Software Vault: The Diamond Collection/The Diamond Collection (Software Vault)(Digital Impact).ISO/cdr16/tc15_021.zip/TC15-021.TXT

Text File | 1995-01-22 | 24KB | 697 lines

TELECOM Digest     Tue, 10 Jan 95 05:20:00 CST    Volume 15 : Issue 21

Inside This Issue:                          Editor: Patrick A. Townson

    Re: AT&T First to Deliver Long-Awaited "Follow-Me" 500 Numbers (M.
Weiss)
    Re: Cellphone Now Giving ANI? (Mr. James Holland)
    Re: Need Information on EXCEL (Gerry Gollwitzer)
    Re: Need Information on IS-54 (Glenn Shirley)
    Re: "High-end" Phone Products (Michael N. Marcus)
    Re: Information Wanted on Northern Telecom Phone (Michael N.
Marcus)
    Re: MANs in USA (Roger Fajman)
    Re: Emergency Numbers in Various Countries (Carl Moore)
    Re: How Can I Encrypt a T-1? (Ted Hadley)
    Re: Phone Rates From Israel (Jay Kaplowitz)
    Re: Interim Results of FCC Auctions (Raj Gajwani)
    Re: NANP Changes (Fran S. Menzel)
    Re: Telecom Texts (Mark Peacock)
    Re: NANP 800 Numbers From the UK (Ari Wuolle)
    ISDN Wish List (Syd Weinstein)
    General Datacom ATM Switches Sign Deal With Siemens (Peter Granic)
    Atlanta Airport's Pay Phones Reject 1-800 Numbers Randomly (Robert
Casey)
    Digital Cellular in the USA ([e-mail])
    Re: Computer Caller-ID (Seymour Dupa)
    Starting a Ratepayers Association (Aryeh M. Friedman)
    PCS Auction Results (M.J. Sutter)
    ETSI Standards - Where? (Gabor Lajos)

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 America
On Line. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the
moderated
newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'.

Subscriptions are available to qualified organizations and individual
readers. Write and tell us how you qualify:

                 * [e-mail] *

The Digest is edited, published and compilation-copyrighted by Patrick
Townson of Skokie, Illinois USA. You can reach us by postal mail, fax
or phone at:
                    9457-D Niles Center Road
                     Skokie, IL USA   60076
                       Phone: [phone]
                        Fax: [phone]
  ** Article submission address only: [e-mail] **

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 partially funded by a grant from the
*
* International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in Geneva, Switzerland
*
* under the aegis of its Telecom Information Exchange Services (TIES)
*
* project.  Views expressed herein should not be construed as
represent-*
* ing views of the ITU.
*
**********************************************************************
***

Additionally, the Digest is funded by gifts from generous readers such
as yourself who provide funding in amounts deemed appropriate. Your
help
is important and appreciated. A suggested donation of twenty dollars
per
year per reader is considered appropriate. See our address above.

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: [e-mail] (Mitch Weiss)
Subject: Re: AT&T First to Deliver Long-Awaited "Follow-Me" 500
Numbers
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 1995 22:07:04


In article <[e-mail]> A Alan Toscano
<atoscano@Starbase.
NeoSoft.COM> writes:

> Calls within the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin
> Islands during off-peak hours (from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. weekdays, and
all
> weekend) will cost 15 cents a minute, whether the caller or receiver
> pays.  Calls during peak hours (from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays) will
> cost 25 cents a minute.  Rates for some in-state calls may vary.
> Calls made to or from other countries will be charged the regular
AT&T
> rates for those countries.

Who pays for the call?  Is it the caller or the owner of the number?
If it is the caller, would I be charged for an international call if I
call someone who happens to be overseas at the time?


Mitchell Weiss   [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (Mr. James Holland)
Subject: Re: Cellphone Now Giving ANI?
Date: 9 Jan 1995 15:49:16 GMT
Organization: Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro,
Tennessee


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

> I guess NYNEX Mobile has made some progress, Today I dialed 1-800-MY-
ANI-IS
> from my Cellular phone ... and guess what ... it came back with my
> cellular phone number. In the past it would come back with a WEIRD
> number.

> Is NYNEX Mobile the first company to pass along the ANI from
cellular
> phones?

The ANI returned on my cellular service (CellOne of Tennessee) is that
of the business office of the local 911 office. Any idea why that is,
or if it's only a fluke? Kind of unnerving to call back the ANI to my
phone and be greeted with "911, can I help you". It's NOT their actual
911 emergency line, and other cell phones in the area get the same ANI
number as I.


James Holland   [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (Gerry Gollwitzer)
Subject: Re: Need Information on EXCEL
Date: 9 Jan 1995 15:54:57 GMT
Organization: Exec-PC


Bill Dankert ([e-mail]) wrote:

> Has anyone heard of, or participated in, Excel Telecommunications,
> Inc.?  It is a long distance service provider that uses network
> marketing instead of a sales force.  Please post, or email me
> directly, any comments concerning Excel.  Your help will be greatly
> appreciated.

Bill,

I have been with Excel since the end of July.  I have also been a
telecom consultant for almost four years.  Excel is working great for
us.  They really have put together an great income producing program.

Let me know if you have further interest.


Gerry

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

From: [e-mail] (UL ENG)
Subject: Re: Need Information on IS-54
Date: 9 Jan 1995 21:26:15 +1100
Organization: Stanilite Electronics Pty. Ltd. Sydney, Australia


Dharshana P. Jayasuriya <[e-mail]> writes:

> I would appreciate very much if someone can recommend a good book or
> some other material which has sufficient information on the
architecture
> and protocols of the US digital standard IS 54.

> Is it possible to buy a copy of the standard itself? (I mean not the
> whole thousands of pages but a summary.) Or is it strictly
proprietary?

You can order the standard (its $US 218) from:

Global Engineering Documents
15 Inverness Way East
Englewood CO 80112
Ph. [phone]
    [phone]
Fax [phone]

Don't forget your international prefix and the 1 for the U.S before
the above numbers. I haven't tried the 800 number above so I don't
know if it works outside the U.S. or not.

My employer regularly buys standards through them (they are the
official EIA/TIA supplier) by mail from Australia so you shouldn't
have any problems.

Note the above phone numbers are for international enquiries (outside
the U.S and Canada) and there are other numbers for the different
regions within North America.


Hope that helps,

Glenn

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

From: [e-mail] (MNM 914)
Subject: Re: "High-end" Phone Products
Date: 10 Jan 1995 08:05:33 GMT
Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364)
Reply-To: [e-mail] (MNM 914)


I'm 99.9995832% sure there are no three-line cordlesses, other than
those dedicated to work with specific multi-line phone systems.

Panasonic KX-T3980 is my first choice for two-line analog cordlesses,
and Uniden 9200 and Vtech Platinum (and similar ATT 9132, if it's
finally available) are good 900MHz digital phones.

There is a lot of discussion of these products in the phone equipment
section of the Consumer Electronics Forum on CompuServe (I'm the
sysop).


Michael N. Marcus   CompuServe: 74774,2166
AOL: MNM914  Netcom: [e-mail]
Prodigy: Duh?  Fax: [phone]

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

From: [e-mail] (MNM 914)
Subject: Re: Information Wanted on Northern Telecom Phone
Date: 10 Jan 1995 08:05:37 GMT
Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364)
Reply-To: [e-mail] (MNM 914)


Hi, Keith.

Your name is familiar; have we spoken on CompuServe?

It's an amazing piece of equipment. It's even smart enough to put a
message in the right mailbox based on its Caller ID. I'm presently
testing one, and reviews will be in the library of the phone equipment
section of Consumer Electronics Forum on CIS, and in {Teleconnect}
magazine, and probably {Home Office Computing}.


Michael N. Marcus

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

From: Roger Fajman <[e-mail]>
Date: Mon, 09 Jan 1995  23:06:21 EST
Subject: Re: MANs in USA


> I need some help in getting info about Metropolitan Area Networks
> in USA. The questions are:

> 1. What is the physical structure of MANs (fiber, coax)?
> 2. If fiber what is the protocol (fddi, atm)?
> 3. Who is the main investor (banks)?
> 4. Does banks use MAN for data transmission?
> 5. What services are provided, and which are most popular?

Bell Atlantic (the local phone company) operates a metropolitan FDDI
network (called FNS) in the Washington, DC area.  There are multiple
interconnected FDDI rings covering different parts of the area.  They
offer 10 Mbps Ethernet and 4 and 16 Mbps token ring connections.  The
service looks like a Ethernet or token ring to the customers.  Network
Systems brouters are located in Bell Atlantic central offices.  Fiber
Ethernet or token ring connections run to the customer locations.  I
believe that the fiber is single mode, both for the FDDI ring and the
drops.  Filters in the brouters prevent customers from seeing each
others traffic.


Roger Fajman                        Telephone:  [phone]
National Institutes of Health       BITNET:     RAF@NIHCU
Bethesda, Maryland, USA             Internet:   [e-mail]

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

Date: Mon, 9 Jan 95 20:59:05 GMT
From: Carl Moore <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Emergency Numbers in Various Countries


Telephone dials vary from one country to the next.  As set up
here in country code 1 (U.S., Canada, and part of the Caribbean
area), a zero is 10 dial clicks, and any other digit is its face
value of clicks.  So 112 would use 4 clicks and 999 would use 27
clicks, but those are not in use here for emergency.

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

Date: Mon, 9 Jan 95 12:56:43 PST
From: [e-mail] (Ted Hadley)
Subject: Re: How Can I Encrypt a T-1?


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

> There is a company in California called Cylink.  They make several
> different kinds of crypto gear for communications.  I'm unable to
come
> up with a telephone number for them at the moment.

Telephone number is 408-735-5800.


Ted A. Hadley  [e-mail]
Cylink Corporation, 910 Hermosa Ct, Sunnyvale, CA 94086  USA    408-
735-5847

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

From: [e-mail] (JayK372)
Subject: Re: Phone Rates From Israel
Date: 9 Jan 1995 19:50:52 -0500
Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364)
Reply-To: [e-mail] (JayK372)


I believe that you can call from Israel for about 80 cents per minute
from midnight Israel time to 8 a.m.  My recollection is that the
highest rate, during the day, is about $1.50 per minute.  This is via
Bezeq, the PTT.


Jay Kaplowitz

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

From: [e-mail] (Raj Gajwani)
Subject: Re: Interim Results of FCC Auctions
Date: 10 Jan 1995 02:15:57 GMT
Organization: Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts


Brian Miner ([e-mail]) wrote:

> Has anyone seen results from the FCC auctions of the PCS licenses on
> the net ?

FTP, gopher, or WWW to "fcc.gov" for full results and documents.

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

From: f.s.menzel <[e-mail]>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 1995 13:31:32 -0500
Subject: Re: NANP Changes


On 22 Dec 94 Joe Bergstein wrote:

> I thought the NANP changes weren't going into effect until 7/1/95.
> Now I hear that CPE vendors are harrasing small customers with
> outrages upgrade prices to support NANP changes as of 1/1/95.  My
> understanding was that changes were permissive (both old and new A/C
> OK) until 7/1/95, at which point they would become mandatory.  Is
this
> correct?  If not, please update.

Since I'm not sure of the dates, I'll assume they're correct and
provide the following humble defense of my employer, a CPE vendor.

Many of our customers will be faced with system upgrades to deal with
the NANP change.  It would be irresponsible for the vendors to wait
until the last minute to inform customers of the issue, since it would
be impossible to fill the demand if all NANP system upgrades were
ordered during the final month of premissive dialing.  For our larger
customers, expenditures for equipment upgrades typically need to be
budgeted in the preceeding year.

A small comment on the "outrageous" upgrade prices: in cases where
customers have older systems, the NANP upgrade is likely to require
bringing the system up the level of systems being currently sold, a
costly procedure.  My employer,for one, did lots of soul-searching
related to NANP issues, and ended up generating NANP releases for many
(but not all) versions of our systems in order to keep the price
reasonable.  On the bright side, once you do upgrade, you'll probably
find lots of things in addition to NANP to appreciate about your
upgraded system.


Fran Menzel, AT&T Global Business Communication Systems

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

Date: Mon, 9 Jan 1995 12:29:47 -0600
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Telecom Texts


A text that I've used is Engineering and Operations of the Bell
System,
2nd Edition, published by AT&T (c) 1981 or 1983.  I may be slightly
off on the title since someone seems to have nicked my copy.  It

·
doesn't cover recent digital developments but does a nice clear job
discussing the POTS network.  It's not full of jargon; a good
introductory text.  Indeed, I believe it was originally written for
new hires at Bell Labs.


Mark Peacock
Deloitte & Touche Management Consulting
Detroit, Michigan

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

Date: Tue, 10 Jan 1995 03:37:11 +0200
From: [e-mail] (Ari Wuolle)
Subject: Re: NANP 800 Numbers From the UK


> All of a sudden, I can now dial 1-800 numbers from the UK. There is
a
> few seconds of silence, and then an American female voice tells me
> that this call will *not* be free, but charged at standard direct-
dial
> rates.  If I don't want to pay, I should hang up now.

Just the same here from Finland -- but only if I call using Telecom
Finland. (990-1-800-XXX-XXXX).

When I try to call using Telivo, I will get tritone meaning number is
not in use after 994-1-800.

Finnet lets me dial the whole number 999-1-800-XXX-XXXX and then gives
tritone.

(Telecom Finland is former monopoly carrier here. Telivo is owned by
Finnish (electrical) power company Imatran Voima Oy. Finnet is owned
by private telephone companies in co-operation. Telivo and Finnet have
had licence to carry international trafic to everywhere from last
summer.)

> Just for fun, I tried 1-800-MY-ANI-IS. It told me: "702 000 5555" !

I got exactly the same number. Pity that only one carrier here let US
800 calls go through. It would have been nice to see what ANI would
read back when using other carriers.


Ari Wuolle

e-mail  [e-mail] s-mail Kolkekannaksentie 10 B 4
telephone + 358  0 509 2073  02720  ESPOO
cellphone + 358 49 431 140                FINLAND
fax  + 358  0 428 429  (temporary)

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

From: [e-mail] (Syd Weinstein)
Subject: ISDN Wish List
Date: 9 Jan 1995 12:06:36 -0500
Organization: Myxa Corporation, Huntingdon Valley, PA
Reply-To: [e-mail]


Looking for a product that meets a wish list of mine:

Basically I am looking for an ISDN TA with the following
features:

 1. RS-232 interface up to 115.2kbps;
 2. accepts 1B call and performs compression to get
  115.2 async out of it;
 3. Desirable, but not mandataory, can accept two calls, one per
  B, and take each to 115.2 async individually.
  (likewise can make two outbound, one per B using
  each of the RS-232 interfaces);
 4. Dials with the AT style command set.

optional feature:
 O-1. Accepts 230.4kbps RS-232 serial interface and
  uses compression to make use of it via 2B single
  call;

 O-2. Imbedded V.34 modem, accepts calls from POTS lines
  by using modem portion and ISDN lines using
  TA portion.

Anybody know of anything?

Please e-mail to me and I will summarize to the group.


Sydney S. Weinstein, CDP, CCP          Elm Coordinator - Current
2.4PL24
Myxa Corporation                       Projected 3.0 Release: ???
?,199?
[e-mail] or dsinc!syd     Voice: [phone], FAX: (215) 938-
0235
Welcome Page: http://www.myxa.com  Elm WWW:
http://www.myxa.com/elm.html

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

From: [e-mail] (Peter Granic)
Subject: General Datacom ATM Switches Sign Deal With Siemens
Date: 9 Jan 1995 20:43:31 -0500
Organization: Internex Online (io.org) Data: 416-363-4151  Voice: 416-
363-8676


Last week General Datacom announced that it had signed an agreement
with German Telecom multinational Siemens in which Siemens will roll
out their ATM network services with General Datacom switches.  This is
the second big announcement which General Datacom made regarding ATM
switch sales, the other being to a large Canadian telecommunications
provider.

Does anyone know if they are having success in the U.S. right now?  I
did not really know about them being into ATM until a few months ago.
I thought the big players at the moment were shaping up to be Fore
Systems, IBM, Hughes, and Newbridge, but seeing that GDC is rolling
out switches to large data service providers it is obvious that they
are also a company trying to take the ATM market as well.

Have AT&T and MCI announced which ATM switches they will go with?
Fore Systems is apparently the only ATM manufacturer which is making
money on ATM right now.  I would think that this means they are
succeeding with the large U.S. market right now which generates the
most ATM revenue.  They have an excellent range of products, with the
most comprehensive set of desktop to desktop solutions (according to
what I've read).  Our company has not moved to ATM yet (we are just
pondering regular switching!), so I haven't even had a chance to play
with the technology yet.  If somebody has gotten their hands on some
of the switches, and would have an opinion on how they would rate the
products, I would appreciate it if you would email me.


Thanks,

Peter Granic

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

From: [e-mail] (Robert Casey)
Subject: Atlanta Airport's Pay Phones Reject 1-800 Numbers Randomly
Organization: Netcom Online Communications Services (408-241-9760
login:
guest)
Date: Tue, 10 Jan 1995 04:44:41 GMT


Today, I was in the airport that serves Atlanta, GA.  I tried to place
a
few 1-800 toll free calls, and had a lot of trouble.  Numbers I know
to be good got responses of "invalid number".  I'd reach for another
pay
phone, and got thru to the number. I tried the same numbers later that
day (while getting hung up with the dead Newark airport mess) in the
Atlanta airport and got more "invalid number"; another attempt got me
thru, then I got cut off.  Pay phones were labeled "PTC" (or something
like that) and also said that the local exchange didn't "own" these
phones.  Some phones didnt work at all (bad keypads, or just dead).  I
don't know who "PTC" is, but they really SUCK!

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

Date: Tue, 10 Jan 95 01:01:59 EST
From: [e-mail] (Phydeaux's PC)
Subject: Digital Cellular in the USA


Exactly how is digital cellular being implemented here in the US?  I
was under the impression that the control and voice channels were
digitally encoded and then sent between the phone and the tower.
Today a dealer for a cellphone company told me that only the control
signals are encoded.  Somehow I don't believe him.

Assuming that the signals *are* encoded, how are they doing it? Are
they using the same analog bandwidth more efficiently via the digital
signal?


reb   [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (Seymour Dupa)
Subject: Re: Computer Caller-ID
Date: 10 Jan 1995 00:28:22 -0500
Organization: Exchange Network Services, Inc.


Thomas Fitzurka ([e-mail]) wrote:

> Does anyone know of a software program that enables you to have your
> computer identify caller's phone numbers? I saw a movie called
> Brainscan that had a computer, using caller id, identify the caller
> and tell the person in an "igor" voice, which I perticularly liked,
> that "Bobby is calling master". The idea was really interesting to
me
> and I would like to get something like it.

  Rochell Communications has caller ID unit with a serial port that
feeds the caller id info to a serial port on a computer.  They also
have a program that reads the computer's serial port, look if the
number has called before, and if so, diaplays the info.  They are at
800-542-8808 or 512-794-0088.

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

From: cash![e-mail] (Aryeh M. Friedman)
Subject: Starting a Ratepayers Association
Date: 10 Jan 1995 10:12:27 GMT
Organization: UCSC Dept of Econ


How do I start a effective ratepayers association to protest among
other things GTE of California's *OUTRAGOUS* service fee hike from
$8/month to $20/month for flat rate?  A similor rate hike has happened
to lifeline and measured costumers.  BTW I have the support of most of
the people I know to do this.  Also I study telecom in school so I
know the basics of the legal aspects of the industry.


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Instead of *starting* one why don't you
*join* an existing one?  There are many effective ones throughout the
USA.  Save yourself a lot of hassles by working with one of the
established
organizations which deal with these things.  PAT]

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

Date: Mon, 10 Jan 1995 20:59:48 -0500
From: [e-mail]
Subject: PCS Auction Results


When will the results (winners) of the most recent round of PCS
license auctions be made public? How are the results announced? Does
FCC maintain a Gopher that could access this type of info? Thanks in
advance.


Mike


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: See an earlier message in this issue
for
a discussion of interim results. The FCC maintains a public file on
all
this at 'fcc.gov'. Use FTP, Gopher or similar services to get there.
PAT]

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

From: [e-mail] (Gabor Lajos)
Subject: ETSI Standards - Where?
Date: 10 Jan 1995 05:00:26 -0600


Hello everybody,

I am looking for ANY information about how to get ETSI (also pre-ETSI)
standards in any form (eg. hardcopy, CD-Rom, postcript file).

It can be an office from where I have to order, or an 'FTP site' or
anything.

I wrote 'FTP site' since I can't do real FTP to the outside world,
only
that E-mail operated fake FTP is available for me. Thanks in advance.


Best Regards,

Gabor

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

End of TELECOM Digest V15 #21
*****************************