TELECOM Digest Mon, 23 May 94 12:24:00 CDT Volume 14 : Issue 243 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Book Review: "Internet: Mailing Lists" by Hardie/Neou (Rob Slade) Competitive Market Structure for Alaskan Telecommunications (Bob Keller) Network "Resources" on GSM? (Steve Davies) Motorola Cellular Phones (was Re: Lexus Cellular Phones) (Harry P. Haas) Itemized Billing in UK (Randy Gellens) Fujitsu F9600VS PBX (Jeff Wahlgren) Cordless Phone Wanted With Ten Mile Range (Roger Guorong) TMN/ASN.1/GSM Specialists Needed (Jay Borden) What Kind of Capacity is in VBI? (Paul Robinson) Microsoft Telephony API (Marco A. Pinones) What is a New Activation? (Bob Berger) Hunting GTE (Paul Callahan) War Department Technical Manual (Ry Jones) "Best Booth" at Supercomm (Randy Gellens) Hackers On Planet Earth Newsgroups (kc@escape.com) Accidental Phone Silliness ;) (Elana Beach) 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 22 May 1994 15:17:56 MDT From: Rob Slade Subject: Book Review: "Internet: Mailing Lists" by Hardie/Neou BKINTMLS.RVW 940217 Prentice Hall 113 Sylvan Avenue Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632 (515) 284-6751 FAX (515) 284-2607 or 11711 N. College Ave. Carmel, IN 46032-9903 or 201 W. 103rd Street Indianapolis, IN 46290 or 15 Columbus Circle New York, NY 10023 800-428-5331 or Market Cross House Cooper Street Chichester, West Sussex PO19 1EB England phyllis@prenhall.com - Phyllis Eve Bregman is postmaster 70621.2737@CompuServe.COM Alan Apt Beth Mullen-Hespe beth_hespe@prenhall.com "Internet: Mailing Lists", Hardie/Neou, 1994, 0-13-289661-3 "What are you writing?" "Another book review ... " "Figures. What's it on?" "The Internet." "Now, there's a surprise! I think I'm gonna have a heart attack and die from *not* being ..." "That's getting old." "Hummph. So this is another Internet guide?" "Nope. It's about mailing lists or distribution lists." "Like in junk mail? 'You may already be a winner' type of thing?" "Well, if it's an unmoderated list, junk mail comes close. Basically these are mail programs assigned to a certain topic. Everyone who is interested in a topic can join a list. When they send a message to the list, it goes out to everyone who is signed up. And everyone signed up gets a copy of all mail sent to the list. However, since it is on the Internet, rather than done through the postal system, it can run fast enough to seem almost like a conversation." "So these guys explain all about it?" "Well, not in a lot of detail. They give a brief idea of the concept, and the different programs like requesters, BITNET LISTSERVs, mail servers and MAILBASE. They even mention Usenet, which does the same type of thing in a different way, even though it isn't really covered. They don't give a lot of detail, but you can always get help from these systems, anyway. One of the big irritations in mailing lists is people who send administrative messages, like when they want to join or quit, to the list itself, rather than the controlling program. They don't belabour the fact, but they do mention it. Twice." "So this is a short book?" "Almost 600 pages." "?" "Most of the book is a listing of a number of mailing lists. You can get similar lists on the net, but this includes lists from a number of sources, as well as more detail than you might get from a simple listing. They also have probably done some editing to get rid of some deadwood. More than deadwood, actually. NETTRAIN doesn't make it." "So you could get all this free? Why buy the book?" "Oh, you could get all the info, and more up to date stuff as well. But you'd have to grab yourself three or four huge files. Even then, you wouldn't have all the info that is listed here. You'd also have to check it out different ways, search all the synonyms for what you want, and that sort of thing. If you are just a hobby user, maybe you don't want this, but if you are serious about the Internet, then you probably do. If you are acting as an Internet resource or trainer you *definitely* want this book." "Good index, then?" "Not perfect. If you want to find the DOROTHYL mystery writing list, it isn't listed under mystery, writing, fiction, or even Sayers. BEN, which deals with botany and ecology of the Pacific coast isn't listed under either botany or ecology. The index could certainly use some work, but it's a start." "Hmmm. Sounds interesting. Can I borrow it?" "No." copyright Robert M. Slade, 1994 BKINTMLS.RVW 940217. Distribution permitted in TELECOM Digest and associated newsgroups/mailing lists. DECUS Canada Communications, Desktop, Education and Security group newsletters Editor and/or reviewer ROBERTS@decus.ca, RSlade@sfu.ca, Rob Slade at 1:153/733 DECUS Symposium '95, Toronto, ON, February 13-17, 1995, contact: rulag@decus.ca ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 23 May 1994 13:52:35 GMT From: Bob Keller Subject: Competitive Market Structure for Alaskan Telecommunications Report No. DC-2600 ACTION IN DOCKET CASE May 19, 1994 NEW COMPETITIVE MARKET STRUCTURE ADOPTED FOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICE IN ALASKA (CC DOCKET 83-1376) The Commission has adopted a new market structure for telecommunications service in Alaska that will ensure universal service to Alaskans, more fully open the Alaskan telecommunications market to competition, and foster improved efficiency and economic growth. The new market structure is patterned after the competitive market structures in the rest of the country, where carriers compete on price and services. The new structure will replace the Joint Services Arrangement (JSA) under which AT&T and Alascom, Inc., currently provide telecommunications service to and from Alaska. The JSA will be terminated on January 1, 1996. The Commission generally adopted, with minor clarifications and modifications, the Final Recommended Decision adopted by the Alaska Joint Board on October 26, 1993. The Commission said that the recommendations were in the public interest because they provide a comprehensive solution to the Alaska market issues and because they best achieve the five objectives adopted earlier by the Joint Board -- preservation of universal service; continuation of rate integration; maintenance of revenue requirement neutrality; allowance of market-based competitive entry; and encouragement of increased efficiency. Under the market structure adopted in the order, AT&T must provide interstate message telephone service and wide area telecommunications service (collectively referred to as MTS) between Alaska and the lower 48 states at integrated rates and under the same terms and conditions, including quality, technical standards, and availability, applicable to AT&T's provision of services in the Lower 48 states. AT&T must also furnish MTS service between Alaska and Hawaii at integrated rates. After the JSA is terminated, Alascom can offer interstate MTS, independently from AT&T, under its own tariff with no obligation to charge AT&T's integrated rates. Alascom must provide common carrier services to other interexchange carriers providing service to Alaska on a nondiscriminatory basis under tariff at rates that reflect Alascom's cost of service. Alascom's tariff will provide separate rate schedules for competitive (non-Bush) and Bush areas of Alaska. The costs of service in each of these categories will be prepared pursuant to a cost allocation plan developed by Alascom and approved by the FCC. Alascom will continue to have a facilities-based monopoly in the Bush. As the only carrier providing facilities in the Bush, other carriers must use Alascom's facilities to provide service to and from the Bush. Alascom will recover the costs of providing service to the Bush, including satellite and other facilities, through tariffs. Moreover, the order retains the factor for circuit equipment that allocates 86% of the costs of such equipment, including satellite costs, to the interstate jurisdiction. The Commission emphasized its commitment to ensuring preservation of telecommunications service to the Bush. The order requires a four year transition and a number of transition mechanisms before the new market structure is fully implemented. During the first phase, beginning July 1, 1994, AT&T and Alascom will continue to provide service jointly pursuant to the JSA. The JSA will terminate at the end of the first phase effective January 1, 1996. During the second phase AT&T and Alascom may provide service independently. AT&T will be required to purchase from Alascom a fixed amount of service that declines over the two and one half year period. The order requires that the amount AT&T must purchase is based on the demand for north and south bound traffic in the last year of the JSA. This amount is then adjusted to reflect the use by Alascom and other interexchange carriers of Alascom's facilities for interstate MTS. AT&T is required to fund a reduction in Alascom's plant balances by a transition payment to Alascom of $150 million in two installments of $75 million to be paid on July 1, 1994 and upon termination of the JSA. Alascom must apply the payment first to reduce its central office switching plant accounts and then the remaining depreciable accounts. This payment by AT&T to Alascom is eligible for exogenous treatment under the Commission's price cap rules for AT&T. Finally, the order allows AT&T to request equal access from Alaska local exchange carriers. Action by the Commission May 19, 1994, by Memorandum Opinion and Order (FCC 94-116). Chairman Hundt, Commissioners Quello and Barrett. News Media contact: Rosemary Kimball at (202) 632-5050. Common Carrier Bureau contacts: Rose Crellin at (202) 632-1292 and Robert Hall at (202) 634-1861. - FCC - Bob Keller Robert J. Keller, P.C. Tel +1 301 229 5208 rjk@telcomlaw.com Federal Telecommunications Law Fax +1 301 229 6875 finger me for daily FCC info + see ftp.clark.net:/pub/rjk/ for other files ------------------------------ From: steve@iaccess.za (Steve Davies) Subject: Network "Resources" on GSM? Date: 22 May 1994 21:21:31 +0200 Organization: Internet Access public-access service Hi Telecommers, I am looking for information about the GSM cellular phone system. The GSM system has recently been launched here in South Africa and I would like to educate myself. Are there any mailing lists that discuss GSM? How about archive sites with information? Many thanks for reading! Steve Davies, Compustat (Pty) Ltd steve@cstat.co.za ------------------------------ From: hhaas@saffron.gatech.edu (Harry P. Haas) Subject: Motorola Cellular Phones (was: Re: Lexus Cellular Phones) Date: 23 May 1994 14:12:27 GMT Organization: Georgia Tech Research Institute In article , John Gilbert wrote: > From Motorola Cellular Service Bulletin #179 4/92 > Motorola strongly discourages any attempt to install a standard > Motorola cellular telephone into unique OEM cables. Custom features > designed into OEM phones are not operaable with standard Motorola > equipment, and standard Motorola telephones do not operate properly on > OEM-designed cables. While we're on the subject ... I have a Motorola flip-phone with the hands free kit/3watt amp. It makes for the same setup as the lexus, without muting the stereo. BUT, my stereo has a mute input wire, and the CELLULAR 3-WATT VEHICULAR ADAPTER has a wire yellow-black wire labeled "Auxilary Alert". Hmmm. So does anyone know what the "Auxiliary Alert" wire is used for? If it is not an "activity" signal, does anyone know how to get an "activity" signal from the Motorola system so that I can mute my stereo? Thanks in advance. Harry Haas GTRI/SEAL/RSD/ASB Georgia Tech Research Institute Research Engineer II 225 North Ave. harry.haas@gtri.gatech.edu Atlanta Georgia, 30332 ------------------------------ From: RANDY@MPA15AB.mv-oc.Unisys.COM Date: 22 MAY 94 23:55:00 GMT Subject: Itemized Billing in UK An episode of "Eastenders," shown last week in Southern California (which runs about a year or more behind the U.K.) featured a character quite shocked to learn that his phone calls to his mistress now show up as itemized call detail on their phone bill. These were local toll calls from the East End to the West End, which I assume are expensive calls. Did the U.K. implement itemized local billing? Randall Gellens randy@mv-oc.unisys.com (714) 380-6350 fax (714) 380-5912 Mail Stop MV 237 Net**2 656-6350 ------------------------------ From: wahlgren@interaccess.com (Jeff Wahlgren) Subject: Fujitsu F9600VS PBX Date: Mon, 23 May 1994 10:34:56 GMT Organization: InterAccess,Chicagoland's Full Service Internet Provider Has anyone had any experience with the Fujitsu F9600VS PBX? I am looking to purchase a new switch for our schools in the near future. Good, bad, anticdotal, information, stories, any info much appreciated. Email to wahlgren@interaccess.com or post reply. Thanks in advance. ------------------------------ From: hu_g@isis.cs.odu.edu (Guorong Roger) Subject: Cordless Phone Wanted With Ten Mile Range Date: 23 May 1994 15:54:10 GMT Organization: Old Dominion University CS Dept. Is there any kind of CORDLESS PHONE which can be used for ten to twenty miles distance (not a cellular phone, not the regular cordless phone which can only be used within the house). The telephone should still use the regular telephone switching system. The master piece of the phone should be installed at home, and the handset could be bring ten to twenty miles away from the home but be still access the phone at home. Please send email to me if you know the answer. Thanks! Roger [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: There are, but they are not legal for use in the USA. About the closest you can come to this legally in the USA is to use a manual phone patch attached to a CB radio or some other type of legal radio service. I have a phone patch here for example which I have not used for many years, basically since when I 'got out of' CB ... it can be wired into the speaker and microphone of the base station and also into the telephone line, but the law requires that an operator at the base station listen to both sides of the conversation and manually key the microphone when the telephone side wishes to speak. CB radios can legally (in theory) transmit up to 150 miles; antenna selection, height of antenna and atmospheric conditions play a major role in getting this kind of range. In real practice, two or three miles -- maybe up to ten miles -- is the useable range to be expected from unmodified units operating in urban areas. In any event, *no automatic service* is allowed. Now, if you use radios equipped for 144 megs -- what is known among hams as 'two meters' -- then repeater sites equipped with telephone patches are quite common. They usually belong to a local club whose members jointly maintain the cost of the repeater site and phone line, etc. A license is required from the FCC to operate a two meter radio, and the emphasis and primary use is unit to unit contact rather than unit to phone network. I know they sell the kind of phone you are seeking in Europe, but they are mostly unavailable and hard to find here in the USA. If you've got the money, you might con- sider setting up a little two meter arrangement of your own with a private phone line attached, etc. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 23 May 1994 09:31:05 -0400 From: jborden@world.std.com (jay borden) Subject: TMN/ASN.1/GSM Specialists Needed I'm looking for contract asssistance from one or two people who have a good knowledge of (all of) the above. If you think you fit the bill (or know someone who does) please drop me a mail. Thanks, jay b ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 23 May 1994 05:47:26 EDT From: Paul Robinson Reply-To: Paul Robinson Subject: What Kind of Capacity is in VBI? Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring, MD USA I saw the following announcement in the Satnews listing, which reads in part talks about selling space on U.K. Channel 4: > terrestrial Channel 4. The Broadcasting Act 1990 makes provision > for the allocation of a number of lines in the Vertical Blanking > Interval (not used for sound and vision) to users... A question I have is, for a U.S. signal, which I believe the Vertical Blanking Interval also exists, how much capacity is available on a single TV channel and at what speed can the data be sent? Is this related to closed captioning? If not, what type equipment is needed to decode VBI data and what kind of costs are involved to build it? Paul Robinson - Paul@TDR.COM ------------------------------ From: mpinones@netmon.mty.itesm.mx (Marco A. Pinones) Subject: Microsoft Telephony API Date: 22 May 1994 17:50:09 GMT Organization: ITESM, Campus Monterrey I would like to know if there is any advance on Microsoft efforts to provide a "standard" programming interface for PBXs and telephony services. I sent mail to people at Ericcsson about this and they told me they are working on it. Does somebody know if other companies are working on it? Greetings, Marco P ------------------------------ From: rwb+@J.GP.CS.CMU.EDU (Bob Berger) Subject: What is a New Activation? Organization: School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon Date: Sun, 22 May 1994 20:13:41 GMT In most states buying a cellular phone is much cheaper with a new activation; the carrier essentially subsidizes the purchase. Now, just how do they define "new"? Let's say I have an old, clunky cellular phone, and I want one of those whizbang pocket models. If I cancel my old service on May 31st, can I get a "New Activation" from the same company on June 1st? Or must I switch carriers to get a good deal on the phone purchase? [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: It depends on how liberal your existing carrier is. Some will allow a new 'activation' to occur (for the purpose of getting a new phone at a greatly reduced price, or free) in exchange for your commitment to a new obligation or service contract. In other words, your carrier might say if you are willing to contract with them for another full year at some minimum service level per month (greater than what you are getting now, of course) then they will go along with it. If you are already spending a lot of money with the carrier each month then they may feel there is no need to try and induce you to spend more. Free (or reduced cost) cellular phones in exchange for signing up are a lot like any other service which gives you a bargain for your first commitment (like a record or book club; buy one and get a dozen more for free, etc) ... they want to hook you. Once hooked, they could care less about you. The certain way to accomplish what you want is by switching carriers. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 23 May 94 07:37:35 CDT From: wpcallah@rwasic17.aud.alcatel.com (Paul Callahan) Subject: Hunting Service From GTE I want to get a second line and have it hunt to the first, or vice-versa. I reacall this from one or two years ago, but not the terms. Let's say, I call GTE up and ask for my old line to hunt to the new, and the sales- droid is confused -- what else can I call it? If anyone wants to get real specific we are talking about a 214-417 line. Thanks, Paul [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: It is called rotary hunting service. Not all exchanges are set up to do it but these days I can't imagine you would be on one. Nor can all exchanges hunt backward or in a circle or from one number to another further away (called 'jump hunt') but most of them can. Illinois Bell -- maybe other Bells -- give hunting between lines for free but I don't know what GTE thinks about it. Please note there is a more expensive (and charged-for) service called 'transfer on busy/no answer'. 'Transfer on busy' does about the same thing as hunting does, but the way it is done -- the mechanics of it -- are a little different. Since Bell charges for 'transfer on busy' but gives 'hunting' for free, I chose to take the latter for my lines. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Ry Jones Subject: War Department Technical Manual Date: Mon, 23 May 94 09:23:42 PDT I have a copy of the TM11-498, Fundamentals of Telephony and Manual Telegraphy. It was published in October 1944, and is really interesting from a historical point of view. One of the things I got a kick out of is the notation by every schematic containing a capacitor: NEW SYBMOL -)|- REPLACES -||- IN ALL DRAWINGS THAT shows the age of the book. It covers a lot about relays and cordboards, and has a lot of information about field telephony. Ry [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Too bad you don't have a scanner so the publication could be entered on line easily and put in the archives. PAT] ------------------------------ From: RANDY@MPA15AB.mv-oc.Unisys.COM Date: 22 May 94 20:24:00 GMT Subject: "Best Booth" at Supercomm Of more than 1,700 booths representing 496 exhibitors, Unisys took the prize for the "Best Booth" at the SUPERCOMM Telecommunications conference last week in New Orleans. Judging criteria included company identity, product presentation, design elements, exhibit personnel and booth work- ability. More than 23,000 people attended the conference, which is the largest U.S. telecommunications event. In the award-winning booth, Unisys Communications Systems Division showcased the recently announced NAP VoiceSource UNIX solution. Other telephone company applications were featured as well, such as SS7 data collection, desktop video conferencing, multimedia personal computing, and LocateIt (an OSMOS- based geographic mapping system developed by Bellcore). ------------------------------ From: kc@escape.com Subject: Hackers On Planet Earth Newsgroups Date: 23 May 1994 16:43:49 GMT Organization: Escape ONLINE. We've launched a few new newsgroups specifically for the HOPE conference this August in New York City. They are: alt.2600.hope.announce Announcements, bulletins, general info. alt.2600.hope.d Discussion including rides, places to stay, etc. alt.2600.hope.tech Technical issues (network, setup, etc.) If your site doesn't have these groups, ask your sysadmin to subscribe -- they usually will if you ask and it's not being censored by a higher authority. If you can't get on, post questions or comments here or write to 2600@well.sf.ca.us. Hackers On Planet Earth August 13-14, 1994 Hotel Pennsylvania, New York City For discounted room reservations, call (212) PEnnsylvania 6-5000 (no shit). Mention HOPE to get the special rate. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: You're right; no shit. The hotel has had that phone number for their switchboard for about sixty years. At one time a very glamorous and famous place, Hollywood even made a movie about it and used that number as part of the movie's theme. Then of course there was the campy Dracula movie a few years ago which used a take-off on the same thing with the number TRansylvania 6-5000. PAT] ------------------------------ From: elana@netcom.com (The Great Whatever...) Subject: Accidental phone Silliness ;) Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest) Date: Mon, 23 May 1994 05:38:13 GMT Figured I'd inject some non-serious discussion into this group... ;) Three people figure in this story: me, some guy named Ken and a mutual friend named Karen. Anyway, I was trying to call Ken at a time that I KNEW he was home, and I got his @!%@! answering machine. I got seriously annoyed, so as soon as I heard his machine beep, I hit the "play" button on the outgoing message of my own machine and played it into the phone. Then I hung up. 15 minutes later, my phone rang. It was Karen, calling to tell me that Ken had just called her. He was seriously freaked out, saying: "Elana's machine just somehow called MY machine!! And left a message!!!" Twilight phone Zone for Ken. ;-) I guess that he was not exactly the brightest soul that ever walked on this planet...! :) 8) Elana ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V14 #243 ****************************** -------------------------------------------------------------------------------