TELECOM Digest Wed, 11 May 94 13:19:00 CDT Volume 14 : Issue 210 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Digital Links Over Analog Carriers? (Taavi Talvik) What Network Equipment is Needed to Set up Access Point? (Chuck Campbell) Wanted: Used Octel Voice Mail Systems (Eric A. Litman) Speech Recognition: "Word Spotting" - Help! (Peter B. Flower) Anybody Know Communitronics? (Rich Osman) 'Wireless Cable' Over a Cellular Network? (Barry Raveendran Greene) Telecommunication Events (Jose Luis Sanchez) Bell Canada Alex Videotex Service Officially Closing (Dave Leibold) What is a T-10 Carrier? (Mitch Barrett) New Call Centre (Jeff Robertson) Press Releases via Fax-on-Demand (Nigel Allen) Phone Directory Technology (Stewart Fist) Junk Mail From US Sprint (Dave Levenson) In-Building Cabling For Different Operators (Warren Kwok) Need Modem CID Strings (Maurice Dykes) Correct Contact Information For CallerID-> Serial (John Landwehr) Help Needed With B-ISDN (Padmakar Jogdankar) Contact Representatives NOW to Help Sink Clipper (Monty Solomon) HOTT: Issue 940425, Part 1 of 3 on comp.ai (David Scott Lewis) Need Information on Complete PC (Al Cohan) Need Help: Telecom Interface (Dr. Gerry Higgins) Sprint "Combined Billing" Error (Mike Pollock) 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. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. 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 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: 708-329-0571 Fax: 708-329-0572 ** 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 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. 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: Taavi Talvik Subject: Digital Links Over Analog Carriers? Date: Tue, 10 May 1994 20:01:26 EET Does anybody remember from old times some equipment capable for transmission of 64kbps or higher G.703 data rates over analog carriers. In Estonia we have a situation that there are plenty of analog group channels available but no country-wide digital links. Any hints or references to such equipment are welcome. taavi talvik taavi@vs.ee tel. +372 6 39 9000 fax. +372 6 39 9001 ------------------------------ From: campbell@uuneo.NeoSoft.COM (Chuck Campbell) Subject: What Network Equipment is Needed to Set up Access Point Date: 11 May 1994 00:26:30 GMT Organization: ACCEL Services, Inc. ph:(713)993-0671, fax:(713)960-1157 Reply-To: campbell@neosoft.com I am looking for information on the hardware necessary to set up a network access point. I would like to make some resources available to my clients via the Internet (anon ftp, telnet, s/w services). I would like to have about five incoming lines fo dial up as well (slip, ppp, etc). I am hoping for a FAQ or a list of all the FAQ's I need to start with. Any suggestions would be helpful, especially on the following: modems, phone service, gateways, bridges, whatever it will take, and some information about pros and cons of various approaches. I'll be happy with text recommendations as well. Please respond by email and I'll summarize. Thanks, ACCEL Services, Inc. | Specialists in Gravity, Magnetics 1980 Post Oak Blvd., Suite 2050 | and Integrated Interpretation Houston, TX, 77056 | | 1(713)993-0671 voice Chuck Campbell | 1(713)960-1157 fax President & Chief Geoscientist | email campbell@neosoft.com ------------------------------ From: elitman@proxima.com (Eric A. Litman) Subject: Wanted: Used Octel Voice Mail Systems Date: 10 May 1994 21:43:50 -0500 Organization: Proxima, Inc. I am in immediate need of used Octel systems, both Branch and Aspen. Please contact me if you have a system you would like to sell or know someplace where one can be purchased. Thanks in advance. Eric Litman Proxima, Inc. vox: (703) 506.1661 Director, ProxNet McLean, VA elitman+@proxima.com ------------------------------ From: pbflower@uts.EDU.AU (-s89432566-p.bflower-ele-500-) Subject: Speech Recognition: "Word Spotting" - Help! Date: 11 May 1994 06:00:44 GMT Organization: University of Technology, Sydney I'm presently doing some studies on speech recognition. I'm looking at developing the HMM so that I can do "word spotting". However I don't know enough about word spotting. If anyone has any information I would gladly accept it. Thanking you in advance, Peter ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 11 May 94 8:40:39 CDT From: ROsman@swri.edu Subject: Anybody Know Communitronics? I'm looking for a company called Communitronics. They made a WWV receiver that I own a copy of (Model 6010). Their last known location was Hauppauge, NY, but mail to that address comes back. I'm trying to get in touch with then to get the service manual (mine is broken). Rich Osman, WB0HUQ (210) 699-1302 (h:v/fax/msg) Oz@SwRI.edu (210) 522-5050 (w) ------------------------------ From: greenebr@aplcomm.jhuapl.edu (Barry Raveendran Greene) Subject: 'Wireless Cable' Over a Cellular Network? Any Information? Date: Wed, 11 May 1994 09:52:09 -0500 Organization: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab Reply-To: greenebr@aplcomm.jhuapl.edu (Barry Raveendran Greene) Hello All, I'm trying to track down some information on a new venture between Bell Alantic and Cellular Vision. It is a trial service that provides 'wireless cable' services over a cellular network. If you know anything or have a pointers to a Internet site that has more information on this trail or the technology, please E-mail directly to my E- mail account. Thanks, Barry Raveendran Greene Internet: greenebr@aplcomm.jhuapl.edu Network Engineer (301) 953-6064 (301) 953-5727 FAX Johns Hopkins University / Applied Physics Lab ------------------------------ From: josel@vms.ucc.okstate.edu Subject: Telecommunication Events Organization: Oklahoma State University Computer Center Date: Wed, 11 May 1994 16:08:18 GMT Hello, I am looking for special events (one or two weeks) related to: - Managament, marketing, strategic planning, public-policy analysis, privatization, and consulting in Telecommunications. People background selected for these events are managers in certain telecommunication areas without technical background. Please, let me know about institutions, universities, etc., which offers such events. The dates required for these events are due August and September 1994. I want to thank you, beforehand, for your prompt response. Jose Luis Sanchez josel@vms.ucc.okstate.edu Electrical and Computer Eng. Oklahoma State University ------------------------------ From: Dave.Leibold@f730.n250.z1.fidonet.org (Dave Leibold) Date: 10 May 94 21:54:54 -0500 Subject: Bell Canada Alex Videotex Service Officially Closing Organization: FidoNet Nameserver/Gateway Bell Canada received official approval to discontinue the controversial Alex videotex service. From a check of the list of new and deleted services on Alex itself, it appears no new services have been added since 1991, and services were being deleted, at least as of last fall. It seemed the home shopping and commerce offerings were few, and the chat/dating lines plenty (the latter being done with less cost and more finesse on the regional BBS scene). The most useful service left on Alex (IMO) is the electronic white pages, complete with an automated long distance call rate calculator. The following eulogy just arrived in the mail: [Bell Canada letter to Alex service customers follows ...] T.E. Graham T/Director - Business Planning, Bell Advanced Communications 160 Elgin Street, Floor 12, Ottawa, Ontario K1G 3J4 April 29, 1994 Dear Customer, Some five years ago, Bell Canada launched an innovative service that, after its initial trial run, logged more than a million calls from interested people like you. We then decided to go ahead and introduce this exciting, new concept to enable customers to access home-based interactive and transactional services. Though it was risky, we heard your call and answered it. The ALEX service was born. Our early success in Montreal eventually led us to expand into the Toronto Market and become a leader in the Canadian videotex industry. Although our role was primarily one of a carrier providing technical support, we helped our Service Providers develop applications -- from home shopping and personal banking to financial news and learning programs -- in order to keep you on the leading edge of the information explosion. However, while the ALEX service continued to grow and attract interest, the inconsistent rate of development of the videotex industry coupled with Canada's declining economic fortune has made the service difficult to justify. We are faced with having to drastically cut our costs, yet have resisted laying off employees or raising customer prices. So we have been forced to make a painful decision and terminate the ALEX service. This is a difficult decision, and one that must be weighed against the reality of today's tough economic climate. Quite simply, the ALEX network is not the right vehicle, nor the appropriate technology, at this time to deliver the information goods needed in our fast-paced society. We filed on December 30th, 1993 for the de-tariffing of the ALEX service with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), the federal telecommunications regulator. On April 18th we received their approval, and will discontinue the ALEX service effective June 3rd, 1994. The ALEXtel terminal will also be withdrawn from the marketplace and cease to be supported. Bell has always tried to meet the needs of its business and residential customers by offering the best and latest in communications technology. We will keep trying to bring you innovative telecommunications products and services that best fit your needs. As the pace of technology quickens and opportunities begin to unfold, we will be there again ... listening. We will also be ready to serve you, knowing full well that such advances must be balanced by your wishes. Thank you for doing business with Bell. If you have any questions about this matter, please call 1 (800) 267-8480. Sincerely, T.E. Graham ------------------------------ From: mbarrett@ida.org (Mitch Barrett) Subject: What is a T-10 Carrier? Date: 9 May 1994 19:12:25 GMT Organization: Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC), Alexandria, VA I am evaluating a government contract for my company, part of which is a telecommunications study. According to the statement of work we are to evaluate among other things T-1, T-10, ISDN ... I can't find any reference to a T-10 anything. Does anyone out there know what this might be and where I can get documentation on it? Thanks, M. Mitch Barrett CTA INCORPORATED 5670 Greenwood Plaza Bvd., Ste 200 Englewood, CO 80111 E-mail: mbarrett@ctaeng.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 10 May 1994 20:30:42 EDT From: DIMBIT@delphi.com Subject: New Call Centre Well I am hoping some of the telecom genius' can help me. Our company is looking at setting up a call centre in the United States. This centre will handle travel insurance, home insurance (eg: plumbing goes at 3am we find you a plumber), other call centre functions. We have been doing this for the last ten years in Australia, Canada, and Europe (the company has; I have been doing it for a year and a half!). The call centre will have between 50-70 agents. We have to choose from the following cities to locate the centre: 1. Austin Texas 2. Sacramento, C.A. 3. Salt Lake City, Utah 4. Pheonix, Arizona 5. Charlotte, N.C. I know very little about the U.S. But looks like I will have to move to one of the above (not the nicest but the cheapest for the business!). For argument sake lets say we choose AT&T. We expect our call distribution to be 50% from the East Coast, 25% from the West Coast and 25% from the rest of the States. In our business we have to compare inbound 800 costs as well as outgoing. Typically one inbound call requires three outbound calls to the originating city. I have lots of information on the different cities, courtesy of U.S. Economic Development and Trade. I don't have much information on rates, which in our business is the most important. Any insight or comparisons would be terrific. If anyone responding lives in the above cities I would really appreciate any tips (if we pick your city I will take you out for an imported Canadian beer!). Rates would also be great! Please respond via E-Mail to: dimbit@delphi.com Jeff Robertson, President, CTI Inc. Canada (416) 483-1270 (416)516-2210 Fax ------------------------------ Subject: Press Releases via Fax-on-Demand From: nigel.allen@canrem.com (Nigel Allen) Date: Wed, 11 May 1994 03:40:00 -0400 Organization: CRS Online (Toronto, Ontario) One good application for fax-on-demand services is the distribution of press releases to people other than journalists, typically investors who want current information about a company they're interested in. Some electronic press release distribution services make their press releases available through fax-on-demand. Press release distribution services such as PR Newswire use much the same technology as news agencies such as The Associated Press (computer networks today, but dedicated teletype circuits 20 years ago), but their business is the distribution of unedited press releases paid for by the companies issuing the press releases, rather than news paid for by the news media. (At one time, PR Newswire was owned by Western Union. I'm not sure who owns the company now.) While you can search the PR Newswire database for a fee through some online services (I'm not sure which ones), you can also have a list of currently-available press releases sent to your fax machine by calling 800-578-7888 and entering your fax machine's number using your telephone keypad. Once you have received the list, you can order up to three press releases at a time. There is no charge for this service, and it appears to be available anywhere in Canada and the United States. Similarly, Canada Newswire offers a fax-on-demand service for Canadian corporate press releases. Call 1-800-269-NEWS to request a menu of available stories. A third press release distribution service, U.S. Newswire, makes its press releases available through a BBS in Maryland, PR On-Line at (410) 363-0834. U.S. Newswire's clients include a lot of Washington- based lobby groups and government agencies, while PR Newswire's clients appear to be predominantly corporate. There is a peripheral family connection here. My late grandfather, Ralph Marven, was vice-president of a now-defunct public relations company in Montreal, Editorial Associates. I think that when Canada Newswire was originally established, it was a subsidiary of Editorial Associates. Nigel Allen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada nigel.allen@canrem.com ------------------------------ Date: 11 May 94 05:48:42 EDT From: Stewart Fist <100033.2145@CompuServe.COM> Subject: Phone Directory Technology I am looking for a wide range of information about software and hardware used in the preparation of telephone directories or contacts who I can talk to who might know this stuff. Apparently there are a couple of companies around the world who specialise in this area. I'd like to contact them, and beforehand I'd need to get some background. I'm also interested in the financial side of running directory services; the yellow page directories seem to be highly profitable. I'd also like to get some general history of the development of the Yellow Pages, and the role played by Edward H O'Brien and the famous "Fingers do the walking" slogan and logo. Does anyone know anything about this. It's a pretty narrow area of interest, so it may be best to contact me direct, rather than bore the rest of the TELECOM Digest readers. I'm a technical journalist trying to put together a general overview, using some Australian material. But I need to know more about the world scene, and the world experience. ------------------------------ From: dave@westmark.com (Dave Levenson) Subject: Junk Mail From US Sprint Organization: Westmark, Inc. Date: Wed, 11 May 1994 16:12:30 GMT The only thing worse than junk mail, IMHO, is junk mail delivered with postage due! Did anybody else receive a recent direct mail advertisement package from US Sprint with insufficient postage? Dave Levenson Internet: dave@westmark.com Westmark, Inc. UUCP: {uunet | rutgers | att}!westmark!dave Stirling, NJ, USA Voice: 908 647 0900 Fax: 908 647 6857 ------------------------------ From: Warren.Kwok@f488.n700.z6.ftn.air.org (Warren Kwok) Subject: In-Building Cabling For Different Operators Date: 11 May 1994 02:29:14 -0500 Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway Hello, all telecom people in the Net, This is the first time I post a message on Usenet through my Fidonet BBS. I am writing to seek kind assistance from people on Internet in soliciting some relevant information about telephone line arrangements in a commercial building from different local network operators. Up to the present moment, telephone service is still a monopoly in Hong Kong. All telephone cables from an exchange to a government building connecting to customer premises equipment is the property of Hongkong Telecom whereas sometimes the Government owns the wiring behind the customer premises equipment (e.g. keyline telephone systems and PABX systems). The present arrangement is that Hongkong Telecom provides lead-in cables terminated at an interconnection point which is usually a distribution frame for routing to our private switching equipment, in most cases, PABX system. Hong Kong will have three more telephone operators after June 1995. As I am working on a government PABX project, I need to devise a set of guidelines on how line facilities of the three new operators can be interconnected with Government owned customer premises equipment. The aim is to formulate a cabling plan arranged in a way to foster competition and at the same time to make sure that line provisioning is manageable on a non-discriminatory basis. I will be keen to learn the expereince of other network operators, governmment administrations regarding in-building cabling arrangements for different fixed telephone networks in a building. Any comments, information on the subject are welcome. also at whkwok@hk.net Maximus 2.00 Origin: HKIE BBS (6:700/488) ------------------------------ From: mhdykes@thinkage.on.ca (Maurice Dykes) Subject: Need Modem CID Strings Organization: Thinkage Ltd. Guest Account Date: Wed, 11 May 1994 02:43:57 GMT I'm in the process of writing a set of Caller ID utilities running under Windows. At first I based the software on a proprietary CID device made by Vive Synergies but now I would like to take advantage of several modems on the market that provide CID data. One problem is that some devices output data in different formats with start/end characters and different date formats, messages etc. I would really appreciate some help in acquiring sample strings delivered by the various modems. By this I mean the actual string data a terminal program would see and not formatted output. This way I can parse the data from several popular devices properly. Thanks in advance for any help forthcoming. mhdykes@Thinkage.On.Ca Maurice Dykes mhdykes@thinkage.on.ca mhdykes@thinkage.com !thinkage!mhdykes ------------------------------ From: John_Landwehr@NeXT.COM (John Landwehr) Date: Wed, 11 May 94 09:38:34 -0500 Subject: Correct Contact Information For CallerID-> Serial The correct contact info for the callerID box to serial is: Rochelle Communications Inc. 8906 Wall Street Suite 205 Austin, TX 78754 512-339-8188 They have a single line box with a DB25 connector for $100 (qty 1). They also have multiple line boxes available, too. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 11 May 94 16:06:37 GMT From: padmakar@cdotp.ernet.in (PADMAKAR) Subject: Help Needed With B-ISDN [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: This is something I received in the mail a few days ago if anyone would care to respond direct to the writer. Thanks. PAT] Dear Sir, I am working in CDOT New-Delhi organisation. My group is SYSTEMS & NETWORKS. I am interested in Telecommunication. So please sir,send me inforamation about B-ISDN . My EMAIL address is as below padmakar@cdotp.ernet.in So I am waiting for above info. Thanking you. Date : 4 th May 1994 Yours faithfully PADMAKAR JOGDANKAR ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 11 May 1994 10:09:05 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Contact Representatives NOW to Help Sink Clipper Passed along FYI to the Digest: Begin forwarded message: Date: Fri, 6 May 1994 13:43:25 -0400 (EDT) From: Stanton McCandlish Subject: Contact Representatives NOW to help sink Clipper At the House hearings on Clipper and Digital Telephony, May 3, 1994, Chairman Rep. Valentine (D-NC), Rep. Morella (R-MD), and Rep. Rohrbacher (R-CA) indicated "reservations" about Clipper. Please contact these Representantives and encourage them. However, Rep. Dan Glickman (D-KS) indicated "cautious support" for Clipper, and espoused a 'more surveillance for law enforcement' viewpoint. It is essential that opinons like these be turned. Contact this Congressman by any means possible, especially if you are a direct constituent of Glickman. Show your disapproval of Clipper, politely but firmly. Congressfolk live on votes, and are not as hard to sway as you might think. There is little support in the Senate for Clipper. Let's make it unanimous by turning what little tide there is in the House. Don't just talk, ACT NOW. Stanton McCandlish * mech@eff.org * Electronic Frontier Found. OnlineActivist ------------------------------ From: callewis@netcom.com (David Scott Lewis) Subject: HOTT: Issue 940425, Part 1 of 3 on comp.ai Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest) Date: Wed, 11 May 1994 12:33:17 GMT The full-text of the HOTT electronic magazine on VR, neural nets, PDAs, agent software, PCS, interactive media, nanotechnology, MPP, and other emergent telecomputing technologies is now (or will soon be) available on the comp.ai Usenet group. David Scott Lewis Editor-in-Chief and Book & Video Review Editor IEEE Engineering Management Review (the world's largest circulation "high tech" management journal) Internet address: d.s.lewis@ieee.org Tel: +1 714 662 7037 USPS mailing address: POB 18438 / IRVINE CA 92713-8438 USA ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 11 May 94 13:01 EST From: Al Cohan <0004526627@mcimail.com> Subject: Need Information on Complete PC I friend of mine is sending me a couple of voice cards manufactured by the Complete PC. Can anyone supply info on how to reach this company? Thanks in advance, Al Cohan ------------------------------ From: telemed@aol.com (Telemed) Subject: Need Help: Telecom Interface Date: 10 May 1994 17:37:05 -0400 Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364) I have designed a multimedia E-mail software package. Does it make sense to add either: A. An Internet interface; B. A point-to-point (modem) interface? It's for distributed work (telemedicine, etc.) Thanks in advance for any advice. Gerry Higgins (Dr.) [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Personally, Doctor, if you have the wherewithal and ability to add an internet and/or modem interface I don't see how you could go wrong by doing so. Email and the internet go almost hand in hand; ditto, a modem interface will make your product that much more valuable. My advice then is go with it. PAT] ------------------------------ From: pheel@panix.com (Mike Pollock) Subject: Sprint "Combined Billing" Error Date: 11 May 1994 10:28:08 -0400 Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC Sprint recently changed me over from direct billing to "combined billing" on my NYNEX local telephone bill. Simple, right? Wrong. My final direct-from-Sprint invoice was contained activity through 4/10/94. My first combined bill from NYNEX contained Sprint activity through 4/13/94. The proximity of these two billing dates meant I got a _three_day_ billing period for Sprint long distance service on the NYNEX bill. Now, I'm also a Sprint Select customer, which means I have a $6.85/month minimum. In a normal 30 day billing cycle, I easily meet that minimum. However, Sprint was nice enough to bill me $6.85 for this three day billing cycle because in those three days, I only made $1.20 worth of calls. Since this was less than the monthly minimum, the service charge was assessed. It took me several minutes of explaining before the Sprint representative understood what had happened, and I eventually got a credit, but I'm concerned that other Sprint/NYNEX customers might run into a similar problem and not catch it, and Sprint apparently has no desire to have their billing software check for this type of thing. Any suggestions? Mike ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V14 #210 ******************************