TELECOM Digest Thu, 13 Oct 94 15:16:00 CDT Volume 14 : Issue 396 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Information Wanted About Indiana Bell (Christopher Vaz) Unity Phones and SL1 - What's Good? (Christopher Hudel) PTT Rates Repository (Emmanuel Disini) Followup on EasyLink (Jeffrey Race) Plessey Tellumat (Graham Ross) Calculating Cost of Cellular Call While Roaming (Sheldon W. Hoenig) 800-CALL-INFO (Dave Levenson) MCI's 1-800-CALL-INFO (Mike Borsetti) Testing 1-800-CALL-INFO (Les Reeves) ISDN-Based Internet Service (Alex Cena) ISDN - International From Calif/PacBell (Mike McCrohan) T1 -> 24x V.32 -> RS232 Packages (Lance Ellinghaus) Wanted: Information on Nationwide Paging Services (Lance Ware) Looking For Ringer Light (Marcos H. Woehrmann) Telecom Billing Software for DOS PC - Cost Flat LD Files (htc@teleport.com) Need Information on State Telecom Equipment Procurement (Ashok Mirchandani) Looking For Info/API's/Code Samples - NASI/NACS/Int14 Redirection (Duksta) Seeking Veteran RS-232 Experts (burt@clark.net) 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 America On Line. 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: Christopher Vaz Subject: Information Wanted About Indiana Bell Date: Thu, 13 Oct 1994 05:12:13 EDT Organization: City University of New York/University Computer Center I am currently writing my dissertation on productivity in the telephone industry. Does anyone have any references for Indiana Bell's performance since the break-up of AT&T, short of actually contacting the company directly? Thanks, Christopher Vaz cvzqc@cunyvm.cuny.edu [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: A great deal of northern Indiana was part of Illinois Bell until about twenty years ago, then AT&T decided for whatever reason to move the northwestern part of the state -- the heavy industry area -- away from Illinois Bell and over to Indiana Bell. It was just an accident of history that Hammond/Gary/Whiting/East Chicago had been with Illinois Bell. In the late 19th century as the industry in the area began to develop including Rockefeller's Whiting Refinery, the US Steel Gary Works and George Hammond's meat processing operation, all those guys had their corporate headquarters in Chicago, and it made sense for them to get the new-fangled invention wired up between their plants on the southern shore of Lake Michigan and their offices in Chicago. Illinois Bell's predecessor company -- The Chicago Telephone Company -- was more than happy to oblige, and so cables were extended down there in the 1890's. During the 1920's when AT&T was busily grabbing up all the telcos they could get, Chicago Telephone Company was sold to AT&T, and the northern Indiana area went along as part of the deal. AT&T purchased a bunch of small telcos operating throughout Indiana (or stole them if you prefer, depends on which historian you talk to!) during the first twenty years or so of this century which they put under the umbrella they called 'Indiana Bell'. For whatever reasons, it took them about half a century to decide that Illinois Bell should 'sell' its northern Indiana holdings to Indiana Bell. PAT] ------------------------------ From: hudel@waterloo.hp.com (Christopher Hudel) Subject: Unity Phones and SL1 -- What's Good? Date: 13 Oct 1994 14:42:09 GMT Organization: Hewlett Packard (Panacom Division) Howdy, We have Unity business phones (Northern Telecom) hooked up to our Meridian SL1 system. The phone gurus seem very very tight-lipped about what all the features are in these little babies and it took quite a while before I managed even to find that Call Forward is "#1". Does anyone have a list of standard SL1/Unity features and their corresponding key-dials to active them? Thanks, Christopher Hudel -- hudel@waterloo.hp.com -- (519) 883-3013 ------------------------------ From: D1749@AppleLink.Apple.COM (Disini SW, Emmanuel Disini,CST) Subject: PTT Rates Repository Date: 12 Oct 1994 08:28:19 -0500 Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway Greetings! Does anyone know where there might be a repository of PTT rates worldwide? Please cc responses to d1749@applelink.apple.com Thanks, Joel Disini ------------------------------ From: Jeffrey Race <62075697@elm.attmail.com> Subject: Followup on EasyLink Date: 13 Oct 1994 13:00:00 CDT Some comments appeared in the Digest recently about EasyLink, a service started by Western Union. The story is briefly that EasyLink is secretly alive, well, and extremely useful. It would be even more useful to a lot of people interested in Internet access except AT&T does not promote it. Details follow: (a) The original EasyLink system, as you wrote, was a 300 baud network operat- ed by Western Union and then bought by AT&T. Subscribers are uniquely iden- tified by an 8-digit number beginning with 62 (like mine!). The system was subsequently upgraded to 2400 baud although one can access down to 300 baud. There is a single 800 number for access thoughout the U.S.A. The monthly subscription is $25.00. (b) This system was adapted to support Telex subscribers (the old 50 baud system, which is still widely used around the world because it is very reliable, though expensive). The old Model 32 teleprinters hard-wired to the telex exchanges were replaced by dedicated computers/modems served with dial-up service. Thus for the same price one had his old telex number as well as a new EasyLink number. (c) This system lets one send telex messages, fax messages, EasyLink messages and all kinds of other things like postal mail, cables and X.400 messages to systems throughout the world; one can also access OAG and many other databases. There are two ways to configure one's subscription: store-and-forward or real-time. If one configures real-time (known as "virtual telex"), one also has access to the store-and-forward functionality. For example, one can send more than one message (in a batch mode). AT&T sells software but I just use Procomm which works fine. (That is, I have a dedicated terminal in Boston for incoming traffic, which I can also use for outgoing, but I mostly transmit from my notebook computer using Procomm and calling the 800 number.) (d) AT&T also had its own system called ATTMAIL, which uses alphabetic addresses and is only store-and-forward. Subsequently this also came to be called EasyLink and the two systems are now distinguished as follows: The old WUTCO system (62 numbers) is called EasyLink IMS and the ATTMAIL system is called EasyLink GMS. I infer from many conversations with ATT personnel that the IMS system is no longer promoted. (e) Why might this be interesting to Net enthusiasts? Because: (1) everyone who has a 62 address has an Internet address (e.g. mine which is 62075697@eln.attmail.com) and also an X.400 address; (2) one can configure the subscription to force-feed all incoming traffic. This is what is so wonderful for me: all my incoming traffic (regardless of whether X.400, telex, EasyLink, or Internet) is dumped on my terminal as soon as received by AT&T! I never have to call in for anything. And I can access this system anywhere in the world using a packet switch. At $25 per month it seems quite reasonable. It is also possible to configure so incoming traffic goes to a mailbox (for dial-in retrieval) or goes to a facsimile machine. There is 24-hour technical control support facility as well. 3. Because AT&T does not promote very actively I had to spend quite a lot of time researching the above but now that I have it set up, it works very well for me. Two AT&T people who are well informed about it are: Mr. Fred Erman AT&T Easylink Services 400 Interpace Parkway Parsippany NJ 07054 Mr. Peter Lynch AT&T International Network Deployment ATTMAIL address: PLYNCH 4. By the way my posting for "Telecom Design Tricks" pulled about 500 enquiries from all over the world. Thanks for your good work. 5. Another subject: I saw some traffic a while back about fax switches. The problem is that no fax switch in the market will correctly route a manual fax call (unless you have something like distinctive ringing). I have developed a solution which lets me put my EasyLink terminal and a fax machine on the same line and which correctly routes manual fax calls (which 50 % of them are). I expect a lot of people would like to put their modem and fax on the same line but can't because of the manual fax call problem. I am toying with the idea of commercializing this. If you have any bright ideas, let me know or pass on to someone who is interested. If I don't hear, I will understand you are swamped with work. Kind Regards, JEFFREY RACE [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Thanks for your followup. I used to subscribe to WUTCO EasyLink about ten years ago; I don't know why I let it expire, except that I was not using it that much. It is exactly as you describe it and a very useful service for people who want the essence of a telex machine on line at all times. Now with its link through attmail.com it seems like 'virtual telex' would be more useful than before since news and email would be sent through as it arrives right to your terminal. You are right about being swamped with work here; the Digest mailing list is larger than ever and the mail is rolling in in excess of a couple hundred items per day. I don't get time to do much other than go out to work each day, stop at the IHOP to eat on my way home, then work on the Digest for a few hours. I'm surviving, with the help of the folks at ITU and other friends of the Digest. PAT] ------------------------------ From: gingo@cix.compulink.co.uk (Graham Ross) Subject: Plessey Tellumat Date: Wed, 12 Oct 1994 19:46:48 GMT Plessey Tellumat. Anybody have any info regarding the above company? Graham Ross gingo@cix.compulink.uk Aberdeen Scotland UK ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Oct 1994 13:56:51 EDT From: Sheldon W. Hoenig Reply-To: hoenigs@gsimail.ddn.mil Subject: Calculating Cost of Cellular Call While Roaming My daughter and my wife are going to travel to a number of colleges in the midwest in a few weeks so that my daughter can be interviewed for grad school. When each interview is complete, my daughter wants to call my wife on the cellular telephone so that my wife can pick her up. The cellular telephone has a 703 area-code telephone number. If the telephone is set for roaming in each city, what type of call -- local or long distance -- will be charged to the cellular telephone number and to my telephone credit card for the pay-phone call that my daughter will make? I assume that my daughter will dial the true cellular telephone number which, of course, will be a long-distance telephone number. I asked this question twice of my Cellular-1 supplier and I received two vastly different answers. Sheldon W. Hoenig Internet: Government Systems, INC (GSI) hoenigs@gsimail.ddn.mil Suite 500 hoenig@infomail.infonet.com 3040 Williams Drive Telephone: (703) 846-0420 Fairfax, VA 22031-4612 (800) 336-3066 x420 ------------------------------ From: dave@westmark.com (Dave Levenson) Subject: 800-CALL-INFO Organization: Westmark, Inc. Date: Thu, 13 Oct 1994 14:15:16 GMT This number has recently gotten a whole lot of prime-time radio and TV advertisement. This appears that the latest non-toll-free 800 trap. Not only do they charge the directory-assistance information charge of $0.75 to the calling telephone number, they also offer to connect the caller with the number requested, and to charge the calling number for that call. The 0.75 charge is not mentioned at any time during a call for directory assistance. If your PBX or other toll-diversion equipment is not already programmed to watch for this, I suggest that you block access to this number. If your equipment is not sophisticated enough to allow blocking a specified 800+ number, then block access to all 800+ numbers. If your equipment doesn't allow you to block access to the 800 area code, too bad. If you bought yourself (or your business) a toll-free number to encourage lots of prospective customers to give you a call, well, sorry about that. The industry seems to have substantially lowered the value of such numbers by allowing others to make them non-toll-free, and thereby making callers suspicious of them. How about it MCI? AT&T? SPRINT? et al. You can't have it both ways. Either go back to the original design and guarantee the calling party that calls to 800 numbers are toll-free, or don't charge your 800 customers a premium for using them. Dave Levenson Internet: dave@westmark.com Westmark, Inc. UUCP: uunet!westmark!dave Stirling, NJ, USA Voice: 908 647 0900 Fax: 908 647 6857 ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Oct 1994 08:46:10 PDT From: Mike Borsetti Subject: MCI's 1-800-CALL-INFO Reply-To: mike.borsetti@bactc.com I've read in yesterday's {Wall Street Journal} that MCI has started a new, nationwide directory assistance service with call completion. Here is how it works: 1) Call 1-800-CALL-INFO. 2) No need to know the area code -- just tell where the person lives, and they'll give you the complete number with the area code. 3) The service costs 75c. 4) If you want, they'll connect you to that number and you pay "regular MCI rates". You *do not* have to be an MCI subscriber in order to use the service. This whole thing raises a few questions: 1. You are being billed 75c to call an 800 number. I believe that generally this practice is frawned upon. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3. The idea of not having to know the area code in order to get directory assistance makes a lot of sense. Bravo MCI! Mike.Borsetti@bactc.com Cellular One / San Francisco [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Let's find out what happens if the number is called from a payphone; or if you want to deal with two sources of ill-will at the same time, try calling from your favorite COCOT. Let's see if the call completes and who has to pay for it. By all means, let's ask them to complete the call for us 'at MCI rates'. I'd venture to say they are checking the database on incoming calls to catch such things and if they are, then the COCOTS who are listed as coin with the local telco will probably be protected also ... the COCOTS using regular service may not be protected. I agree it is pretty awful that we can no longer count on 800 service to be toll-free to the caller. It looks like the only really workable fraud prevention devices these days are those that screen full ten-digit numbers. None of the old areacode/prefix screening techniques will work effeciently any longer. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 Oct 1994 09:35:02 -0700 (PDT) From: Les Reeves Subject: Testing 1-800-CALL-INFO MCI has announced a new service, 1-800 CALL INFO. It is touted as a nation-wide directory assistance service. You are charged $0.75 per call for two searches. As a test, I called and asked for the number of a Patrick Townson in Chicago, IL. I figured this was a good test since Pat has moved in the past year and I wasn't even sure he was still in Chicago proper. After giving the operator Pat's name and city, and waiting about 45 seconds, I was told that there were two listings, one non-published and one unlisted. Hmmm. I asked for another name and the operator informed me that I had used up my two searches. 800 CALL INFO is eleven digits. The extra O must be for overcharge!! Les lreeves@crl.com Atlanta,GA 404.874.7806 [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Yeah, well my non-published number is for bill collectors trying to get ahold of me and my unlisted number is for use when I call hot-chat lines. ... Seriously, I am curious how they get their information and how they have it organized. If you asked for me in 'Chicago' (312) then I am not there, period however there is a Patrick Townsend (no relation, no connection) who by coincidence lived only a few blocks away from me when I was living in Rogers Park (Chicago neighborhood) until about a year ago. I am told he had to get his number non-pub out of self defense because so many people were calling him looking for me! If you asked for me in 708 or "Chicago North Suburbs" then maybe the response would have been different. I wonder if MCI is using any sort of legitimate data- base from the local telcos or if they have strung together some sort of outdated cross-reference books where half the entries are out of date and a couple years old. Sounds like a ripoff to me; best limit use of the service to coin phones (Genuine Bell or COCOT, I don't care) and of course be prepared to deposit the 75 cents in coins when the operator requests it ... but then, how were you to know a call to an 800 number costs you money? ... remember the astrologers a couple years ago operating on an 800 number and how Digest readers took a sudden interest in the subject? PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Oct 94 08:31:19 EST From: Alex Cena Subject: ISDN-Based Internet Service Can someone recommend an Internet service provider with a good user interface and ISDN access for the New York City/Newark area. Preferably in the 908 area code. I contacted one that wanted over $200 just to sign up for the service, which I found somewhat expensive given that they want another $40 minimm + usage each month. Regards, Alex ------------------------------ From: Mike McCrohan Subject: ISDN - International From Calif/PacBell Date: 13 Oct 1994 00:41:17 +0100 Organization: Tada, tuigeann tu? Reply-To: mccrohan@iol.ie Has anyone experience in commissioning ISDN BRI from PACBELL territory in southern California for international communications (to/from Ireland)? We have installed ISDN service here in Ireland and at a location in S Calif, but cannot seem to be able to connect with the Calif end. I have been told that sometimes service is not enabled for international access, or whatever. What are the things I need to look out for? What questions do I need ask the Telco to ensure that the service is configured appropriately to allow us do what we need to do? Thanks in advance for any and all advice, Mike McCrohan mccrohan@iol.ie Cloon, Claregalway, mike.mccrohan@iol.ie Co. Galway, Ireland +353 91 98556 ------------------------------ From: Lance Ellinghaus Subject: T1 -> 24 x v.32 -> RS232 Organization: Mark V Systems Limited, Encino, Ca. Date: Thu, 13 Oct 1994 08:21:52 GMT A company called Primary Access has a product that will take a T1 (24 VOICE channels) and interpret the DS0 channels as modem connections (v.32, v.42bis, etc..) and output standard RS232 to hook to a system. What other companies have something like this? Comments on their products? Contacts to get more information? PLEASE EMAIL me. I don't have Usenet at home right now; only email. Thank you! Lance Ellinghaus lance@markv.com ------------------------------ From: lware@homer.voxel.com (Lance Ware) Subject: Wanted: Information on Nationwide Paging Services Organization: VOXEL Date: Thu, 13 Oct 1994 00:43:40 GMT I am interested in getting pricing on nationwide paging services, for both simple numerica paging, and also alpha-numerc/text. Any pointers would be appreciated. Lance Ware IS Manager & VOXEL Guru ------------------------------ From: marcos@netcom.com (Marcos H. Woehrmann) Subject: Looking For Ringer Light Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest) Date: Thu, 13 Oct 1994 00:45:40 GMT Hi, I'm looking for a company that makes a device that turns on a light when a phone rings. I have found two things that are almost right, one flashes a light (the light is only on when the ring voltage is present) and the other flashes a strobe light (presumably using the ring current to charge the circuit); but for my application the light needs to stay on until the phone stops ringing (I relize I could modify the flashing device by adding a timed relay to the output, but I need a bunch of these and would rather buy them then make them). I'm sure I've seen this sort of device listed in telphone equipment catalogues in the past, but as usual, when looking for something I can't find it. Marcos H. Woehrmann marcos@netcom.com ------------------------------ From: htcink@teleport.com (htc) Subject: Telecom Billing Software for DOS PC - Cost Flat LD Files Date: 12 Oct 1994 18:02:14 -0700 Organization: Teleport - Portland's Public Access (503) 220-1016 Dear Telecom Provider, My company has software available to cost flat files received from various LD companies. Software runs on your PC, and can be configured as you require. The program is written in the 'C' Language and costs $2500.00 with modifications to meet your specific requirements extra. The program also has an optional invoice-generation program to help you re-bill your clients. Please contact Chris at: HTC, Inc. 19625 NW Melrose Portland, OR 97229 (503) 690-8391 (503) 645-3566 -fax 6994868@mcimail.com htcink@teleport.COM Public Access User --- Not affiliated with Teleport Public Access UNIX and Internet at (503) 220-1016 (2400-14400, N81) ------------------------------ From: ashokm@cs.tamu.edu (Ashok G Mirchandani) Subject: Need Information on State Telecom Equipment Procurement Date: 13 Oct 1994 15:42:36 GMT Organization: Texas A&M Computer Science Department, College Station, TX Hello, I need information about how each individual State Government in the US procures telecommunications services and equipment. I also need information on the mechanism for representation of State telecommunication positions and interests before the state utility regulatory body in each state. Can someone please guide me to a proper source? Thank you in advance. Please email your responses. Ashok Mirchandani Ph: (409) 846 1543 Internet: ashokm@photon.cs.tamu.edu ------------------------------ From: jduksta@panix.com (John C.C. Duksta) Subject: Looking For Info/API's/Code Samples For NASI/NACS/Int14 Redirection Followup-To: jduksta@panix.com Date: 13 Oct 1994 11:09:18 -0400 Organization: Coherent Technologies, Inc. To all of those in the know: I'm looking for information, sample code, availability of API's for Netware Async Services Interface (NASI) from the server point of view. Any related information would also be helpful. We're kind of under pressure here (so what's new?), so expedient responses would really be great. TIA John C.C. Duksta Technical Support Analyst Digital Communications Associates, Inc. ------------------------------ From: burt@clark.net Subject: Seeking Veteran RS-232 Experts Date: 13 Oct 1994 14:34:45 -0400 Organization: Clark Internet Services, Inc., Ellicott City, MD USA SEEKING Veteran RS-232 Experts - I am searching for people who are very familiar with the EIA-RS-232 interface standard and its historical uses and applications during the 1960's and 1970's. I am willing to pay money to folks who have this knowledge and can assist me in locating information and/or companies who utilized this interface creatively. If you are interested in more details of my proposition, please reply by E-Mail to burt@clark.net. ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V14 #396 ****************************