TELECOM Digest Tue, 29 Mar 94 10:06:00 CST Volume 14 : Issue 154 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Africa Telecom - Lunchbag Discussion (Barry Laina Raveendran Greene) Newton PCMCIA Fax Modem to Cellular (Michael Eskin) Question About IS-54 Standard (Sathyadev Uppala) Predictions About Future A/C Splits (Linc Madison) Re: Windows or DOS Caller ID Program (Ralph Becker) Re: Will Widespread Use of Cell Phones Reduce Crime? (Andrew C. Green) Re: Will Widespread Use of Cell Phones Reduce Crime? (Jeff Hibbard) Re: Will Widespread Use of Cell Phones Reduce Crime? (Dave Ptasnik) Re: Will Widespread Use of Cell Phones Reduce Crime? (Andrew Robson) Re: Will Widespread Use of Cell Phones Reduce Crime? (Danny Burstein) Re: Will Widespread Use of Cell Phones Reduce Crime? (Rhett Salisbury) LEAGUE @ AT&T Press Release (Tom J. Tilkey) About the Chicago Post Office (Paul Robinson) 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 GEnie. Subscriptions are available at no charge to qualified organizations and individual readers. Write and tell us how you qualify: * telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu * The Digest is compilation-copyrighted by Patrick Townson Associates of Skokie, Illinois USA. We provide telecom consultation services and long distance resale services including calling cards and 800 numbers. To reach us: Post Office Box 1570, Chicago, IL 60690 or by phone at 708-329-0571 and fax at 708-329-0572. Email: ptownson@townson.com. ** Article submission address only: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu ** 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 gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup comp.dcom.telecom. It has no connection with the unmoderated Usenet newsgroup comp.dcom.telecom.tech whose mailing list "Telecom-Tech Digest" shares archives resources at lcs.mit.edu for the convenience of users. Please *DO NOT* cross post articles between the groups. 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: Barry Laina Raveendran Greene Subject: Africa Telecom - Lunchbag Discussion Date: Tue, 29 Mar 94 03:44:26 -0500 Organization: Baha'i Computer and Communications Association "EMERGING COMMUNICATION MARKETS IN AFRICA" The event will also present some issues to be discussed at the Africa Telecom'94 Forum (April 25-29 in Cairo). It is open to the public but space is limited. RSVPs are required (for security passes to the World Bank) by the 12 April 1994. GTS members who RSVP by 11th April 1994 will receive priority. For RSVP call 833-3322 to leave a message. SPEAKERS: JOHN RICHTER, Regional Director for Africa, US Trade & Developmental Agency NOAH SAMARA, CEO, Afrispace HAMADOUN TOURE, Regional Director for Africa, INTELSAT WHEN?- WEDNESDAY, 13 APRIL 1994, 12 noon-2 p.m. WHERE?- 1717 H Street (World Bank Building) Room T-7070 Washington D.C. The Global Telecommunications Society, (GTS), is a non-profit, non-partisan organization. The Society is dedicated to promoting understanding of the issues involving international telecommunications. The Society seeks to establish chapter organizations in countries and cities throughout the world because of the growing need to bring together professionals and specialists who are focused on the accelerating field of international telecommunications. GTS brings its members together through electronic mail and also builds human links through friendships and professional cooperation and respect that overcome differences in various disciplines, cultures and geography. If interested to join the Global Telecommunications Society, call 202-833-3322 to leave a message. ------------------------------ From: eskin@brooktree.com (Michael Eskin) Subject: Newton PCMCIA Fax Modem to Cellular Date: Mon, 28 Mar 94 20:39:42 GMT Organization: Brooktree Corporation I am looking for recommendations for equipment and experiences in sending data and fax from a Newton MessagePad 110 with the internal Apple PCMCIA Fax Modem using an external interface to a Mitsubishi 4000 pocket cellular phone. Can it work? I am pretty much limited to 2400 baud data by the speed of the Newton so a basic data connection is all that is needed. I've heard reports that this should work, others that it shouldn't. I am looking for some real data. Michael Eskin Brooktree Corporation eskin@brooktree.com 9868 Scranton Road AOL: BTRE MichE San Diego, CA 92121 AppleLink: D4729 CIS: 76376,541 ------------------------------ From: sathya@uw-isdl.ee.washington.edu (Sathyadev Uppala) Subject: Question About IS-54 Standard Date: 28 Mar 1994 17:31:07 GMT Organization: Electrical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle Does anybody out there have a copy of EIA/TIA/IS-54B TDMA standard proposed for cellular telephony? Any information like ftp sites for the document, or address of the organisation from where I can get it will also be appreciated. sathya ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 28 Mar 1994 18:43:38 -0800 From: LincMad@netcom.com (Linc Madison) Subject: Predictions About Future A/C Splits I looked through David Esan's posting of the 1/15/94 NPA-NXX list and came up with a few predictions of area codes that will split in the next couple of years and others that will likely never split in my lifetime. DON'T WORRY: YOUR AREA CODE WON'T BE CHANGING SOON The following area codes could all at least TRIPLE the number of exchanges in use without requiring a split. Any split is thus quite a long ways off. 807 - Thunder Bay, Ontario 906 - Upper Peninsula, Michigan 302 - Delaware 413 - Western Massachusetts 401 - Rhode Island 607 - Binghamton, New York 307 - Wyoming 802 - Vermont 719 - Colorado Springs, Colorado 506 - New Brunswick 707 - Napa/Eureka, California 417 - Springfield, Missouri 308 - Grand Island/North Platte, Nebraska 901 - Memphis, Tennessee 603 - New Hampshire 509 - Spokane, Washington 608 - Madison, Wisconsin Others that could more than DOUBLE the number of exchanges include: 806 TX, 709=NF, 309 IL, 315 NY, 814 PA, 705 ON, 902=NS+PE, 518 NY, 507 MN, 812 IN, 712 IA, 808=HI, 606 KY, 202=DC, 218 MN, 918 OK, 613 ON, 609 NJ, 208=ID, 819 PQ, 815 IL, 715 WI, 915 TX, 805 CA, 702=NV, 618 IL, 505=NM, 319 IA, 517 MI, 419 OH, 304=WV, 318 LA, 207=ME, 204=MB, 912 GA, 519 ON, 605=SD, 701=ND, 418 PQ, 801=UT, 502 KY, 217 IL. I've left out a few that are recent products of splits or are otherwise experiencing considerable growth. An '=' means "entire state/province." All of the above should be good for at least 35 to 40 years at currently projected rates of growth. HOLD OFF PRINTING STATIONERY, YOU'RE NEXT IN LINE Splits have already been announced for 205=AL, 602=AZ, 206 WA, 708 IL, 713 TX, and 213/310/818 CA. 703 - Virginia suburbs of D.C. and down along WV border 403 - Alberta/Northwest Territories/Yukon Territory Might well be the first three-way split (two in AB, one for NT/YT) 604 - British Columbia 216 - Cleveland/Akron Canton Youngstown, Ohio 803 - South Carolina 303 - Denver, Colorado (previous split was ineffective?) 615 - Nashville/Knoxville Chattanooga, Tennessee 503 - Oregon 813 - Tampa, Florida 214 - Dallas, Texas (again) A little bit farther down the list we have: 612 MN, 305 FL, 501=AR, 203=CT, 904 FL, 619 CA (again), 405 OK, 817 TX, 804 VA, 310 CA (just created and filling up rapidly), 717 PA, 312 IL, 414 WI, 514 PQ, and 718 NY. Most of these are at least 3 to 15 years off, though. The splits in 703 and 214 in particular may put to the test the sanctity of the "you must dial 1 for all toll calls, and you must be able to dial all local calls without a 1" arrangement, because of the considerable likelihood that the new area code assigned will duplicate an existing prefix in the affected area or an immediately adjacent area. If so, the preservation of 10-digit "metro dialing" will require moving 10,000 customers at a chunk, and considerably more complicated advance planning (adding lead time for the prefix change to the normal lead time for the area code split and later trying to route calls to the old number to the correct recording for wrong NPA or wrong prefix). Linc Madison * Oakland, California * LincMad@Netcom.com ------------------------------ From: rbecker@xap.xyplex.com (Ralph Becker) Subject: Re: Windows or DOS Caller ID Program Date: Tue, 29 Mar 1994 09:00:23 ET Organization: Xyplex Customer Support In article Paul Robinson writes: > Steve Lindsay , writes to TELECOM Digest > as follows: >> Does anyone know of a little DOS or Windows shareware program >> that will act like the one of those caller ID boxes? >> Or is there some AT commands I can type in to my communication >> program to extract the phone number that is calling me? I >> don't want my modem to answer; just tell me what number is >> dialing me. > As I have mentioned to people, many times, you *cannot* get caller ID > information on a computer modem (or any other device) unless *all* of the > following is true: > 1. You must be on a telephone switch that support it. > 2. Your local telephone company must offer it. > 3. You must have subscribed to caller-id service. > 4. The caller must be on a telephone switch that supports it. > 5. The caller must not use *67 or otherwise be blocked. > 6. All connections between you and the caller must support caller-id > and retain the information, and the intervening long distance > carriers must provide it. > 7. Your modem or (receiving telephone) has to have the circuity to accept > the special 1200 baud signal which is *not* the same as regular 1200 > baud data. > 8. Your modem must have the caller-id code enabled. This article about the requirements to get caller ID was interesting and informative, but does not address the question being asked (I believe). I am in the same situation as the original author. I have Caller-ID service at my home, and I have a stand-alone Caller-ID box that usually displays the numbers of callers in my local area codes (508 & 617; BTW, I've never seen one from outside those areas ... yet). However, I have a Practical Peripheral PM14400FXMT modem, and it supports Caller ID, and I, too, would like a Windows utility that basically acts like my stand-alone Caller-ID box. I want the utility to display incoming caller information in real time, and also have to ability to log this data to a file if I want. I should be able to scroll thru some number of recent calls, etc, etc. The question is: does such a utility exist? Ralph Becker Xyplex Customer Support [Tech. Support hotline 800-435-7997] rbecker@sup.xyplex.com or 71174.1262@compuserve.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 28 Mar 1994 11:27:51 CST From: Andrew C. Green Subject: Re: Will Widespread Use of Cell Phones Reduce Crime? Peter M. Weiss writes: > I wonder if a parallel answer can be extrapolated based upon CB radio > and/or cell phones on the highways? I think results will differ; most reporting from the highways tends to involve mechanical difficulties and medical emergencies (e.g. crashes), though of course drunk drivers are also called in. I do a good amount of highway travel, and have equipped my car with both a CB radio and cellular phone. On various occasions I have used both, to different ends: the CB is useful for line-of-sight conversa- tion with both truckers and State Police, though the latter don't always monitor either Channel 19 (the truckers' channel) or Channel 9 (the emergency channel), at which point my cellular phone will call in the cavalry. I've heard more than a few frustrated truckers trying to contact the police over the CB about breakdowns or accidents, but receiving silence in return. For no-holds-barred emergencies, I can either try calling a 10-33 on the CB (Channel 9 is usually deserted within the short range of my antenna but Channel 19 will always get a response), or I can dial *999 for a more certain response, if not a more prompt one. Andrew C. Green Datalogics, Inc. Internet: acg@dlogics.com 441 W. Huron Chicago, IL 60610-3498 FAX: (312) 266-4473 ------------------------------ From: jeff@bradley.bradley.edu (Jeff Hibbard) Subject: Re: Will Widespread Use of Cell Phones Reduce Crime? Date: 28 Mar 1994 11:42:46 -0600 Organization: Bradley University > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Sometimes when you call 911 the dispatcher > puts you through a alot of questions ("how do you know that is what he > is doing?"; "are you the owner of the property?", etc.) and they never > do respond or they tell you the police have already responded and consider > the report unfounded. PAT] This must be a regional difference. I've called 911 (or its seven-digit equivalent from my cellular phone) several times from various cities here in downstate Illionis, and I've always been surprised by the complete lack of interest in who I am and how I'm involved. They just politely take the report and either say that they'll send someone out, or say that they've already heard about it and an officer is on the way. ------------------------------ From: davep@u.washington.edu (Dave Ptasnik) Subject: Re: Will Widespread Use of Cell Phones Reduce Crime? Date: 28 Mar 1994 19:10:56 GMT Organization: University of Washington howard@hal.com (Howard Gayle) writes: >> A friend suggested to me that, sometime in the future, almost everyone >> will carry around a cellular phone almost all the time. She thinks >> this will significantly reduce the amount of crime, because it will be >> very easy to report a crime or other suspicious behavior that one jim@isnpo1.pwss.gov.ab.ca@math.fu-berlin.de(James, Slupsky) writes: > I seriously doubt that crime will be reduced. A lot of people in society > today avoid "getting involved". Why would the sudden availability of > communications change them? > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Here in the USA, you have to be very careful > about getting involved. It is best not to, since if you do, you are often > treated like a criminal and the (true) criminal like the victim. It goes Wandering a little far afield from hard telecom issues -- One SF author has postulated a world where anyone who wants to can wear "glasses" that include cameras and microphones that digitally transmit everything that the wearer sees to some big storage system. Then if they see a crime, they can immediately report it to the police, and the police have an easy time of getting convictions. Most of the wearers are retirees who end up "spying" on kids. Greatly reduced the amount of violence against the old folks, even in rough parts of town, and greatly cut down on graffiti, greatly cut down on personal freedom. Even making obscene gestures to the watchers was a harshly punished crime. To misquote Heinline, an observed society is a polite society. All of the above is nothing more than the personal opinion of - Dave Ptasnik davep@u.washington.edu ------------------------------ From: uswnvg!arobson@uunet.UU.NET (Andrew Robson) Subject: Re: Will Widespread Use of Cell Phones Reduce Crime? Date: Mon, 28 Mar 1994 15:43:30 -0800 (PST) The Half Moon Bay Review (a local paper in CA) carried an article on the front page about a bank robbery foiled by a cell phone. When the getaway car roared away, a local citizen was offended by the reckless driving. He didn't know about the robbery, he just wanted safe driving on the local streets. He followed long enough to call the licence, a description of the car, and its direction to 911. There are only three roads out of town, with no turn off for several miles. The robber was arrested a couple of minutes later. It may not help much overall, but cellular will help catch some of the bad guys. Andy ------------------------------ From: dannyb@panix.com (danny burstein) Subject: Re: Will Widespread Use of Cell Phones Reduce Crime? Date: 29 Mar 1994 03:02:26 -0500 (Stories and scenarios of people witnessing crimes, then using cellular phones to call for help, police arriving and making the world safe for democracy, deleted). A similar thread made its way onto some radio oriented groups umptity months ago, and the consensus was that yes, as the cost of individual telcom equipment went down we'd see lots more people with them. Also suggested was that there'd be rentals of 'emergency only' phone/radios by the same folk who brought you the 'I've fallen, and I can't get up' stuff. HOWEVER, an equally plausable scenario was raised. Namely that Mrs. Fletcher, when she witnesses a crime (or is about to be a victim), doesn't pick up her communicator, but instead, pulls out her revolver and wastes the bad guy. An interesting concept ... dannyb@panix.com (or dburstein@mcimail.com) ------------------------------ From: rs2510@dice.nwscc.sea06.navy.mil (Rhett Salisbury) Subject: Re: Will Widespread Use of Cell Phones Reduce Crime? Date: 29 Mar 1994 07:11:18 -0600 Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway >> A friend suggested to me that, sometime in the future, almost >> everyone will carry around a cellular phone almost all the time. She >> thinks this will significantly reduce the amount of crime, because it >> will be very easy to report a crime or other suspicious behavior that >> one observes. I'm skeptical, but it seems like an interesting topic >> for discussion. >> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Here in the USA, you have to be very >> careful about getting involved. It is best not to, since if you do, >> you are often treated like a criminal and the (true) criminal like the >> victim. It goes against my grain to say it, but you are better off not >> getting involved unless the crime is against you personally. PAT] > Sorry Pat, this is the kind of crap that keeps things the way they > are. If you are not willing to get involved you have no right to > complain about how screwed up things are. We will not have an end to -- good stuff deleted -- > Back to the original question, will the proliferation of cell phones > reduce crime? The answer is: no, but your use of one might. In total agreement with Sean Slattery -- Pat should excercise a certain measure of responsible judgment. When someone flippantly tells an international community that not only we live in a extremely dangerous country, but also that it is dangerous to become 'involved', someone will be injured due to your inaction. If you have had instances when you have been put in danger or harassed because of your involvement you should document it and report that. The 911 operator should be fired and charged with something. If you are just ranting and raving about a urban legend, remember that excuses are like b--- holes, everyone has one and they all stink. Rhett Salisbury aka RS2510 (812)854-4709 dice.nwscc.sea06.navy.mil (130.163.1.200) [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: But it is true. Ask German citizens who come to visit the USA in Florida whether or not the USA is a violent country. Check the crime statistics in the USA versus around the world. We have the highest rate of crime in the world. Sorry if you don't like hearing it told to people outside the USA, but that's the way it is. Ask the residents of Milwaukee who called the police to report Jeff Dahmer (serial killer two years ago) only to have the police brush them aside if it pays to get involved. Ask anyone who has called the Chicago Transit Authority to report the constant and blatant thievery by subway collection agents who pocket fares without registering them if it pays to get involved -- or if in fact, if you are an employee of the CTA and you report your fellow employees if it isn't *you* that gets punished instead. Ask at the US Department of Justice what happens if you are an employee who complains about all the *stolen and pirated software* your agency is using. Ask a social worker for the Chicago Board of Education what happens when you report that the principal of the school where you are assigned is a pedophile -- because the children have confided in you what happened. You'll lose your job! Ditto the few honest people who work for the CTA. I see it happen over and over again. And if you witness a crime and report it, you'll spend the next six months or a year in court getting harassed by the defendant and his attorney. My advice is don't get involved unless you like being a martyr. Criminals are given so many rights, *you* will be made to be the villian instead. PAT] ------------------------------ From: ttilkey@attmail.com (Tom J Tilkey) Date: 29 Mar 94 12:59:16 GMT Subject: LEAGUE @ AT&T Press Release News Release For further Information: Tom Tilkey 201-644-7904 (office) 201-993-8581 (home) Charles Turner 508-960-2695 (office) BOSTON - - LEAGUE (Lesbian, Bisexual and Gay United Employees at AT&T) will hold its third national conference here from May 18 to 21, at the Swissotel. More than 350 AT&T employees are expected to attend the three day professional development conference which focuses on workplace issues for bisexual, lesbian and gay employees. Theme for the conference is "United in Diversity". Conference guest speakers include the Honorable Barney Frank, member of Congress from Massachusetts; Rabbi David Horowitz; Reese Smith and Cynthia Balogna, Levi Strauss Co.; and Ken Sheppard of the Liberty Consulting firm. Award winning author Brian McNaught will present a session on internal homophobia. In addition, two senior level AT&T executives, Jerre Stead and Pat Russo, will discuss the corporation's Diversity Strategy Plan. They will update participants on efforts to create productive and inclusive work environments where everyone can contribute to the success of the business. Workshop topics include domestic partner benefits; managing careers; race, class and gender issues in the gay community; lesbian invisibility; and countering hate groups. LEAGUE is an educational and support group that addresses workplace environment issues affecting employees or their families, friends or colleagues who are lesbian, gay or bisexual. The organization has more than 2,000 active members in 26 chapters nationwide. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 28 Mar 1994 06:49:33 EST From: Paul Robinson Reply-To: Paul Robinson Subject: About the Chicago Post Office Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring, MD USA Thought you might find this interesting: Unofficial Summary of the Rush Limbaugh Show for Wednesday, March 23, 1994 BRIEF SUMMARY OF TOPICS: Chicago postal workers burning and abandoning mail instead of delivering it; o Investigators for the U.S. Post Office in Chicago have found that stacks of mail were thrown under bridges, stashed in garbage cans, burned, etc. - the postal workers involved evidently were lazy and didn't want to do all their job. Chicago residents are livid at this, so when Postmaster Marvin Runyon went out there to take a look for himself, 300 of them bombarded Runyon at a recent town meeting. Tens of thousands pieces of mail dating back to 1979 were found burning recently, and last month 40,000 undelivered pieces of mail were discovered in a postal worker's truck; that postal worker was suspended, but not fired. In January, test letters that were sent to Chicago addresses were discovered in a dead letter office in Minneapolis. Runyon has promised to "fix this," although it might take up to five years. Rush asks, though, if it is any wonder that the Chicago Post Office is in such bad shape, given that Chicago is Dan Rostenkowski's home district; Rostenkowski, of course, is implicated in the House Post Office scandal. Paul Robinson - Paul@TDR.COM ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V14 #154 ****************************** -------------------------------------------------------------------------------