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1995-01-22
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Date: 29 Dec 1994 22:40:48 GMT
From: Erik_Mueller@email.FranceNet.fr (Erik Mueller)
Organization: FranceNet
Reply-To: Erik_Mueller@email.FranceNet.fr
Subject: France Telephony Update
Here's a telephony update from France -
1. France goes 100% "electronic"
According to an article in {Le Monde} (December 29, 1994, p. 9), the
last French crossbar central office was retired from service on
December 6th. The electromechanical switch, located in Givors, near
Lyon, was replaced by an Alcatel E 10. This means that France's 31.6
million subscribers are now served 100% by stored-program controlled
central offices, and 90% by digital offices.
The crossbar switches used in France were the Pentaconta, for
large-city applications, manufactured by LMT and the CGCT (ITT
subsidiaries), and the smaller CP 400, manufactured by the CIT (a
French Ericsson subsidiary) and the AOIP. 85% of the switches now in
service are manufactured by Alcatel and 15% by Matra Ericsson.
(For more information on the history of telephone switching in France,
see: Mireille Nouvion, L'automatisation du reseau telephonique
francais,
Part I, Telecommunications 50, January 1984, Part II,
Telecommunications 52,
July 1984, France Telecom, Paris.)
2. French numbering plan change edges closer.
According to a telephone-bill insert provided by France Telecom in
August 1994, France will convert in Spring 1996 to a uniform 10-digit
numbering plan. A 2-digit area code will be added to the front of the
existing 8-digit numbers. The area codes will be:
01 Ile-de-France (Paris, ...)
02 Northwest France
03 Northeast France
04 Southeast France
05 Southwest France
(Note that these assignments are different from what I previously
reported
in Message-ID <telecom14.22.10@eecs.nwu.edu>.)
Currently, customers calling the provinces from Paris dial 16 + 8
digits, while customers in the provinces calling Paris dial 16 + 1 + 8
digits. After the change, the same 10 digits will be dialed from all
locations within the country. The insert does not specify whether the
initial zero will be used when dialing into France (country code 33).
The 19 international access code will also be replaced by 00.
(For more information on France's numbering plan, see: Claude
Perardel,
Numero s'il vous plait, France Telecom, Paris, 1985 and the files
ftp://lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/country.codes/zone.3.codes.32-34
ftp://lcs.mit.edu/telecom-
archives/country.codes/zone.3.france.33.comments)
3. Telecommunications museums in France.
The Museum of Telecommunications in Pleumeur Bodou, Bretagne, includes
telephones, switchboards, telegraphs, teletypes, and satellites.
Adjoining the museum are the original Radome used to send the first
television pictures via the Telstar satellite from France to the
United States, and several large satellite dishes still in service.
There is a small telephone exhibit at the City of Sciences and
Industry at Parc de la Villette in Paris.
Erik_Mueller@email.francenet.fr
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 30 Dec 94 00:36:52 CST
From: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu (TELECOM Digest Editor)
Subject: New Year's Eve Party on the Internet
Attend 31 separate New Year's parites this year for one low cover
price
by partying on the Information Superhighway ...
That's the message I got on my fax machine a few days ago from the
folks at Concentric Research Corporation. Concentric is home to the
BBS Direct service, which links several computer bulletin boards
together via its Concentric Network.
No special software is required to attend the 'party'. If you have a
modem and terminal/computer all you need to do is dial in and ring in
the new year with people from all over the world.
Concentric plans to have international time clocks on the screens of
its users so that every hour you'll be ringing in the new year
somewhere
around the world.
All the various systems which are part of the Concentric Network have
agreed to waive their online charges on Saturday, December 31. All you
have to pay for is Concentric Network access itself, which is at the
rate of five dollars per hour if you wish to use the toll-free 800
number established for this purpose. Network access is thirty dollars
per month, however my understanding is you can use the 800 number at
the rate of five dollars per hour instead if desired.
To connect with the New Year's Eve party, set your modem to N-8-1 and
dial 800-991-4227. During the online signup proceedure you will then
be given the local number in your community to call and further
instructions. If you already have Internet access, then you can
connect via telnet to cris.com. The regular monthly fee for telnet
access to Concentric is ten dollars per month.
For more information by voice, call 800-745-2747. They'll be accepting
phone calls all day Friday at both 800 numbers to get people signed up
who wish to join the party on Saturday.
As Marc Collins-Rector, president of Concentric Research explained it,
this is one New Year's Eve when you don't have to worry about drunken
drivers on the highway ... not on the Information Superhighway that
is.
This is unique; something different. Readers who otherwise will be
staying at home over the weekend might like to visit the online party
at some point Saturday afternoon/evening and join the festivities
around the world.
Happy New Year!
Patrick Townson
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V14 #475
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