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Text File | 1994-02-18 | 27KB | 617 lines

TELECOM Digest     Fri, 18 Feb 94 09:53:00 CST    Volume 14 : Issue 88

Inside This Issue:                          Editor: Patrick A. Townson

    Nationlink *32 Problems, Also SNET Accessline (Douglas Scott Reuben)
    EFF Wants YOU - to Call For Senate Hearings on Clipper! (Monty Solomon)
    How to Share a 64Kbps Leased Line With Ten Users (9600bps) (Tohru Asami)
    Informative Books on AT&T System 75 ([e-mail])
    Phones and AC Power (James H. Haynes)
    Experience With Cable & Wireless (Good or Bad) (Drew Kramer)
    1994 Discover Awards (Darlene Quinn)
    Are There Standards For PBX's? (Bob Brickman)
    AT&T Directory Assistance (Monty Solomon)
    Digital Cellular Phone Review (TDMA) (Dave Rand)
    Looking for Employment (David J. Rockafellow)

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

Date: Fri, 18 Feb 1994 03:34:27 GMT
From: Douglas Scott Reuben <[e-mail]>
Subject: Nationlink *32 Problems, Also SNET Accessline


Hi,

I dunno if the people at Nationlink/Roam America/etc. (McCaw?) are
aware of this, but if you hit *32 in the same visited market more than
once, the Nationlink system does not give out the local roam port
number.

Thus, for example, if a Boston customer (00007) travels to Maine
(00501) and hits *32 ONCE, the recording which callers to the Boston
number will hear is: "The mobile customer you are dialing has moved to
another area.  To reach this customer, please dial [phone]. At
the tone, enter the complete mobile number, without '1'." (Yes, I
think the port for Biddeford, ME ends in 0100 or something).

If you hit *32 TWICE (or more), you get the same recording, MINUS the
roam port number. It basically says "has moved ... to reach this
customer, please dial <short pause>. At the tone...".

NOTE: Some companies, like Cell One/Boston, will CHARGE you AIRTIME
for a *32 "Caller Notification" call. Thus, you will still be charged
even if the visited system roam port number is not mentioned. (WHY
does Southwestern Bell Cell allow this? What's the deal? CO/Boston has
excellent rates, especially while roaming, but WHY discourage people
from using auto call delivery (which they charge home airtime for, as
well as toll charges and of course the prevailing roamer rates) or
caller notification? It strikes me as being uncharacteristically cheap
to try to gouge YOUR OWN CUSTOMERS when they roam elsewhere for
CO/Boston's benefit.

After all, in most markets, they are being robbed by paying $3.00 per
day and $.99 per minute (a ridiculous rate which seems to be the
de-facto standard now). Why try to rob your customers even more by
charging them home airtime (ie, around $.50 per minute more)?  I roam
alot, but I never use CO/Boston's auto-call delivery and Nationlink
during the day. Most other companies, including Metro Mobile (Bell
Atlantic), Cell One/VT (Atlantic Cellular), NYNEX, etc.  do NOT charge
extra for their auto call delivery services; you only pay for the toll
charges to deliver your call to the visited market.  Anyone from
SWBell care to comment on this?)

I've also noticed terribly slow Nationlink activation delays between
midnight and 2AM. What's going on here? Trying to be like Follow Me
Roaming? ;(

Additionally, SNET Cellular customers who subscribe to the Accessline
service MAY have been overcharged if they forwarded their Accessline
number out-of-state. Normally, any calls forwarded outside the New
Haven area are rated at $.20 per minute, regardless of the destination.
However, I finally got fed up with seemingly high charges, and requested
a copy of the call detail. I noticed that calls out of CT were billed
TWICE, ie, both as "In-state" and "Out-of-State" calls, with an
effective rate of $.40 per minute.

SNET was very apologetic about this and said all Accessline customers
who may have been affected will be notified soon, but you may want to
check up on this in a few weeks if you haven't heard from them.


Doug    [e-mail]   [e-mail]

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

Date: Fri, 18 Feb 1994 04:13:23 -0500
From: Monty Solomon <[e-mail]>
Subject: EFF Wants YOU - to Call For Senate Hearings on Clipper!


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Forwarded FYI. I also received a copy
of this from Dave Banisar at EFF.   PAT]

  From: Stanton McCandlish <[e-mail]>
  Subject: EFF Wants YOU - to call for SENATE HEARINGS ON CLIPPER!
  Date: Wed, 16 Feb 1994 17:20:00 -0500 (EST)
  Reply-To: [e-mail]


       EFF WANTS YOU - TO CALL FOR SENATE HEARINGS ON CLIPPER!

Feb. 15, 1994

Dear Friends on the Electronic Frontier,

Thank you for your efforts in fighting the government's ill-considered
Clipper proposal. We have already delivered over 2250 messages
supporting H.R. 3627 to Rep. Cantwell, and your messages have
continued to flood in.  We'd now like to ask you to help us call for
Congressional hearings on Clipper by writing to Senator Patrick Leahy
c/o [e-mail].

As we have previously reported, the Clinton Administration has
announced that it plans to proceed on every front to make the Clipper
Chip encryption scheme a national standard and to discourage the
development and sale of alternative powerful encryption technologies.
If the government succeeds in this effort, the resulting blow to
individual freedom and privacy could be immeasurable.

So far, the government has resisted requests that it explain its
policy.  When the Presidential Decision Directive calling for Clipper
deployment first appeared last spring, the Administration promised a
report that re-evaluated cryptography and privacy policy in light of
technological changes, the coming of the National Information
Infrastructure, and the end of the Cold War. The Administration also
made a commitment to meaningful public dialog before taking any major
action on escrow deployment or new legislation.

Yet in spite of the efforts of EFF, CPSR, ACLU, and other groups to
provide extensive input to the Administration, the promised policy
report never arrived, and the Administration has now said there will
be no report after all. This failure of public accountability makes
Congressional hearings an absolute necessity.

There are individuals in Congress willing to look into the Clipper
proposal and related policies -- if they hear from you. Senator
Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), who chairs one of the key committees
responsible for these issues, has asked for comments and concerns
about the viability of the Clipper initiative.

Here's where we need your help. *Please write Senator Leahy at:

        [e-mail]

and ask that the Senate hold hearings about Clipper.* Senate hearings
may be the only means of ensuring public feedback about Clipper, and,
just as important, they may be the only means of forcing the
Administration to explain its Clipper policy. Please express your
concerns about the United States' Clipper policy and cryptographic
policy in general. Your letters in support of hearings will be printed
out and delivered to the senator.

And if you haven't written Rep. Maria Cantwell to show your support
for H.R. 3627, her bill to relax export restrictions on encryption
technology, now's the time to do so. Just send e-mail to


        [e-mail]

and put "I support H.R. 3627" in your Subject header. Letters in support
of the bill will be printed out and delivered to Rep. Cantwell.

Our fight to keep national encryption policy out in the open -- and to
continue allowing individuals to use encryption to ensure their own
privacy -- has only just begun. In the coming weeks and months, we
will be working to give you more ways to make your voice heard on
these vital public issues.


Sincerely,

Jerry Berman
Executive Director
Electronic Frontier Foundation

See ftp://ftp.eff.org/pub/EFF/Policy/Clipper/ for more information on the
Clipper/Skipjack key escrow scheme.

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

From: [e-mail] (Tohru Asami)
Subject: How to Share a 64Kbps Leased Line With Ten Users (9600bps)
Organization: KDD R.&D. Labs.
Date: Fri, 18 Feb 1994 05:58:21 GMT


I've heard that Pacific Communication Science Incorporated (PCSI) is
selling a data compression machine, called CS-8000, which can compress
a 64Kbps data link into a 9600bps data link.

I wonder if the following communication is possible for cost saving.

                           +---+       +---+
                           | M |       | M |
    64Kbps         9600bps | U |       | U |9600bps        64Kbps
User------[CS-8000]--------+ L |       | L +------[CS-8000]------User
User------[CS-8000]--------+ T |       | T +------[CS-8000]------User
User------[CS-8000]--------+ I | 64Kbps| I +------[CS-8000]------User
User------[CS-8000]--------+ P +-------+ P +------[CS-8000]------User
User------[CS-8000]--------+ L | leased| L +------[CS-8000]------User
User------[CS-8000]--------+ E | line  | E +------[CS-8000]------User
User------[CS-8000]--------+ X |       | X +
                           | O |       | O |
                           | R |       | R |
                           +---+       +---+
My questions are as follows:
    1. Are there any multiplexors from 9600bps to 64Kbps?
    2. Are they compatible with CS-8000?
    3. How much are they?
    4. What companies are selling them?
    5. What kind of problems do we enconter in the above configurations?
    6. Did anyone try the same communication method?

In this case, a User uses a telephone or FAX, and he may not intensively
use his 64Kbps line.


Regards,

Tohru Asami    KDD R&D Labs
Manager of Network Engineering Support Group, KDD R&D Labs.
2-1-15 Ohara Kamifukuoka-shi, Saitama 356, Japan
Phone: [phone], FAX  : [phone]
KDD = an international telecommunication company in Japan

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

From: [e-mail] (Neuromancer)
Subject: Informative Books on AT&T System 75
Date: 17 Feb 1994 18:10:05 GMT
Organization: Computing Services Division, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee


Where I work, we have an AT&T System 75 phone system.  I have received
no training in its use.  I barely know how to put users in hunt groups
and pickup groups or how to setup new extensions.  When there is a
problem (like right now, the Hunt Group Busy Activation, even though
it is set up properly as a Feature Access Code as *1 is not working)
So as usual, when there is a problem, I dig through our pile of AT&T
documentation:

* AT&T System 75, System 75 XE, and System 85.   Terminals and Adjuncts
  Installation and Test

* Definity 75/85 Communications System, Generic 1, and System 75 Voice
  Terminal Operation

* Definity 75/85 Communications System, Generic 1, and System 75
  Administration and Measurement Reports

* AT&T System 75 Student Guide  (2 volumes)

None of these books cover the information that I need to know.  Not
only that, but they read like technical manuals, and do not attempt to
relay any concepts in human terms.  I would find any manuals written
in this style completely worthless.

Are there any books out there that are that will give me the the
detail I need to solve real problems with our System 75, and yet are
written in a style that explains the basic concepts I need to know.
Hopefully these books are not written by AT&T or are nothing like the
technical manuals we have now.


Thanks,

Glenn   [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (James H. Haynes)
Subject: Phones and AC Power
Date: 17 Feb 1994 18:59:41 GMT
Organization: University of California, Santa Cruz


We had a high wind storm here last night, with lots of power outages.
So I went to bed early and was listening to one of the local ham radio
repeaters to hear what was going on.  A woman over at the supermarket
called to ask someone to call the sheriff to come for a shoplifter
they had caught.  She said the phones inside the store were out
because they are electronic and need AC power, and that the pay phones
were also inoperative.  I don't remember if the pay phones over there
are COCOTs or Pac Bell.  I was wondering if pay phones these days
require AC power to operate, or if they still get all their power over
the phone line and the problem here was a broken phone line.


[e-mail] [e-mail]


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Genuine Bell Telephones (as the little
decals here say which IBT puts up by *their* phones) do not require
an AC connection however I think many COCOTS do need AC to maintain
their programming.  It could be the store had one of those. Serves 'em
right if it went out!  :)   PAT]

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

From: [e-mail] (Drew Kramer)
Subject: Experience With Cable & Wireless (Good or Bad)
Date: 17 Feb 1994 17:09:18 GMT
Organization: OTA Limited Partnership


Does anyone have any experience with Cable & Wireless? They are bidding on
both our voice and data service, and any information, good or bad, would be
appreciated.  You can reply via email, and I'll post a followup.


USMail: OTA Limited Partnership         E-mail: [e-mail]
        1 Manhattanville Road           Phone:  [phone]
        Purchase, New York 10577        FAX:    [phone]

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

From: [e-mail] (Media Management Services, Inc.)
Subject: 1994 Discover Awards
Date: 17 Feb 1994 17:40:27 GMT
Organization: Net Access - Philadelphia's Internet Connection


Presented by Epcot '94 at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida

   DISCOVER Magazine is pleased to announce that it is now accepting
nominations for the fifth annual DISCOVER Awards program.  These
awards recognize breakthrough technologies in science and honor the
men and women whose creative genius improves our quality of life.

   Companies, research institutions, and individuals are invited
to nominate innovations in seven categories:

        1.  AUTOMOTIVE & TRANSPORTATION
        2.  AVIATION & AEROSPACE
        3.  COMPUTER HARDWARD & ELECTRONICS
        4.  COMPUTER SOFTWARE
        5.  ENVIRONMENT
        6.  SIGHT
        7.  SOUND

   Winning innovations and their inventors will be featured in a
special October 1994 DISCOVER Awards issue.  Plus, all finalists and
winners will be showcased at "Innoventions," a new attraction opening
at Epcot '94 at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.

   If you would like to receive a nomination package, please
contact Darlene Quinn via the internet at: [e-mail]


   1994 DISCOVER AWARDS                            Phone #: [phone]
   c/o Media Management Services, Inc.               Fax #: [phone]
   105 Terry Drive Suite 120                   E-Mail: [e-mail]
   Newtown, PA  18940

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

From: [e-mail] (Bob Brickman)
Subject: Are There Standards For PBX's?
Organization: Exxon Research
Date: Thu, 17 Feb 1994 23:12:11 GMT


I have a question about digital pbx/phone systems. Are there any
industry standards for the signaling levels and protocols between
local desksets and the building switch? I know my deskset isn't POTS,
but is there any commonality among the major and minor systems manufac-
turers? This question came up in a discussion of the Macintosh Geoport
communications pods and the possibility of someone offering a pod to
connect to a pbx line (someone mentioned Rolm and Northern Telecom as
major pbx vendors). I was wondering if Intecom was a system manufacturer
that anyone out there had heard of (its what I have) and if it was
possible it used a standardized protocol.

Thanks in advance,


Bob Brickman       <[e-mail]>

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

Date: Fri, 18 Feb 1994 00:05:35 -0500
From: Monty Solomon <[e-mail]>
Subject: AT&T Directory Assistance


In all states except New Jersey and Connecticut you can now request
phone number and/or address information from AT&T Directory
Assistance.

They can't currently provide addresses in New Jersey and Connecticut.


Monty Solomon / PO Box 2486 / Framingham, MA  01701-0405   [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (Dave Rand)
Date: Thu, 17 Feb 1994 13:23:19 PST
Subject: Digital Cellular Phone Review (TDMA)


The following is my experience using the TDMA digital cellular system.
I use services in San Jose, California with Cellular One as the carrier,
and in Edmonton, Alberta using both Edmonton Telephones and Alberta
Government Telephones as the carriers.

My telephone is the Motorola "Digital Cellular Personal Communicator",
labelled "L.A. Cellular".  It is a dual mode phone, supporting both
analog and digital service.  I have used the small NiCd batteries, the
small N-Mh batteries, and the XT versions of same.  The telephone is
very similar in weight to the popular 550 flip-phone.  I paid about
$700 for it, in January.

The phone indicates a digital call by displaying "Digital", and by
flashing the "in use" LED faster than for analog calls.  "Analog"
calls are also displayed.  The phone can, and does, switch between
analog and digital modes during call handoffs.

The phone can request a scrambled telephone channel, as well, if
your carrier supports it.  Neither of my carriers appear to support it.
By selecting this feature, the phone warns you of an unsecure line by
beeping five times -- this can happen at call establishment, or during a
handoff.

The phone also supports an "Authentication key", which the cellular
carriers can use to further validate your ESN, guarding against fraud.
Neither of my carriers knew about this feature, and may not support
it.  This is a 6 to 26 digit number that you and your carrier agree
on.

The advertising literature suggests that using a "digital" phone (they
seldom indicate TDMA or CDMA - as I understand it, most are TDMA)
gives the user a number of advantages.

1. Increased talk time on a battery charge.
2. Increased security.
3. Clearer, digital connections.
4. More likely to get a connection on the first try.

Of these, a few are true :-)

You are *very* likely to get a digital connection in those areas that
support it.  Through San Jose, and the surronding area, I very seldom
get a busy, although I often did on my analog only phone.  The only
problem is that not all cell sites are TDMA-equipped.  I was unable to
get a list of the areas that are "digital" from Cellular one, but it
appears that there are only a few areas in San Jose, and San Fransisco.
Sunnyvale, and surrounding areas are analog only, so far as I can
tell.  In Canada, *all* calls I made, for about 100 miles around the
city of Edmonton, were digital, except for those I placed analog
through the phone's option menu.  This suggest a much higher
deployment rate of TDMA in Canada.

Digital connections are significantly worse in quality than analog.
There are no exceptions.  The Canadian systems were a little better
than San Jose, but not nearly as good as analog on either system.
There is a perceptable delay in the system, very noticable if you
place a call to a person, and can see them.  I guess it is around
100msec or so -- perhaps a bit more.  It reminds you of the stilted
conversations over satellite.  Echo is, by far, the worst problem.
I'm not sure what causes it, but it is *very* annoying.  The
digitization artifacts are quite audible, especially when talking to
someone's digitized voicemail system.

As far as increased security, this may be true.  I am unable to pick
up voice on a scanner -- but I still wouldn't want to give my visa
number out over it ;-)

Increased talk time -- perhaps.  What they *really* mean is DECREASED
standby time!  Here's the scoop, based on my observation of the TDMA
phone, and Motorola's claimed battery life.

Battery         TDMA phone      Analog phone
Small NiCd      4-5 hours       8+ hours
Small NMh       8-10 hours      12-20 hours
Large NMh       18-20 hours     24+ hours

If you can afford it, I'm sure that the phone will give you additional
talk time when used on a digital connection.  I can't afford to talk
that long!

Now for the *REAL* problem: RFI.  When in the digital mode, the phone
interferes with every audio system.  It causes my Bel radar detector
to indicate reception of a Ka band signal (34+ Ghz).  It causes noise
in my CD player, in my car's amplifier, on all home telephone handsets
(wired AND cordless).  I suspect that it is due to the transmitter
turning on and off at a regular rate; even though it is an FM signal,
it appears as a low frequency AM, square wave modulated signal. Nasty.
At least I can tell when I am in a digital area (my radar detector
goes off).

I'm sure that the quality problems will be resolved, eventually.  But
for now, TDMA phones are NOT the way to go.  I'm looking forward to
trying the CMDA phones, when they are available in my area.


Dave Rand   Internet: [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (Uncle Waldo)
Subject: Looking for Employment
Date: Thu, 17 Feb 1994 23:58:37 -0800
Organization: Connected INC -- Internet Services


Hello, I just got out of the Army and have been looking for a job in
the communications field. I am a hard and loyal worker capable of
working under stress and multiple jobs at once. I pick up on concepts
and methods of operation quickly. Well, to get to the point before I
bore you. Below is my resume please look it over and if you have any
information that may help in my job search or a possible job offer of
any sort, please e-mail me.


Thanks,

David J. Rockafellow
3922 S.E. Salmonberry Rd.     [e-mail]
Port Orchard, Wa. 98366       [e-mail]
[phone]/5206           [e-mail]

OBJECTIVE:
     * A position in the communications field with the opportunity for
       advancement based on job performance.

                                EXPERIENCE:

Network Management
     * Overall management of the transmission network.
     * Co-authored policies and procedures for operators within the network.
     * Radio spectrum management.

Network Engineering
     * Engineered transmission backbone for tactical telephone networks.
     * Planed, coordiniated, and created network diagrams.
     * Briefed Brigade Commander and visiting dignitaries on system
       operation and status.
     * Engineered troposcatter and line of sight UHF and SHF radio systems.
     * Coordinated satellite access requests.

Network and Systems Maintainence
     * Analyzed problems, and repaired or coordinated major repairs.
     * System, board and module level troubleshooting on computer and
       communications equipment.
     * Performed site inspections to ensure safty percautions, security
       measures and derectives were being followed properly.

Information Systems Management and Operation
     * System and LAN Administration.
     * Taught operation of verious computer information systems and
       peripheral equipment.

Radio Operator / Radio Telephone / Radio Teletype
     * Installation, operation and maintenance of digital terminals.
     * Telephone and cable installation.
     * Installed commercial and tactical antennas and generators.
     * Ensured communications and physical security procedures were applied.
     * Interpreted and used circuit routing lists and system traffic
       diagrams.
     * Transmitted, received, decoded, relayed, and distributed classified
       and unclassified documents.
     * Prepared status reports and accountability documents.
     * Worked in a net control station.
     * Performed troubeshooting on AM/FM radio systems and networks.

Recognized by executive management for job proficiency and knowledge.

Education
     * Communication Systems Control Element Course               1992
     * Tactical Satellite Base Improvement Modification Course    1992
     * Single Channel Radio Course                                1990

Hobbies
     * Repeling, Backpacking, theater, amateur radio.


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Dear Sir, thank you for submitting your
resume, but I think you are overqualified for the positions I have
available here. I wish you luck in finding a job. Maybe the local Radio
Shack has an opening.   PAT]

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

End of TELECOM Digest V14 #88
*****************************