TELECOM Digest Wed, 22 Jun 94 15:00:00 CDT Volume 14 : Issue 297 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson More Problems With 911 Calls (John Musselman) AT&T Phones - Junk? (rt@astro.ocis.temple.edu) Call Back and the Less Developed Countries PTT's (martinvars@aol.com) PBX vs. ACD (was Re: Privacy on Rolm Switch) (Kevin Collins) Centrex Lines vs. Regular Lines for BBS (Ian Evans) NT Meridian 9417 Telephone Set (Tony Harminc) Modem Doesn't Recognize Hangup - Fixable? (John R. Ruckstuhl) Information About Hayes ESP Requested (Marc Schaefer) MCI Metro - "Wanted Poster" (Paul Robinson) MCI Metro Ad - Analysis (Paul Robinson) Another National N11 Code Request (Greg Monti) O.J. Simpson Case (Carl Moore) 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: jcm@frank.nccom.com (John Musselman) Subject: More Problems With 911 Calls Date: 22 Jun 1994 14:02:27 -0700 Organization: North County Communications, San Diego, California While roaming ... if it's odd and bizarre, I will encounter it. Recently, I was about 20 miles west of El Centro, California. I had my phone set to scan the A system. My home system is also A, so nothing bizarre about that. I had observed a reckless driver on the highway and did my civil duty by calling 9-1-1. I placed two calls to 9-1-1 because I spotted him later when CHP lost him. I never did know the outcome of the story, however in one fashion I did ... I received my Bell Atlantic cellular bill yesterday. And to my suprise, there were some interesting charges on it. 1) A $3.00 daily usage charge for the A system in Yuma, AZ (Cellular One). 2) Two calls originating from Yuma, AZ to El Centro, CA (619-337-3191) with the usual $.60 per minute roaming airtime charges AND long distance charges for the calls from Yuma to El Centro! For those of you who are unaware of the geography angle of things, Yuma is about 70 miles west of El Centro, CA. My total charges for calling 911 to be a samaritan that day: $7.62 I called Cellular One's Todd Kochanowski in Yuma, AZ. Because of the location of Yuma and El Centro, Cellular one serves BOTH cities. My question to him was: Are all 911 calls from El Centro placed on Yuma Feature Group A lines? Seems to me like that would get quite costly. He explained to me that the 337 number in El Centro was in fact El Centro's version of 911 and that the entire billing issue was an error. Kinda makes me wonder how many other good samaritans have been stiffed like this. Now the question is: Will they FIX this, or will roaming customers in El Centro, California continue to pay for being helpful to law enforcement officials? jcm@nccom.com John C. Musselman Software Developer/System Analyst ------------------------------ From: rt@astro.ocis.temple.edu Subject: AT&T Phones - Junk? Date: 22 Jun 1994 20:59:04 GMT Organization: Temple University, Academic Computer Services Hello, Has anyone noticed any problems with the AT&T cordless phones? I mean particularily the 55xx or 56xx series. It seems as though that some people have had problems with their AT&T 5515 cordless phones causing line problems in their homes or offices. Sometimes the 5515 phones would have problems where the person would not be able to transmitt their voices and only hear the incoming sounds. Also the lines all over the house would go dead for a period of time now and then. What could be causing the problems? I have seen a 5600 go bad as soon as two weeks after it was taken out of the box. One of the Bell Atlantic lineman said that AT&T phones are the worst in the market. He continued to say that they are made in China and one should go and get a Pansonic cordless (barf). I recall that AT&T phones are made in Singapore. But regardless of where it is made, it is AT&T technology. Are AT&T phones in general, junk? Quality wise, I think not. They are rugged, durable and well designed. Any thoughts? ------------------------------ From: martinvars@aol.com (MARTINVARS) Subject: Call Back and the Less Developed Countries PTT's Date: 22 Jun 1994 10:13:03 -0400 Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364) Does anybody know of a forum for Call Back companies where we can share information about what some PTT'sin less developed countries are doing to interfere with our services? Uruguay for example has now gone as far as blocking whole area codes in the USA preventing Uruguayans to call and installing DTMF detection and cutting off lines where DTMF is heard. This means that while users get the call back call they cannot dial into it without being cut off. It is remarkable what the Uruguayan people living in a democratic country have to put up with such illegal blocking from their own phone company. It is time that call back companies take coordinated action. One easy way around the Uruguayan PTT's illegal cutting off of calls that generate DTMF (imagine all the people trying to listening to their answering machines getting cut off!) is voice recognition. An interesting fact that has escaped some PTT's is that many of them make more money with Call Back than selling their own services. When they sell their services the pay a settlement and when they get a call back they receive a settlement Therefore if their rate to the USA falls below the addition of two settlements they are better off with call back. The Uruguayan and Costa Rican PTT for example have lowered their rates to the USA so much as a result of call back competition that they now do much better with call back. Nevertheless they continue to try in vain to cut off call back calls. Obviously it is not business people that run those companies. The newly privatized companies that Telefonica bought are smarter in this respect and realize that keeping rates high creates market segmentation and allows them to make money either by themselves or with call back. Viatel, the company I founded in 1990, has migrated away from Call Back into direct services using our own $51M leased line network that reaches 10 cities in Europe, three in the USA and one in the Far East but there are some countries that seem to be determined to exploit the business and user community and refuse to give us leased lines or toll frees and force us to use call back as an access mode. Viatel's wants to show the PTT's of the world that they will be better off collaborating with the information revolution. AT&T's break up and opening to competition resulted in the USA taking the leadership in global telecom while the user community in the USA greatly benefited from it. But what is most remarkable is that AT&T, the big loser of the antitrust activities of the 80's is now the winner. It is the biggest and sntrongest telecom company in the world. IBM the winner of the antitrust cases of the 80's only won that battle to lose the war. At Viatel in the USA we were able to defeat AT&T's opposition (AT&T is still addicted to settlements and continues to behave like a monopoly) and get our 214 license from the FCC. They will one day thank us for losing. Around the world the most advanced countries have welcomed our entry. Now it is time to show the less developed country that bad and expensive telecommunications is a luxury they cannot afford. ------------------------------ From: kevinc@Aspect.COM (Kevin Collins) Subject: PBX vs. ACD (was Re: Privacy on Rolm Switch) Date: Wed, 22 Jun 1994 12:32:36 GMT In article raverboy@aol.com (Raverboy) writes: > I know the Rolm 9751 is mostly for ACD. > [ details about silent monitor deleted - KC ] As they say on the Hertz commercials, "not exactly". The ROLM 9751 (like all PBX's) was originally designed to provide basic connectivity -- internal and external calls, transfer/conference, park, etc. ROLM, AT&T, NT, and other PBX manufacturers have since written ACD application software that runs alongside the PBX software to deliver some ACD functionality to their customers. These ACD packages have gotten better over the years, but IMHO still don't match the overall solution delivered by the stand-alone vendors (like Aspect), who designed their switches from the ground up to do ACD. Of course, the stand-alone ACD's are generally more expensive than the integrated ACD's, but you get what you pay for. Before I'm accused of too much bias, I should say that I've worked on the Call Processing and ACD software for both ROLM and Aspect for the last six years. Kevin Collins Aspect Telecommunications E-Mail: Kevin.Collins@aspect.com San Jose, CA Voice: +1 408 441 2489 My opinions are mine alone. ------------------------------ From: ian.evans@bville.gts.org (Ian Evans) Reply-To: comp.dcom.telecom@bville.gts.org Subject: Centrex Lines vs. Regular Lines for BBS Date: Wed, 22 Jun 1994 03:05:00 -0400 Organization: Baudeville BBS: Toronto CANADA 416.283.0114 I'll soon be expanding my BBS from two to four lines. I currently have a two line hunt group and want to install a second, seperate hunt group. I had asked Bell if there was any cheaper way of handling this new hunt group, as the lines are really incoming only. They suggested I install Centrex lines: "The monthly rate for each centrex hunting, incoming line is $39.00/month (minimum of two). Each outgoing access line is $13.45/month, (minimum of one)." The monthly rate for each regular line, (as you have now) is $52.35/month. The service charge to install two new centrex lines terminating on single line sets is $282.00." I just want to make sure that what they describe (two centrex incoming, one outgoing) will allow me to have two simultaneous incoming callers using my BBS. Past experience has shown that the front line people you speak to don't always understand what you're talking about, especially when computers and modems are involved. Many thanks for any help. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 22 Jun 94 17:30:10 EDT From: Tony Harminc Subject: NT Meridian 9417 Telephone Set Does anyone have any experiences good or bad with this new set from NT? This is a two line POTS set with nearly every bell and whistle I can think of: CNID name & number display including number lookup (it will display the caller's name as listed with the number in your personal directory or use the telco name service where available), endless re- and auto-dial buttons, two lines with hold and conference, a programmable 'prime line' chosen when you go off-hook, handsfree with mute and volume control, 'FAX' jack with built in Identa-ring detect (routes inbound calls to the second number on one of the lines to the jack), a paging system (works with other 9417s or an external speaker), bilingual (selectable English or French) prompts, changeable ringing cadence, and much much more :-) This is all taken from the single sheet that NT just faxed me. I saw a set at a Bell Canada Phone Centre yesterday, and they claimed they are the exclusive distributor and it is available for rental only for C$15/month (ouch!). But NT tells me that Anixter is selling them - no list price available. This is being sold as a small business set, but it sounds like just what I need in my kitchen. It's nice to finally see this kind of thing from a reputable manufacturer; most of the bells and whistles sets seem to come from little known makers and are on the flimsy side. I'd be particularly interested in the US price for this unit; perhaps someone there could call 800-NORTHERN and see if the story matches. Tony Harminc ------------------------------ From: ruck@netcom.com (John R. Ruckstuhl) Subject: Modem Doesn't Recognize Hangup - Fixable? Date: Wed, 22 Jun 1994 10:09:30 GMT I've just purchased a product I've recently seen mentioned (but not necessarily endorsed) in this newsgroup. The "Complete Communicator Gold Internal" (by The Complete PC, Inc.), which I purchased for $149, is a PC internal fax/data modem (14400bps Hayes-compatible modem with MNP 5 and V.42bis, 14400bps Group III Fax), with software for Fax send & receive and a voice-mail system. So says the box. I've used it for a week or so, but haven't really worked it over. I've got one major and one minor concern -- I'm hoping some reader will educate me. Firstly (major): I've seen the system record an incoming voice message for ~20 seconds past the hangup. I know vaguely that some equipment under some conditions fails to recognize a hangup (terminology?). I've seen answering machines do this. I called PacBell and learned I'm served by a 5ESS, and "Cutoff on Disconnect" (COD) is not available on this type of switch (would that, whatever it is, have helped?). Some answering machines have a CPC switch that I think is related to hangup detection -- what is (was?) CPC? Is there something in the AT command set that I can use to tell my modem to do a better job? I can picture my modem not hanging up, some recording from the telco coming on, and the voice-mail recording forever. :( Secondly (minor): The Fax/voice-mail software, FaxWorks 3.0, not only has to be running, but a "user" has to log into the software. At PC boot, Windows is started by a command in autoexec.bat, and I've put this FaxWorks software in the Windows group StartUp, so it is started automatically at boottime as well. But I can't see an easy way to shove the login keystrokes & mouse button-pushes down its throat automatically so that the system comes online at boottime. Is there a free/inexpensive utility that will help? I remember many years ago using a Borland product called SuperKey which might have had that capability, but I really don't know much about PCs. What to do? I know, this is better asked in some other newsgroup, so email is preferred on this nit. I don't know much about such things, so any comments will be appreciated. BTW, this product requires 386 (or higher) PC, half-length slot, 3.5 MB disk space, 2 MB RAM, EGA VGA or Hercules, MSDOS 3.1 or higher, Windows 3.1 or higher, and touch-tone. Thank your for any help. Regards, John R. Ruckstuhl ruck@netcom.com ------------------------------ From: schaefer@alphanet.ch (Marc SCHAEFER) Date: Wed, 22 Jun 94 18:09 MET Subject: Information About Hayes ESP Requested I'm looking for information on how to interface the Hayes ESP Serial Port Communication Accelerator with an AT bus interface on a non PC system. I know little about AT bus interface, except that the board probably is configurable to hear data and control at certain addresses via jumper. I need the jumper configuration the address involved and the format of the command and data registers. Thanks ! ------------------------------ From: Paul Robinson Date: Wed, 22 Jun 1994 10:10:10 EST Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring, MD USA Subject: MCI Metro - "Wanted Poster" The following is the text of an advertisement which appears essentially as printed in the paper; minor format changes have been made to reduce space. Commentary appears in a separate article immediately following this one. Advertisement, {Washington Post} June 19, 1994, Page H10 What MCI did for long-distance, MCI Metro is doing for local phone service. We're setting the standard - again. We all know how successful MCI has been in the long-distance industry. But did you know that a major subsidiary of MCI is just beginning to make its mark in the local phone market? MCI Metro represents a multi-billion dollar, nationwide commitment. It also represents a career opportunity unlike any other. After all, this is your chance to get in on the ground floor and help build a brand new industry giant. Engineering Design, engineering and construction- . Fiber Optic Transmission Systems . Design and Implementation of SONET-based Network and Class 5 Switching . Alarm and Network Management Systems . Power and Grounding Systems . Customer Premise Management Construction . Transmission Engineering . Real Estate/Right-of-Way Negotiations . Construction Project Management (Fiber) Systems . Database Administration . Network Engineering . Network Management . Network Provisioning Product Marketing . Local Switched Products . Marketing Analysis/Pricing/Forecasting . Local Data Network Services . Dedicated Services . Product Development Positions based in Northern Virginia and Dallas areas. Additional opportunities in other metropolitan areas will follow. If you're up to the challenge, we should talk about your future with MCI Metro. Please send your resume, indicating position and salary requirements, in confidence to: MCI Metro, Human Resources, Dept P6, 1650 Tysons Boulevard, Suite 963, McLean VA 22102. Or, FAX your resume to (703) 506-6647. An Equal Opportunity Enployer M/F/D/V. MCImetro Redefining Local Telecommunications Service ------------------------------ From: Paul Robinson Date: Wed, 22 Jun 1994 10:10:10 EST Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring, MD USA Subject: MCI Metro Ad - Analysis On looking at the ad for MCI Metro there are the usual questions as to whether this is a real invitation or if it is just a fishing expedition to see how many people are available out there? I'm thinking of sending in a resume but I wonder if it's worth bothering. I note one of the requests mentions SONET and another mentions people with experience with Fiber. As has been mentioned on the Com-Priv list, in discussing Sprint's protest of MCI's grant for a high-speed network for the NSF portion of the Internet, MCI doesn't have operational optical switching yet (as opposed to Sprint, which is selling connections on its optical-based switches). Does this mean MCI plans "fiber to the drop" (all the way to the network block in your house or apartment building) or even "fiber to the curb" (to the drop for the neighborhood) style of service delivery? If they are installing a brand-new local network from scratch, using fiber makes more sense due to capacity. MCI just got the most important approval for its merger with British Telecom, they're going to have some $2 billion in cash available, which means they will have the financial wherewithal to stand the cost of building the local portion of a network from scratch. Also, the types of requests they are looking for imply that they plan to go for the business service market rather than the (allegedly money losing) residential service market. It's one way to get experience, especially for a large company: buy it. I note that their office is in McLean. I believe The Virginia Commerce Commission has authorized a cable company to offer phone service in one small suburb of Richmond, but reports I have heard say State Law generally prohibits competition in local phone service. Maryland is expected to allow Metropolitan Fiber Systems to go ahead and offer dial tone and local termination to commercial customers next year when the PUC examines MFS' request. The other interesting issue is the Dallas location as well. I believe it was reported that a test of local service to its own employees was made by MCI in certain areas, and Dallas might have been one of them. Also, MCI may want to try to rely on the "dial tone hauling" case (as reported in TELECOM Digest), which it was decided in that area where a large company installed a microwave horn on its office in Dallas where Southwestern Bell operates, in order to haul dialtone into its building in Richardson because the local service from GTE there was so bad as to be unusable, and the court ruled that the argument that most of their calling was interstate in nature was a valid reason to bypass the local telephone company. Other people with more experience in telephone company operations might be able to "read between the lines" on this ad and figure out more, and perhaps tell some of the other readers (including myself) some other inferences the ad gives us. If this is real, it should be interesting. Paul Robinson -- PAUL@TDR.COM ------------------------------ From: Greg Monti Date: Tue, 21 Jun 1994 14:06:04 EDT Subject: Another National N11 Code Request The newsletter {Communications Daily} reported in its June 20, 1994, edition that the US Government's General Services Administration (GSA) has asked FCC to assign a single N11 code for use by the public to "gain access to federal executive agencies." Apparently, the request was made in March. There is also a proposal afoot that would assign a single N11 number to reach state governments. Presumably it would connect the caller to the government in his or her state. These follow requests for a nationwide N11 number to access text telephone relay services. With 011 and 111 unavailable, and with 411 and 911 in use in most places, that leaves only six N11 codes unused (211, 311, 511, 611, 711, 811). 611, 811 (and if applications from newspepers are approved, 311 and 511) are already used in some places. The article notes that the FCC has opened a pleading cycle on the subject. Comments to the Commission are due Aug. 19. "Reply comments" are due Sept. 23. Greg Monti, Tech Mgr, FISPO, Distribution Division National Public Radio Phone: 202 414-3343 635 Massachusetts Av NW Fax: 202 414-3036 Washington, DC 20001-3753 Internet: gmonti@npr.org ------------------------------ From: Carl Moore Date: Tue, 21 Jun 94 11:59:59 EDT Subject: O.J. Simpson Case Two items of note: 1. O.J. Simpson was reported spotted thru cellular phone; 2. Los Angeles police chief Willie Williams, on travel in Philadelphia, estimated 25-30 hours in court (testifying in unrelated case) and 50 hours on the phone (most or all of it back to L.A.). [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: An article in the {Chicago Sun-Times} discussing this matter was entitled 'A Nation of Idiots'. It discussed the people who, with apparently nothing better to do deliberatly went out on the expressway in the hopes of seeing him as he drove past. The same article discussed 'hundreds of other idiots who drove to his house and clogged nearby streets -- as well as parking on his lawn and the lawns of neighbors, etc -- in a party-like atmosphere, in the hopes of seeing him come out of his house ...' Most people there, said the article, were sympathetic to OJS, booing the police while cheering OJS during the time he was in the process of being arrested, etc. Very sad ... PAT] ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V14 #297 ******************************