TELECOM Digest Fri, 7 Oct 94 12:37:00 CDT Volume 14 : Issue 389 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson GTE Airphone Begins Ground-to-Air Service (For Free!) (Doug Reuben) FCC Celebrates Communications Act's 60th Birthday (Bob Keller) Announcement: New WWW Telecom Info Page (David Moon) Book Review: !%@:: A Directory of Electronic Mail Addressing" (Rob Slade) Splits Pending (Clive D.W. Feather) ISDN-BRI Central Office Emulator (comp.newprod via Monty Solomon) Rockwell's RIFP Software for Multi-Function Peripherals (Monty Solomon) Using a Modem in Israel (John Inkman) FTP Site for lssgr/iatf? (jwh@panix.com) Is There Still a Usenet? (Not as Facetious as it Sounds) (T. M.P. Lee) Possible to Install Jack Incorrectly? (Dennis Gehris) Looking For Dialing Board For PC (Pete Kruckenberg) Telecom Regulatory Environment (Michael Honeth) TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not exclusively to telecommunications topics. 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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: 7 Oct 1994 05:07:58 GMT From: DREUBEN@EAGLE.WESLEYAN.EDU Subject: GTE Airphone Begins Ground-to-Air Service (For Free!) Just got some mail from GTE Airphone. It appears that starting October 15th, callers anywhere who can reach Airphone's 800 number (1-800-AIRPHONE) can reach you at your seat while flying aboard Aeromexico, Delta, Mexicana, Reno Air, TWU, United, and the USAir Shuttle (but not American ! :( ). GTE assigns you a code in the format XXX-XXX-XXXX+YYYY, and it is printed on a card which GTE mails to you. This card can NOT be used to pay for calls, it only serves to identify you in their system. The XXX ... part is printed on your card, while the YYYY is your four- digit PIN, and is not printed on your card. (Basically like a calling card -- maybe GTE has future plans for this card, e.g., no need for credit card billing, use on the ground as a regular calling card, etc.) When you sit down at your seat, you either enter the code + PIN manually into the digital phone unit (it won't work on the older analog ones, it seems), or you can slide your card in and enter your four digit PIN afterwards. This tells the system that you want to be able to receive calls. You will be billed a $2 "registration fee" for this (waived until Jan 1st, 1995). You will thus need to enter your credit card (slide it through the side of the digital phone) so you can be billed the $2 (apparently even during THIS year when you won't be charged -- the system probably needs the "swipe" to activate even though you aren't currently charged.) Callers dial 1-800-AIR-PHON(E), wait for a voice menu, choose "Call Customer in Flight", and enter your Aircall code number. You will get a flashing message on your digital phone's screen saying: "Incoming Call for Seat 12F". When you see this, you can either (A) RE-enter your PIN number (so someone else can't answer the call while you are away from your seat) to accept the call, or (B) reject it and have the caller's number stored. If you don't do anything, after a minute or so, the caller's number is automatically stored. So if you are away from your seat when a call comes in, you can see who called you and try to call him/her back. (I'll bet they will add voicemail soon, too ...) If you chose to answer the call, you first get a chance to see who is calling you, ie GTE transmit's the ANI from the 800 number to your seat. You then can answer the call and start paying $2.50 a minute (plus $2.50 set-up charge, unless you use a pre-paid $15 GTE Airphone card, where you never pay a set-up charge). However, ALL FEES ARE WAIVED FROM OCT 15TH TO NOV 3OTH, so you can receive as many calls as you like totally for free! If you see the call is from someone who you don't want to talk to, you can chose to reject the call, and pay nothing. According to GTE, you will NEVER pay for screening the call, ie, seeing the number of your caller. Thus, you can pay $2 up front to "register" (waived till Jan 1st, 1995), have your friends call you, and return the calls when you get to the ground; sort of like a (very cumbersome) in-flight paging system. Overall, sounds interesting, and worth a try when it's free. However, I don't like the idea of an 800-only number -- what if international callers wish to reach me? (Maybe they can come in through Airphone's Illinois number? No ANI, though ...). I am also wondering if they can have an option where the caller on the ground pays for the call, although this opens up a lot of possibilities for fraud -- at least when YOU pay for it in the plane they have you swipe your actual card through, which is a lot safer. And what about people who just stroll onto the plane and DON'T have an Aircall Card number and PIN? Can the system generate one for them, or are they out of luck and need to order one and wait for it to come in the mail? I also don't like the idea of paying $2 "up front" just for the privilege of being registered on their system. It's not much, but this charge discourages my using it on short flights and/or when I don't really expect anyone to call me. I'd only use it if I absolutely needed to have someone call me, such as if I paged someone and had to have them call me back. If there were no charge, I'd just slide my card through, and scan inbound calls. I'm sure I'd answer at least one, so GTE would make money off of me. The $2 charge is like a daily $3 roam charge -- it discourages me initially from using the service so GTE makes nothing from me at all, whereas if they were willing to risk that for the slight incremental cost of registering me for free they MAY get some of money from my answering an anbound call, ( ie, GTE would do better in the long run). And from the utter non-use I've seen of most on GTE Airphone's system (I rarely see people use it that much these days, probably because it costs too much and service is usually awful), I'd think they'd WANT to encourage people to receive calls and try out their new digital service on a permanent basis. Moreover, when I fly, I tell people to call my pager, and I usually get the pages reliably (I have nationwide coverage and regional east coast coverage on my two pagers). So why would I really want to have to have them go through the burden of calling Airphone's Aircall system, enter some NEW code number (like the EasyReach 700 nonsense wasn't enough for them already! :( ), and then wait for me to answer, when they can just page me a few times and in all likelihood I'll get back to them? I can't even forward my 700 number or other numbers to GTE's service (caller's generally won't know what to do and/or what my code number is), so it's not like most people will even KNOW how to reach me on Airphone, and will just call my pager(s) instead. With this in mind, I probably wouldn't use the inbound system unless they eliminated the $2 charge after Jan 1st, 1995. I'm sure to most travelers this is a petty point, so I won't dwell upon it any longer. Overall, a welcome enhancement to their system. I'm anxious to try it! BTW, GTE also noted in their letter that they will soon be introducing FAX service and that on some United and Air Canada flights callers can access their Satellite system when they are away from North America. No mention of costs, but hopefully they will make things nice and simple and charge the same rate that they currently do when placing calls over North America. GTE Airphone also has a program where you can give them two credit cards and two phone numbers and you pay a lower set-up charge ($1.83 or something?) and the same lower rate per minute for US/Canada calls. You must use either of the two cards, and call only those two numbers, though. I signed up and never used it, but I'd be more likely to use it if I can get on a flight with digital service, as the current analog (non-Aircall) system is really pathetic -- it always sounds like there's a bunch of ducks quacking on the other end! Doug dreuben@eagle.wesleyan.edu ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 7 Oct 1994 11:31:26 EDT From: Bob Keller Subject: FCC Celebrates Communications Act's 60th Birthday FCC CELEBRATES 60TH ANNIVERSARY At a standing room only Commission meeting room October 6, Chairman Hundt and Commissioners Quello, Barrett, Ness and Chong cut a huge chocolate birthday cake to celebrate the FCC's 60th Birthday. As part of the festivities, Commissioner Rachelle Chong read the following poem: A Poem to the Communications Act By Henry Gibson (actually Jane Mago, Senior Poem Advisor) How old is the Communications Act? 60 years, to be exact. It has provisions old and new, 2(b), 4(i) to name but two. Now OGC, they love 4(i) For it grants discretion on the fly. The Act has served these many years to fill some dreams and strike some fears. It's been amended quite a lot To fix some jiggles and some jots. In Title II, it deals with phones it strives for service to every home. In Title III, on radios, it tells you where your station goes. In Title IV, the Admin. Part has many rules to take to heart. From Title V -- on penalties we get the power to make you freeze. In Title VI, we deal with cable. Congress asked us to keep rates stable. With Susan, Jim, Andy and Reed We fill your every lobbying need. No, my job is to read the Act, apply the law based on the facts. So, I promise I will do my best to serve the public interest. - FCC - FCC documents ported from ftp.fcc.gov by: Robert J. Keller, P.C. (Federal Telecommunications Law) Tel: 301-229-5208 Fax: 301-229-6875 4200 Wisconsin Ave NW #106-261 Washington DC 20016-2146 [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Happy birthday to the FCC! PAT] ------------------------------ From: moon@gdc.com (David Moon) Subject: Announcement: New WWW Telecom Info Page Date: 6 Oct 1994 14:48:17 GMT Organization: General DataComm, Inc. A new WWW page "Telecom Information Resources on the Internet" is now available. The URL is: http://www.ipps.lsa.umich.edu/telecom-info.html This page is a high-level list of pointers to other resources, including technical, policy, and economic aspects of telecom. It also includes pointers to companies, organizations, and academic sites. This page was compiled by me with much help from subcribers to the "telecom-reg" mailing list. The page is being hosted by Prof. Jeff MacKie-Mason (Dept. of Economics and Institute of Public Policy Studies, University of Michigan), who will be taking over its maintenance and further evolution. We hope that the page will also be mirrored at the Computer Board of Singapore -- details are still being worked out. Check it out -- we look forward to your comments and suggestions. David Moon moon@gdc.com General Datacomm, Inc. ATTMail: !dmoon Middlebury, CT 06762 ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 06 Oct 1994 13:31:09 EST From: Rob Slade Subject: Book Review: "!%@:: A Directory of Electronic Mail Addressing" BKDEMAN.RVW 940731 O'Reilly & Associates, Inc. 103 Morris Street, Suite A Sebastopol, CA 95472 800-998-9938 707-829-0515 fax: 707-829-0104 info@ora.com "!%@:: A Directory of Electronic Mail Addressing and Networks", Frey/Adams, 1-56592-046-5, U$9.95 donnalyn@frey.com Prince-like, this book insists on an unpronounceable title. In the interests of usable referents, might we dispense with the suggested "that darned book" and possibly come up with "Bang-Through-At-For"? This book is a reference work. It details the various computer networks with mail links or gateways to the "true" Internet. It is common to cite such works as "indispensable": in fact, most users, and even site managers, muddle along quite happily without it. Quick reference "electronic" versions exist of very similar documents, which provide the addressing schemes for the more common network and commercial service gateways. Also, once you know one CompuServe Internet address, you know 'em all. Frey and Adams have, however, put together a very complete and interesting reference, and I do suggest it to anyone managing, or using, extensive email correspondence. The bulk of the book is a set of listings very similar to Part Two of "The Matrix" (cf BKMATRIX.RVW). The number of listings is substantially greater, while the major emphasis in each listing is the email addressing scheme. Most of the rest of the book is supporting material, such as the indices to networks by country, name and notation. More than two hundred and fifty pages are devoted to listings of US and international domains for companies, organizations and institutions. Of the sites that I personally know, only one was not listed (although one Canadian company was mysteriously transferred south of the border). Chapter one is an essay devoted to Internet email addressing, and the various "perversions" of "To:" lines. Internet aficionados have probably figured out most of the topics covered but it makes an excellent introduction for newcomers. As a user of electronic mail, or the manager of a small Internet node or UUCP site, it would be hard to say that you "need" this book. If, however, you are at all interested in the topic of email, you will find this fascinating and useful. For those trying to "push the envelope" of email access, this book will be very useful indeed: perhaps indispensable is not too strong. Even those not directly concerned with the technical management of email will find useful material here. The expanded sub-domain listings alone should make salespeople salivate. At the new reduced price (which seems to become something of a standard for O'Reilly re-issues) this has become something to recommend that all Internet users get as a resource. The book seems to go through corrections or a new edition about once a year. I wonder if you can get on a mailing list for it? Hmmm. Must drop a line to gnn.com or ora.com (page 533) ... copyright Robert M. Slade, 1993, 1994 BKDEMAN.RVW 940731. Distribution permitted in TELECOM Digest and associated mailing lists/newsgroups. Vancouver p1@arkham.wimsey.bc.ca | You realize, of Institute for Robert_Slade@sfu.ca | course, that these Research into rslade@cue.bc.ca | new facts do not User p1@CyberStore.ca | coincide with my Security Canada V7K 2G6 | preconceived ideas ------------------------------ Subject: Splits Pending Date: Fri, 7 Oct 1994 13:23:57 BST From: Clive D.W. Feather I have the following information on pending NANP area code splits. Can anyone let me know any further information (I am only interested in the first day of parallel running): 1995 Jan 15 206 splits into 360 1995 Mar ?? 602 splits into 520 1995 Apr 02 303 splits into 970 1995 May 28 813 splits into 941 1995 Jul 15 703 splits into 540 1995 Sep 01 615 splits into 423 1995 Sep 02 213, 310, and 818 are overlaid by 562 1995 ??? ?? 205 splits into 334 1995 ??? ?? 708 splits into 630 1995 ??? ?? 713 splits into 281 In addition, are the details of the last split (713/281) known yet ? Clive D.W. Feather | Santa Cruz Operation clive@sco.com | Croxley Centre Phone: +44 1923 813541 | Hatters Lane, Watford Fax: +44 1923 813811 | WD1 8YN, United Kingdom ------------------------------ From: Monty Solomon Forwarded to the Digest FYI: From: JGFIELDS@delphi.com Newsgroups: comp.newprod Subject: ISDN-BRI Central Office Emulator Date: 3 Oct 1994 13:27:46 -0400 Organization: UUNET Communications The ISDN 2000A Central Office Emulator offers a convenient and inexpensive way to simulate the operations of an ISDN Basic Rate Interface (BRI) Local Exchange Carrier (LEC). The emulator may be used to develop, test, and demonstrate ISDN-BRI communications devices without connecting to a PBX or to outside lines. An ECN Product Design award winner, the emulator incorporates the actual circuits and specifications used for public ISDN interfaces and switch fabric in a portable, stand-alone package. Features: o Two Line, End-To-End Operation o U and S/T Interfaces o Point and Multipoint Configurations o B Channel Circuit Mode Voice and Data o D Channel Packet Mode Data o Multiple Switch Protocols o Supplementary Services o Primary Power and In-Band Tones o Monitor and Trace Functions The emulator provides timing, power, and tones on either the U interface (2B1Q) or the S/T interface (ASI Bipolar) for up to four terminating equipment. Physical layer synchronization, status, and loopback conditions may be monitored on the 4 by 20 inch display. Terminal Endpoint Indentifier (TEI) management and other data link layer (layer 2) functions are performed in real time and captured in a wrapping trace buffer for review. Service Access Point Identifiers (SAPI) 0, 16, and 63 are supported. Call control operation at layer 3 may be selected from one of several protocols, including National ISDN-1, AT&T 5Exx, and Northern Telecom DMS-100. Network management functions for Service Profile ID (SPID) initialization are performed, as well as basic supplementary services, such as Hold, Drop, Call Appearance Call Handling (CACH), Display Text, Caller ID, and Additional Call Offering (ACO). Call control messages may also be stored in a wrapping trace buffer and printed using the optional built-in printer. Prices (U.S.) ISDN 2000A Emulator: $2,995.00 Optional Printer: $ 480.00 Carrying Case: $ 99.00 Available: Now MERGE Technologies Group, Inc. 211 Gateway Road West, Suite 201 Napa, CA 94558-6274 800.824.7763 707.252.6687 FAX ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 7 Oct 1994 04:30:33 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Rockwell's RIFP Software for Multi-Function Peripherals Forwarded to the Digest FYI From: palm@tokyo.rockwell.com (Stephen [kiwin] PALM) Newsgroups: comp.newprod Subject: Rockwell's RIFP Software for Multi-Function Peripherals Date: 3 Oct 1994 13:23:57 -0400 Organization: Rockwell Rockwell Telecommunications today introduced the Rockwell Integrated Fax Protocol (RIFP), a new software development tool that allows OEMs to create multi-function peripheral products (MFPs) by adding send/receive facsimile functionality to printers or copiers, while reducing development time and costs. RIFP provides OEMs with sample hardware and a software Application Program Interface (API). The API is written in C software, so it can be ported to a variety of host environments, and provides T.30 and T.4 communications protocols and a Class 1 interface. The API also includes modem control code to interface with the Rockwell R96DFXL and R144EFXL facsimile modems, which satisfy ITU (formerly the CCITT) V.29 (9600 bps) and V.17 (14400 bps) standards. RIFP source code includes advanced features such as Error Correction Mode and binary file transmission during a fax call. The software also provides resolution conversion between common printer resolutions (up to 600 dots per inch) and facsimile resolutions (200 dots per inch). For more information or technical documentation, please call (800) 436-9988, fax (818) 365-1876 or email: scott.bibaud@nb.rockwell.com. Inquiries to: Digital Communications Division 4311 Jamboree Rd., M/S 501-300 Newport Beach, CA 92658-8902 Editorial contacts: Julie Seymour (714) 833-4379 Internet: julie.seymour@nb.rockwell.com Eileen Algaze (714) 833-6849 Internet: eileen.algaze@nb.rockwell.com Stephen [kiwin] Palm TEL (Voice mail): +81-3- 5371-1564 Rockwell - Digital Communications Division COMNET: 930-1564 Japan Engineering Design Center FAX: +81-3- 5371-1507 palm@tokyo.rockwell.com s.palm@ieee.org spalm@cmu.edu NIHON::PALM ------------------------------ From: interaccess!jinkman@uunet.uu.net (John Inkman) Subject: Using a Modem in Israel Date: 6 Oct 1994 19:15:09 GMT Organization: IAC Reply-To: jinkman@interaccess.com I want to send my old 2400b modem to sister in Israel. Will it work? Do they use same phone line type over there? If replying, please send email to me; I am not yet familiar with Usenet. ------------------------------ From: jwh@panix.com Subject: FTP Site For lssgr/iatf? Date: 6 Oct 1994 20:37:46 -0400 Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC Is there an FTP site for lssgr and/or iatf specs? Please reply by e-mail. Thanks. ------------------------------ From: tmplee@MR.Net (T. M.P. Lee) Subject: Is There Still a Usenet? (Not as Facetious as it Sounds) Date: Fri, 07 Oct 1994 09:06:57 -0600 Organization: Minnesota Regional Network Seeing as there has been some frequent chatter here recently about the demise of old familiar ways of doing things, a not quite entirely idle question came to mind. Other than as the way the news protocol keeps track of the provenence of traffic, is there still any significant use of usenet ("bang") addresses anywhere? Are there still any significant number of systems that still actually dial each other up and exchange mail with UUCP? Ted Lee Consultant in Computer Security PO Box 1718 tmplee@MR.Net Minnetonka, MN 55345 612-934-4532 ------------------------------ From: Dennis Gehris Subject: Possible to Install Jack Incorrectly? Date: Fri, 7 Oct 1994 11:21:15 EDT Organization: Bloomsburg University I purchased a Voltage Spike Protector because for my phone line that I use for my modem on my computer. (I had experienced voltage surges that destroyed my modem.) The devise has a test button. The instructions state that if a red light appears that the jack's red and green wires are reversed. Is it possible to have these wires reversed and still have all phones operating properly? Would this cause surges to occur? Please respond to me at the email address below.... Thanks! Dennis O. Gehris, Ed.D. INTERNET: dg@planetx.bloomu.edu Associate Professor or dg@neptune.bloomu.edu College of Business Bloomsburg University OFFICE: 717-389-4771 Bloomsburg, PA 17815 FAX: 717-389-3892 ------------------------------ From: pete@dswi.com (Pete Kruckenberg) Subject: Looking For Dialing Board For PC Date: 6 Oct 1994 20:57:00 GMT Organization: University of Utah CS Dept Hi. I need to find out if there is a product that will do the following functions on a PC: Receive in-coming call and notify PC Play some tones (like auto-credit-card-operators) Decode touch-tone input and send to PC Make touch-tone when instructed to do so by PC Do a "Flash" Do on/off hook Optionally, plan some messages (greeting, errors, etc). These may be stored on-board, or played from the PC directly If there isn't one available commercially (either pre-constructed or in kit form), could you recommend some pieces (integrated circuits, etc) that could be put together to do this? Basically, this will be used in an in-bound/out-bound dialer that must work with three-way calling. Thanks for your help. Pete Kruckenberg School: kruckenb@sal.cs.utah.edu University of Utah Work : pete@dswi.com Computer Engineering For even more addresses, "finger pete@dswi.com" ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 7 Oct 1994 12:48:56 +0500 From: mhoneth@inforamp.net (Michael Honeth) Subject: Telecom Regulatory Environment Help! I am preparing a management briefing on the regulatory environment in telecomm in Canada. I would appreciate any discussions anyone could pass on regarding recent developments across North America. Thank you! mhoneth ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V14 #389 ****************************