TELECOM Digest Sun, 21 Feb 93 09:02:00 CST Volume 13 : Issue 120 Index To This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Bell's Application to Amend 411/555-1212 Assist Calls (Adele Ponty) Script Files PcPlus (Chet Pager) C&P Service Notes (Joe Bergstein) Automatic Disconnect on Mexico City Exchanges? (Don Franki) Telco Book and Equipment Advice Needed (Ed Ramsey) Need Graphic Network Tool (Bruce Sullivan) More Telecom Fora? (Olof Lundberg) Caller-ID and DTMF Chips For Sale (John Schuch) Sources For FAX Back Equipment Wanted (Jeff Brown) Need Switch/Relay to Interrupt a Leased Line (Phil Green) 301-303 Revisited (Carl Moore) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Adele Ponty Subject: Bell's Application to Amend 411/555-1212 Assist Calls Organization: UTCC Public Access Date: Sat, 20 Feb 1993 13:43:17 -0500 On Tuesday February 9th, 1993, I posted news regarding Bell's application to amend LDA (local 411 directory assistance) and LDDA (555-1212 long distance directory assistance) otherwise known as the CRTC Telecom Public Notice 93-14. As I stated then, my main concern over this application was Bell's request to eliminate free directory assistance for the print handicapped, seniors, the disabled and anyone using long distance directory assistance. (Little wonder why Bell did not publically announce their application, unlike what they did recently in the {Toronto Star} with their application for the community calling plan). The CRTC made a press release public on January 29th, informing the public that they had until March 1st to challenge Bell's application for dialing assistance ammendments. Nigel Allen's response to my posting on February 11th included a 1-800 number for Bell Public Affairs. Thinking that I would call this number (1-800-668-2355) to discuss the issues concerning essential services for the disabled which include dialing assistance, I called out of curiosity, even though I knew that any official statements coming from Bell's Public Affairs would be unsatisfactory. To my surprise, the Bell employee I spoke to claimed no knowledge whatsoever of the application to alter the tariffs on directory assistance. Had I not already spoken with the CRTC, I might have been led to believe that the whole issue was simply misinformation. Only after a lot of persistence inflicted on a second Bell employee, was I then referred to the director of Special Needs at Bell Canada, Shayna Maislin. Ms. Maislin informed me that an in-depth study conducted by Bell Canada concluded that telemarketers, with the co-operation of exempt individuals who held directory-assistance exemption cards, were soaking Bell for thousands of dollars. Ms. Maislin claims that the exemptions were being abused by the disabled employees of telemarketers who work from their homes and who make excessive numbers of long distance directory assistance calls. Ms.Maislin could not comment however on my question regarding how these individuals could place a 411 or 555-1212 call for a number if the name needed for the search was on a list, equally unaccessable for them. (I think that Bell has drawn an erroneous conclusion here from a survey that suggests that since both telemarketers/listmakers and the disabled make an above average number of directory assisted calls, then therefore the two groups must have something to do with each other. Interestingly, Angus Reed of Angus Telemanagement Group gave an entirely different statement on CBC Radio regarding Bell's motivation for this application, claiming that it is based on revenues lost to long distance competitors). When I was then told by Ms. Maislin that the Canadian National Institute for the Blind had agreed to decline from challenging the amendments, I decided to call the CNIB myself. The CNIB Public Affairs department first told me that the matter was "confidential" and that they could not discuss it with me. So I decided to speak with the CRTC analyst handling the file, a Mr. Robert Noakes. Mr. Noakes read to me the statements included in Bell's application submission, that claimed that a consumer panel set up by Bell and composed of reps from small, medium and large businesses, the disabled, seniors and low income customers among others, had been consulted with. Bell's application stated that nine specific groups including the CNIB, the United Senior Citizens of Ontario, among others ... had been consulted and basically had no objections to the tariff changes. Mr.Noakes pointed out that Bell wanted to offer 25 free LDA and LDDA calls per month from the exempt individual's home phone (less than one call per day). For many including Alzheimer's patients and the totally blind this could mean real hardship. The "average" caller makes 20 LDA and LDDA calls per month. Meanwhile, access to all new listings not in the book would carry a charge, while the charge per locally assisted call would drop from 60 cents to 50 cents, (despite the $88 million dollar loss Bell claims for the service). How are they going to pay for the service next year? Just when I thought I had heard enough, a Mr. Jim Sanders called me from the CNIB to tell me that he was the appointed liason between the government and Bell Canada. When I asked him if he had been part of the consumer panel that conferred with Bell Canada on their application, Mr. Sanders told me that he had only been contacted a week ago by Ms. Maislin. (Bell's application was filed last September). When I then asked him what the CNIB's position was on the elimination of unlimited directory assistance, he told me that the CNIB was adamently opposed. I then referred to the letter on file with the CRTC regarding the statement of approval given to Bell by the public groups. Mr. Sanders said it was obviously unfounded and a potential source of embarrassment for Bell Canada. The question is now, how many of the other groups mentioned on Bell's application were consulted with and when? Which of these groups will actually show up at the CRTC hearings to dispute Bell's claim? When you couple the above events with the fact that Bell never made this application public (it leaked to the press only a month ago), you get this appalling picture of a corporation that will do anything, it seems, to retain its position as the most profitable organization in Canada. If the most profitable organization says that they cannot afford to provide "essential" services for the needy, then who can, and who will? Bell Canada is setting a dangerous precedent for other greedy groups to follow, including the government. And aside from this, where is the incentive for Bell to maintain current listings in print if they are allowed to charge all of us for access to new listings not in the book? Obviously, unpublished numbers generate more profits. The main point I wanted to make here is that Bell Canada Public Affairs appears to be actively dissuading the public into believing that they have no designs to eliminate directory assistance for anyone while deliberately misleading the CRTC into believing that they have the public's approval to trim services. With tactics like Bell's, who needs lawyers? If anyone is interested in a copy of the CRTC Public Notice then I can FAX it to you. The deadline for written challenges from the public is March 1st. INTERNET: aponty@gpu.utcc.utoronto.ca UUCP: wheaties@intacc.uucp (bbs) aponty@nsq.uucp (alternate) BELL: (416) 652-8072 FAX:416-653-1654 ------------------------------ From: shiva@leland.Stanford.EDU (Chet Pager) Subject: Script Files and PcPlus Organization: DSG, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA Date: Sat, 20 Feb 93 16:38:17 GMT 1) Unfortunately, my Unix system doesn't support zmodem or even xmodem. I have found kermit to be painfully, stupidly slow. My modem handles up to 2400 baud, but I generally use 1200 because there are much fewer errors/noise, and kermit doesn't have to re-send so many packets. But I'm wondering, would a simple ascii screen-dump be faster? I always thought the protocals and compression meant greater speed alongside the error correction, but maybe not ... (Any way to speed up kermit? 1byte cheksum 94 packet size as-is. Why is it so slow, anyway??) 2) Anybody use procomm pcplus? The older version, 1.something? I'm trying to write a script file to: a) Automatically dial a number and invoke a script from the DOS command line prompt; even better if I could tell it pulse or tone from this point as well. b) log on and all that, with some sort of flexibility to skip or repeat steps, because the asp file I have now keeps getting confused (even a wait for fiveDk"Kc(T\/o,Nb']duB?;qRc>mmand which, if [string] is received during those five seconds it will go to [label], and if [string2] is received it will go to [label2] and if neither is received it will continue... c) SEND (using kermit or ascii protocal) *.* from a certain directory, and then RECEIVE a file from unix. > d) If I decide to use ascii screen dumps, I need to find some way for procomm to, "for each file in [directory]", not only send the file but give unix some commands using that filename as a variable, eg "mail [filename]" SEND [filename] "^D" Well, if anyone knows 1) or is bored and would like to enlighten me on 2) (I also use bitcom or comit sometimes), please do! but I don't read news, So please EMAIL responses to chetter@ucthpx.uct.ac.za. Thanks a lot. ------------------------------ From: Joe.Bergstein@p501.f544.n109.z1.fidonet.org (Joe Bergstein) Date: Sat, 20 Feb 1993 22:16:05 -0500 Subject: C&P Service Notes Paul Robinson wrote in msg. on 2/18: > Which reminds me: I humorously mentioned about what would happen > if I wanted a T1 line (or fractional one). He pointed out that AT&T > would have to put it in; C&P doesn't do T1 wiring! I'd order the POP > at the central office, but someone else would have to supply the drop. Your C&P installer was incorrect. C&P certainly does install T-1s. They install entire intra-LATA T-1s, and also the local loop portion of inter-LATA T-1s. If you ever needed an inter-LATA T-1 or FT-1, from AT&T they would arrange for C&P to install the run from the AT&T POP through C&P land to your local CO and to your house. And if you ever had enough lines, and could justify the cost of a T-1 mux, it is possible to get T-1 to connect to the CO switch for local line access. However, since most of the outlying areas from CO's are already served by fiber runs to SLC huts, ordering up a T-1 for local line access really doesn't buy much. > [Moderator's Note: Congratulations on getting the job done right! PAT] Bell Atlantic has embarked on a Quality Improvement program since 1989. They are using the Philip Crosby quality improvement process. C&P Telephone now offers "Service When You Want IT (sm)". That means that when a residential customer orders service, TELCO (C&P) no longer _tells_ you when they'll show up (i.e. the old interval). They will show up when _you_ want them. That means if you call one morning at 9 AM, and ask for installation that afternoon at 3:30, they'll do it! If you ask them to show up Saturday morning at 6:30 AM, they'll do it! Their motto is "Quality is meeting customer requirements". Over the past several years they've reduced the interval for T-1 installation from 45 business days, to two weeks (as of last summer), to about three days right now. In fact, if a business orders a T-1 for a building already equipped with a fiber termination, you can sometimes get the T-1 installed in the same day! How's that for service! What a refreshing change from the old "Ma Bell"! ------------------------------ From: radian!danf@natinst.com(Dan Franki) Subject: Automatic Disconnect on Mexico City Exchanges? Date: Sun, 21 Feb 1993 15:25:41 GMT Organization: Radian Corp. We are temporarily operating a network router over dial-up lines in Mexico City. The link goes down every few hours and is often difficult to reestablish without changing to another phone line. The link is only used for a few minutes each hour but the intent is maintain the connection continuously. The question arises, do some switching systems automatically disconnect a line after a few hours? All the lines are pulse dialed and as far as I know there is nothing in the way of digital switches involved. I can't feature a bunch of stepping relays having enough savy to decide that a conversation is boring (or pointless) and end it. I do not know the make or model of the switches involved so it is easy to imagine all sorts of 'features' that might make the system tolerant of other problems. Any one know one way or the other? Dan Franki Radian Corporation 512-454-4797 danf@radian.uucp ------------------------------ From: ramsey@fieldofdreams.npirs.purdue.edu (Ed Ramsey) Subject: Telco Book and Equipment Advice Needed Organization: Center for Environmental and Regulatory Info Sys, Purdue Univ. Date: Sat, 20 Feb 1993 20:59:43 GMT I am looking for a good introductory and troubleshooting text on phone communications and modem operations. I want something that will help me use basic measurements such as signal strength, ring voltages, etc.. in tracking down line noise problems and in isolating marginal modems. I want to understand telephone system issues so I can talk intelligently with our local phone office and modem suppliers concerning large inbound long distance modem pool rotaries and problems we are having concerning line noise, etc ... I would also like information on appropriate (but cheap) test equipment to use in tracking down these problems. Thanks, Ed Ramsey ramsey@ceris.purdue.edu 317/494-0442 FAX/494-9727 CERIS (Center for Environmental and Regulatory Information Systems) Network Services Manager/UNIX Systems Administrator ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 21 Feb 93 01:56 GMT From: Bruce Sullivan Subject: Need Graphic Network Tool I am looking for graphical tool to 'manage' and document my network equipment, circuits, contacts, etc. I'm currently working with a system (though that's a gracious term for it) that pre-dates my existence at this organization by several years (In other words, I take no blame). It consists of a flat file into which are 'drawn' multiple diagrams, each representing the end-to-end connectivity for a particular location. Here's an example: ______________________ _________________ ___________ ! CENTRAL SITE ! ! REMOTE SITE A ! ! SITE B ! !\ - _ /! ! \ !F! ! ! / ! ! \ ____________ !L! WXX-12345 !D! ____________ C6E123456789 / ! ! \ \ 745 / !M! (WILTEL) !D! \ 745 / (MCI) / ! !740 \ \ NODE / !5! ! !M! \ NODE / ! / 740! ! \ \ 201 / !0! ! !1! \ 202 / ! / ! !NODE \_2 3____!/!____________!0!____1 3_____________/ NODE! ! / \ / !1! 1.544 MBPS !0! \ / !128 KBPS !\ ! ! 5 / \/ !5! !0! \/ ! ! \ 7 ! ! / !0! ! ! ! ! \ ! ! / !_! !_! ! ! \ ! ! / US WEST US WEST ! ! \ !_ ! / FUJITSU DDM1000 ! ! \ ! ! !/ FIBER T3 MUX ! ! \! ! MUX 24HCGS123456 64HCGS123456 ! (US WEST) (US WEST) ___ ! LOCAL LOOP LOCAL LOOP !___!-+ MUX DIAL Makes your head hurt, doesn't it? This one is actually a fairly simple diagram. Others could include Front-end-processors, matrix switch, modems or DSU/CSUs, right down to the end devices (IBM controllers, typically). As you can imagine, I've hated this for a long time. However, we're making a big move in the direction of a client/server based application, along with LANS, routers, et al. I'm attempting to make the point that our old approach simply won't cut it any more. However, I haven't seen anything that will do what I need. It must be more than a paint or draw program such as Corel and the others. I or several others need to be able to update it easily, and it would be nice if it took a database approach to things so that I could do reporting, etc, off of it. I'd appreciate it if anyone on C.D.T has any information on or experience with products such as this that they could share with me. You can email me directly. I can post the results if there's interest. Thanks, Bruce Sullivan MCI Mail: 4544760 (4544760@mcimail.com) CI$:72747,2737 (72747.2737@compuserve.com) ------------------------------ Reply-To: olu@rowan.win.net (Olof Lundberg) Date: Sat, 20 Feb 1993 17:6.8.12 Subject: More Telecom Fora? From: olu@rowan.win.net (Olof Lundberg) Pat, In Digest #115 you refer to an unmoderated telecom forum. Being just recently plugged in to The Internet World it prompts me to ask whether you have a list of other telecom/wireless-related sources on Internet? Olof Lundberg Internet: olu@rowan.win.net Inmarsat CIS User ID: 73330,212 40 Melton St London NW1 2EQ, England Office phone: +44 71 7281200 Home phone: +44 932 843600 Office fax : +44 71 7281627 Home fax : +44 932 859171 [Moderator's Note: Readers, please write Olof with your advice. PAT] ------------------------------ From: mcdphx!schuch@enuucp.eas.asu.edu (John Schuch) Subject: Caller ID & DTMF Chips For Sale Organization: Motorola Computer Group, Tempe, Az. Date: Fri, 19 Feb 1993 13:13:03 GMT If anyone is interested in buying single or small quantities of either Caller ID Receiver chips, or DTMF decoder chips, E-mail me and I'll send you the details. John R. Schuch - Motorola Computer Group - Manufacturing Engineering N7XVS - schuch@phx.mcd.mot.com - (602) 438-3008 - CompuServe: 70733.3330 ------------------------------ From: edjcb@ariel.lerc.nasa.gov (Jeff Brown) Subject: Sources for FAX Back Equipment? Organization: NASA Lewis Research Center Date: 21 Feb 1993 01:55 EST I'm looking for sources of FAX-Back equipment. I'm interested in various levels of sophistication, from PC based to stand-alone units. Any pointers appreciated. Thanks. Jeff Brown edjcb@scivax.lerc.nasa.gov ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 21 Feb 93 09:30:46 MST From: Philip Green Subject: Need Switch/Relay to Interrupt a Leased Line Organization: National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Socorro NM I need a switch or relay that will interrupt a four-wire leased line. I need to be able to remotely force a modem into its dial backup state. Thanks, Phil Green pgreen@aoc.nrao.edu NRAO 505.835.7294 ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 21 Feb 93 9:51:39 EST From: Carl Moore (VLD/VMB) Subject: 301-303 Revisited 301-303 has now appeared on my phone bill as BERWYN, MD, so it's in 301 and not in 410. ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #120 ******************************