TELECOM Digest Fri, 13 May 94 12:42:00 CDT Volume 14 : Issue 223 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson FCC Releases Fiber Deployment Analysis (Bob Keller) Radio by Phone (Gregory P. Monti) Query About 911 in MIDDLE of Phone Numbers (fico!rca@apple.com) Cable Management (John Holman) FTS2000/DCTN Policy (David Vaughan) Regulatory Analyst Opening (Phil Bullock) Searching For GE TC-1000 in NY Metro Area (mds1@delphi.com) Trying to Convert WAV Files to 3-Bit ADPCM (Richard De A'Morelli) Phone Line in Use Indicator From Radio Shack (John Lundgren) Re: AT&T Collect Calling Comes to Canada (Judith Oppenheimer) Re: NANP and Switches (Alan Leon Varney) Re: NANP and Switches (David A. Avery) Re: Call Display for New York (Tad Cook) Re: Emerging Cellular Systems (Silas E. Cheeseman) Re: Connect a Card Reader to a Cell Phone? (Steve Cogorno) Re: AT&T Major Billing Errors! (John Canning) 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. 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Any organizations listed are for identification purposes only and messages should not be considered any official expression by the organization. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 13 May 1994 13:09:00 EDT From: Bob Keller Subject: FCC Releases Fiber Deployment Analysis FCC RELEASES FIBER DEPLOYMENT ANALYSIS The FCC has released a report entitled "Fiber Deployment Update - End of Year 1993." This report presents fiber deployment data and associated information on interexchange carriers, regional Bell holding companies, urban fiber systems, and non-Bell local operating companies. Current estimates indicate that interexchange carriers increased their deployed fiber by about 5.6% during 1993. The local Bell operating companies' deployed fiber grew by about 27% during 1993 and stood at approximately 6.3 million fiber miles at the end of the year. Total 1993 fiber reported by local operating companies exceeded 7.2 million fiber miles. Twenty urban fiber entities listed in this year's study have deployed about 242,000 fiber miles by the end of 1993. Other local operating company data in the study include data on fiber rings, fiber trials and investment, as well as limited information on deployed subscriber copper and fiber. This report is available in the reference room maintained by the Common Carrier Bureau's Industry Analysis Division at 1250 23rd Street, N. W., Plaza Level. Copies may be purchased by calling International Transcription Service, Inc. (ITS) at (202) 857-3800. For further information, contact Jonathan Kraushaar at (202) 632-0745 or 632-1368. -FCC- Bob Keller Robert J. Keller, P.C. Tel +1 301.229.5208 A.R.S. KY3R Federal Telecommunications Law Fax +1 301.229.6875 rjk@telcomlaw.com finger me for FCC Daily Digest CompuServe 76100,3333 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 13 May 1994 06:43:52 EDT From: Gregory P. Monti Subject: Radio by Phone An FM radio newsletter {FMedia!} notes that a Dallas firm, Media Technology, is offering a service called Media Dialup. Subscribers can monitor live radio using touch tone commands. 214 330-8393. I think this is the company's main business number. As a sampler, the firm allows you to listen to Dallas radio stations using touch tone commands on 214 330-8821. For FM, press 1. For AM, press 2. To scan to the next lower station, press 4. Next higher station, press 6. Ordinary toll charges apply. I guess the market for this service is program directors and consultants who want to hear what the big-market boys are doing. Greg Monti Arlington, Virginia, USA gmonti@cap.gwu.edu ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 13 May 94 06:33:11 -0700 From: fico!rca@apple.com Subject: Query About 911 in MIDDLE of Phone Numbers A local radio stations here (KBOB -- "Turn your knob to Bob") recently had to change their phone number after a dismaying percentage of their calls started connecting to 911. Their old number had 911 in the middle of the number. I seem to remember reading something about that here in the TELECOM Digest. The radio station seems to be baffled about the phenomenon. What's the scoop on this? (The 911 people tended to get a bit miffed when they ran "you are the tenth caller" type contests ...) I believe I remember hearing mention that phone switches typically would be programmed to pick up on common misdialings of 911 (9911, 9111, etc) and connect them to 911 in the interests of safety, since it would common for that number to be misdialed out of haste or panic. But sometimes the programming was a bit TOO overzealous. Is that the deal? ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 13 May 1994 08:37:03 CST Subject: Cable Management From: John Holman (holmanj@uwwvax.uww.edu) I too am looking at cable management systems as well. One thing that is important to us is that the system software produces a good trouble and work order tracking and reporting system. We are installing level 3 voice cable to 110 type blocks on the wall and level 5 wiring for data brought to rack mounted patch pannels. Does anyone have any regrets for using the rack mounting patch pannels for data? We will be using Cabletron hand Cisco routers. Presently we have been using a software that we cooked up here using Dbase IV. It has worked well but does not deal with IDFs very well. The strong side of the software is quick trouble entry and trouble ticket production with all important info including: building name and address, type of equipment (ie.. answering machine, Pots, or data port to board level PACX, billing account number, jack number, room number, and maintanance account number. ------------------------------ From: dvaughan@itd.nrl.navy.mil (David Vaughan) Subject: FTS2000/DCTN Policy Organization: Information Technology Division, Naval Research Laboratory Date: Fri, 13 May 1994 14:30:37 GMT I am looking for current and future (draft) policy regarding low bit rate video (lbrv) over FTS-2000 and DCTN. I am implementing dial-up lbrv 384kbps over the FTS-2000 using Picture Tel System 4000 and Teleos Model 40. If you have any information that might help, please let me know. Thanks in advance, David Vaughan Dept. of Navy ------------------------------ From: pbullock@xmission.com (Phil Bullock) Subject: Regulatory Analyst Opening Date: 13 May 1994 09:44:00 -0600 Organization: XMission Public Access Internet (801-539-0900) Utah CCS Seeks Regulatory Analyst The Utah Committee of Consumer Services has a Public Utility Regulatory Analyst III position available. The Annual Salary will be $31,884.00 to $39,610.00. Regulatory Analyst is required to review and analyze electric, natural gas, and telecommunications utility operations to establish the reasonableness of operations, rates and charges; prepare and present oral and written testimony as an expert witness on behalf of residential, small business, and agricultural interest during formal proceedings; participate in all aspects of utility regulation; assist in formulation and articulation of public policy interest and positions relative to utility operations; assist the Committee of Consumer Services in fulfilling statutory responsi- bilities. Minimum Qualifications: Master's degree in accounting, finance or related field, plus four years of full-time paid professional related employment, two years of which must have been with a public utility or state regulatory commission, or substitutions on a year- for-year basis as follows: related graduate level education for the required employment, or full-time paid professional related employment for the required education. A rating of training and experience or another method will be used to examine for this position. Submit current official state application (DHRM-7) and transcripts to Department of Human Resource Management, 2120 State Office Building, SLC, UT 84114 Opening date: 5-18-94 Closing date: 6-15-94 CTS. ------------------------------ From: mds1@news.delphi.com (MDS1@DELPHI.COM) Subject: Searching For GE TC-1000 in NY Metro Area Date: 13 May 1994 03:48:25 -0000 Organization: Delphi Internet Services Corporation My parents are looking to buy a new cellular phone, but can't seem to find the GE TC-1000 anywhere in the NY metro area (including into Fairfield County and anywhere within a reasonable distance from Westchester Cty). Their main concern is that they want to stick with Cellular One so they don't lose all their benefits from their current contract. Any help as to a vendor who has the phone and who contract w/Cellular One would be appreciated. Thanks in advance, E-mail to the below address or post. marc ------------------------------ From: spectrum@kaiwan.com (Richard De A'Morelli) Subject: Trying to Convert WAV Files to 3-Bit ADPCM Date: Fri, 13 May 1994 16:19:15 -0500 Organization: Spectrum Universal, Los Angeles, CA >> You can solve both problems at once with a ZyXEL modem. Not only will >> it decode DTMF tones, but it will also play audio directly to the >> phone line. If you convert your WAV files to, say, 3-bit ZyXEL ADPCM, I have been looking for quite some time for a shareware package that would convert WAV files to 3-bit ADPCM, which would be suitable not only for Zyxel modems, but other telecom specific voice cards as well, such as Dialogic, Pika AVA-4, New Voice, etc. I am especially interested in a utility for the Pika AVA-4 card -- the only one I know of is a commercial package priced at about $500, which is far more for a voice editor package than I can afford. Any help would be most appreciated. Regards, Richard De A'Morelli, Spectrum Universal ------------------------------ From: sgiblab!kn.pacbell.com!jlundgre@uucp-gw-2.pa.dec.com (John Lundgren) Subject: Phone Line in Use Indicator From Radio Shack Date: 13 May 94 19:56:58 GMT Organization: Pacific Bell Knowledge Network This isn't another request for the phone line in-use indicator. It's a FAQ answer for the same. Radio Shaft has: Catalog Number 43-108 phone line in-use indicator for those who are in need of such a thing (which seems quite often as of lately). I couldn't find the peg it came off of, so I can't tell you what the price is. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: But a quick stock check at the local 'shack' on the computer there priced it at $12.99. It is just a little plastic box with a short modular cord on the end. It plugs into any phone outlet and sits wherever you place it. When a phone on that line goes off hook, the LED lights up. Simple as they come. Radio Shack also has a new telephone/tape recorder combination which is supposed to be very good for recording from phone lines. It has a modular plug on the end also and you just plug it into the phone line, add the tape and turn it on. It goes on or off automatically when a phone on the line goes off hook. I'll see it later today or over the weekend for the first time. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 13 May 1994 11:28:32 -0400 From: Judith Oppenheimer Subject: Re: AT&T Collect Calling Comes to Canada On May 5th Dave Liebold wrote: > AT&T just announced the availability of its 1 800 CALL-ATT service > in Canada. This now allows Canadian callers to place collect calls to > U.S. destinations via AT&T. An introductory offer gives a 20% discount > to the called party's charges, at least for the next several weeks. > MCI's 1 800 COLLECT is still unavailable in Canada. There is a > recording which says the service is hoped to be available "later this > summer" -- a recording which is apparently still in place from *last* > summer. MCI released a statement a few days prior to AT&T's press release, stating that it's 1-800-COLLECT offered Canadians collect calling service into the U.S. It gave the impression that the service is available now. What's up? J. Oppenheimer Producer@pipeline.com ------------------------------ From: Alan.Leon.Varney@att.com Date: Thu, 12 May 1994 18:51:25 +0500 Subject: Re: NANP and Switches Organization: AT&T Network Systems In article jslupsky@pwss.gov.ab.ca (James Slupsky) writes: > Paul A. Lee wrote in his article: >> CO codes in the N0/1X range have been around for some time, especially >> in dense metropolitan NPAs, such as 212, 213, 312, 415, 202, etc.. > I don't believe this. The whole purpose of the new NANP was to change > from NNX to NXX, and to allow NXX type NPA's. All switch routing > software was designed to recognize that an NPA was N0X or N1X, and the > CO code was NNX. You can believe what you want, but the NANP Administrator says: 1951: Start of DDD 1952-1971: N0/1X-NNX-XXXX format for numbers 1972-1994: N0/1X-NXX-XXXX format for numbers 1995-????: NXX-NXX-XXXX format for numbers So NNX for CO codes ended in 1972. I started working on No. 1 ESS(tm) back in 1974, and its routing software had no problem with NXX formats ... Al Varney ------------------------------ From: daa@nic.cerf.net (David A. Avery) Subject: Re: NANP and Switches Date: 13 May 1994 05:52:56 GMT Organization: CerfNet In article , James Slupsky wrote: > Paul A. Lee wrote in his article: >> CO codes in the N0/1X range have been around for some time, especially >> in dense metropolitan NPAs, such as 212, 213, 312, 415, 202, etc.. > I don't believe this. The whole purpose of the new NANP was to change > from NNX to NXX, and to allow NXX type NPA's. All switch routing > software was designed to recognize that an NPA was N0X or N1X, and the > CO code was NNX. In the Los Angeles area: AC CO city AC CO city AC CO city AC CO city 213 217 LA1 310 201 Beverly Hills 310 401 Downey 310 603 Compton 213 302 LA1 310 202 Culver City 310 402 Norwalk 310 604 Compton 213 303 LA13 310 203 Beverly Hills 310 403 Norwalk 310 605 Compton 213 306 LA1 310 204 Culver City 310 404 Norwalk 310 606 El Segundo 213 307 LA1 310 205 Beverly Hills 310 405 Lakewood 310 607 El Segundo 213 312 LA1 310 206 West LA 310 406 Norwalk 310 608 Compton 213 413 LA10 310 207 West LA 310 407 Norwalk 310 609 Compton 213 418 LA9 310 208 West LA 310 408 Compton 310 610 Gardena 213 502 Gardena 310 209 West LA 310 409 Norwalk 310 615 El Segundo 213 504 LA1 310 210 Lakewood 310 410 Inglewood 310 616 El Segundo 213 506 LA1 310 212 Torrance 310 412 Inglewood 310 618 Torrance 213 508 LA1 310 214 Redondo Beach 310 414 El Segundo 310 715 Gardena 213 600 LA9 310 215 Inglewood 310 416 El Segundo 310 716 Gardena 213 612 LA1 310 216 Inglewood 310 417 Inglewood 310 718 Gardena 213 613 LA1 310 217 Gardena 310 419 Inglewood 310 719 Gardena 213 614 LA1 310 218 Long Beach 310 501 Gardena 310 801 Pico Rivera 213 617 LA1 310 219 Hawthorne 310 504 Gardena 310 802 Norwalk 213 701 LA1 310 301 Mar Vista 310 509 Compton 310 803 Downey 213 702 LA1 310 302 Mar Vista 310 510 Avalon 310 804 Norwalk 213 704 LA1 310 305 Mar Vista 310 512 Gardena 310 806 Downey 213 707 LA1 310 306 Mar Vista 310 513 San Pedro 310 807 Norwalk 213 708 Gardena 310 312 West LA 310 514 San Pedro 310 809 Norwalk 213 717 LA9 310 313 Mar Vista 310 515 Gardena 310 812 Hawthorne 213 812 LA1 310 314 Santa Monica 310 516 Gardena 310 813 Hawthorne 213 912 LA2 310 315 Santa Monica 310 517 Lomita 310 814 Hawthorne 213 913 LA2 310 316 Redondo Beach 310 518 San Pedro 310 815 Culver City 213 917 LA1 310 317 Malibu 310 519 San Pedro 310 816 San Pedro 213 918 Gardena 310 318 Redondo Beach 310 601 Compton 310 901 Long Beach 213 919 LA1 310 319 Santa Monica 310 602 Compton 310 902 La Habra This is a partial list not including AC 818 , AC714 or AC909 David A. Avery daa@cerf.net Avia Research Flight Simulation [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I won't bother with a long list of the ones here in Chicago like you did for LA, but I can assure you that once we here went to 1+ dialing several years ago, whole bunches of exhanges of this same form appeared here almost overnight. PAT] ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Call Display for New York Date: Thu, 12 May 94 14:59:21 PDT From: tad@ssc.com (Tad Cook) Tony Harminc writes: > A colleague left a message on my machine here in Toronto while he was > waiting for a plane at JFK airport in New York. To my surprise, the > Call Display data was not 'out of area' as it usually is for calls > from the USA, but the rather unlikely number 212 210-0000. I don't > know exactly where he placed the call from (other than that he had > cleared security at the time) or how he paid for it. I haven't tried > calling the number, but it seems very unlikely to be the actual number > on the payphone. I don't know which US carrier he used either - > perhaps they are just early in implementing the new FCC requirements > ;-) Assuming that the 0000 is fake, who would be setting the number > that way? The LEC (implying that the IXC doesn't get the real data)? > The IXC making some privacy assumptions of its own? The payphone > owner (COCOT)? I used the NPA program to track down that prefix, and it is served by a telco central office in Manhattan. According to NPA, the location of the CO is at 40.75 degrees north latitude, 73.97 degrees west longitude. That CO serves the following prefixes: 210, 218, 252, 253, 270, 271, 272, 273, 282, 284, 286, 287, 297, 301, 309, 314, 317, 329, 338, 351, 359, 370, 372, 375, 377, 401, 404, 413, 419, 426, 448, 454, 455, 457, 458, 461, 462, 467, 469, 471, 476, 485, 490, 503, 537, 551, 557, 565, 573, 591, 599, 610, 622, 624, 625, 682, 687, 692, 697, 712, 813, 818, 850, 851, 856,,867, 878, 880, 883, 890, 905, 907, 916, 922, 949 953, 954, 972, 973, 983, 984, 986, and 987. I suspect that the COCOT owner is transporting the calls to Manhattan from the airport, and maybe serves them from PBX type trunks that give a non-dialable seven digit number for the ANI. Maybe it has something to do with an AOS (Alternate Operator Service) that was handling the billing. By the way, NPA is a fascinating program. It has location, mileage, town (and even zip code for USA numbers) data for all prefixes in the North American Numbering Plan. It is available for $25 from: PC Consultant P.O. Box 42086 Houston TX 77242-2086 Ph. 713/826-2629 (v-mail no answer) I understand that you can leave a message with voice mail and they will return your call. tad@ssc.com (if it bounces, use 3288544@mcimail.com)| [put "attn Box #215" Tad Cook | Packet Amateur Radio: | Home Phone: | on fax or cover pg!] Seattle, WA | KT7H @ N7DUO.WA.USA.NA | 206-527-4089 | FAX: 206-525-1791 ------------------------------ From: nbschee@nbnet.nb.ca (Silas E. Cheeseman) Subject: Re: Emerging Cellular Systems Date: Thu, 12 May 1994 22:53:47 Organization: NB*Net In article uezechuk@mlsma.att.com writes: > 2) What advantages do digital cellular systems have over analog? Main advantage is privacy. Conventional scanners cannot monitor the calls. Contrary to popular belief digital cellular does not have better fidelity than analog. > 3) For a cellular operator, what are the ideal frequencies to operate in > and why? 870 to 890 MHz because that's where DOC (FCC in USA) say to. > 5) What are the impacts of operating in the higher reaches of the > spectrum, e.g. at GHz levels? What are the impacts of low power systems > and their advantages? Technical none, we've been doing it for years. Medically there is a belief that portable cellular phones may be linked to brain cancer. For the record, I agree with this possiblity. nbschee@mailserv.nbnet.nb.ca Silas E. Cheeseman Saint John, NB, Canada (506) 674-1321 Computer/FAX ------------------------------ From: cogorno@netcom.com (Steve Cogorno) Subject: Re: Connect a Card Reader to a Cell Phone? Date: Thu, 12 May 1994 19:13:51 PDT Said by: Ras Tafar > name and vendors won't check to make sure the card number and name > match. As for physical cards, a card reader/encoder could put my Oh yes they do. I worked for Macy*s California a couple of years ago, and *every* telephone order that came in that was to be charged to a non- R.H. Macy Co. Card (Macy's West, Macy's East, Bullocks, I. Magnin, and R.H. Macy Presidents Club) had to be sent in for verification with the card company. Not only did the name, number and expiration have to be checked, but also the address. In fact, we could not accept gift orders via telephone on MasterCard/Visa because the merchandise HAD to be shipped to the BILLING address (even if it was a PO Box). American Express would allow merchandise to go to another address, but an American Express agent had to call the Cardmember at home to verify the order. Of course our cash-register system immeadiately verified the name and address of Macy's Cards. > automated cashiers like they have at gas stations. Since I've had my > Discover card number used fraudulently at gas stations for two I cannot speak to Sear's Financial Network's policies as we did not deal with Discover Cards. Steve cogorno@netcom.com #608 Merrill * 200 McLaughlin Drive * Santa Cruz, CA 95064-1015 ------------------------------ From: john%banzai.pcc.com@sadye.EMBA.UVM.EDU (John Canning) Subject: Re: AT&T Major Billing Errors! Date: Thu, 12 May 94 22:51:54 EDT Pat - In comp.dcom.telecom, you made the following comments about Shantanu Jana's posting about AT&T's problems with billing: > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Part or all of the problem lies in the fact > that AT&T billing is done by the various local telephone companies and > they (the local telcos) seem to not always be up to snuff at having the > right software for billing in place. Probably AT&T should have mentioned > to you when you first enrolled in their various offerings that in the > event your bill -- as prepared and sent to you by the local telco -- was > incorrect you should call them (as you have done) and they would issue a > manual credit covering the differences between what they advertised and > what the local telco in fact charged. I think you may be coming down a > little to hard on them demanding a written apology, etc. PAT] I am no fan of our local phone company; they mess things up all the time. The first time I thought they got something right was when we moved our office eight months ago. Everything worked beautifully. Until a month later when they suddenly disconnected our service by accident. They thought they were shutting off our old service but got confused ... In any case, I find Shantanu's story rather familiar. I ran into a similar problem last year when I tried to sign up for one of the discount plans. Everything was fine for two months. Then, I was suddenly cut off from the plan. It took several phone calls to the AT&T 1-800 number and two months before they got me back on the plan and arranged for a credit for the previous bills. To this day, I have no idea why I was cut off from the program. However, the experience we had with AT&T's Uniplan office was much, much, worse. When we moved our office last year, we met with our local AT&T rep to go over our office move plans. She wrote us up a new contract and made arrangements for our new calling cards, 1-800 numbers, etc. Everything worked fine except for the billing. AT&T kept sending our bills to New England Telephone rather than to their Uniplan office. It took them five months to get the billing directed to their Uniplan office. In the meantime, we were having to pay an extra $1,500 each month to our local phone company. We asked AT&T to issue us a credit, but they refused to do it. Instead, once the bills were finally straightened out, we received a bunch of free service - partially due to the accrued credits. They also issued us a free month of phone service to apologize for the comedy of errors that we had to live through. Unlike Shantanu, we spent *hours* on the phone with the billing office folks from AT&T. Through this, I learned that very few people at AT&T understand their promotional offerings and only the service people who fix things at 2 AM really understand how the phone system works. Bottom line -- I believe every word that Shantanu said. The problems he experienced were caused by AT&T, not his local phone company. John Canning The Physician's Computer Company Essex Junction, Vermont ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V14 #223 ****************************** -------------------------------------------------------------------------------