From telecom-request@delta.eecs.nwu.edu Wed Aug 30 02:04:45 1995 by 1995 02:04:45 -0400 telecomlist-outbound; Tue, 29 Aug 1995 22:22:08 -0500 1995 22:22:05 -0500 To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu TELECOM Digest Tue, 29 Aug 95 22:21:00 CDT Volume 15 : Issue 364 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson CPUC Proposal (David Gershwin) Job Posting - Telecom Applications Engineer Wanted (Don Whitney) Unabomber in the News, Again (TELECOM Digest Editor) Enrollment Form - EXPLORING THE INTERNET (register@pacificnet.net) Anyone Else Been Lied to by AT&T? (Earl Vickers) Keeping Smart on Mobile Technology (jankwig@panix.com) 1-800-555-xxxx (David B. Horvath) 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 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: 500-677-1616 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. * ************************************************************************ * In addition, TELECOM Digest receives a grant from Microsoft to assist with publication expenses. Editorial content in the Digest is totally independent, and does not necessarily represent the views of Microsoft. ------------------------------------------------------------ Finally, 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. A suggested donation of twenty dollars per year per reader is considered appropriate. See our address above. 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- I'm actually going to be attending the meeting in L.A. on 9/20. While I may not know what the implications of this mean in reality, I'd probably like to see PacBell get some competition -- or at the very least, offer improved service for the kinda crap I seem to get now. Here are some of my beefs -- if anyone has any ideas on which ones would work, other points, etc., they would be welcome. E-mail me before the meeting ... (1) PacBell offers priority ring -- will it work with someone calling outside of PacBell's local calling area? Say, someone five miles away in GTE turf? Nope. Sorry, dude. (2) I'd like busy number redial -- won't work outside of my PacBell local calling area -- and that would include GTE turf as well. (3) I'd also like to see some competition with respect to rates for Zone Unit/local long-distance calls -- PacBell and the biggies pulled a big one when they convinced Gov. Wilson's PUC appointees that it's a "good idea" to have the default billing for local long-distance calls to be with one's local service provider, unless one enters a five-digit prefix before dialing -- then you still don't know what kind of prices you'll be getting. Just don't pick Oncor, that's for sure. I'd like to see *declared* prices for toll calls -- sort of like when you go to the supermarket, you can see the price tags, when you go to a gas station ... (4) I'd also like to see local phone companies stop deceptive practices like charging someone a dollar a month for an unlisted nubmer when someone can just pick a different name to be listed under, i.e. Joey Ramone; like not really explaining to people how much of a profit center/equivalent of extended warranty service contract rip-off "inside wire maintenance" contracts are, with anything wrong usually involving a three dollar piece of hardware. (5) My local phone company should provide me with *any* phone book in my local metropolitan area free of charge. Right now, PacBell wants me to fork over twenty clams for the privilege of using what should be public information, and for what would conceivably be "good" for PacBell directory advertisers ... End of rant, In vino veritas. David Gershwin gershwin@cinenet.net WWW Pages: http://www.cinenet.net/users/gershwin ---------- Forwarded message ---------- To: David Gershwin California Public Utilities Commission San Francisco, California August 1995 PHONE SERVICE FOR EVERYONE THE FACTS ABOUT UNIVERSAL SERVICE WHAT IS UNIVERSAL SERVICE? Universal Service means providing virtually everyone in the state with a basic level of telecommunications services at reasonable rates. It ensures that low-income customers and customers in areas that are expensive to serve (like mountain communities or less populated areas) receive the same access to services as other customers. Universal service is not a new idea. As described later, universal service programs have been in effect for some time. This fact sheet provides a summary of the issues and proposed rules contained in the CPUC proposal which would govern all telecommunications carriers in California that provide basic telephone service. THE LOCAL COMPETITION SITUATION Currently, there is only one company providing local phone service in your area. However, in 1994, the California Legislature passed Assembly Bill 3606, allowing other companies to offer local phone service by January 1, 1997. Local telephone competition will allow you to choose a local telephone company the same way most people now choose their long-distance company. Rules recently issued by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) will allow long-distance service providers, cable television companies and other companies to become competitive local telephone companies as early as January 1, 1996. These companies will be able to offer local telephone services in addition to their current service offerings. Local telephone competition is expected to lower costs for you, the consumer, while giving you the choice of newer, high quality services, in addition to basic telephone service. This competitive marketplace will foster economic growth and lead to an improved telecommunications infrastructure for California. What the CPUC is doing for you: Principles guiding the Commission: Ensuring that high-quality basic telecommunications services remain available and affordable to all Californians regardless of geographic, linguistic, cultural, ethnic, physical, or income considerations; Providing consumers with the ability to choose among competing telephone companies; Providing for the addition of new services to the basic service package as these new services become more widely used, in order to avoid some people having inferior access to information compared to others; Ensuring that customers have access to sufficient information to make informed choices about basic service and universal lifeline telephone service; and Ensuring that telephone companies follow reliability, privacy and security guidelines. THE CPUC UNIVERSAL SERVICE PROPOSAL Background: The prospect of local telephone competition has raised some concerns about a telephone company's "universal service" responsibilities in a competitive environment. In 1994, the California Legislature passed Assembly Bill 3643, which requires the California Public Utilities Commission, the state agency which regulates telephone companies, to develop universal service policies in a competitive environment. The CPUC recently issued proposed rules for public comment which outline its plan for maintaining affordable, high quality service within a competitive environment. The Commission released proposed rules on July 17, 1995, (Decision 95-07-050) for public comment. The document outlines the definition of minimum basic service, methods for subsidizing high cost service areas, discounts for low-income consumers, and the need for consumer information. A final set of rules will be developed following public hearings, filing of comments regarding the proposed rules, and following any evidentiary hearings and/or legislative changes, if necessary. What is Basic Service? Basic service is the set of features and capabilities consumers expect when they order telephone service. Basic service is not static, but changes over time. In the proposed universal service rules, the Commission proposes a definition of what basic service is now, and how it may change over time to include new services. The Commission proposes that basic service should include what Californians have come to expect when they order telephone service. This includes a connection to the telephone network (the ability to place and receive calls); access to the larger telephone network, such as access to long distance carriers and information services; free access to 911 emergency services; touch tone dialing; and billing options, such as choice of flat and measured service. As technology advances, new services will be offered. Over time these services may become so commonly used that they may be considered essential. Touch tone was once considered a premium service. Over time it became widely used and essential for many activities. Touch Tone is now included as part of basic service. The Commission expects that other, more advanced services may also become essential. For this reason, the universal service rules propose reviewing the definition of basic service every three years. During these reviews the Commission will consider the following factors: (1) Is the service essential for participation in society? (2) Do a majority of residential customers subscribe to the service? (3) Will the benefits of adding the service to the basic service exceed the costs? What About Service To Less Populated Areas? Universal service also ensures that customers in areas that are expensive to serve (like rural and mountain communities) receive the same access to services as other customers. In areas that are expensive to serve, rates have been kept low in two ways. First, the California High Cost Fund (CHCF) reduces rates for customers of small telephone companies. All telephone customers currently contribute to the CHCF through a small charge on their monthly phone bill. Second, by requiring large telephone companies to charge the same rate for basic service within their territory, rates are kept at reasonable levels in their high cost areas. By introducing local competition, the Commission must consider new ways to keep rates at reasonable levels. Under the proposed universal service rules, if you live in a designated high cost area, you will be able to get a credit, or voucher, on your bill so your rates remain affordable. If there is more than one local telephone company serving your high cost area, you can receive a similar credit regardless of which telephone company you choose. The purpose of this credit is to ensure that rates remain affordable in areas where the costs of serving that community are high. The credit represents the difference between the cost of providing service in an area and the rate the Commission considers affordable. In order to receive this credit for the customers it serves, a company must be willing to accept an obligation to serve all customers in an area. To fund this universal service voucher program, the Commission proposes a charge based on telephone company revenues. Unlike the current high cost fund, no direct charge would appear on your bill. What About Low-Income Consumers? Another aspect of universal service is providing lower rates for low income customers. The current Universal Lifeline Telephone Service (ULTS) program for low income consumers will remain unchanged, with the exception that it will be expanded to offer the choice of ULTS providers. Eligible low income customers will continue to pay either $5.62 for residential flat rate service, or $3.00 for residential measured service throughout the state. This program is funded by a small charge on all telephone bills. What Information Do Customers Need? The CPUC is concerned about what information consumers need to make informed choices about competing local telephone companies. It proposes that all local phone companies must provide customers basic service information in a standard format. Consumers will then be able to make easy comparisons between basic service rates of different local phone companies can be easily compared. This is similar to the way credit card companies present their rates. CONSUMER PROTECTIONS The CPUC recently established consumer protection rules governing new local telephone companies in a related, ongoing CPUC proceeding. These are interim rules, and will become effective January 1, 1996. Consumer protection rules govern rate increase notice requirements, disclosure of information to consumers when signing customers for service, required procedures for handling billing complaints, requirements for printing on bills information on how to receive help, customer deposit return requirements, rules to provide for easy credit establishment, privacy protection rules, and free blocking of 900 and 976 information service requirements. HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED The CPUC wants your comments on its proposed universal service rules. To provide an opportunity for comment, we will be holding public hearings throughout California in September and October (as listed below). The meetings will consist of a 15 minute presentation by Commission staff, followed by an open public comment period. Comments can be oral or written and CPUC staff will be available to respond to your questions. September 20, 1995 7:00 p.m., Los Angeles State Office Building, 107 South Broadway Auditorium September 26, 1995 7:00 p.m., San Bernardino City Hall , 300 North "D" Street Council Chambers September 27, 1995 7:00 p.m., Barstow City Hall, 220 E. Mountain View Street Council Chambers September 29, 1995 7:00 p.m., San Francisco State Office Building, 505 Van Ness Avenue Auditorium October 2, 1995 7:00 p.m., San Diego County Board of Supervisors, 1600 Pacific Highway Board Room, Room 310 October 5, 1995 7:00 p.m., Fresno State Office Building, 2550 Mariposa Mall Auditorium October 11, 1995 7:00 p.m., Roseville Maidu Community Center, 1550 Maidu Drive October 12, 1995 7:00 p.m., San Jose City Council, 801 North First Street Council Chambers October 12, 1995 7:00 p.m., Volcano Armory Hall, #2 Consolation Street October 19, 1995 7:00 p.m., Redding City Council, 1313 California Street Council Chambers October 24, 1995 7:00 p.m., Eureka County Courthouse, 825 Fifth Street Board of Supervisors Chambers HOW TO CONTACT US If you cannot attend one of the hearings, but would like to submit written comments, please write to: The Public Advisor California Public Utilities Commission 505 Van Ness Ave., Room 5303 San Francisco, CA 94102 or send electronic mail to: public.advisor@cpuc.ca.gov Mention that you are writing about "Universal Service Rules" (D.95-07-050). Indicate if you wish a written response, otherwise no reply will be sent. Your letter will be forwarded to the ·_ Commissioners and will become part of the formal correspondence file for this proceeding. ------------------------------ Hello, Harris Semiconductor is looking for an Applications Engineer for its Telecom IC products. Wanted: Knowledgeable and experienced engineer in the following areas: Subscriber Line cards, SLICs (Subscriber Line Interface Circuits), CODEC, and Lightning protection devices. Experience with semiconductor design and/or manufacturing is a plus. Good oral and writing skills necessary since part of job function includes publication of papers and app notes. BSEE or higher required. Harris Semiconductor is a manufacturer of solid state Subscriber Line Interface Circuits (SLICs), CODECs and lightning protection devices. It is located in Melbourne, Florida about 60 miles east of Orlando on the Alantic coast. Please reply to: David Ridgley (HR) email: dridgley@harris.com Fax: 407-729-4140 Phone: 407-729-5421 Donald Whitney (Design Engineer) email: dkw@semi.harris.com ------------------------------ So ... now they have decided -- as I did sometime back -- that the mystery person known as Unabomber had his roots here in the northern Illinois area. A few weeks ago, I expressed my belief, based on conversations with some net people, that Unabomber is a fellow whose initials are P.M.G. The 'M' stands for Michael ... and the 'P' ... ummm ... oh what the heck, it stands for Patrick. Well we had an interesting event right here in our little village of Skokie yesterday. It seems the FBI came to visit the school teachers in a large group meeting to discuss with them the case and ask them -- at least the ones who have been around as teachers for thirty years or so -- to rack their brains and try to identify who this former pupil of theirs might have been. Back in the era involved -- the 1960's -- we only had one high school in Niles Township (the sub-division of Cook County, Illinois in which Skokie is located) and it was known in those days as 'Nilehi' for short. Then came a second school and they called it Niles West with the original Nilehi becoming Niles East. Then came Niles North (a couple blocks from my house) in the middle 1970's and then later the closing of Niles East entirely as enrollment dropped. But hey! What the heck are they looking *over here* for? My message on the subject told them this fellow grew up in the Park Ridge and Des Plaines area: that's the next township west, called Maine Township. So now the FBI people are going to go over and question all the old-time school teachers over there at the Maine Township high schools, and see what they know about it. What the FBI needs to be doing is looking at the 'G' family when they were living at 1030 Horne Street in Des Plaines, phone VAnderbilt 7- 6895, back in the late 1960's and see if that direction gets them anywhere. It is my belief that PMG's father was a fellow named GG at that address who also operated for many years a company in Park Ridge called G(xxxxxx) Builders and Development Company at 709 Devon in Park Ridge, phone TALcott 5- 6654. They built homes, you know, like carpenters ... the children would have gone to the Maine Township schools, not the schools over here in Skokie for chrissakes! I wonder if they have looked at the connection I gave them for GG out in San Fransisco, where the GG stands for the same name as the one here in those days and the fellow who answers the phone seems figity and nervous and lies through his teeth and admitted he used to live here in the area back in the 1970's, 'but only as a way to dodge the draft'. Nah, they probably have not had time to do all that ... after all, there is a rumor going around on the Internet that some fellow in Alaska logged in on the Internet one day and thinks he might possibly have seen a message about kiddie porn somewhere; all available agents have been sent up there to kick in his door, seize all his computer equipment, inspect the encrypted files on his disk drive bit by bit, interogate all his family members as material witnesses, etc. No time left to be getting all involved looking for Patrick Michael G ... priorities, you know. I would apply for the million dollar reward they offered for information leading to his arrest, but it is likely they would weasel out of that also. You know how much dislike they have for this hotbed of perversion and anarchy known as Internet, and they surely could never bring themselves to admit that the people on this net helped solve their mystery. We are supposed to be causing them all their grief, not helping resolve it, and don't you forget that. So as exciting as it would be to find out that Unabomber grew up as a child right here in our own little village of Skokie, I'm afraid the FBI guys are looking a little too far to the east. They need to take the advice of the author who said 'go west, young man ...' Like maybe about ten miles west out to Park Ridge/Des Plaines. ----------------------------------- In other Unabomber news, I got mail from James Bellaire and a few other people who took me to task for claiming that the email I got from the FBI on subject was fraudulent and forged. The folks who wrote me about my 'stupid letter of the day' commentary enclosed evidence that indeed, fbi.gov gets their feed from the service provider mentioned. So, I guess that letter from the 'unabom task force' was for real. You who read it here will recall they thanked me for my input and said that if further information was required they would be in contact. Then what do they do but show up here in Niles Township to talk to the teachers ... hey guys, for the last time, try Maine Township, okay? Check the school records over there, and check with the old, probably retired employees of the Builder and Development Company. If I have to discuss this topic here again -- and personally I find it repugnant -- I may just name him completely and forget to use initials. PAT ------------------------------ [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I believe very strongly in the work being done by SPECTRUM Virtual University and suggest that readers of this Digest may be interested in learning more about SPECTRUM by signing up for the free workshop -- a virtual workshop -- that they are offering. Everything will be conducted via email, and this will be an excellent opportunity for newcomers to the net -- and even some experienced old- timers who have not kept up as well as they should -- to learn what is going on. Particularly, those of you who participate via the non- traditional sites, i.e. Compuserve, AOL and other commercial services for whom Internet connectivity has only recently become available will benefit from this course. It is free, and as easy to join as filling out the form which appears below. PAT] ------------------------------ SPECTRUM Virtual University Spectrum@PacificNet.Net Priority Correspondence FAX (818) 834-8221 "The World Meets Here -- The Future Begins Here." Welcome to our Fall/Winter 1995 workshop, "EXPLORING THE INTERNET." This *free* workshop is sponsored by Spectrum Virtual University to raise public awareness and provide greater access to the information- rich highways of cyberspace. To complete your enrollment, just follow the instructions below. This form may be freely copied and distributed. If you wish to enroll a group of people in your school or office, simply send us their e-mail addresses and we will send a form to each person. Please use "Subject" header "GROUP REQUEST 811" to expedite handling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TO ENROLL BY E-MAIL: Type your answers below. If you cannot type on this form, retype the headings and your answers in a new message. E-mail completed form to register@pacificnet.net TO ENROLL BY FAX: Print form and fax to (818) 834-8221. Please fax only the form! It is not necessary to fax back these instructions. TO ENROLL BY TOUCHTONE PHONE: Call our 24-hour Fast Touch registration line at (818) 899-7888. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = cut here = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = ENROLLMENT FORM SPECTRUM Virtual University Fall, 1995 Program Name : Exploring The Internet #811 Your Student ID : ####### Your Full Name : E-Mail Address : Organization : Title : Street Address : City/Province : Postal ZipCode : Country: : Where did you hear about this workshop? (Type answer in space below) : What do you hope to learn from this workshop? (Please be specific!) : [end of form] ------------------------------ In early July, AT&T (or their representatives) called me up and offered me $50 to switch to AT&T. In a couple weeks, I got a check for $10, and a $10 Preferred Customer Voucher. I called to complain and was told that it takes four to six weeks to get the $50 check. So I waited. Today I called and complained again. They apologized and offered to send me a check to make up the difference of what they had promised. So, to get my $50, I have to stay on hold for 20 minutes, talk to three or four different people, mail in a coupon that isn't good until late September, and cash two checks if indeed I get the second one. This is not what I was promised, and if I hadn't persisted with them I wouldn't have gotten that much. This is classic bait and switch. Maybe it's AT&T lying to me, maybe it's their contractors trying to pull a fast one, or maybe it was an honest error, I don't know. Regardless, I'm filing a complaint with: The California Public Utilities Commission Consumer Affairs Branch 505 Van Ness Ave., Room 2003 San Francisco, CA 94102, and the Federal Communications Commission Common Carrier Bureau 1919 M. St., NW, Washington, DC 20554 And maybe if this has happened to enough of us, a class action lawsuit might be in order. Where's Crackers the Corporate Crime-fighting Chicken when you need him? Earl Vickers earl@netcom.com ------------------------------ Hello. Last week, I submitted a request for some adhoc responses to a very informal survey I was conducting on how mobile technology users (individuals, consumers, etc.) get smart and stay informed or educated on the technology *that they use for themselves*. This last emphasis was apparently not clear: the focus is on individual private use of any type of mobile technology. If you'd allow me to, I would like to request recipients of this mailing to consider responding to this survey again, considering the focus on mobile technology of any kind (cellular, laptop, printers, PDAs, etc.) *which you use for yourselves*. Hence, please respond back concerning the methods you utilize other than books or magazines, such as attending trade shows, speaking to dealers, speaking to colleagues or friends, using online discussion groups, etc. A single, quick email response listing the manner in which you stay up to date on mobile technology would suffice. Thank you again for your assistance. ------------------------------ It looks like the 1-800-555 number space is available for "normal" toll free phone numbers. I got a call from a Contract-programmer broker in Texas (they wanted to know if I was interested in a job down there), when I mentioned that I wasn't interested but might be able to pass the lead on to a friend who was interested in moving to TX, I was given a 1-800-555- number. I confirmed the number to make sure I heard it correctly. Now what are the movies going to use to show someone dialing a toll free number? David B. Horvath, CCP dhorvath@goldey.gbc.edu Consultant, Adjunct Professor, International Lecturer [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I don't know what they will do now. Maybe the YANG! principle should be applied. YANG = Yet Another Noise Group. Should I put up a message in news.groups calling for a discussion on what to name the new group which will discuss how Hollywood should handle the use of telephone numbers when telco no longer has the luxury of providing them with numbers that won't disturb the real people? PAT] ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V15 #364 ******************************