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Text File | 1994-10-03 | 26KB | 655 lines

TELECOM Digest     Wed, 28 Sep 94 10:47:00 CDT    Volume 14 : Issue
380

Inside This Issue:                           Editor: Patrick A.
Townson

     Re: "Cost of Call" Indication? (Niall Gallagher)
     Re: "Cost of Call" Indication? (John R. Levine)
     Re: "Cost of Call" Indication? (Sam Spens Clason)
     Re: Cellular Digital vs. Analog (Brian Totty)
     Re: Cellular Digital vs. Analog (Alex Cena)
     Re: Cellular Digital vs. Analog (Dan Goldberg)
     Re: Motorola Digital Cellular Phones (Mark Solsman)
     Distance Between Two Points (Steve Edwards)
     Telrad Key-BX (Alan Boritz)
     Fax DID Technologies - What is E&M (Stuart McRae)
     Ameritech to Offer SLIP, PPP; What's Their Correct WWW? (Walt
Lillyman)
     FCC Reort on LD Carrier Code Assignments (Bob Keller)
     ATM OC Specifications (Christopher Wolf)
     New 800 Services (Steven Friedlander)

TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not
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----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Wed, 28 Sep 1994 09:16:00 -0400
From: niall gallagher <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: "Cost of Call" Indication?


Call Metering (known as Periodic Pulse Metering, PPM, or Subscriber
Premises Metering, SPM) is used extensively outside North America.
Each meter pulse provides the user with an indication that one charge
unit has been consumed.

For analog lines the pulse can be sent using (a) 12 KHz tone, (b) 16
KHz tone, or (c) a 50Hz balanced tone. Each market tends to have
specific requirements for tone level and duration. For ISDN, there is
a service call Advice of Charge, which provides similar functionality.

The reason that North America never adopted PPM goes back to the
initial philosophy of call billing. In North America, it was the
standard practice for local calls to be unmeasured or flat-rate and
for all long distance calls to be charged. The customer was provided
with an itemised bill listing all the calls and the amount charge. Any
billing dispute could be discussed on the basis of the itemised bill.

In Europe and European-influenced markets, all calls were charged and
long distance was not itemised.  Before modern SPC switches, the meter
pulses were generated at a transit exchange and were counted be
mechanical counters at the local exchange. Each month, the PTT would
take a photograph of the subscribers' meter and send this as input to
the billing process. The subscriber got a bill saying that they had
used nnn units -- please pay xxx.

In order to assuage feelings that they were being overcharged, the
PTTs offered the metering pulses to the subscriber's premises --
real-time indication of call costs. Instant gratification; although as
Pat says, this indication of call costs did tend to reduce usage and
was not marketed hard by the PTTs.

Billing philosophies are changing now (new equipment, competition
etc.)
and many PTTs (or PTOs as they now like to be known) provide itemised
bills. Some even offer this as a no-charge service!


Regards,

Niall Gallagher       [e-mail]
Bell-Northern Research, Ottawa, Canada

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

Date: Wed, 28 Sep 94 10:04 EDT
From: [e-mail] (John R Levine)
Subject: Re: "Cost of Call" Indication?
Organization: I.E.C.C., Cambridge, Mass.


> I'm wondering whether there is any work being done on a real-time
> display of the cost of a call.

No.  Toll billing in North America has always been retrospective.
That is, at the time of the call they collect the raw data on times
and number called, but they don't actually compute the price until
they send you the bill.  Indeed, with various volume discount plans,
there's often no way to know what the price will be until the end of
the month anyway.  Furthermore, (as has been noted in a forum in the
Digital Dungheap That May Not Be Named Here) in many cases the IXCs
and LECs are now and will shortly be in competition, and the IXC
really does not want to give the LEC per-call pricing info.

Outside North America, real time pricing is trivial, because the
billing is done with impulses.  Each impulse costs the same (on the
order of a dime in European countries) but the time you get for one
ranges from 15 minutes for a local call at night to a second or two
for an international call during the day.  The impulse can be
superimposed on the subscriber's phone line, and mechanical impulse
counters have been available for decades.


Regards,

John Levine, [e-mail], [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (Sam Spens Clason)
Subject: Re: "Cost of Call" Indication?
Date: 28 Sep 1994 12:52:35 GMT


In <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Ole Hellevik)
writes:

> Lee Ziegenhals ([e-mail]) wrote:

>> I'm wondering whether there is any work being done on a real-time
>> display of the cost of a call.

> It has been available (for a quarterly fee) in Norway for as long as
I
> can remember, a little box next to the phone with two counters, on
> resettable, one not, indicating number of 'periods' (One period
always
> has the same price whether the call is local or LD, but the length
in
> time would be different.)  This box would receive a pulse from the
> local switch when you enter a period, and would in effect be
parallell
> with a similar counter in the local exchange.

Same thing in neighbouring Sweden.  Until a couple of years ago all
calls were measured in 0,29 krona units, just as in Norway.  But
nowadays everything except local calls is either billed by the second
or has a fixed price-tag (calling a pager is 1,5 or 6 krona "flat
rate").  This applies to ~2/3 of the Swedish PSTN.  I don't know if
the old unit measurers understands this kind of billing.

Knowing the exact cost is nice, but knowing what kind of call (local,
long-distance, etc) is halfway there.  It would help avoiding
surprises
and give a rough estimate of the cost.

In Australia (I was there three years ago) the exchange tells you what
kind of call you're placing.  Calling within an area codes doesn't
necessarily mean that you're placing a local (flat rate) call.  Having
dialed a long-distance call (STD?)  there is an "STD-tone" before the
call goes thru so the customer knows.

The ideal is of course is that the customer could switch this service
on and off at will.  Couldn't this be implemented quite easily?  Does
it still exist in Oz; does it exist anyhwere else?


Sam   <A HREF="http://www.nada.kth.se/~d92-sam/">Sam Spens Clason</A>

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

From: [e-mail] (Brian Totty)
Subject: Re: Cellular Digital vs. Analog
Organization: Silicon Graphics, Mountain View, CA
Date: Wed, 28 Sep 1994 08:54:31 GMT


In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (Ron
S. van Zuylen) writes:

> I'm looking for some feedback on digital cellular service.  Cellular
> One in the San Franscisco Bay Area has recently lowered their
digital
> service prices to an acceptable level; it is slightly lower than the
> analog service now.  They are also in the process of increasing
their
> digital coverage.

I bought a Motorola 950 Digital two days ago.  I wanted a cellular
phone, and the dual-mode phone can do analog anyway, so it seemed like
a reasonable idea.  The Cellular One promotions made the decision for
me.  Their "digital flex plan" has lower monthly and per minute rates
than most analog plans, and the price is the same whether you connect
in digital or analog mode.

I haven't used the phone enough to have too many observations.  Both
analog and digital seem clear in the Palo Alto -> San Jose area.
However, I did do a test, calling my office phone in both analog and
digital modes.  I made a sound in one phone and listened in the other.
Analog mode delivered the sound nearly instantaneously while digital
mode had a noticable delay.  The delay's not as bad as satellite
latencies, but it is mildly irritating.  Perhaps a tenth of a second?

I actually wanted to wait until the Motorola Micro TAC deluxe digital
phones became available, with tactile ringer, etc. but these are
apparently behind schedule, and I wasn't sure how long the Cell One
promotion would last.


Brian Totty     Silicon Graphics, MS 580
2011 N. Shoreline Blvd   Mountain View, CA 94043-1389
email: [e-mail]

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

Date: Wed, 28 Sep 94 08:58:15 EST
From: Alex Cena <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Cellular Digital vs. Analog


[e-mail] (Ron S. van Zuylen) wrote:

> I'm looking for some feedback on digital cellular service.  Cellular
> One in the San Franscisco Bay Area has recently lowered their
digital
> service prices to an acceptable level; it is slightly lower than the
> analog service now.  They are also in the process of increasing
their
> digital coverage.

Do you know how much they are increasing their footprint and over what
time frame?  I thought the footprint was only the Bay Bridge and parts
of Hwy 101.  If they are willing to price it below analog, it tells
you a little bit about how much its worth relative to analog.  As the
old saying goes "If its not worth paying for, then..."

> Is it truely "improved cellular service" or is it more of a benfit
to
> the service provider?  (Less frequency bandwidth, correct?)

Cellular One or Bay Area Cellular is owned 51% by McCaw and 49% by
AirTouch and is composed primarily of infrastructure from Ericsson,
which only has TDMA-based equipment.  CDMA-based equipment is
available from Motorola, AT&T and Northern Telecom.

The benefit for the carrier is increased call capacity of up to 3x per
voice channel in a TDMA environment and 10x-20x in a CDMA so they can
amortize the cost of the infrastructure over a broader base of
subscribers.  CDMA offers the additional benefit of requiring fewer
cell sites than an analog network, resulting in up to 60% savings in
site acquisition costs.

Based on a marketing study conducted by Ameritech using focus groups
comprised of their high usage customers, most users rated analog as
either worst than analog or as good as analog, while most CDMA rated
very good relative to analog.

The comment I hear most often even from TDMA proponents is that "the
voice quality is getting better and is almost as good as analog."  The
benefit to you however, is increased call privacy when you are using
the phone in a cell with the service.

So why is McCaw, Bell South, Southwestern Bell rolling out TDMA if
CDMA has the benefits of increase call capacity, cost savings and
improved call quality.  It was time to market and capacity
constraints.  The first CDMA service in the US will first become
available starting in the first half of 1995 from carriers such as US
West, AirTouch, Sprint, GTE and NYNEX.

Having said that, my "personal" opinion would be to buy a good analog
phone instead.  BUT, don't take my word for it.  Borrow a digital
phone from someone and drive around and make a decision for yourself.
Just be sure you are using it in a digital cell otherwise you may
think you are on a digital voice channel when you are really on an
analog.


Regards,

Alex M. Cena, Lehman Brothers, [e-mail]

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

Date: Wed, 28 Sep 1994 02:54:00 +0100
From: ERU ERUDYG <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Cellular Digital vs. Analog


> Is it truely "improved cellular service" or is it more of a benfit
to
> the service provider?  (Less frequency bandwidth, correct?)

I have been workig with TDMA digital systems throughout North America
for over two years, mostly with system optimization (from an RF and
performance standpoint). I would say that TDMA digital is truely
improved cellular service for the provider and the end user, here are
some reasons.

1) Security. It is MUCH more difficult for amateur scanner junkies to
listen to your phone call. There are very few devices available, and
those that are are quite expensive (QUITE EXPENSIVE). Not that the
coding and air-spec are secret, but with the need for the special RF
detectors, VoCoders, etc. I think the price is to expensive for the
average scanner hobyist.

2) Special Services: Look for special services in the near future for
subscribers with dual-mode (TDMA/AMPS) phones. The technology makes
much
more available to subscribers with the right equipment. (Can't give
any
specific comments at this time)

3) Battery Life: Your phone only transmits 1/3 the time in digital
mode.
Although the battery life is not increased three-fold over analog, it
is
extended notably (I think 1.5 to 2.5 times, depending on model of
phone,
when your phone is operating in digital mode).

4) Robust communication in low signal areas: There are two things
which
ruin voice quality on analog and digital from an RF standoint,
Interference, and Low signal strength.  Both Analog and Digital have
about
the same (+- 3dB C/I) degredation when comes to interference. But when
it
comes to low signal strength (for instance: in building), my
experience is
that TDMA digital kicks ass. Obviously, there is no static, and with
limited interference, I have staved off the effects of a low quality
digital call at signal levels lower than -100dBm.

5 Whats good for the operator can also be good for you: Even you said
the
price on digital service is a tad lower than analog service in San
Fran. I
would expect this trend to continue.


Dan Goldberg

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

From: [e-mail] (Mark Solsman)
Subject: Re: Motorola Digital Cellular Phones
Date: 28 Sep 1994 00:41:05 GMT
Organization: Naval Research Lab, Washington, DC


In article <> [e-mail] (Brian Totty) writes:

> In the absence, would some kind soul be willing to post about what
my
> choices are for digital phones (especially the Motorola phones), as
> well as any info on when lightweight "vibracall" phones might be
> available?  I would very much appreciate it!

Well, I will list all the digital handheld phones I know of.  I have
some limited information on each phone, so email me if you would like
to hear it.

DIGITAL PORTABLE PHONES:
Blaupunkt TC-242   11.2oz   ?
DiamondTel DT25X   10.8oz   $995
Ericsson DH-398    12.0oz   ?
Ericsson DH198     11.6oz   ?
GE DT-400          11.6oz   ?
Hughes P8100       11.6oz   $995
Motorola Mic Dig Lt 7.9oz   ?
Nokia 2120          8.3oz   $899
Qualcomm CD-7000   12.2oz   ?
Technophone TD815   8.3oz   $899

The prices are MSRP.

I got my Nokia 2120 for < $400 from Cellular World 800-TALK-NOW

I have no connection with any of the above.  I state where I got my
phone from, how much, and the telephone number only to prevent people
from emailing me with such questions.  I mention Cellular World
because if you call them, they will assist you.  They are not always
the least expensive.  (Hughes M6100 cell world=$350, cell one
washington dc = $275)

Mark Solsman                                 Building 1, Code 5160
United States Naval Research Laboratory      [e-mail]
Washington, DC                               [phone]

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

Date: Wed, 28 Sep 1994 00:44:10 PDT
From: Steve Edwards <newline![e-mail]>
Reply-To: Steve Edwards <newline![e-mail]>
Subject: Distance Between Two Points


One of my current projects involves calculating the distance between
two points on the Earth (or at least within the continental United
States).

My initial thought was to use the V & H data from the telco. I
discussed this with a friend who knows more than I. He says that the V
& H tapes give the coordinates of "rate centers" which would not give
me the resolution that I need.

I need to tell the distance between a subscriber and the local doctors
and hospitals. Thus, I need accuracy down to a very small number (like
one mile).

I've got the TIGER database from the US Post Office. This tells me the
longitude and latitude of a single ZIP+4 delivery point. Thus, I
should be able to tell the distance between you and your neighbor
(assuming I have ZIP+4 for both of you).

My problem is that I need the algorithm to calculate the distance
between
two points given the longitude and latitude of the points.

I've exhausted my library and that of the local bookstores. I think it
involves something called "great circle navigation" and can be
simplified by converting the longitude and latitude into radians. Any
clues would be greatly appreciated. Email would be preferred since it
cuts a day off your reply.


Thanks in advance,

Steve Edwards       Internet: [e-mail]      Voice: +1-619-723-
2727
Newline               CompuServe: 73677,3561           Fax: [phone]-
3000

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

Subject: Telrad Key-BX
From: drharry![e-mail] (Alan Boritz)
Reply-To: uunet!drharry![e-mail] (Alan Boritz)
Date: Wed, 28 Sep 94 07:08:13 EDT
Organization: Harry's Place - Mahwah NJ - [phone]


Would anyone be familiar with this dinosaur?  Would anyone be familiar
with what kind of maintenance port it has and how to program it?
Better
yet, would anyone have programming documentation and/or instruments
with which they might want to part?


[e-mail]  or  uunet!drharry!aboritz
Harry's Place (drharry.UUCP) - Mahwah NJ USA - [phone]

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

Date: 28 Sep 1994 07:42:07 EDT
From: McRae, Stuart <[e-mail]>
Subject: Fax DID Technologies - What is E&M


I am researching technologies to allow DID use with the Fax Modems we
currently use for inbound fax routing. One solution I have founded
uses an interface called "E&M" which is available on some PABXs. It
appears to be some sort of variation of the DID protocol used for
telco lines.

Can someone explain what the E&M interface is, who defines it, where I
can get the definition, and how it works?

Also, our fax modems can support "DTMF" routing. Ascom in the UK
recently announced a FaxRouter which uses a basic rate ISDN connection
to the telco and an analog connection to two fax modems using DTMF.
This allows us to use our current fax modems for inbound routing (or
any other modems that support DTMF).

Are there any other products which will do this? Do any PABXs have the
capability to generate DTMF in this way? Are there any vendors
offering
other DID solutions (anywhere worldwide, PABX based or stand alone)
which will connect to a fax modem supporting DTMF?


Thanks,

Stuart McRae   Lotus Development

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

From: [e-mail] (Walt Lillyman)
Subject: Ameritech to Offer SLIP, PPP; What's Their Correct WWW?
Date: 28 Sep 1994 14:05:22 GMT
Organization: University of Missouri-St. Louis, Continuing Ed.,
Microcomputers


Iparaphrase from {PC Week}, 9/26/94, page 59:

Ameritech of Chicago (one of Illinois' telephone providers) is
offering Internet access sevices including SLIP, PPP and ISDN to
corporate customers.  They'll eventually offer these to individual
customers.  Individual SLIP/PPP access "will cost $20 to $30".  The
article gives Ameritech's WWW server address:

http://www.qads.net

I can't connect to this site.  DNS can't resolve the address.
Does anyone know the correct WWW server address for Ameritech?


Thanks,

Walt Lillyman, [e-mail]
University of Missouri, St. Louis
College of Arts & Sciences, Continuing Education-Extension:
Microcomputers

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

Date: Tue, 27 Sep 1994 18:12:02 EDT
From: Bob Keller <[e-mail]>
Subject: FCC Reort on LD Carrier Code Assignments


FCC RELEASES REPORT ON LONG DISTANCE CARRIERS AND THEIR CODE
ASSIGNMENTS

      The FCC has released the latest available data on the number of
long distance carriers offering equal access to the public and the
geographic areas they serve.  Also included in this report is
information on Carrier Identification Codes, 900 service, and 800
service.

      In addition, the report contains data on the number of Carrier
Identification Codes assigned, a list of companies with codes, and
their respective code assignments.  The report shows the number of 900
codes assigned by Bell Communications Research and the carrier holding
each code as of June 30, 1994.  Similar information is shown for 800
service as of April 30, 1993, just before 800 portability.

      The report is available for reference in the Industry Analysis
Division Reference Room, Common Carrier Bureau, 1250 23rd Street N.W.,
Plaza Level.  Copies may be purchased by calling International
Transcription Services, Inc. (ITS, Inc.)  at [phone].  The
report can also be downloaded from the FCC- State Link computer
bulletin board at [phone].

For further information, contact Katie Rangos [phone].


Robert J. Keller, P.C. (Federal Telecommunications Law)
<[e-mail]> Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone]
4200 Wisconsin Ave NW #106-261 Washington DC 20016-2146
finger me for info on F.C.C. Daily Digests and Releases

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

From: [e-mail] (Wolf)
Subject: ATM OC Specifications
Date: Tue, 27 Sep 1994 19:21:47 EDT
Reply-To: [e-mail]


Could you or any of your readers point me to or give me information
about the OC-XX data transfer rates for ATM?  I'm looking for the
technical specification of how OC-XX is accomplished on a particular
line.


Christopher Wolf, consumer of time, occupier of space.

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

From: [e-mail] (StevenF624)
Subject: New 800 Services
Date: 27 Sep 1994 21:09:01 -0400
Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364)


Arch Telecom adds new "Dealer Locater" and "Fax-on-Demand" service to
it's feature rich 800 service. Call their demo FOD line @
1.800.882.1826
and reqest documents:

Dealer Locater  Doc# 6064
Fax-on-Demand  Doc# 6061
All features  Doc# 6065


Steve Friedlander 1.800.ARCHTEL


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Yes indeed, Arch is another good one
where
enhanced 800 service is concerned. Unlike years ago when all you could
get
in the way of 800 service was a dedicated line terminated at your
premises
with an 800 number (and that still seems to be all the big three
carriers
offer for service), now all kinds of variations are available,
including
having your 800 number forwarded to you wherever you are at, and other
services such as Steve describes in this message. If you don't yet
have
an 800 number, or are using one of the old, plain types from AT&T,
Sprint
or MCI, I strongly recommend you check out Arch or one of the other
newer
and smaller players. Their rates are quite competitive.    PAT]

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

End of TELECOM Digest V14 #380
****************************