Software Vault: The Diamond Collection/The Diamond Collection (Software Vault)(Digital Impact).ISO/cdr16/tc15_096.zip/TC15-096.TXT

Text File | 1995-03-12 | 27KB | 700 lines

TELECOM Digest     Tue, 14 Feb 95 09:49:00 CST    Volume 15 : Issue 96

Inside This Issue:                          Editor: Patrick A. Townson

    MCI Selects Nextstep to Support Friends & Family Customers (M.
Solomon)
    SNET/CT to Purchase NYNEX/RI, MA Properties (Doug Reuben)
    Technology Preferences for PCS (Alex Cena)
    Wireless RF Manufacturers ([e-mail])
    Directory Assistance Call Completer (Dave Leibold)
    Northern Bidding on European Network (Dave Leibold)
    500 Numbers - Where to Find Information
([e-mail])
    Need Help Finding 500 Exchange (Mike B. Fisher)
    Mexico's AT&T USADirect No Longer Connected
([e-mail])
    Does a High Speed Serial Interface for the VME-Bus Exist? (M.
Rautenberg)
    Fixed Price Embedded, Network Development (John Stockenberg)
    Puerto Rican Telecom Research Help Wanted (William Smith)
    Still Waiting For Caller ID Spec From Bellcore (Charles Copeland)

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

Date: Tue, 14 Feb 1995 02:24:07 -0500
From: Monty Solomon <[e-mail]>
Subject: MCI Selects Nextstep to Support Friends & Family Customers
Reply-To: [e-mail]


Forwarded FYI to the Digest.

Contact:
Karen Logsdon
NeXT Computer, Inc.
415-780-3786
or
Carol Aarhus
MCI
1-800-436-9749

MCI SELECTS NEXTSTEP TO SUPPORT FRIENDS & FAMILY CUSTOMER SERVICE
SYSTEMS

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - February 7, 1995-NeXT Computer, Inc. announced
today that MCI has selected its object-oriented software, NEXTSTEP,
for the development and delivery of custom applications for MCI's New
Friends & Family program.

Introduced in January, New Friends & Family offers customers who spend
just $10 a month 25% savings on all domestic direct-dialed calls, and
50% savings to other Friends & Family customers in their Calling
Circle.

To further streamline and improve its customer service applications,
MCI has placed a multi-million dollar order for NeXT products,
including the advanced PDO (Portable Distributed Objects) and
Enterprise Object Framework, which will help advance the company's
specialized customer service stations.

"We are excited to work with a leading telecommunications innovator
like MCI," said Steven P. Jobs, Chairman and CEO of NeXT Computer,
Inc.  "MCI's speed-to-market and track record with Friends & Family,
1-800-COLLECT and Friends & Family Connections is unmatched, and we
look forward to helping them bring more advanced products like these
to market even faster.  MCI's commitment to our technology is another
step in the marketplace acceptance of object technology in general,"
Jobs added.

"We believe in NeXT's object technology, because it speeds our
development cycles, keeping us ahead of the competitive curve, and
significantly improves our time-to-market with new products and
services," said Jim Folk, Vice President of Information Technology for
MCI Consumer Markets.  "We selected NeXT technology because
NEXTSTEP/OpenStep is a powerful object-oriented development
environment that allows us to build applications in shorter timeframes
and spend more time focusing on customer needs rather than in the
lab."

MCI

MCI, headquartered in Washington, D.C., has expanded from its core
long distance business to become the world's third-largest carrier of
international calling and a premier provider of data communications
over the vast Internet computer network.  With annual revenue of more
than $13.3 billion, the company today provides a wide array of
consumer and business long distance and local services, data and video
communications, online information, electronic mail, network
management services and communications software.

NeXT Computer, Inc.

NeXT develops and markets the award-winning NEXTSTEP object-oriented
software for industry-standard computer architectures.  Customers use
NEXTSTEP's advanced object environment to rapidly develop and deploy
custom, enterprise-wide, client/server applications.  NeXT is
headquartered in Redwood City, California, and has offices in North
America, London, Paris, Munich and Tokyo.

# # # #

NeXT, the NeXT logo, OpenStep and NEXTSTEP are trademarks or
registered trademarks of NeXT Computer, Inc.  All other trademarks
mentioned belong to their respective owners.

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

From: [e-mail] (Doug Reuben)
Subject: SNET/CT to Purchase NYNEX/RI, MA Properties
Date: Tue, 14 Feb 1995 08:29:53 EST


I just got the SNET newsletter forwarded to me, and it seems like
SNET,
the "B" side cellular carrier in Connecticut, is going to purchase the
NYNEX properties in RI, Southeastern Mass, and Western Mass.

Currently, SNET (00088), the B-side carrier serves all of CT (it is
the
only company to do so, or will be after its agressive expansion into
Litchfield County), as well as the Springfield, Mass area, up I-91
into
Franklin County, and all the way to the Vermont line.

Bell Atlantic/Metro Mobile, the A-side carrier, which is owned by the
Mid
Atlantic B-side carrier operating in NJ, PA, DE, VA, DC, MD, DE, and
part
of West Virginia (?), operates in all Connecticut counties except
Litchfield, and in Rhode Island, Southestern Mass (e.g., south of I-
495),
Springfield Mass (but NOT Franklin), and the US-7/Berkshire region.

Since Bell Atlantic (BAMS) and NYNEX plan to merge their services,
(which
hopefully will not drain revenues from BAMS's outstanding B-side
Mid-Atlantic service), they need to shed their properties in RI and
Mass
which overlap.

In an unusual, but logical move, NYNEX will be selling off its entire
Rhode Island/Southeastern Mass system (00028), as well as it's
Berkshire/Pittsfield, MA system (a woefully inadequate system) to
SNET.
That is, in EVERY market where the BAMS/Metro Mobile A-side system
would
have operated against a BAMS/NYNEX system, NYNEX has opted to sell its
properties to SNET.

SNET will now have a coverage area greater than Metro Mobile's, as it
will include all of Litchfield County (which BAMS/Metro Mobile does
not
have the license for, and where it can offer services which MM/McCaw
is
prohibited from offering), and Franklin County Mass. It will also
include all the NYNEX-B systems where Metro Mobile currently operates.

Currently, NYNEX/MA-RI customers get toll-free calling between both
states (or at least Mass to RI does if their literature is correct).
How
this will affect the current billing regime between the two states is
unclear, but normally, B-side carriers can not carry Inter-Lata
traffic
without a waiver. I assume NYNEX received a waiver for this long ago;
I
do not know if the waiver will allow NYNEX/MA <-> SNET/RI calling in
the
same manner. (The A side does not offer toll-free MA-RI calling, so
this
isn't a terribly big issue, yet it is one of the advantages a NYNEX
customer used to have over a Cell One/Boston or a Metro Mobile/RI
customer.)

Additionally, with SNET's "no roam charge" program(s), as well as
those of
NYNEX (and I assume shortly BAMS), Metro Mobile, always one to assert
a roam charge when they can and which currently has some of the
highest
roaming rates in New England and New York, will likely be forced to
lower
these rates to be more competitive with a unified and roam-charge free
B-side roaming system from Virginia to Maine.

Currently, Metro Mobile/CT customer pay from $.60 to $.99 cents per
minute
to roam in NY, and MM/RI customers pay $3 day/$.99 per minute.
CO/Boston
customers pay $.44 peak/$.29 off-peak (plus the $2 roam-coordinator
monthly
beer charge :( ) in NY and New England, and NYNEX customers pay
between
$.50 to $.59 cents, and SNET customers pay between $.60 and $.75
cents.
Metro Mobile will need to come down to match its "A" side partners as
well as it's B-side "competitors".

Anyhow, that's the news for now!


Doug Reuben  *  [e-mail]   *  (500) 442-4CID / (203) 499 -
5221
Interpage Network Services -- E-Mail/Telnet to Alpha or Numeric Pagers
& Fax

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

Date: Tue, 14 Feb 95 08:53:40 EST
From: Alex Cena <[e-mail]>
Subject: Technology Preferences for PCS


On Wed, 8 Feb 1995 11:58:17 GMT Simon J Wallace
<[e-mail]>
wrote:

> 1)  What's the difference between Qualcomm's IS-95 and PN-3384 the
new PCS
> derivative?

One works at 800Mhz the other at 1.g Ghz.

> 2)  Where are GO communications based?  I read this morning that
they plan
to
> bring GSM to North America.

Go Communications is based in the Washington DC area.

> 3) GO claim to be introducing GSM as CDMA looks unlikely to roll out
> in the near future.  What do other people think?

No one technology will dominate, especially in the 10Mhz bands.  The
Federal Communications Commission will not dictate a specific
technology standard that must be used by the industry.  In fact, the
FCC has embraced 7 common air interfaces and 2 signalling protocols.
I do believe CDMA and PCS1900 will be the common air interface of
choice for the 30 Mhz licenses or the A, B & C bands, while virtually
all 7 common air interfaces will be utilized by the winners of the
10Mhz licenses or the D, E, and F bands.  In addition, I believe
winners of PCS licenses with exisiting cellular networks are likely to
lean toward IS-41 compatible technology such as upbanded versions of
IS-95 CDMA and IS-136 TDMA, while those without legacy networks will
lean toward GSM MAP compatible technology such as PCS1900. See
Technology Preference Score Card below.

CDMA service availability (1) AirTouch already has "friendly users" on
their CDMA network in San Fernando and is on target for commercial
roll-out in June followed by coverage of entire LA region be year end
(2) US West New Vector is on target for pre-commercial service in the
entire Puget Sound Area by mid-'95.  In addition to Seattle, the Puget
Sound region extends to Bellingham to the North, Olympia to the South
and the Cascade Mountain range to the East.  Thus, US West will be
available able to offer digital service virtually everywhere it can
offer analog.



TECHNOLOGY PREFERENCE SCORECARD

--------------------------Cellular---------------------------

Service Provider     Air Interface   Comments

AirTouch                 CDMA        Full Service in June
Ameritech                CDMA        Construction starts 3Q95
Bell Atlantic            TDMA        Likely to switch to CDMA
Bell South               TDMA        Under Construction
GTE                      CDMA        Phase I Austin Done; On to Phase
II
McCaw                    TDMA        Commercial
NYNEX                    CDMA        Trials
Southwestern Bell        TDMA        Commercial
Sprint                   CDMA        Under Construction in Las Vegas


 -------------Personal Communication Services-----------------

Service Provider     Air Interface   Comments

North American Wireless  CDMA        AT&T / Cable & Wireless joint
venture
McCaw/AT&T/Cell One      Undecided   Leaning toward IS-136 TDMA
Bell South               DCS1900
ATI, NYN, BEL & USW      Undecided   Leaning toward CDMA
Wireless Co              Undecided   Leaning toward DCS1900/Sprint,
Cox, APC
                                     TCI, Comcast & other cable TV
operators

Ameritech                CDMA        Leaning toward CDMA
Southwesternbell         DCS1900
Pacbell                  DCS1900     Spun off AirTouch
GTE                      Undecided   Leaning toward CDMA
OmniPoint                DS1900      Pioneer's Preference
Advanced Wireless        CDMA        Announced
PCS Primeco              CDMA        AirTouch, Bell Atlantic, NYNEX &
US West

The above information reflect my personal opinions and is incomplete.
I would welcome any comments, corrections, additions, etc so I can
update my files.  Moreover, the above scorecard only reflects the
carriers' preference where they are the managing operator.  It would
be more accurate to go on a market by market basis since there's so
much "coopetition" and cross-ownership in this industry.


Regards,

Alex M. Cena, [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Wireless RF Manufacturers
Date: 14 Feb 1995 00:51:54 -0500
Organization: Express Access Online Communications, Greenbelt, MD USA


Anybody out there know who the "good" manufacturers of RF subsystems
for cellular systems are? Assuming there is at least one good one?

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

From: [e-mail] (Dave Leibold)
Date: 13 Feb 95 23:12:24 -0500
Subject: Directory Assistance Call Completer
Organization: Gateway: The Super Continental - North York, Canada


[from Bell News, 6 Feb 95 - content is Bell Canada's; the service
described is not necessarily a world-first]

New service saves callers time.

A new customer service, developed by Stentor Resource Centre Inc.
(SRCI), has created another revenue generating opportunity for Bell
and the other Stentor owner companies.

Automated Directory Assistance Call Completion (ADACC) gives local
directory assistance callers the option of having their calls
automatically completed to the requested number for a 35-cent charge.

It is now available in 905, 519, 705, and 416 area codes.

This month it will be rolled out in area code 613 and in March, 807.

Says project prime Sheila Philion: "Only a portion of local directory
assistance requests are chargeable. With this value-added service,
we've provided the Stentor owner companies (SOCs) with a vehicle that
helps increase revenue potential associated with local directory
assistance."

Sheila says SRCI worked closely with Bell Sygma through every step of
the project.

Bell Sygma worked on the technical and operational requirements of the
project, ensuring departments affected by the new system made all the
necessary changes to allow for a smooth implementation.

Says Bell Sygma team leader Art Brewer, "Bell Sygma overcame
technical hurdles to get the technology delivered on time."

"What I like about it is that it hits the customer right at the
decision-making point. We know there's a strong likelihood that they
will choose to use the call completion service. We're offering them an
easier option that dialing the requested number themselves," says
Janet Garrod of Bell's Consumer Market Management.

The service has two billing options. The 'sent paid' option carries a
35-cent fee for each completed call. The 'alternative billing' plan
adds an additional 75 cents to have the call charged to a Calling
Card[tm], collect or third number.


Fidonet : Dave Leibold 1:250/730
Internet: [e-mail]
Standard-disclaimer: The views of this user are strictly his own.


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note:  We have had that service here in the
Chicago 312/708 area for about a year. I hate it because instead of
repeating the number twice as they did before, now it is read once and
the message about 'you may have this call automatically completed at
this time' immediatly starts playing after the first recitation. You

·
have to listen to the spiel about getting it dialed automatically
twice
before the number itself is repeated a second time in case you missed
it the first time.   PAT]

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

From: [e-mail] (Dave Leibold)
Date: 13 Feb 95 23:12:18 -0500
Subject: Northern Bidding on European Telecom Network
Organization: Gateway: The Super Continental - North York, Canada


[from Bell News - 6 Feb 95 - content is Bell Canada's]

Northern bidding on European telecom network

Northern Telecom is among a select few world leaders to be asked to
bid on a new fiber-optic network to be built later this year alongside
the tracks of Europe's main rail lines.

Northern was approached by Hermes, a joint venture of U.S.-based
Global Telesystems Group (GTS) and a consortium of 11 European railway
companies, to submit a bid for the first stage of the planned network
which will compete with the national carriers of France, Germany,
Britain, etc.

GTS is aiming to attract big international corporations which complain
that the national carriers of Europe cannot meet their needs for
"seamless" communications outside their national borders. It also
plans to become a "carriers' carrier," selling capacity to public
network operators, service providers and cellular phone companies.


Fidonet : Dave Leibold 1:250/730
Internet: [e-mail]
Standard-disclaimer: The views of this user are strictly his own.

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

Date: Tue, 14 Feb 1995 02:50:56 -0500
From: goober <[e-mail]>
Subject: 500 Numbers - Where to Find Information


I've been reading comp.dcom.telecom, and a 500 number sounds just like
what I've been wanting. I called a friend at MCI (US Voice and Data)
but
he didn't seem to know much about them.

Where could I find more information? Is there a FAQ that contains it?
Pricing?


Thanks a lot,

ted


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: You've not been reading very closely
here.
500 numbers have been the topic of conversation -- including how to
order
them -- for the past couple weeks at least. You can reach AT&T to
order
a 500 number by calling 800-982-8480. Scan over back issues of the
Digest
for the past couple weeks to get quite a few of the details before you
call for best results.   PAT]

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

From: [e-mail] (Mike B. Fisher)
Subject: Need Help Finding 500 Exchange
Date: 13 Feb 1995 18:47:21 GMT
Organization: EmeraldNet


I saw mention of a master "500" exchange list, but can't find it. Is
there one on this newsgroup, or should I be looking elsewhere?

And while I'm on the subject, is there a similar list for 800
exchanges?

(Don't worry - I'm not a "retired cab driver")


Thanks,

Mike Fisher    CEO, EmeraldNet    [e-mail]


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: You're not that fellow who called me on
the phone a couple weeks ago?  The 800 list is located in the Telecom
Archives at lcs.mit.edu in a file called 'npa.800'.  The 500 list has
not been made into a separate file yet, however you will find it in
a back issue of TELECOM Digest, in volume 14 from last year, near the
end of the year. Check the last couple dozen issues or so of 1994. It
is an incomplete list but includes quite a few exchange assignments.
Now
just because the exchange is assigned does NOT mean the company is yet
offering 500 service. So far as I know, AT&T is the only company to
actually have it up and running at this time nationally.

By the way, I heard from a couple readers with information on that
fellow
and I will use their notes in an issue later today.   PAT]

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

From: [e-mail] (Jose)
Subject: Mexico's AT&T USADirect No Longer Connected
Date: Mon, 13 Feb 1995 14:24:16
Organization: Computize Inc.


I was reading about the Atlanta airport not allowing the use of 800
numbers and I thought I'd mention that the Mexico City international
airport no longer allows use of AT&T's USADirect number.

I had found one phone in the new international terminal that did but
it has since been put out of service.

What's just as bad is that the special phones allowing connections to
AT&T,
MCI, Sprint, etc. have all been smashed up and made unusable.

I guess that's why Telmex was the highest earning Telco in the world a
couple of years back.

Just a little FYI ...


jose
International Suppliers Inc.
25+ experience internat'l government sales ranging from screws to
aircraft.
Also specializing in outsource manufacturing of your products in
Mexico.
e-mail:  [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (Mathias Rautenberg)
Subject: Does a High Speed Serial Interface For the VME-Bus Exist?
Date: 14 Feb 1995 09:47:59 GMT
Organization: Universitaet der Bundeswehr Muenchen
Reply-To: [e-mail] (Mathias
Rautenberg)


Hi,

In our laboratory we have a Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) with
Distributed Queue Dual Bus (DQDB, IEEE 802.6) technology.  The nodes
of the network have a High Speed Serial Interface (HSSI).  For our
experiments I'm interested in a board for the VME-bus handling the
HSSI-protocol to send data generated by a workstation to the MAN.  If
anybody hears about such a board, please let me know.


Thanks in advance,

Mathias Rautenberg
Universitaet der Bundeswehr Muenchen
Institut 3.3 fuer systemorientierte Informatik
Werner-Heisenberg-Weg 39     Phone: (+49) 089 / 6004-2254
85577 Neubiberg                Fax: (+49) 089 / 6004-3560
E-Mail: [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail] (John Stockenberg)
Subject: Fixed Price Embedded, Network Development
Date: 14 Feb 1995 14:32:35 GMT
Organization: Prodigy Services Company  1-800-PRODIGY


DSS is a small business whose main products are networked, realtime,
digital signal processing (DSP) hardware/software systems.

Beginning with a description of your needs, DSS can design, implement,
test and document a complete product. These efforts include specifying
the processing algorithms and GUI, selecting the hardware platform,
designing and building custom hardware and software, integrating and
testing the system, and producing end- user documentation.

Over the past ten years, DSS has designed and developed both VME and
PC based embedded, DSP systems. Nearly all of the systems have
employed multiple, distributed and/or networked processors.

Two of the systems, one on each platform, are DSS products just
entering the marketplace in two different arenas. Both offer rugged,
compact, cost-effective, easy-to-use solutions to complex real-time
problems.

We are interested in bidding on all aspects of system and product
developments. We offer either FIXED PRICE "no cure no pay" pricing, or
a time and material approach.

For products of special interest, we will consider cost sharing for an
equity position.

Contact DSS via email, call Bill DiMarco or John Stockenberg at
[phone] or fax us at [phone].

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

Date: Sun, 12 Feb 1995 22:04:59 -0800
From: [e-mail] (William Smith)
Subject: Puerto Rican Telecom Research


Dear Mr. Townson,

 I wonder if you might have a moment or two to help steer me in
the right direction on some current research I am attempting via the
Internet for a University of Maryland Graduate course.  I am doing an
analysis of the Puerto Rican telecommunications industry (both the
business and social impacts) and have been reviewing your archives as
well as doing various library searches of journals like {Telephony},
{Computer Telephony}, etc.

 Once in a while I come accross a gem or two, but for the most
part, I haven't found much in the way of raw data or infomation, nor
has there been much beyond a multitude of articles written by a
journalist named Larry Luxner.

Any help you can give, as far as areas that might be worthwhile to
research, others that you may know are doing research in the
telecommunications field, etc., would be helpful.

Thank you for your help.


Sincerely,

William (Bill) Smith
[e-mail] ; [e-mail] ; [e-mail]

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

Date: Mon, 13 Feb 1995 16:40:14 -0600
From: Charles Copeland <[e-mail]>
Subject: Still Waiting For Caller ID Specs From Bellcore
Organization: Texas Metronet, Internet for the Individual  214-705-
2901


Has anybody out there received their copy of GR-30 Caller ID spec by
Bellcore?

I ordered mine over a month ago and it still hasn't been shipped yet.

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

End of TELECOM Digest V15 #96
*****************************