TELECOM Digest Tue, 10 Jan 95 13:16:00 CST Volume 15 : Issue 22 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson BA-VA Drops Touch-Tone Charge (Phillip Dampier) NPA/NXX Report for January 1995 (David Esan) Caller ID Deluxe in N.J. (Phillip Dampier) Microwave-Data Problem (Doug H. Kerr) Urgent Help Needed With European Phone Systems (Petar Nikic) Re: GSM SIM Implementation (Robohn Scott) Re: Cell Phone PINs (A. Padgett Peterson) Call Unblocking Now Available From US West (Seattle) (Chris Osburn) ANI Information in Realtime (Eric Essman) AT&T MCI and Sprint E-mail Addresses Wanted (Piotr Roman Jarzynka) 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: 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. 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Any organizations listed are for identification purposes only and messages should not be considered any official expression by the organization. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: phil@rochgte.fidonet.org (Phillip Dampier) Reply-To: phil@rochgte.fidonet.org Date: Tue, 10 Jan 1995 11:03:40 Subject: BA-VA Drops Touch-Tone Charge BELL ATLANTIC-VIRGINIA DROPS TOUCH-TONE CHARGE; BROADENS OFFERING TO LOW-INCOME CUSTOMERS RICHMOND, VA -- Bell Atlantic-Virginia's telephone bills were reduced beginning Jan. 1 with the elimination of the charge for Touch-Tone service, saving customers approximately $23 million a year. Also, effective Jan. 1, the company expanded the offering of its low-cost Virginia Universal Service Plan, making it available to all USDA food stamp recipients. Both moves were prompted by a order issued last October by the State Corporation Commission establishing a new form of regulation for Bell Atlantic. Residential customers currently pay a monthly fee of 60 cents per line for Touch-Tone; business customers pay $1.85 per line; larger businesses, with PBX systems, pay $2.46 for each PBX trunk. Roughly 90% of the company's two million customers now subscribe to Touch-Tone. Technicians are currently converting all of the remaining rotary lines to Touch-Tone. Rotary- and pulse-dial phones work on a Touch-Tone line. "If a customer wishes to switch from rotary service to Touch-Tone, he or she needs only to plug in a Touch-Tone phone. No call to our business office is necessary," explained Hugh Stallard, Bell Atlantic- Virginia's president and CEO. Virginia Universal Service Plan The company's expansion of the Virginia Universal Service Plan is expected to increase the number of customers eligible by roughly 50 percent. The plan, which the company launched in 1988, is currently offered only to those eligible for Medicaid. There are some 539,000 Virginians now receiving Medicaid benefits. Total food stamp recipients in the state number over 637,000, some of whom also receive Medicaid. The Virginia Universal Service Plan (VSUP) provides telephone service to low-income individuals for $2.50 a month. Subscribers to this service are permitted 30 outgoing calls per monthly billing period at no additional charge. Every call over 30 is billed at 9.6 cents per call. VUSP service does not permit any of the enhanced services such as call waiting or three-way calling. Food stamp recipients interested in subscribing to the Virginia Uni- versal Service Plan should contact the Bell Atlantic business office for additional details. Bell Atlantic Corporation, based in Philadelphia, is the parent of companies which provide a full array of local exchange telecom- munications services in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C. The corporation is at the forefront of developing a variety of new products, including video, entertainment, and information services. Bell Atlantic also is the parent of one of the nation's largest cellular carriers and has an ownership position in cellular properties internationally, including a 42 percent economic interest in Grupo Iusacell, Mexico's largest independent cellular company. In addition, Bell Atlantic owns an interest in Telecom Corporation of New Zealand and is the parent of companies that provide business systems services for customer-based information technology throughout the U.S. and internationally. ------------------------------ From: de@moscom.com (David Esan) Subject: NPA/NXX Report For January 1995 Date: 10 Jan 95 16:19:51 GMT Organization: Moscom Corporation, Pittsford NY This is my quarterly report on the number of exchanges in each NPA in the NANP. It is derived from information in FCC #10. This is article #15 in the series. (Note: I missed the 3rd quarter 1994 article. Busy busy on a new database, and preparing for the 1995 numbering changes.) FCC #10 is a tariff issued by BellCore that contains all the area codes, exchange combinations in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP). It also contains lata information and V&H coordinate information. There is a lot of additional information that I don't use, so I won't add here. It is available through a number of sources. The one closest to the FCC is ITS, which can be contacted at 202-857-3800. My company compiles this information for use in its products and does not seem to be interested in selling this information. Queries are still flowing through the bureaucracy. I have used pages that are effective prior to January 20, 1995. I am not responsible for the information supplied in FCC #10. I have not included the following in my counts of exchanges: - NXX's that are not dialable by a standard user (ie nxx's that begin with a 1 or 0). - Mexican exchanges in the 52? series of area codes. I've got them, you can dial them with 011, but they're not really NPAs. - Exchanges that are non-dialable in the 88? series of area codes. I've got those also, but you can't dial them, so I'm not including them. Numbers that begin with 88 are nondialable stations in the US, Canada and Mexico. They are ranches in the middle of the Nevada or Texas desert, or isolated outpost of civilization (always wanted to use that phrase) in the tundra of Canada. I find place names like the Bar J Ranch, Double B Ranch, and JD Dye, Texas, Amargosa, Corncreek and Reese Valley, NV, and Chick Lake, Redknife and Taglu, NT. I gather they are ringdown stations, or radio-telephone stations. [It has been noted in c.d.t. that at least two of these numbers are for a bordello on the NV-CA border.] The fields are: ------------ rank last in July, 1994 213: 736 (1, 7) area code --^^^ ^^^ ^------- number of new exchanges |-------------- total number of exchanges 206: 775 (52, 4) 713: 719 (33, 7) 404: 668 (61, 19) 212: 653 (11, 10) 205: 764 (24, 1) 703: 679 (15, 8) 503: 666 (46, 17) 214: 652 (45, 20) 602: 753 (41, 6) 813: 673 (13, 11) 615: 660 (32, 12) 314: 639 (34, 22) 215: 735 ( 9, 3) 303: 671 (28, 9) 216: 657 (34, 14) 203: 630 (46, 25) 708: 732 (17, 5) 803: 669 (47, 15) 305: 653 (42, 18) 604: 623 (- 1, 13) 1. 206 - split is in progress. Number should be reduced by split. 2. 205 - split is in progress. Number should be reduced by split. 3. 602 - split is planned. Number should be reduced by split. 4. 215 - split is in progress. Number should be reduced by split. 5. 708 - split is in progress. Number should be reduced by split. 6. 713 - split is planned. Number should be reduced by split. 7. 703 - split is planned. Number should be reduced by split. 8. 813 - split is planned. Number should be reduced by split. 9. 303 - split is planned. Number should be reduced by split. 11. 404 - split is planned. Number should be reduced by split. 13. 615 - split is planned. Number should be reduced by split. 15. 305 - split is planned. Number should be reduced by split. 19. 203 - split is planned. Number should be reduced by split. Note: The Los Angeles Area (213/818/310) area will receive an overlay area code. While none of these NPAs are in the top 20 this is an area of rapid telephone growth. There is also at least one split (the Bahamas) in the 809 area code, and perhaps a second (Puerto Rico). -> The NPA that is largest and is not splitting nor has plans, at this time, to split, is 803. -> The 3 smallest NPA's remain the same 413: 143 - Western Massachusetts (+6 exchange) 906: 117 - Michigan's Upper Peninsula (no change) 807: 109 - Western Ontario (+1 exchange) -> The NPAs with the greatest growth rates are: NPA % growth 917 26.73 810 11.46 910 10.83 404 10.04 508 8.79 816 8.63 312 8.02 919 7.92 210 7.74 408 7.60 -> The 10 NPAs with the least growth rates are: NPA % growth 807 0 418 0 316 0 306 0 304 0 604 -0.16 204 -0.27 802 -1.06 706 -6.29 313 -43.51 -> There are 70 NPAs (48% of the total) that have exchanges that are in the x00 to x19 range. They are: 201 214 314 503 615 714 818 202 215 317 506 616 718 903 203 216 334 510 619 803 904 204 301 360 512 630 805 905 205 303 404 517 703 808 908 206 305 407 519 704 809 909 209 306 408 602 706 810 910 210 310 410 609 707 813 916 212 312 415 610 708 816 917 213 313 416 612 713 817 919 -> Just for grins: The most used NXX (not counting 555) is 754 used in 122 npas. The least used are: 211 and 311 used only in 212, and 959 used only in 808. I should note here that these are exchanges that are truly in use, not for special calling, but in general day to day use. All the NPAs and the number of nxx's in each are listed below: 206: 775 612: 616 818: 493 810: 418 605: 373 819: 317 806: 268 205: 764 904: 612 407: 493 504: 418 418: 371 610: 312 709: 268 602: 753 501: 602 410: 488 301: 415 805: 369 613: 311 608: 265 215: 735 809: 592 412: 481 313: 414 207: 365 218: 310 706: 262 708: 732 312: 592 614: 478 801: 413 505: 363 202: 308 603: 259 713: 719 310: 592 913: 472 219: 408 419: 361 334: 307 917: 256 703: 679 619: 586 508: 470 213: 407 204: 359 808: 303 417: 229 813: 673 817: 568 601: 466 914: 401 618: 358 606: 300 308: 219 303: 671 804: 566 415: 462 908: 401 517: 356 903: 298 707: 211 803: 669 405: 565 515: 461 316: 401 319: 354 812: 295 719: 209 404: 668 717: 543 516: 458 502: 400 304: 353 712: 294 630: 196 503: 666 816: 541 306: 458 408: 396 702: 351 518: 292 307: 194 615: 660 414: 523 402: 451 919: 395 609: 344 360: 290 506: 188 216: 657 514: 520 714: 450 406: 394 915: 337 315: 287 802: 185 305: 653 317: 517 416: 442 512: 390 909: 334 507: 283 607: 183 212: 653 718: 511 910: 440 510: 389 409: 334 705: 282 401: 160 214: 652 513: 510 716: 439 318: 389 208: 334 902: 281 302: 146 314: 639 916: 504 209: 428 912: 384 905: 333 814: 278 413: 143 203: 630 201: 503 704: 424 701: 383 815: 333 901: 274 906: 117 604: 623 617: 501 616: 423 217: 381 918: 325 509: 271 807: 109 403: 622 210: 501 907: 421 519: 376 715: 325 309: 270 David Esan de@moscom.com ------------------------------ From: phil@rochgte.fidonet.org (Phillip Dampier) Reply-To: phil@rochgte.fidonet.org Date: Tue, 10 Jan 1995 11:03:53 Subject: Caller ID Deluxe in N.J. BELL ATLANTIC PLANS NEW CALLER ID SERVICE Newark, N.J. -- Bell Atlantic customers in New Jersey will be able to see both the telephone number and name of the person calling with a new Caller ID service the company proposed December 30th. If approved by the state Board of Public Utilities (BPU), Caller ID Deluxe could be available early next year to residential and business customers in areas equipped for the service. "Caller ID Deluxe offers our customers a better way to manage their calls and to achieve an added sense of security," said Dennis Bone, Bell Atlantic-New Jersey vice president-externally affairs. "In our customer research, nearly 100 percent of customers said that the ability to see the phone number and names of callers is a valuable feature for them." The customer research was done by Bell Atlantic in Richmond, Virginia, where the company conducted a successful trial of Caller ID Deluxe. Statewide introduction of the service began in Virginia in August (1994) and it subsequently was introduced in the Bell Atlantic territory in Maryland, and West Virginia. Nationally, a total of 24 states now offer Caller ID Deluxe. Caller ID Deluxe displays the name as it appears on a residential customer's telephone account, not necessarily as it appears in the Bell Atlantic telephone directory, up to 15 characters, with the last name appearing first. For example, a call from the John Doe household may show, "Dow John." The Doe telephone number also would be dis- played. If no one answers when the call comes in, the Dow name and number could be held in memory and accessed later. The names and phone numbers of businesses will be displayed as they appear in the white pages of their Bell Atlantic telephone directories. The proposed monthly charge for the new service is $7.50 per month for residential and $9.50 for business customers. Customers also need a display unit that is capable of displaying a name and telephone number. The units may be purchased from a Bell Atlantic affiliate or from a number of other retailers. Display unit prices range from about $35 for a basic unit to about $120 for one built into the telephone. Bell Atlantic-New Jersey was the first company in the country to offer Caller ID statewide beginning in 1988 after a one-year trial. The company will continue to offer regular Caller ID that displays the in- coming caller's telephone number and costs $6.50 per month for resi- dential and $8.50 per month for business customers. Those who do not want their name or phone number shown on a Caller ID or Caller ID Deluxe display unit can elect, at no charge, to have their information blocked from going forward to the called party. To activate Per Call Blocking, customers dial *67 on a Touch-Tone phone or 1167 on a rotary phone prior to placing each call. Those who do not want to receive calls from people who have activated Per Call Blocking may elect to use Anonymous Call Rejection. It's available automatically to Caller ID customers and also would be avail- able to Caller ID Deluxe customers under the company's proposal. To activate it, Touch-Tone users dial *77 and rotary users dial 1177. It can be deactivated by dialing *87 and 1187. Bell Atlantic Corporation, based in Philadelphia, is the parent of companies that provide a full array of local exchange telecom- munication services in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C. The corporation is at the forefront of developing a variety of new products, including video, entertainment and information services. Bell Atlantic also is the parent of one of the nation's largest cellular carriers and has an ownership position in cellular properties internationally, including a 42 percent economic interest in Grupo Iusacell, Mexico's largest independent cellular company. In addition, Bell Atlantic owns an interest in Telecom Corporation of New Zealand and is the parent of companies that provide business systems services for customer-based information technology throughout the U.S. and internationally. úÿ ------------------------------ From: Doug H. Kerr Organization: Amarillo College PCAD-ML Date: Tue, 10 Jan 1995 09:28:33 GMT-6 Subject: Microwave-Data Problem I'm having a problem here at our college with a remote site which I connect via microwave. We have two NEC 2400 connected and also use a data channel off the T-1 for our router which connects our lans. I have not had any problems with my telephones but the lan has had severe problems. Here lies the problem: the data people say it's the microwave or T-1. I run a data channel also that is used for a CCIS link between switches and have no problems with this so I assume it is not in the micro or T-1. How can you prove the origin of the problem, or monitor the system without the high cost test equipment? Thanks. ------------------------------ From: petar@trance.helix.net (Petar Nikic) Subject: Urgent Help Needed With European Phone Systems Date: 10 Jan 1995 08:30:33 GMT Organization: Helix Internet What should I do to make a cordless phone work in Europe? I bought it in Canada. There are two problems with the plugs: the phone plug and the plug for the recharger. Both of them are different than those which Europeans use. I am sure that somebody else has been faced with these problems. So, I would appreciate any help. I am leaving tomorrow night, so please respond ASAP. Thanks, Petar ------------------------------ From: Robohn Scott Subject: Re: GSM SIM Implementation Date: Tue, 10 Jan 95 08:27:00 PST In article , tholome@dialup.francenet.fr (Eric Tholome) wrote: > GSM solves the problem of two phones (or more) for one line in a very nice > way: the subscriber identity is totally separated from the terminal: it is > located on a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card. This way, you can > have as many phones as you mant and still have one single phone number: > simply plug your card in whatever phone you intend to use! You may even > plug your card in somebody else's phone, or in a rented car phone, for > instance. > Very convenient, indeed. Of course, the terminal still has an identity, and, > if reported stolen, can be blocked by the carrier, no matter who is using > it. And thanks to sophisticated algorithms, it is not easy to steal airtime > by mimicking a SIM card (at least that's we're all being told!). Does anyone know how the SIM is implemented (i.e., PCMCIA card, SIMM, some other standards-based approach, or proprietary?) How much information is actually stored on it? Have there been any problems with it in practice? How long has the SIM been available commercially? Scott Robohn Booz, Allen & Hamilton robohns@bah.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 10 Jan 95 08:33:33 -0500 From: padgett@tccslr.dnet.mmc.com (A. Padgett Peterson) Subject: Re: Cell Phone PINs Mark Smith Mercerville, NJ writes: > BEDMINSTER, NJ, AND ORANGEBURG, NY -- Two of the nation's largest > wireless carriers are teaming up in a unique program to prevent their > customers from being victimized by criminals who steal cellular > service. > The new effort combines a Personal Identification Number (PIN) code > system recently pioneered by NYNEX Mobile Communications in New York > City with a new Fraud Protection Zone technique developed by Bell > Atlantic Mobile. Sorry but I seem to be missing something here. If the PIN is sent in the clear then anyone grabbing the cell phone number off the air will also get the PIN. > In the rare instance that they are cloned, customers only need to call > their home carrier and receive a new PIN to restore service. Oh, I see, once a phone is compromised, and the customer gets the bill, they can change the PIN and start all over again. True the customer could deactivate/change the PIN daily (hourly?) but how many will? How fast can the cloners react? Then we have the problem of "customers" calling up to report a problem and asking to change the PIN -- but how will the Telco know who is calling? AH! They will need a PIN to change their PIN 8*). > By contrast, customers not using PINs must bring their phones back to a > carrier or dealer for a new phone number, notify business associates > and friends of the number change, or even modify business cards and > stationery. Don't understand the last part, the ESN is what needs to change, not the phone number, guess someone does not understand the difference. This is from a telco press release? > Why don't they start spending the money they spent on ECPA lobbying to > invent a more secure system?!?!?!? There are several means already available but since most involve some form of encryption they seem to be too dangerous for the public to have. With the PIN, the carriers can say they have done *something*. Cooly, Padgett ------------------------------ From: Chris Osburn Subject: Call Unblocking Now Available From US West (Seattle) Date: Tue, 10 Jan 95 09:06:00 PST Hooray for Pacific Northwest Bell, er, I mean US West (sigh). Last year when Caller ID was made available here, I immediately signed up for line blocking. The down side I had to accept was that my call would be refused by someone who didn't feel like taking a call from a faceless stranger. Starting 1 January 1995, US West tackled the problem with a (free!) call unblocking feature. I can dial *82 before the number and allow myself to be announced to the recipient when I feel the need. Kudos to US West for this feature. (Now I have to make sure it works....) cheers! Chris Osburn, chriso@asymetrix.com Seattle, Washington, USA ICBM: 47 42 58 N 122 16 41 W ------------------------------ Date: 10 Jan 95 09:57:42 EST From: ESSMAN <74656.557@compuserve.com> Subject: ANI Information in Realtime I currently have 800 service through AT&T and I receive ANI information with my bill once per month. I'd like to receive the ANI info real-time but no one at AT&T seems to know what I'm talking about. They keep asking me to go back to NYNEX to get Caller ID. When I explain that Caller ID and ANI are two different things, that's when the fun really starts. Anyone out there have any suggestions? Thanks, Eric Essman [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Even though ANI and Caller-ID are two separate things, the end result -- the number produced for your review -- is as often as not the same. With this in mind, at least one carrier providing 800 service *does* display in realtime the ANI of the calling party via the Caller-ID display unit. I've forgotten which company it is ... someone remind me. Maybe what AT&T is trying to tell you is that if you get Caller-ID from NYNEX you'll get the information you are seeking. Maybe ... I don't know. Maybe they are trying to say if you get a Calelr-ID display unit from someone, they (AT&T) will be in a position to send you the information. Any other guesses on this, anyone? PAT] ------------------------------ From: prj1@doc.ic.ac.uk (Piotr Roman Jarzynka) Subject: At&T MCI and Sprint E-mail Addresses Wanted Date: 10 Jan 1995 15:15:25 -0000 Organization: Dept. of Computing, Imperial College, University of London, UK. Reply-To: prj1@doc.ic.ac.uk (Piotr Roman Jarzynka) I'm looking for the AT&T, MCI, and Sprint e-mail addresses. Thanks a lot, prj1@doc.ic.ac.uk [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Well, considering all three of them run huge email networks of their own it should not be too hard to find out how to reach them. You might try 'postmaster@' att.com, mcimail.com and sprint.com for starters. You did not say what department, location or person you were seeking and that is going to be needed to properly send your mail. PAT] ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V15 #22 *****************************