TELECOM Digest Mon, 16 May 94 12:44:00 CDT Volume 14 : Issue 229 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Reach Out and Pay Someone (Van Hefner) GTE Analog Pocket Phone (Gerard Carat) Annoyance Calls From Answering Machine (Rodney Weaver) Umass/Amherst Suffers From Week-long Service Degradation (Jonathan Welch) Info-Affaires Bell Audiotex Service (Nigel Allen) New Area Codes Assigned (Tom Ward) Inteljak Wireless Phone Jak System (bigbog@netcom.com) Telecoms Training (Andrew Hartridge) Clipper [was Re: Fax Cited in Numbers Bust] (Joel M. Hoffman) Need Info on R.L. Drake Co. (Al Cohan) Bellcore NANP Seminars Coming (Gregory P. Monti) Nationwide CID, CLASS and Related Services (Jim Derdzinski) Re: FCC Order on Interstate Caller-ID (John R. Levine) You're Gonna LOVE This! (Van Hefner) 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: VANTEK@aol.com Date: Mon, 16 May 94 12:33:58 EDT Subject: Reach Out and Pay Someone AMERITECH GIVING MONEY TO PAY PHONE, CALLING CARD USERS CHICAGO, May 10 /PRNewswire/ -- The price of a pay phone or telephone calling card call is going to get plenty "lucrative" for some lucky Ameritech customers. The communications company is launching a sweepstakes program that will give consumers on-the-spot awards just for using its products. Starting next week, Ameritech will begin awarding cash prizes from $10 to $5,000 to hundreds of randomly selected users of its pay phones and calling card. "Some fortunate pay phone customers are going to finish their calls, then find out they just won $5,000," said Karen Vessely, Ameritech's president of pay phone services. Ameritech representatives will be incognito at hundreds of its publicly accessible pay phones on certain dates through the end of July, on the prowl for the first person to make a coin call during predetermined time periods. The lucky caller will be asked to scratch off an instant-win ticket that will tell them how much they won. Any of Ameritech's publicly accessible pay phones in the Midwest could be selected. During the campaign, every calling card call made using the Ameritech Calling Card or Complete Card also represents an entry to win. Calling card winners will be selected in a drawing in October. Vessely said Ameritech is launching the sweepstakes to respond to growing competition in the pay phone and calling card industries. "We want consumers to realize the value and quality in using Ameritech to provide these services, rather than AT&T or MCI, or another pay phone company, " Vessely explained. "The sweepstakes is a fun way to get customers to look for the Ameritech brand." For the "Make the Right Call and Go Wild" sweepstakes, prizes will include five, $5,000 grand prizes; ten, $1,000 first-place awards; and 250 prizes of $10 and $50. Customers will find out about the program through bill inserts and an extensive radio and outdoor ad campaign that begins next week. Consumers also can participate in the contest by submitting a write-in entry. Ameritech helps 12 million customers communicate and manage information, primarily in the Midwest. It also has investments in New Zealand, Hungary, Poland and other countries. Van Hefner Discount Long Distance Digest vantek@aol.com [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: All the 'genuine Bell' payphones around here have been decorated with a little sticker saying 'Ameritech Sweep- stakes' for a few weeks now. The stickers go on to say that 'your call could be a winner ...' PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 16 May 94 04:48:29 CDT From: Gerard CARAT Subject: GTE Analog Pocket Phone GTE plans to launch in the US a national analog pocket phone which presents partial similarities with the dead CT2 Rabbit network in the UK: Telego can be used inside the home as a limited range cordless phone, transmitting signals through a normal wire telephone line. Outside the home, it automatically switches mode and becomes a cellular phone. However, it is not designed for customers who want to "roam", that is use their phones when travelling long distances. Does it mean that, when outside of home, it also works with base stations and cannot provide roaming over 200 yards? Or will it behave like a cellular network at least in the perimeter of several miles. Can it be used in cars/trains or will users need to be in relatively slow motion? Gerard CARAT ------------------------------ From: 7657 Subject: Annoyance Calls From Answering Machine Date: 16 May 1994 10:54:27 -0500 Organization: Promus Companies, Inc., Memphis, TN I'm having problems with a series of annoyance calls from an answering machine, and I was hoping someone here could suggest a solution. Someone has programmed their answering machine to call my number every time they get a message, so throughout the day I get calls that have a long pause, then a male synthesized voice says "Hello. You have a new message. Please Enter remote code." Normally these calls are during the day while I'm at work, so I just need to delete them from my machine, however, occasionally I get a call at seven in the morning, which is downright annoying since I don't normally plan on getting up that early. The number of calls per day range from zero to ten, with an average of fifteen calls per week. I've tried guessing at the remote code, and tried hitting numbers on the phone keypad hoping that I can find a magic number that either turns off his machine, or lets me leave a message. The only thing I've discovered is that hitting "*" makes his machine hang up immediately. The South Central Bell Annoyance Call Center hasn't been much help. They put "tracing equipment" on my phone for ten days, and I called them every day with a list of times for each call I received in that day. After the ten day period, they sent the calling party a *letter* telling them of the problem, then when the calls continued for another two weeks, I called the Annoyance Call Center several times until finally they *phoned* the calling party, who claimed that they did not understand why I kept getting calls. So now, another week later, I am still getting the calls, and the Annoyance Call Center, being helpful as always, said that they would make the effort to put their "tracing equipment" on my line for another ten days. I am not hopeful that after they once again verify the number from which I am receiving the calls that they will be able (or willing) to do anything about it, so I'm asking for any suggestions for a resolution of the problem. The Annoyance Call Center could not recommend anything other than letting them trace the calls again to verify the source of the calls. It is possible that the original caller returned their machine to the store when they first received the letter, and that now someone new has the machine with my number programmed in it. If this is the case, then the Annoyance Call Center will need to do more than just send a letter to the calling party. I know that I could get Caller ID and call the people myself, but I would like to avoid the expense of the connection fee, caller ID box, and monthly fee, so instead, I am wasting hundreds, of not thousands of dollars of the net's money to ask for suggestions. Thanks, Rodney Weaver lweaver@promus.com [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: It is unlikely the machine went back to the store and that now someone else has it. How would you explain the unlikely coincidence that some second person (new buyer of returned machine) also accidentally programmed the very same (wrong) number into the equipment? Most likely the same person has the machine and simply is too ignorant to get the equipment under control or doesn't care, etc. This means you will have to attend to it for him. Yes, definitly put Caller-ID on your phone line, along with 'return last call'. Be certain to save all the receipts for your expenses, since he will be paying for the costs you have incurred. Pin down the source of the calls if you can, and use a cross reference directory (your local library probably has one) to locate the owner of the number if his number is published. Send him a polite letter by certified mail requesting that he cease and desist from calling you on the phone and requesting that he make whatever adjustments are required to any automated equipment in his poss- ession and under his control so it will not make such calls either. Advise him of the expense you have incurred in an effort to locate him and request his check in payment. Conclude by telling him that you have previously referred the problem to the Annoyance Call Bureau at telco and are sending them a copy of this letter as well. You will give him ten days to bring himself into compliance and submit his check to reimburse you for your expenses, at which point you will assume suit in Small Claims Court is required if he has not cooperated. Send a copy to the Annoyance Call Bureau, also by certified mail. In the event his number is non-published and not available in a cross-reference book, then instead write your letter to the telco, advising them that you now have the number and are demanding that telco disconnect his service until/unless he brings himself into compliance. Quote his number in the letter to them (along with his name and address if you have it) to show them you mean business. If you cannot locate his name and address, then refuse to pay for the portion of your bill which relates to the Caller-ID service, referring the telco Business Office to the Annoyance Call people and letting them know you needed the equipment to 'cooperate with an ongoing investigation into the source of harassing calls you are receiving.' Stand your ground and don't budge. Either the guy has his machine mis- programmed to dial your number, or it is programmed correctly but dialing incorrectly (both are his problem) or it is dialing correctly but some equipment in the central office is on the intermittant fritz (telco's problem, and less likely than the first two probabilities). You will get the problem resolved, belive me. And, most important, *do not* harass him in return! However, an occassional phone call in which you actually speak to him and attempt to counsel him can hardly be considered harassment if you call in a courteous and business-like manner. Let us know how it all works out. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 16 May 1994 09:09:11 -0500 From: Jonathan_Welch Subject: Umass/Amherst Suffers From Week-long Service Degradation After slightly over a week of unreliable phone service things returned to normal and the following appeared in the May 13th edition of "The Campus Chronicle". Jonathan Welch VAX Systems Manager Umass/Amherst JHWELCH@ecs.umass.edu - - - Telephone system returned to normal As you know, the University had a major problem with the campus telephone system which began last Monday, May 2. The symptoms of the problem included calls being cut off, static, a "fast busy" tone when calling on campus and telephones without dial tone. The symptoms were sporadic and fairly random for both academic/administrative telephones and residential telephones. As soon as the problem started, Ericsson, the manufacturer and maintainer of the telephone system, responded. Ericsson staff worked straight through from Monday morning to late Thursday evening to diagnose and remedy the problem. In addition to the normal three on-site technicians, Ericsson brought in staff from their regional headquarters in Northboro, and flew in a high level technician/ system programmer from the Technical Assistance Center in Cypress, Calif. They also had programmers in Cypress and Sweden working remotely to stabilize the system and to determine the cause of the problem. The problem with the system resulted from a unique set of circumstances involving software parameters, system clocking and a normal maintenance procedure performed on the system. The problem was exacerbated by the increases of load on the telephone system we have experienced this year. The campus telephone system is a complex, distributed computer. Such systems are designed with a great deal of redundancy and can self-correct for many faults. Once the problem occurred, parts of the system were contin- ually trying to reset themselves. In this instance, the complexity of the system and its attempts at self-correction made it difficult to trace the problem and stabilize the system. By Wednesday afternoon, Ericsson had made substantial progress in correcting the problem. They made a configuration adjustment in the system and implemented a slight but important programming change in lhe software. This adjustment, while straightforward, was difficult to install on the system because of the heavy call volume on campus and the size of the campus system (18,000 lines on 119 system modules). What Ericsson accomplished is analogous to fixing an electrical problem in a car traveling down the highway at 50 miles per hour. The parameter they adjusted did not initiate the problem, but the change allowed the system to return to normal operations. By early Thursday morning in the residence halls and noon on Thursday in the academic/administrative area of campus, service had considerably improved. Except for a brief interruption of service while circuits were being tested, calls in progress were no longer interrupted by static or cut off. There may have been some problems completing a call or placing long distance calls while work was in progress. However, in general TelCom was quite sucoessful at assisting individuals in making their long distance calls. Ericsson has made adjustments in the system configuration, system clocking and maintenance procedures to ensure that this problem will not recur. I realize the telephone service problems last week were very frustrating for everyone. Telephone service is an important part of our daily lives and any interruptions or degrada- tions in service are a very serious problem. I truly appreciate the patience of the campus community while we struggled to deal wilh the problem. We in TelCom, as well as the Ericsson staff, were even more frustrated (if that is possible) at not being able to get the problem resolved quickly. We apologize for the difficulties and will work closely with Ericsson to prevent this problem from occurring again. Randy Sailer, director Telecommunication Services ------------------------------ From: Nigel.Allen@f438.n250.z1.fidonet.org (Nigel Allen) Date: 15 May 94 21:49:05 -0500 Subject: Info-Affaires Bell Audiotex Service Organization: FidoNet Nameserver/Gateway Bell Canada and the Montreal newspaper La Press are running a free French-language audiotex service, Info-Affaires Bell, featuring business information. Call (514) 875-2355 to use the system. Once you have listened to a particular item, you can ask for information to be faxed to you. All the information is in French. I don't think that Bell Canada has any plans to offer a similar service in English. Nigel Allen ------------------------------ From: gaypanda@pinn.net (Tom Ward) Subject: New Area Codes Assigned Date: 16 May 1994 15:56:32 GMT Organization: Pinnacle Online In the latest release of AT&T's Area Code Handbook, the following new area codes will be assigned: OLD NEW Effective Permissive Dialing NPA NPA State Date Date End 206 360 Washington 1/15/95 1/15/95 7/9/95 205 334 Alabama 1/15/95 1/15/95 3/13/95 602 520 Arizona 3/19/95 3/19/95 7/23/95 Other new NXX NPA's assigned but not listed in this handbook are: 310 562 California 217 630 Illinois Tom Ward CompuServe: 73441,237 Internet: gaypanda@everest.pinn.net AT&T Mail: thomasward@attmail.com ------------------------------ From: bigbob@netcom.com (Lord of Love!) Subject: Inteljak Wireless Phone Jak System Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest) Date: Mon, 16 May 1994 06:26:25 GMT I bought this thing and it was completely useless! Save your money and aggravation by buying a good cordless phone. bigbob@netcom.com [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Care to elaborate on the main problems you were having? PAT] ------------------------------ From: aa744@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Andrew Hartridge) Subject: Telecoms Training Date: 16 May 1994 13:03:49 GMT Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA) Reply-To: aa744@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Andrew Hartridge) Hi, We are just about to expand into a new building and I find myself faced with the problem of hooking up 1000 phone sets and many data ports. I have not had any experience with doing a new installation. I've always just had to make do with what I have inherited. Question: Are there any training organizations out there, or reference materials on 'How to set up and configure telecomms systems' ... e.g. pros and cons of different wiring closet configurations? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Please reply via e-mail as I don't get to read news very often. Many thanks, Andrew Hartridge ------------------------------ From: joel@wam.umd.edu (Joel M. Hoffman) Subject: Clipper [was Re: Fax Cited in Numbers Bust] Date: Sun, 15 May 1994 20:27:12 GMT Organization: Excelsior Computer Services In article atfurman@cup.portal.com writes: > The {New York Times}, as quoted by Dave Thompson: >> For 30 years, Raymond Marquez was a thorn to law-enforcement >> agencies and a legend to countless gamblers in Harlem and East Harlem... >> But the authorities said yesterday that they had arrested Mr. >> Marquez, 64, and his wife, Alice, 63, on felony gambling charges and >> had raided and closed 56 gambling parlors and backroom offices .... > Those whose business it is to mind everyone else's business will > insist that the struggle against "numbers" cannot be won unless > Raymond Marquez's successor is prevented from using effective > encryption (that is, something other than Clipper). They are right. This seems to be a major source of misunderstanding. The proposed new law will >NOT< make it impossible for average users to encrypt their data. It will only make sure that the phone company encrypts the data in a way that authorities can break. There will still be nothing (as there is not now) to prevent any user from implementing further encryption. Joel (joel@wam.umd.edu) ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 16 May 94 10:39:00 EST From: Al Cohan <0004526627@mcimail.com> Subject: Need Info on R.L. Drake Co. I know this is a little off the subject but I have been desparately trying to find the R. L. Drake Co. formerly of Miamiville, OH. I need info, manuals, etc on their 424 Satellite Receiver and 424 Antenna Positioner. I remember that Drake, if it's the same company was a big player in the 50's and 60's with ham radio. I assume it's the same company but can't find them. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance, Al Cohan ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 16 May 1994 09:57:05 EDT From: Gregory P. Monti Subject: Bellcore NANP Seminars Coming The May 13 issue of the newsletter {Communications Daily} reports that Bellcore will hold seminars on the changes to the North American Numbering Plan over the next six months. They will be in Washington June 16-17, Chicago Aug. 4-5, Dallas Sept. 15-16, and San Francisco Nov. 10-11. The story quotes North American Numbering Plan Administration Director Ronald Conners as saying that, "telephone company switches and customers' PBXs may need software or hardware upgrades or, in some cases, may have to be replaced." The story doesn't mention costs, but gives a number for information: 800 TEACH-ME (800 832-2463). Greg Monti Arlington, Virginia, USA gmonti@cap.gwu.edu ------------------------------ Date: 16 May 94 12:26:04 EDT From: Jim Derdzinski <73114.3146@CompuServe.COM> Subject: Nationwide CID, CLASS and Related Services I have a couple of questions about CLASS services. I know that the FCC has issued a ruling making is possible for long-distance numbers to work with the Caller ID service that the various LEC's are now offering. Will the long-distance number identification work with the other CLASS services like Automatic Callback, Call Screening, Repeat Dialing, Call Tracing, etc? I figure it should, considering that if the calling number can be displayed, then those services should be able to make use of it. (For instance, it would be nice to be able to repeat dial (*66) a long distance number that is frequently busy.) Another question I have concerns an oddity I have encountered here (in the land of Ameritech). It seems that when an older CO is finally upgraded to work with CID, the calling numbers originating from it will display, but Distinctive Ringing, Automatic Callback and the like will not work with these numbers. Is there some kind of update that has to done to the equipment to register new CO's and such? (This, I guess, may be related to the above.) ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 16 May 94 00:20 EDT From: johnl@iecc.com (John R Levine) Subject: Re: FCC Order on Interstate Caller-ID Organization: I.E.C.C., Cambridge, Mass. I wrote: > In other words, per-line blocking is a bad idea because subscribers > are too dumb to unblock calls when they want to unblock them, although > they're not to dumb to block calls when they want to block them. Padgett wrote: > This is not what was said at all: a correct statement would be that a > subscriber might not know how to unblock or, that unblocking was > needed, or even that the line was blocked when an emergency call is > placed and they might not have blocked it. Yes, they said that, but they had no concern whatsoever that people who needed to block calls for various entirely valid reasons would have trouble dialing *67. Why is dialing *67 to block CLID easy, while dialing *99 or something to unblock it hard? Why isn't it a problem that someone who needs to block CLID (cliche example: abused wife calling spouse to negotiate about kids) might not know the line was enabled for CLID or know how to block it? I also find their scenarios about life-threatening CLID blocking a wee bit far fetched, since telcos are moving fairly quickly to universal 911 and as far as I know all 911 systems use ANI. The death scenario seems to be: A) someone makes an emergency call to a number other than 911, B) the caller's line has CLID line blocking C) the caller is able to dial but unable to say where he or she is D) the caller can't dial the unblock code E) the callee has real-time access to reverse directory information (remember, this isn't 911) and so can quickly determine who the caller is and can rush over and save him and/or her. Maybe I'm unduly sceptical, but this seems like an awful stretch for a rationale to forbid a useful service already available in many states. If this is a big problem, I don't understand why deceased CLID-less phone users haven't been littering the landscape since the advent of dial phones. Many readers will be relieved to know that in today's mail I received some stickers from NYNEX to apply to the phone in my trailer in Vermont warning users that the line has default CLID blocking and one has to dial *67 to enable it. Of course, last month we got a postcard advising us that 911 now works in our extremely rural town, so CLID emergency calls are moot. > We have already seen the question appear relating to "How do you know > with per line blocking if it is toggled on or off ?" One answer would > be star-six-seven on and "something else" off but the phone company only > has 100 star numbers now. True. Fortunately, some of them remain unassigned so it's a perfectly workable solution. Regards, John Levine, johnl@iecc.com, jlevine@delphi.com, 1037498@mcimail.com ------------------------------ From: VANTEK@aol.com Date: Mon, 16 May 94 08:08:45 EDT Subject: You're Gonna LOVE This!!! MCI AND FOX DON CAP & GOWN FOR GRADUATION 'MELROSE PLACE,' 'BEVERLY HILLS, 90210' & MCI LINEUP THE STARS WITH FREE HOTLINE SEND A CELEBRITY GRADGRAM TO YOUR FAVORITE GRAD WASHINGTON, May 12 /PRNewswire/ -- For the graduate who has everything, MCI and Fox Broadcasting Company are offering personalized messages from the stars of FOX's "Melrose Place" and "Beverly Hills, 90210," MCI said. Callers can choose from Andrew Shue (Billy Campbell) and Courtney Thorne-Smith (Alison Parker) from "Melrose Place"; and Jennie Garth (Kelly Taylor), Tori Spelling (Donna Martin) and Ian Ziering (Steve Sanders), from "Beverly Hills, 90210." Beginning May 16th through June 30th, anyone can dial 1-800-671-5225 and send a message from the five most popular stars in television today to the graduate of their choice. MCI Celebrity GradGrams are pre-recorded messages from the actors -- providing congratulations, advice and tips on making it in the real world after graduation. The caller simply chooses which actor's message to send from a voice-prompted menu, leaves their name and indicates the home phone number of the recipient grad. The message is then automatically delivered. With each call made, MCI will make a $1 donation up to $100,000 to Do Something, a national non-profit organization which seeks to inspire and assist young people to take problem-solving action in their communities. "Young people have great ideas to improve their communities, but often lack the resources and guidance needed to put their ideas into action," says Andrew Shue, actor and co-founder of Do Something. "The support of MCI and FOX will help Do Something give every young person the opportunity to strengthen their community." Founded in 1993, Do Something is dedicated to providing local and national grants of up to $500 to young people to implement creative community-building projects across the country. Grant applications are available at participating Blockbuster Video Stores, Guess? merchants, Boys and Girls Clubs and other community organizations. MCI, headquartered in Washington, D.C. is the nation's second-largest long distance provider. MCI offers residential savings and superior customer service through a number of products and services including: Friends & Family, Best Friends, 1-800-COLLECT, the MCI VideoPhone, MCI Friends Around The World Anytime, The MCI Card and WorldPhone. (This is so stupid it has to be heard to be believed! Of course this comes from the same company that operated an 800 number that let you play sound effects of 'a flock of seagulls' with your touchtone phone. You are led through an IVR menu that let's you 'pick the star' then record your name to be delivered to the phone number you enter, at the time of day/night you wish it to be delivered! Need I say more?!!?) Van Hefner Discount Long Distance Digest vantek@aol.com [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Ah, I would not come down quite so hard on them Vance. If the service is free (as it appears to be; there is no mention of any fee being charged to the parents or proud grandparents or friends or whoever place the order) then the fact that MCI is giving a dollar for each call made is generous of them. Admittedly, none of the people speaking in the messages exactly inspire me, but then, what do I know about anything? It doesn't say much for the USA of the 1990's, but those television shows are among the most popular on the air today so if those stars can do something to make a difference, let them have at it. The people who would inspire *me* under the circumstances are (as they say in college) 'dead white men' all of whom passed before any method of recording their voice for future generations had been devised, with a couple of exceptions. There are a few bright kids in the USA, but promotions like the one you describe are intended for the not-so-bright ones, many of whom also had stupid teachers. Let them have a few minutes of happieness and hope in their otherwise dreary lives. PAT] ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V14 #229 ******************************