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TELECOM Digest Mon, 17 Jan 94 00:27:00 CST Volume 14 : Issue 37
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
Re: Long Distance Weather Calls? (Dale Dulberger)
Re: Long Distance Weather Calls? (Peter M. Weiss)
Re: Caller ID in Software (Chris Farrar)
Re: Phone Line Simulator Wanted (Yee-Lee Shyong)
Re: Unique Idea: Error Message for TDDs (Tom Watson)
Re: Bizarre Cordless Behavior (Teng-Kiat Lee)
Re: Possible Internet Service Scam (Clive D.W. Feather)
Re: Are LATA Maps Available? (wjhalv1@pacbell.com)
Re: Unmetered Local Service (A. Padgett Peterson)
Re: Cable Channels and Satellites (Cord Beermann)
Re: ITU Method For Writing Telephone Numbers (George Zmijewski)
Re: Radio Religion in Canada (Gord Deinstadt)
Re: Need Source For Tariffs (James R. Saker Jr.)
Re: Canadian Teen Charged With $500,000 Phone Fraud (Kevin C. Almeroth)
Re: Radio Modem Help Wanted (Ben Burch)
Re: Old Telephones Wanted (David Breneman)
Re: How are VCR Plus+ Numbers Generated (Craig Williamson)
Re: Long Distance CLID is Here (Michael D. Sullivan)
Re: Telecom Service on Guam (Michael D. Sullivan)
Re: Using Spare Channels on a T1 (Scott Hinckley)
Re: Online Comments to U.S. Social Security Administration (Damon Kelly)
TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not
exclusively to telecommunications topics. It is circulated anywhere
there is email, in addition to various telecom forums on a variety of
public service systems and networks including Compuserve and GEnie.
Subscriptions are available at no charge to qualified organizations
and individual readers. Write and tell us how you qualify:
* telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu *
The Digest is compilation-copyrighted by Patrick Townson Associates of
Skokie, Illinois USA. We provide telecom consultation services and
long distance resale services including calling cards and 800 numbers.
To reach us: Post Office Box 1570, Chicago, IL 60690 or by phone
at 708-329-0571 and fax at 708-329-0572. Email: ptownson@townson.com.
** Article submission address only: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu **
Our archives are located at lcs.mit.edu and are available by using
anonymous ftp. The archives can also be accessed using our email
information service. For a copy of a helpful file explaining how to
use the information service, just ask.
TELECOM Digest is gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated
newsgroup comp.dcom.telecom. It has no connection with the unmoderated
Usenet newsgroup comp.dcom.telecom.tech whose mailing list "Telecom-Tech
Digest" shares archives resources at lcs.mit.edu for the convenience
of users. Please *DO NOT* cross post articles between the groups. All
opinions expressed herein are deemed to be those of the author. Any
organizations listed are for identification purposes only and messages
should not be considered any official expression by the organization.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: dulberge@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Dale Dulberger)
Subject: Re: Long Distance Weather Calls?
Date: 16 Jan 1994 19:01:04 GMT
Organization: Computing Services Division, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
> weather message is 936-1212; wouldn't it be handier if every LOC
> had the same number, so you could get the weather in any area
> code in the same way as you get Directory Assistance? (Maybe
> some AC's are so big one recording couldn't handle it?)
Well, over here in 414 (Milwaukee and it is COLD!), Ameritech/Wisconsin
Bell (when it was still around) has the whole 936 exchange set aside
for weather (936 = WE6 = WEather). You can dial any number in 936 and
you get the current weather forcast etc. It also has the whole 844
exchange fot time (844 = TI4 = TIme). It's been this way for as long
as I can remember. I kinda figured that all AC's had it set up this
way. It seems very logical, oh well, go fig.
(And Milwaukee's probably even worse ... snow (two to five inches) and
below zero temperatures. UGH!)
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: We 'warmed up' today here in Chicago;
all the way to about ten degrees! Sunday evening we started getting
the same snow however and by Tuesday we are supposed to get the sub-
zero temperatures again. For quite a few years here we had WEAther
expressed as 932-1212 (WEA) then it went to 934, and later to 936.
For a few years now it has been a premium service on 976. As 932/934/936
it was always the sole occupant on the exchange; you could dial any
number at all and get weather. Not so with the Time of Day however.
For umpty-dozen years it was on CAThedral 8000, aka CAthedral 8-8000.
It was the only occupant of CA-8 (228), but 228 itself simply trans-
lated into DEArborn or DEarborn 2-8000 where a block of a couple
hundred numbers upward from there in rotary hunt would provide the
time of day. Now they even have that on a premium 976 number! I simply
use the one provided by Central Telephone Company (aka Centel in Park
Ridge, IL) at 708-296-7666 for the time of day and temperature. Does
anyone remember when the Time of Day in New York City was NERVOUS?
Do they still have that one going? The weather forecast for London,
England made the most sense for quite a few years. One simply dialed
WEATHER. I never did know why in the USA they always insisted on
using 1212 as the suffix. PAT]
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 1994 16:43:21 EST
From: Peter M. Weiss <PMW1@PSUVM.PSU.EDU>
Subject: Re: Long Distance Weather Calls?
Organization: Penn State University
I prefer to gopher wx.atmos.uiuc.edu (port 70) and bypass the
LD charges.
Setting a "bookmark" assists for future searches.
Pete (pmw1@psuvm.psu.edu) -- co-owner LDBASE-L, TQM-L, CPARK-L, et -L
Peter M. Weiss "The 'NET' never naps" +1 814 863 1843
31 Shields Bldg. -- Penn State Univ -- University Park, PA 16802-1202 USA
------------------------------
Reply-To: comp.dcom.telecom@cld9.com
Subject: Re: Caller ID in Software
From: chris.farrar@cld9.com (Chris Farrar)
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 94 00:42:00 -0600
Organization: C-9 Communications
Rgbecker@xap.xyplex.com said something along the lines of the following:
> is a good question. I also have such a modem, and I've been looking
> for a utility like this ever since I got Caller ID (New England
> Telephone calls it PhoneSmart). It would be even better if it had an
> automatic logging capability. Anyone seen something like this?
ICON CS Canada Inc. sells a hardware board for a PC that will capture
CLID info, maintain a log, and even route the call to a specific port
(port 1, 2, or 3, or NUL) so you can decide who you want connecting.
Write art.hunter@f131.n163.fidonet.org for more info
Chris Internet: chris.farrar@f20.n246.z1.fidonet.org
Origin: Comedy Bytes! Reply-To: csrnet.cld9.com (11:100/160)
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 94 08:30:51 GMT
From: apollo@n2sun1.ccl.itri.org.tw (Yee-Lee Shyong)
Subject: Re: Phone Line Simulator Wanted
Currently, I have one four-line phone line simulator from "TELETONE'
Corporation. It has all the functions you wanted. It also possesses
small outlet. Cost $499.
Address: 22121-20th Avenue SE, Bothell, WA 98021-4408
Tel: 1-800-426-3926 Fax: 206-487-2288
Model No.: TLS-4 (4-line)
or TLS-3 (2-line)
------------------------------
From: tsw@cypher.apple.com (Tom Watson)
Subject: Re: Unique Idea: Error Message for TDDs
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 1994 17:33:25 -0800
Organization: Apple Computer (more or less)
In article <telecom14.27.2@eecs.nwu.edu>, nagle@netcom.com (John Nagle)
wrote:
> TDD is just 5-level Baudot at 45.45 baud, sent half-duplex using
> the (I think) "Originate" tone pair of a 103A type modem. Most older
> modems, and some newer ones, can be coerced into using this mode.
Nope, they are very different. I don't know for sure but the shift is
probably 850 Hz (ham radio standards of the day), not 200 Hz (Bell 103
standard).
Tom Watson tsw@cypher.apple.com
------------------------------
From: ltk@ss3.vlsi.ee.nus.sg (Teng-Kiat Lee)
Subject: Re: Bizarre Cordless Behavior
Date: 16 Jan 1994 02:49:00 GMT
Organization: VLSI CAD, NUS
Reply-To: ltk@vlsi.ee.nus.sg
Talking about AT&T cordless phones, I have a very nagging problem
which I still haven't managed to solve. AT&T phones have the best
reception I have ever encountered, the clarity is just unsurpassed!
But my AT&T 5450 model has an attitude problem. It doesn't ring
sometimes when it is not sitting on it's charging base-unit or the
extra cradle which came with the set. This is quite frustrating since
I actually have to install a second phone to hear the ring!
Has anyone encountered this? Does someone has a solution? I have tried
various things like not collapsing the the antenna but none worked all
the time.
Thanks and regards,
--------------- Teng-Kiat Lee ----------------------
ltk@vlsi.ee.nus.sg
t.lee@ieee.org
VLSI CAD & Design Lab Voice: (65)-772-6319
Dept. of Electrical Engineering (65)-467-1518
National University of Singapore Fax: (65)-777-3117
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Possible Internet Service Scam
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 1994 04:06:28 GMT
From: Clive D.W. Feather <clive@sco.COM>
In TELECOM Digest 14.25.3, Bill Mayhew writes:
> Well, I did an MX entry check and found a record for iia.org pointing
> to mary.iia.org, which indeed does exist. A telnet shows that it is a
> SunOS system of some type. I didn't feel like doing a traceroute,
> since it is not on this host, but a ping to that system takes 91 mS
> from here in Rootstown.
I did a traceroute: they are connected to Alternet's New Brunswick NJ node.
Clive D.W. Feather | Santa Cruz Operation
clive@sco.com | Croxley Centre
Phone: +44 923 816 344 | Hatters Lane, Watford
Fax: +44 923 817 688 | WD1 8YN, United Kingdom
------------------------------
From: wjhalv1@pacbell.com
Subject: Re: Are LATA Maps Available?
Date: 16 Jan 94 18:38:46 GMT
Organization: Pacific * Bell
In article <telecom14.27.13@eecs.nwu.edu>, <md@well.sf.ca.us> writes:
> I wonder whether you know of maps of RBOC lata boundaries. I have the
> list of sample cities you posted on mintaka at mit, but wonder if
> there is a commercially available version that actually marks the
> interlata boundaries. Can you shed any light on this?
Yes indeed ... for any state you are interesed in, call that state's
equivalent to the CPUC. They keep maps of the telephone companies'
service territories, exchange boundaries, and LATA boundaries. FYI,
in most states there is only one LATA.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 94 08:29:40 -0500
From: padgett@tccslr.dnet.mmc.com (A. Padgett Peterson)
Subject: Re: Unmetered Local Service
From: lars@Eskimo.CPH.CMC.COM (Lars Poulsen)
I wrote:
>> only advantage that I can see for the consumer would be that with
>> metered service, the subscriber would have a right to a call detail
>> listing the individual calls by called number, time, and duration.
> Hahahaha hahaha ha ha ... he ho hummmm ... Here in Denmark, local
> calls have been metered for many, many years -- by the pulse method.
> Itemized billing is NOT available, and there would be an uproar from
> office workers -- on privacy grounds -- if the telco were to start
> itemizing bills.
Sorry, but it is the customer who pays the bill, not the employee of
the customer. What is done with that information is up to them. Cannot
talk about other countries but at least here in the US a person
generally has a right to know what he/she/it/other is being charged
for.
Of course nothing is stopping anyone from purchasing a pen recorder
(several are available) and putting it on *their* line, the major
privacy issue seems to be that the employer may have some difficulty
if the employees are not told, but and again in the US, property laws
are still the foundation of our society.
Was told recently that British Telecom has started itemizing their
bills after many years of just presenting a total. Quite a few parents
were surprised to find out how many babysitters had friends in
Australia.
Warmly,
Padgett
------------------------------
From: Cord Beermann <cord92@fhlip.ee.fh-lippe.de>
Subject: Re: Cable Channels and Satellites
Date: 16 Jan 1994 18:40:21 +0200
Organization: Fachhochschule Lippe, Lemgo, Germany
In <telecom14.13.6@eecs.nwu.edu> Miles Thomas <70624.130@CompuServe.
COM> writes:
> lars@eskimo.CPH.CMC.COM (Lars Poulsen) wrote:
> The ASTRA sats also broadcast to the UK, Spain etc etc. Its actually
> owned by a company in Luxembourg, SES. The two birds are actually
> 0.25 of a degree apart, which is close enough for a dish toi see both
> (it has to be within 1 degree to see it). I understand that they plan
> to add a third, ie one at 0.25, one at 0.5 and one a 0.75.
Astra actually runs three satellites on the orbital position 19,2
degrees east, and there are three others planned, the fourth will be
launched in middle/end 94.
Cord
------------------------------
From: mzmijews@mgzcs.demon.co.uk (George Zmijewski)
Subject: Re: ITU Method For Writing Telephone Numbers
Organization: MGZ Computer Services
Reply-To: mzmijews@mgzcs.demon.co.uk
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 1994 19:45:20
In article <telecom14.12.1@eecs.nwu.edu> Dik.Winter@cwi.nl "Dik T.
Winter" writes:
>> But then some French idiots come up with a stupid numbering system
>> (for Paris *and* Greater Paris +331 xxxxxxxx rest of the country +33
>> xxxxxxxx ). Is it a revenge for changing CCITT to ITU?
> The French may be idiots, but you are an idiot parsing numbers. The
> first should be +33 1xxxxxxxx. So the country is +33. Anyhow, try to
> phone me. Area code plus home number are 206372010. Try your logic
> preceding it with either 1 or 001. A better choice for you would be
> 01031 (and 0031 in the future).
BT phonebook says:
*FRANCE*
(1) For Paris City and Greater Paris Dial 010 331 + 8 digits. (2) For rest
of country Dial 010 22 + 8 digits
As for parsing numbers -- with a good numbering plan cannot rely on
existence of brackets, spaces, dashes etc . If a switch can figure out
how to route call so should be able a human being. Does your phone
have space bar and ( - ) keys ?
George Zmijewski
------------------------------
From: ad577@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Gord Deinstadt)
Subject: Re: Radio Religion in Canada
Organization: The National Capital FreeNet, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 1994 09:20:52 GMT
Since the discussion started with Aimee Semple McPherson, and came
around to Canada, I might as well point out that a well-known Canadian
poet wrote a poem on the subject of "Aimee, Aimee, Simple McFarcin".
My high-school Canadian Literature teacher was stumped by this one;
much later I noticed that the Old Testament tells us that the moving
hand wrote "Eli, Eli, tekel upharsin". BTW I understand she
eventually ran away with a man, not her husband, and chucked the whole
business.
Gord Deinstadt ad577@freenet.carleton.ca
------------------------------
From: jsaker@cwis.unomaha.edu (James R. Saker Jr.)
Subject: Re: Need Source For Tariffs
Organization: University of Nebraska at Omaha
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 1994 15:52:53 GMT
bharrell@nyx.cs.du.edu (Ben Harrell) writes:
> A company in the Washington DC (202 area code) called CCMI provides this
> service. Don't have the number handy but you can get it from ...
An interexchange carrier I've worked with in the past obtains their
tariffs on CD-ROM (monthly replacement set, weekly update CD-ROM) from
a company called Communication Image Technologies, Inc. (CITI). CIT's
application works with a set of 12 CD-ROMs, a special application
which facilitates the searching and retrieval, setting tariff marks to
check for updates in important tariffs, etc.. By purchasing the system
and service, they've replaced a 12x14 room of bookshelves for tariffs
(which were impossible to keep updated; took one full-time clerk to
maintain) to a 486/33 workstation and 12 CD-ROMs, running Windows and
CITI's application. The application was easy enough to allow anyone in
the office to quickly retrieve the information they need.
Tariffs stored include not only interstate FCC tariffs (AT&T FCC1,
FCC2, etc. even including contract tariffs!, MCI, Sprint, LDDS,
Worldcom, and other smaller IXC's, RBOC tariffs for switched/special
access, Independent LEC tariffs incl. United, GTE, Lincoln Telephone,
etc., and Intrastate tariffs including switched/special access,
business service, residential service, special products (ISDN, Frame
Relay, Information Services)).
Overall, my impression was that if you need current access to telecom
tariffs, this system is an exceptional resource.
Contact information for CITI: 800-944-CITI (800-944-2484).
Jamie Saker jsaker@cwis.unomaha.edu
Chief Operating Officer Business/IS Major
Synergistic Communications Univ. Nebraska at Omaha
voice: (402) 680-8280 fax: (402) 451-1540
------------------------------
From: kevin@cc.gatech.edu (Kevin C. Almeroth)
Subject: Re: Canadian Teen Charged With $500,000 Phone Fraud
Organization: College of Computing, Georgia Tech
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 1994 19:20:46 GMT
In article <telecom14.29.1@eecs.nwu.edu>, <vantek@aol.com> wrote:
> TORONTO (Jan. 11) UPI - A Canadian teenager has been charged with
> defrauding a cellular phone network out of $500,000 worth of long
> distance calls.
> About $200,000 worth of calls were billed to a single phone number
> over a 17-day period.
Hmmm, this seems strange to me ...
17 days * 24 hours/day * 60 minutes/hour = 24,480 minutes
200,000 dollars / 24,480 minutes = ~8.17 dollars/minute
That's awful expensive phone charges even if he was on the phone for
24 hours a day for the whole 17-day period!
Kevin Almeroth
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: However it is not so unusual if you
assume he might have had some confederates on it with him: other
phreaks he showed the system to. Several people might have been
'working the phones' for hours at a time every night. PAT]
------------------------------
From: Ben Burch <Burch_Ben@pts.mot.com>
Subject: Re: Radio Modem Help Wanted
Organization: Motorola, Inc
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 1994 19:49:46 GMT
In article <telecom14.22.5@eecs.nwu.edu> John Michael Pierobon,
pierobon@gate.net writes:
> Where can I get additional information on "radio modems"?
If you are talking about non-commercial data transmission (personal,
scientific, etc.), then you should contact the American Radio Relay
League (ARRL). A 20 M band packet setup could (when propagation
permits) provide you with the service you need. All that is required
for this is a good ham radio rig, and a packet radio modem (called a
TNC). You would, of course, need to get a license.
There are also a number of carriers that provide data services via
satellite, but I don't have any good pointers towards them.
(We make wireless data devices, but ours assume an infrastructure you
don't have there.)
Ben Burch Motorola Wireless Data Group Ben_Burch@msmail.wes.mot.com
------------------------------
From: daveb%jaws@dsinet.dgtl.com (David Breneman)
Subject: Re: Old Telephones Wanted
Date: 16 Jan 94 20:41:51 GMT
Organization: Digital Systems International, Redmond WA
Jay Hennigan (jay@coyote.rain.org) wrote:
> I'm looking for repair parts or collectors groups of old telephones.
> In particular, I have a brass Western Electric candlestick phone which
> is missing the steel diaphragm from the receiver. The phone has
> patent dates of Jan 26, 15 - Jan 1, 18 - May 7, 18 - Sept 21, 20 on
> the base and 329W on the transmitter. Also have a Kellogg candlestick
> in need of a baseplate. A source of the woven jacket cordage used in
> the old days would be nice as well.
I seem to recall that the diaphragms in old (ie, Korean war-vintage)
Army field phones are compatible with these. Take that for what its
worth. :-)
David Breneman Email: daveb@jaws.engineering.dgtl.com
System Administrator, Voice: 206 881-7544 Fax: 206 556-8033
Software Engineering Services
Digital Systems International, Inc. Redmond, Washington, U. S. o' A.
------------------------------
From: Craig Williamson <craig.williamson@ColumbiaSC.NCR.COM>
Subject: Re: How are VCR Plus+ Numbers Generated
Reply-To: craig.williamson@ColumbiaSC.NCR.COM
Organization: NCR, ICSS Columbia
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 1994 23:18:46 GMT
In article <telecom14.26.3@eecs.nwu.edu> Aninda Dasgupta writes:
> Magnavox sells a Voice Recognition remote that:
> - allows programming of VCR
> - is a universal remote
> - recognizes commands from more than one person.
> So, for about $100 to $150, you can hold up the remote in your hand
> and say something like : "Record, Thursday, Start 9:00 pm, End 9:30
> pm, Channel 4." And the remote does the rest. No need to look up
> codes and punch them in. Training the remote to recognize your voice
> takes a few minutes as the user is prompted on an LCD screen to read
> out a few numbers and words that appear on the screen. Very user
> friendly. See your local Magnavox/Philips dealer for demonstrations.
Well it won't work like it shows in the commercial though when John
Cleese puts the remote beside the VCR. The remote still need to be
able to hit the VCR at the right time with the infrared data. I would
probably forget to leave the remote in range of the VCR before I left
and wouldn't get anything. It's a neat idea if you don't use that
remote for anything elase and always leave it where it can get to the
VCR.
Craig
------------------------------
From: mds@access.digex.net (Michael D. Sullivan)
Subject: Re: Long Distance CLID is Here
Date: 17 Jan 1994 01:06:01 EST
Organization: Express Access Online Communications, Greenbelt, MD USA
jsw@ivgate.omahug.org (Jack Winslade) writes:
> I had quite a surprise today when I was looking over the CLID log. I
> saw an entry of 513-247-xxxx. This is, of course, here in Omaha on
> the 402-896 prefix.
> I recognized the caller's name and number as being correct, so I can
> assume that LD CLID is now working in some cases over some LD carriers.
> About nine months ago on a CO tour, the CO tech said that this feature
> would be coming shortly. This is the first time I have actually seen
> this in action.
> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: In Chicago we have had inter-LATA
> Caller-ID on an intermittent basis for about a year. It is sent here
> by some exchanges in other cities, but not by all or even a majority
> yet. Minneapolis comes to mind as one place where I've seen it a lot.
> Area code 612 numbers show up here when I get those calls. PAT]
Actually, it depends on the interexchange carrier handling the call.
A thread on the WELL indicated that Cable & Wireless always passes the
CNID (calling number ID) field to the receiving LEC's SS7 network,
which then passes it to the subscriber if Caller-ID-enabled. AT&T
does not pass this field through. In a legal matter in which I am
involved as counsel, AT&T has admitted that it gets the CNID from the
originating LEC and strips it out unless it is paid to pass it
through; however, they don't apparently have a tariff to charge for
the pass-through. Interestingly, it seems it may cost AT&T more to
strip it out than to pass it through.
Michael D. Sullivan mds@access.digex.net avogadro@well.sf.ca.us
Washington, D.C. 74160.1134@compuserve.com mikesullivan@bix.com
------------------------------
From: mds@access.digex.net (Michael D. Sullivan)
Subject: Re: Telecom Service on Guam
Date: 17 Jan 1994 01:00:36 EST
Organization: Express Access Online Communications, Greenbelt, MD USA
skass@drunivac.drew.edu (Steve Kass) writes:
> A friend of mine is moving to Guam soon, and I am looking for
> information for him. Does anyone know anything about
> telecommunications there? Information on Internet, phone service,
> television, radio, etc., on Guam and throughout the Marianas would be
> welcome. He will be coordinating many aspects of media at the
> University of Guam, and the information will help him with
> preparations here before moving. How to call Guam cheaply would also
> be nice to know (AT&T gives 70c/min through Reach Out Guam or
> something).
> Information about life on Guam in general is welcome, but should be
> send directly to my address, not posted here.
The one thing I know about telecom in Guam is that Motorola owns a
paging system (and possibly mobile telephone and/or cellular system)
there. It was Motorola's first venture as a common carrier.
Michael D. Sullivan mds@access.digex.net avogadro@well.sf.ca.us
Washington, D.C. 74160.1134@compuserve.com mikesullivan@bix.com
------------------------------
From: terminus@uahcs2.cs.uah.edu (Scott Hinckley)
Subject: Re: Using Spare Channels on a T1
Organization: Linux Users of North Alabama [LUNA]
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 94 08:14:53 GMT
On the subject of spare channels on a T1 ...
What sort of equipment would it take to use spare channels off of a T1
line coming into one building on campus from another? The buildings
are using Meridian PBX.
INTERNET: hinckley@ebs330.eb.uah.edu
AT&TNET : +1 205 720 0734 (24hr voicemail)
Copyright 1994 Scott Hinckley
------------------------------
From: damon@umbc.edu (Mr. Damon Kelly)
Subject: Re: Online Comments to U.S. Social Security Administration
Date: 17 Jan 1994 02:54:13 GMT
Organization: University of Maryland, Baltimore County
In article <telecom14.29.12@eecs.nwu.edu>, Jack Decker <ao944@yfn.
ysu.edu> wrote:
> [Concerning the distribution of Social Security checks electronically]
> However, one thing that personally disturbs me is that they are
> apparently at least considering elimination of mailing of checks to
> individuals, in favor of disbursements via "Electronic Fund Transfers
> or Electronic Benefit Transfers." My initial gut reaction to that is
> that this could have some real negative effects on privacy and
> individual liberty, because it would in effect force people to have an
> account at some financial institution in order to receive benefits.
Not necessarily. I live in Baltimore, Maryland, where most Welfare
recipients receive their benefits via these methods. You don't need
an account with a recognized bank; the local Welfare office issues a
recipient an ATM card and a list of distribution dates. The recipient
can make unlimited withdrawawals/balance checks of the funds remaining
in his/her "account," from *any* machine equipped to deal with the
cards, at no charge. Presumably, SS checks could be distributed in
the same manner.
-d damon@umbc.bitnet damon@umbc.edu
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V14 #37
*****************************