Hacker Chronicles 1/HACKER1.ISO/miscpub1/phun411.txt

Text File | 1992-09-26 | 24KB | 498 lines

                   P/HUN Issue #4, Volume 2: Phile 11 of 11
                   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                       __________________________________
                      |                 |
                      | P/HUN Telecom News/Advancements |
                      |            PART 2               |
                      |        By  DareDevil            |
                      |_________________________________|




March 3-5, 1989
PHONE LINES ARE SIMILAR:
   The USA's major long distance phone services aren't that
different. A comparison of AT&T, MCI Communications Co. and Sprint
Communications Co. in the March Data Communications magazine
found, for instance: Calls placed over Sprint lines were slightly
louder than those placed over AT&T or MCI lines. All the calls,
however, could be heard clearly. (From the USA TODAY Money
section.)

SPRINT WAS MOST ACCURATE:
   A study by Data Communications magazine says AT&T connected its
calls more quickly than other carriers. On average, it took 9.8
seconds to connect an AT&T call; 12.9 seconds for Sprint; 13.7
seconds for MCI. Also: Sprint had the fewest foulups. Only 2.3% of
the calls on its lines failed to go through on the first try; 4.9%
for AT&T; and 7.3% for MCI.

CRITICAL FIRMS CALL SURVEY FAIR:
   When information was sent from one computer to another over
phone lines during a study by Data Communications magazine, AT&T
had the fewest glitches. Next best: Sprint, then MCI. The magazine
placed 150-180 calls over the trio's phone lines between 4 cities
last fall. Companies response: All had criticisms of the
comparison but, overall, said results appeared to be fair.

PHONE FIRM ELIMINATES CHEMICAL:
   AT&T says it's saving the ozone layer. The company says it has
developed a way to eliminate the chemical CFC-113 from a process
it uses to make electronic circuit boards. Scientists say the
chemical may damage the ozone layer of the earth's atmosphere,
which protects people from dangerous ultraviolet rays from the
sun. (From the USA TODAY Money section.)

SERVICE STOPPED IN CANADA:
   Bell Canada has decided to end its 976 phone service in all of
its service regions, Telecommunications magazine says. The firm
said significant increases in cost and an anticipated decline in
revenues as primary factors in making the decision. Bell Canada is
the nation's largest telecommunications operating company.

MCI FAX HAS SEVERAL FEATURES:
   MCI has moved fast on fax. Telecommunications magazine reports
that MCI has become the first long-distance company in the USA to
offer a dedicated network for domestic and international fax
transmissions. Called MCI FAX, the service will include management
information reports, customized dialing plans, credit card billing
and other features.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 8, 1989
PACBELL TRUNK FEES SHOOT HIGHER:
   Costs on Pacific Bell's Assured PBX Trunk Line Service have
jumped nearly 50%, according to Network World. The increase was
made after the California Public Utilities Commission approved a
PacBell plan to create a new trunk service and raise rates for
what was once the only grade of service available. One firm with
2,000 trunks will pay about $96,000 more per year.

BELL PUTS FIBER INTO LAUNCH:
   Southern Bell and Bell Communications Research engineers are
working with NASA to prepare for a high definition TV taping and
transmission of the launch of the space shuttle Discovery.
Broadcasting magazine says Southern Bell and Bellcore are handling
a live fiber-optic transmission of the launch. A temporary studio
has been built at Kennedy Space Center.

RATES WILL DROP IN ALABAMA:
   The Alabama State Public Service Commission said in Montgomery
yesterday that phone rates will soon drop in the state. Ordered:
South Central Bell must reduce rates by $9 million by April. Cuts:
25 cents off the monthly Touch-Tone service; the elimination of
the Touch-Tone installation fee.

SATELLITE FLIES FOR JAPAN:
   The next launch of Arianespace is scheduled for the end of
March. Using the ELA 1 launch complex, an Ariane 2 launch vehicle
will place into orbit the Swedish direct broadcasting and
communications satellite TELE-X. The group last Saturday launched
the first Japanese telecommunications satellite JCSAT 1 and the
first European meteorological satellite MOP 1.

OPTIONS ADDED TO VOICE LINE:
   VoiceCom Systems has added 3 new service options to its voice
messaging product line, extended its worldwide communications
network, and created a new business unit to develop and implement
custom voice response applications. VoiceCom also introduced Guest
Mailbox service, which allows VoiceCom customers to temporarily
assign special voice mailboxes to their customers and vendors.

MODEMS ARE SLEEK, SOPHISTICATED:
   Some modems are being marketed like sleek sports cars. General
DataComm Industries is touting 2 new leased-line modems for
9,600-bit-per-second data communications as "the perfect balance
of technology and style," CommunicationsWeek says. Also: The
company says they include "sophisticated features" in "small,
stylish enclosures."

RADIO TELESCOPES LOOK IN SPACE:
   112-foot-diameter and 210-foot-diameter radio telescopes in
NASA's Deep Space Network will be used in the search for
extraterrestrial intelligence in space. Located in the Mojave
Desert and Australia, the telescopes will survey the universe over
a wide radio frequency range and spot-check bands up to 25,000
megahertz for some signal that indicates intelligence.

RADIO WILL SEARCH SILENT VALLEY:
   NASA's radio network searching for intelligence in space will
cover at least 10,000 times more frequencies than all previous
surveys and be 300 times more sensitive. The search will hunt for
signals from stars similar to Earth's sun, up to 80 light years
from Earth. Of particular interest: The region from about 1,000
megahertz to 60,000 megahertz, the silent valley of frequencies.

PHONE WILL KEEP HER IN TOUCH:
   A telephone and computer electronic mail service will keep
Abigale K. Alling in touch with the world when she begins a 5-day
experiment today in the Arizona desert. She will enter a
20-foot-high, 23-foot-square test module through an air lock and
sever the umbilical cord with Earth. She will be cut off from
everything except sunlight and communication links with the
outside world.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 9, 1989
AT&T MAKES LINK, CHIP FOR JAPAN:
   AT&T announced 2 products yesterday for Japan: A high-speed,
fiber optic data link and an Integrated Services Digital Network
(ISDN) microchip. The microchip can work with a variety of
microprocessors and other ISDN chips. It will more easily allow
Japanese telephone users to have access to a digital network that
can provide data, voice, and image transmission on one phone line.

LINK WILL HAVE LAN, VIDEO USES:
   AT&T is developing the ODL 125-FC Lightwave Data Link to comply
with Japan's industry standard for fiber-optic connectors, AT&T
said yesterday. Comprised of a receiver and transmitter, it
converts electrical signals to optical signals for fiber optic
data transmission. Applications include fiber-optic,
token-passing-ring Local Area Networks, and transmission of
digitized video signals.

NEW WATS JOINS THE MARKET:
   Advanced Telecommunications has announced a new long distance
service, Standard PLUS WATS, designed for small business
customers. Standard PLUS WATS will benefit the business caller
whose monthly long distance bill exceeds $150, the company said.
Standard PLUS features volume discounts up to 21%, 6-second
incremental billing and free call detail.

CARRIER GROUP GIVES SUPPORT:
   The Signaling System 7 from CCITT has won the support of the
National Telecommunications Network. SS7 would let NTN provide
Integrated Services Digital Network services, calling card
services and advanced toll-free services, reports Network World.
The 18,000-route mile network has customers in 175 cities.

HUGHES OBTAINING NETWORK FIRM:
   Sytek Inc., a producer of local network equipment, is being
bought by Hughes Aircraft for an estimated $50 million, Network
World reports. The deal still needs SEC approval. Sytek products
include broadband, fiber-optic and twisted-pair versions of
Ethernet and token-ring networks. The acquisition has been
discussed for months.

TULSA METROLINK TO BE BOUGHT:
   Dallas-based Columbine Telenet has entered an agreement to
purchase Tulsa MetroLink from Public Service Co. of Oklahoma,
officials said yesterday. Tulsa MetroLink is a 110 mile digital
fiber optic communications system founded in 1984 by PSO to
provide for high speed data and voice transmission to meet
internal communications needs.

TULSA FIRM HAS LONGEST FIBER:
   Tulsa Metrolink, which is being purchased by Columbine Telenet,
includes the longest single span of fiber in the USA - 1,944 feet
across the Arkansas River. The network can carry more than 400
million bits of data each second and can handle 6,000 simultaneous
voice conversations. Laser beams translate data or voice signals
into on-off lights sent through glass fibers finer than human
hair.

CXR LINE TO CROSS INTO KOREA:
   CXR Telcom, worldwide supplier of systems for the
communications markets, has signed a 3-year licensing agreement
with Woojin Electronics and Telecommunications Ltd., of Seoul,
South Korea. Under the agreement, subject to Korean government
approval, Woojin will sell CXR's subscriber line test module to
the Korean authority for use in its new line of digital switches.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 10-12, 1989
SPRINT SIGNS ATLANTIC DEAL:
   Cable & Wireless and US Sprint Thursday announced that US
Sprint will acquire the USA end of the PTAT transatlantic
fiber-optic cable system. Also: The 2 companies have formed an
alliance to jointly develop advanced global telecommunication
services. PTAT is the first privately built transatlantic
fiber-optic cable. It will link the USA and Britain. (From the USA
TODAY Money section.)

SPRINT GETS HALF INTEREST:
   The alliance between US Sprint and Cable & Wireless will be
named GLOBAL FON. Also: US Sprint has agreed to acquire the
complete interest of the Washington-based Private Transatlantic
Telecommunications Systems in the PTAT transatlantic cable system.
The acquisition, which is subject to FCC approval, will give US
Sprint a 50% interest in PTAT along with Cable and Wireless.

NEW SERVICE OFFERS IVPN:
    Among the first services to be jointly developed by GLOBAL FON
by Cable & Wireless and US Sprint will be an international virtual
private network (IVPN) based on Sprint's VPN and a GLOBAL FONCARD
based on Sprint's travel service, the FONCARD. The alliance will
also develop international private line services offering
customers a variety of enhanced features and capabilities.

ARTEL SYSTEM TO SELL IN JAPAN:
   NKK Corp., one of Japan's largest industrial concerns with
annual revenues of $8 billion, will be licensed to manufacture and
sell Artel Communication's 100 Mbps fiber optic local area network
system, FiberWay, in Japan, the companies said Thursday. Also: NKK
becomes the authorized distributor for Artel's fiber optic video
and graphics transmission system products.

FLORIDA SITE PLUGGED INTO FIBER:
   The latest development in fiber optic technology is bringing
fiber to the home, Southern Bell says. Heathrow, a mixed use
development north of Orlando, Fla., is on the leading edge of
fiber-to-the-home efforts. At Heathrow, residents will receive
voice, data and video over the same fiber system. The system
points to the day when optical fiber will be possible over all
telephones.

AREA SET FOR VOICE-ONLY FIBER:
   The first widespread appearance of optical fiber to the home
will be traditional voice lines, Southern Bell says. The company
will begin using fiber for voice-only delivery later this year in
Governor's Island, north of Charlotte, N.C., and several other
locations. Studies show that fiber systems to carry voice to the
home will be more economical than copper by the early 1990s.

FIBER IS GOING SINGLE-MODE:
   Southern Bell uses fiber systems that operate at up to 1.2
billion digital bits a second on a single fiber (the equivalent of
more than 16,000 simultaneous voice conversations), the firm says.
Since 1985, most of the optical fiber placed in Southern Bell has
been single-mode, which has a thinner core than its multi-mode
counterpart, keeping lightwaves traveling in a straight path.

CHEVRON CHOOSES TELECOM SUPPLIER:
   Chevron Information Technology Co. (CITC) has selected Northern
Telecom as its sole supplier of telecommunications equipment,
company officials said Thursday. The $8.4 million dollar agreement
was reached in association with PacTel Meridian Systems, which
will provide the equipment and services to Chevron. Most of the
PBXs will be located in California, Louisiana and Texas.

SOFTWARE PROCESSES AND MONITORS:
   IBM has introduced 2 products to help customers better manage
and use telecommunications facilities. At $90,000, Network Call
Accounting can process call detail records from multiple voice
switches. Expenses can be charged to a department or an extension.
Voice Network Design is a software program that lets customers
monitor the cost-effectiveness of transmission facilities.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 15, 1989

SEARS STICKS WITH SPRINT:
   US Sprint has signed a multi-million dollar communications
services agreement with Sears Technology Services Inc., the
corporate information organization of Sears, Roebuck and Co. The
agreement extends and enhances an agreement previously reached
between Sears and US Sprint in 1986 and makes STS one of US
Sprint's largest users.

20,000 SEARS SITES COVERED:
   A new agreement with Sears Technology Services will make US
Sprint the primary carrier of interLATA long-distance services for
Sears. Specific terms of the contract were not disclosed. However,
officials of both companies said US Sprint would link
approximately 20,000 Sears locations throughout the country. Most
US Sprint products and services are covered under the agreement.

DIGITAL SWITCHES GO TO CHINA:
   Ericsson has signed a general agreement with China for AXE
digital switching equipment expected to lead to contracts worth
$31 million in the first stage. The agreement was signed by
Ericsson Australia with the Ningbo Post and Telecommunications
Bureau and the Ningbo Telephone Co. Ericsson will supply 12
digital AXE switches, including local subscriber and trunk lines,
to Ningbo.

TELEPHONE AND TERMINAL LINKED:
   Digital Equipment and Northern Telecom yesterday unveiled new
communications capabilities to integrate voice and data
information resources at the desk top, linking the telephone and
the terminal as a single tool. Featured: When a customer
assistance representative answers the phone, pertinent information
concerning the caller can be automatically displayed on the
terminal.

ELECTRICAL PROBLEM FOUND:
   A potential electrical glitch on the shuttle Discovery poses no
danger to the crew but may force it to return a day early. The
crew successfully launched a a $100 million Tracking and Data
Relay Satellite into orbit Monday. The problem: High pressure in
one of 3 fuel cells - used to produce electricity. NASA decides
tomorrow when to end the mission. (From the USA TODAY News
section.)

CALLS MADE ON THE COMPUTER:
   An integrated message desk capability that automatically links
message taking to electronic mail or voice store and forward mail
is included in a new communications system from Digital Equipment
and Northern Telecom. Also included: Computer screen dialing that
enables a user to key in the name of the party to be called. It
can be used for office communications, telemarketing and other
calls.

BELLATRIX JOINS THE FIELD:
   Bellatrix Corp., a publicly owned company, said yesterday it
will enter the field of telecommunications through its wholly
owned subsidiary, Bellatrix Communications Inc. It will offer
turnkey 900 interactive data and information services, including
connection and termination. Bellatrix expects the services to be
operational in May.

CHINA GETS 8,000 NEW LINES:
   Northern Telecom put into service yesterday its first DMS-100
digital switching system in the People's Republic of China. The
system will provide 8,000 lines of telecommunications service to 3
cities in Jiangxi province, about 900 miles south of Beijing.
Features such as direct dial services will now be available to
local subscribers.

LARGEST SYSTEM SERVES PINGXIANG:
   The main Northern Telecom system that opened yesterday in China
consists of 6,000 telephone lines for subscribers in Pingxiang.
The Pingxiang system is part of a $6 million contract announced in
1987 through which Northern Telecom will supply its DMS-100 and
DMS-10, with a capacity of 10,000 lines, to the Jiangxi PTA for
telecommunications services in 4 Chinese cities.

PACTEL HEAD MADE A DIRECTOR:
   Sam Ginn, chairman and chief executive officer of Pacific
Telesis Group, has been elected a director of Transamerica Corp.,
it was announced yesterday. Ginn, 51, has been chairman and chief
executive officer of Pacific Telesis since April 1988. Previously
he held the position of president and chief operating officer.
Ginn began his business career in 1960 with AT&T.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 17-19, 1989

YELLOW PAGES ARE FOR NIGHT OWLS:
   Pacific Bell assembled a separate yellow page section of
businesses open after 6 p.m. The first one, due out this month in
San Jose, Calif., has 199 listings - everything from 24-hour
salons to an all-night notary public. Officials say this is a
first-of-its-kind listing to be included in telephone books in 29
California communities by May 1990.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 21, 1989

CORDLESS PHONES CALL POLICE:
   Some Cleveland, Ohio, residents with cordless phones are
alarmed to find police at their doors asking, "What's the
problem?" The problem: Cordless phones with weak batteries send
out pulses that sometimes automatically dial the emergency number
911. (From the USA TODAY News section.)

ALLTEL CLAIMS STAKE IN CELLULAR:
   ALLTEL Mobile Communications said yesterday that it has
completed its purchase of Kansas Cellular Telephone Co.'s 40%
interest in the Wichita, Kan., wireline cellular system. ALLTEL
Mobile will be a limited partner in the Wichita SMSA partnership.
Southwestern Bell Mobile Systems is the general partner and
operator of the system.

DIGITAL SYSTEM GOES VIA SW BELL:
   Southwestern Bell Telecom will distribute Northern Telecom's
Meridian Norstar digital key system, company officials announced
yesterday. Southwestern Bell Telecom will market the Meridian
Norstar in Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas.
Meridian Norstar is a small business communications system which
offers voice and data communications capabilities.

GTE AWARDS RADIO CONTRACT:
   Ericsson Radar Electronics of Sweden has received a $55 million
contract from GTE Government Systems Corp. to deliver mobile
microwave radios to the corporation's Mobile Subscriber Equipment
Division in Taunton, Mass. Designated MF15, the 15 GHz
down-the-hill radios have a transmission capacity of 256 - 4096
kbit/s. They were developed by Ericsson and Marconi Italiana.

EXCHANGE TO CARRY ISDN CIRCUIT:
   Network Equipment Technologies Inc. said yesterday that its
Integrated Digital Network Exchange has become the first product
of its kind to be certified to carry an ISDN primary rate circuit
(23B plus D) between 2 Northern Telecom Meridian SL-1 private
branch exchanges. The announcement came after successful testing
conducted recently by Northern Telecom at its facility in Santa
Clara, Calif.

COMSAT TO DEVELOP NETWORK:
   COMSAT Corp.'s Systems Division has been awarded a $16.9
million contract by the Turkish Postal Telephone and Telegraph
agency to modernize U.S. military communications in the
Mediterranean area. Designed and funded by the U.S. Defense
Communications Agency, the 5-year program calls for COMSAT to
perform systems engineering and integration for a new digital
wideband satellite-based network.

SYSTEM TO REPLACE TURKEY SITES:
   A new COMSAT system known as "DMIP I" (DCA Mediterranean
Improvement Program Phase I) is the first of a series designed to
improve Mediterranean area U.S. military communications over the
next several years. Each of DMIP I's 6 Earth stations, located at
major U.S. defense installations throughout Turkey, will
eventually replace the antiquated troposcatter sites.

RURAL WISCONSIN WILL GET TDS:
   Telephone and Data Systems Inc. says that as a result of FCC
lotteries held this week it expects to have an interest in
cellular systems serving 2 Rural Service Areas in Wisconsin. The
systems will serve southwestern and central Wisconsin and the
major state highways to the west and southwest of Madison, Wis.

FIBER OPTICS HAVE MILITARY USE:
   The Communications Product Division of Microwave Modules and
Devices and Codenoll Technology have announced an agreement to
offer rugged and militarized versions of Codenoll's fiber optic
Ethernet Local Area Network products for military/federal Tempest
applications. It gives the firms rights to use and modify
Codenoll's designs according to military standards.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 31-April 2, 1989

LINES ARE PICTURE PERFECT:
   Telephone lines are being used to send images from electronic
still cameras to newspapers and companies. The camera captures
images on a tiny computer disk instead of film. A transmitter
sends the image over phone lines in 3 1/2 minutes or less. Once
received, the image can be stored on a disk or printed on paper.
(From the USA TODAY Money section.)

FRENCH LINE GOES SILENT:
   In operation only 3 months, the TAT-8 trans-Atlantic fiber
optic system reaching into France needed to be closed down last
week for repairs. Suspected cause: Trawling lines in the Atlantic.
During the restoration, the International Telecommunications
Satellite Organization carries the international traffic. TAT-8 is
owned by AT&T, France Telecom and British Telecom.

NYNEX SUPPORTS HIGH-SPEED DATA:
   NYNEX said Thursday that it supports proposed generic
requirements for a new high-speed data communications service.
Known as Switched Multimegabit Data Service, the system is
scheduled to be available as early as 1991. SMDS will interconnect
local area networks (LANs) by providing broadband transport across
a metropolitan area using public, packet-switched networks.

SYSTEM HAS POTENTIAL:
   Designed to make use of evolving metropolitan-area network
standards and technology, the new Switched Multimegabit Data
Service will provide customer voice commands or touchtone signals.

 When a user calls the TeleCenter, he or she is prompted to give a name and
password.  A voice entry feature searches its "user profile" records for a
voice pattern matching that of the caller.

 If the caller is identified as an authorized user, the caller's stored
templates are loaded, allowing the user to communicate with the voice mail
system entirely by voice.

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

DOWNLOADED FROM P-80 SYSTEMS 304-744-2253

Downloaded From P-80 International Information Systems 304-744-2253 12yrs+