 101109+xxx or is that an inquiry
> number?

No.  Starting from 1.1.1994 there will be competition in long distance
traffic.  101 or 109 will select the carrier (101 = for PTT, 109 = for
the coalition of local telephone companies).  After that prefix the
number is dialled as before.  You can also make an agreement with the
preferred carrier.  Currently it is unclear (at least to me still is)
what will happen to those calls that neither have a preferred carrier
nor state an explicit prefix.

I have no idea what this all will mean to calls from abroad.  At least
you will be able to dial just like before, but as to who gets your
money, I do not know.

11.10.1996 (at 24:00, which in fact means that it is 12.10. 0:00)
the area prefixes are changed from 9x and 990 to 0+area (domestic)
and 00+ (international calls).  Judging from the text, it seems that
the change takes place instantaneously (no permissive period).
Probably there must be a recording to guide those that dial using the
old method.

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

Date: Wed, 6 Oct 93 16:41:40 EDT
From: Carl Moore <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: North American Numbering Plan Launch in California


I echo the moderator's note "What is an NANP launch?".  I did check
the areacodes/history (previously called history.of.area.splits)
file and see 11 Oct 1993 as at least the permissive date for dialing
changes in those California areas which don't already have this:

     7D for all direct-dial within area code
     1+NPA+7D for all direct-dial to other area codes
(and you mention Oct. 1993 for "NANP launch" for California)

Assuming I have guessed what NANP launch is, what is planned for
Indiana in December?  I have received no indication of N0X/N1X
prefixes being needed in Indiana; also no indication of what dialing
changes will be needed there to get ready for NXX area codes.

I have received a reply from [e-mail] , and I am including an
excerpt (I include my explanations afterwards):

> This is from an article given to me by one of my switch vendors.
> Bellcore has planned to switch to the new numbering plan in 1995, but
> according to this article, a number of states will adopt new dialing
> schemes earlier.  California will start in October, and Indiana will
> migrate to the new dialing plan on Dec. 1.

> For someone such as us, this means we can't reach these areas without an N
> patch on our pbx software.  It isn't a large problem, as the new area codes
> will most likely not cover central LA.  However, we have a number of business
> units that could be doing deals anywhere.  If they cannot reach certain

In response, I sent a message explaining what "permissive" and "full
cutover" meant.  By the beginning of 1995, switches have to be ready
to accommodate the generalized area codes, so you will be seeing
dialing changes in many areas before 1995 for that reason.  I don't
understand what is meant by "can't reach these areas without ...",
because the dialing changes affect calls ORIGINATING in these areas.
But a big concern will be the ability to call into an NNX area code.

Please let me know of changes which are not already included in
areacodes/history; for example, I have no information about Indiana.


Thanks.

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

From: [e-mail] (Moe Knight)
Subject: Re: North American Numbering Plan Launch in California
Date: 6 Oct 93 19:37:17 GMT
Organization: N.E.T.


In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (Joel
Van Dyk) wrote:

> I just got handed an article from a journal (the person didn't know
> which one) by our ROLM vendor, stating that California will have an
> October NANP launch, followed by Indiana on Dec. 1st.  Can anyone
> confirm this?  I thought the plan wasn't supposed to kick off until
> Jan. 1, 1995.

> [Moderator's Note: Huh?  What is an 'NANP launch' ???  Is this
> something that was printed in the magazine or is it heresay passed
> along by your friend who thought that is what he read, or ??? Let's
> begin if you don't mind by explaining the meaning of your term.  PAT]

I believe that there was an article in {Communications Week} that
stated area codes would have a prefix of 1 in all cases and that the
middle digits will no longer be restricted to 1 or 0.  There are/were
some areas that a 1 was necessary before the seven digit number for a
"long distance" call within the area code.  That system is going away.
You will only dial the seven digits within the area code, and must
dial eleven digits when calling outside of your area code.

There was some speculation in the article as to how gracefully a
number of telephone switches would be able to handle the area code
without the x0x or x1x along with toll call restrictor devices.  The
feeling was that larger business switches should have little problem,
but smaller systems may have serious problems.

Best guess I have for NANP is "North American Numbering Plan".  I've
written this from memory.  I can't locate the specific article I read.

Hope this helps.

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

From: [e-mail] (Joel Van Dyk)
Subject: Re: North American Numbering Plan Launch in California
Organization: Morgan Stanley & Company, Inc.
Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1993 11:36:51 -0400


The article was, as noted, from a vendor, who did not provide a
reference, whichis why I posted this article: I wanted to see if
anyone had any information.

I usually take launch to mean, as per Webster's, to start a new
activity, v.i.  to embark upon.

In summary, the article stated the Belcore has long planned to switch
to the newnumbering plan in 1995, but to prepare for the change a
number of states will adopt new dialing schemes earlier.  Following
California's October launch, Indiana will migrate to the new dialing
plan on Dec. 1st.

I took this to mean that California will start to implement new area
codes with digits from 2-9 in the second digit slot of the three-digit
area code, as of October.  This is of some importance to me, as this
is before I have been able to implement the appropriate software patch
on my pbxs.  This means that my business units may not be able to
reach some places in these states ( at an investment bank, they seem
to need to call almost anywhere ).

I've since gotten a very informative reply from Carl Moore.  If anyone
wants a copy, I'll forward it.  Thanks Carl.


[Moderator's Note: In fact, Carl's reply to you is included in this
issue of the Digest. See earlier messages in the thread, this issue. PAT]

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

From: [e-mail] (hunter)
Subject: Re: AT&T's Allen Says Family Upheavals Impact U.S. Economically
Date: 7 Oct 1993 07:47:11 -0400
Organization: From Somewhere in the United States


In article <[e-mail]>, Jon Krueger <jpk@Ingres.
COM> wrote:

> When we hear that family upheavals impact the nation, someone is
> talking about projectile vomiting.

> AT&T's Allen might better have skipped the corporatespeak and just
> said family problems cost the nation money.

> I congratulate and thank AT&T for its support of health, social
> services, and education programs.  The problems they address are real.
> Prentious diction does nothing to solve them.  If anything it takes
> away from the effort.

Not to mention, why doesnt someone ask Mr. Allen what AT&T's mass
lay-offs are doing to add to this problem? How about the decrease in
company provided benifits? AT&T/NCR just announced another round of
lay-offs didnt they?

Maybe Mr. Allen should start at home? He's worried that "family
upheavals" cost our nation, but as long as it doesnt cost AT&T
anything its easy to wring your hands.

Just M.O.

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

From: [e-mail]
Date: Wed, 6 Oct 93 15:50 EDT
Subject: Re: Satellite Information Wanted


Since I'm only 24, I guess I can answer this without offending anyone
:-). The below apply only to VSATs, but I assume the other sats would
be the similar.

> For those systems that queue, what types of queueing are employed?

This varies.  Common protocols are Plain Aloha, Slotted Aloha,
Reservation Aloha, etc.  Plain Aloha is a random VXKdK, Slotted Aloha
places data in slots reducing the opportunity for collisions.
Reservation Aloha allows sites to reserve future slots giving variable
bandwidth.

Regular old TDMA is also used.

For fixed VSATs you usually buy X amount of bandwidth what is
allocated among your terminals.  I don't know what the terms would be
of a carrier allocating a fixed channel among various customers.  GTE
Spacenet does have a deal where you can buy time as needed, rather
than leasing the bandwidth.

> (2) Generally, satellite's use either the Ku or C bands for
> transmision.  The choice being dependent on the atmospheric conditions
> of the ground based station.  Since I'm not an rf person, I may be
> wrong, but I thought you used Ku bands where there was not much
> precipitation (which would cause defractions and reflection) and you
> used the C band when there was.

This is true in a limited sense for large uplinks.  I'm sure no one
would try to buy time on a Ku band transponder to feed video of a
hurricane's arrival to the network.  Most users pick a band and a bird
and buy equipment for it.

Ku band has the advantage of not sharing frequencies with telco
terrestrial links.  I know of cases where a earth station could not be
installed at a building because the were under the LOS of a microwave
link.

> Are there any other bands that satellites transmit on?

L band, mostly used for Inmarsat.

> (8) Who on the net or in industry would I want to speak with regarding
> the above as well as any other questions/comments that may arise
> later?

Try GTE Spacenet, Hughes, and AT&T Tridom.  Scientific Atlanta is a
big manufacturer of the earth stations (from VSATs to video) and could
probably help you out.  I don't have the address w/me but can come up
with something if you need it.


Not the opinions of the FAA ...
Patton Turner  KB4GRZ  FAA Telecommunications  [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (David A. Cantor)
Subject: Re:  SNET "Requires" SSAN
Organization: MV Communications, Inc.
Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1993 03:07:17 GMT


Last week I reported (sorry, I don't have the reference numbers) that
SNET wanted by SSAN in order for me to establish service.  Several
people wrote to me with various suggestions.  I was determined not to
give them my SSAN, and I took the suggestion to speak with a supervisor.

I called their customer service number today and asked to speak with a
supervisor.  Naturally, the representative who took my call felt the
need to determine *exactly* what I wanted to speak with a supervisor
about.  I told her that I had a problem which she could not help me
with, since I had already spoken with two other reps who could not
help.  She then asked what my phone number was so that she could have
my record called up for the supervisor.  When I told her that I didn't
yet have SNET service, she concluded that even a supervisor couldn't
help me, and said I should establish service.  I countered that that
was what I was trying to do, but there was a problem with the method
which they (the reps) were using for me to establish service, and
*that* was what I needed a supervisor for.

She *still* wanted more detail, and asked exactly what problem there
was with their procedure.  I said that I had a problem with the
questions they asked in their attempt to fill in their computer
screen.  She sounded incredulous, but she did connect me with a
supervisor.

The supervisor (a male -- I was surprised by that) said (after a
little discussion), that there was NO problem with my wanting to keep
my SSAN to myself, and that he would have a rep call me back and take
my order. I thanked him and hung up.

Five minutes later a rep called me, and ten minutes later, it was all
settled.

Thanks to everyone who wrote me for your encouragement and support.


David A. Cantor           [phone]
131 D.W. Highway, #505    Foxwoods blackjack dealer
Nashua, NH  03060         Moving soon to New London, CT

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

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Area Code 917 in NYC for Beepers
Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1993 00:11 -0400


I just tried dialing my 718 pager number. I was told the number wasn't
in service. I tried 917 and was told that I couldn't even dial the
number (the call cannot be completed as dialed). I tried the NET
operator who got me an ATT operator who couldn't get through either.
So I dialed 917 information.  That didn't help since there are no
listed numbers in 917 (why aren't cellulars listed?) but it was really
718/212/917 combined information. I then called the NET operator who
wasn't allowed to dial out of state but who connected me to repair who
isn't allowed to dial out of state. I then tried 10222-917 that got
the same recording as my ATT 718 call (my default carrier). At this
point, it is possible that Pagenet deleted that number (since I don't
use it very often).

So now I'm trying ATT's 800-222-3000 number. The women I spoke to is
in Florida and feels that the people in the South are discriminated
against and no one tells them anything. (Don't worry, she had a sense
of humor).

A page just came through! (with my 800 number -- very strange -- but
it could be a coincidence). I did call back and apparently even in a
few minutes they've already been testing out various exchanges around
New York.

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

From: [e-mail] (Irving_Wolfe)
Subject: Re: Info on/Comparison of New 900MHz Cordless Phones?
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Organization: Happy Man Corp, 4410 Pt Robinson, Vashon, WA 98070 206/463-9399
Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1993 14:21:47 GMT


In <[e-mail]> [e-mail] writes:

> I'd like to get some info on the new 900MHz cordless phones, and a
> comparison of the available models. I've heard that these phones are
> clearer, have a longer range, and are more secure; is this true? They
> do seem to cost a tidy sum (one model was $300 or so).

We're using two of the Vtech Tropez "Digital 900DX" model.

Range is 500 to 600 feet, which is about ten times what we got with
conventional cordless phones here but still well short of claims.

The two phones confused each other at first, so we now use them in
separate buildings that are about 700 feet apart.

Clarity is excellent, with sudden dropoff at maximum range.  The base
unit has a keypad and can be used as a full speakerphone whether or
not the portable unit is in it, and there's an intercom feature
between the two.  There's a button to flash the switchhook, the usual
complement of memories, four styles of ring, and a volume adjustment
whose loudest setting is what I'd consider normal.

They're good phones, but what I can't understand is why -- given the
excellent quality and fairly low prices today of cellular phones --
the electronics manufacturers cannot produce a superb phone instead of
merely good ones.  I'd like to see them at reasonable prices, too, but
would settle for the perfect cordless phone even at a high price, if
only it existed!


Regards,

[e-mail]   206/463-9399 x101   fax [phone]
Happy Man Corp.  4410 SW Pt. Robinson Rd., Vashon, WA  98070-7399

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

From: [e-mail] (Martin Cullen)
Subject: Re: What is PCN and DCS1800?
Organization: Devteq Ltd
Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1993 12:18:37 GMT


PCN is based on the GSM digital cellular system. The main (only ?)
difference is that DCS1800 operates at a frequency of 1.8GHz as oppose
to the GSM frequency of 900 MHz. Also the power of the PCN handset's
have been reduced to max 1 Watt.

The result of increasing the frequency is that cells can be much
smaller than those for GSM. Typically a DCS cell is a quarter of the
size of a GSM cell. This has the advantage of more capacity for any
specified area but the disadvantage of costing more for nationwide
coverage. A DCS cell can be as small as a couple of hundred metres
across.

As regards signalling and network interfaces these are identical to
those used in a GSM system.


Regards,

Martin Cullen

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

From: [e-mail] (Dan Wilder)
Subject: Re: Premier ESP(tm) Clicks
Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1993 09:31:09 -0700
Organization: Connected INC -- Internet Services


[e-mail] (Jack Mcgee) writes:

>> We have a Premier ESP 1224 system installed in 1991 which has exhibited
>> consistent clicks and pops coincident with incoming calls.

> We have a Premier system, I believe its the 1224, at least the same
> family.  I've never noticed that problem. I assume you are saying that
> all users will hear a pop or click when a call rings into the system.
> In any case, we don't hear any pops or clicks, nor are modem calls a

Yeah.  Just before you hear the ring at the front desk, you hear a pop
on the line.  100% of the time.  A real loud one.  Happens just about
the same time you hear a click from a relay on (I think) the line
card, if you happen to be standing next to the phone closet and
listening on the wall phone next to it.  Anybody using a modem over
the phone system gets garbage characters at that instant.  A shame, we
bought the system 'cause we thought it would be slick to use modems
with.  Now we're going to put in some more phone lines and run them
straight to the modems, keep 'em AWAY from the Premier system.

> I'm really pleased with the features of our system, but our keysets
> seem not too reliable.  And darned expensive to have repaired.

Glad to hear somebody is having good luck with the Premier.  Since my
post I've had the local service rep out, they don't have a clue.
Everything in the system has been replaced at least once except the
(passive) backplane, and now they want to replace that.

The local service rep is not returning phone calls again.  Next week
I'll bug Premier some more, got shunted to the local rep last time I
tried that.


Dan Wilder    <[e-mail]> <[e-mail]>
WOW! Got through a whole post without line noise or getting disconnected!

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

From: [e-mail] (Thomas J Beckman)
Subject: Pocket Phone Dialers Wanted
Date: 7 Oct 1993 01:54:55 GMT
Organization: University of California, Santa Cruz


I'm looking for about a dozen inexpensive pocket phone dialers that we
can store phone numbers in and use while travelling to automatically
dial phone numbers.  Thanks for any information.


Tom Beckman  [e-mail]

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

Date: Thu, 7 Oct 93 10:23:19 EDT
From: Carl Moore <[e-mail]>
Subject: Cities For 910 and 919 in NC


I got back to the U. of Delaware last night and looked at the
phonefiche for July 1993 Winston-Salem directory.  It has these cities
in the present 919 area:

Staying in 919: Greenville, Williamston, Chapel Hill, Raleigh

Going to 910: Fayetteville, Greensboro, Wilmington, Winston-Salem

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

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #685
******************************


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Date: Fri, 8 Oct 1993 02:17:22 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #686

TELECOM Digest     Fri, 8 Oct 93 02:17:20 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 686

Inside This Issue:                       Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    T1 and Call Transfer (David Mello)
    How Will Routers Compete Against Digital Switches? (Will Estes)
    Book Review: "!%@::" by Frey/Adams (Rob Slade)
    Dialogic Card or Compatible Information Wanted (Emilio Navarro)
    Dialogic D41B Help Wanted (Rev. Anthony S. Pelliccio)
    Magnitic Strip Codes (David Faulkner)
    MCI Ha! (Tony Pelliccio)
    Warning! (Leo V. Sigman)
    Update of World-Wide Areacodes Database (Graham Toal)
    Re: North American Numbering Plan Launch in California (Carl Moore)
    Re: North American Numbering Plan Launch in California (Sean Gum)
    Re: North American Numbering Plan Launch in California (David G. Cantor)
    Re: Demon Dialers Information Wanted (Mike King)
    Re: Demon Dialers Information Wanted (Joel Upchurch)
    Re: Atomic Clocks (David Breneman)
    Re: Atomic Clocks (H. Shrikumar)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: syntllct![e-mail] (David Mello)
Subject: T1 and Call Transfer
Organization: Syntellect, Inc.
Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1993 15:47:49 GMT


I have been taxed with the task of getting as much info as I can about
T1, ANI/DNIS, and call transfer.  What I really need to know is this:

If I have a tie trunk coming off a PBX going to some other type of
equipment (for sake of argument VRU).  What types of capabilities are
provided for by various trunk types for various PBX/ACD vendors (AT&T,
NTI, ROLM, ASPECT, and Rockwell to name a few).  What we are trying to
determine is how if at all is ANI and or DNIS information is sent
inband via DTMF signalling. And secondly can we do simple hookflash
transfers using T1.  I have talked to various sources about each of
these topics and have been given conflicting information.

Additionally, my interface for T1 is resticted to two or four wire E&M
facilities.  Please respond to me via e-mail at [e-mail].

Thanks for your help in advance,


David E. Mello

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

From: [e-mail] (Will Estes)
Subject: How Will Routers Compete Against Digital Switches?
Organization: Mail Group
Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1993 18:11:09 GMT


I want to gain a better understanding of what hardware will win the
day and dominate the backbone of the future voice/data super-highway.

It seems to me that there is some convergence coming between data
communications -- which uses the router as the switching hardware --
and telecommunications -- which seems to use digital switches to route
calls.  My questions are:

1) Is it reasonable to believe that within three years routers will be
able to do a good job of carrying voice, real-time data, and non-real-
time data, over some medium like fiber optic (FDDI?) on the local LAN
and ATM on the network backbone?

2) Same question as 1), except this time for digital switches on the
backbone.  Can switches effectively carry all three kinds of data?
Will these digital switches use ATM?

3) If we were to imagine a worldwide network of routers over ATM
versus a worldwide network of digital switches over ATM, would either
architecture have any fundamental advantages or disadvantages over the
other?

I'm not technically astute on this subject, so if I am making very bad
assumptions, or if I have missed some important alternative architectures,
please let me know.


Will Estes    Internet: [e-mail]

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

Date: 7 Oct 93 12:44 -0600
From: Rob Slade <[e-mail]>
Subject: Book Review: "!%@::" by Frey/Adams


BKDEMAN.RVW   930908

O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
103 Morris Street, Suite A  Sebastopol, CA   95472
800-998-9938  707-829-0515  fax: [phone]
[e-mail]

"!%@:: A Directory of Electronic Mail Addressing and Networks", Frey/Adams,
U$24.95    [e-mail]

Prince-like, this book insists on an unpronounceable title. In the
interests of usable referents, might we dispense with the suggested
"that darned book" and possibly come up with "Bang-Through-At-For"?

This book is a reference work.  It details the various computer
networks with mail links or gateways to the "true" Internet.  It is
common to cite such works as "indispensable": in fact, most users, and
even site managers, muddle along quite happily without it.  Quick
reference "electronic" versions exist of very similar documents, which
provide the addressing schemes for the more common network and
commercial service gateways.  Also, once you know one CompuServe
Internet address, you know 'em all.  Frey and Adams have, however, put
together a very complete and interesting reference, and I do suggest
it to anyone managing, or using, extensive email correspondence.

The bulk of the book is a set of listings very similar to Part Two of
"The Matrix" (cf BKMATRIX.RVW). The number of listings is substantially
greater, while the major emphasis in each listing is the email address-
ing scheme.  Most of the rest of the book is supporting material, such
as the indices to networks by country, name and notation.  One hundred
and fifty pages are devoted to listings of US and international
domains for companies, organizations and institutions.  Of the sites
that I personally know, only one was not listed (although one Canadian
company was mysteriously transferred south of the border).

Chapter one is an essay devoted to Internet email addressing, and the
various "perversions" of "To:" lines.  Internet aficionados have
probably figured out most of the topics covered but it makes an
excellent introduction for newcomers.

As a user of electronic mail, or the manager of a small Internet node
or UUCP site, it would be hard to say that you "need" this book.  If,
however, you are at all interested in the topic of email, you will
find this fascinating and useful.  For those trying to "push the
envelope" of email access, this book will be very useful indeed:
perhaps indispensable is not too strong.

Even those not directly concerned with the technical management of
email will find useful material here.  The sub-domain listings alone
should make salespeople salivate.

The book seems to go through corrections or a new edition about once a
year.  I wonder if you can get on a mailing list for it?  Hmmm.  Must
drop a line to [e-mail] (page 307) ...

copyright Robert M. Slade, 1993   BKDEMAN.RVW   930908
Permission granted to distribute with unedited copies of the TELECOM
Digest and associated mailing lists/newsgroups.


Vancouver Institute for Research into User Security,   Canada    V7K 2G6
[e-mail]   [e-mail]   [e-mail]   Fidonet 1:153/733
[e-mail]                                                 604-526-3676

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

From: [e-mail] (Emilio Navarro)
Subject: Dialogic Card or Compatible Information Wanted
Organization: University of Denver, Dept. of Math & Comp. Sci.
Date: Thu, 7 Oct 93 13:47:27 GMT


Hello everyone,

I would like to obtain some information on the Dialogic card (Dual phone
line) or any compatible that could be less expensive.  I would like to
get a phone number where to call and get some brocures or price.

Any suggestion is welcome.


Thank you in advance,

Emilio A. Navarro

[Moderator's Note: About every week or so I post a response saying
that the Dialogic people are in New Jersey. Check out back issues for
the exact address, and please read at least a few back issues before
submitting the same questions over and over again. Thanks.   PAT]

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

Subject: Dialogic D41B Help Wanted
Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1993 16:20:22 EDT
From: Rev. Anthony S. Pelliccio <[e-mail]>


I was wondering if anyone can help me out. We just purchased an AT&T
Partner Plus Release 3.0 phone system and we have four extension ports
available. We also have a Dialogic D41B board that would serve quite
nicely as a four port voicemail system.

We'd like to set it up so that if a line is busy the attendant can
forward the call to the users mailbox (only four people will have
voicemail) or, if the person leaves his/her desk they can
automatically forward all calls to their box.

What we need is Software to do this. Does anyone have any ideas? We're
a software company that's just too lazy to write it ourselves. :)

There are several ways to respond:

Me: [e-mail]
    [e-mail]

Voice: Mr. Don Lambert [phone]


Tony Pelliccio

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

From: [e-mail] (David Faulkner)
Subject: Magnitic Strip Codes
Organization: Community_News_Service
Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1993 20:59:24 GMT


My company is in the process of developing a travel card and we want
to add a magnetic strip on the back that will dial our 1-800 access
number when the card is swiped.  We are having trouble finding out the
proper protocal (codes) required to make this work.  We know we need
an "identifer" number and an "issuer ID" number.  Who assigns these
numbers?  Any help would be great!


Thanks in advance.

[e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: Do you think it is worth your trouble in view of
how few card reading public phones there are in the USA? I don't think
I have ever seen one in Chicago except at the airport.  PAT]

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

Date: Thu, 07 Oct 93 18:02:05 EDT
From: Tony Pelliccio <[e-mail]>
Subject: MCI Ha!


Well ... I fell into the trap. I got a call from MCI about two months
ago promising evening/night rates of .10 a minute. What I got is
evening/night rates that average .18 a minute. Sorry MCI ... you can
keep your long distance calling plans and don't expect to be paid for
what I've used. They totally misrepresented the whole thing.

So, back to AT&T I go ...


Tony Pelliccio   [e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: Don't go back to AT&T until they send you your
check for $75.00. In the meantime, stop off at Sprint and get your
free modem.   :)   PAT]

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

Date: 07 Oct 93 20:27:50 EDT
From: Leo V Sigman <[e-mail]>
Subject: Warning!


At the moment I only *strongly suspect* that there is some new phone
card fraud about; I called the Pac Tel business office and the lady I
spoke with agrees. Repair service also agrees with my suspicions and I
thought I'd pass along the story.

About 7:30 this evening I got a call on a line I don't list and that
almost no one has the number of. The man on the other end claimed to
be a Marshall Adams of Pacific Telesis, calling from LAX (on a noisy
connection) to verify an MCI/Sprint calling card question. Was I or
did I know Tracy White (I'm hazy about the name; once I knew I didn't
know the person I didn't care about the name)? No. Did I authorize
seven calls to Europe Tuesday night?  No. He gave me a calling card
number to verify; I said it wasn't mine. He said records showed two
lines into the residence (I have four) and I had to authenticate the
calling card I *did* have. I declined. He said he'd have to block the
line until the matter could be investigated unless I could authenticate.

I said I never gave the number to anyone, and I didn't know him. He
gave me an I.D. number and I said I was sure he'd understand that I
*still* wouldn't identify my calling card. He asked why I'd object to
blocking the line if I didn't have a card, and I said I object because
I have a *phone* and make and receive calls on that line and *pay* for
that line! When I finally said I still wouldn't give out the number he
disconnected in a rustle of static.

I called Repair (where else can you talk to a phone person around
8pm?) and got a gratifying response when I told the story. The lady
said, "Horse Puckey" (I gather she likes M*A*S*H), and that there was
no problem with my line except for a paperwork error a year old that
she would take care of immediately. She advised me to report this to
the Business Office Billing Department 8:30 tomorrow morning. She also
commended me for not giving out the calling card information, and said
that Pacific Telesis is only a parent company and has absolutely
nothing whatsoever to do with my phone lines, credit, or service. We
speculated about the possibility of this being an honest mistake on
someone's part, but agreed the story is too incredible for that! From
the noise, I suspect that he was calling from a buttset somewhere on
Earth, but beyond that I can only say I hope they nail him!

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

Date: Thu, 7 Oct 93 20:25:32 BST
From: Graham Toal <[e-mail]>
Subject: Update of World-Wide Areacodes Database


I'm sending this to all the people in my 'areacodes' mail file; I
won't be using this list again.  If any of you want notification in
future of updates (in advance of postings to comp.dcom.telecom or
uk.telecom), mail me and I'll explicitly put you on a list.

The areacodes database I've been compiling now has extensive US and
Canadian coverage thanks to Michael Shiels; the file is now over
2.5Mb!  If anyone here has access to the comp.dcom.telecom server at
mit, please let me know -- or just fetch the files from my machine
directly.  Chris -- could you update your database at src.doc.ic.ac.uk
with this new release please? -- likewise Richard Evans -- could you
update your interactive server, then we'll co-ordinate an announcement
together.

The files are areacode.* in the login directory you find when you ftp
to lomond.ee.ed.ac.uk (192.41.109.104 I think, but use the name).
Remember to fetch them in BINARY mode -- it'll be ten times faster on
this braindead Windows machine; there are no DOS-style CRs in the
files.

There is still more work to be done on the project, but the current
state is well worth releasing.


Regards,

Graham


[Moderator's Note: To send files to the Telecom Archives, all you have
to do is address them to [e-mail]. They'll go into a
holding area where I will find them. Be sure and send documentation on
what you want me to do with them, etc.   PAT]

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

Date: Thu, 7 Oct 93 14:08:34 EDT
From: Carl Moore <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: North American Numbering Plan Launch in California


[e-mail] (Moe Knight) writes:

> You will only dial the seven digits within the area code, and must
> dial eleven digits when calling outside of your area code.

No, some areas have 11 digits for ALL long distance -- even within the
area code.  In any event, 11 digits is becoming standard for long
distance to another area code, and the few areas which have still been
using areacode + 7D will have to implement 1 in front of that
areacode.  (The leading 1 is not part of the area code.)  This is
discussed in the history file.

[e-mail] (Joel Van Dyk) writes:

> I took this to mean that California will start to implement new area
> codes with digits from 2-9 in the second digit slot of the three-digit
> area code, as of October.

No, you can't have NNX area codes yet.  The equipment has to be
programmed properly before Jan. 1, 1995, and THEN you can start
getting NNX area codes.  One such code has been announced (334 in
southern Alabama) but cannot be put into use until 1995.

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

Subject: Re: North American Numbering Plan Launch in California
From: Sean Gum <[e-mail]>
Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1993 13:51:34 CST
Organization: Harvey, Illinois


In comp.dcom.telecom Carl Moore wrote:

> Assuming I have guessed what NANP launch is, what is planned for
> Indiana in December?  I have received no indication of N0X/N1X
> prefixes being needed in Indiana; also no indication of what dialing
> changes will be needed there to get ready for NXX area codes.

> Please let me know of changes which are not already included in
> areacodes/history; for example, I have no information about Indiana.

I live in Northwest Indiana. (Portage, IN.) We are serviced by GTE in
our area. A couple of months ago, along with our phone bill, they sent
us a notice that effective December 1st, any long distance calls
WITHIN our area code will require the area code to be dialed. Local
calls will be handled the same way. They said they had to do this due
to a shortage of numbers. They also said we can dial both ways until
December 1st 'so we can get used to the new dialing scheme.' Hope that
is what you were requesting information on.

Here's some examples to help clarify what I am trying to say:

Current:
Local - Dial - xxx-xxxx
Long Distance within area code - 1-xxx-xxxx
Long Distance outside area code - 1-acn-xxx-xxxx

Beginning Decemeber 1st:
Local - Dial - xxx-xxxx
Long Distance within area code - 1-219-xxx-xxxx
Long Distance outside area code - 1-acn-xxx-xxxx

(NOTE: They said this only affects area code 219, which only serves
Northwest Indiana. I don't know what changes, if any, it will have on
the rest of the state. Also, as far as I know, this only affects GTE
customers. There are Indiana Bell customers in the 219 area code as
well. I am not sure if this change affects them as well or not.)

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

Subject: Re: North American Numbering Plan Launch in California
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Date: Thu, 07 Oct 93 15:44:17 -0700
From: David G. Cantor <[e-mail]>


In TELECOM Digest V13 #685, Carl Moore writes that the NANP will require:

     > 7D for all direct-dial within area code
     > 1 + NPA + 7D for all direct-dial to other area codes

Will it be possible to use the form:

     1  + NPA + 7D for all direct-dial within the same area code?

This would allow users to avoid reprogamming modems, dialers, etc.
when travelling.


David G. Cantor          Department of Mathematics
University of California  Los Angeles, CA 90024-1555
[e-mail]

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

Date: Thu, 7 Oct 93 15:47:20 EDT
From: [e-mail] (Mike King)
Subject: Re: Demon Dialers Information Wanted


In TELECOM Digest V13 #682, Josh Mereminsky <[e-mail].
NCR.COM> wrote:

> I'm looking for information on 'Demon Dialers'; something that can
> dial a number, recognize a busy signal, and redial until it finally
> gets through.  Can someone enlighten me as to:

I have two Panasonic speakerphones with various features.  When used
in speakerphone mode, the 'redial' becomes an automatic redialer.  It
recognizes a busy signal and will go back onhook, wait for thirty
seconds or so, then try again.  Mine try about twelve times or so.  By
using the speaker to monitor, there's no delay in waiting for a box to
signal me that the other end is ringing, and I don't risk losing the
other party due to the latency between the ring recognition and my
getting the phone offhook.

I understand this is a feature of all Panasonic speakerphones, so
model numbers should not be significant.  If you need them, email me
and I'll forward them.  I've found the phones to be fairly reliable,
and you should be able to purchase them for less than $50 at any
discount outlet.


Mike King * Software Sourcerer * Fairchild Space * +1 301.428.5384
[e-mail] or [e-mail]  *  (usual disclaimers)

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

Subject: Re: Demon Dialers Information Wanted
From: upchrch![e-mail] (Joel Upchurch)
Date: Thu, 07 Oct 93 14:20:43 EDT
Organization: Upchurch Computer Consulting, Orlando FL


Josh Mereminsky <[e-mail]> writes:

> I'm looking for information on 'Demon Dialers'; something that can
> dial a number, recognize a busy signal, and redial until it finally
> gets through.  Can someone enlighten me as to:

> 1) How well these products work;
> 2) What products exist on the market and how much they cost;
> 3) Where they can be bought -- and if you might have one of these for
>    sale?

My Panasonic KX-T3145  Two-Line Speakerphone has a built-in demon dialer.
If you press the redial button while using the speakerphone the phone
will automatically hang up and retry fifteen times during a ten minute
period.


Joel Upchurch @ Upchurch Computer Consulting uunet!aaahq01!upchrch!joel
718 Galsworthy Ave. Orlando, FL 32809-6429  phone [phone]

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

From: [e-mail] (David Breneman)
Subject: Re: Atomic Clocks
Date: 7 Oct 93 19:47:17 GMT
Organization: Digital Systems International, Redmond WA


Cliff Sharp ([e-mail]) wrote:

>    There's an easier way to access an atomic clock, if you want to do
> a bit of hardware hacking.  All (I believe) of the TV networks use a
> cesium-rubidium atomic clock as their master timebase, so network
> shows you watch locally are locked indirectly to that clock.
> Unfortunately, the frequency you'd get is 3,579,545 Hz, and that might
> be a bit of a chore to use as a PLL synthesizer reference to generate
> your chosen frequency ... not to mention having to tap into your TV
> set to get it.

Our Seattle CBS-TV affiliate (KIRO) used to transmit a rather
mechanical-sounding chime on the hour (I think this was actually done
by the network but I may be wrong).  Every hour on the hour, you'd
hear the "bong" (roughly E above middle C?) which even displaced the
program audio if it was some kind of special programming which didn't
break at the hour (like news coverage of an important event).  They
stopped some time in the mid 70s.  (Local ersatz-kids-show host J.P.
Patches continued to open his show with that chime until he went off
the air in the mid-80s.)  CBS radio used to do the same thing, but I
think they've stopped now, too.  The end of creeping featurism in
commercial broadcasting.


David Breneman                        Email: [e-mail]
System Administrator,                 Voice: 206 881-7544  Fax: [phone]
Software Engineering Services
Digital Systems International, Inc.        Redmond, Washington,  U. S. o' A.


[Moderator's Note: Listen to WGN (720 AM) in Chicago sometime. When
they first started the little beep every hour on the hour now about
sixty years ago, guess where they got it from? They tied into the relay
on the Western Union clock in the studio. When the WU master clock
sent a pulse, it would drag a little arm in the clock down which
pulled the minute hand into place as necessary and at the same time
caused a little metal strip to touch something else. The beep would go
right out over the air. Now and again, if the pair from the clock to
Western Union went open for some reason the beep would not be heard if
the condition lasted from one hour into the next.  PAT]

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

Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1993 22:55:02 -0400
From: [e-mail] (H.Shrikumar)
Subject: Re: Atomic Clocks
Organization: UMass, Amherst MA + Temporal Systems Bombay India


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail]
wrote:

> ... [ TV color burst signal ] ...
> Unfortunately, the frequency you'd get is 3,579,545 Hz, and that might
> be a bit of a chore to use as a PLL synthesizer reference to generate
> your chosen frequency ... not to mention having to tap into your TV
> set to get it.

 Actually if you do tap the 3.58, and if what you need is seconds
hours and minutes you can feed the timebase into a regular MOS clock
chip.  These use the same crystal, since it is cheap, and very warped
divisor logic to bend around its odd frequency.

  But do note ... the clock chips use a standard color burst crystal
but tweaked a bit but "pulling" with a capacitor. So by tapping the
color burst from a TV you will get a very stable clock, tho' which
does drift a bit.

  How much and in which direction I don't seem to remember though.


shrikumar ( [e-mail], [e-mail] )

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

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #686
******************************


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Date: Fri, 8 Oct 1993 10:53:56 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #687

TELECOM Digest     Fri, 8 Oct 93 10:53:30 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 687

Inside This Issue:                       Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    California PUC Cancels Order on Toll Call Competition (Chronicle/S.Lichter)
    OSI-RM and Satellite Communication (Werner Farstad)
    Is V.Fast, 28k bits/sec? Is This the Fastest Modem Solution? (Newton)
    Video Distribution at COMDEX (Orest Ukrainsky)
    Re: Thanks for Using AT&T (Randal Hayes)
    Re: 800 ==> POTS (Gregg Siegfried)
    Re: Telco Voice Mail (Marc O'Krent)
    Re: Merlin Pulls Disappearing Act? (David Breneman)
    Re: Area Code 917 in NYC for Beepers (Bob Frankston)
    Re: Pocket Phone Dialers Wanted (Paul Wouters)
    Re: AML Carrier? (Steven H. Lichter)
    Re: Please Help Me on the PTT Coordinates in Far East (Hui Lin LIM)
    Re: Surveillance or Protection of Privacy? (Jack Winslade)
    Re: Telecom Group Vote (James Olsen)
    Re: Atomic Clocks (Scott D. Fybush)
    Re: Atomic Clocks (Curtis Bohl)
    Re: Atomic Clocks (Alain Fontaine)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 7 Oct 93 22:23:06-0400
From: /G=COE.PERS/S=J.MOSS/O=GTE/PRMD=GTEMAIL/ADMD=TELEMAIL/C=US/@sprint.com
Subject: California PUC Cancels Order on Toll Call Competition


PUC cancels its order on toll call competition.


By John Eckhouse
{San Francisco Cronicle}

   In a stunning attempt to shoe up their tarnished image, the five
members of the California Public Utilities Commission voted unanimously
to cancel Sept. 17 order opening local calling to competition.

   The order -- which was to have taken effect Jan 1 -- would have cut
the cost of local toll calls by up to 60 percent, while raising the
price of basic monthly service by as much as 96 percent.

   Commission members said that its action yesterday -- to be followed
by a thorough investigation of possible behind-the-scene improprieties
that might have unfairly affected the Sept. 17 order -- is necessary
if the PUC is to regain public trust.

   "We have to make a stand to preserve out integgrity," said Jessie
Knight Jr explaining his first vote as a newly appointed commissioner.

   Rather than vindicate the PUC, yesterday's vote could land the
agency in even hotter water. Legal experts said that the vote may have
violated the Bagley-Keene Act, which requires the commission to make
all non-personnel decisions in public. Before the vote was taken, the
PUC's public affairs office prepared a press release announcing and
explaining the vote, indicating that the commissioners had already
acted in private.

   "If they debated the issue and reached a decision prior to the
public vote, that violated the Bagley-Keene Act," said Renee Allison,
legal counsel for the California Newspaper Publishers Association and
an expert on the act.

   PUC President Daniel Fessler inadvertently disclosed that the
commissioners also may have violated state law when they took the
Sept. 17 vote. Fessler said the commissioners acted without knowing
precisely what they were voting on, because not all details of the
order had been put in writing.

   "There's some question as to whether what the commission did
violated the government code, because they voted on a decision when it
wasn't even final and filed," said Helen Mickiewicz, staff attorney
for the PUC's division of ratepayer advocates.

   The commission vote negates a controversial decision reached after 3
1/2 years of acrimonnious debate. After PUC staffers spent all night
drafting an order, the commission voted Sept 17 to let all long
distance coompanies in the state compete with local phone companies in
the state's $4 billion market for local toll calls.

   To compensate Pacific Bell, GTE and other local phone companies for
any loss of revenue, the PUC agreed to let them raise the price of
monthly residential and business service by up to 96 percent.

   After the vote, allegations surfaced that at least one Pacific Bell
employee improperly lobbied the commission staff in the early morning
hours and wrote key sections of the final draft of the order that was
voted on by the commission.

   Two PUC staff members said that an examination of handwritten
comments on the draft decision indicated that "many of the changes the
Pacific Bell employee proposed appear word-forword in the adopted
decision."

   Pacific Bell insists that its employee, regulatory expert Jerry
Oliver, was only doing work requested by the PUC staff, and did
nothing improper.  John Gurlder, regulatory vice-president of Pacific
Bell, said that he opposed the delay of the commission's decision to
open toll-call competition but that he supports the PUC's plan for an
investigation.

   Assemblywoman Gwen Moore, D-Los Angeles, has announced that her
Utilities and Commerce Committee will probe the PUC's procedure in the
toll-call matter at a hearing in Los Angeles on Oct. 21.

   During their meeting, members of the commission seemed alternately
angry, sad and subdued. Fessler said the case was "the most difficult
matter to arise" in his tenure, which begain in 1991. He said that
Californians deserve a full disclosure of what happend.


Steven Lichter    GTE Calif COEI

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

From: [e-mail] (Werner Farstad)
Subject: OSI-RM and Satellite Communication
Date: Fri, 8 Oct 1993 12:04:19 GMT
Organization: University of Tromsx


Hello !

Is there anybody out there having knowledge about work done by ISO/OSI
concerning transport protcols for multi endpoint connection's (MEC).

I'm doing a thesis on computer communication using satellites.


Werner F.

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

From: [e-mail] (NEWTON)
Subject: Is V.Fast, 28k bits/sec? Is This the Fastest Modem Solution?
Organization: Computer Science & Engineering, U. of Washington, Seattle
Date: Fri, 8 Oct 93 14:10:31 GMT


I am preparing the specs for a multimedia app that will reside on a
BBS, (another problem ...) and will be able to send Windows app files
with 15 second or 30 second voice annotation using OLE and also video
clips, oh, just 30ses or so.

The clients can only be Mac and Windows PCs, on dialup lines. However,
I still have a leased line option, but do not know what speeds I can
expect from a leased line.

Can someone help?

Thanks.

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

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Video Distribution at COMDEX
Date: Fri, 08 Oct 93 11:28:41 PDT
Organization: Martin Marietta, Moorestown NJ


I am currently researching DIGITAL real time video Distributer over
Networks.

Does anyone know which vendors will be at Comdex and what will they be
showing?

A list of recomended vendors would be helpful so as to not waste my
time searching from booth to booth.

Thanks for your help.


Orest Ukrainsky
Martin Marietta Government Electronics Systems
199 Borton Landing RD  ms 127-303   Moorestown NJ  08057
Phone  [phone]   FAX    [phone]   eMail  [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail]
Date: 7 Oct 93 17:33 CST
Subject: Re: Thanks for Using AT&T


> I am staying at the Residence Inn in LaJolla, Ca, and when trying to do
> a long distance call I noted the very long time interval before the bong...

> What was more amazing was the message...."Thank you for using AT&T at
> Residence Inn."

It appears they were using AT&T Operator Express custom 0+ services.
This service usually is accessed via a T1 connection, and in this
instance, is routed to AT&T's database of custom handling and message
for its customer (Residence Inn). In my experience with AT&T Operator
Express without custom handling, the lag time before the "bong" tone
is essentially the same as without Operator Express, so there must be
just a slightly longer delay when its database has to be searched for
the customized handling. In addition to custom options, the commission
structure for Operator Express is better than simply contracting with
AT&T to provide these services via LEC switched lines.


Simply my opinion,

[e-mail]

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

Date: Thu, 7 Oct 93 17:33 PDT
From: [e-mail] (Gregg Siegfried)
Subject: Re: 800 ==> POTS
Organization: Claircom Communications, L.P.


>> If someone were to call an 800 number that terminates on a POTS line
>> equipped with caller ID, what would the caller ID box display?

>> [Moderator's Note: Generally it says 'outside'. On the other hand, if
>> you dial an 800 number from a cellular phone, the number delivered to
>> the called party (the ANI) will be something oddball.

> Are any of the 800 carriers capable of spitting the ANI down the line
> _as if_ it were caller_ID, so that someone with a POTS line and a
> 'personal' 800 number can get the ANI with 'personal' equipment?

My Cable and Wireless 800 number passes ANI as CLID info to my
equipment.  I'm not entirely sure whether it is truly the "ANI" info
or just the calling number; for example, when I called from my place
of business to my home (which was 2000 miles at the time I tried it,
for various reasons) using my 800 number, I received the number of the
PBX trunk my call went out on.  My recollection of this is hazy, but
isn't "ANI" in this situation the main billing number of the business,
rather than that assigned to an individual trunk?

I know I was very happy to see it, whether it is just CLID info or ANI.


Gregg Siegfried   [e-mail]

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

From: Marc O'Krent <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Telco Voice Mail
Date: 7 Oct 1993 17:57:22 -0700
Organization: The Telephone Connection, Marina Del Rey, CA


As a Voice Mail service bureau provider since 1988, I can tell you the
bottom line is this: Pacific Bell is one of the most anti-competitive
BOCs in the country.

They were kicked dragging and screaming into having a Centrex agency
program (this allows other companies to resell their Centrex and
receive a commission), and would only do so after missing several
deadlines and finally being ordered to do so by the FCC.

They have also delayed implementing services that could benefit other
voice mail service providers.  For example, Call Forward-Don't Answer
to outside the switch was only recently made available (and only in
certain switches), and they still do not offer two-way DID service nor
Call Forward Variable with remote activation, claiming that there are
technical issues preventing them from doing so.  This in spite of the
fact that other BOCs already offer these services.

They have also refused to offer inter-switch SMDI (the link between
the telco and voice mail equipment) because they say they can't
provide it at a rate that any independent service bureaus could afford
(read: they don't want to *make* the service affordable), and
generally engage in illegal cross marketing of their regulated and
non-regulated services.

Every independent voice mail service bureau provider that I know has a
story to tell about how Pacific Bell stole business by improperly
using their position as the local monopoly.

Further, Pacific doesn't offer SS7 connections to ESPs such as
ourselves, and consequently we would have to run FX SMDI connections
to every CO in the LATA in order to mirror what Pacific offers its
customers.  At $5.95 per month, with Voice Mail service offered in
practically every CO in a given LATA, we know that Pacific is selling
below cost.  Since they only have one Voice Mail "POP" in each LATA,
and since, as someone responding to the original message in this
newsgroup rightly pointed out, Pacific is *supposed* to be paying the
published tariffed rates for the services they use to provide Voice
Mail, only a company with a guaranteed revenue stream (the monopoly
local phone service) could afford to put SMDI connections all over the
LATA and still offer the service for $5.95 per month.

It's sad that regulators and legislators still haven't seen fit to
protect the mother of innovation in our society: small business.


Marc O'Krent
The Telephone Connection
Internet: [e-mail]   MCIMail: EMS: INTERNET
Voice Mail: [phone]            MBX: [e-mail]
FAX: [phone]          Video: I'm still waiting....

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

From: [e-mail] (David Breneman)
Subject: Re: Merlin Pulls Disappearing Act?
Date: 7 Oct 93 19:33:18 GMT
Organization: Digital Systems International, Redmond WA


Alan Boritz (drharry![e-mail]) wrote:

> Where have all the Merlin resellers and reconditioners gone?  A friend
> was recently looking to purchase a few voice terminals with built-in
> speakerphones and found that AT&T must have published their price
> lists with the decimal points in the wrong place. ;) Equipment to
> expand basic Merlin key systems cost almost as much a hefty chunk of a
> new key system (with all of the features that AT&T left out on
> purpose, like usable outbound restriction, last number redial, etc.).

Last time I looked (about six months ago) you could get a reconditioned
Merlin 410 with five HFAI-10 phones and a basic feature pack *installed*
by AT&T for under $2500.  Is that so out of line?


David Breneman                        Email: [e-mail]
System Administrator,                 Voice: 206 881-7544  Fax: [phone]
Software Engineering Services
Digital Systems International, Inc.        Redmond, Washington,  U. S. o' A.

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

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Area Code 917 in NYC for Beepers
Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1993 15:40 -0400


Update -- it works now:

1. Pagenet had dropped the number from their tables. I didn't notice
it because I don't use it too much. They dropped both my 718 numbers.

2. Not only does ATT work for 917 now, but the 718 number still works.
I guess the cutover is not yet compulsory.

The problem was simple to resolve once Pagenet was awake. It's
frustrating that there is no protocol (like SNMP??) that would allow a
subscriber to find out what is really happening in the phone network.
Any hope of SS7 being more forthcoming with diagnostic information?

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

From: [e-mail] (Paul Wouters)
Subject: Re: Pocket Phone Dialers Wanted
Organization: University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1993 23:02:45 GMT


In <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Thomas J Beckman) writes:

> I'm looking for about a dozen inexpensive pocket phone dialers that we
> can store phone numbers in and use while travelling to automatically
> dial phone numbers.  Thanks for any information.

Well, you can get them at every electronic place. Try looking for
pocket dialers, or answering machine dialers. They're also called DTMF
dialers here in the NL.


Paul

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

From: [e-mail] (Steven H. Lichter)
Subject: Re: AML Carrier?
Date: 8 Oct 1993 02:57:55 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (USA)


My understanding is that there is no more AML Carrier in GTE
California.  If you are on a Subscriber Carrier System is would be NT
DMS system which seem to be pretty good. Depending on where you are
you could be in a Remote Switching Unit running with one of the
Electronic Bases.  Only in some real remote areas are there still NT
Urban DMS system, most phones are served by a Base or one of the
remotes, at least it is this way in most of Southern California with
the exception of some mountain and desert areas where there is only
one customer in twenty or so miles.


Steven H. Lichter    GTE Calif COEI

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

From: [e-mail] (Hui Lin LIM)
Subject: Re: Please Help Me on the PTT Coordinates in Far East
Date: 8 Oct 1993 03:35:25 GMT
Organization: Hewlett Packard Santa Clara Site


Bernard.Guillaumot ([e-mail]) wrote:

> Can someone please advise me on PTTs coordinates (addresses, phone,
> email and fax number ... email/fax number is the most useful for me) for
> the following countries/towns in Far-East:

Below is the info that I could find for Singapore.

> I have a urgent need of the "availability/cost/install. delay" of the
> following kind of telecommunication circuits:

>       M1020, numeric 64K, 128K, 256K and ISDN.

For private network and data services:

    Division Manager
    Business Sales
    Singapore Telecom
    31 Exeter Road
    Singapore 0923
    Republic of Singapore

    Fax: [phone]
    Telex: RS39555

Services available include:

Int'l Leased Circuits: 2400 - 2M bps (digital)
                       voice grade/telegraph (analogue)

Local private network svc: 2400 - 140M bps (digital)
               voice grade (analogue)

ISDN: 2B + D

Packet Switched Service:
    access: dial-up, telex or dedicated line
    protocols: X.25, X.28 IBM SDLC/SNA
    facilities: telex dial out, closed user group, permanent
            virtual circuits, reverse charging


Hope this helps.  Unfortunately, there isn't a phone number that can
be used outside of the country.


Hui-Lin Lim - Singapore Networks Operation
    phone: [phone]    mail: [e-mail]
      fax: [phone]    DESK: Hui-Lin Lim/HP3200

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

Date: Thu, 07 Oct 93 08:55:28 CST
From: [e-mail] (Jack Winslade)
Subject: Re: Surveillance or Protection of Privacy?
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Organization: DRBBS Technical BBS, Omaha


In a message dated 26-SEP-93, Julia Lommatzsch writes:

> Here's how it all comes together.  When participants make PHONE calls,
> they can opt to hear a :05 message; if they listen, FreeFone CREDITS
> their phone bills by a nickel for each message.  Now, if I listen to
> Hallmark's ad, and I CHOOSE to respond, ONLY then does the company
> learn my identity.

Something is strange about this.  Is this tied in to some kind of long
distance carrier plan?  How else would 'they' intercept the
participants' calls and insert the message?

Assuming this is the case, how do the rates that 'they' offer compare
with the lo-ball calling plan rates that the big three offer?

And another thought.  Modem users could easily program their scripts
to 'listen' to the message on each call attempt.  Heck, at $.05 a
shot, a call to a busy BBS could result in quite a credit after
power-dialing for an hour or so.  ;-)

Extending that concept, it would be trivial to program a modem or
autodialer to repeatedly call a busy-back test number and 'listen' to
the message each time.  That might generate enough to live on.  ;-)


Good day.      JSW
DRBBS Omaha  (1:285/666.0)

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

Date: Thu, 7 Oct 93 15:25:23 -0400
From: [e-mail] (James Olsen)
Subject: Re: Telecom Group Vote
Organization: MIT Laboratory for Computer Science


Steve Cogorno writes:

> Was it just me or was anyone else offended by the fact that the votes
> for the telecom newsgroup were published?

In fact, many Usenet readers are offended by votes such as Steve's. I
have no doubt that Steve had good intentions, but he is obviously
unaware of even the most basic points of usenet protocol, and was
presumably also unaware of the usenet discussions, both pro and con,
of the merits of the newsgroup proposal.  Despite this lack of
information about usenet, Steve and many others chose to cast usenet
votes.  I suggest that this was inappropriate.

I wish to respectfully request that when this subject again comes up
for a vote (as it surely will), people without Usenet access should
abstain.


Jim Olsen   -   [e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: Obviously we differ on whether or not persons to be
affected by a Usenet vote have the right to participate in the vote. I
would suggest they do. Who knows, by a few months from now I may well
have a small dialup system set up with a limited sub-set of newsgroups
direct from Usenet for people who otherwise cannot receive it.   PAT]

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

From: [e-mail] (Scott D Fybush)
Subject: Re: Atomic Clocks
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
Date: Fri, 8 Oct 1993 13:26:32 GMT


[e-mail] (David Breneman) writes:

> the air in the mid-80s.)  CBS radio used to do the same thing, but I
> think they've stopped now, too.  The end of creeping featurism in
> commercial broadcasting.

It seems to me CBS is still doing it.  And I know my radio station,
WBZ Boston, still transmits a top-of-the-hour tone.  There is a clock
in master control linked to WWV (it even says "NBS Time" in big
letters out front -- nobody's told them there's no NBS anymore :-)
which inserts the tone over our program audio at the top of the hour.
The tone sometimes interrupts a live event (presidential speech,
football game, etc.), and if our timing is not quite right, it will
also interrupt the recorded station ID at the top of the hour.

The much smaller station where I worked before WBZ had a similar tone,
but it was not linked to WWV time, and thus provided at best a dubious
public service.


Scott Fybush - [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (Missouri 4-H Youth Development Programs)
Subject: Re: Atomic Clocks
Organization: University of Missouri
Date: Fri, 08 Oct 93 10:07:26 CDT


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail]
(David Breneman) writes:

> Our Seattle CBS-TV affiliate (KIRO) used to transmit a rather
> mechanical-sounding chime on the hour (I think this was actually done
> by the network but I may be wrong).  Every hour on the hour, you'd
> hear the "bong" (roughly E above middle C?) which even displaced the
> program audio if it was some kind of special programming which didn't
> break at the hour (like news coverage of an important event).  They
> stopped some time in the mid 70s.  (Local ersatz-kids-show host J.P.
> Patches continued to open his show with that chime until he went off
> the air in the mid-80s.)  CBS radio used to do the same thing, but I
> think they've stopped now, too.  The end of creeping featurism in
> commercial broadcasting.

KMOX-AM 1120, the CBS owned and operated station in St. Louis, still
sends the chime at the top of the hour before CBS network news.

Also, one of our local FM stations, your local farm, country, sports,
news, etc. station has a tone every quarter hour.  A local radio
engineer says this tone is from their night automation system.

On a similar subject, how (and why) does the Mutual Radio Network
(news, Larry King, etc.) generate the two note sequence when coming
from breaks, etc.  They've done this for over twenty years, at least.


Curtis Bohl                      Computer Programmer/Analyst
[e-mail]           4-H Youth Development
[phone]               University of Missouri-Columbia

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

From: [e-mail] (Alain Fontaine)
Subject: Re: Atomic Clocks
Organization: Universite Catholique de Louvain
Date: Fri, 8 Oct 1993 15:11:19 GMT


In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (Gary
Tennyson) wrote:

> [e-mail] (Dean Cookson) writes:

>> In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] writes:

>>>> The means to calculate time is done on the basis of a certain number
>>>> of decays of radioactive cecium.

>> This can't be.  Radioactive decay is a statistical process.

> You are right.  If you look at the spectral distribution directly out
> of the atomic clock, it has a wide distribution.  It is used, however,
> to provide long-term lock to a clock with much better short-term
> characteristics.  The output of that clock is what is made available
> to the user.

It seems that the fact that cesium happens to have some radioactive
isotopes has a strong impact on imaginations (remember the fifties
whan everything seemed to need to be qualified as 'atomic' to look
interesting ?). But an 'atomic' clock has nothing, repeat nothing,
repeat once again nothing in common with radioactivity. Atoms of some
element (and cesium is indeed often used) are formed in a beam,
excited, selected to remove the ones that are not properly excited and
passed in a microwave cavity where a RF generator injects the magical
frequency, which is absorbed by the atoms and change their state.
After that, a detector detects if many of them have changed state,
which is the indication that the RF frequency was indeed correct. If
it was not, a servo loop adjusts it. Sorry, no radioactive decay in
the process ...


/AF
------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #687
******************************


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Date: Fri, 8 Oct 1993 19:24:32 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #688

TELECOM Digest     Fri, 8 Oct 93 19:24:30 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 688

Inside This Issue:                       Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Re: Warning! (Mike King)
    Re: Please Help Me on the PTT Coordinates in Far East (Robert Shaw)
    Re: North American Numbering Plan Launch in California (David Marks)
    Re: North American Numbering Plan Launch in California (Carl Moore)
    Re: Magnetic Strip Codes (Rob Levandowski)
    Re: For the Sake of the Free World! (John R. Levine)
    Re: T1 and Call Transfer (Dave Ptasnik)
    Re: Telecom Group Vote (John Stanley)
    Re: Pocket Phone Dialers Wanted (Bill Bradford)
    The Amtrak 911 Call (Will Martin)
    TCP/IP Link Istanbul <-> Cologne (Germany)? (Arnd Vehling)
    Dualine-Plus (DDL)? (Mike Arkin)
    Info on NT's PCS 1900 Services Wanted (Phil Price)
    Stutter Dial-Tone Detectors (Stephen O. Pace)
    Re: Atomic Clocks (Steve Atlas)

                 ----------------------------
TELECOM Digest is an e-journal devoted mostly -- but not entirely --
to discussions on telecommunications in general, and voice telephony
in particular. It is published daily, and is reader-written, meaning
the people who read it are the people who submit articles to it. The
Digest is a not-for-profit activity of Patrick Townson Associates, a
telecommunications consulting firm in Chicago, Illinois. PTA markets a
variety of telecom-related services including a no-surcharge telephone
calling card known as the Orange Card.  In addition, we are marketing
representatives for AT&T, and US Fibercom, AT&T's largest aggregator/
reseller. Telepassport is our international discount calling plan.
Write and ask for our products and services file.

TELECOM Digest is distributed free of charge to qualified subscribers
anywhere who are reachable by electronic mail via the Internet. In
addition, the Digest is gatewayed to Usenet where it is known as the
comp.dcom.telecom newsgroup, a moderated forum. To subscribe, write
and tell us how you qualify:  [e-mail].

Back issues and many other files of interest are available free of
charge in the Telecom Archives. Internet users with FTP permission may
connect via anonymous ftp lcs.mit.edu, then 'cd telecom-archives'. All
others are invited to use the Telecom Archives Email Information Service
by sending email to [e-mail]. Write and ask for our
help guide to using the archives. Over twelve years of telecom news
and discussions are stored there.

TELECOM Digest is compilation-copyrighted, 1993 by Patrick Townson
Associates. Please request permission before posting Digest articles
elsewhere. Net addresses shown are for the sole purpose of facilitating
communiciations between our correspondents; not for any sort of mass
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Article submissions come to: [e-mail], and if you wish, you
may reach us by phone: [phone] or fax: [phone].  Thank you!

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

Date: Fri, 8 Oct 93 12:35:06 EDT
From: [e-mail] (Mike King)
Subject: Re: Warning!


In TELECOM Digest V13 #686, Leo V Sigman <[e-mail]>
wrote regarding suspected card fraud, where a caller asked for his
calling card number "to authenticate."

If I had multiple lines into my residence, could I have asked the
caller to hold while "I went to get the card," then called telco from
another line and given them verbal authorization to trace the first
and *possibly* catch the phreak?

I know each of the big three have a 24-hour security staff; do the
LECs also?  Could an IXC get cooperation from a LEC on short notice to
do this?


Mike King * Software Sourcerer * Fairchild Space * +1 301.428.5384
[e-mail] or [e-mail]  *  (usual disclaimers)

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

Date: Fri, 8 Oct 1993 08:48:50 +0100
From: SHAW <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Please Help Me on the PTT Coordinates in Far East


> Can someone please advise me on PTTs coordinates (addresses, phone,
> email and fax number ... email/fax number is the most useful for me) for
> the following countries/towns in Far-East:

>  - Singapore/State of Singapore (Singapore Telecom ?),
>  - Tokyo/Japan (KDD ?),
>  - Hongkong/Hongkong, (Hongkong Telecom ?)
>  - Seoul/Corea,
>  - Taipai/Taiwan.

You can get contact information for all of these from the ITU Global
Directory which is an option offered in ITU's Telecom Information
Exchange Services (TIES).  Access is free and open.  The ITU Global
Directory contains names, titles, mailing addresses, telephone and fax
numbers, telex/telegraph identifiers, etc. for the points of contact
within the organizations associated with the ITU which includes the
below:

1. Government telecommunication administration authorities
2. National telecom operating agencies
3. Companies and organizations participating in the
   standards making activities
4. Regional telecommunications organizations
5. Other international organizations

The directory can be searched by any of it's contents.
Following are some of the items that can be used for searching:

   - Name of person     (jones, al-basheer, etc.)
   - Organization/Admin (alcatel, sprint, telefonica, etc.)
   - Country            (canada, switzerland, etc.)
     ....

Partial keyword matching and keyword combinations with
"and"  can be used.

Connectivity to TIES is possible via:

1. GOPHER CLIENT

   Pointer to the ITU Gopher Server is

   Name=International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
   Host=info.itu.ch
   Port=70

2. TELNET

   Telnet: ties.itu.ch or info.itu.ch (login name 'gopher')

3. X.25

   Call the X.25 DTE address, on TELEPAC, the Swiss PSPDN

   #228468111112

   where # is local prefix for international routing, login name
   'gopher'

4. DIAL-UP

   [phone] (Swiss telephone number, login name 'gopher')

   Supported modem protocols include ITU-T (CCITT) V.21, V.22,
   V.22bis, V.32, V.42, V.42bis Recommendations, Bell212A and MNP 2,
   3, 4, 5. Basic settings should be no parity, 8 data bits
   (necessary for on-line reading of multilingual material), speed
   300 to 9,600 bps.

After logging in, select 'ITU Infobases/ITU Global Directory'

There are lots of other electronic information resources there so
please browse.  Hope this helps you out.


Robert Shaw
Information Services Department
International Telecommunication Union
Place des Nations
1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland
TEL: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
X.400:G=robert;S=shaw;A=arcom;P=itu;C=ch
Internet: [e-mail]

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

From: tijc02![e-mail] (David Marks)
Subject: Re: North American Numbering Plan Launch in California
Organization: Siemens Industrial Automation, Johnson City TN
Date: Fri, 8 Oct 93 12:16:07 GMT


I find all this discussion about dialing the full area code and number
even within the same area code to be curious. For my area, NE TN, that
is only true outside our LATA.

We have a LATA that stretches from Greenville, TN to Bristol,TN. It is
served by United Telephone, a subsidiary of Sprint. They have found a
way to make more money by making the entire area a seven digit calling
area, even for local long distance. They advertise this as a
convenience; however, this makes it difficult to determine if the call
you are making is local or long distance.  Outside the LATA, but
within our area code (615) you need to dial the _FULL_ 11 digits.

This new regional calling scheme we have is called RegionCall and is billed
in one of three different ways that a subscriber can choose:

    1. Normal billing method - local calls fall into the subcriber's local
       plan. Local long distance calls are billed at five cents per minute.

    2. Two hours for five dollars - Again local calls fall into the sub-
       scriber's local plan. Local long distance calls are five dollars
       for the first two hours in the month. Any long distance calls be-
       yond two hours for the month are charged at five cents per minute.

    3. RegionCall 40 - All calls within the LATA either local or long
       distance are unlimited for a flat rate of $40 per month. Therefore,
       without other long distance calls, a subscriber will be billed about
       $50 a month (this includes taxes, network access, etc.) for
       unlimited calling in the area.

Of course, the beauty of all of this, (from United Telephone's point
of view) is to subtly encourage more long distance calling and to
encourage subcsribers to have more expensive calling plans.

Previously we were confused, because TN has a law that requires all
subscribers in a county to be able to call the county seat as a local
call even if you had to dial 1 + seven digits. Now, we are even more
confused, as we no longer know when we are dialing long distance,
unless it is really _LOOONG_ distance.


David J. Marks                       |     UUCP:      ...!uunet!tijc02!djm408
Siemens Industrial Automation, Inc.  | Internet:   [e-mail]
P.O. Drawer 1255                     |    Phone:                 615-461-2074
Johnson City, TN 37605-1255          |

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

Date: Fri, 8 Oct 93 11:18:28 EDT
From: Carl Moore <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: North American Numbering Plan Launch in California


When I wrote:

> 7D for all direct-dial within area code
> 1 + NPA + 7D for all direct-dial to other area codes

I believe I was writing about California only.  Some area codes
require 1 + NPA + 7D for all long distance, even within area code.
Yes, the suggestion does exist that 1 + NPA + 7D be useable for any
call within country code 1, for the benefit of travelers who are using
modems, dialers, etc., and some places (such as Washington, DC) do
indeed have this feature.

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

From: [e-mail] (Rob Levandowski)
Subject: Re: Magnetic Strip Codes
Organization: University of Rochester - Rochester, New York
Date: Fri, 8 Oct 93 14:07:00 GMT


In <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (David Faulkner)
writes:

[stuff about programming mag strip cards deleted]

> [Moderator's Note: Do you think it is worth your trouble in view of
> how few card reading public phones there are in the USA? I don't think
> I have ever seen one in Chicago except at the airport.  PAT]

For what it's worth, RochesterTel here in New York announced yesterday
that they are going to begin installing Northern Telecom phones with
card readers and LCD displays in high-volume areas throughout
Rochester such as airports, schools, malls, colleges, etc. The display
will show number dialed, elapsed time, etc., as well as advertisements
from local companies; those companies can also pay to have their
number placed in one of ten speed-dials on the phone. Hence the dorm
pay phone might advertise the local Pizza Hut, and a touch of the
button calls them ...

So at least in the Rochester area you should soon be able to find a
phone you can swipe a card through, if you don't mind being assaulted
with advertising as you do it :)


Rob Levandowski    Computer Interest Floor associate
University of Rochester, New York   [e-mail]

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

Date: Fri, 8 Oct 93 15:16 EDT
From: [e-mail] (John R Levine)
Subject: Re: For the Sake of the Free World!
Organization: I.E.C.C.


> AT&T claims that $800,000.00 worth of calls were made from AT&T
> ("black") Public Phones (you know, those phones at the airport)
> located in some truck stop in Oregon.

My immediate question is why AT&T allowed the calls to be made in the
first place.  Even assuming that there was a class-of-service
programming error that allowed the calls to be placed, that's an
incredible amount of money.  Assuming that the 900 number cost
$10/minute, it would take almost two full months of calls, 24 hours
per day, to run up a bill of $800K.  I'd think that bells and whistles
would have been going off all over the AT&T fraud prevention
department.  Also, are they claiming that all the 900 calls were made
to a single number?  I'd think that if word got out that you could
make free 900 calls from phones in a truck stop, the truckers would be
calling every 900 sex line in the country.  If the facts are indeed as
stated, something is extremely fishy.

ANI is indeed quite reliable, but AT&T needs to explain in detail why
they were accepting 900 calls on their payphones.  Note that the logic
that locks out direct dial calls on coinless payphones is physically
located in the central office -- no amount of hacking at the truck
stop would make any diffrence.

Pat notes:

> I don't think they even allow 900 calls to be billed to their own
> calling cards.

A few 900 numbers can be charged to calling cards, notably the one
that you call to get airline flight operations information.  But in
general, 900 calls have to be dialed direct.


Regards,

John Levine, [e-mail], {spdcc|ima|world}!iecc!johnl


[Moderator's Note: I rather suspect instead of being priced per minute
there was a charge for the entire call; maybe $39.95 or something, and
they stayed on line at the truck stop long enough to establish the
connection and increment the register. They they would hang up and do
it again. If two or three people were calling at one time from various
phones at the truck stop, that could easily bring them closer to one
hundred or two hundred dollars per minute. You also have to remember
that things do not happen overnight regards billing. If it was an
independent telco, maybe they only submit billing tapes every week or
two. Maybe correspondence went on between truck stop, local telco and
AT&T for a month before they decided something was wrong. It is easy
to say that within a couple months of night and day dialing, AT&T
should have caught on, but there are legitimate 900 numbers raking in
that kind of dough every month, so maybe that plus the combination of
lack of communication between independent telco and AT&T and the
normal sluggishness of billing office droids worked to the advantage
of the fraud ring. Maybe 'nofriends' will write us again with a frank,
detailed report, but I imagine his attorney has told him to shut up
before he talks himself into a one way ticket to the penitentiary. PAT]

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

From: [e-mail] (Dave Ptasnik)
Subject: Re: T1 and Call Transfer
Date: 8 Oct 1993 15:41:57 GMT
Organization: University of Washington


syntllct![e-mail] (David Mello) writes:

> I have been taxed with the task of getting as much info as I can about
> T1, ANI/DNIS, and call transfer.  What I really need to know is this:

Some of the things you are talking about are where there are real
differences between manufacturers.  If you are looking for a new PBX
and don't have much telecom experience I recommend that you look into
a consultant and/or spend LOTS of time with different vendors,
including your telco.  Looking just at "Call Transfer", you are
probably talking about generating a switch hook flash, rather than an
internal transfer within the PBX.  Regardless of the capabilities of
the switch, many telco circuits do not support this function,
including most DID circuits.  On our AT&T definities supported by off
campus Centron T-1 E&M DID circuits, we cannot do switchook flashes,
so all transfers to locations off the switch must take up an inbound
and outbound trunk for the length of the call.  We have told the users
in this situation to tell callers to call back using a different
number, rather than tying up two trunks for a bunch of transferred
calls.

I would also be pretty surprised if you could get a reasonably priced
setup that would pass in band Caller ID signalling from place to place
in a network.  Be real careful of claims here.

Good luck.


All of the above is nothing more than the personal opinion of -

Dave Ptasnik     [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (John Stanley)
Subject: Re: Telecom Group Vote
Date: 8 Oct 1993 18:33:55 GMT
Organization: Coastal Imaging Lab, Oregon State University


> [Moderator's Note: Obviously we differ on whether or not persons to be
> affected by a Usenet vote have the right to participate in the vote.

The effect on Digest readers from the renaming of an existing group is
so small as to be non-existant. Digest readers would not be effected
at all, and thus should not vote.

> Who knows, by a few months from now I may well have a small dialup
> system set up with a limited sub-set of newsgroups direct from Usenet
> for people who otherwise cannot receive it.  PAT]

There is no limit on who may receive USENET news. The "small dialup
system" you propose already exists in many places.

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

Date: Fri, 8 Oct 1993 13:15:50 CDT
From: Bill Bradford <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Pocket Phone Dialers Wanted


I got mine at Radio Shack, the 33-memory model.  They've also got a
plain-jane version that doesen't store numbers.  About $25 for the
memory model, $15 for the plain one.  They take AAA batteries.


Bill Bradford * [e-mail]

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

Date: Fri, 8 Oct 93 10:38:58 CDT
From: Will Martin <[e-mail]>
Subject: The Amtrak 911 Call


Probably everyone in the US has now heard the replay of the 911 call
made by the Amtrak supervisor at the time of the Mobile River disaster
some weeks ago -- it was on all the TV newscasts yesterday.  One thing
that immediately comes to mind as you hear the replay of this call is
how frustrated the Amtrak supervisor sounds as he repeats and repeats
the same information to the 911 operator, who says it back to him in a
tone that could be interpreted as uncomprehending.

My wife takes the viewpoint that the operator was being obtuse and had
to get the basic information drilled into her over and over before she
understood. But I'm not so sure. I have a couple questions that are
raised by this call recording; I believe there are several people on
Telecom's distribution who are EMT or 911 types and could address
these issues (and perhaps there have been some more-complete writeups
of this in other sources which I haven't seen):

1) To us, listening to it on the TV news, it comes across perfectly
clear and understandable. But was that really the way it was when the
call was actually made, from a mobile phone on board the wrecked train
while it was in a rural area? Or is the recording we hear on the TV a
product of days of audio processing and clarification, filtering, and
equalization? If the latter is true, it may well be that the operator
actually had a hard time understanding what we hear as perfectly clear
and crisp enunciation now ...

2) Are 911 operators trained to deliberately repeat what the callers
say and get them to say it more than once, in order to remove any
possible source of error or confusion? If so, what appears to be
incomprehension on the operator's part could actually be a technique
to draw out any and all details that an excited or distressed caller
may not volunteer. An operator acting "dumb" could force an excited
caller to slow down and become more exact in trying to get the
information across to someone who seems to not be understanding, when
in fact the operator may be getting this all perfectly well and just
is playing a part in order to have this effect on the caller.

Any other comments on this 911 call from the net?


Will

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

From: [e-mail] (Arnd Vehling)
Subject: TCP/IP Link Istanbul <-> Cologne (Germany)?
Organization: Yoyodyne Posting Systems, Bellona
Date: Fri, 8 Oct 1993 11:56:46 GMT


Hello,

We want to set up a tcp/ip link between Istanbul (Turky) and Cologne
(Germany) and are thinking about the alternatives.

A question which is crucial for the project is the phone-line quality
to expect from Turky to Germany and if there's a quality difference
between leased-lines and dial-pup lines.

So what would be typical BPS rates when using advanced modem technol-
ogy such as V42bis or PEP Protocoll in the Turky?

Another alternative would be a 64Kbit leased digital Line. The German
Telekom claims that it would be possible to offer this in the Turky
but other Sources tell me it wouldn't.

I would be in a great debt if somebody can shed a light on the
subject.


Arnd Vehling   Mainzer Str. 84  66121 Saarbruecken  Fax.: [phone]

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

From: [e-mail] (Mike Arkin)
Subject: Dualine-Plus (DDL)?
Organization: Kroy, Inc.
Date: Fri, 8 Oct 93 18:33:40 GMT


Here in PacBell land, I added an additional line at my house. Due to a
lack of both cable pairs from my house to the street and telco having
good pair shortages, they installed a Wescom Dualine-plus box on the
side of my house.

This multiplexes two POTS lines on one cable pair as well. It does NOT
appear to have any battery in the box. Installer indicated the cable
pair gets placed on different termination equipment at the CO and I
believe carries a higher DC voltage with ring voltage internally
generated in the box.  Apparently, presence of a good earth ground is
critical to the proper functioning of this box.

Anyone know any of the technical/performance specs/limitations of such
an arrangement? I too was concerned about the possible effects
particularly with a v.32bis modem, so elected to keep my modem line on
a dedicated pair and split my other two lines with the Dualine-plus
arrangement. If however this is a simplified digital channel bank,
perhaps the "split" lines would have better characteristics than a
normal POTS line.


Mike Arkin   Kroy, Inc.  [e-mail], ...uunet!kroy!arkin

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

From: [e-mail] (Phil Price)
Subject: Info on NT's PCS 1900 Services?
Date: 8 Oct 1993 20:41:03 GMT
Organization: Qualcomm Inc.


The {Telecommunications Report} on Monday (October 4th) had a press
release announcing Northern Telecom's "PCS 1900" communications
network portfolio.  Does anyone out there have any more detailed
information on this system please? I'm particular interested in their
antenna design, in-building paging, switching and roaming capabilities
(in other words just about everything!).

I would appreciate it if you could email your responses please (to
[e-mail]). If I get a lot of replies I'll condense and
repost them either here or TELECOM Digest.


Thanks,

Phil Price

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

Date: Fri, 8 Oct 93 16:00:15 CDT
From: [e-mail] (Stephen O. Pace)
Subject: Stutter Dial-Tone Detectors


I am looking for a device that can light a light (or otherwise
indicate) that your dial tone is "stuttering" (i.e. you have a
voice-mail message).  I've wanted one for home for a while, but
recently the Shell location I'm at upgraded their phone system without
upgrading all of the phones.  If you have a cool AT&T ISDN phone, it
lights up a light when you get a message.  If you have a 1970's phone
like I have, you have to pick up the receiver each time you enter your
office to see if someone called.

If you have prices and/or places to order these devices, please send
me mail.


Thanks!

Stephen Pace    [e-mail]
Shell Oil Company, Houston   713/544-7929

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

From: [e-mail] (Steve Atlas)
Subject: Re: Atomic Clocks
Organization: PictureTel Corporation
Date: Fri, 8 Oct 1993 23:39:30 GMT


> It seems to me CBS is still doing it.  And I know my radio station,
> WBZ Boston, still transmits a top-of-the-hour tone.  There is a clock
> in master control linked to WWV (it even says "NBS Time" in big
> letters out front -- nobody's told them there's no NBS anymore :-)

> The much smaller station where I worked before WBZ had a similar tone,
> but it was not linked to WWV time, and thus provided at best a dubious
> public service.

Yes, CBS is still doing it, and another AM talk station in Boston, WRKO,
carries CBS news.  Only problem is, they tape-delay everything, including
the tone!


Steve Atlas    [e-mail]

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

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #688
******************************


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Date: Sat, 9 Oct 1993 11:42:05 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #689

TELECOM Digest     Sat, 9 Oct 93 11:43:00 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 689

Inside This Issue:                       Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Phoiling a Phraud (Bell News via Dave Leibold)
    Payphones at Night (Mark Steiger)
    Screwed up 900 Service (John R. Levine)
    Book Review: "Technical Aspects of Data Communications" (Rob Slade)
    Northern Ontario Alternate Fibre Route (Bell News via Dave Leibold)
    Cable & Wireless STILL Does CID? (Douglas Scott Reuben)
    Bell Atlantic IQ Card (Carl Moore)
    Erlangs, Grade of Service and Such (Lonnie Filbrun)
    Other Telecom-Related Mailing Lists Wanted (Gary O'Neal)
    Re: Merlin Pulls Disappearing Act? (Dave Ptasnik)
    Re: MCI Ha! (Glenn R. Stone)
    Hanging Out at Truck Stops in Oregon (Randal L. Schwartz)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Sat, 2 Oct 1993 03:30:58 -0400
From: [e-mail] (Dave Leibold)
Subject: Phoiling a Phraud


[from Bell News, Bell Ontario, 27 Sept 93]

Persistent sleuthing foils LD fraud artist

The odds were clearly against her, but Dianne Baker wouldn't give up.
Her dogged persistence -- equivalent to finding the needle in the
haystack -- paid off with the arrest of a man who was bilking Bell of
about $100,000 a month in unpaid long distance bills.

Dianne, who is a clerk with our Barrie Credit Screening group, had a
hunch that a succession of unsolved, long distance fraud scams were
perpetrated by a single individual. She felt that there were too many
similarities for them to be unrelated.

The pattern was as follows: an individual would subscribe to a
business line for a travel agency or language school. He would also
apply for Calling Cards and other long distance services. He would
then take cash payments from those who wanted to make long distance
calls to foreign countries at slightly below regular rates. Within a
month, the business would run up long distance bills amounting to
$100,000. By the time he would receive his first bill, he would have
abandoned his business (usually operating out of tiny quarters in a
grubby rooming house).

She resolved to catch the swindler by going through all the records of
new business lines and LD services recently sold through Bell
Phonecentre stores in the Toronto area. Her hope was to spot a
business now operating that exhibited the same characteristics of
those that had proved fraudulent.

Her long hours of sleuthing yielded a suspect: Rawan's Travel Service.

She confided her suspicion to Mike Eschli, manager of Security for
416/705 Toll Fraud, who incestigated the activity on the subscriber's
line. He also contacted the Metro Toronto Police.

In just one weekend, 900 long distance calls were placed from that
business's number.

On Monday, Mike and four police officers descended on the bogus travel
business and arrested the sole employee for fraud.

At the time of his arrest, he had Calling Cards in his possession
which had been used fraudulently and Bell Phonecentre receipts for
telecommunications equipment he had used for illegal purposes.

When he finishes his sentence, he will be deported to his country of
origin, Mike discloses.

While Dianne regrets that we will not recover what the fraud artist
cheated us of, she's optimistic that his arrest will act as a
deterrent to others who think they will get away with a similar crime.

With Dianne on guard, they haven't a hope.


Dave Leibold - via FidoNet node 1:250/98
INTERNET: [e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: What a great story! A couple of years ago a item
about an Illinois Bell business office representative who had been
approached with a bribe for business office records was reported here
in the Digest. Like Dianne, she instead went to the Security
Department and asked them to get the guy offering the bribe for the
non-pub numbers of certain customers, which they did.  I always enjoy
reading stories about phreaks brought to justice.   PAT]

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

From: [e-mail] (Mark Steiger)
Date: Fri, 08 Oct 1993 18:26:50 -0600
Subject: Payphones at Night
Organization: The Dark Knight's Table BBS:  Minnetonka, MN (Free!)


Hello all!

I was downtown Minneapolis and I saw an interesting sign on all of the
payphones.  It said "This Phone does not accept coins between 7pm and
1am.  This phone allows 911, collect, credit card, and other non-charge
calls at any time."  Now, I figure this must be to cut down on drug
trafficing in the area (known drug area).

Two questions on this:

1) Is there a way to get an "Overide code" so I could use the phones
with coins at anytime?

2) Is this done elsewhere at all?


Thanks,

Origin: The Igloo BBS 612-574-2079  (1:282/4018.0)
Mark Steiger, Sysop, The Igloo BBS [phone]
Internet: [e-mail]   Fido: 1:282/4018  Simnet: 16:612/24


[Moderator's Note: There is no such thing as an 'override code' that I
am aware of, and yes, stupidity is very common among City Council
members everywhere, not just in Minnesota. You ought to see the bunch
of dingbats who make up the Chicago City Council. Telco does not imp-
lement no-coin blocking on their own volition. What usually happens is
the neighborhood people get angry about the amount of drug trafficing
going on and they put pressure on their council representatives to 'do
something about drugs'. The council members then vote and require the
telco to implement no-coin blocking at certain hours under the theory
that if a paper record is kept of phone calls relating to drug sales
the sellers will go elsewhere to make the calls. What the drug purch-
asers and sellers do is use a COCOT nearby which is not coin-blocked
instead. Like the notion that changing all coin phones to rotary dial
to prevent customers from calling the pager numbers of the sellers,
this is just another dumb idea forced on us by the people who govern
us.

There is a work-around at some effort and expense: If you dial zero
and ask the operator to extend you, she will require card, collect or
third-number billing. If you state that your call is an emergency (car
broken down at the side of the road; illness; you need to get to a
place where a family member has passed away, etc) and that you would
gladly pay for the call if only you were permitted to do so, then the
operator will permit third-number billing from coin-blocked phones
even in her inability to verify third-number acceptance of the charge.
At least Illinois Bell would rather do that much out of goodwill.

Still another work-around involves using double zero (or 10288 if
necessary) to reach the AT&T operator. Do not merely zero-plus your
call; if it is within the LATA the local telco operator will intercept
it. Even 10288 + local a/c and number will shove the call to the
local operator who will tell you she cannot collect coins from the
phone you are using at the present time and 'how else would you like
to pay for the call ...'.  What you do is double zero and *nothing more*
and wait for it to time out to an AT&T operator. Then you say 'assist
in dialing please, a/c-xxx-xxxx, its not going through when I dial
it...'.  No need for any discussions with the operator, and such dis-
cussions are not desirable. Some operators will extend your call and
tell you to deposit (operator-assisted rate plus toll charge) worth of
coins. If you want to pay the dollar or more, go ahead. Some operators
will notice your origin and destination are the same place and tell
you to call the local operator instead. This works best if your call
is splashed to AT&T in some distant location where they are not as
likely to immediatly recognize your area code or know the LATA bound-
aries and wonder why you are coming through them instead of telco. I
think the important thing is you have to at least get your call beyond
the logic of the local CO, which is always going to reject your coins
and forbid the operator from collecting coins also. You've got to
get out of your CO and over to AT&T, the only long distance carrier
which handles coin calls. You can't force your call to AT&T if you
give the local CO any hint of where you are calling, thus double zero
only, so the local CO will hand you off and forget about you.  PAT]

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

Date: Sat, 9 Oct 93 00:35 EDT
From: [e-mail] (John R Levine)
Subject: Screwed Up 900 Service
Organization: I.E.C.C.


>> AT&T claims that $800,000.00 worth of calls were made from AT&T
>> ("black") Public Phones (you know, those phones at the airport)
>> located in some truck stop in Oregon.

> [Moderator's Note: I rather suspect instead of being priced per minute
> there was a charge for the entire call; maybe $39.95 or something, and
> they stayed on line at the truck stop long enough to establish the
> connection and increment the register.

I have exchanged a few more messages with Mr. nofriends, and assuming
that the facts are as he presents them, his group does indeed seem to
be the victim of a royal AT&T screwup.  The 900 number was priced at a
flat $33, and was about ten minutes of business advice, no sex or
anything like that.

When the pile of bogus calls started, nofriends' group noticed it
immediately, since the calls were all on a new 900 line that they'd
just installed but hadn't started to advertise yet, so they weren't
expecting any calls at all there.  They brought it to the attention of
their AT&T salesman who denied that anything odd was going on.

The calls went on for several months in strange bursts of dozens of
calls at intervals of under a minute, clearly not at all a normal
calling pattern.

I'm no great fan of 900 sleaze, and I think that nofriends' tactic of
arguing that you can spoof the operator into giving the wrong ANI is
completely irrelevant.  But consider how many months it took AT&T to
stop completing *and billing* calls to 800-555-5555 as calls to
900-555-5555.  Their track record at correcting misconfigured 900
numbers is not impressive, and their claim that ANI billing info is
infallible is a plain lie.

A more relevant question is why AT&T is claiming fraud, rather than
admitting that they made an error and relying on provisions in the 900
service contract to get back overpayments.  Presumably if they
admitted that it was their mistake, a court would be much less
sympathetic to their attempts to recover the money at this late date.
The principle of mitigation of damages suggests that AT&T's failure to
do anything about the strange calls in a timely way after it was
brought to their attention greatly weakens their claim to have been
defrauded.


Regards,

John Levine, [e-mail], {spdcc|ima|world}!iecc!johnl


[Moderator's Note: Bear in mind however that nofriends told us that at
an earlier time in connection with the same matter, postal inspectors
and other federal authorities raided their premises and took away all
the equipment. This part of the chain of events will also come to the
court's attention and it will be difficult for the defendants to argue
that 'yes, we were guilty then, but we are not guilty in the second
part of the case.' I think too it will strain their credibility to
state that truckers (or twelve year old phreaks for that matter) found
their business-information phone line so valuable that the line of
people waiting to use the payphone at the truck stop extended clear
out into the parking lot for several days as people lined up to put
through a call of thirty seconds or so -- they surely could not have
listened to all ten minutes of the defendant's spiel; how could they
within the time frame in question and gotten that many calls through?
John, did he tell you any more about the case? Where was the 900
number physically terminated. Was it local there in Oregon somewhere?
Anything else he relayed to you that you are willing to repeat?  PAT]

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

Date:  8 Oct 93 13:17 -0600
From: Rob Slade <[e-mail]>
Subject: Book Review: "Technical Aspects of Data Communications" by McNamara


BKTCHDCM.RVW  930907

Digital Press
PO Box 3027   One Burlington Woods Drive
Burlington, MA   01803-9593
800-DIGITAL (800-344-4825)

"Technical Aspects of Data Communication", McNamara, 1988

Gee.  All these years I'd been thinking that data communications was
pretty technical all by itself.  However, I am willing to forgive a
lot to a book which finally covers trellis coding.  (There, that
wasn't too hard, now, was it?)

Actually, this is precisely the area that McNamara concentrates on.
This work deals quite fully and completely with data communications --
but only at the "lowest" layers.  The emphasis is on the physical and
link layers, to use the terminology of the ISO (International Standards
Organization) seven-layer model.

The preface states that the book is for those who are about to design,
program, or purchase a data communications system, or who simply wish
to know more about data communications.  That it is.  Although the
work deals with material that is now almost universally buried "in the
hardware", it is the basics of telecommunications.  If you are working
with data communications at higher levels, you neglect these basics at
your peril.

Although the material is clearly and distinctly delineated into
chapters (twenty-eight of them, in fact), an overall structure is not
obvious.  This is doubtless due to the nature of the material: at this
level, everything is very interrelated.  This is not to say that the
book is *dis*organized or confused.  The chapters are quite clear as
to contents, and the proper section for reference is quickly found.
Topics covered include the basics, and history, of asynchronous
communications, UARTs (Universal Asynchronous Receiver / Transmitter)
and related circuitry, interfaces and standards, modem control,
telephone switching and signalling, error detection, synchronous
communication, link layer protocols, packet switching and local area
networks.

It is probably not necessary for everyone who wants to buy a modem to
know everything in this book.  (On the other hand, it couldn't hurt.)
It might not even be necessary for someone planning a multiplexed link
between two significant systems, but I'd be very hard pressed to
suggest anything here that you don't need in that case.  McNamara's
writing, however, is very clear and all of the book should be
accessible to the intelligent reader; layman or computer expert.

Third edition or not, the copyright data on the book is 1988.  It is
bound to show some signs of age.  The fact that McNamara is dealing
with basics and concepts, though, keeps anachronism to a minimum.  It
is only occasionally that you realize that 9600 bps is no longer
considered a high-speed modem.  The real wonder is that, while some of
the technology might have progressed to a point where a topic might be
only of academic interest, none of the contents are really "dated".

Some of the topics, such as local area networks, could stand some
extra detail.  On the other hand, once you start adding, where do you
stop?  The material included is basic and foundational, and other
books can (and have) been written on those related topics.  The one
item missing from this tome is a strong bibliography.  There are some
references in some chapters.  A great many of these, however, are
journal citations, which may be difficult for the non- academic to
obtain.  With a bibliography, this would have been an absolutely key
text as an introduction to the field of data communications.  As it
is, it is still a great introduction, but the next steps are left to
the reader.

I have no difficulty in recommending this work.  To the novice, it is
an excellent foundation for data communications study and work.  The
large commercial technical training firms will charge you in the
region of a thousand dollars for a course which gives you basically
what you get in this book.  The data communications professional will
also find this a handy reference for the basics.

copyright Robert M. Slade, 1993   BKTCHDCM.RVW  930907
Permission granted to distribute with unedited copies of the TELECOM
Digest and associated mailing lists/newsgroups.


Vancouver Institute for Research into User Security, Canada V7K 2G6
[e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] Fidonet 1:153/733
[e-mail] 604-526-3676

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

Date: Sat, 2 Oct 1993 03:31:28 -0400
From: [e-mail] (Dave Leibold)
Subject: Northern Ontario Alternate Fibre Route


[From Bell News, Bell Ontario, 27 Sept 93. Content is that of Bell
Canada; the following does not necessarily describe a world premiere
of any particular telecom innovation.]

New fiber network to ensure survivability

Bell and the Ontario Ministry of Transportation have reached an
agreement which allows us to run a new $110 million fiber optics along
provincial highways in Northern Ontario.

Under the agreement, our second fiber network will be installed along
a 1800 kilometre stretch of provincial highway right-of-way between
Barrie and the Manitoba border.

This will ensure the diversity and survivability of our network. In
case of problems with the first network, customers will be switched to
the new network within 50 milli-seconds.

Bell will reimburse the ministry for its costs on this project,
including the use of ministry engineering expertise and survey plans
and for facilities to store materiel and equipment during
installation.

Construction and installation will begin this month and the system
will be operational by June 1995.


Dave Leibold - via FidoNet node 1:250/98
INTERNET: [e-mail]

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

Date: 8-OCT-1993 23:25:56
From: Douglas Scott Reuben <[e-mail]>
Subject: Cable & Wireless STILL Does CID?


I recently saw a few posts dealing with 800 ANI => CID translation.
Basically, people who had a Cable & Wireless 800 number routed to a
POTS line equipped with Caller*ID would get the ANI translated (by
C&W?) do CID info, which could then be displayed on a standard CID
unit.

I noticed this happening myself on my CID lines served by NYTel, yet
it never worked with the CID lines I have with SNET in CT. (I guess
C&W isn't as "well" connected SS7-wise in CT? In CT, we always get
"Out of Area").

This started working in NY in April, and we usually got the actual
number from anywhere in the country and even parts of Canada.
Occasionally there would be an Out of Area, and sometimes it showed
Private. Depending on when one called (from a given sigle "ANI"-able
#), you would either get the actual CID (most of the time), "Out of
Area" (during very busy periods, like at 4:30 or 5PM or so), and
"Private" (generally late at night or early AM).

I found this very useful and added another C&W programmable 800 in
July which we used to track calls in real-time. I called C&W about
this, and just asked "Is there any way to get real-time ANI delivery?"
and they said "We don't offer that". After pressing the issue for an
hour or so, I gave up. I figured I didn't want to tell them I was
already getting it, since they may get upset or fussy and turn it off,
and say "Oh, you *shouldn't* be seeing THAT!".

Then, in August, it suddenly stopped. All calls are either "Private"
(most) or "Out of Area" (very few). If the call is local (ie, within a
LATA which NYTel services), then *69 WILL work, if they are from
outside the LATA, then *69 returns an "Out of Area" recording (and
from what I read recently from NYTEl, they will *still* bill you for
such an UNSUCCESSFUL attempt! :( )

In any case, I no longer get ANI -> CID :( :( :( !

Is anyone else STILL getting ANI? If so, have you ever spoken to C&W
about this? I'd like to get them to turn it back "on" (and from what I
read about how a call is marked "Private" it is a matter of changing a
single bit in the delivery from one switch to another). I'd pay them
extra for this, although it seems that no one else is. I'd like to get
in touch with someone at C&W who knows about this an who can explain
why the feature was turned off in the the NY Metro area served by
NYTel.

Thanks in advance for any info/help,


Doug    [e-mail]  //  [e-mail]

(P.S. Somone was asking about cellular service along the northernmost
section of I-91 in VT ... I travel there frequently ... write back if
you need some info, etc.)

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

Date: Fri, 8 Oct 93 18:22:58 EDT
From: Carl Moore <[e-mail]>
Subject: Bell Atlantic IQ card


I have just received subject card.  It's from P.O. Box 50, Pittsburgh,
PA 15230-0050, but the postage meter says Omaha, Nebraska.  (By the
way, my recent Diamond State Telephone bills have been carrying a
meter mark from Monroeville, PA, which is near Pittsburgh.)

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

From: [e-mail] (Lonnie Filbrun)
Subject: Erlangs, Grade of Service and Such
Date: 9 Oct 1993 12:30:40 GMT
Organization: Stratus Computer Inc, Marlboro MA
Reply-To: [e-mail] (Lonnie Filbrun)


Hello!

Could someone post some information or book references to where I
might find out how to compute erlangs to figure out the grade of
service?  I have been told that the formula is different for paging
companies because the incoming trunks are only one-way.

Any help would be appreciated!


Lonnie L. Filbrun      [e-mail] (SOS Mail)
Stratus Computer, Inc.          [e-mail]  (NeXT Mail)
Telecommunications Division
4455 E. Camelback #115-A  Phoenix AZ, 85018  Tel. [phone]

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

Date: Fri, 8 Oct 93 20:25:43 CDT
From: sraa <[e-mail]>
Subject: Other Telecom-Related Mailing Lists Wanted


Pat Townson,

I'm on an EMail-only MILNET System and I'm looking for other Telecom-
oriented lists besides TELECOM(which I just SUB'd to), such as FAX,
voicemail, voice-processing, cellular and etc.

I appreciate it.

Thanks,

CPT Gary O'Neal


[Moderator's Note: I got this in mail at the Archives. Perhaps other
list maintainers will write Gary, tell him about their lists and/or
add his name. Maybe even the 'tech' people would like to add him to
the new list they are starting. (See folks, I give equal time to
everyone here. :)   PAT]

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

From: [e-mail] (Dave Ptasnik)
Subject: Re: Merlin Pulls Disappearing Act?
Date: 9 Oct 1993 00:01:14 GMT
Organization: University of Washington


> Alan Boritz (drharry![e-mail]) wrote:

>> Where have all the Merlin resellers and reconditioners gone?  A friend
>> was recently looking to purchase a few voice terminals with built-in
>> speakerphones and found that AT&T must have published their price
>> lists with the decimal points in the wrong place. ;) Equipment to

[e-mail] (David Breneman) writes:

> Last time I looked (about six months ago) you could get a reconditioned
> Merlin 410 with five HFAI-10 phones and a basic feature pack *installed*
> by AT&T for under $2500.  Is that so out of line?

Yes, that is an absurd price.  New installed key systems are under
$500 per phone, $2,500 for a five phone refurb is a rip off. Ten
button hfai sets ought to sell for $100 or less, KSU for well under
$500, installation ought to be about $60/phone depending on the
breaks.  Total -- under $1500.  Geez, the 410 is almost ten years old.
I would think that if you found a bargain you ought to be able to buy
the KSU and the phones for about $300 total.  I doubt a reseller would
pay even that much for them.


All of the above is nothing more than the personal opinion of -

Dave Ptasnik     [e-mail]

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

Date: Sat, 9 Oct 93 02:27:23 GMT
From: [e-mail] (Glenn R. Stone)
Subject: Re: MCI Ha!
Organization: The Group W Bench


In Telecom 13.686.7, Tony Pelliccio <[e-mail]> writes:

> Well ... I fell into the trap. I got a call from MCI about two months
> ago promising evening/night rates of .10 a minute. What I got is
> evening/night rates that average .18 a minute. Sorry MCI ... you can
> keep your long distance calling plans and don't expect to be paid for
> what I've used. They totally misrepresented the whole thing.

Buh?  I'm on MCI Premiere and I'm getting about .11/min, and I'm not
even on Friends & Snitches ... what did you do?  I suspect there was
some miscommunication somewhere ...

As for DeathStarCo, I considered swapping, and then I heard about who
was making this blasted Clipper chip that everybody's got their
panties in a wad over (and justifiably so, IMHO). I refuse to support
the behemoth who supports Big Brother. As for Sprint, well, I just
bought a new modem, I don't need another one.

MCI may be mildly annoying, but unless somebody can show me some
Sprint rates that are a real winner and bloody few people can point me
at Sprint screwups (which may be possible now that Gee Tee Hee don't
own'em anymore), I think I'll stick where I am.  The couple times I've
had to call MCI CS, it's been relatively painless ... maybe not as
good as Mother, but passable, and you already read my reasons for not
supporting Her. Methinks in my situation I've got the better deal.

If somebody wants to mail me Sprint's best deal on low-volume out of
state (I spend less than $40/mo LD, usually to two numbers out of
state, same A/C) I'd be obliged ... just for fairness' sake.


Glenn R. Stone ([e-mail])
Daddy, why does AT&T's logo look like the Death Star?
AT&T and the Logo are trademarks of American Telephone and Telegraph Inc.
The Death Star might be a trademark of Lucasfilm... CYA.

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

Date: Fri, 8 Oct 93 19:44 PDT
From: [e-mail] (Randal L. Schwartz)
Subject: Hanging Out at Truck Stops in Oregon
To: [e-mail]


In article <[e-mail]>, TELECOM Moderator noted in
response to [e-mail]:

> By that point, your organization was no longer in existence, and now
> AT&T wants their money. Is that the way it happened? Good luck, but I
> don't think you are gonna find a bunch of twelve year old phreaks
> hanging out at truck stops in Oregon all night, or for that matter,
> any person(s) diddling their ANI and lying to the operator about their
> number in sufficient quantity to make $800,000 worth of fraud calls
> all from the same truck stop in Oregon.  Keep us posted.  PAT]

Pat, you obviously have never hung out at a truck stop in Oregon. :-)


Randal L. Schwartz / Stonehenge Consulting Services [phone]
[e-mail] (semi-permanent) [e-mail] (for newsreading only)


[Moderator's Note: I have never hung out at truck stops anywhere, nor
have I ever let it all hang out at a truck stop. If I should decide to
do so, we have a choice selection of truck stops and toll-road Oasis'
places here to pick from. In a report on malfeasance at public houses
along the highways a few years ago, the {Chicago Tribune} noted that
police in the village of Lake Forest, Illinois were 'astounded' to
recieve reports from the police in Lafayette, Indiana -- about 150
miles away! -- saying that a message written on the wall in the
bathroom of the public library in Lafayette noted, "For a good time,
stop at the Lake Forest Oasis on Interstate-94 north of Chicago ..."
complete with the numbers of a couple payphones in the parking lot at
Lake Forest should you wish to call and let the locals know you were
on the way.  Should the bathroom wall announcement have added that
'for important business reports by telephone -- a $33 value, and it is
yours free! -- visit the truck stop in Oregon ...' ?   PAT]

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

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #689
******************************


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Date: Sun, 10 Oct 1993 13:28:01 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #690

TELECOM Digest     Sun, 10 Oct 93 13:28:00 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 690

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Re: Warning! ([e-mail])
    Re: North American Numbering Plan Launch in California (Carl Corey)
    Re: North American Numbering Plan Launch in California (Michael King)
    Re: Radio Spectrum Auctions (Bob Wier)
    Re: Demon Dialers Information Wanted (Randall Gellens)
    Re: Disabling Ring (Gordon Burditt)
    Re: Other Telecom-Related Mailing Lists Wanted (Peter M. Weiss)
    Re: MCI Ha! (Don Davis)
    Re: Capacity of Area Code ([e-mail])
    Re: How Will Routers Compete Against Digital Switches? (Fred R. Goldstein)
    Re: BellSouth Surplus Sales Center (David H. Close)
    California Caller ID --- Well, Sort of :-) (Phil Schlesinger)
    Help With Northern Telecom "Meridian" Phone System (Robert Bonomi)
    *70 With no Call Waiting? (Anthony E. Siegman)
    Another Dialing Change (was Re: North American Numbering Plan) (Carl Moore)
    NovAtel PTR-825 For Sale ([e-mail])

                 ----------------------------
TELECOM Digest is an e-journal devoted mostly -- but not entirely --
to discussions on telecommunications in general, and voice telephony
in particular. It is published daily, and is reader-written, meaning
the people who read it are the people who submit articles to it. The
Digest is a not-for-profit activity of Patrick Townson Associates, a
telecommunications consulting firm in Chicago, Illinois. PTA markets a
variety of telecom-related services including a no-surcharge telephone
calling card known as the Orange Card.  In addition, we are marketing
representatives for AT&T, and US Fibercom, AT&T's largest aggregator/
reseller. Telepassport is our international discount calling plan.
Write and ask for our products and services file.

TELECOM Digest is distributed free of charge to qualified subscribers
anywhere who are reachable by electronic mail via the Internet. In
addition, the Digest is gatewayed to Usenet where it is known as the
comp.dcom.telecom newsgroup, a moderated forum. To subscribe, write
and tell us how you qualify:  [e-mail].

Back issues and many other files of interest are available free of
charge in the Telecom Archives. Internet users with FTP permission may
connect via anonymous ftp lcs.mit.edu, then 'cd telecom-archives'. All
others are invited to use the Telecom Archives Email Information Service
by sending email to [e-mail]. Write and ask for our
help guide to using the archives. Over twelve years of telecom news
and discussions are stored there.

TELECOM Digest is compilation-copyrighted, 1993 by Patrick Townson
Associates. Please request permission before posting Digest articles
elsewhere. Net addresses shown are for the sole purpose of facilitating
communiciations between our correspondents; not for any sort of mass
mailing. The Digest is made possible by the generous support of our
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are greatly appreciated. Your help keeps our $300 per month phone bill
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Sincerity for our inspection to PO Box 1570, Chicago, IL 60690 USA.  :)
Article submissions come to: [e-mail], and if you wish, you
may reach us by phone: [phone] or fax: [phone].  Thank you!



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

From: [e-mail] (Rob D!)
Subject: Re: Warning!
Organization: [MindVox] / Phantom Access Technologies / (+1 800-MindVox)
Date: Sun, 10 Oct 1993 01:28:09 GMT


As an operator for New York Telephone, I have had more than one person
call, and report this scenario. Unfortunatly, I don't believe the
trace you described is possible. (Our departments seem to have an
extremely weak link between them ...)

Of course, these views are based on my own personal observations of
handling hundreds of thousands of calls over the past few years, and
not the views of the company.

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

Date: 10 Oct 1993 01:50:33 EST
From: [e-mail] (Carl Corey)
Subject: Re: North American Numbering Plan Launch in California


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Joel
Van Dyk) writes:

> I just got handed an article from a journal (the person didn't know
> which one) by our ROLM vendor, stating that California will have an
> October NANP launch, followed by Indiana on Dec. 1st.  Can anyone
> confirm this?  I thought the plan wasn't supposed to kick off until
> Jan. 1, 1995.

I believe the plan in question is to expand area codes by dropping the
standard 1 or 0 in the middle digit of area codes.  Thus, phone
companies will NOT require you to dial 1+ for a phone number in your
area code that is not long distance.  This lets the phone company
interpret a 1+ to mean 'area code follows' ... thus, you can dial a
phone number of 466-1234 or an area code of 1+466-555-1234.  It is
required for the phone company to tell the difference quickly.

As usual, you will be able to DIAL with this system (i.e. dial a toll
same areacode call without a 1) before you are FORCED to -- to allow
a gradual change.  Everyone will be forced to dial this way once there
are area codes which do not contain a 1/0 as the second digit (Jan 1,
1995) -- but to help people get used to the system, most companies will
let the new dial work sooner ... ex: Bell of PA is starting Nov 1 -- you
will be able to dial calls without the 1.  You will have the option until
January 1995 -- then you must only use 1 to mean 'area code' ...

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

From: [e-mail] (Michael King)
Subject: Re: North American Numbering Plan Launch in California
Date: 10 Oct 1993 02:35:50 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (USA)


I can confirm that in the Indiana Bell/Ameritech areas of Northwest
Indiana, the dialing rules tied to the NANP will go into effect on 1
December. (I live in Gary; served by Indiana Bell -- now Ameritech.)


Thanks,

M

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

From: [e-mail] (Bob Wier)
Subject: Re: Radio Spectrum Auctions
Organization: East Texas State University
Date: Sun, 10 Oct 1993 18:44:32 GMT


In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail]
(Michael D. Sullivan) wrote:

> by lottery, comparative hearing, or uncontested.  You get a license
> for a term of years.  Renewal at the end of that term is not
> guaranteed, but is very likely if you are well behaved.  The auction
> legislation does not permit auctions at renewal time.  In other words,
> renewal will be nearly free (but you may have to beat out challengers
> in a hearing, if there are any).

I wonder if anyone has any experience in removing a license for cellular
coverage from a company (maybe not since this is relatively new).

I have a house in S.W. Colorado in an area which does not have
cellular coverage.  I have talked with the company which owns the
license (I don't know if the B license is also allocated or not).  They
are basically two mountain ranges over, so in my town, you can't hear
a thing.  They basically said they were not going to build in the
forseeable future since the economics didn't favor it.

Question: wouldn't this be a good case for revocation of license?
Hopefully it might get reallocated to someone who'd actually use it.
This is an area which could really use cellular coverage due to the
extreme nature of the terrain -- there are considerable health and
safety considerations involved.

I've mentioned this before in other groups, but I'd be interested in
what people here think ...


======== insert usual disclaimers here ============
Bob Wier, East Texas State U., Commerce, Texas
[e-mail] (watch for address change)

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

From: [e-mail]
Date: 10 OCT 93 00:04
Subject: Re: Demon Dialers Information Wanted


> I have two Panasonic speakerphones with various features.  When used
> in speakerphone mode, the 'redial' becomes an automatic redialer.  It
> recognizes a busy signal and will go back onhook, wait for thirty
> seconds or so, then try again.  Mine try about twelve times or so.  By
> using the speaker to monitor, there's no delay in waiting for a box to
> signal me that the other end is ringing, and I don't risk losing the
> other party due to the latency between the ring recognition and my
> getting the phone offhook.

I have a Panasonic phone with this feature, but there are two
drawbacks: when in speakerphone mode listening to an automated voice
(such as a bank compuer reciting check information), the phone
interprets the highly regular voice as a busy signal, and hangs up!

The other thing is that when it is in busy-redial mode, I find the
dial and busy tones very distracting and annoying.

I second the suggestion to use telco busy number redial.

By the way, speaking of telco BNR, my latest GTE bill insert mentions
two forms of BNR, the usual one where you flash and dial a star code,
and another one that costs $1 more and seems to be an automatic
feature.  I keep meaning to call and ask about it.


Randall Gellens             [e-mail]|
A Series System Software
Unisys Corporation          [Please forward bounce messages|
Mission Viejo, CA           to: [e-mail]]|
Opinions are personal; facts are suspect; I speak only for myself|

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

From: [e-mail] (Gordon Burditt)
Subject: Re: Disabling Ring
Date: Sun, 10 Oct 1993 10:05:44 CDT


> inally. There is also a device (may be available from Hell Direct, at
                                                        ^^^^^^^^^^^
>1-800-HI-HELLO) which you plug in the line in series with the phone
>and it absorbs the ringing current before it reaches the bell. PAT]

Mr. Moderator, is this a typo or is it a comment about a certain
equipment supplier?

In any case, I believe this is an incorrect use of the trademark of a
certain local phone company that infests, among other places, parts of
California, Texas, and Florida, and has to fly in service technicians
any time there is a problem (from Neptune?  or have they closed that
office already and they have to come from Alpha Centari?)  This trade
mark is used for the service of anticipating your trouble reports and
clearing them 48 hours before you report them.


Gordon L. Burditt    sneaky.lonestar.org!gordon


[Moderator's Guffaw: Ha ha ... yeah, that one got past me. It was a
typo. I meant to print it as 'Hello Direct, 1-800-HI-HELLO'. By the
way, Hello Direct is now one of Ameritech's officially recommended
suppliers to customers with business service. If you visit the IBT
Work at Home Center for example, most of the products on display are
 from Hello Direct, where the orders are placed. The telco you
mention -- GTE -- actually has operations in almost every state of
the USA. Their own history dates back to the early days of telephone
service and is quite interesting, should someone wish to write up an
article on it.    PAT]

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

Date: Sun, 10 Oct 1993 04:06:25 EDT
From: Peter M. Weiss <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Other Telecom-Related Mailing Lists Wanted
Organization: Penn State University


In article <[e-mail]>, sraa <sraala@la-ngnet.
army.mil> says:

[ ... wanted to know about other telecom-related lists.  A QUICKIE
search of the Revised LISTSERV list (LIST GLOBAL /string) revealed the
following (unedited)]:

Excerpt from the LISTSERV lists known to LISTSERV@PSUVM on 9 Oct 1993
14:04 Search string: VOICE

Network-wide ID  Full address      List title

DEF-VP           DEF-VP@UMDD       DEFINITY Voice Processing Products Group
TOUCHTON         TOUCHTON@SJSUVM1  Touch-Tone/Voice Response Systems Discuss+
WVURFP-L         WVURFP-L@WVNVM    RFP for Voice, Video and Data Facility

Excerpt from the LISTSERV lists known to LISTSERV@PSUVM on 9 Oct 1993 14:04
Search string: TELECOM

Network-wide ID  Full address      List title

EUEARN-L         EUEARN-L@UBVM     Discussion of Eastern Europe Telecom+
MEDNETS          MEDNETS@NDSUVM1   MEDNETS  Medical Telecommunications Networks
RITIM-L          RITIM-L@URIACC    Telecommunications and Information Marketing
SIGTEL-L         SIGTEL-L@UNMVMA   SIG/Tel (Special Interest Group/Telecom+
TELE290          TELE290@GWUVM     Telecom, Competitiveness, and Org. Change+
TELXCH-L         TELXCH-L@ALBNYDH2 Telecomunications Exchange, NY State
TLCPRV           TLCPRV@ITOCSIVM   Lista di Prova x Uff. Telecom.
WCETALL          WCETALL@UNMVMA    WICHE Western coop for educational tel+


Peter M. Weiss         "The 'NET' never sleeps"           [phone]
31 Shields Bldg. -- Penn State Univ -- University Park, PA USA 16802-1202


[Moderator's Note: Yes, there are quite a few good lists for telecommun-
ications discussions of all types, as the above 'list of lists' shows.
This Digest/newsgroup you are reading now is just one source of on-going
telecom discussions. A new unmoderated list such as the one being dis-
cussed elsewhere at this time will be nothing new. Granted, the mailing
list and range of distribution for TELECOM Digest is probably larger
than the ones listed above put together, but they do exist. Maybe I
should inquire if they'd like to be part of the Telecom Archives.  PAT]

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

From: [e-mail] (Don Davis)
Subject: Re: MCI Ha!
Date: Sun, 10 Oct 1993 12:46:29 EDT
Organization: The Dayton Home for the Chronically Strange


In article <[e-mail]>, TELECOM Moderator noted in
response to Tony Pelliccio:

>> So, back to AT&T I go ...

> [Moderator's Note: Don't go back to AT&T until they send you your
> check for $75.00. In the meantime, stop off at Sprint and get your
> free modem.   :)   PAT]

Ah, PAT, thanks for the reminder!  I have been a steadfast AT&T
customer for some years, and have been reading about the "perks" one
can get by changing LD carriers.  I just got off the phone with
Sprint, where I requested that my service be changed over in exchange
for a free modem.

No details about the modem were available, except that it's a "9600"
and the rep I spoke with kept referring to it as my "free software" --
when questioned about this, she checked and verified that it was in
fact a modem and not a software package that we were speaking about.

Once I have that modem in hand, I imagine I'll be calling AT&T.

Hmmm ... I have four phone lines here at the house ... I wonder if I
could switch them around one at a time and get four modems ...?


Don Davis  Internet: dgdhome![e-mail]  Tel: [phone]


[Moderator's Mote: Absolutely you can! A lot of people with two lines
have requested two modems; no reason you should not get four.   PAT]

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

Subject: Re: Capacity of Area Code
From: [e-mail] (Witness)
Date: Sun, 10 Oct 93 00:47:00 -0600
Organization: C-9 Communications


-=> Quoting [e-mail] to All <=-

> unlikely: 200 211 300 311 400 500 511 600 700 711 811

Well, actually, the 700 exchange is already in use. It's a toll free
exchange used for various services in the US. The one that comes to
mind is the carrier subscriber info service. It's a 1-700 nubmer that
will tell you who your LD provider is.


Origin: (11:190/110)

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

From: [e-mail] (Fred R. Goldstein)
Subject: Re: How Will Routers Compete Against Digital Switches?
Organization: Digital Equipment Corp., Littleton MA USA
Date: Sat, 9 Oct 1993 22:02:34 GMT


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Will
Estes) writes:

> I want to gain a better understanding of what hardware will win the
> day and dominate the backbone of the future voice/data super-highway.

My theory on this is to live and let live: Different technologies have
different strengths and weaknesses.  A Swiss Army Knife isn't the
right model.

> It seems to me that there is some convergence coming between data
> communications -- which uses the router as the switching hardware --
> and telecommunications -- which seems to use digital switches to route
> calls.  My questions are:

> 1) Is it reasonable to believe that within three years routers will be
> able to do a good job of carrying voice, real-time data, and non-real-
> time data, over some medium like fiber optic (FDDI?) on the local LAN
> and ATM on the network backbone?

A router, by definition, cannot carry isochronous traffic such as
voice.  Some hard-core Internet fanatics, who detest telephone
companies for a living (something about being chased away from the pay
phone they were phreaking as a kid), will try to run voice over IP.
It is like teaching a pig to sing: It won't sound good, and it annoys
the pig.

> 2) Same question as 1), except this time for digital switches on the
> backbone.  Can switches effectively carry all three kinds of data?
> Will these digital switches use ATM?

Again, the pig sings.  Some data applications may be suited to circuit
switching, but generally you do better with dedicated data devices,
such as routers.

ATM's a different story: It's a totally different paradigm from either
"circuit" or "packet".  It is a bit like the proverbial knife, but at
least it was designed to be multi-function from the ground up, rather
than trying to graft one functin onto another.  I am pretty confident
that ordinary phone traffic won't go ATM in volume, but many other
types of data and multimedia traffic can use ATM.  So think of ATM as
a third type of switch altogether.

> 3) If we were to imagine a worldwide network of routers over ATM
> versus a worldwide network of digital switches over ATM, would either
> architecture have any fundamental advantages or disadvantages over the
> other?

Since routers ("Internets"), digital switches ("circuit") and ATM
("cell") are different technologies, there is no either/or as implied
in the question.  For mixed ATM/non-ATM data, routers over ATM make a
lot of sense.  (Routers may not be necessary in a "pure ATM" data
environment.)  But ATM can also be used as a transmission backbone for
circuit-mode services: A constant-bit rate ATM channel is a decent way
to emulate a T1 or other high-speed bit pipe.  By having the data and
bit-pipe applications share one ATM network, you gain economy of
scale.


Fred R. Goldstein k1io [e-mail]
Opinions are mine alone; sharing requires permission

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

From: [e-mail] (David H. Close)
Subject: Re: BellSouth Surplus Sales Center
Date: 10 Oct 1993 03:10:57 GMT
Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena


[e-mail] (Nigel Allen) writes:

> BellSouth operates a Surplus Sales Center where you can buy surplus
> telecommunications equipment and other stuff such as office furniture.
> Other telephone companies have their own surplus sales centers, I
> would expect.

I would also expect.  I know where SW Bell's store is in Dallas (only
open Tuesdays 1-7pm).  But thus far I haven't been able to find either
a PacBell or GTE store in California.  Can anyone help?


Dave Close, Compata, Costa Mesa
[e-mail]  [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (Phil Schlesinger)
Subject: California Caller ID -- Well, Sort of :-)
Organization: Netcom Online Communications Services (408-241-9760 login: guest)
Date: Sun, 10 Oct 1993 15:11:50 GMT


Pac Bell does not provide "Caller-ID" except as an expensive and
limited "value added" service to locate harrassment callers. When I
call the 800 number that reports the number from which you are
calling, it works fine!

Since the calling number must be encoded in California, then (either
on the ring or voice signal?) could I buy equipment or software that
would let me use the service; mostly to screen out the telephone sales
geeks who lobbied against the service?

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

From: bonomi (Robert Bonomi)
Subject: Help With Northern Telecom "Meridian" Phone System
Organization: EECS Department, Northwestern University
Date: Sat, 9 Oct 1993 17:23:07 GMT


HELP!

I've 'inherited' responsibility for a Northern Telecom "Meridian"
small-office phone system.  I need -any- and all info on this beast! I
have no manuals or anything!  (long story, but the guy who bought it
got fired several years ago) I don't even know what this thing is
capable of.  I need to add some additional stations, reconfigure some
existing ones, fix the time display, etc. (why me??)

Also, I'm looking for a few, i.e. one or two (maybe three, if a
'really' good price), phones for this system.  Anybody know where
these are available for a reasonable price?

All info / pointers, condolences, etc. greatly appreciated.


Robert Bonomi
[e-mail]   <-- guest acct. not affiliated with NWU

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

From: [e-mail] (Anthony E. Siegman)
Subject: *70 With No Call Waiting?
Organization: Stanford University
Date: Sun, 10 Oct 93 14:42:21 GMT


   Two home phone lines, one with Call Waiting, one without -- a modem
used randomly to dial out on either one.  If I put "*70" in my log-in
scripts to protect me when using one line, I get a message on the
other sorrying "We're sorry -- the feature you requested has not been
enabled" (or something similar), and of course no connection.

   If you dial "*70" to a line that doesn't have Call Waiting, wouldn't
it make more sense to just ignore it, since the net effect is exactly
the same anyway?

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

Date: Sat, 9 Oct 93 18:33:28 EDT
From: Carl Moore <[e-mail]>
Subject: Another Dialing Change (was Re: North American Numbering Plan)


This is just now reaching me as a result of the article by
tijc02![e-mail]:

Long distance within 615 is now 1 + 615 + seven digits?  When did it
take effect?  All I have now is "by 8 Oct 1993", because that's when
you sent your message.

Digest readers: I welcome such information about any area in country
code 1.  You might avoid duplication by reading what I already have in
the areacodes/history file.  I am making an entry for 615 just now,
but I don't expect it to hit the archives until the 919/910 split
kicks in.

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

From: [e-mail]
Subject: NovAtel PTR-825 For Sale
Date: Sat,  9 Oct 93 15:52:44 PDT


I have a NovAtel PTR-825 handheld cellular for sale -- $225 shipped
UPS ground directly to your door, if you live in one of the 48
contiguous states, after your check clears or immediately if you send
certified funds.

This is NOT a bag phone.  It IS a handheld, but it is NOT a 0.6 oz.
Motorola Ultra Lite.  It weighs with standard 600 mA battery (11/1
standby/talk hours -- 900 mA available as an accessory) 16.2 oz. and
WILL fit in a pocket, creating quite a bulge; it is best carried in a
purse, briefcase or hand.  Of course, if you want to look like a
cellular nerd, a leather case with belt clip is available in its
accessory list, as are cigarette lighter power cords, spare batteries,
mobile/handsfree kits etc.

I used it lightly (I seldom put 30 minutes/month on it) one year, the
period of time of the bundled service contract with which I purchased
it, before succumbing to the lure of the shirt-pocket-size "flip".  It
is out of warranty, but there is nothing wrong with it; I just don't
need two cellular phones.

The PTR-825 was one of the phones {Consumer Reports} tested in their
recent report on cellular phones; so you can look it up and see what
they had to say.  This offer is best for someone in, for example,
California, where bundling of phones/service is ostensibly not allowed
by law, or if someone wants a phone for a loved one to have for
emergency use.  (I find I use mine to report auto mishaps observed on
the roads much more than I ever anticipated.)  In other words, if you
have to bundle to purchase, you are probably better off doing so;
matters mostly on the market in which you're located.

Contact me if interested via e-mail either through the Internet at

    [e-mail]

or fax at

     405 360-0337

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

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #690
******************************


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From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #691

TELECOM Digest     Mon, 11 Oct 93 09:35:20 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 691

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Re: How Will Routers Compete Against Digital Switches? (Garrett Wollman)
    Re: Thanks For Using AT&T at Residence Inn (Andy Sherman)
    Re: Phoiling a Phraud (Brett K Elliott)
    Re: Atomic Clocks (Dave Emery)
    Re: Radio Spectrum Auctions (Michael D. Sullivan)
    Re: California Caller ID -- Well, Sort of :-) (Steve Forrette)
    Using a French Phone in North America? (Bernard Guillaumot)
    Restoring an Old Phone (Russell J. Price)
    AT&T Partner Plus CPU R2.0 (Tony Pelliccio)
    New Cellular Coverage Map (TELECOM Moderator)
    AT&T Personalized Information Service (TELECOM Moderator)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Garrett Wollman)
Subject: Re: How Will Routers Compete Against Digital Switches?
Organization: University of Vermont, EMBA Computer Facility
Date: Sun, 10 Oct 1993 21:07:36 GMT


I'd like to correct some of the misconceptions that Fred has been
spreading.  I hate to do this, since Fred probably knows more about
the physical side than most of us, myself included, but when one's
honor is at stake ... (half a smiley)

In article <[e-mail]>, Fred R. Goldstein
<[e-mail]> wrote:

> A router, by definition, cannot carry isochronous traffic such as
> voice.

This is simply not true.  There is nothing special about being down in
the data-link layer that somehow makes it possible to do isochronous
traffic there, but not up at higher layers.

> Some hard-core Internet fanatics, who detest telephone companies for
> a living (something about being chased away from the pay phone they
> were phreaking as a kid),

We're not /that/ rabid, Fred!  (Many of us detest phone companies
because of bad service, ridiculous pricing, obsolete technology, and
an attitude that says, "if you can measure it, then you can bill for
it.")

> will try to run voice over IP.  It is like teaching a pig to sing: It
> won't sound good, and it annoys the pig.

This is also not true, as has been conclusively demonstrated many,
many times in the past several years.  (Remember that DARPA has been
doing teleconferencing over IP for half a decade or more now ...)
This is one of the things that people dislike when they rail against
the 'Telco Mentality': the idea that only telco born-and-bred
technologies are capable of carrying voice.

To paraphrase (I think) Lampson, any problem in networking can be
solved by the judicious application of memory.  Let's analyze what can
happen in a non-isochronous network to digitally-encoded voice
packets:

1) packets can get delayed or interchanged;
   - solved by a reasonably sized playout buffer (remember, memory is
     cheap!)

2) packets can get duplicated;
   - solved by sequence numbering

3) packets can get corrupted;
   - detected by checksums (already required)

4) packets can get lost;
   - still a problem

Now, if you demand isochronicity, then you eliminate these problems.
But, as we have seen, the first three can be dealt with under a
non-isochronous network technology, so it is of interest to see what
we can do about number (4).

It turns out that the reasons why packets get lost in today's networks
are fairly few; you can have congestion, you can have packet
corruption, or you can have routing/link disruptions.  The last two
problems are really hardware difficulties, although newer link-state
routing technology can help reduce the instability associated with
link failures.  The first problem is more serious, since it's a
provisioning problem; that also points the way towards a solution,
since you can either increase link bandwidth and router thrust, or you
can implement some form of resource reservation.  Technology for both
is currently under development in both the Internet community and in
the formal standards bodies.  (Alternatively, for point-to-point
communication, a transport mechanism similar to TCP can be employed,
which automatically reduces transmission rate when congestion is
indicated.)

(Please note, however, that this does not detract from philosophical
or technical reasons why one might want an isochronous network
technology.  However, it has been clearly demonstrated that
non-isochronous networks work perfectly well for both voice and
slow-update video [like in a teleconference], so Fred's argument here
is specious.)


Garrett A. Wollman   [e-mail]
uvm-gen!wollman      UVM disagrees.

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

Date: Sun, 10 Oct 93 15:39:29 EDT
Subject: Re: Thanks For Using AT&T at Residence Inn
From: [e-mail] (Andy Sherman)


In <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (J. Philip
Miller) writes:

> What was more amazing, however, was that the message after I
> entered by AT&T CC number was "Thank you for using AT&T at
> Residence Inn".  Now what is going on here?

This has nothing to do with the CC validation system per se.  One of
the features of the Operator Services Position System (OSPS) is that
it can prompt the operator on how to "brand" a call, probably based on
the incoming trunk group, or some such information.  This allows LEC
carried calls that are handled under contract by AT&T operators to be
properly branded.  It also allows AT&T to offer branding to hotels
that presubscribe to AT&T, which is what both Phil and Steve have
encountered.  Any call from that PBX that is handled by an AT&T
operator, CC or collect or whatever, will be branded.


Andy Sherman   Salomon Inc  -  Unix Systems Support  -  Rutherford, NJ
[phone]  -  [e-mail] or [e-mail]

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

From: Brett K Elliott <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Phoiling a Phraud
Date: Sun, 10 Oct 1993 14:19:12 -0400
Organization: Freshman, MCS general, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA


> I always enjoy reading stories about phreaks brought to justice.  PAT]


And let's compare this to ...

> As kids in the 1950's we'd get free payphone calls by
> unscrewing the mouthpiece and touching one of the metal contacts to the
> wire known to be ground. By the time the operator responded with 'number
> please?' we had the mouthpeice screwed back on and were ready to continue
> with our call. A relative of mine owned a drug store with a payphone
> in the front of the store. The store's business phone was in back at
> the pharmacy. I got a two-line turn button phone and installed it back
> there with the store phone on one side of the turn button, and the pay
> phone on the other side of the turn button. I used the third button posi-
> tion (the momentary press down and release) to supply ground to the pay-
> phone line. From the pharmacy phone, you could turn the button to the
> side with the payphone line (dead at that point), press the button for
> a second and release it, and get dialtone on the payphone line. It worked
> just fine for a few days, but the telephone inspector came around and
> voiced his disapproval in rather strong language.   :)     PAT]

I rest my case PAT.  Many of the phreaks you blast out on are also kids.

[Moderator's Note: Well, I got caught a few times. I am not suggesting
by any means that all phreaks (any phreaks?) should get incarcerated;
nor am I suggesting what punishment is appropriate. That is for the
courts to decide using whatever the legislatures have given as
guidelines. I do think it is important for kids to realize however
that theft of telecom services is just as serious a matter as theft of
something they pick up in a store and walk out without paying for. The
excuse that 'it would not be used anyway' (i.e. excess switching and
circuit capacity) is not valid. The only reason for the excess capacity
is to insure that paying customers are not denied service when they
need it. I lost a good paying job (for a teenager in the 1950's) because
of an 'incident'. While I was in high school I had a part time job as
switchboard operator at the University of Chicago. I've mentioned this
before here; but I was caught 'experimenting' with phone calling card
numbers I made up on the fly (you could do that back then) on long-
distance calls. I also cheated the payphone in the cafeteria of the
junior high school I went to and taught the other kids how to do it.  PAT]

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

From: jjmhome!pig![e-mail] (Dave Emery)
Subject: Re: Atomic Clocks
Date: 11 Oct 93 01:18:14 GMT
Reply-To: jjmhome!pig![e-mail]
Organization: Opinion Mongers Incorperated...


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail]
(Cliff Sharp) writes:

> There's an easier way to access an atomic clock, if you want to do
> a bit of hardware hacking.  All (I believe) of the TV networks use a
> cesium-rubidium atomic clock as their master timebase, so network
> shows you watch locally are locked indirectly to that clock.
> Unfortunately, the frequency you'd get is 3,579,545 Hz, and that might
> be a bit of a chore to use as a PLL synthesizer reference to generate
> your chosen frequency ... not to mention having to tap into your TV
> set to get it.

    This doesn't work and hasn't worked for the past 10-12 years
since television networks took to satellite transmission and local
stations took to using digital video processing and switching.

    Back in the 70's when networks were relayed on fixed AT&T
microwave paths and video switching and processing in broadcast TV was
almost all analog the NBS got the networks to lock their clocks to
rubideum standards and it was possible to get reliable time of day and
frequency reference from television network timing.

    Now most broadcast TV goes through between one and three steps
of being digitized and stored in a frame buffer memory and then read
out of the memory with independant timing from the read in timing.
Many modern video time base correctors and special effects gear and
switchers actually work on digitized video as do the current
generation of digital videotape machines. In fact the read-out timing
may be generated by a cheap crystal oscillator somewhere that barely
meets FCC specs and there is no real necessity to have it accurately
locked to the incoming video timing from the network (IF things slip
enough a frame is just repeated or deleted.)

    And even timing directly from the network signal on a
satellite isn't that good as satellites move around somewhat in their
boxes on the Clarke orbit plane causing doppler shift in frequency and
time of day shifts due to path length changes (all quite measureable
by comparison with high precision timing such as rubideum or cesium).
And network feeds used by a station may shift back and forth between
different transponders, uplinks, or even different satellites; and the
Leitch scrambling used by many network feeds (particularly ABC)
operates by reading digitized video into a memory and reading it out
with potentially different timing than what came off the satellite.

    The best source of precision time is GPS and it is pretty
cheap (about $600-800).

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

From: [e-mail] (Michael D. Sullivan)
Subject: Re: Radio Spectrum Auctions
Organization: The Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link, Sausalito, CA
Date: Mon, 11 Oct 1993 07:19:51 GMT


In <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Bob Wier) writes:

> In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail]
> (Michael D. Sullivan) wrote:

>> by lottery, comparative hearing, or uncontested.  You get a license
>> for a term of years.  Renewal at the end of that term is not
>> guaranteed, but is very likely if you are well behaved.  The auction
>> legislation does not permit auctions at renewal time.  In other words,
>> renewal will be nearly free (but you may have to beat out challengers
>> in a hearing, if there are any).

> I wonder if anyone has any experience in removing a license for cellular
> coverage from a company (maybe not since this is relatively new).

> I have a house in S.W. Colorado in an area which does not have
> cellular coverage.  I have talked with the company which owns the
> license (I don't know if the B license is also allocated or not).  They
> are basically two mountain ranges over, so in my town, you can't hear
> a thing.  They basically said they were not going to build in the
> forseeable future since the economics didn't favor it.

> Question: wouldn't this be a good case for revocation of license?
> Hopefully it might get reallocated to someone who'd actually use it.
> This is an area which could really use cellular coverage due to the
> extreme nature of the terrain -- there are considerable health and
> safety considerations involved.

 From your description, I surmise that you live in what is known as an
"unserved area."  Unfortunately, you probably have a bit of a wait.

The initial license gives the licensee a ten year license term, but
the licensee's service area, to which the renewal applies, is a bit
complicated.  The licensee gets a five year "fill in period" from the
initial grant, in which it can construct cells covering any area
within the MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Area) or RSA (Rural Service
Area) for which it is licensed.  At the end of this five years, it
must file a map, known as a SIU (System Information Update), showing
the 32 dBu coverage contours of its then-constructed and -applied-for
cells.  Its coverage is frozen to that boundary at that point.  Anyone
can then apply to cover the areas outside that boundary; these are
known as "unserved areas."  Unserved areas are applied for in two
phases.

In Phase I, there is a deadline for filing X days after the five year
fill-in deadline; if there is only one party filing on the Phase I
deadline, it gets a license (assuming it is qualified); if there are
multiple filers, the FCC rules currently call for a lottery (this will
change to an auction for most areas); if there are no filers, move to
Phase II.  If a license is awarded in Phase I, that party gets 1 year
to build what it has proposed within the unserved area, as well as
anything else it chooses to file for within the unserved area within
180 days of grant -- a 180 day fill-in period.

Phase II starts at the end of the Phase I winner's first year, or
right after the Phase I deadline , if there is no Phase I applicant.
In Phase II, there is no protected fill-in period.

Ideally, Phase I would start right after the five year fill in period.
Unfortunately, for many markets the FCC did not permit this to happen
because it had not yet adopted these rules; it had only established
the fill-in period, not decided what happened next.  As a result, it
put a freeze on all expansion beyond a licensee's existing coverage
after the fifth year.  Unserved area applications were finally filed
for the first groups of markets this year.  As a result of the auction
bill, however, the FCC has decided to hold off on holding lotteries.

Many cellular carriers had originally believed they would have their
entire ten year license term to complete their plans to cover their
MSA or RSA.  The rules did not originally provide for a five-year
fill-in period, and the FCC and the licensees thought that the
licensees had an entire license term to complete filling in their
coverage.  As a result of litigation, however, the FCC discovered that
this was not the case.  The FCC put an immediate freeze on all
filling-in and subsequently adopted the fill-in period.

The long and the short of it is that your carrier may have gotten
caught in a bind.  It may have planned to cover your area after in the
fifth through tenth years but may have been prevented from doing so by
the 5-year fill-in rules.  On the other hand, your area may in fact
not be a cost-effective service area.  A typical standard cell-site
costs about $500K, and if population density is low, vehicular traffic
density is low, or demographics are unfavorable, the carrier may have
come to the conclusion that covering your area will be a money-loser.
In any event, when Phase I and Phase II of the unserved area process
come to your market, some other party may conclude that the economics
are more favorable.

It would not be fair to the cellular licensee to take away its license
at renewal time for not covering an area that has little population or
vehicular traffic.  The FCC never told them that this would be
important.  In fact, the FCC required the licensee to cover only 75%
of the market's population.  This implied that the FCC recognized that
areas beyond that might not economically justify cellular service.  To
take away the license of a company that has provided quality service
to 75% or more of the population merely because it has not provided
prohibitively expensive coverage to isolated areas two mountain ridges
from the nearest cell site, without any advance notice that this would
be expected, does not seem fair.

For license renewal, the FCC has decided that it will grant renewal
without competition for the license if the incumbent has
"substantially performed" and does not have a record of violations.
If a far stricter standard were employed (and I don't believe it
should), at a minimu, the licensees should be given adequate advance
notice of the standard.  A licensee can't afford to provide service
out in the boonies as well as in the suburbs, unless both it and its
competitor know the rules in advance; otherwise, the licensee who
covers the boonies will see its costs escalate and lose out to the
competitor who doesn't maximize coverage.


Michael D. Sullivan   <[e-mail] (MIME capable)>
<[e-mail]>  <[e-mail]>

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

From: [e-mail] (Steve Forrette)
Subject: Re: California Caller ID -- Well, Sort of :-)
Date: 11 Oct 1993 09:11:48 GMT
Organization: Walker Richer & Quinn, Inc.
Reply-To: [e-mail] (Steve Forrette)


In <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Phil Schlesinger)
writes:

> Pac Bell does not provide "Caller-ID" When I call the 800 number
> that reports the number from which you are calling, it works fine!
> Could I buy equipment or software that would let me use the service

You also have to buy 800 service, as that is the only way to get the
caller's number in California.  What you are getting is 800 ANI, which
is *not* Caller ID, although it gives you a similar result, the
caller's number (actually, their billing number, whereas Caller ID
gives you their directory number.  These are the same for most
residential and small business lines though.)


Steve Forrette, [e-mail]

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

Subject: Re: Using a French Phone in North America?
From: [e-mail] (Bernard.Guillaumot)
Date: Mon, 11 Oct 93 03:08:44 +010
Organization: T.nis - Networking strategies, Consulting group


[e-mail] (John J. Chew III) writes:

> I have a French phone (specifically, a France Telecom TENOR) that I
> would like to use here in Canada.  At first, I naively thought that if
> I just unplugged the RJ-11 to French phone plug cord from the back of
> the phone and replaced it with an RJ-11 to RJ-11 cord, it would work.
> It didn't, so here I am using valuable net bandwidth to ask:

> 1. Does anyone have the pinouts for a TENOR's RJ-11 jack?

  For a standard RJ-11 jack, the pins used by any standard french
  telephone, are the pins 2 and 3 (probably red and green wires).

       +-------------------+
       |- 1                |      Phone cord
       |- 2     RJ-11      +---------------------
       |- 3                +---------------------
       |- 4                |
       +-------------------+

> 2. Failing that, can someone tell me what the signal assignments are for
>    the contacts on a standard French phone plug, so that I can try tracing
>    the old cord to answer question #1?

      It's the same (2, 3) for France Telecom phone plug.

               +-------------------------------------------+
               |                                           |
               |
               |                                         Contact side
               +--->        +-------------------+        +------+
                +-----------+                   |        | +--+ |
      2         |           |                   |       1|||  |||2
  contacts +--> ||||||||| 2 |      Left         |        | |  | |
           |    |           |                   |       4|||  |||3
           +--> ||||||||| 3 |      side         |        | |  | |
                |           |                   |       5|||  |||6
                ||||||||| 6 | of the connector  |        | |  | |
                |           |                   |        | |  | |
                +-----------+                   |        | +--+ |
                            +--------+ +--------+        +--++--+
                                     | | Phone cord         || Phone cord
                                     | |                    ||

        Good luck..

        Bernard.


[e-mail] (Bernard.Guillaumot)
T.nis - Telecoms dedicated private server : (33)-{1}46-085-205 - GMT+0100

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

Date: Mon, 11 Oct 93 00:13 CDT
From: [e-mail] (Russell J. Price)
Subject: Restoring an Old Phone


I just picked up an early Automatic Electric "Monophone" (date of
manufacture unknown, but it's old enough to have a Z on the dial).
While I was rooting around inside to set up a modular cord for it, I
discovered that it has a 50 Hz ringer (sigh).  Sure enough, when I try
to ring it, the armature just vibrates feebly.  The ringer assembly as
marked as follows:

50 ~
D-56516-D
(L) D-283750-A
(R) D-283749-A
2000 ohms
USE .08 MF COND.

The bottom of the phone, and the wiring diagram inside, give a model
number of L 4123 ASL.

Would it be possible to substitute a larger capacitor to make it work
with 20 Hz ringing current, or would I be better off cannibalizing a
20 Hz ringer/capacitor combo from another phone?  Other than the
odd-frequency ringer (maybe this phone was on a party line?), the
phone seems to work fine.

Thanks in advance for any tips,


Russ Price

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

Subject: AT&T Partner Plus CPU R2.0
From: [e-mail] (Tony Pelliccio)
Date: Mon, 11 Oct 93 08:32:26 EDT
Organization: It's Hotter than Hell down here. CDP.ORG Founding Fathers


I'm sure somebody has realized we bought a used AT&T Partner Plus
system under Release 2.0. While 2.0 is nice it's lacking the features
we want such as the SMDR port, acct code entry, call forward, etc.

Here's the scoop ... we ordered the upgraded Release 3.0 cpu. If
there's anyone out there that has an AT&T Partner system (Ie, 1 to 2
206 cards stacked on a backplane) and wants to upgrade to Partner
Plus, please give us a call as we have this nice cpu with no home.
Prices will be discussed then, plus shipping.


Contact me via email: [e-mail]
Or you can contact via voice: Don Lambert [phone]


Tony Pelliccio, KD1NR, Control Op 441.750+, ARRL VE
system @ hades.cdp.org                 Soon W5YI VE

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

Date: Sun, 10 Oct 1993 14:01:03 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Subject: New Cellular Coverage Map


The Communications Publishing Company has recently published their new
1993 version of the Cellular Coverage Map. This map is in itself a
reasonably good full-color map of the USA and southern Canada with
cities, highways and waterways shown in detail. The back side lists
roaming information for 1000 cities.

You can see at a glance where cellular service is available, and how
much it costs for roamers on either carrier. Instructions are given
for placing calls in each city. Customer service and emergency numbers
are also included.

The map is 25 by 38 inches and is printed on heavy paper with film
coating. It comes in two versions: folded to keep in your car or
rolled so you can put it up for wall display or frame it, etc ...
They offer a money back guarantee if you do not like it.

Prices:  Folded version $9.00
         Rolled version $12.00

Quantity discounts are available.

Charge your order to a credit card by calling 800-927-8800. Purchase
orders from cellular carriers, telcos, etc accepted at 206-232-8800.

If you prefer to order by mail:

Cellular Publishing Company
PO Box 500
Mercer Island, WA 98040-0500

If outside the USA, write the phrase 'Pay US Dollars" on your check.
Washington State residents must add 8.2% sales tax.

If you order a map or two, please mention TELECOM Digest.

This is an excellent map and if you roam a lot, you should get one.


Patrick Townson

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

Date: Sun, 10 Oct 1993 14:29:42 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Subject: AT&T Personalized Information Service


AT&T has made their affiliation with the {USA Today} information line
official with their recent announcement of the Persnalized Information
Service. This is, I suspect, the thing which was running on 800/900
for quite awhile,.

I was never totally convinced it was a programming error which allowed
access via 800. Maybe, maybe not, but now it is official that you can
use it and pay via AT&T.

You are supposed to be an Easy Reach customer to use this service.
I don't know how much that counts. You have to call them to sign up
in order to use the service (apparently no casual calls allowed)
and in return you get to access the {USA Today} recorded information
at the rate of 49 cents per minute.

Call 1-800-982-8480 Ext. 2295. You will get a 'start-up kit' in the
mail along with 15 minutes of free usage which will be credited on
your first bill. You will get a separate bill each month itemizing
your Personalized Information usage, which I guess consists of the
calls you make to the various {USA Today} features. The thing they
sent me asks for your Easy Reach number in order to get the 49 cent
per minute rate.

Small print at the bottom says void where prohibited by law; that
this is available only in the US mainland and Hawaii, and that it
is a special promotional offering to Easy Reach customers. It further
states the promotion lasts until March 15, 1994 and that the 49
cent per minute price is 'subject to adjustment' at that time. You
may also have to pay taxes on your use, depending on where you live
or call from, etc.

I just thought you might like to know ...


Patrick Townson

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

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #691
******************************


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Date: Mon, 11 Oct 1993 23:41:03 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #692

TELECOM Digest     Mon, 11 Oct 93 23:41:00 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 692

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Toronto 976 Service Promoters Arrested (Toronto Star via Nigel Allen)
    The Sprint Modem Mystery (Phillip Dampier)
    High Speed, Short Term. What's Best? (Rich Chong)
    *69 Anecdotes Requested, Please (Scott Green)
    Pig Calls 911 (Denver Post via John C. Fowler)
    Looking for ANAC Number in NPA 203 (David A. Cantor)
    AT&T Addresses in the Netherlands Wanted (Michael Pentowski)
    Test Calls Requested (Richard Cox)
    Environmental Info (HVAC, DUst etc) on AT&T Sys 85 Eq ([e-mail])
    Social Engineering (was: Warning!) (Frank E. Carey)
    Re: Capacity of Area Code (Al Varney)
    Re: Phoiling a Phraud (Brett K. Elliott)
    Re: Magnetic Strip Codes (Jim Rees)
    Re: Does Your Credit Card Number Change ... (Paul Robinson)
    AT&T's New Calling Card (Paul Robinson)
    Re: Atomic Clocks (John R. Bruni)

                 ----------------------------
TELECOM Digest is an e-journal devoted mostly -- but not entirely --
to discussions on telecommunications in general, and voice telephony
in particular. It is published daily, and is reader-written, meaning
the people who read it are the people who submit articles to it. The
Digest is a not-for-profit activity of Patrick Townson Associates, a
telecommunications consulting firm in Chicago, Illinois. PTA markets a
variety of telecom-related services including a no-surcharge telephone
calling card known as the Orange Card.  In addition, we are marketing
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reseller. Telepassport is our international discount calling plan.
Write and ask for our products and services file.

TELECOM Digest is distributed free of charge to qualified subscribers
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Back issues and many other files of interest are available free of
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by sending email to [e-mail]. Write and ask for our
help guide to using the archives. Over twelve years of telecom news
and discussions are stored there.

TELECOM Digest is compilation-copyrighted, 1993 by Patrick Townson
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may reach us by phone: [phone] or fax: [phone].  Thank you!

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

Subject: Toronto 976 Service Promoters Arrested
From: [e-mail] (Nigel Allen)
Date: Mon, 11 Oct 1993 18:06:00 -0400
Organization: CRS Online  (Toronto, Ontario)


The following article appeared in {Toronto Star}, October 11, 1993,
page A7.

[Note from NDA: For more information, call the media relations office
of the Metropolitan Toronto Police at [phone] (voice).]

Two arrested after investors claim $500,000 loss in phone service.

Two Toronto residents have been arrested after 110 investors in a 976
phone service lost an estimated $500,000, police say.

The venture, called the Info Bureau, involved the sale of personal
computers with automatic dialing equipment and the sale of territor-
ies to the investors.

Investors monitored computers which solicited customers to call a 976
telephone number for information about travel vouchers, financial
opportunities and other discounted goods and services. Each call to
the 976 number registered a $10 charge on the caller's phone bill; $6
of this was to be paid to the investor. But investors claim they never
received any of the money.

Martin James Halcro, 45, and Zena Conery, 57, both of Lawrence Ave. W.,
are charged with defrauding the public and fraud over $1,000.


Nigel Allen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada    [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (Phillip Dampier)
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Date: Mon, 11 Oct 1993 17:31:58 -0500
Subject: The Sprint Modem Mystery


The person to speak with for those having questions about the Sprint
modem offer is Tom Westlake at the company that makes the modems.  He
can be reached at 1-800-632-2378.

What I have found out is that there are, in fact, two modem offers
going on at the moment at Sprint.

The first modem, which is the default modem to be sent to people who
call Sprint and mention the Dvorak offer is an internal half card
modem that features 2400bps data and 9600 send/4800 receive fax.

There is confusion over the transmission speed because the modem
manufacturer is touting the v.42bis that is a part of this modem as
making it a true 9600 bps modem.  Ho, ho, ho ... we know better.

Those requesting external modems will get an ordinary 2400 bps modem
with 9600 send/receive fax, which in my opinion is a better deal if
you want a modem to use for its fax capabilities alone.

All in all, the modems probably are worth about 70 dollars or so.

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

Date: Sun, 10 Oct 1993 16:27:10 CDT
From: Rich Chong <[e-mail]>
Subject: High Speed, Short Term: What's Best?
Organization: University of Illinois at Chicago, ADN Computer Center


I handle a nationwide user group which meets four times a year in just
about any medium to large city the U.S. We want to provide a weeklong
datalink to our main network back home. Say 56kbps. What are the pros
and cons to my available alternatives? So far, I think they are:
switched-56k, ISDN, inverse muxing two v.fast POTS lines. Others?  I'm
wondering in terms of costs (initial, per meeting install, use), and
line ordering (wait time, is it justified to keep up for one week?).
For instance, two $.22/min long distance phone calls for seven days
would be like $4500 + two POTS install costs on site. How do others
compare?  What are the viable options if I wanted T1 speeds?  I know
all about routers and stuff, and don't need info on what kinds of
equipment I need. Just info on how the telecom industry handles things
for the actual *wire* in-between.  Thanks for any comments, ideas, and
help.


Rich

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

From: Scott Green <[e-mail]>
Organization:  Wharton Reprographics
Date: Mon, 11 Oct 1993 10:41:05 EST
Subject: *69 Anecdotes Requested, Please


A friend is writing a column for a Big City daily paper in an area
that's just about to get * services.  Anything that you'd care to
share about Return*Call, Repeat*Call, Call*Trace that may be of
interest to the general public, please e-mail them to me!  Any good
"*69 Wars" stories, "We Caught 'em" call*trace stories, etc, would be
most welcome.


Thanks!

Scott D. Green                  305 Steinberg Hall - Dietrich Hall
The Wharton School              3620 Locust Walk
University of Pennsylvania      Philadelphia, PA   19104-6302
voice:      +1.215.898.2744     fax:  [phone]
internet:   [e-mail]

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

Date: Mon, 11 Oct 93 00:51 GMT
From: John C. Fowler <[e-mail]>
Subject: Pig Calls 911


[From {The Denver Post}, October 10, 1993]

Grunt work: Pig's 911 call a false alarm.

   When the 911 emergency line call rang into the Weld County dispatch
office, the dispatcher could hear only labored breathing on the phone.

   Believing the call to be a woman in distress, the dispatcher traced
the call, made Thursday night, to a residence in Nunn and sent a
rescue squad and an ambulance with paramedics to the address.

   When they arrived, they found a woman watching television, bewildered
by all the commotion.

   An investigation revealed the woman's pet Vietnamese pot-bellied
pig named Juliet had made the call.

   The pig had nudged the receiver off the hook and pushed an
automatic dial button for 911 with her nose.

   When the dispatcher answered, Juliet apparently had huffed and
puffed into the phone.

   "I really feel bad about putting the fire department through all
that," the woman, who asked not to be identified, said Friday.  "I
really appreciate all the work they did."

[Submitter's Note: This is precisely why I don't program any of my
autodial buttons to dial 911.  Well, not because I have pigs running
all over the apartment, but because it's way too easy to hit one by
mistake, and it can be embarrassing when that happens.]


John C. Fowler, [e-mail]

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

Date: Mon, 11 Oct 1993 00:52:39 EDT
From: David A. Cantor <[e-mail]>
Subject: Looking For ANAC Number in NPA 203


Anyone know the ANAC number, assuming there is one, for 203-444 (New
London, CT)?


David A. Cantor          [phone]
131 D.W. Highway, #505   Foxwoods blackjack dealer
Nashua, NH  03060        Moving soon to New London, CT

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

From: [e-mail] (michael pentowski)
Subject: AT&T Addresses in the Netherlands Wanted
Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1993 00:20:46 GMT
Organization: lunatech research/stichting knoware


Hello,

Does anyone out there might have some addresses in Holland (Email or
otherwise) for AT&T where you could write to if you had a development
project based on the new PDA technolgies (Apple, Sharp) which you
would like to discuss with their Marketing and Engineering people?


Thank you,

Michael Pentowski
Lunatech Research/Stichting Knoware*
A Network of Expertise

When your address is Knoware*, your always at home...


[Moderator's Note: In case anyone is interested, there is such a site
as lunatech.knoware.nl ... it is located in the Netherlands, as the 'nl'
part of the address tells us.  PAT]

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

Date: Mon, 11 Oct 93 21:22:00  GMT
From: Richard Cox <[e-mail]>
Subject: Test Calls Requested
Reply-To: [e-mail]


All the good folks in the USA have had 0-700 numbers for some time now
 ..  and at last there is a similar service about to open here in the UK.

Unlike the USA 0-700 services, the intention is that our personal
numbers will be able to be called from anywhere outside the UK.  I'm
beta-testing the new service (it's called "Flextel"), and I want to be
able to be sure that I can be reached on the new number from other
countries.

So, I'd be most grateful to anyone *outside* the UK who reads this
group, who would be willing to send me a test FAX.  I'm asking for
faxes because that way you don't have to worry about the time
difference between the UK and whereever you are!  The number to fax to
is [phone].  From USA and Canada, that would be 01144 956
700110 (from most other countries, it would be 0044 956 700110).

There's no need to send anything special -- just a note of the number
that you are faxing from and, if you'd like a confirmation that I
received the fax, please include your e-mail address.  If, for *any*
reason, your call should fail, I would be extremely grateful if you
could send me an e-mail with details of exactly *how* the call failed:
and, if you got a recorded announcement, any location ID included in
the announcement so that we can see exactly *where* the call failed.

Thanks for your help.


Richard Cox
Mandarin Technology, Cardiff, Wales
Voice: [phone]; Fax: [phone]
e-mail: [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (The Uncarved Block)
Subject: Environmental Info (HVAC, DUst etc) on AT&T Sys 85 Eq
Date: 11 Oct 1993 19:30:14 GMT
Organization: University of Maryland, College Park


Hi,

I need to find out as much information on environmental factors
affecting the AT&T Sys 85 as possible. We are doing a renovation on a
building which contains a MAJOR node, and the node space needs to be
protected from:

    * excessive heat and humidity variation
    * dust
    * vibration from construction

I also need to find out the heat output of each cabinet, so I can
specify the new HVAC system they will be installing for the Node room.
So, if you have any specs on the largest amount of dust/vibration/heat
variation an 85 can take and still keep on tickin' please feel free to
mail them to me or post here for others to see.


Thanks,

Mo

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

Date: Mon, 11 Oct 93 22:08:41 EDT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Social Engineering (was Warning!)
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories


> At the moment I only *strongly suspect* that there is some new phone
> card fraud about;

> He gave me a calling card number to verify; I said it wasn't mine.
> He said records showed two lines into the residence (I have four) and
> I had to authenticate the calling card I *did* have. I declined. He
> said he'd have to block the line until the matter could be
> investigated unless I could authenticate.

> From the noise, I suspect that he was calling from a buttset somewhere on
> Earth, but beyond that I can only say I hope they nail him!

Sid Moody, a journalist with the Associated Press, was hit by this
scam.  After he'd offered his profuse thanks to the scammer for
helping him he decided to do a story on how well the carriers are
protecting the public from credit card fraud.  As soon as he contacted
his carrier he learned he had been socially engineered. They were able
to cancel his card before it was used fraudulently.  He wrote a rather
different story than he had originally intended which ran in the
{Buffalo News}, June 6, 1993.

This particular scam is not new and is so widespread that the FCC has
recently issued a warning and guidelines to consumers on this and
other scams.  The FCC warning and guidelines were reported in the
{Boston Globe} on August 5th.


Frank Carey at Bell Labs      [e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: Frank, would you happen to have a copy of the {Globe}
article you could scan into a message for us here? Or lacking that,
could you summarize some of the more prevalent scams people should be
aware of if you are able to do so without compromising any pending
investigations you or your department may be involved in?  When new
scams are discovered, would you mind passing along details so our net
readers can be alerted ASAP?  Thanks very much.   PAT]

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

Date: Mon, 11 Oct 93 08:59:33 CDT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Capacity of Area Code
Organization: AT&T


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Witness)
writes:

> -=> Quoting [e-mail] to All <=-

>> unlikely: 200 211 300 311 400 500 511 600 700 711 811

> Well, actually, the 700 exchange is already in use. It's a toll free
> exchange used for various services in the US. The one that comes to
> mind is the carrier subscriber info service. It's a 1-700 nubmer that
> will tell you who your LD provider is.

   Yes, NPA 700 is already in use.  No, it is NOT TOLL-FREE!!!  The
entire range of numbers (1+700-NXX-XXXX and 0+700-NXX-XXXX) is defined
as a Service Access Code, is the same way as 1+800 and 1+900.  The
specific exchange 555 within each code is reserved for internal use,
such as an "information number".  Other than that, I don't believe
there is any restriction on the use of numbers within the 700-
spectrum.

   Unlike 800 and 900 (which force the call to a designated carrier
and thus do not permit 10XXX carrier selection), the 700 numbers are
unique to each IXC, and thus 10XXX is valid and often required to
select the appropriate carrier.  But the carrier determines what, if
anything, happens when receiving such calls.  This includes the
ability to charge for calls to such numbers.

   In addition, the ICCF and Bellcore appear to have designated 500 as
a trial "Personal Communication Services" Special Access Code.  (There
may be some paperwork/approvals remaining.)  Initially, it appears 500
will function similarly to 900, in that a specific NXX code will route
to a specific carrier.  There will be lots of variation on what such
calls do, however.  There does not seem to be any agreement on what
PCS means; thus the "trial" designation.


Al Varney - just my opinion

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

From: Brett K. Elliott <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Phoiling a Phraud
Date: Mon, 11 Oct 1993 12:06:39 -0400
Organization: Freshman, MCS general, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA


> guidelines. I do think it is important for kids to realize however
> that theft of telecom services is just as serious a matter as theft of
> something they pick up in a store and walk out without paying for. The
> excuse that 'it would not be used anyway' (i.e. excess switching and

> I also cheated the payphone in the cafeteria of the junior high
> school I went to and taught the other kids how to do it.  PAT]

The whole attitude of "I did this when I was a kid ..." then "... but
you should not." is entirely stupid.  The kids you treat like felons
were no different than yourself. Like you they were "experimenting,"
yet imagine being treated like you treat those experimentors or
'phreaks'.  Being called ruthless, cheating, degrading, etc, etc. If
you ask me kids don't deserve that treatment you and so many, many
others in this newsgroup and in the papers, give them.


[e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: It is not at all 'stupid' to say I did something
that you should not do. For example, I started smoking cigarettes when
I was 13 years old. I've now smoked for 38 years; for me to quit seems
inconcievable. I can't imagine going anywhere without my 'friends' or
not having them near me at all times from the moment I wake up each
day and give the Smoker's Pledge of Allegiance (hack, hack) until I
roll over and go to sleep at night. I strongly urge kids not to smoke,
or if they have started to stop. Is that a stupid statement on my part?
Why is it, in your opinion, wrong for people who have gone down a certain
path before to call out to those who follow, warning them of the pitfalls
and traps which lay ahead?  PAT]

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

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Magnetic Strip Codes
Date: 11 Oct 1993 16:27:03 GMT
Organization: University of Michigan CITI


In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (David
Faulkner) writes:

> [Moderator's Note: Do you think it is worth your trouble in view of
> how few card reading public phones there are in the USA? I don't think
> I have ever seen one in Chicago except at the airport.  PAT]

There used to be a few in the lobby of the Palmer House.  They are
still there, as far as I know.

I'd like to know why Union Station is so telecom deprived.  There are
no AT&T Public Phone 2000s, no carrier direct phones, not even a phone
with an RJ-11.  Even bringing your own phone doesn't help, since cellular
service is so poor downtown.


[Moderator's Note: That's my point. We have thousands of pay phones in
Chicago and maybe a dozen are card-reader types. You are correct about
the Palmer House. In all the years my phone calling cards have had mag
strips on them (and I go back to when AT&T issued 'credit cards' printed
on thick paper stock with your name and 'credit card number' typed in
by hand using a manual typewriter) I have never had to occassion to use
my card while at a card phone.  PAT]

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

Date: Mon, 11 Oct 1993 21:29:54 EDT
Reply-To: [e-mail]
From: Paul Robinson <[e-mail]>
Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring, MD USA
Subject: Does Your Credit Card Number Change When Your Area Code Does?


"Bruce J. Miller" <[e-mail]>, writes:

> My section of the 215 area code (SE PA) will be changed to 610
> starting 1 January 1994.

And so will your calling card.  Note that telephone company calling
cards are no longer called "credit cards".  Possibly in an attempt to
get around the U.S. federal law that sets a $50 limit on unauthorized
charges.

You may want to switch to the new AT&T Card which they have just
released; details in the message following this one.


Paul Robinson - [e-mail]

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

Date: Mon, 11 Oct 1993 21:34:52 EDT
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Subject: AT&T's New Calling Card
From: Paul Robinson <[e-mail]>
Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring, MD USA


AT&T now has a new calling card out.  You can now select the number or
word (seven, eight or nine digits or letters) that you can use for the
card number.  That plus the four digit PIN (you decide if it appears
on the card), is now available for people that want something easier
than that 16-digit "85" number that AT&T is now issuing.

Someone (Carl Oppedahl)? earlier asked why people don't memorize their
calling card number.  That's fine to memorize a 16-digit number which
doesn't match your home phone number if you use it regularly.  For
someone like me who makes perhaps two calls a month such an option is
unacceptable.  Now, the situation is different.  Also, the number is
not related to the billing number, if you move you can take the same
calling card number with you.  (It has a separate International
number.)

Pat Townson could get the card number "PTOWNSON" or "ORANGECD", Carl
"OPPEDAHL" could get that for a calling card number (67733245 is what
that translates into).  The guy looking for Jenny from that famous
song could get the number 867-5309, or "BUtterfield 8 5000" or any
famous number.  And you can get the card set up as a restricted number
card, so it could be used as a substitute for an 800 number if calling
volume doesn't justify the overhead of an 800 number. (Currently, with
companies like Hogan, the "overhead" point for getting an 800 number
is five collect or calling card calls a month, at which point
accepting a sixth collect call per month is more expensive than having
an 800 number.)

The office handling this is 1 800 537 0816, selection 2 on voice mail.


Paul Robinson - [e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: If letter combinations are translated behind the
scenes to digits as in phone service -- you seem to imply this when
you translate OPPEDAHL into 67733245 -- doesn't that limit the number
of names/words available?  In other words, if someone else requested
728-7425 would that keep me from getting PATRICK?   PAT]

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

Date: Mon, 11 Oct 93 10:19:25 +0100
From: John R. Bruni <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Atomic Clocks


In article <[e-mail]>, jjmhome!pig!die@transfer.
stratus.com (Dave Emery) wrote:

> In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail]
> (Cliff Sharp) writes:

>> There's an easier way to access an atomic clock, if you want to do
>> a bit of hardware hacking.  All (I believe) of the TV networks use a
>> cesium-rubidium atomic clock as their master timebase, so network
>> shows you watch locally are locked indirectly to that clock.

>> Unfortunately, the frequency you'd get is 3,579,545 Hz, and that might
>> be a bit of a chore to use as a PLL synthesizer reference to generate
>> your chosen frequency ... not to mention having to tap into your TV
>> set to get it.

> This doesn't work and hasn't worked for the past 10-12 years since
> television networks took to satellite transmission and local stations
> took to using digital video processing and switching.  Back in the
> 70's when networks were relayed on fixed AT&T microwave paths and
> video switching and processing in broadcast TV was almost all analog
> the NBS got the networks to lock their clocks to rubideum standards
> and it was possible to get reliable time of day and frequency
> reference from television network timing.

As someone who worked for NBC for 17 years, I can confirm that NBC had
their own "atomic" clock as of 1974-5.  It ran the entire network,
including the clocks on the intercom boxes in local radio (WNBC-AM,
N.Y.)  The reason I know this is that a fellow engineer, while doing
maintenance work on an intercom box, accidentally shorted the clock.
Amazingly, the master clock was not protected.  It went down and it
took the television network with it.  Many of the net's automated
functions had to be run manually until the clock was back on line.
Consternation reigned supreme that day.  We never fessed up, so you
heard it here first!


John R. Bruni, a.k.a. "Rocky" / "Cowboy Buddha"
San Francisco Engineering, Inc.  [e-mail]

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

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #692
******************************


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Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1993 00:18:00 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #693

TELECOM Digest     Tue, 12 Oct 93 00:18:00 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 693

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Re: The Amtrak 911 Call (Greg Abbott)
    Re: Radio Spectrum Auctions (Robert J. Keller)
    Re: Stutter Dial-Tone Detectors (Ken Thompson)
    Re: Erlangs, Grade of Service and Such (Martin Weiss)
    Re: Caller-ID/Caller-Name for PC (Paul Robinson)
    Re: Screwed Up 900 Service (John R. Levine)
    Re: How Will Routers Compete Against Digital Switches? (Stu Jeffery)
    Re: AML Carrier? (Jack Winslade)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Mon, 11 Oct 1993 13:04:20 CST
From: Greg Abbott <[e-mail]>
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: The Amtrak 911 Call


As a 9-1-1 offical, here are my impressions of the tape referenced:

> 1) To us, listening to it on the TV news, it comes across perfectly
> clear and understandable. But was that really the way it was when the
> call was actually made, from a mobile phone on board the wrecked train
> while it was in a rural area? Or is the recording we hear on the TV a
> product of days of audio processing and clarification, filtering, and
> equalization? If the latter is true, it may well be that the operator
> actually had a hard time understanding what we hear as perfectly clear
> and crisp enunciation now ...

I dispatched for 12 years prior to being promoted to the administrative
section of our center.  From experience, I can honestly say that the
tapes of telephone calls are generally easier to understand than the
actual telephone calls in progress.  There are a number of reasons for
this:

1.  Backround noise, not audible or filtered out of the tape, may have
been making the caller inaudible.

2.  When playing the tape back, you are concentrating on that specific
audio source.  The operator may have very well been trying to complete
the last dispatch ticket or was quickly trying to locate the codes to
enter a train crash into the dispatch computer.  The ability to
multi-task is very beneficial to a 9-1-1 operator.  Anyway, from the
tape, we don't know what else that operator had going on around her.

3.  Not all 9-1-1 centers have a group of persons to answer incoming
calls and a different group to conduct the actual dispatch of
emergency response crews.  The operator in question may have been
dividing her time between the telephone call and another emergency she
was dispatching emergency crews to.

4.  The caller was very excited and rattled off a lot of information
very quickly.  When you heard the tape, you had a general idea of what
the caller was going to be talking about.  The operator was blind
sided by the call.  She didn't have the benefit of knowing that her
next call was going to be a train wreck.

> 2) Are 911 operators trained to deliberately repeat what the callers
> say and get them to say it more than once, in order to remove any
> possible source of error or confusion? If so, what appears to be
> incomprehension on the operator's part could actually be a technique
> to draw out any and all details that an excited or distressed caller
> may not volunteer. An operator acting "dumb" could force an excited
> caller to slow down and become more exact in trying to get the
> information across to someone who seems to not be understanding, when
> in fact the operator may be getting this all perfectly well and just
> is playing a part in order to have this effect on the caller.

Our operators are trained to repeat the location of the incident to
callers.  This provides a confirmation of the location and forces the
caller to stop and think about what they have just been asked.  Often
times, callers are hysterical (the guy that called in the train wreck
was very close to hysterical) and the operator must take control of
the conversation and more often than not, force the caller to provide
the necessary information.  Many times, callers do not make themselves
clear on the exact nature of the problem.  The caller on the train
crash did do a decent job of saying that the train was in the water
and persons were trapped, but he never stopped talking long enough for
the operator to ask much more than the location!  I have taken many
calls from people who were unable to reveal the true nature of the
emergency without my having to "pry" into the situation.

One night a lady told me that she wanted to report an accident.  I
asked where this was at and if anyone was hurt.  She gave me the
address and a vehicle description and further advised me, in a very
calm tone of voice, "he is dead."  I had the dispatch information in
the computer and someone else had dispatched the police and an
ambulance but something just didn't fit, so I kept her on the phone
and asked her more details.  I was able to find out that the car was
in the garage and it was her husband who was dead.  She had shot him
and put him in the car thinking that she could say he was killed in an
accident.  When police arrived (about two minutes into the call) she
said she wasn't going to come out, still had the gun and she would
kill her kids if police came in.  This may not be a good example, but
I'm trying to say if we took every callers initial statement of facts
at face value, lots of people (including emergency responders) would
probably get hurt.  9-1-1 operators don't ask alot of questions because
they're being nosy.  Each question has a purpose.  It can also calm
the caller and allow them to remember additional important information
which could help the emergency responders.

It is difficult to make a judgement without having heard the entire
telephone call or knowing what actions she took after hanging up, but
from what I have heard, I would say that she did a good job of handling
the call.

Very few people can appreciate (or care to) the job of a 9-1-1
dispatcher.  When people asked me what the job was like I'd ask them
if they'de ever tried to thread a needle while riding on a roller
coaster?  That's how difficult it is and then when you succeed people
say "so what".

That's my .02 cents worth.  These comments are my own.  In no way do they
represent those of my employer.


GREG ABBOTT           INTERNET: [e-mail]
9-1-1 COORDINATOR   COMPUSERVE: 76046,3107
                         VOICE: 217/333-4348
METCAD                     FAX:   [phone]
1905 E. MAIN ST.         PAGER: 800/222-6651
URBANA, IL  61801               PIN # 9541

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

Reply-To: [e-mail] (Robert J. Keller)
Date: Mon, 11 Oct 1993 09:45:39
Subject: Re: Radio Spectrum Auctions
From: [e-mail] (Robert J. Keller)


In V13 #690, [e-mail] (Bob Wier) asks:

> I wonder if anyone has any experience in removing a license for cellular
> coverage from a company (maybe not since this is relatively new).

Bob's gusss is correct.  There is no experience with cellular renewals
since the very first cellular renewal applications were filed only
within the last month.  It will likely be many more months before they
are processed.  These applications were mostly for the Block B systems
in the largest markets (since those were the first licensed).
According to the best information I have from the FCC, there were no
competing applications filed (i.e., no applications by others seeking
to get a new cellular license for the area in lieu of renewing the
existing licensee's term), but this is still not official.

Bob Wier goes on to say:

> I have a house in S.W. Colorado in an area which does not have
> cellular coverage.  I have talked with the company which owns the
> license (I don't know if the B license is also allocated or not).  They
> are basically two mountain ranges over, so in my town, you can't hear
> a thing.  They basically said they were not going to build in the
> forseeable future since the economics didn't favor it.

> Question: wouldn't this be a good case for revocation of license?
> Hopefully it might get reallocated to someone who'd actually use it.
> This is an area which could really use cellular coverage due to the
> extreme nature of the terrain -- there are considerable health and
> safety considerations involved.

Probably not for revocation, but depending on the circumstances there
are, at least theorectically, regulatory remedies.  The cellular rules
were changed last year in an attempt to make the legally protected
service area more closely coincide with the areas actually receiving
service.  If the cellular licensee in a market has not provided
service to an area within the first five years of its license term,
then other entities are free to file applications to serve such areas
(so-called, unserved area applications).  The effectiveness of this
rule change in addressing the problem experienced by Bob Wier,
however, is questionable at best.

First, an area may be well within a cellular carrier's legally
protected contour area, but still not receiving actual service due to
terrain an other limitations.  While such area would theoretcially be
available for unserved area applications, this would likely not happen
without special showings to the FCC and possible litigation with the
existing licensee.

Second, even if the area is not within the legally protected service
area of the licensee, and thus ostensibly availalbe for unserved area
applications, there are other regulations that may prevent or severely
limit the ability of others to serve the area.  For example, a
so-called Phase I unserved area application (one filed on the first
day the area becomes availalbe for filing) must propose coverage to a
minimum contiguous area of 50 square miles, but the proposed service
area still may not extend beyond the market or into any other cellular
carrier's service area (even if the other carrier consents.)

Third, even if it is legally and technically possible to apply for
authority to cover the area in question, the FCC's wheels of justice
still turn slowly.  A series of unserved area applications were filed,
starting this past March, and the FCC was scheduled to begin lotteries
to award licenses in September, but the lotteries were cancelled at
the last minute so the FCC can now consider whether to use its newly
acquired auction authority instead.  Now it is anybody's guess when
they will process those applications.  My bet is it won't be before
the end of this calendar year!

Finally, even if all these obstacles are overcome, the cellular
carrier's assessment that the area in question is not economically
viable may be right.  It costs several hundered thousad dollars to
extablish an additional cell site in a system (and possibly more where
there are terrain problems.  The FCC's policy has _not_ been to force
cellular carriers to serve all areas, but merely to keep them from
preventing someone else who is willing to do so from taking up ths
slack.  If the two competing cellular carriers who enjoy an initial
five year monopoly (and are in competition with each other) don't
extend service to an area, a third party is going to question the
economics long and hard before committing funds to such an area.


Robert J. Keller (KY3R)               [e-mail]
Telecommunications Lawyer          [e-mail]
Tel [phone] Fax [phone]  CIS 76100.3333

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

From: ken thompson <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Stutter Dial-Tone Detectors
Date: 11 Oct 93 17:13:38 GMT
Organization: NCR Corporation Wichita, KS


[e-mail] (Stephen O. Pace) writes:

> I am looking for a device that can light a light (or otherwise
> indicate) that your dial tone is "stuttering" (i.e. you have a
> voice-mail message).  I've wanted one for home for a while, but
> recently the Shell location I'm at upgraded their phone system without
> upgrading all of the phones.  If you have a cool AT&T ISDN phone, it
> lights up a light when you get a message.  If you have a 1970's phone
> like I have, you have to pick up the receiver each time you enter your
> office to see if someone called.

For those with audix, an old yellow phone, and no money to purchase an
AT&T phone with a message light, here is a circuit that works to
indicate an audix message is waiting.  Mount the led that lights in a
conveniently visible location.


                          |\ |
        <---------+-------| >|-----+-----'\/\/\/\/`-----+
                  |       |/ |     |        22k         |
                  |        led     |                    |
to phone          |                |                    |
line              |       | /|     |                    |
(green/red)       +-------|< |-----+                    |
(L1/L2)                   | \|                          |
                           led                          |
                                                        |
                                                        |
        <-----------------------------------------------+

This is for information only.  No one is encouraged to actually use
the circuit.  Legal or moral considerations of modifying or destroying
company property are not addressed.

No warranty expressed or implied.  Not liable for any direct,
consequential, or incidental loss or damage.  This circuit has not
been certified as complying with Part 68 of FCC regs.

WARNING: Telephone circuitry contains potentially lethal voltages.  No
user serviceable parts inside.  Refer all repairs, adjustments and
modifications of any equipment to qualified service personnel.


Ken Thompson    N0ITL
Disk Array Hardware Development
Peripheral Products MPD-Wichita
NCR Corp.  an AT&T company
3718 N. Rock Road  Wichita, Ks 67226
[phone]
[e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (Martin Weiss)
Subject: Re: Erlangs, Grade of Service and Such
Date: 11 Oct 1993 21:50:40 GMT
Organization: University of Pittsburgh


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail]
(Lonnie Filbrun) writes:

> Could someone post some information or book references to where I
> might find out how to compute erlangs to figure out the grade of
> service?  I have been told that the formula is different for paging
> companies because the incoming trunks are only one-way.

There are a number of books available that do an adequate job with
this.  One is by James Boucher "Voice Teletraffic Systems Engineering"
(Artech 1988).  The procedure really is quite simple.  In the Bell
System, they used a measure called centum Call Seconds (CCS) instead
of erlangs, which is easier to explain.  In CCS, you would multiply
the number of calls by the length of the call and divide it by 100.
That gives you the amount of traffic being carried on a line, and it
would be no different for pagers or telephones, or whatever.  The
relationship between erlangs and CCS is 1 erlang = 36 CCS.  1 Erlang
is defined to be the amount of traffic that would completely occupy a
line for one hour (3600 seconds).  Erlang traffic loads can also be
computed by taking the ratio of the call arrival rate and the call
holding rate.  The call holding rate would be inverse of the amount of
time it takes to transmit the data from the central paging location to
the pager.


Martin Weiss   Telecommunications Program
Department of Information Science
University of Pittsburgh

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

Date: Mon, 11 Oct 1993 22:04:10 EDT
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Caller-ID/Caller-Name for PC
From: Paul Robinson <[e-mail]>
Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring, MD USA


"Scott M. Pfeffer" <[e-mail]>, writes:

> I recently subscribed to Southwestern Bell's Caller-ID service.
> Simultaneously, I went to my local computer supplier and purchased
> a US Robotics 14.4KB Fax/Modem (internal) for my COMPAQ '386
> desktop computer.

> I have subsequently been searching for hardware and/or software
> that functions as a caller ID receiver that installs directly into
> my personal computer.

> Has anyone such a device, or heard of such a device?  I'd much
> rather have something in my computer, where I can store numbers
> indefinitely, use them to track incoming calls even when I am at
> home to receive them, keep track of the length of calls, etc.

> Am I pipe-dreaming, or is any of this currently available?

It is already available.  It's called a Caller-ID equipped modem.
Take your U.S. Robotics back to the store and purchase a Practical
Peripherals PM14400FXV32bis modem.

You're either not reading all the messages or haven't been subscribing
to this mailing list for very long; I reviewed the Practical Peripherals
modem in this forum more than two months ago when I bought it.  It comes
with Caller-ID circuitry built right in; all you have to do is issue
an AT command and whenever a call comes in, the Caller-ID data will be
received along with the "RING" message, and you have the choice of
getting the data in character format or in hexadecimal.

I paid slightly more ($225) than a no-name clone ($199) that Micro Center
had on sale at the same time; this one from PP had the Caller-ID
capability (not critical, but nice), a name brand (helps) some free
commercial service offers, and a lifetime warranty.  I have had no trouble
with it and have gotten fairly good responses with it.  Some transfers of
binary archive files from a local Unix system occur at speeds of as high
as 1700 cps, while some plain text transfers from MCI Mail occur as low as
800 cps, both cases while using Zmodem over an alleged 14,400 baud
connection.  The actual speed you get depends on how loaded the ends are.

I was worried about spending this kind of money on a modem, but I am
very satisfied and have no regrets.  Well one regret: I wish I had had
the money to do it sooner.


Paul Robinson - [e-mail]

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

Date: Tue, 12 Oct 93 00:24 EDT
From: [e-mail] (John R Levine)
Subject: Re: Screwed Up 900 Service
Organization: I.E.C.C.


>>> AT&T claims that $800,000.00 worth of calls were made from AT&T
>>> ("black") Public Phones (you know, those phones at the airport)
>>> located in some truck stop in Oregon.

> I think too it will strain their credibility to state that truckers (or
> twelve year old phreaks for that matter) found their business-information
> phone line so valuable that the line of people waiting to use the payphone
> at the truck stop extended clear out into the parking lot for several days
> as people lined up to put through a call of thirty seconds or so ...

I've reported pretty much all the relevant stuff that nofriends has
told me.  He mentioned that they'd previously had 900 service from
another carrier (MCI? don't have the message any more) but switched to
AT&T when they had some sort of dispute with MCI.

Assuming, as always, that what he says is true, I'd expect the most
likely problem is that in fact nobody at the truck stop made any calls
at all, and the apparent call records were due to a software messup.
Remember, these were AT&T's own pay phones that shouldn't have been
able to make any 900 calls at all.

The whole business sounds very peculiar with lots of other odd stuff
going on.  But the idea that A) there should be an AT&T payphone in
Oregon that could make 900 calls, B) someone should discover that
fact, and C) they should make thousands of calls to nofriends 900
number and D) no calls at all to any other 900 number, strains
credulity.  I don't know where nofriends operation was, but it didn't
sound like they were anywhere near Oregon.


Regards,

John Levine, [e-mail], {spdcc|ima|world}!iecc!johnl

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

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: How Will Routers Compete Against Digital Switches?
Date: Mon, 11 Oct 93 21:30:18 PDT


In TELECOM Digest V13 #691 Garrett Wollman writes:

> Let's analyze what can happen in a non-isochronous network to
> digitally-encoded voice packets:

> 1) packets can get delayed or interchanged;
>   - solved by a reasonably sized playout buffer (remember,
>   memory is cheap!)

While I agree you can reassemble isochronous traffic with the proper
time indexing, you do have problems in actual delay, which can have
several problems in trying to carry on a two way, real time conver-
sation.

> However, it has been clearly demonstrated that non-isochronous
> networks work perfectly well for both voice and slow-update video
> [like in a teleconference].

My only quarrel with this comment would be the use of the term
"perfectly" well. I have not had privilege of actually hearing such a
real time, two way conference, so it may in fact be fine.  But I find
the delay of 250 ms on a single hop satellite link annoying -- (espec-
ially when I am arguing!) and I would anticipate it takes more than
250 msec to correct for the time uncertainty.

I doubt if the delay in video would be the dominate problem. The 10 or
15 frames per second that is sent over ISDN is so choppy that you
would never notice the additional delay.

I would be very interested in hearing (and interacting) in a live
audio demo.


Stu Jeffery     Voice and fax: [phone]

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

Date: Mon, 11 Oct 93 06:32:10 CST
From: [e-mail] (Jack Winslade)
Subject: Re: AML Carrier?
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Organization: DRBBS Technical BBS, Omaha


In a message dated 03-OCT-93, Yutang Chuang writes:

> I am not familiar with telecom terms. But, my loacl telco told me that
> my second phone line recently added has this 'AML carrier' that would
> cause modem communication difficulty. (For my case, the modem does not
> answer consistently. i.e. it won't answer right at number of rings set
> for S0) So, what is this AML stuff? Only thing I know it has to do
> with using this to carry more phone lines as the telco phone lines are
> in scarce.

It's been said that the AML-1 box was responsible for the expression
'Gag me with a spoon'.  ;-)

It's one of aseveral methods of getting more than one subscriber
circuit out of one physical copper pair.  If it's the unit I'm
thinking of, it's quite troublesome, and almost never seen anymore in
this area, at least.

The AML-1 provided a second line (derived pair) in addition to the
subscriber's main line.  It was commonly used in the early 1970's for
'Teenline' <possibly a TM> service and such.  The derived line would
seldom work properly with modems.

Adding the AML box to the circuit meant that the line on the physical
loop had to be isolated with a lowpass filter.  This shouldn't affect
modem operations on the physical pair, but it's quite possible that it
introduces just enough attenuation and/or phase distortion at the
higher voiceband frequencies to make high-speed modem operation
unreliable.

It's also quite possible (like in your case) that this filter helped
remove noise that existed in the high voiceband range.  In this case,
the modem might work better with the filter in the line.

The more modern pair gain systems, such as the SLC-96 and successors,
work much better.  Many people are served by these and don't even know
it.  If they are set up properly, they should be transparent to almost
all modem and fax transmissions.  However (comma) there is one case in
Joplin that I am aware of where a site has (had ??) both physical and
SLC-derived pairs and modem performance, both v.32(bis) and PEP was
poorer on the SLC lines.


Good day.      JSW   (1:285/666.0)

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

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #693
******************************


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Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1993 00:13:50 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #694

TELECOM Digest     Wed, 13 Oct 93 00:13:30 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 694

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    TENCON '94 ---- Call for Papers (Bharath Narayanan)
    Book Review: "Connecting to the Internet" by Estrada (Rob Slade)
    Latest Word on Prodigy.com Gateway (David Horvath)
    Sprint Personal 800, Using SSN (Mark Earle)
    Any Switch Engineers Out There? (Brendan M. O'connor)
    Are Phone Rates Going Up? (Barry Raveendran Greene)
    Service Profiles for Intelligent Network (Heiki Kybbar)
    What the 'Competition' is Doing (Cliff Sharp)
    Looking For Coast to Coast Communications (Brian Combs)
    Last Laugh: Glory, Hallelujah! (Carl Moore)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Bharath Narayanan (MMC))
Subject: TENCON '94 ---- Call for Papers
Organization: Information Technology Institute, Natl Computer Board, S'pore
Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1993 01:42:26 GMT


    CALL FOR PAPERS

    IEEE TENCON '94

    IEEE Region 10's 9th Annual International Conference

    22nd - 26th August 1994
    Singapore


    SPECIAL SESSION ON MULTIMEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Multimedia Computing and Communications is a hotly pursued topic in
the users and researchers communities alike. In view of the immense
interest in these technologies, the Information Technology Institute -
the R&D arm of the National Computer Board, Singapore - is hosting a
special session on "Multimedia Communications" under the IEEE TENCON
'94. The objective of this special session is to provide a focus
platform for researchers working in this exciting area to share their
views and experiences.


Scope

This session will focus on areas related to the application,
processing, control and delivery of multimedia information over
networks. Suggested topics include:

    * network architectures
    * network protocols
    * flow control and congestion control algorithms
    * network operating systems
    * audio & video processing techniques
    * client-server paradigms
    * applications and systems

Papers Submission

Papers intended for this special session should be forwarded to:

    Dr Robert Chin
    Information Technology Institute
    National Computer Board
    71, Sceince Park Drive
    Singapore 0511
    Republic of Singapore

    Tel: [phone]
    fax: [phone]
    internet: [e-mail]

Important Dates:

    1 January 94    -    conference papers due
    15 March 94    -    Notice of acceptance
    1 June 94    -     Camera ready papers due
    22 - 26 August 94    Conference


Conference Information :


   FINAL CALL FOR PAPERS
   IEEE TENCON '94

   IEEE Region 10's Ninth Annual International Conference on:
   "Frontiers of Computer Technology"

   22nd  - 26th August, 1994

   Westin Stamford & Westin Plaza Hotels, Singapore

Organisers:

IEEE Singapore Section

School of Applied Science,
Nanyang Technological University (NTU)


Sponsors:

IEEE Singapore Section

IEEE Region 10

Institution of Engineers, Singapore


In cooperation with:
IEEE Computer Society

In participation with:
Information Communication Institute of Singapore (ICIS)

School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering,
Nanyang Technological University (NTU)

Department of Electrical Engineering,
National University of Singapore (NUS)


With the support of:

Institute of Electrical Engineers, UK

National Computer Board, Singapore (NCB)

National Science & Technology Board, Singapore (NSTB)

Singapore Computer Society (SCS)



Official Publication:
ACW

THEME: Frontiers of Computer Technology

The exponential growth in the field of computer technology during the
past decades has affected almost every aspect of society - industry,
government and academia. It is imperative to keep track of what is
happening in this dynamic and diverse field. This conference provides
an international forum for researchers and practitioners to share both
their experiences and their visions for the future.

SCOPE
The scope of the conference will include (but is not restricted to) the
following topics:

Technology and Applications:
    * Distributed computing
    * Software engineering
    * Computer networks
    * Multiple/parallel processors
    * Fault tolerance
    * Neural networks
    * Distributed database
    * Real-time computing
    * Digital signal processing
    * Computer vision and pattern recognition
    * Computer graphics and animation
    * Computer-supported cooperative work / groupware
    * Multimedia/hypermedia
    * Expert systems
    * Artificial intelligence
    * Computer communication


TUTORIALS

The Technical Programme Committee cordially invites proposals for
tutorials relevant to the scope of the conference. Proposals should
include details of the author including mailing, email, and fax
addresses, affiliation, qualifications, and research record. Please
provide a detailed synopsis and outline of the tutorial.


PANEL SESSIONS

Proposals for special interest sessions are also invited. The proposal
will have the opportunity of drawing together speakers to present a
series of papers on a specific interest area. Proposals should specify
the area of interest, number of papers, and include the proposer's
mailing, email, and fax addresses, affiliation, qualifications, and
research record.


PAPER SUBMISSION

Prospective authors are invited to submit FIVE copies of their paper.
The paper should not exceed 20 pages in length (double spaced),
including an abstract, all text, figures, tables and references. The
authors' names, affiliation, complete address of the corresponding
author, email address and telephone number should be on the cover
page.  English will be the working language of the conference.

Proposals and papers should be forwarded to:

    TENCON '94 Conference Secretariat
    IEEE Singapore Section
    #59D Science Park Drive
    The Fleming, Singapore Science Park
    Republic of Singapore 0511

    Tel: [phone]
    Fax: [phone]
    Email:    [e-mail]


For any enquiries, please contact the Secretariat or the Technical Programme
 Chairman:
Dr Tony KY Chan        tel: [phone]
            email:    [e-mail]


                IMPORTANT DATES

1 January 1994        Conference papers & tutorial proposals due

15 March 1994        Notice of acceptance

1 June 1994        Camera-ready papers due

22-26 August 1994    Tutorials and conference


                    INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY PANEL

N. Ahuja            University of Illinois-Urbana
S. Ann                Seoul National University
Y. Attikiouzel            University of Western Australia
H.L. Bajaj            IEEE India
R. Chin                University of Wisconsin-Madison
T.S. Durrani            University of Strathclyde
M. Ejiri            Hitachi, Japan
C.A. Ellis            University of Colorado
T. Fukuda            University of Nagoya
R.L. Grimsdale            University of Sussex
J.R. Gurd            University of Manchester
V.K.L. Huang            IME, Singapore
M. Jamshidi            University of New Mexico
R.A. Jarvis            Monash University
T.S. Kailath            Stanford University
K.H. Ko             NCB, Singapore
F.C. Kohli            Tata Institute, India
A.A. Lazar            University of Columbia
B. Lee                NTU
C.S.K. Leung            University of British Columbia
V.O.K. Li            USC
G. Maki                Microelectronic Research Center
R.E. Massara            Essex University
J. Motiwalla            ISS, Singapore
K.R.S. Murthy            AT&T, NJ
T. Nakahara            IEEE Region 10, Japan
P. Ng                NJ Institute of Technology
G. Nudd                Warwick University
R.L. Pickhaltz            George Washington University
G.G. Pieroni            Houston University
C.V. Ramamoorthy        UCB
B. Shriver            Univeristy of S.W. Lousiana
H. Singh            NTU
M. Sloan            IEEE
Y. Takefuji            Case Western University
N. Viswanadham            IIS, India
A. Yamada            NEC, Japan
C.K. Yuen            ISCS, Singapore


                        CONFERENCE COMMITTEE

General Chairman:        Dr Francis BS Lee, NTU
Co-chairman:               Dr Lawrence Wong, NUS
Treasurer:             Dr Angela Goh, NTU
Technical Programme:        Dr Tony KY Chan, NTU (Chairman)
                Dr Chong Man Nang, NTU
                Dr Lau Chiew Tong, NTU
                Dr Ong Sim Heng, NUS
                Dr Ravi Sharma, NTU

International Liaison:        Dr Gurdeep Singh Hura, NTU
Publication:            Mr Raymond Lim, ICIS
Tutorials:            Dr Lim Meng Hiot, NTU
Publicity & Sponsorship:    Mr Alfred Heng, NTU
Local arrangements:        Dr Daniel Tan, NTU
                Mr Goh Wooi Boon, NTU

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

Date: 12 Oct 93 13:58 -0600
From: Rob Slade <[e-mail]>
Subject: Book Review: "Connecting to the Internet" by Estrada


BKCONINT.RVW  930914

O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
103 Morris Street, Suite A
Sebastopol, CA   95472
800-998-9938   707-829-0515
fax: [phone]
[e-mail]
"Connecting to the Internet", Estrada, 1993, U$15.95
[e-mail]

When I give my "Beginner's Guide to the Nets" talk, I know that one
question is inevitable.  "Great!  How do I get an account?"  Here,
then, is a book directed at answering that question.

Of course, without the talk to precede it, some explanation of the
Internet is in order.  Estrada's explanation comprises the first three
chapters.  It is framed in the language and style of one addressing
the neophyte.  Viewed from that perspective, though, the contents may
be a little odd.  The non-technical reader doesn't need to know, in
chapter one, that the Internet is a packet- switched network using
TCP/IP.  Chapter two talks about connection speed and gives some
useful examples.  The distinction, however, between the speed of the
local connection and the speed of the backbone is not as clearly
specified.  Also, the illustration of information as water may not be
universally informative, given the necessity to keep converting books
to gallons.  (I suspect, as well, that the measures for audio and
video are a bit ...  conservative.)

There is certainly room for a book for the computer novice who wants
access to email, electronic discussions and a few files from the
Internet.  There is also room for a book which gives technical details
about the Internet for those who are trying to attach mainframes,
VAXen, workstations and even PCs in such a manner as to be fully part
of the Internet.  These two books need not be separate volumes, as the
two groups of explanations could be accomodated in one book if
sufficiently carefully planned.  Apparently, this is what Estrada has
tried to do.  However, some readers may find the use of "novice style"
throughout the book, even in those parts directed at the technical
expert, to be somewhat disconcerting.

Chapter three approaches the issue of an Internet connection the same
way I counsel first-time computer buyers: don't ask "what's best," ask
"what do I want to do?"  Clearer than the first two, this chapter
provides a good overview of the basic functions and services on the
Internet.  The discussion is quite brief (none of the mentions of
email, conferencing or "chat" refer at all to online etiquette), and
there is a strong emphasis on multimedia applications.

Chapters four, five and six deal with the selection of connections,
via providers, dial-up and lease lines.  These chapters are generally
very good, and provide both checklist, and charts to help you evaluate
various services.  Given the previous non-technical tone of the book,
some of the inclusions (such as example "trouble tickets") may be odd,
but chapter six seems to indicate an eagerness to be of service to
technical types as well.

Most of the rest of the book; most of the book, actually; is made up
of two appendices which list providers through whom one can obtain
Internet access of varying types and degrees.  Appendix A is the
Kaminski PDIAL list which describes those systems providing individual
accounts with access to the Internet.  While I have no reason to
suspect the integrity of the American portion of the list, I note that
Canada is represented only by a single company in Montreal.  Canada
Remote Systems, Mindlink and CyberStore are notable by their absence.
The "international" section has only three listings.

Appendix B is a list of those providers offering dedicated line
connections, most likely for those wishing their own "domain".  This
DLIST is maintained by the author of the book.  The American emphasis
is still strong, but there are signs of good efforts being made to
expand.  Canada gets a whole section to itself, although BC is
represented only by BCNet and Wimsey is unmentioned.

There are still a number of areas missing.  Commercial online
services, such as CompuServe, GEnie, America On-Line and now (finally)
Prodigy provide email links, although possibly at substantially higher
charges than one might see through other providers.  They are
mentioned, but very briefly.  Any Fidonet board that offers netmail
can send messages to, and receive from, the Internet.  If there are no
providers locally, I often recommend checking with local universities
and colleges.  Freenet is mentioned only in the glossary.  (In BC
alone there is one functioning Freenet and three "under
construction".)

Regardless of these flaws, this is bound to become a major reference
work as more and more individuals and businesses seek access to the
Internet.  The coverage that this work gives to both the PDIAL and
DLIST references will lead to feedback which will strengthen them for
future editions (as well as the online versions noted).


copyright Robert M. Slade, 1993   BKCONINT.RVW  930914
Permission granted to distribute with unedited copies of the TELECOM
Digest and associated mailing lists/newsgroups.

Vancouver Institute for Research into User Security,   Canada    V7K 2G6
[e-mail]   [e-mail]   [e-mail]   Fidonet 1:153/733
[e-mail]                                                 604-526-3676


[Moderator's Note: Just a word of thanks to the several readers who
have sent comments on the book reviews appearing here every day or two
by Mr. Slade. This seems to be a popular addition to the Digest, and
I'm glad Rob Slade decided to participate in our little group with his
frequent articles. Apparently quite a few of you feel the same way.  PAT]

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

From: [e-mail] (David Horvath)
Subject: Latest Word on Prodigy.com Gateway
Date: Tue, 12 Oct 93 19:13:39 EDT


Passed along FYI:

 From [e-mail]  Tue Oct 12 13:12:29 1993
 Posted-Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1993 12:57:15 -0400
 From: [e-mail] (This is a Recording)
 Subject: Your message to prodigy.com

(message last updated:  Sat Oct 02 22:47:09 1993)

Thank you for your interest in the PRODIGY service.  The electronic
mail connection between the PRODIGY service and the Internet is
currently in beta test, and will be available sometime in November.
Until then, _only_ mail to PRODIGY service members participating in
the test will be delivered.  At the present time, mail to members
_not_ participating in the test will be returned with a "User unknown
or not enabled for Internet" message.

To address mail to a PRODIGY service member, use "[e-mail]"
where "abcd12a" is the member's PRODIGY service ID.  There are no
directory services available to look up PRODIGY service ID's -- if you
do not know the IDs of persons to whom you want to send E-mail, you
should contact them first via some other means (such as a telephone
call).

Incoming email messages should not exceed 60,000 bytes, or they will
be returned to the sender.

If you experience mail delivery problems that may require action by
the administrators of this system, write to "[e-mail]".

BUT PLEASE, DO _NOT_ WRITE IF:
  ... you want to know about looking up member ID's, pricing,
availability dates, etc.  This message is the only information
available -- but feel free to write again to "[e-mail]"
in a few weeks for the current status -- this message is updated on a
regular basis.

   ... or if you have a friend on Prodigy who you'd like to send email
 to but the mail is bouncing back to you -- ask them to volunteer to
 become a beta tester by sending mail on the PRODIGY Service to MAIL99A or
 to JUMP INTERNET.

 (This message was created automatically.  Please do not reply to it.)

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

Date: Tue, 12 Oct 93 21:37:35 CDT
From: [e-mail] (Mark Earle)
Subject: Sprint Personal 800, Using SSN


After signing up for Sprint to get the modem / fax card, I've received
several promotions from them. Not unexpected. Most interesting so far
is one touting the "Sprint Priority Gold" card. It offers:

     Voice recognition, instead of keying in the card number;
     Personal 800 number, and a supply of pre-printed cards
          for you to hand out with that number on them;
     36% savings on domestic calls, based on lots of
          variables;
     Priority Group Call;
     Various travel awards

Interestingly, on the pictured sample card, the number is nine-digit
social security number. This purports to make it easier to remember.
But, if it recognizes one's voice, why does the number on the card
need to be easy to remember? Any sequence should do.  It is unclear
from the promotional materials if they'll allow one to choose another
number string.

Note: The customer service folks called today, confirming my initial
choice of DOS or Windows software, disk size, etc. on the modem and
advised it was to ship today. I'll advise upon receipt.


Mark Earle [Ignore "from" - send email to [e-mail]]

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

From: [e-mail] (Brendan M O'connor)
Subject: Any Switch Engineers Out There?
Date: 13 Oct 93 00:48:46 GMT
Organization: NYU Stern School of Business


I work as an Engineering Manager for New York Telephone. My area of
responsibility is Traffic Engineering for Southern Manhattan (roughly
Manhattan south of 26th St.). My group engineers additions and
upgrades to 5ESS and DMS-100 switches. (We're also responsible for
1AESS switches, but we don't do much other than plan for their
retirements. :-) )

I'd like to see some discussion of issues I encounter regularly. Some
examples: experiences with DMS-100 Universal Software Load (USL),
Packet Handler 2 (PH2) to Packet Handler 3 (PH3) upgrade strategies,
C-card balancing in a DMS-100 LCM when there are a lot of heavy usage
P-phones, etc.

If you're involved in issues like these, let me know you're out there
and I'll start posting some of my questions (and hopefully answers).


boc


[Moderator's Note: I guess you've been told a few times your name
initials also mean 'Bell Operating Company" .. :)  Yes please, your
topics are good ones and your questions will receive answers (or
perhaps other questions in return!) from our several technical experts
here.  Send them along.  PAT]

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

From: [e-mail] (Barry Raveendran Greene)
Subject: Are Phone Rates Going Up?
Reply-To: [e-mail] (Barry Raveendran Greene)
Organization: JHU/Applied Physics Laboratory
Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1993 13:22:05 GMT


Post on behalf of a friend ...

From: [e-mail] (Thane Terrill)
Date: 08-Oct-93 15:57:00 -0300

I've been told that the phone rates may be jacked up again in December
of this year. Does anyone have any info on this?  It's pretty
important for us since we are deciding on a new long distance service.


==Thane

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

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Service Profiles for Intelligent Network
Organization: Telia Research AB
Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1993 13:05:59 GMT


Hi, IN gurus!

In order to solve service interaction problems in Intelligent Network,
Ericcson has coming up with concept called Service Profile.

Does anyone know, whether the AIN people from Bellcore have something
similar (I`m rather sure they do) and how is it called.  Any reference
to information about that topic is of great interest.


Appreciate.

Heiki Kybbar    [e-mail]
([phone]  Lulea, Sweden

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

Subject: What the 'Competition' is Doing
Date: Mon, 11 Oct 93 19:10:37 CDT
From: Cliff Sharp <[e-mail]>


   Thought I'd drop a note to tell you about the competition ...

   In a deck of "Presidents Exec-Cards" (211 State & Main, PO Box 197,
Rockford IL 61105) a company called Valutel (1201 W. Chase, Suite 3C,
Chicago 60620) keeps advertising LD brokering.

"Save $4 to $6/hour on long distance

How?  By paying only $7.80/hour (.13/min.) for interstate long distance
with Valutel Long Distance Brokers.

Compute your savings:

To figure your potential savings, examine the summary page of your most
recent long distance phone bill.  Divide the hours used into the usage
charges.  You'll see that Valutel's flat rate of $7.80/hour will save you
up to four months' worth of long distance bills each year.

Every penny counts:

To slash your long distance costs, call Valutel Long Distance Brokers,
today."

Chart shows:

Carrier        Cost/hr.    Valutel Savings/hr.
AT&T        $14.26        $6.46
MCI         12.00         4.20
Sprint         11.96         4.16
Valutel          7.80         ----

"Call toll free:  1-800-860-7112"


Cliff Sharp    [e-mail]   OR  [e-mail]
 WA9PDM                   Use whichever one works

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

From: [e-mail] (Brian Combs)
Subject: Looking For Coast to Coast Communications
Organization: Real/Time Communications
Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1993 18:26:47 GMT


Does anyone know anything about Coast to Coast Communications?  I know
they are a LD carrier, but that's all I know.


Brian Combs        Fusion Data Systems
[e-mail]   Tel:  [phone]   Fax:  [phone]

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

Date: Tue, 12 Oct 93 17:34:23 EDT
From: Carl Moore <[e-mail]>
Subject: Last Laugh: Glory, Hallelujah!


About 30 years ago, when I was in elementary school, I received a
newsletter ("Our Little Messenger" as I recall) which noted a guard at
the main gate of an air force base.  His name was Jay St. Peter.
Therefore, he answered the phone "main gate, St. Peter speaking".


[Moderator's Note: Oh Carl, that one is so old ... it also appeared
in {My Weekly Reader} at least once a year or so when I was of tender
and impressionable years as I recall. Variations on the joke (more
elaborate versions of it with additional details) have the 'main
gate' phone number as CELestial 1000. You sent another joke which I
will use in the next issue. Let's see if it is any funnier.  PAT]

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

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #694
******************************


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Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1993 01:21:19 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #695

TELECOM Digest     Wed, 13 Oct 93 01:21:00 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 695

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Cellular Carriers for Northeastern Vermont (John R. Levine)
    Fax on-Demand/Fax Back Systems (Marc Blackwood)
    Looking For Info Sources: Usage Statistics (John Talbot)
    Number of Employees at AT&T (Thomas Hinders)
    Windows Fax Software (Bill Ataras)
    "New Resident" Mail From Telco (Carl Moore)
    Re: Capacity of Area Codes (Paul Robinson)
    Re: 900/976-Type of VOICEMAIL Software Sought (Paul Robinson)
    Re: What is PCN and DCS1800 (Stu Jeffery)
    Re: AT&T's Allen Says Family Upheavals Impact US Economically (D Breneman)
    Re: AT&T Addresses in the Netherlands Wanted (Michael Pentowski)
    Re: AT&T Addresses in the Netherlands Wanted (Al Varney)
    Re: Social Engineering (was Warning!) ([e-mail])
    Re: Social Engineering (was Warning!) (Frank E. Carey)
    Re: Phoiling a Phraud (Brett K. Elliott)
    Re: The Sprint Modem Mystery (Richard Hoopes)
    Another Last Laugh (Carl Moore)

                 ----------------------------
TELECOM Digest is an e-journal devoted mostly -- but not entirely --
to discussions on telecommunications in general, and voice telephony
in particular. It is published daily, and is reader-written, meaning
the people who read it are the people who submit articles to it. The
Digest is a not-for-profit activity of Patrick Townson Associates, a
telecommunications consulting firm in Chicago, Illinois. PTA markets a
variety of telecom-related services including a no-surcharge telephone
calling card known as the Orange Card.  In addition, we are marketing
representatives for AT&T, and US Fibercom, AT&T's largest aggregator/
reseller. Telepassport is our international discount calling plan.
Write and ask for our products and services file.

TELECOM Digest is distributed free of charge to qualified subscribers
anywhere who are reachable by electronic mail via the Internet. In
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comp.dcom.telecom newsgroup, a moderated forum. To subscribe, write
and tell us how you qualify:  [e-mail].

Back issues and many other files of interest are available free of
charge in the Telecom Archives. Internet users with FTP permission may
connect via anonymous ftp lcs.mit.edu, then 'cd telecom-archives'. All
others are invited to use the Telecom Archives Email Information Service
by sending email to [e-mail]. Write and ask for our
help guide to using the archives. Over twelve years of telecom news
and discussions are stored there.

TELECOM Digest is compilation-copyrighted, 1993 by Patrick Townson
Associates. Please request permission before posting Digest articles
elsewhere. Net addresses shown are for the sole purpose of facilitating
communiciations between our correspondents; not for any sort of mass
mailing. The Digest is made possible by the generous support of our
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Sincerity for our inspection to PO Box 1570, Chicago, IL 60690 USA.  :)
Article submissions come to: [e-mail], and if you wish, you
may reach us by phone: [phone] or fax: [phone].  Thank you!

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

From: [e-mail] (John R Levine)
Subject: Cellular Carriers For Northeastern Vermont
Date: Tue, 12 Oct 93 0:34:29 EDT


Anyone know who the cellular carriers for the Northeast Kingdom in
Vermont are?  My recollection is that Vermont has three cellular
areas, an MSA around Burlington, and RSA's for the northern and
southern half of the state.  The northern RSA B carrier was run by a
group led by Contel, but since GTE (an alleged telephone company
headquartered in Connecticut) bought them I hear that they're selling,
probably to NYNEX, which is not surprising since they're in the
process of selling off all of their phone business in Vermont.

Lest someone accuse me of not doing my homework, I have the Newport VT
phone book (well, last year's, actually) and it has no listings at all
for Cellular Phone or Mobile Phone, and I recognize all of the
listings under Telephone Companies as not being in the cellular biz.

(My cousins with the small telco would like one of the GTE exchanges
which is adjacent to their territory, but GTE wants to sell the whole
business as a unit.  And lest someone accuse GTE of neglecting their
phone business, I can report that the central offices have GTE
stickers on the doors covering over the Contel stickers.  So there.)


Regards,

John Levine, [e-mail], {spdcc|ima|world}!iecc!johnl

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

From: [e-mail] (Marc Blackwood)
Subject: Fax on-Demand/Fax Back Systems
Date: 12 Oct 1993 17:42:45 -0400
Organization: Express Access Online Communications, Greenbelt, MD USA


Who should I contact to purchase a good faxback/fax on-demand system
that will work well for a high volume technical support department.  I
am interested in a system that can start off with four to eight lines
and be expanded to a 24-48 line system.  All responses/referrals are
welcome.  Please send replies via e-mail to:[e-mail]. Thanks in
advance!

If anyone wants a summary of my findings, please mail me at the above
address. Thanks again.

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

Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1993 16:53:17 CDT
From: John Talbot <[e-mail]>
Subject: Looking For Info Sources: Usage Statistics
Organization: University of Illinois at Chicago, ADN Computer Center


Greetings Netters,

Does anybody have an idea where I may be able to find sources of info
on PC/network/telcom usage (other than Bureau of Labor Statistics) by
business, govt, education, etc? I'd like to find some info to base
estimates on for use in a senior project involving modeling of a
wide-area network for the south-suburban Chicago area. Any statisti-
cally sound estimates at all would prove helpful. Any replies would
be greatly appreciated. Thanks.


John Talbot   [e-mail]

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

Date: 12 Oct 1993 16:55:16 EDT
From: Hinders, Thomas <[e-mail]>
Subject: Number of Employees at AT&T


I'm curious ... at the time of the AT&T breakup (1984?) there were about
one million AT&T employees.  Now after the breakup, what might the total
number of employees of the various enities be.


Thanks,

Tom Hinders/Soft-Switch+1 215 640 7487 (v/vm)  [phone] (f)
Internet: [e-mail]
 X.400:C=US A=Telemail P=Softswitch S=Hinders G=Thomas

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

Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1993 19:27:59 PDT
From: Bill Ataras <[e-mail]>
Subject: Windows Fax Software


Does anyone know if there's a mailing list that deals with Fax
software?

In particular, we are looking for a product that runs under Windows
and can design Fax coverpages.

We'd be interested in adding this capability to our current products.


Thank you.

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

Date: Tue, 12 Oct 93 17:15:29 EDT
From: Carl Moore <[e-mail]>
Subject: "New Resident" Mail From Telco


Because of the changes in my service in Delaware, I have received two
letters from Diamond State Telephone other than the bill.  One had a
meter mark in Conshohocken, Pa. (where my bills used to be
meter-marked) and included "LONG DISTANCE SERVICE: At the time your
service was connected, you did not choose a long distance company for
your calls placed outside of the 302/215 Calling Area." (But even
with Denver and Adamstown going to 717 area, isn't Terre Hill outside
of the Philadelphia LATA?)

The other letter said on the outside "IMPORTANT: PHONE SERVICE
INFORMATION FOR YOUR NEW HOME", and had a regular 29 cent stamp on it,
and a postmark of Lancaster, PA 176.  Why it got mailed from Lancaster
or vicinity is beyond me.

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

Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1993 21:20:20 EDT
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Capacity of Area Codes
From: Paul Robinson <[e-mail]>
Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring, MD USA


David Jones <[e-mail]>, writes:

> How long do we have before we run out of area codes?   Only three more
> to go before Bell must dig in to their "reserved" list.

My guess is that three more is probably enough to last 15 months until
the new area code system goes into effect.

Pat Townson seemed to have trouble understanding the concept of a
"reserved" list of area codes: those ending in the same two digits,
e.g.  00 and 11 which are usually "reserved" for local services, e.g.
411, 611, 911.

> On a similar note, how much longer before we run out of IP network
> addresses?  The Internet is expanding at 10%/month, and there is waste
> due to network granularity (a 2000 node network takes up a Class B
> address leaving over 63,000 combinations unused).

You might want to subscribe to the IETF list, where many of the people
who designed the Internet subscribe and post opinions.  The
subscription address is "[e-mail]".  There is a
bit of discussion on that list in that I raised almost the exact same
question in "How long to Zero Hour?"


Paul Robinson - [e-mail]

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

Date: Mon, 11 Oct 1993 22:24:54 EDT
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: 900/976-Type of VOICEMAIL Software Sought
From: Paul Robinson <[e-mail]>
Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring, MD USA


> Hey folks, I need some advice about a service in the Atlanta
> area started up about six months ago that is similar to the
> 976/900 services. It's similar in the sense that you call this
> service to meet and talk to people.

> So ... I'm contemplating starting a competetive service to this and
> am curious as to who may sell this type of sophisticated voicemail
> software and what kind of investment we are talking about to start
> up something of this nature.

> Please don't suggest that I call them and inquire since they are
> not friendly at all unless you have a credit card handy.

This kind of ticks me off.  You are planning to start a competitive
service and are unwilling to spend perhaps $10-$20 to find out how it
works?  This would be like someone who had never even dialed a phone
to decide to start their own telephone company.

There are two ways to learn how something works: either spend the
money and the sweat and time to learn from scratch, or to learn from
other people's mistakes.  Those starting a new business without any
prior precedent have only the first option.  But when a competitor is
running the same service, to fail to try the competitor's offerings
and see what they are doing is foolishness.

Bob Mackay, envelope manufacturer and author, tells how he has visited
as many envelope manufacturing plants as he can squeeze the time into.
He got the idea from the late Sam Walton who used to visit other
stores.  It is reputed that in one company, where they were almost in
bankruptcy, and the place a madhouse, there was one particular
department that was doing quite well.  Sam looked at this and said to
his assistant, "Why aren't we doing this?"

In short, anyone who is planning to go into a business had better have
seen some of what their competitors are running or they will be at a
disadvantage.  Do you think Pizza Hut has people who order Dominos
Pizzas?  Or that AT&T doesn't have people who place calls over MCI and
Sprint to compare service?  Sears took about $30 million in losses
starting up the Discover Card over the first couple of years.  I think
the losses stopped when they hired some ex-executives of competing
credit cards to show them what was wrong with what they are doing.


Paul Robinson - [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: What is PCN and DCS1800?
Date: Mon, 11 Oct 93 21:05:42 PDT


In 998.3.19290.1 What is PCN and DCS1800? Bjoern Carlsson writes:

> I need information about personal communocations network(PCN) using
> the European DCS1800.

> Tell me about magazines, databases, companys or what so ever that
> will help me.  Very grateful for answers.

1. There is also a good article in {IEEE Communications Magazine},
December 1992, pages 32 to 36 on DCS 1800. It is written by A. Robin
Potter, Engineering Director of Mercury Communications.

2. {Telecommunications}, June 1991, has an article DCS 1800, The
Standard for Personal Communcation Networks. It is by Alan Haden,
manager of technical affairs for Unitel.

3. There is a good but very high level article in Alcatel's
{Electrical Communications}, 2nd Quarter 1993. The issue is devoted
to GSM, DCS and DECT.


Stu Jeffery

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

From: [e-mail] (David Breneman)
Subject: Re: AT&T's Allen Says Family Upheavals Impact U.S. Economically
Date: 12 Oct 93 20:46:09 GMT
Organization: Digital Systems International, Redmond WA


hunter ([e-mail]) wrote:

> Not to mention, why doesnt someone ask Mr. Allen what AT&T's mass
> lay-offs are doing to add to this problem? How about the decrease in
> company provided benifits? AT&T/NCR just announced another round of
> lay-offs didnt they?

> Maybe Mr. Allen should start at home? He's worried that "family
> upheavals" cost our nation, but as long as it doesnt cost AT&T
> anything its easy to wring your hands.

I suppose it would be better for AT&T to just keep raising their
prices until their products and services become so expensive nobody
buys them and *everyone* there is thrown out of work?


David Breneman                        Email: [e-mail]
System Administrator,                 Voice: 206 881-7544  Fax: [phone]
Software Engineering Services
Digital Systems International, Inc.        Redmond, Washington,  U. S. o' A.

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

From: [e-mail] (michael pentowski)
Subject: Re: AT&T Addresses in the Netherlands Wanted
Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1993 15:38:47 GMT
Organization: lunatech research/stichting knoware


> [Moderator's Note: In case anyone is interested, there is such a site
> as lunatech.knoware.nl ... it is located in the Netherlands, as the 'nl'
> part of the address tells us.  PAT]

There is such a site in the Netherlands but it is knoware.nl and more
information can be obtained by mailing: [e-mail]

(The lunatech.knoware.nl comes from our software development side of
things.)


Kind regards,

Michael Pentowski
Lunatech Research/Stichting Knoware*
A Network of Expertise
When your address is Knoware*, you're always at home ...

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

Date: Tue, 12 Oct 93 11:25:53 CDT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: AT&T Addresses in the Netherlands Wanted
Organization: AT&T Network Systems, Lisle, IL


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail]
(michael pentowski) writes:

> Does anyone out there might have some addresses in Holland (Email or
> otherwise) for AT&T where you could write to if you had a development
> project based on the new PDA technolgies (Apple, Sharp) which you
> would like to discuss with their Marketing and Engineering people?

   Michael, and others wanting to share ideas/suggestions with AT&T:

   The history of telephony and communications is littered with many
very serious court cases and other legal hearings due, in part, to
mis-understandings between various individuals and companies regarding
new ideas and inventions.  To avoid any mis-understandings, and still
allow non-employees to submit ideas, etc. to the company (with the
possibility of compensation), there is only ONE approved organization
within AT&T that handles such submittals.

   Mail: AT&T Public Suggestions Analysis Group
         Room 1203P1
         295 N. Maple Avenue
         Basking Ridge, NJ  07920
         USA

   Telephone:  1+ 908 221-4332    (That's 908 221-IDEA on some phones)
   FAX:        1+ 908 221-3259

   You may use any of these methods to initially contact the Group.
DO NOT SUBMIT ANY DETAILS OF YOUR IDEA AT THIS TIME.  After
appropriate agreement is reached, the details can be submitted IN
WRITING to AT&T, for review by those involved in the subject matter.

   While this will require more effort on you part, the process is
designed to protect AT&T from allegations of "misappropriation" of an
idea.  It will also provide you some protection from such actions.

   Hope it's a great idea (for both of us).

DISCLAIMER:  The above represents AT&T's viewpoint AS I UNDERSTAND IT.
             I am not an official spokesperson for anyone or anything.


Good luck,

Al Varney

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

From: [e-mail] (Wolfgang/2D!)
Subject: Re: Social Engineering (was Warning!)
Date: 12 Oct 1993 22:32:21 -0700
Organization: "A World of Information at your Fingertips"


>> He gave me a calling card number to verify; I said it wasn't mine.
>> He said records showed two lines into the residence (I have four) and
>> I had to authenticate the calling card I *did* have. I declined. He
>> said he'd have to block the line until the matter could be
>> investigated unless I could authenticate.

    This is the oldest trick in the book.  I used to daily call
people with the "Hello, this is John Doe with AT&T Security.  We've
noticed abnormal use of your calling card, etc."  They would either
say they didn't have a card, or ask for more info.  "Calls to Germany
amounting to $xxx, etc.  We suggest you request to change your number
so no more such calls are made.  I can erase these calls right now, in
fact.  I first need to verify your card ... 718-627-2341-XXXX."  They'd
say, no, mine is 718-627-2341-ZZZZ, and I'd have their card.

    This was back when the cards were in the area code/number +
pin format.  I would get an average of five to ten cards an hour.
After I grew up, I would call people who's card was posted and warn
them.

    I know AT&T started telling people *never* to give out their
card numbers over the phone.  But I'm sure this still goes on.  In
fact, many times people would mistake my request and give me their
credit card number!

    I hope people are waking up and being better warned against
such scams, now.

Please be patient, God isn't finished with me yet.  Come to think of
it, He hasn't even started ...


[Moderator's Note: Thank you for your willingness to talk in this
forum. Frank Carey of AT&T Security has a few remarks to add in the
next message.  PAT]

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

Date: Tue, 12 Oct 93 13:34:47 EDT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Social Engineering (was Warning!)
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories


> [Moderator's Note: Frank, would you happen to have a copy of the {Globe}
> article you could scan into a message for us here? Or lacking that,
> could you summarize some of the more prevalent scams people should be
> aware of  ...     PAT]

The most common game is to get you say "yes" when asked to accept
third party charging.

You get a call from someone claiming to be an FCC inspector or an
inter-exchange carrier rep investigating calls placed from your line
to other states or countries.  The caller may give a false FCC badge
or inspection number and provide you with a series of false operator
identification numbers.  Typically, the caller claims to be checking
trouble on your line or equipment and may pretend to be investigating
a person whom you could help catch.  Then the caller tells you that a
supervisor will be calling, usually within a specific time period, and
that you should just say "yes" when asked to accept charges for that
call.

In their warning the FCC gave this advice to consumers:

 - Immediately ask the caller for his or her name, the company for whom
he or she works and the alleged problem.

 - Tell the caller you will call the company yourself to verify the
problem.  Then hang up, get the phone company's number from the book
or directory assistance and call to determine whether there is a
problem with your line or account.

 - Never give out your name, address or credit card numbers, names and
locations of friends or relatives or accept collect or third
number-billed calls unless you are sure of the caller's identity.

 - Report problems or complaints to your local telephone company, the
long-distance company or local or federal law enforcement agencies.


Frank Carey at Bell Labs      [e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: Thank you sir. You are a credit to the Bell System,
even though there hasn't been one for decade now. In the future don't
wait so long between postings. :)  PAT]

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

From: Brett K. Elliott <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Phoiling a Phraud
Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1993 13:56:47 -0400
Organization: Freshman, MCS general, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA


Excerpts from netnews.comp.dcom.telecom: 11-Oct-93 Re: Phoiling a Phraud
by Brett K. Elliott@andrew.

> Why is it, in your opinion, wrong for people who have gone down a certain
> path before to call out to those who follow, warning them of the pitfalls
> and traps which lay ahead?  PAT]

Funny, I thought you were warning in one sentence then gloating in the
other. If the previous excerpt were true then why did you publicly
announce that --

> I also cheated the payphone in the cafeteria of the junior high
> school I went to and taught the other kids how to do it.  PAT]

Did you get busted?  Were you some terribly genious phone phraud that
learned his lesson?


email: [e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: I'm no genius, by any stretch of the imagination,
in fact, I consider myself rather dumb on a lot of topics.  PAT]

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

From: [e-mail] (Richard Hoopes)
Subject: Re: The Sprint Modem Mystery
Organization: RGM *nix - Sacramento, CA
Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1993 17:26:11 GMT


I talked to Tom Westlake at Best Data Products.  They are the modem
company that is supplying the modems to Sprint.  Tom would really
appreciate it if interested parties would call Sprint at 800-877-4040.

I called Sprint at 877-4040 and they told me the plan was still in
effect, all I had to do was sign up for Sprint.  Since I already am a
Sprint subscriber, I thought it would be a good time to move my
Cellular over to Sprint. (My residential LD is already Sprint).  After
my mobile phone is switched over, I must then make one long distance
call to "Activate" the account, then my address will be sent to Best
Data Products and they will send me my V.42bis internal modem.  We
shall see ... look for a follow up in four to six weeks!

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

Date: Tue, 12 Oct 93 17:37:34 EDT
From: Carl Moore <[e-mail]>
Subject: Another Last Laugh


At a payphone in Rome, I have seen this among the printed
instructions: "It's our goal to conduct business with Christian
principles."

This was Rome, Pennsylvania (not Italy), and the payphone is
apparently from a firm in Souderton, Pa.


[Moderator's Note: I wonder whatever happened to that California
publication, the {Christian Yellow Pages} ... it was a yellow pages
style classified directory which would only accept advertising from
businesses owned by people it deemed to be properly sanctified. It
made no bones about its requirements for inclusion as an advertiser
in the directory: acceptance of Fundamentalist Christian theology
was a must. Some guy who is Jewish tried to buy advertising space
in the book; when he was turned down he sued them and won the case
based on violations of California law. It gets out of the range of
relevancy here to continue this thread very far, but I have not
heard about them in a couple years. I wonder if the Souderton telco
refuses to connect with 900 sex lines or Dial an Atheist?  :)   PAT]

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

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #695
******************************


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Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1993 02:27:23 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #696

TELECOM Digest     Wed, 13 Oct 93 02:27:00 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 696

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Re: Ringing a Phone on the Stage in a Play (Paul Robinson)
    Re: Stutter Dial-Tone Detectors (Philip Reese)
    Re: Radio Spectrum Auctions (Gregory Youngblood)
    Re: High Speed, Short Term: What's Best? (Lars J. Poulsen)
    Re: BellSouth Surplus Sales Center (Steven H. Lichter)
    Re: Restoring an Old Phone (Steven H. Lichter)
    Re: AML Carrier? (Al Varney)
    Re: The Sprint Modem Mystery (Doug Williams)
    Re: How Much Power Will Telco Allow From Phone Line (David Hough)
    Re: Thieves Like GSM Phones (David Woolley)
    Re: 1-206-286-1600 Only via Sprint; Only Problems Ahead (George Zmijewski)
    Re: Does a US Modem Work in the UK? (David Hough)
    Re: Does a US Modem Work in the UK? (Ian Smith)

                 ----------------------------
TELECOM Digest is an e-journal devoted mostly -- but not entirely --
to discussions on telecommunications in general, and voice telephony
in particular. It is published daily, and is reader-written, meaning
the people who read it are the people who submit articles to it. The
Digest is a not-for-profit activity of Patrick Townson Associates, a
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Write and ask for our products and services file.

TELECOM Digest is distributed free of charge to qualified subscribers
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Back issues and many other files of interest are available free of
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by sending email to [e-mail]. Write and ask for our
help guide to using the archives. Over twelve years of telecom news
and discussions are stored there.

TELECOM Digest is compilation-copyrighted, 1993 by Patrick Townson
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may reach us by phone: [phone] or fax: [phone].  Thank you!

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

Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1993 22:44:45 EDT
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Ringing a Phone on the Stage in a Play
From: Paul Robinson <[e-mail]>
Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring, MD USA


> I'm looking for a device, preferably cheap/do-it-yourself for
> ringing a phone. The phone will be on a stage during a play,
> and the director wants it to be able to ring.  Any help that
> you could give me would be greatly appreciated.

Two options.  Get a tape recorder which has an extension cord on it.
Run the cord back stage, record a telephone ringing into it, and
rewind the tape to just before the ring.  Turn the volume up all the
way, and unplug it, with the plug being at the director's table next
to the socket.  When the director wants it to ring, he plugs it in,
and when the phone is answered, unplug the recorder.  The advantage is
that you probably either have the equipment (a plug-in tape recorder
and an extension cord) on hand or can borrow it from an office there.
And if the recording is long enough -- 30 minutes or so -- you can
have a simulated ring as often as needed.  Just be sure to cut off the
recorder between rings so the next one starts on the silence between
rings.  You could also use a 30-second endless tape (like from an
answering machine) so that the ring would repeat over and over no
matter how long it was sitting there.

Another way is, if you have two phone lines, borrow a two-line phone, put
it at the director's desk, run line two to any open line, and line one on
the same circuit as the phone sitting on stage.  Use the two-line to put
line one busy by leaving the line off hook so no one could call it in
advance.  When it's time for the call, the director would hang up the
phone that's being made busy, then dial its number from the other line.
The nice thing about this is that you could have the conversation be
heard in the actual play using a squawk box if you wanted to do so.
Of course, if no one is likely to know the number, the director could
just put a phone up and call it at the right time from another phone, or
put the line up and dial the ringback number from the phone company.


Paul Robinson - [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (Philip Reese)
Subject: Re: Stutter Dial-Tone Detectors
Date: 12 Oct 1993 22:27:25 -0700
Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA


Ken,

Thanks for the note on tracking message waiting on a stutter type
system.  I had seen the circuit variation before and tried to put
together something but it didn't work for me.  In talking with others
about this problem they said that what I needed to do in addition to
the LED stuff was to tell telecom that I've a message waiting light
INSTEAD of using stutter dial tone.  Their reasoning was that the
stutter only is transmitted when the phone is off hook, thus you
wouldn't see the light until you took the phone off hook in which case
the stuttering noise would inform you at the same time.  I never tried
the alternate scheme as I didn't want to have to mess with the telecom
folks if it didn't work.

Do you have any comments or suggestions on the validity of these
admitted half baked theories?

Thanks for sharing your technical expertise,


Phil Reese   USC

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

Subject: Re: Radio Spectrum Auctions
From: [e-mail] (Gregory Youngblood)
Date: Tue, 12 Oct 93 21:13:51 PDT
Organization: TCS Computer Systems


[e-mail] (Bob Wier) writes:

> Question: wouldn't this be a good case for revocation of license?
> Hopefully it might get reallocated to someone who'd actually use it.
> This is an area which could really use cellular coverage due to the
> extreme nature of the terrain -- there are considerable health and
> safety considerations involved.

What happens here is that the FCC has given license holders five years
to fill in their alotted coverage areas.  I know I'm doing hectic
construction during my five-year fill ...  :-)

What is not covered the FCC can re-issue to others and the orginal
license holder loses it.  As to revocation, I don't think you'd be
able to do that since the area would be reallocated if not covered
during their five year fill period.


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 | [e-mail] |    Cellular Telephoney Groups

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

From: [e-mail] (Lars J Poulsen)
Subject: Re: High Speed, Short Term: What's Best?
Organization: DKnet
Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1993 09:11:53 GMT


Rich Chong <[e-mail]> writes:

> I handle a nationwide user group which meets four times a year in just
> about any medium to large city the U.S. We want to provide a weeklong
> datalink to our main network back home.

It depends a lot upon what kind of a network that you want to provide
service to. The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) meets 3 times a
year, and customarily sets up a terminal room which provides every
meeting participant a datalink to their network back home!

Since this is a group of Internet engineers, we all have an Internet-
connected TCP/IP network back home, so all we have to do is get a link
to a local TCP/IP service provider. This has ranged from a 56 kbps
link into the IP carrier's router, to a 10 Mbps laser link bridging
the ethernet of the terminal room in the Cambridge Hyatt Regency to
the ethernet in an MIT engineering building two blocks down.

When you say "to OUR network back home", are you talking about a
network at the permanent office of the user organization? By network,
do you mean a Novell file server? Are the protocols used in the
network tolerant of heavily loaded links? Have you ever tried this
before?

Off hand I would think that the simplest solution would be to get ISDN
service (or switched-56) and a par of dial-on-demand ethernet bridges,
but I think you need to test fly the configuration before you commit.
With wide area networks, you generally cannot design one layer at a
time, and few protocol stacks travel as well as TCP/IP.


Lars Poulsen            Internet E-mail: [e-mail]
CMC Network Products        Phone: (011-) [phone]
Hvidovre Strandvej 72 B        Internets: designed and built
DK-2650 Hvidovre, DENMARK    while you wait (and wait ...)

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

From: [e-mail] (Steven H. Lichter)
Subject: Re: BellSouth Surplus Sales Center
Date: 12 Oct 1993 22:51:34 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (USA)


GTE Supply and GTE Calif have a center in Pomona, Calif. I don't know
the telephone number or even if there is a public one to reach them;
I'll look into it.  The prices are really good. A few years ago I got
a 1200 bps (ha ha) modem for $5.00 and they have computers as well as
office and some telephone equipment.


Steven H. Lichter   GTECalif COEI

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

From: [e-mail] (Steven H. Lichter)
Subject: Re: Restoring an Old Phone
Date: 12 Oct 1993 22:53:29 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (USA)


Most of the early AE phones can be changed by replacing the cap or in
a few cases moving some wires on the network.

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

Date: Tue, 12 Oct 93 14:34:23 CDT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: AML Carrier?
Organization: AT&T Network Systems, Lisle, IL


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail].
com (Fred R. Goldstein) writes:

> In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail]
> (Yutang Chuang) writes:

>> I am not familiar with telecom terms. But, my loacl telco told me that
>> my second phone line recently added has this 'AML carrier' that would
>> cause modem communication difficulty. (For my case, the modem does not
>> answer consistently. i.e. it won't answer right at number of rings set
>> for S0) So, what is this AML stuff? Only thing I know it has to do
>> with using this to carry more phone lines as the telco phone lines are
>> in scarce.

> Yell and scream!  AML stands for "Additional Main Line", and it's a
> very, very primitive mulitplexor.  Basically, it takes one analog pair
> of wire and leaves it as-is, and superimposes a second line atop it,
> using primitive modulation at barely-supersonic frequencies (something
> on the order of 18 and 28 kHz).

   Mr. Chuang, see the end of this article for ideas beyond the
"yell/scream" variety.

   I wouldn't call the AML technology "primitive".  For a 1970's
device, it was pretty good.  Unfortunately, many units were (or are)
not installed correctly on adequate facilities.  The frequencies for a
generic "single channel subscriber carrier" unit are 28 kHz to CO, 76
kHz from CO.  CO distance is limited to about 18 kHz.

   The AT&T SLC-1 from the mid-70s was such a unit; you are unlikely
to encounter these anywhere <although once sold, almost all telephony
equipment has a history of showing up in very odd places>.

   Such devices should only be used in "temporary" applications; for
example, where a second subscriber line may only be around while a
student rents a remote farm-house or when rapid growth gets ahead of
the deployment of real subscriber loops.

> ... The AML device is powered at your end by the remote central
> office, which during a call delivers around 16 volts, so AML only
> provides low loop voltage and weak ring voltage, as well as cruddy
> audio.

   The audio is a function of installation and equipment quality -- if
installation is quick and dirty (the customer is screaming for another
pair), the audio will probably be dirty as well.  Battery voltage is
adequate for almost any couple of telephones that don't suck on-hook
power from the line for their own use.  For ringing, I think most
units will handle three "high impedance" ringers.  Anything else is
asking too much.  To avoid the lower battery charge on lines that are
off-hook for long periods, you could ask the TELCO if they can arrange
for 120 VAC power to charge the battery.  This is an option on many
units -- the CO power then only gets used for charging when regular
power is lost.

> It's kind of guaranteed to make modems fail, and isn't famous for
> voice quality either.  I wonder who the local phone company is; most
> Bell companies have more class.

   It's true that modems will be more sensitive to the "added" line.
If you have other phones attached to the modem line (or to the modem),
remove them and see if the modem still has problems with RING
detection.  Better yet, ask the TELCO to "swap" your telephone pairs,
so your modem is using the "normal" portion of a line and your
original telephone service will be using the "carrier" portion.  If
problems continue, be sure the "Isolation Filter" used to remove the
higher frequencies for the other line is an approved filter -- some
installations just stick in a loading coil or other transformer!!


Al Varney - just my opinion, of course

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

Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1993 02:38:51 GMT
From: [e-mail] (Doug Williams)
Subject: Re: The Sprint Modem Mystery
Organization: University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] writes:

> The person to speak with for those having questions about the Sprint
> modem offer is Tom Westlake at the company that makes the modems.  He
> can be reached at 1-800-632-2378.

> What I have found out is that there are, in fact, two modem offers
> going on at the moment at Sprint.

> The first modem, which is the default modem to be sent to people who
> call Sprint and mention the Dvorak offer is an internal half card
> modem that features 2400bps data and 9600 send/4800 receive fax.

> Those requesting external modems will get an ordinary 2400 bps modem
> with 9600 send/receive fax, which in my opinion is a better deal if
> you want a modem to use for its fax capabilities alone.

The mystery continues.  I talked with Tom Westlake this morning, He
took my name and passed it along to Sprint representative (and Digest
reader) Diane Worthy.  Mrs. Worthy clearly indicated that there was
absolutely no possible option to receive an external modem.  She said
that it was made very clear during the radio broadcast that the modem
was a PC compatible version.  Mac users are not completely out of
luck, however.  I was offered one of the following choices:

    $50
    Quicken
    After Dark
    a Star Trek screensaver
    at least one other software package

Mrs. Worthy told me that she had posted an article setting all this
straight, but I wasn't able to find it in the archives or on my news
spool.  This is very dissapointing for me -- I was looking forward to
a modem.  One quick note: when I called the Sprint number given out in
the Digest for this offer, I was told that the modem was 9600 fax
rec/4800 fax send/2400 data, and everyone I talked to at Sprint
referred to the modem as 96/24, so I think all hopes for a 9600 data
are gone.

Phil made a reference to there being a second modem offer, however
Mrs. Worthy did not volunteer any information about this.

I hope Pat can find the article by Mrs. Worthy (or someone can send
the reference to me).  This would seem to be as close to the horse's
mouth as we can expect to get.


-=-doug-=-

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

From: [e-mail] (David Hough)
Subject: Re: How Much Power Will Telco Allow From Phone Line?
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1993 04:26:36 GMT


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail]
(Neil Hamilton) writes:

> If one wanted to power a certain low power device from a standard phone
> line, how much power would the telco allow to be drawn?

Not sure of the exact rules for the USA, but I would guess the
technical reasoning is going to be similar ...

You have to draw a certain minimum current from the line to hold a
call.  This may vary from exchange to exchange (but not by much), so
that gives you one variable. The other thing to consider is how far
you are from the exchange because at your given minimum current you
will have a certain volts drop on the wires, which will give you a
maximum voltage possible.

If you measure the off-line voltage and then measure how much it drops
when you draw a known current, you can deduce the resistance of the
telco network.  You then need to make your power supply look like a
resistor of the same value to get the maximum power out of the line
(subject to the minimum current requirement above).


Dave    G4WRW @ GB7WRW.#41.GBR.EU AX25
[e-mail]  Internet
[e-mail]      Amprnet

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

From: [e-mail] (David Woolley)
Subject: Re: Thieves Like GSM Phones
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1993 11:42:30 +0000


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail].
Unisys.com writes:

> Not with GSM.  Intelligent SIM card prevents fraud, but now criminals
> are stealing phones and resell them or use their own quite legal SIM
> cards.  According to the article GSM phones do not identify themselves
> to the network, so there is no way to know whether the actual phone is
> stolen or not.  SIM card in the phone has to be valid, though.

This is not a fault of the GSM radios, which do provide equipment
identities to the network, nor the GSM standards, which say that black
(stolen etc.), white (issued) and grey (monitor -- might be used for
stolen to avoid alerting the thief) lists must be held in an equipment
identity register.  It is probably the fault of the PTT for launching
too soon and the writers of the network software for giving the
implementation of this a low priority.  (Cynically, stolen SIMs
represent lost revenue to the network operators, but stolen radios
only hit the owners and insurance companies, unless they were sold
below cost.)

Basically the problem is the result of local commercial decisions, not
the design of GSM.


David Woolley, London, England           [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (George Zmijewski)
Subject: Re: 1-206-286-1600 Only via Sprint; Only Problems Ahead
Organization: MGZ Computer Services
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1993 12:56:41 +0000


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] writes:

>> Well, I dialed the number from Australia, and got the "AT&T Does not
>> accept this call ..." recording.  Very interesting.  Does this mean

> 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?

I have called this number several times from UK.  You can get:

 " AT&T has routed...." message - charchable,
 "TARARA" signal only - not  chargable
 and several times I got through without any problem.

Does it mean that each time the call was routed via different US carrier?


George Zmijewski
[e-mail] , FAX [phone] , VOICE [phone]

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

From: [e-mail] (David Hough)
Subject: Re: Does a US Modem Work in the UK?
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1993 06:15:02 +0000


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail]
(Dinesh Rehani) writes:

> I'm planning to buy a notebook with a built-in fax/modem card in the
> US. The big question is, will the modem work in the UK?  I know the
> physical jacks/wiring are different, but provided I can get the
> appropriate connections, do I have anything else to worry about? Are
> the actual electrical signals etc any different in various countries?

> I'll appreciate any suggestions / comments.

It will almost certainly work, based on the number of dubious imports
of cheap, non-approved modems, but will be in the same category of
'unapproved' with all these modems.

The make/break times of the pulse dialing are slightly different, but
I don't think this should affect the performance -- you can use tone
dialling on most exchanges in the UK.


Dave   G4WRW @ GB7WRW.#41.GBR.EU AX25
[e-mail]  Internet
[e-mail]      Amprnet

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

From: [e-mail] (Ian Smith)
Subject: Re: Does a US Modem Work in the UK?
Organization: DIS(organised)
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1993 18:13:25 +0000


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail]
writes:

> I'm planning to buy a notebook with a built-in fax/modem card in the
> US. The big question is, will the modem work in the UK?  I know the
> physical jacks/wiring are different, but provided I can get the
> appropriate connections, do I have anything else to worry about? Are
> the actual electrical signals etc any different in various countries?

> I'll appreciate any suggestions / comments.

The UK doesn't use Bell tones. If your modem uses CCITT tones it will
work.  You need to be aware that for a modem to be USED legally, it
has to be BABT approved. However there has never been a prosecution
for use of an illegal modem, so far as I know. Lots of people use
Supras and other such forbidden fruit. It adds spice to life.


Regards,

Ian Smith            | "The Moving Finger writes;
[e-mail] |  and, having writ, Moves on."


[Moderator's Note: And my fingers having typed a lot tonight move on
toward bed. That's it for this time around; I'll see you all later.  PAT]

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

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #696
******************************


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Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1993 11:14:02 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #697

TELECOM Digest     Wed, 13 Oct 93 11:14:00 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 697

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Re: Does a US Modem Work in the UK? (Carl Oppedahl)
    Re: AT&T's Allen Says Family Upheavals Impact U.S. Economically (R Shwake)
    Re: Cellular Carriers For Northeastern Vermont (Robert J. Keller)
    How Bad and Expensive US Telcos Are (George Zmijewski)
    Re: How Much Power Will Telco Allow From Phone Line? (Ketil Albertsen)
    Confused: 56K Data Lines (Peter Stone)
    Where to Obtain International Rates? (Emilio Navarro)
    No Dialing Changes Yet Seen in 717 (Carl Moore)
    Re: North American Numbering Plan Launch in California (Carl Moore)
    Telecom Resources on the Net? (David M. Sokolic)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Carl Oppedahl)
Subject: Re: Does a US Modem Work in the UK?
Date: 13 Oct 1993 09:59:04 -0400
Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail]
(Dinesh Rehani) writes:

> I'm planning to buy a notebook with a built-in fax/modem card in the
> US. The big question is, will the modem work in the UK?  I know the
> physical jacks/wiring are different, but provided I can get the
> appropriate connections, do I have anything else to worry about? Are
> the actual electrical signals etc any different in various countries?

> I'll appreciate any suggestions / comments.

A frequently asked generic question is, "Will my telephone customer
premises equipment (CPE) work in country X?"  Followup questions are
typically, "How will I plug it in?" and "Will it work on the local AC
power?"

Broadly speaking the answer to the first question is usually yes.  You
would have to buy an adaptor to fit the local telephone jacks, and a
power adaptor for the AC power.  But it may not be legal -- not because
it is dangerous or won't work, but because the national telephone
regulator does not like competition with its own modems.  Here are some
details.

Dialing.  If you use rotary dial, be aware that many countries use
make/break ratios differing from those used in the US.  If you have
trouble reliably rotary-dialing, study your modem manaul and try setting
the make/break ratio to the other ratio.  For example, with my ZyXEL
modem the default ratio, set by &P0, is 39%/61%.  The other ratio is
33%/67%, set by &P1.

Some countries do rotary dialing differently than in the US.  Sweden,
for example, relates one click with "0", two clicks with "1", and so on
up to ten clicks meaning "9" on the dial.  This differs from most
countries where one click means "1" and so on.  New Zealand, I have been
told, uses a reversed correspondence, so that ten clicks means "1", nine
clicks means "2", and so on up to one click meaning "0".  In such
countries you would need to translate the phone number to be dialed,
before giving the dialing string to the modem.

    US:      1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
    NZ:      9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
    Sweden:  0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

A New Zealand reader says that "with American modems, to dial 769-4501
we'd use ATDP3416509.  But all exchanges here now support tone
dialling, so it's somewhat slower to use pulse dialling."

If you use tone dialing (on a line that is tone compatible) you should
have no trouble dialing anywhere in the world.  The dual-tone-multi-
frequency (DTMF) tones used are standard worldwide.

Dial tone detection.  Some modems (most of them, nowadays) actively
listen for dial tone, and will not commence dialing until they hear a
dial tone.  If they are picky and listen only for a precision US dial
tone (a mix of two defined sine waves) they might not work well in some
other country where the dial tone is different.  So you might have to
program the modem to "blind dial", namely, to dial without having
actually recognized a dial tone.  My Practical Peripherals 14400FX PKT
(which is a good choice for traveling) can be programmed to blind dial
by putting X0 in the dialing string.  You would have to study your
manual to see how your modem can be told to do this.

Call progress detection.  Some modems will attempt to detect and
report such things as busy signals and ringing sounds.  They may not
be able to recognize the sounds emitted by non-US exchanges.  You may
have to disable these features in the modem, or in your communications
software.

Distinctive ringing.  Some equipment (e.g. fax switcher boxes) will
watch for patterns of sound and silence in an incoming ring.  The
patterns are different from country to country and the equipment could
get confused.  You might have to turn off this feature if you are
receiving calls.

The plugs and jacks.  To complete your hookup you will typically need
an adaptor.  One way to do this is to find an adaptor that will
receive the US-style modular plug and that will in turn plug into the
wall.  Another way is to buy a replacement cord that has the domestic
plug at one end (to plug into the wall) and a modular plug on the
other end (to plug into your CPE (customer provided equipment).
Sometimes I will get luck when traveling and the place I am visiting
will already have US-style modular plugs in place.  Some hotels do
this, for example, outside of the US.

Ground start.  Some exchanges use "ground start", in which CPE
requests a dial tone by grounding one of the wires of the telephone
line.  US CPE is loop start, which requests a dial tone by connecting
the two wires of the line to each other (through a 600 ohm impedence).
To use US-style equipment you need to order a loop start line from
your telco.

The data signaling protocols.  Most modems nowadays are 2400 bps or
faster, following the V.22bis, V.32 and V.32bis protocol standards.
If the number you are calling is also V.22bis, V.32 or V.32bis, you
should have no trouble.

But if the modem you are calling is slower than 2400 bps, you need to
check further.  The standards for 300 and 1200 bps data communications
are different in the US and elsewhere.  Study the documentation for
your modem to be sure it can be programmed to follow the protocol for
the modem you are calling, if it is slower than 2400 bps.

AC power.  If the CPE you plan to use fits into a slot in your
computer, and gets its power from the computer, then you need not
worry about the non-US voltage or frequency of the power; you already
solved that problem when you figured out how to plug in your computer.

Another possibility is that your modem runs on batteries, or gets its
power from the telephone line.  In either case, you would not have to
worry about the non-US voltage or frequency.

But if your modem draws on AC power, you will have to think about how
to plug in your modem to that power.  There are three possible issues
 -- the voltage, the frequency, and the shape and size of the prongs on
the power plug.

Some CPE nowadays has the ability to adapt automatically to the
domestic current.  You can tell this from the labeling on the AC
adaptor or the case -- it will say something like "100-240 volts AC,
50-60 Hz".  If the domestic current falls within the range recited on
the equipment, you are in luck and all you need is a plug that fits
into the domestic outlets.  Adaptors to do this are inexpensive and
easy to find -- for example, Radio Shack sells them.

Many countries use a voltage about double that of the US but with the
same frequency, 60 Hz.  For those countries just get a
transformer-type power adaptor.  You can recognize that it is a
transformer-type adaptor because it (1) looks like a transformer, (2)
has a rather low limit on the permitted power level (typically 100 or
200 watts), and (3) comes with warnings not to use it with hair dryers
or irons.

The other typically marketed power adaptor simply contains a large
diode.  It works only with pure-resistive devices like hair dryers and
irons, but will ruin virtually all consumer electronic devices.  Don't
use one of these with your modem.

If you are in a 50-Hz country (e.g. Japan) and have a device that says
it only works on 60 Hz, you have to decide whether or not to be a
gambler.  The reality is that most consumer electronics that says it
only works on 60 Hz will really work on 50 Hz, with the only harm
being a power transformer that runs a little hotter than usual.  But
some devices will be harmed by it, while others will not work right
(but will not be damaged permanently).  If you are very sure that your
device is powered by a purely transformer-type AC adaptor, you can
probably get away with merely correcting the voltage (with a
transformer-type power adaptor) and finding a mechanical adaptor for
the plug.  But you should know that this can be a bit risky.  Before
trying this I suggest you check to be sure there is a source of
replacement AC adaptors for your device.

This all sounds very risky and unpredictable, but it does not have to
be that way.  I travel with a transformer-type adaptor (which drops
240 volts to 120 volts), a handful of AC power adaptor plugs, a
handful of telephone cords and telephone plug adaptors, and my modem
quick-reference card.  In many countries, visiting many patent
clients, I have never been unable to telecommunicate, and have never
had equipment damaged by the local power.

Modems in Germany.  I have been told that to be PTT-approved in
Germany, a modem must be programmed so that it will never retry a busy
number more than a preset number of times.  This is obviously
irrelevant to any modem usage decision -- if you are in Germany and
have a German-approved modem it will have this feature.  Modems made
for other markets almost certainly will not.  I just figured you would
find this to be interesting.  It has been reported that in Germany,
PTT certification of a modem takes many years, so if this is true,
don't expect to get any new feature as quickly there as in other
countries.

One commenter suggests that in 1994 the European Community will defang
the PTTs of the member countries, and that a less protectionist and
more consumer-friendly EC approval process will be used instead for
CPE.

Fax sending.  If you have a Group III fax machine and are sending to
Group III fax machines, then you will have no fax compatibility
problems anywhere in the world.

The law.  Finally, you must keep in mind that some countries are
rather strict about what you can and cannot plug into their telephone
jacks.  It is possible to imagine any of several motives for this,
from the concern that defective CPE might electrocute a telephone
worker to the concern that CPE obtained from a source other than the
PTT would reduce the PTT's revenues on overpriced CPE.

If the CPE you propose to use has a US FCC Part 68 registration
number, it is unlikely it would pose any safety risk anywhere in the
world.  Most PTT's, in certifying equipment for use in their systems,
use the same standards the FCC does under Part 68.

Nonetheless, you would be wise to find out what is legal and what is
not in your country before connecting CPE to your lines.

However, even though it may not pose a safety risk, the equipment may
not *work* if it expects U.S. signalling levels.  However, modem
manufacturers don't like to change their product for export, and most
modems are designed to work even at the lower signalling levels
present in some other countries.

Thanks to:
H. Peter Anvin N9ITP ([e-mail])
Charlie Mingo ([e-mail])
Pat Cain <[e-mail]>


Carl Oppedahl AA2KW  (patent lawyer)
1992 Commerce Street #309
Yorktown Heights, NY  10598-4412
voice 212-777-1330

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

From: media!nearside![e-mail] (Raymond Shwake)
Subject: Re: AT&T's Allen Says Family Upheavals Impact U.S. Economically
Organization: IRS A/C (International)
Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1993 06:07:50 GMT


[e-mail] (hunter) writes:

> Not to mention, why doesnt someone ask Mr. Allen what AT&T's mass
> lay-offs are doing to add to this problem? How about the decrease in
> company provided benifits? AT&T/NCR just announced another round of
> lay-offs didnt they?

Apropos, I have long wondered how -- at a time of labor *surplus*,
even of skilled workers -- AT&T could be devoting substantial
technical and capital resources to implement their electronic
operators scheme.  You know, the one where voice recognition systems
listen for key words like "collect" and "person-to-person" and try to
act accordingly. Once in place, these silicon dummies will allow AT&T
to pink slip some 5,000 skilled operators.


uunet!media!irscscm!nearside!shwake    shwake@rsxtech


[Moderator's Note: You are forgetting that robots do not listen to
their union stewards; they do not need vacations; trips to the
bathroom and coffee/lunch breaks. Makes a big difference!   PAT

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

Reply-To: [e-mail] (Robert J. Keller)
Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1993 09:17:49
Subject: Re: Cellular Carriers For Northeastern Vermont
From: [e-mail] (Robert J. Keller)


In V.13 #695, [e-mail] (John R Levine) asks:

> Anyone know who the cellular carriers for the Northeast Kingdom in
> Vermont are?  My recollection is that Vermont has three cellular
> areas, an MSA around Burlington, and RSA's for the northern and
> southern half of the state.

The FCC recognizes three Vermont celluar markets, as follows:

Cellular Mkt    Counties        Licensees

Burlington MSA  Chittenden      A:  Atlantic Cellular Co., L.P.
                Grand Isle      B:  Contel Cellular of Vermont, Inc.

Vermont 1 RSA   Franklin        A: PC Cellular of Vermont
                Orleans              Limited Partnership
                Essex           B:  Vermont RSA Partnership
                Lamoille
                Washington
                Caledonia
                Orange

Vermont 2 RSA   Addison         A:  Atlantic Cellular Co., L.P.
                Rutland         B1: Vermont RSA Limited Partnership
                Windsor         B2: Vermont Independent Cellular
                Bennington           Telephone General Partnership
                Windham

Unfortunately, the licensee names do not necessarily give you any
indication of who the ultimate owners really are.  I also caution that
the licensee names were taken from an FCC data base listing that I
have not had any reason to update since January of 1993.  It is
possible that it has changed since then.

Good luck!


Robert J. Keller (KY3R)              | [e-mail]
Telecommunications Lawyer         | [e-mail]
Tel [phone] Fax [phone] | CIS 76100.3333

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

From: [e-mail] (George Zmijewski)
Subject: How Bad and Expensive US Telcos Are
Organization: MGZ Computer Services
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1993 20:46:51


This message if for all those who keep complaining about charges in US:

Here in UK:
Line rental     residential   GBP 22.96   approx USD 34 per quarter
                business      GBP 37.19   approx USD 44 per quarter
                ( no difference in service - you get different set of
                  sales droids)

Of you want a nice 0800 number pay GBP300 per qtr for the number being
nice in addition all other charges.

All calls are time metered -- the best deal -- local call between
18:00 and 08:00 220 seconds for 5 pence (7.5 cents); worst -- long
distance between 09:00 and 13:00 19 seconds for 5 pence (long distance
is over 35 miles) If you want fancy stuff eg call diversion -- pay
extra $10 per qtr call barring -- another $10. CLI -- pipedream. Oh,
and I almost forgot -- we have free calls -- if you pay $950 per qtr
and $750 "connection charge" you get six hours of long distance calls
for "free".

And Oftel (our telecom regulator) said that special offer by BT of UK
wide calls at local rate on Sundays was anti-competitive!

So if you think you are ripped off by your telco -- just recalculate
your bill at UK rates!


George Zmijewski

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

From: [e-mail] (Ketil Albertsen,TIH)
Subject: Re: How Much Power Will Telco Allow From Phone Line?
Organization: T I H / T I S I P
Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1993 12:45:24 GMT


> In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail]
> (Neil Hamilton) writes:

>> If one wanted to power a certain low power device from a standard phone
>> line, how much power would the telco allow to be drawn?

(I didn't see the original posting, so I hope that [e-mail]
(David Hough) made a proper quote in his posting ...)

For POTS, I don't know, but for an ISDN phone, the telco *may
optionally* supply power. Under normal conditions, up to 7W can be
drawn, nominally at 40V, but the voltage may drop to 24V when the
maximum effect is drawn.

The telco may signal a "low power condition" by reversing the polarity
of the power supply (eg. if the AC line goes down and the phone line
must be powered from batteries). If this happens, at most 1W may be
drawn -- still, at 40V nominally but it may drop to 24V at 1W load.

I wouldn't be surprised if these figures match POTS standards, but I
don't know. Also note that the ISDN power supply is an *option* to the
telco, and also that the spec refers to the T reference point -- in
North America, the user/network interface is in the U point, which may
vary from one telco to another.

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

From: [e-mail] (Peter Stone)
Subject: Confused: 56K Data Lines
Date: 13 Oct 1993 05:07:28 -0700
Organization: CRL Internet Dialup Access 415-705-6060 (guest)


Can someone please explain the difference between what is believed to
be a switched and unswitched 56K line? I want to run a link from my
Macintosh to a Unix box literally down the street 1/2 mile away and my
phone provider talks of two kinds of digital services;

1. EXPENSIVE

and

2. CHEAP

I would like to use 2 please but he makes it sound like it's not an
option.

I want to provide a 24 hour internet link for my site and apparently,
the cheap solution is a dialup link where it's 56K digital, yet is $45
a month and $500 install (which they are waiving right now!)

The other solution is an always connected link which costs $1,250 to
install and $100.10 a month. (Ick)

The Pac Bell man said that on the expensive line, you can use a
CSU/DSU that runs around $395 and the cheaper line uses a $795
CSU/DSU ... then the words switched and unswitched came into play and
I'm going ... wait ... it's a pair of wires, isn't it? Who Cares!?

Well, perhaps I'm wrong ... and it's two wire compared to 4 wire ...
in either case, can someone explain the difference? Can a Macintosh
use a CSU/DSU via it's serial port on one of these cheaper lines to a
SUN system piping TCP/IP stuff up and down? (Telnet's, IRC's, FTP's,
etc ...)


Peter

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

From: [e-mail] (Emilio Navarro)
Subject: Where to Obtain International Rates?
Organization: University of Denver, Dept. of Math & Comp. Sci.
Date: Wed, 13 Oct 93 13:55:56 GMT


Hello everyone,

Does anyone out there knows how I could obtain the rates for
international long distance calls (as well as national)?

I would like to get a complete listing if there exists any.

Thank you in advance.


Emilio


[Moderator's Note: All telcos file their own rates or tariffs for the
places they serve. You would call each telco and ask them for the
rates to the places you wish to call. There is no online source that
I know for a complete list of all the rates to everywhere in the
world for all telcos.  PAT]

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

Date: Tue, 12 Oct 93 12:49:27 EDT
From: Carl Moore <[e-mail]>
Subject: No Dialing Changes Yet Seen in 717


In response to Sean's note, I noted 1 Nov. 1993 for permissive dialing
of long distance within 717 as being just seven digits instead of 1 +
seven digits.  I have just returned from a long trip across Pennsylvania
(going north toward NY state), and found 1 + 7D still being enforced for
long distance within 717.

I also was in the "southern tier" of New York state, in area 607.
From one exchange (607-775, found in a parking area on northbound I-81
just north of Pa. state line) I noticed the "old" instructions (0 + 7D
and 1 + 7D) posted, but the apparent "new" instructions useable.
607-962 Corning is long distance from there, and the system accepted
0+607-962-xxxx and 962-xxxx; I take it NY state is going to 7D for
long distance within an area code?  I have no firsthand information
available for 716,315,518.

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

Date: Tue, 12 Oct 93 14:51:14 EDT
From: Carl Moore <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: North American Numbering Plan Launch in California


[e-mail] writes:

> Thus, phone companies will NOT require you to dial 1+ for a phone
> number in your area code that is not long distance.

This is confusing wording!  Local calls in your own area code will
stay at seven digits, and you must inquire locally about local calls
to a different area code.  LONG DISTANCE within your own area code
should become either 7D or 1 + areacode + 7D (1 + 7D being ended) in
order to avoid some calls requiring timeout resolution.

Jan. 1, 1995 is only the date by which switches have to be ready to
handle the generalized area codes.  All we have received so far is
that southern Alabama goes to area code 334 sometime in 1995, with the
PERMISSIVE stage not able to start before Jan. 1.  Remember those
cases of some areas needing N0X/N1X prefixes?  They had to change
their dialing procedures, and THEN you could start getting N0X/N1X
prefixes there.

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

From: [e-mail] (David M Sokolic)
Subject: Telecom Resources on the Net?
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1993 09:42:50 GMT


Hello -

I was wondering if anyone out there can give me a concise guide to Telecom
resources that are out there on the net.

I have heard of the TELECOM Digest. What else is there?

Can you get stuff from BELLCORE and ETSI through the net? Are there
any other mailing lists that are good. I am particularly interested in
Fiber-In_The _Loop, HDSL , ADSL, and ISDN.


Thanks,

David Sokolic    [e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: Just a few days ago an article here mentioned
several telecom-related mailing lists which are available should
you wish to subscribe to them. You might want to check a few recent
back issues, or perhaps the person who posted the message will send
a copy to you. In addition, don't forget the Telecom Archives with a
twelve-year collection of this Digest and numerous other files. You
can get there using anonymous ftp lcs.mit.edu or by using the Telecom
Archives Email Information Service at [e-mail].   PAT]

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

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #697
******************************


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Date: Thu, 14 Oct 1993 13:10:02 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #698

TELECOM Digest     Thu, 14 Oct 93 13:10:00 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 698

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Bell Atlantic Buys TCI/Liberty Media (Phillip Dampier)
    Bell Atlantic Buys TCI (Barry Lustig)
    Bell Atlantic and TCI Cable Merge (Dave Niebuhr)
    Western Union Building in St. Louis Being Razed (Will Martin)
    Reviews: 900 MHz Digitals? (Brad Karal)
    Ericsson Display Device With Serial Port (Martin McCormick)
    Original Touch Tone Phones Wanted (Jeff Garber)
    "Weatherized" Phone Wantd (Sean Slattery)
    UUCP for Windows for Workgroups or Windows NT SMNP Handling? (M. Klepikov)
    Information Wanted on Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (Michael John Brooks)
    Yet Another Sprint Modem Story (David Horvath)
    Prodigy Internet Gateway Followup (David Horvath)
    Dialing Changed From 1-618-482-xxxx to 618-482-xxxx (Andy Fingerhut)
    Notes From Lancaster County, PA (Carl Moore)
    Bill Printed Part of My Calling Card Number (Carl Moore)
    I Wasn't Told of Itemized Calls (Carl Moore)
    "St. Peter" Story is True; Not a Joke ([e-mail])
----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Phillip Dampier)
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1993 13:18:25 -0500
Subject: Bell Atlantic Buys TCI/Liberty Media


BELL ATLANTIC BUYS TCI/LIBERTY MEDIA IN NATION'S LARGEST PROPOSED MERGER

DENVER (Oct. 13) UPI - Bell Atlantic Corp. said Wednesday it has
agreed to buy Tele-Communications Inc. and Liberty Media Corp. for
$21.4 billion in the second largest corporate deal in U.S. history.

   Kohlberg Kravits Roberts & Co.'s takeover of RJR Nabisco Inc. for $30.6
billion in April 1989 holds the record for the largest U.S. acquisition.

   Bell Atlantic said the deal to buy the nation's largest and most
powerful cable operator, TCI, and broadcast and TV giant Libery Media,
will create the world's largest communications, information and
entertainment company.

   The companies said they expect to close the transaction in the
latter part of 1994.

   The mega-merger, the companies said, "will solidify America's
information age leadership, generating jobs and exports well into the
21st century."

   Bell Atlantic said it will swap $11.8 billion in stock for TCI and
Liberty and assume $9.6 billion in debt.

   News of the deal sent Bell Atlantic stock down 25 cents to $59.75 a
share on the New York Stock Exchange in early trading. TCI jumped $3
to $31.375 and Liberty Media climbed $2.375 to $29 a share in early
Nasdaq trading.

   The new Bell Atlantic will be one of the largest information
distribution and multimedia companies in the world, defining a new
industry with its considerable programming and delivery resources.

   The new company will have a presence in 59 of the top 100 U.S.
markets, with more than 22 million telephone and cable customers.

   The deal follows TCI and Liberty Media's announcement last week
that the two companies would merge in a deal worth $3.8 billion.

   That transaction is subject to the approval of both sets of
shareholders, as well as various regulatory approvals and other
customary conditions.

   Liberty Media was spun off from Tele-Communications in 1991 to
prepare for compliance with expected Federal regulations limiting
vertical and horizontal concentration in the cable television and
programming industries.

   Wednesday's announcement does not affect that transaction or its terms.

   Under the terms of the Bell Atlantic letter of intent, the goal of
the transaction is to merge substantially all of the combined TCI-
Liberty Media assets - except for cable properties in Bell Atlantic's
telephone service area and certain other assets - with Bell Atlantic.

   The parties said they have agreed that the cable properties to be
merged into Bell Atlantic would be valued at 11.75 times annualized
cash flow for the three months prior to the closing.

   The merger would also include programming and other assets at
public market value at closing, with no additional premium.

   "Bell Atlantic, TCI and Liberty Media combine leading telephone,
wireless and cable networks in the U.S. and overseas with cutting edge
video programming and new interactive, multimedia technologies," said
Raymond W.  Smith, chairman and CEO of Bell Atlantic.

   "Together, we will help make the information superhighway a
reality, " Smith said.

   The deal comes amid a wave of mega-mergers and alliances in the
telecommunications and media industries.

   In August of this year, telecommunications giant American Telephone
& Telegraph Co. agreed to tie the knot with cellular telephone leader
McCaw Cellular Communications in a stock swap deal valued at $12.6
billion - the sixth-largest takeover in U.S. corporate history.

   AT&T also purchased NCR Corp. for $7.89 billion in September 1991.

   "This is the perfect information age marriage. We have an
opportunity to create exceptional long-term shareholder value by
offering customers convenience and value and a wealth of new services
 -- when they want them, where they want them and how they want them,"
said Smith.

   TCI President and CEO/Liberty Media Chairman John C. Malone said,
"By combining the skills and resources of these three great teams, we
will make full service networks a reality, creating exciting new
products and services.

   "The growth potential of this combination is truly unlimited for
all stakeholders - customers, employees and shareholders," Malone
said.

   Bell Atlantic said the new company will have substantial growth
opportunities in its existing businesses, as well as in the new
multibillion-dollar PCS and interactive, multimedia television
markets.

   "By combining the strengths of Bell Atlantic, TCI and Liberty
Media, we will create a company that provides customers with choice,
control and convenience, and shareowners with a growth vehicle now and
into the next century," Malone said.

   Bell Atlantic said it would accomplish the merger by issuing a new
Class B common stock, which is not expected to pay dividends for five
years.

   After that period, the Class B stock would carry the same dividend
as Bell Atlantic's present class of common stock, which will be
redesignated as Class A.

   The Class B stock would be convertible into Class A shares after
the end of five years.

   For the purpose of this transaction, Bell Atlantic said the Class B
shares would be valued at $54 each.

   Smith will continue as chairman and chief executive officer of the
merged Bell Atlantic. Malone will become vice chairman and a director
of the corporation, and will play a key role in the new Bell Atlantic.

   "After the merger closes, our new company will blend complementary
skills to explore ways to establish mutually beneficial relationships
with cable operators that will both conserve capital and promote
competition within the industry," Smith said.

   "We will continue to pursue joint facilities agreements with all
cable operators, including the in-region systems of TCI and Liberty,"
Smith added.

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

From: [e-mail] (Barry Lustig)
Subject: Bell Atlantic Buys TCI
Organization: ICTV, Santa Clara, CA [phone]
Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1993 18:43:05 GMT


For approximately 33 billion dollars.  24 billion comes from a stock
swap and the other 9 billion is TCI debt that Bell Atlantic is
assuming.


barry

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

Date: Thu, 14 Oct 93 07:20:39 EDT
From: [e-mail] (Dave Niebuhr)
Subject: Bell Atlantic and TCI Cable Merge


Today's {Newsday, a Long Island daily} reported that Bell Atlantic,
one of the Regional Bell Operating Companies, has purchased cable
television giant TCI, Inc. for $31.4 billion.

"Actually, two cable companies are being bought according to the
article: TCI and Liberty Media which itself is being absorbed by TCI.
TCI claims to have 20 percent of the cable subscribers in the United
States as its customers, including Brookhaven Cable TV on Long Island
which is who provides me with my service.

"Overnight, Bell Atlantic and TCI have created the possibility of a
national superhighway linking 22 million telephone and cable
companies.

"The announcement surprised Washington politicians and bureaucrats and
veterans of the cable and telephone industries.  The deal may become a
test case for Congress and regulators.  Attorney General Janet Reno
said the Justice Department would look into the deal, and a powerful
House telecommunications subcommittee said it would schedule hearings
on how it would affect competition and consumers."

In terms of mega-deals, a sidebar lists some of the bigger ones of
recent years: Bell Atlantic-TCI, RJR Nabisco-Kohlberg Kravis Roberts,
Warner Communications-Time, Gulf Corp and Standard Oil, Kraft and
Philip Morris, Squibb-Bristol Meyers, Getty Oil and Texaco.  All of
these were since 1984, the same year of the AT&T breakup.

On a personal level, the cable re-regulation act lowered my cable
bills from almost $50 to just over $22 and I wonder how long it will
be before the rates start to rise again.


Dave Niebuhr      Internet: [e-mail] (preferred)
                            [e-mail] / Bitnet: niebuhr@bnl
Senior Technical Specialist, Scientific Computing Facility
Brookhaven National Laboratory Upton, NY 11973  (516)-282-3093


[Moderator's Note: In a paragraph above speaking about 22 million cable
and telephone companies, I think you meant to say 22 million cable and
telephone *customers* ... there are not that many *companies* in the USA.
But your point is a very good one. It looks like some exciting and major
changes may be under way.  PAT]

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

Date: Thu, 14 Oct 93 10:10:25 CDT
From: Will Martin <[e-mail]>
Subject: Western Union Building in St. Louis Being Razed


The Western Union building in downtown St. Louis is now being razed.
This sits on a piece of downtown real estate that has long been slated
to become part of a grassy mall, but the plans for and construction of
this mall had been changed and delayed for many years.  One issue I
recall reading about when it was initially proposed was that there was
a major confluence of telecommunications cabling under the WU
building, and there was a great expense involved in moving and
rerouting all this infrastructure.

I was wondering if any of the other St. Louis TELECOM participants,
especially those working for SW Bell, had any more info about this.
Perhaps SWB's "house organ" paper had some articles about the work
needed to re-do this cabling? Or have modern fiber and suchlike
developments made the existing cabling there less valuable or easier
to bypass, so the razing of the building imposes less of an impact on
the local telecommunications media?

I saw the wrecking ball working on the back side the other day -- the
building is VERY solidly constructed, and it looks like it will take a
while to reduce it...


Will

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

Organization: York University
Date: Thursday, 14 Oct 1993 11:56:28 EDT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Reviews: 900 MHz Digitals?


Hi fellow netters:

I remember seeing some personal reviews of the Tropez 900DX and some
other 900 MHz digital cordless phones a while ago. Does anyone know
where I could find these? Also, has anyone had any experience with any
of the Motorola cordless phones? Please E-mail if possible, I don't
get regular access to Usenet.


Thanks in advance,


Brad Karal   YSPY0120 @ VM1.YORKU.CA    YSPY0120 @ YORKVM1.BITNET

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

From: [e-mail] (Martin McCormick)
Subject: Ericsson Display Device With Serial Port
Organization: Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK
Date: Thu, 14 Oct 1993 16:36:43 GMT


    The Ericsson MD110 PBX which we have supports alphanumeric
signaling from the switch to those phones which have a display pannel.
The display gives such information as callerID and the status of call
progress.

    For several reasons, it would be quite useful to have a device
which would route this alphanumeric information to a standard serial
port.  Ericsson makes a Hays compatible protocol converter which has a
serial port to allow computer users to multiplex data along with voice
through the switch.  It would seem to me that it would only require a
slight modification of the protocol converter called a TAU-2520 to
give it the capability to receive data which would normally access the
visual display.  This would be useful for blind people in identifying
the status of certain calls and for anybody who wanted to keep an
automatic log of incoming calls or to screen certain numbers.

    If anybody knows of such an Ericsson device, I would like to
know.  If any Ericsson Engineers are out there reading this message,
this would be a useful product, possibly as an inhanced TAU-2520.  I
am sure that the only reason the present TAU-2520's can't do this is
that they are programmed to ignore those data.


Martin McCormick WB5AGZ   Stillwater, OK
O.S.U. Computer Center Data Communications Group

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

Date: Thu, 14 Oct 93 02:47 GMT
From: Jeff Garber <[e-mail]>
Subject: Original Touch Tone Phones


My roommate wants to have an early Touch Tone (tm) phone. They look
just like the standard 2500 desk set, but they only have ten buttons,
no "*" or "#". These were around from 1964 to the late 60's at least.
Does anyone know of one that is for sale, or who is likely to have one
hanging around?


Jeff Garber <[e-mail]>

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

Date: Wed, 13 Oct 93 18:43 GMT
From: Sean Slattery <[e-mail]>
Subject: "Weatherized" Phone


Hello,

I am looking for a supplier who has a "weatherized" telephone.  I need
three or four completely functional telephones, with touch pads, that
I can bolt to the side of a building next to an entrance.  A
speakerphone with no handset would be ideal, but a handset would be
OK.  A ringer would be nice but is not required.

If anyone knows of a phone like this please contact me at:


[e-mail]    or
[e-mail]


Thank you,

Sean Slattery,
Network Administrator,
Airflow Research & Mfg.

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

From: Michael Klepikov <[e-mail]>
Subject: UUCP for Windows for Workgroups or Windows NT SMNP handling?
Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1993 09:52:06 GMT
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Organization: ULTER SYSTEMS Ltd.


Hi netters,

I (and my company) want to find some UUCP emulator for Windows for
Workgroups or Windows NT that will support the SMNP mail protocol, for
both sending and receiving remote mail. I've tried contacting
Microsoft but they answered nothing.

Please suggest me if there are UUCPs like what I want, and where I can
find it them.


Yours,

Michael

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

From: [e-mail] (Michael John Brooks)
Subject: Information Wanted on Synchronous Digital Hierarchy
Organization: MB Computing
Date: Thu, 14 Oct 1993 08:40:22 +0000


Hi!

Is there any kind soul out there who could maybe mail me an overview
of Synchronous Digital Hierarchy? What it is, and how it works. If
so, I would be eternally grateful, as I could do with knowing a bit
for a job interview.


Mike Brooks  [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (David Horvath)
Subject: Yet Another Sprint Modem Story
Date: Thu, 14 Oct 93 10:04:50 EDT


I too called Sprint about the modem offer and ended up speaking to about
six people before I found someone who knew anything about it.  I spoke
with John (I didn't ask for a last name) who told me about a wonderful
9600 data/fax modem internal for PC's.  Since I want an external modem,
 I told him I had a Mac and he phoned Best Data Products.

When he came back on the line he mentioned that they would send me an
external modem.  He was suprised that Mac's would even use a modem
(hmmm, high level of computer literacy?).

I called Best Data Products (I got the number and contact person from
an earlier post), here's the facts: class I, 9600 send, 4800 receive
fax modem, and 2400 hayes compatible data modem.  They include two fax
software packages WinFAX (Delrina) and another for DOS.

I signed up for Sprint and look forward to getting a modem as a FAX
for my UNIX machine.  It'll be interesting to see how it all turns
out.


David Horvath

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

From: [e-mail] (David Horvath)
Subject: Prodigy Internet Gateway Followup
Date: Thu, 14 Oct 93 10:07:10 EDT


I recently sent mail to [e-mail] and posted the response I
got back.  The person I sent the mail to got a note that I sent mail
to them via the internet but it was not delivered because it was only
available on a Beta test basis and gave instructions on how to
participate.

They've expressed an interest in testing the new facility and I will
post another followup then.


David Horvath

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

Date: Wed, 13 Oct 93 18:55:17 CDT
From: [e-mail] (Andy Fingerhut)
Subject: Dialing Changed From 1-618-482-xxxx to 618-482-xxxx


I have a situation that I haven't seen before in my (limited) telecom
experience, and wanted to find out what is going on.

My parents live in Fairmont City, Illinois, about six miles east of
the Mississippi River near Saint Louis, Missouri (before AND after
the flooding, thankfully).  Their phone number used to be 618-875-xxxx,
which I give just in case it helps someone figure this out.  A couple
of years ago, my father had it changed to 618-482-xxxx, because it
was a "special number" which allows my parents to dial some places
in St. Louis toll free (even though they are in different LATA's,
I would guess).  This option is apparently offered to anyone living
"close enough" to St. Louis.

At this time, I (living in St. Louis) could dial them toll free by
dialing 482-xxxx, and they could call me toll free (I think) by
dialing 1-314-645-xxxx.  Everything is fine and dandy.

This was all before about Sep. 3, when something changed.  I dial
482-xxxx to talk to Mom, and I get the message "We're sorry, your call
cannot be completed as dialed.  Please check the number and dial
again."  I tried it again.  Same thing.  I try 1-618-482-xxxx.  I get
"We're sorry.  It is not necessary to dial a 1 or a 0 when calling
this number."  What's left to try?  My wife thought of dialing
618-482-xxxx, which I probably never would have thought of.  It works.
As far as I know, it is a toll free call.

My first guess was that someone in the 314 area code got the same
482-xxxx number that my parents did, but it was out of my local
calling area.  I try 1-482-xxxx and get the "call cannot be completed
as dialed" message.  I try 1-314-482-xxxx and get a message about "not
necessary to dial the area code".

Does anyone know, or have a guess, what changed?


Andy Fingerhut   [e-mail]
Washington University, St. Louis MO

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

Date: Thu, 14 Oct 93 06:53:10 EDT
From: Carl Moore <[e-mail]>
Subject: Notes From Lancaster County, PA


Recently, I posted a note about the Lancaster County points in area
code 215.  I made three AT&T Calling Card calls -- one each from
Adamstown, Denver, and Terre Hill.  The bill for these has now
arrived, and it has no surprises (just the NEW area code and prefix as
cited earlier); the prefixes in the FROM part are:

717-484 Adamstown
717-336 Denver
215-445 Terre Hill

(I have not yet seen the Orange Card bill for calls from these points.)

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

Date: Thu, 14 Oct 93 07:01:35 EDT
From: Carl Moore <[e-mail]>
Subject: Bill Printed Part of my Calling Card Nnumber


Do you remember AT&T Calling Card numbers as being of form:

abc def ghij klmn   ?

I have inserted letters instead of numbers for obvious privacy
reasons.  In the bill I just got containing those three AT&T Calling
Card calls from Lancaster County, PA, the AT&T part of the bill had
these headers:

AT&T toll charges
Calling card calls
Card ghij <-- see above for my usage of "ghij"

and at the end of these itemized calls, it said:
Card ghij Subtotal
Subtotal for calling card calls

where both subtotals are the same.

So what security/privacy issues are raised by the printing of the four
digits from that "ghij" slot?

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

Date: Thu, 14 Oct 93 07:09:39 EDT
From: Carl Moore <[e-mail]>
Subject: I Wasn't Told of Itemized Calls


I had set up the remote-forward for my old Delaware number. Apparently
it is measured service, because my Delaware bill includes listing of
local call charges.  It includes:

Area (1 in this case, because the forward is within the Newark exchange);
Rate (Full and 50% Discount);
Calls (number of calls at each rate);
Minutes (total number of minutes for each rate);
Cost (total cost at each rate).

with the costs being added to get a subtotal.

As noted earlier, when a forward is in effect, your bill shows the
calls FROM your phone TO the place where the forward is going, and
does not give a clue as to where the original calls were FROM.

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

Date: Thu, 14 Oct 1993 12:19:06 EST
From: [e-mail]
Subject: St. Peter Story is True; Not a Joke
Organization: University of Dayton


In issue 694 Carl Moore makes reference to a guard named Jay St.
Peter.  In 1962 right out of high school I worked at the Defense
Electronics Suppy Center (DESC) at the Gentile Air Force Depot in
Dayton Oh.  I knew Jay St. Peter who was indeed the guard at the main
gate.  His standard way of answering the telephone was " Main gate St.
Peter speaking.  May I help you?"  frequently the caller would just
hangup and try again, if the next call was immediate he would simply
say "Main gate".  Somehow the story about Jay got out, I believe it
was thourgh one of the local TV stations WHIO, which is located across
the street from DESC.  Jay and his family were invited to New York and
he made an apperance on the "I've Got A Secret" program were he did
indeed stump the panel of experts.  Old as the story is it is based in
truth.


[Moderator's Note: "I've Got a Secret" featured host Garry Moore and
was a great example of the early days of television. Does anyone remember
the names of the four panelists there on a regular basis? The three or
four guests each week had something not generally known about them; maybe
they held a world's record in some feat; perhaps it was their occupation
which was unusual. The panel had to guess it in a few minutes.  Thanks
for verifying the origin of the 'St. Peter at the Gate' story.  PAT]

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

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #698
******************************


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Date: Thu, 14 Oct 1993 13:38:17 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #699

TELECOM Digest     Thu, 14 Oct 93 13:38:00 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 699

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Re: How Will Routers Compete Against Digital Switches? (Fred R. Goldstein)
    Re: How Will Routers Compete Against Digital Switches? (Al Varney)
    Re: Confused: 56K Data Lines (Jack Lowry)
    Re: Confused: 56K Data Lines (Dave Gellerman)
    Re: Confused: 56k Data Lines (Dave O'Shea)
    Re: Confused: 56K Data Lines (Bruce Sullivan)
    Re: Stutter Dial-Tone Detectors (John Gilbert)
    Re: Demon Dialers Information Wanted (Mike Morris)
    Re: Ringing a Phone on the Stage in a Play ([e-mail])
    Re: Ringing a Phone on the Stage in a Play (Andrew Marc Greene)

                 ----------------------------
TELECOM Digest is an e-journal devoted mostly -- but not entirely --
to discussions on telecommunications in general, and voice telephony
in particular. It is published daily, and is reader-written, meaning
the people who read it are the people who submit articles to it. The
Digest is a not-for-profit activity of Patrick Townson Associates, a
telecommunications consulting firm in Chicago, Illinois. PTA markets a
variety of telecom-related services including a no-surcharge telephone
calling card known as the Orange Card.  In addition, we are marketing
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Write and ask for our products and services file.

TELECOM Digest is distributed free of charge to qualified subscribers
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and tell us how you qualify:  [e-mail].

Back issues and many other files of interest are available free of
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and discussions are stored there.

TELECOM Digest is compilation-copyrighted, 1993 by Patrick Townson
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Article submissions come to: [e-mail], and if you wish, you
may reach us by phone: [phone] or fax: [phone].  Thank you!

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

From: [e-mail] (Fred R. Goldstein)
Subject: Re: How Will Routers Compete Against Digital Switches?
Organization: Digital Equipment Corp., Littleton MA USA
Date: Thu, 14 Oct 1993 02:57:28 GMT


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail]
(Garrett Wollman) writes:

> I'd like to correct some of the misconceptions that Fred has been
> spreading.  I hate to do this, since Fred probably knows more about
> the physical side than most of us, myself included, but when one's
> honor is at stake ... (half a smiley)

I do enjoy these not-quite-flame wars ... In practice it's these
controversies tend to bring out a lot of interesting details.  ;=)

I said that you can't really do telephony over IP, since packet voice
is like teaching a pig to sing.

I hold to this position.  Packet voice isn't impossible, but it simply
can't compete with circuit-mode telephony.  There are two different
classes of serious problem.  One is technical, the other economic.

The economic problem is that packet processing (IP) requires the
router to look at every single packet header and figure out what to
do.  This volume sensitivity (routers are rated in packet/sec) is fine
with bursty traffic, but isochronous streams just beat up on the
routers mercilessly.  The "solution" may be cheap fast microprocessors
(Alpha AXP, anyone ;-] ) used liberally in routers, but in general a
circuit switch has the advantage, since you just set up the link and
let the bits fly, untouched.  On a dollar/bps basis, circuit switches
are a tiny fraction the price of routers.

There is also a bandwidth cost: In order to prevent packet drops of
asynchronous traffic (and I presume voice-over-IP would be mixed with
asynchronous data traffic), the links would have to be utilized at
less than 100%; isochronous bandwidth doesn't have this problem.  (It
just blocks additional calls when full.)  Bigger buffers reduce but do
not eliminate this, but they add delay.  This is an ATM problem: ATM
switches designed for mostly isochronous traffic have short buffers,
but are very inefficient for data.

The technical problem is delay-and-echo.  Packetization adds delay.
Delay makes echo more noticeable.  Telephone lines/sets, being
designed for the two-wire analog network, have echo, so your own words
come back to you a round-trip later.  With circuit, there is virtually
no delay in the switch, so "speed of light" is the only issue, and
echo is manageable as long as you don't have satellites.  With packet
you inevitably have long delay, so you need echo cancellation (more
cost, distortion), and even then IP-size packets tend to have too long
a delay for comfortable conversation.  StrataCom, for instance,
handles voice tolerably well in 21-octet cell-switched payloads, but
even that requires echo treatment.

Now these two problems interact.  You can overcome some loss, as
Garrett suggests, by using either Forward Error Correction or
retransmission.  The former requires additional bandwidth overhead
plus longer packetization delay; the latter requires round-trip times'
worth of additional delay.  For data that's not a problem, but for
telephony it would be terrible.  BTW, "broadcast" (one-way) voice,
which is delay-insensitive, does not have these problems, so indeed it
can be carried as data.  But that's a rather limited use compared to
the massive amount of two-way telephone traffic now carried
isochronously.

So let's let pigs oink, birds sing, and frogs croak.  Routers are
wonderful for data.  Circuit switches are wonderful for voice telephony.


Fred R. Goldstein  [e-mail]
Opinions are mine alone; sharing requires permission

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

Date: Wed, 13 Oct 93 15:53:45 CDT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: How Will Routers Compete Against Digital Switches?
Organization: AT&T


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail]
writes:

> In TELECOM Digest V13 #691 Garrett Wollman writes:

>> Let's analyze what can happen in a non-isochronous network to
>> digitally-encoded voice packets:

>> 1) packets can get delayed or interchanged;
>>   - solved by a reasonably sized playout buffer (remember,
>>   memory is cheap!)

> While I agree you can reassemble isochronous traffic with the proper
> time indexing, you do have problems in actual delay, which can have
> several problems in trying to carry on a two way, real time conver-
> sation.

>> However, it has been clearly demonstrated that non-isochronous
>> networks work perfectly well for both voice and slow-update video
>> [like in a teleconference].

> My only quarrel with this comment would be the use of the term
> "perfectly" well. I have not had privilege of actually hearing such a
> real time, two way conference, so it may in fact be fine.  But I find
> the delay of 250 ms on a single hop satellite link annoying -- (espec-
> ially when I am arguing!) and I would anticipate it takes more than
> 250 msec to correct for the time uncertainty.

   Note that a teleconference usually employs some form of audio
processing to eliminate echos (at least the speaker-to-microphone
feedback).  Delays of 500 ms WITH SUBSTANTIAL ECHO from a far-end
hybrid will produce effects serious enough to block natural speech.
(The 250 ms hop produces a round-trip 500 ms delay, which is the "echo
return" measure.)

> I doubt if the delay in video would be the dominate problem. The 10 or
> 15 frames per second that is sent over ISDN is so choppy that you
> would never notice the additional delay.

   Video is perceived by humans with a persistence mechanism.  Thus
you can compensate somewhat for delay by just "holding" a frame a
little longer.  Holding a sound a little longer creates problems.

   There has been some work published over the years on the delay
and re-synchronization issues.  The last one I remember is:

     "Voice Synchronization in Packet Switching Networks," in
      {IEEE Network}, September 1993, Vol. 7, No. 5.

   It ignores the "echo" issue.  I seem to remember reading an article
from Bell Labs that did NOT ignore echo in a recent journal/magazine,
but I cannot seem to locate the article.  I believe there were several
packet-related articles as well.  Anyone have a reference?

   As for the more obvious effect from large delays before responses
from a person at the far end arrive, I recall one of the 1993 (or late
1992?) issues of IEEE Transactions on Communications has the results
of a Japanese study suggesting 200 ms of such delay was not a problem,
but 500 ms was, even if the person knew of the technical reason for
the delay.


Al Varney - just my opinion

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

From: [e-mail] (jack lowry)
Subject: Re: Confused: 56K Data Lines
Organization: Prism Medical Systems
Date: Thu, 14 Oct 1993 02:18:01 GMT


Peter Stone ([e-mail]) wrote:

> Can someone please explain the difference between what is believed to
> be a switched and unswitched 56K line?

DDS ( I or II I think they are both very much alike) provides a 56k
baud digital connection between to locations just like a standard
leased line.  But it is digital and typically a clock is provided by
the TELCO for the data.

Switched 56k is could very easily be compared to a regular dial line
each switched 56k CSU/DSU has a phone number (I think in the
700-xxx-xxxx range).

> I want to provide a 24 hour internet link for my site and apparently,
> the cheap solution is a dialup link where it's 56K digital, yet is $45
> a month and $500 install (which they are waiving right now!)

Be careful two installs (waived) and 2 x $45 did anyone say cost/megabyte?

> The other solution is an always connected link which costs $1,250 to
> install and $100.10 a month. (Ick)

> The Pac Bell man said that on the expensive line, you can use a
> CSU/DSU that runs around $395 and the cheaper line uses a $795
> CSU/DSU ... then the words switched and unswitched came into play and
> I'm going ... wait ... it's a pair of wires, isn't it? Who Cares!?

The price differences are not surprising.

> Can a Macintosh use a CSU/DSU via it's serial port on one of
> these cheaper lines to a SUN system piping TCP/IP stuff up and down?
> (Telnet's, IRC's, FTP's, etc ...)

Donno does a mac do slip?


Good Luck!

Jack Lowry Prism Medical Systems   [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (Dave Gellerman)
Subject: Re: Confused: 56K Data Lines
Date: 13 Oct 1993 15:57:14 -0400
Organization: Express Access Online Communications, Greenbelt, MD USA


In article <[e-mail]>, Peter Stone <xorcist@crl.
com> wrote:

> Can someone please explain the difference between what is believed to
> be a switched and unswitched 56K line? I want to run a link from my
> Macintosh to a Unix box literally down the street 1/2 mile away and my
> phone provider talks of two kinds of digital services;

> 1. EXPENSIVE

> and

> 2. CHEAP

> I would like to use 2 please but he makes it sound like it's not an
> option.

> I want to provide a 24 hour internet link for my site and apparently,
> the cheap solution is a dialup link where it's 56K digital, yet is $45
> a month and $500 install (which they are waiving right now!)

> The other solution is an always connected link which costs $1,250 to
> install and $100.10 a month. (Ick)

> The Pac Bell man said that on the expensive line, you can use a
> CSU/DSU that runs around $395 and the cheaper line uses a $795
> CSU/DSU ... then the words switched and unswitched came into play and
> I'm going ... wait ... it's a pair of wires, isn't it? Who Cares!?

> Well, perhaps I'm wrong ... and it's two wire compared to four wire ...
> in either case, can someone explain the difference? Can a Macintosh
> use a CSU/DSU via it's serial port on one of these cheaper lines to a
> SUN system piping TCP/IP stuff up and down? (Telnet's, IRC's, FTP's,

In both cases the 56K service will appear as a synchronous V.35 or
RS-530 connection (generally) -- are you prepared for that?

In the full time connection (called full time private line), the phone
company is wiring up dedicated circuitry from your house your internet
provider's location -- it's a lot more than just wire.  This is the
old DDS type of solution -- which is why the CSU/DSUs are cheaper.  It
is also probably a four wire loop to your house (one pair xmit, one
pair receive).

In the dial up scheme, the phone phone company is only dedicating the
wires from the nearest switching office (the CO) to your house, and
using the interoffice facilities and routing equipment (the CO switch)
that is used for ordinary POTS.  Depending on your area, the 56K dial
up will be either a four wire loop (served from the CO like DDS), or a
2W loop sort of served like ISDN (but not exactly).  Since there are a
lot fewer dial up 56K circuits, the CPE equipment (CSU/DSU) costs
more ...

Have you considered some of these real new 28.8 dial up modems?

The other option would be (yuck) ISDN, but then you get into a real
headache with CPE.


David R. Gellerman           [phone]
Hekimian Laboratories, Inc.  [e-mail]
15200 Omega Drive            Rockville MD 20850 USA

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

From: [e-mail] (Dave O'Shea)
Subject: Re: Confused: 56k Data Lines
Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1993 22:03:11 EST


[e-mail] (Peter Stone) writes:

> Can someone please explain the difference between what is believed to
> be a switched and unswitched 56K line? I want to run a link from my
> Macintosh to a Unix box literally down the street 1/2 mile away and my
> phone provider talks of two kinds of digital services;

Generally speaking, "switched 56" is a service which gives you
synchronous 56k data to a site which you select by dialing a number
which resembles an ordinary phone number. Once connected, it looks to
the CPE just like a leased 56kb line. The advantage is that if you
only use if a few hours a month, your charges will probably be fairly
low. If you use it a lot, it could end up costing you a lot more. I
don't know rates, but generally it's priced on a time basis, rather
than load.

> I want to provide a 24 hour internet link for my site and apparently,
> the cheap solution is a dialup link where it's 56K digital, yet is $45
> a month and $500 install (which they are waiving right now!)

If they're charging you by the hour, best to take that into account.

> The other solution is an always connected link which costs $1,250 to
> install and $100.10 a month. (Ick)

Ouch! Well, here in NY, the install prices are lower, but they nick you
deeper on the recurring charges.

> The Pac Bell man said that on the expensive line, you can use a
> CSU/DSU that runs around $395 and the cheaper line uses a $795
> CSU/DSU ... then the words switched and unswitched came into play and
> I'm going ... wait ... it's a pair of wires, isn't it? Who Cares!?

$395 for a CSU sounds like a pretty good deal to me -- I think even
the cheapest Racal and Cray units are more expensive. A "dumb" 56k CSU
is really little more than a high-speed modem, which is why it is
significantly cheaper than the equipment for switched 56, which
requires some more brains. In either case, it's four wires: two for tx,
two for rx.

> Well, perhaps I'm wrong ... and it's two wire compared to four wire ...
> in either case, can someone explain the difference? Can a Macintosh
> use a CSU/DSU via it's serial port on one of these cheaper lines to a
> SUN system piping TCP/IP stuff up and down? (Telnet's, IRC's, FTP's,
> etc ...)

Depends. If you can get a 56k CSU that has an RS-232 port, you can run
SLIP, assuming you equip the Mac similarly. Running 56 over RS-232 is
always chancy, though. Be prepared for significant error counts. V.35
is the recommended standard, but then you're going to need to talk
about routers, and that gets pretty expensive.


Dave O'Shea                    [e-mail]
Sr. Network Support Engineer   201.236.3730
WilTel Data Network Services

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

Date: Wed, 13 Oct 93 21:11 GMT
From: Bruce Sullivan <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Confused: 56K Data Lines


In TELECOM Digest V13 #697, [e-mail] (Peter Stone) writes:

> Can someone please explain the difference between what is believed to
> be a switched and unswitched 56K line? I want to run a link from my

*Switched = dial-up. Not too dissimilar from any dial-up link, it's
not quite as dependable as a leased line -- and a little harder to
troubleshoot when there is trouble. I use it primarily for dial backup
of leased lines.

*Unswitched == leased, or dedicated. This is the more dependable of
the two, and a bit easier to troubleshoot for problems. It's my
preference, but not practical for all locations, particularily if cost
is a major factor.

> The Pac Bell man said that on the expensive line, you can use a
> CSU/DSU that runs around $395 and the cheaper line uses a $795
> CSU/DSU ... then the words switched and unswitched came into play and
> I'm going ... wait ... it's a pair of wires, isn't it? Who Cares!?

Note: You cannot interchange switched and unswitched DSU's. Since, in
the switched environment, the DSU must actually dial the number at the
remote site, it must have the capability to do so. The 'normal', or
unswitched DSU is designed for a circuit which is 'up' all the time.
Hence, it neither needs nor has dial capability, and will be unable to
establish a connection.

All of that said, it sounds like the switched environment will be best
for you, based on cost.

> Well, perhaps I'm wrong ... and it's two wire compared to four wire ...
> in either case, can someone explain the difference? Can a Macintosh
> use a CSU/DSU via it's serial port on one of these cheaper lines to a
> SUN system piping TCP/IP stuff up and down? (Telnet's, IRC's, FTP's,
> etc ...)

Regarding using a Mac as the DTE: Keep in mind that the serial port is
asynchronous. The 56k line is usually set up to be synchronous. Some
DSUs will allow you to 'convert' async-sync, but you don't get the
full throughput.

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

From: [e-mail] (John Gilbert)
Subject: Re: Stutter Dial-Tone Detectors
Organization: Motorola, LMPS
Date: Thu, 14 Oct 1993 17:11:39 GMT


In article <[e-mail]>, ken thompson <kthompso@
donald.wichitaks.NCR.COM> wrote:

>                           |\ |
>         <---------+-------| >|-----+-----'\/\/\/\/`-----+
>                   |       |/ |     |        22k         |
>                   |        led     |                    |
> to phone          |                |                    |
> line              |       | /|     |                    |
> (green/red)       +-------|< |-----+                    |
> (L1/L2)                   | \|                          |
>                            led                          |
>                                                         |
>                                                         |
>         <-----------------------------------------------+

> ...No warranty expressed or implied.  Not liable for any direct,
> consequential, or incidental loss or damage.  This circuit has not
> been certified as complying with Part 68 of FCC regs.

Am I missing something??  I don't see how this could possibly work.
This circuit looks to me like it will not draw enough current to take
the phone off hook, but also would never pass enough current to light
either of the LEDs (except maybe while ringing).  If the phone is on
hook, I would expect to only see about 2 mA through forward biased LED
(the other LED would always be off, except during ringing).  The
circuit would constantly draw this current from the line, and this may
be enough to be detected as a trouble by the switch.

The circuit I would exect to see would have a current sink or load to
take the phone off hook, a relay or solid state line switch, a dial
tone detector, and some sort of timer circuit and logic to look for
the interruptions in dial tone. Another timer circuit would control
the interval that the line would be sampled for dialtone.


John Gilbert         [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (Mike Morris)
Subject: Re: Demon Dialers Information Wanted
Organization: College Park Software, Altadena, CA
Date: Thu, 14 Oct 1993 06:57:04 GMT


The real "Demon Dialer"tm was made by Zoom Telecommunications in
Boston for several years, and was in the Heathkit catalog for a while
both as a kit and as a factory built item.  They were a combination
last number dialed device, and as a memory dialer.  The unit could
store either 70 numbers, or 140 (i.e. two models, differing in that
one had an extra memory chip), and was either TouchTone or Rotary.  I
have three - two 176T and a 70T.  The units were manufactured in two
vintages: one had a dry cel inside that ahd to be replaced every year,
the later had a SuperCap(tm); either would maintain the memory during
a power outage.

They work "ok".  The touchtone decoding was done by software and a
zero-crossing detector - not very reliable.  The busy detector falses
some.  The overall quality is on the low side of acceptable - I've had
to resolder the board on two of my three to resolve intermittents.

Major gripes:
1 You can't clone them - I have two lines here, and each has a 176T.  I
  have to remember to update both every time I add, delete or change a
  memory number.

2 You can't dump them to a printer.  No way to validate to a data base.

3 Ditto - no way to load them except via the phone keypad.

Attaboys:

1 Easy interfacing: CO Tip, Station Tip, Common Ring.

2 Commonly available wall WART power pack.  I zapped one of mine, and
  I was able to get a replacement at Radio Shack.

3 "Rememberable" instruction set: Since everything is done via the
  keypad, the instructions are kinda cryptic.  No problem for Unix hacks.

4 Usable from any extension on a single line, or any line on a single
  phone.  I have my house ones wired to the lines, my office one is wired
  to the 9-line 1A2 (2830-type) desk phone so it works on any line.

What would I do if I was designing a replacement?

1 Use a decent touchtone decoder chip.

2 Either implement a modem or an RS232 jack into it.  Even a 300 baud
  modem would make uploading and downloading (and cloning) easy.
  16 digits each for 170 numbers isn't that many characters, even with
  overhead bytes.

3 Offer a multi-line unit.

I'd still like to find a Mitel Smart-1.


Mike Morris   WA6ILQ   PO Box 1130
Arcadia, CA. 91077     818-447-7052 evenings

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

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Ringing a Phone on the Stage in a Play
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Organization: Corporation for Open Systems
Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1993 14:02:11 GMT


{hi-tech phone ringing deleted}

My, my, weren't the 'old days' so simple. Back (in another
incarnation) when I was in charge of a small community dial office the
local agent (The lady who accepted payments) asked me if I could loan
a phone to the local convent for a play. I hooked up a 300 set (told
you it was another incarnation) with about 25 feet of JKT to a magneto
ringer.  I don't know where you would find a magneto today. I think I
still have the charming 'thank you' note the Mother Superior sent me
about the house somewhere.


Bob

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

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Ringing a Phone on the Stage in a Play
Date: Thu, 14 Oct 1993 11:36 -0400


Another solution:  Don't actually have the phone hooked up to anything.

On the back of the table/desk/whatever on which the phone is resting,
mount an electric doorbell.  The wire for this can be run offstage
(looking very much like the phone cord) and the techdir can close a
key switch to make the bell ring.


Andrew

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

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #699
******************************


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Date: Thu, 14 Oct 1993 21:37:11 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #700

TELECOM Digest     Thu, 14 Oct 93 21:37:00 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 700

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Re: The Sprint Modem Mystery (Brendan B. Boerner)
    Re: The Sprint Modem Mystery (Joe Bowker)
    US Sprint Modem Mess - Read This ASAP ([e-mail])
    Re: Sprint Personal 800, Using SSN (Carl Oppedahl)
    Re: Latest Word on Prodigy.com Gateway (Tatsuya Miyazaki)
    Re: Dialing Changed From 1-618-482-xxxx to 618-482-xxxx (B. Frankenberger)
    Re: Dialing Changed From 1-618-482-xxxx to 618-482-xxxx (Carl Moore)
    Re: No Dialing Changes Yet Seen in 717 (Dave Niebuhr)
    Re: Capacity of Area Code (Gregory Youngblood)
    Re: AML Carrier? (Al Varney)
    Re: Telecom Resources on the Net? (Patrick Tufts)
    Re: Telecom Resources on the Net? (Ake Knutsson)
    Re: How Bad and Expensive US Telcos Are (Ken Hoehn)
    Re: Atomic Clocks (David Breneman)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Brendan B. Boerner)
Subject: Re: The Sprint Modem Mystery
Organization: Novell, Inc. -- Austin
Date: Thu, 14 Oct 1993 21:19:13 GMT


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail]
(Doug Williams) writes:

> The mystery continues.  I talked with Tom Westlake this morning, He
> took my name and passed it along to Sprint representative (and Digest
> reader) Diane Worthy.  Mrs. Worthy clearly indicated that there was
> absolutely no possible option to receive an external modem.  She said

Funny, the person I talked to at Sprint last week told me (and
verified for me when I pressed him on it) that the modem I'd get would
be a 9600 baud (sic) external modem with FAX.  I told him that if it
was a 9600 bps external modem with FAX I'd sign up for Sprint.  BTW, I
didn't mention that I needed it for a Mac, I just want an external
modem.

We shall see.

Later,

Brendan B. Boerner    Phone: [phone]    MHS: bboerner@novell
Internet: [e-mail]     \  Please use either if replying
   or  [e-mail] /  by mail exterior to Novell.
Disclaimer: My views are my own, not Novell's.  They pay me to write
code, not speak for them.

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

Date: Thu, 14 Oct 93 16:22:24 -0700
From: Joe Bowker <bowker@am_mse1.twomts.two.MTS.dec.com>
Subject: Re: The Sprint Modem Mystery


The modem offer seems to be continuing. Here is my trail of phone
numbers called in the attempt (finally successful) to get to Sprint.

1. Dialed 800-669-8585 (from Area Code 508);

Sprint call director answered, but when I dialed the appropriate
number I got fast reorder tone (I later reported this to the person
from the Sprint Marketing dept and he said he would check it out.);

2. Dialed 800-877-4646 (Sprint Customer Svc);

I got this number from 800 directory service. They told me to call
800-877-1999. (they knew about the offer);

3. Dialed 800-877-1999 (Sprint Marketing);

Paydirt! Finally talked to a Sprint Marketeer, who went through the
details of the program. I signed up for both of my phone lines.  He
confirmed that the offer was for 2400 data/9600 Fax Internal PC Modem.

They will ship the modem as soon as I make a long distance call on
Sprint. He said to expect changeover in seven to ten days and to
verify changeover by calling 700-555-4141.


Joe Bowker        [e-mail]
  --or--        [e-mail]
Digital Equipment Corp    508-486-3021
Tewksbury, MA, USA

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

From: Action <[e-mail]>
Subject: US Sprint Modem Mess - Read This ASAP
Date: Thu, 14 Oct 93 17:14:49 MST


If you are involved in the U.S. Sprint modem offer please read this
very carefully. U.S. Sprint is NOT offering a 9600 baud modem. I have
talked to several people at Sprint today and I demanded that they make
good on their modem offer. I kept the names of all the rep's I talked
to.  Sprint offered to CREDIT my acct. for the cost of the modem ($50)
and I told them NO. Anytime you talk to these people be sure to get
their first and last names. I agreed with the Sprint people today NOT
to post any of their names on the net. Otherwise they would not even
talk to me.

Sprint is giving away a 2400 baud fax/modem with software. They are
supposed to explain that to the callers and ask what size disk you
need. The people at Sprint openly admit that they have screwed up. I
was shocked to see that I was one of only four people who have told
Sprint that they have s serious problem starting here. I would like to
hear from you E-MAIL if you have signed up for the offer. I have told
Sprint that I expect to get what their company reps promised me.
Bottom line a 9600 baud external modem with fax. In our state and all
the others as far as I know -- Sprint can be sued in small claims
court for this problem. That action will cost them far more to defend
that to just make good on the offer.

I am collecting the names of as many people involved in this and
intend to tell Sprint that the modems need to be delivered and if they
want to change their marketing program -- GREAT -- but, do it after we
get what we signed up for.

My email address is [e-mail]. Send me your name, address
and phone number (incl area code). I will submit the list by fax to
Sprint next week. So mail me right away. Hopefully this will get
posted everywhere.  As far as this group is concerned I will keep you
all posted.


[Moderator's Note: Not to burst your bubble, but I imagine you will be
required to prove that such commitments were made (i.e. 9600/9600)
and that your impression was not the result of a misunderstanding
as to what the rep(s) actually said.  PAT]

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

From: [e-mail] (Carl Oppedahl)
Subject: Re: Sprint Personal 800, Using SSN
Date: 14 Oct 1993 10:01:44 -0400
Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC


In <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Mark Earle)
writes:

> Interestingly, on the pictured sample card, the number is nine-digit
> social security number. This purports to make it easier to remember.
> But, if it recognizes one's voice, why does the number on the card
> need to be easy to remember? Any sequence should do.  It is unclear
> from the promotional materials if they'll allow one to choose another
> number string.

I believe the voice recognition only works for the last four digits.
I can't believe anyone's voice recognition system would permit
distinguishing *customers* from each other; they only help
authenticate that the particular customer is who she says she is.


Carl Oppedahl AA2KW  (patent lawyer)
1992 Commerce Street #309
Yorktown Heights, NY  10598-4412
voice 212-777-1330

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

Date: Thu, 14 Oct 1993 17:09:46 EDT
From: Tatsuya Miyazaki <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Latest Word on Prodigy.com Gateway


After I read about the Prodigy gateway to the net in the Digest, I
tried Prodigy to find out how it's like. I was told that the beta test
slot has been filled, and no more participation is allowed.  So I
quit.  Anyway, as of now, Prodigy's internet gateway should only
operated under separate DOS software called "Mail Manager."  Sounds
like they plan to have more than e-mail. I will try to see how it goes
in December.

The word from them was, as follows.

==== Start Quote ====

PRODIGY(R) Service Personal Message                 10/08/93

     To: RPCB58A
   From: SERVICE USAGE HELP
Subject: MAIL MANAGER
   Date: 10/07 11:14AM ET

Dear Mr Miyazaki:

Thank you for writing.  Thank you for your note expressing interest in
PRODIGY's new Mail Manager.  Mail Manager gives PRODIGY members the
ability to create messages off-line, and then send them as E-mail,
files, faxes or U.S. Postal service letters, via the PRODIGY service.
PRODIGY off-line messages can be up to 20 times longer than on-line
messages, and files sent to other PRODIGY members can be up to 500kB
in size.  In addition, since members have expressed a desire to be
able to electronically message friends and associates who are not on
the PRODIGY service, the Mail Manager program will allow PRODIGY
members to send and receive E-mail to and from any Internet address.
With its folder organizing system, built-in Address Book, and
full-featured word processor, Mail Manager is a one-stop
communications center on your PC.

Mail Manager is currently being tested in a Limited Release, and will
soon be available for all DOS computers using a hard drive.  Pricing
levels for the various services are being determined with the aim of
making them very competitive.  In addition, PRODIGY is actively
exploring other ways to open the other resources of the Internet to
its membership.

While our Limited Release test of Mail Manager is continuing to
proceed, we have reached our limit in the number of participating
testers.  We thank you for your interest in Mail Manager and we look
forward to announcing its official release on the service sometime in
the coming months.  If you need further assistance, please feel free
to contact us again.

Thank you,

Amy Hurst
Membership Service Support
====== end quote =====


Regards,

Tatsuya Miyazaki
Address:     Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc.
             One Parkway North, Suite 500
             Deerfield, IL 60015-2547, USA
Voice:       [phone]     | FAX:     [phone]
VNET/PROFS:  IBMMAIL(USRGNBGN)   | IBMMAIL: USRGNBGN at IBMMAIL
X400:        C=US/A=IBMX400/P=IBMMAIL/S=MIYAZAKI/G=TATSUYA
Internet:    [e-mail]
  or         [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (Brett Frankenberger)
Subject: Re: Dialing Changed From 1-618-482-xxxx to 618-482-xxxx
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Thu, 14 Oct 1993 22:17:58 GMT


[e-mail] (Andy Fingerhut) writes:

> I have a situation that I haven't seen before in my (limited) telecom
> experience, and wanted to find out what is going on.

> My parents live in Fairmont City, Illinois, about six miles east of
> the Mississippi River near Saint Louis, Missouri (before AND after
> the flooding, thankfully).  Their phone number used to be 618-875-xxxx,
> which I give just in case it helps someone figure this out.  A couple
> of years ago, my father had it changed to 618-482-xxxx, because it
> was a "special number" which allows my parents to dial some places
> in St. Louis toll free (even though they are in different LATA's,
> I would guess).  This option is apparently offered to anyone living
> "close enough" to St. Louis.

> At this time, I (living in St. Louis) could dial them toll free by
> dialing 482-xxxx, and they could call me toll free (I think) by
> dialing 1-314-645-xxxx.  Everything is fine and dandy.

Ok ... here are the dialing rules for Southwestern Bell in the St.
Louis area: (1) Dial 1 first if it is toll, do not dial 1 if it is not
toll; (2) dial the area code if it is not 314, otherwise, don't dial
the area code.

Since the 314 area code has not gone NXX yet (i.e. the second digit of
the prefix still can't be 0 or 1), the switches can detect if an area
code has been dialed or not.  Thus, 1 is not necessary to determine if
an area code is following, so they can implement the strict 1 is
toll/dial area code only if different rule.

According to these rules, the proper way for you to dial your parents
is 618-482-xxxx.  Apparently, for some reason, 482-xxxx had been
working, although I suspect it may have been undocumented.

> This was all before about Sep. 3, when something changed.  I dial
> 482-xxxx to talk to Mom, and I get the message "We're sorry, your call
> cannot be completed as dialed.  Please check the number and dial
> again."  I tried it again.  Same thing.  I try 1-618-482-xxxx.  I get
> "We're sorry.  It is not necessary to dial a 1 or a 0 when calling
> this number."  What's left to try?  My wife thought of dialing
> 618-482-xxxx, which I probably never would have thought of.  It works.
> As far as I know, it is a toll free call.

482-xxxx is rejected because you are calling a different area code,
but you didn't dial the area code.  1-anything is rejected because the
call is not a toll call, so you can't prefix it with 1.  618-482-xxxx
is the correct dialing sequence.

> My first guess was that someone in the 314 area code got the same
> 482-xxxx number that my parents did, but it was out of my local
> calling area.

That might be close.  All routing of calls is handled by the area code
and first three digits (with the exception of X00 area code calls).
Thus, the assignment of a new 482-xxxx number will not change anything.

However, the latest lists I have show 314-482 as unassigned.  My guess
is that either (1) SWB discovered that 482-xxxx (which should mean
314-482-xxxx, not 618-482-xxxx) had been going to 618, because 314-482
did not exists, so they changed it, or (2) Plans are being made to
create 314-482, so they stopped 482-xxxx from going to 618 now to give
you and others using this 'hack' time to adjust to the correct dialing
sequence without constantly making wrong number calls to 314-482-xxxx.

> I try 1-482-xxxx and get the "call cannot be completed as dialed"
> message.  I try 1-314-482-xxxx and get a message about "not necessary
> to dial the area code".

Dialing 314-anything (or 1-314-anything) will never work (until they
change their dialing plan), as you don't dial the area code if it is
the same as your own.  The proper way to reach 314-482-xxxx (if/when
that exchange is created) will be 482-xxxx if it is local to you, or
1-482-xxxx if it is toll.

> Does anyone know, or have a guess, what changed?

Either they corrected their 'error' for the hell of it, or they did so
because 314-482 is going to be created soon.

Bear in mind that the above describes Southwestern Bells dialing
insturctions in the St. Louis area.  Anywhere else, your dialing
instructions might or might not be the same.  (Although they also
apply to Omaha, NE, where I have also lived).


Brett  ([e-mail])

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

Date: Thu, 14 Oct 93 14:49:39 EDT
From: Carl Moore <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Dialing Changed From 1-618-482-xxxx to 618-482-xxxx


I don't yet know about the existence/non-existence of 314-482.  But
there are other cases where local calls to a different area code are
published as being area code + seven digits (omitting leading 1),
although your case seems to REQUIRE omission of the leading 1:

DC area (DC and Md./Va. suburbs, involving three area codes in all)
across some other area code borders: 214/817 in Texas, 301/410 in
Maryland, 416/905 in Ontario.

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

Date: Wed, 13 Oct 93 14:20:46 EDT
From: [e-mail] (Dave Niebuhr)
Subject: Re: No Dialing Changes Yet Seen in 717


In TELECOM Digest Volume 13 : Issue 697 Carl Moore <[e-mail]>
writes:

> I also was in the "southern tier" of New York state, in area 607.
> From one exchange (607-775, found in a parking area on northbound I-81
> just north of Pa. state line) I noticed the "old" instructions (0 + 7D
> and 1 + 7D) posted, but the apparent "new" instructions useable.
> 607-962 Corning is long distance from there, and the system accepted
> 0+607-962-xxxx and 962-xxxx; I take it NY state is going to 7D for
> long distance within an area code?  I have no firsthand information
> available for 716,315,518.

Most, if not all, of New York state is this way already or at least in
area code 516 where 7D is both local and long distance within my area
code.  Also, 1+XXX-YYYY and 1+516-XXX-YYYY will work.

The only exceptions might be in New York City (212, 718 and 917) and
maybe the area served by telcos other than New York Telephone.


Dave Niebuhr      Internet: [e-mail] (preferred)
                            [e-mail] / Bitnet: niebuhr@bnl
Senior Technical Specialist, Scientific Computing Facility
Brookhaven National Laboratory Upton, NY 11973  (516)-282-3093

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

Subject: Re: Capacity of Area Code
From: [e-mail] (Gregory Youngblood)
Date: Thu, 14 Oct 93 07:50:57 PDT
Organization: TCS Computer Systems


[e-mail] (Witness) writes:

> -=> Quoting [e-mail] to All <=-

> > unlikely: 200 211 300 311 400 500 511 600 700 711 811

> Well, actually, the 700 exchange is already in use. It's a toll free
> exchange used for various services in the US. The one that comes to
> mind is the carrier subscriber info service. It's a 1-700 nubmer that
> will tell you who your LD provider is.

It is also the exchange for AT&T's Easy*Reach numbers.  I don't know
how many Easy Reach numbers have been assigned though.


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 | [e-mail] |    Cellular Telephoney Groups

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

Date: Thu, 14 Oct 93 16:21:57 CDT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: AML Carrier?
Organization: AT&T


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] writes:

> In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail].
> com (Fred R. Goldstein) writes:

>> In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail]
>> (Yutang Chuang) writes:

>>> I am not familiar with telecom terms. But, my loacl telco told me that
>>> my second phone line recently added has this 'AML carrier' that would
>>> cause modem communication difficulty.

> [... deleted ...].  The frequencies for a
> generic "single channel subscriber carrier" unit are 28 kHz to CO, 76
> kHz from CO.  CO distance is limited to about 18 kHz.
                                                   ^^^
   Oops -- Michael Pentowski (at Lunatech in NL) pointed out that my
fingers were overly trained to type "Hz" after "k".  Subscriber
carrier of the single-channel variety is usually limited to 18 kft
(not kHz) from the CO.  There are two reasons:

 - it starts to push the noise limit (loss on the line requires so much
       gain that noise is a real factor after frequency conversion) and

 - lines longer than 18 kft are supposed to have loading coils, which
       act as bad low-pass filters to the 28/76 kHz signals.

   Note that one can add such a carrier to a line longer than 18 kft
if the tap point for the added line is between the CO and a loading
coil.  (This is the case where the "primary line" goes to some more
distant location.)  If you are in such an arrangement, be sure there
is a real isolation filter added between the tap and the loading coil.
Relying on the loading coil for filtering will reduce voice quality on
both the "carrier" and "primary" lines.


Al Varney - just my opinion, of course

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

From: [e-mail] (Patrick Tufts)
Subject: Re: Telecom Resources on the Net?
Organization: Brandeis University
Date: Thu, 14 Oct 1993 17:59:57 GMT


[e-mail] (David M Sokolic) writes:

> I was wondering if anyone out there can give me a concise guide to Telecom
> resources that are out there on the net.

> I have heard of the TELECOM Digest. What else is there?

There's also the Telecom Tech mailing list.  Send mail to
[e-mail].


Pat

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

From: [e-mail] (Ake Knutsson)
Subject: Re: Telecom Resources on the Net?
Date: 14 Oct 1993 12:13:19 GMT
Organization: Communication Systems, Lund Institute of Technology, Sweden


In article <[e-mail]> TELECOM Moderator noted:

> In addition, don't forget the Telecom Archives with a
> twelve-year collection of this Digest and numerous other files. You
> can get there using anonymous ftp lcs.mit.edu or by using the Telecom
> Archives Email Information Service at [e-mail].   PAT]

Are the archives accessible by Gopher? Asking because I would like to
add them to my bookmark file.


Ake Knutsson                                  email:   [e-mail]
Dept. of Communication Systems                ..!uunet!tts.lth.se!knut
Lund Institute of Technology, SWEDEN          fax:       [phone]


[Moderator's Note: Yes they are. You've got to use the feature which
allows you to connect with other gophers. It seems to work okay.  PAT]

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

From: w8hd![e-mail] (Ken Hoehn)
Subject: Re: How Bad and Expensive US Telcos Are
Organization: The w8hd Group
Date: Thu, 14 Oct 1993 02:00:32 GMT


[e-mail] (George Zmijewski) writes:

> All calls are time metered -- the best deal -- local call between
> 18:00 and 08:00 220 seconds for 5 pence (7.5 cents); worst -- long
> distance between 09:00 and 13:00 19 seconds for 5 pence (long distance
> is over 35 miles) If you want fancy stuff eg call diversion -- pay
> extra $10 per qtr call barring -- another $10. CLI -- pipedream. Oh,
> and I almost forgot -- we have free calls -- if you pay $950 per qtr
> and $750 "connection charge" you get six hours of long distance calls
> for "free".

> So if you think you are ripped off by your telco -- just recalculate
> your bill at UK rates!

Excellent points, George...I often get irritated when I hear people
droning on about how bad things are here.  We got a great deal ...
 from a greedy group of people no doubt, but still a great deal.


[e-mail]
Ken Hoehn - Teletech, Inc.         Compuserve: 70007,2374
N8NYO       P.O.Box 924            FAX: [phone]
            Dearborn, MI  48121    VOICE: [phone]

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

From: [e-mail] (David Breneman)
Subject: Re: Atomic Clocks
Date: 14 Oct 93 20:13:18 GMT
Organization: Digital Systems International, Redmond WA


([e-mail]) wrote:

> On a similar subject, how (and why) does the Mutual Radio Network
> (news, Larry King, etc.) generate the two note sequence when coming
> from breaks, etc.  They've done this for over twenty years, at least.

This is a signal to the automation equipment in stations to start
playing commercials.  Many stations use automated cart changers (an
NAB tape cartridge is sort of like an 8-track - endless loop,
self-cueing) to run their commercials and local content during network
feeds.  The tone from the network starts the first cart.  It has a
secondary tone at the end if its program which starts the second cart,
and so on until the end of the break.  The changer looks like a big
carousel with maybe a hundred carts in it, and two (or more) players.
When one is done playing, it cues up, pops back out into the carosel,
next one is popped it, etc.


David Breneman                        Email: [e-mail]
System Administrator,                 Voice: 206 881-7544  Fax: [phone]
Software Engineering Services
Digital Systems International, Inc.        Redmond, Washington,  U. S. o' A.

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

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #700
******************************