TELECOM Digest Thu, 2 Feb 95 18:11:00 CST Volume 15 : Issue 73 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson SW Bell Urged to Cut Phelps' Phone Lines (Capital-Journal via Kevyn Jacobs) Book Review: "Fundamentals of Telecommunication Networks" (Rob Slade) MCI to Launch First Nationwide Sonet/ATM Network (Jim Collins) POCSAG to Be Upgraded to APOC (John Bell) 7/8ths Heliax Sources Needed (Michael P. Deignan) 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. 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BELL URGED TO CUT PHELPS' CHURCH PHONES By STEVE FRY The Capital-Journal A prominent Topeka businessman is challenging Southwestern Bell to pull the plug on telephone service to Westboro Baptist Church because of what a local lawyer calls the "defaming and harassing" faxes that emanate from there. Kent Garlinghouse chief executive officer and chairman of M-C Industries Inc., has joined with lawyer Jerry Palmer in condemning the telephone company for not acting to curb the fax messages of Westboro Baptist Church. The faxes are sprinkled with words such as "fag," "sodomite," "pig" and "whore." The pastor of Westboro Baptist is the Rev. Fred W. Phelps Sr. Its congregation is composed primarily of members of his family. The congregation is best known for its anti-gay picketing. The picketing that began on local street corners has increasingly turned up in locales across the nation, drawing widespread media attention. Garlinghouse said the picketing has become so embarrassing he is reluctant to acknowledge he is from Topeka when he meets people while out of town on business. He and Palmer contend it is Southwestern Bell's civic duty to take action against what they deem is an abuse of telephone service. "I think Southwestern Bell has been a bad corporate citizen in their failure to use the power they have to abate the serious problem this community has with these defaming and harassing faxes," Palmer said. "They're like the rest of the community. They're afraid. They don't want the litigation, the hassle" with the Westboro church, Palmer said. Many of Phelps' 13 children are lawyers. "Southwestern Bell could -- today -- shut off the fax service to Westboro Baptist Church if they had the will," Palmer said Wednesday. Anne Marie Hilday, a Southwestern Bell spokesman, said the matter boils down to a First Amendment issue. "Southwestern Bell is a good corporate citizen because its efforts are aimed at serving its customers fairly and without discriminating against any customer," she said. "However, Southwestern Bell cannot act as prosecutor, judge and jury in determining whether conversation between two persons is defamatory and libelous or otherwise illegal." Garlinghouse said he hasn't been the subject of a Westboro fax, but was cursed by a church picketer as he entered a west-side restaurant Sept. 17. There are more issues than just the church`s faxes, Garlinghouse said, including church picketers on Topeka streets, entertainers shunning Topeka and harassment of Topekans attending public performances. Palmer contends the phone company could shut off service based on a Kansas Corporation Commission regulation linked to abuse of telephone service. In that regulation, there is a section dealing with calls directly to a person that reasonably could be expected to frighten, abuse, torment or harass that person. Southwestern Bell's Hilday counters that the regulation is applied within the law. Palmer said the regulation should be extended to third parties. For example, if A sends a fax to B about Z, the regulation should protect Z, Palmer said. On Aug. 11, Palmer filed a complaint with the KCC saying existing regulations against abuse of telephone service by voice communication are inadequate to cover abusive facsimile messages about someone who doesn't actually receive the fax message. The phone company contends updating the regulation isn't needed and urged the KCC to drop its investigation. Palmer, a longtime Phelps target on picket signs and faxes, represents St. David's Episcopal Church in a civil lawsuit against Westboro. Instead of cutting off phone service, Southwestern Bell is using the criminal prosecution route, which is quicker than a civil suit or administrative action, Hilday said. Southwestern Bell can place a "trap" on a phone or fax machine to trace the number of the fax sender. After three offending calls are received, the information is turned over to law enforcement officers, who visit the sender to talk about the complaint. If the fax messages continue, officers can seek prosecution for violation of the regulation. Upon conviction, the phone company can disconnect the offender's phone service. So far, 14 customers have complained to Southwestern Bell about the Westboro church faxes, Hilday said, but none has agreed to use the trap method. The problem with the trap method is it could make the complainant a target for more fax messages, Palmer said. Even though the complainant wouldn't receive future messages about himself, many outlets for the messages would, Palmer said. By using the regulatory route, everyone benefits because Westboro fax messages would end, Palmer said. Using a trap to identify the Westboro church as the fax sender is "absurd," Palmer said. "That leaves Southwestern Bell, probably, as the only people who don't know where the faxes are coming from," he said. Westboro faxes usually have church logo at the top or are signed by Phelps, Palmer said. In October, Shawnee County District Judge Michael Barbara found Phelps in contempt of court based, in part, on a fax issued by the minister, Palmer said. It isn't clear when the KCC will complete its investigation of Palmer's complaint, said David Schlosser, KCC spokesman. Researchers are trying to determine whether other states offer third-party protection. "I think it's embarrassing," Garlinghouse said of the Westboro anti-gay campaign. "It does not make me proud to be a Topekan. It's amazing how many people around the country are familiar with the Phelpses.?' From The {Topeka Capital-Journal} Editorial Page Sunday, January 22, 1995 Phelps faxes: Bell, it's your call. Sidebar: Some believe the phone company has the capacity to pull the plug on the cult of contempt's faxes Sidebar: This is not free speech. It is high-tech harassment. It is reaching out and touching someone with defamation and mass character assassination. If you feel Southwestern Bell should stop this madness, call the company and tell it to. Southwestern Bell, you have been duly challenged. It's your call now. Several knowledgeable Topekans believe you have the power, the right and, indeed, the obligation to end the torrent of scornful, libelous fax messages sent by the Westboro Baptist Church over the last few years. The challenge is this: Do you stand up for your customers, for the law, for Topeka and for decency? If so, you won't stand alone. The community will stand with you. To those few fortunate ones who have escaped viewing the faxes from Fred Phelps' family: You just would not believe the mean-spirited bile that flows from Phelps' church through area fax machines -- reckless allegations of sexual improprieties and other misdeeds, public and private; doctored cartoons and other copyright infringements meant to embarrass particular individuals; and name-calling and threat-making intended solely to terrorize. This is not free speech. It is high-tech harassment. It is reaching out and touching someone with defamation and mass character assassination. And it must stop. Some of the victims are public officials. Some are community leaders. Still others are private citizens with the misfortune of being discovered by the Cult of Contempt. Most importantly, they are all human beings. They don't have to live with this. The Phelpses have an absolute right to wallow their lives away in the sewer of their creation. But the good people of Topeka have no such obligation. The good people of Topeka have a right to peace and harmony. The local band of haters is disturbing that peace in every way it can, taking glee in each new wound it makes. But it is now time for healing. Some, including local business owner Kent Garlinghouse and attorney Jerry Palmer, say Southwestern Bell can begin the healing process. They believe Bell can and should prevent further abuse of its telephone customers by discontinuing phone service to Phelps' church. The question is not whether Southwestern Bell is a good corporate citizen. It is. The only question is, can it be better? It just might. Perhaps to its credit, the phone company has thus far treaded lightly. It has legitimate concerns about denying phone service to anyone based on how the phones are used. Unfortunately, that caution -- which many of Topeka's other institutions have shown -- is outdated. The Phelpses' willingness to stretch the bounds of reason has made it so. In addition, Bell clearly has an obligation to do everything possible to prevent abuse of its customers. The present situation calls for firm action. Palmer argues the phone company has the power to shut off phone service to the church under Kansas Corporation Commission regulations. Palmer also says the KCC regulations need to be beefed up -- to protect not just the recipient of the faxes, but the subject of them. Bell says it simply can't take the action Palmer is prescribing. Yet, it would seem otherwise. Regulations clearly allow the phone company to discontinue service that is used "for a call or calls, anonymous or otherwise, if made in a manner which reasonably could be expected to frighten, abuse, torment or harass another" Can there be any doubt that the above describes the Phelps family of faxes? It's time to stop pussyfooting around. If you feel Southwestern Bell should stop this madness, call the company and tell it to. Tell Bell to protect the law-abiding, peace-loving customers it enjoys in this area. And once Bell steps forward to end this tele-terrorism, the rest of the community should step forward with it. That means further action by the city government and law enforcement commun- ity to bring a resolution to the pickets, by the same family, that are intended to torment and disrupt Topeka's cultural and religious life. And it means other good citizens and corporate citizens stepping forward to defend one another -- to take back Topeka. The community puts it to you, Southwestern Bell. Are you the one to call on? ==================================================== Reprinted with permission of TCJ Editor Mike Ryan Phone Conversation, 01.21.95 From The {Topeka Capital-Journal} Letters to the Editor Sunday, January 29, 1995 Southwestern Bell Telephone has heard your calls, Topeka. But the message we've received is mixed. On one hand, we've heard from those of you who want us to unilaterally disconnect a customer's service for allegedly sending harassing facsimile messages. On the other hand are those who fear that such unilateral action by a telephone company could amount to an abuse of power. They support existing procedures, which involve safeguards for the suspension of any customer's service. They view these procedures as necessary to protect all customers from inappropriate limits on their speech. We understand and appreciate the concerns expressed by both sides of this troublesome issue. We hope the community appreciates our deliberate approach to considering the interests of all customers. We have heard complaints from customers claiming they have received harassing faxes. We stand ready to implement the established procedures to address their concerns. However, as a regulated telecommunications provider, we have a gen- eral obligation to serve everyone who requests service in our operating area. Therefore, before we suspend a customer's service we must have facts. At a minimum, the source of the offensive fax must be clearly established. The author of a fax might not be the person abusing the service of the complaining customer. For example, we need to make sure someone else hasn't received the fax, then retransmitted it to the complaining customer. To do that, we put a "trap" on the complaining customer's telephone line. But we can't do that without the written approval of the recipient. Once the sending customer has been identified we can advise him or her and law enforcement authorities that the faxes are not wanted by the recipient. We also will let the sender know that if they continue to send faxes to the complaining customer, their telephone service may be terminated. Although no customer complaining of unwanted faxes has yet to provide the necessary authorization, we are following up with customers who indicated a willingness to authorize a trap in response to {The Capital- Journal's January 22 editorial. In addition, we are investigating the December 19 court ruling by Judge Barbara that may establish grounds for enforcement action under our tariffs. If that's the case, it could ultimately lead to suspension of service. We are obtaining court records, and will carefully review those and take any appropriate action. We are also exploring procedures that could be implemented to deal with the problem of harassing faxes. There are various calling features, including Call Blocker, that may help. In short, Southwestern Bell Telephone is committed to taking what we think is a responsible approach -- one that meets our obligations to all of our customers. But we need their commitment, too. Without that, we are limited in our ability to solve their complaints. We are listening, Topeka -- to both sides of the story. Melanie S. Fannon, President-Kansas, Southwestern Bell Telephone, Topeka [all above reprinted with permission of {Topeka Capital-Journal}.] ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 01 Feb 1995 13:35:18 EST From: Rob Slade Subject: Book Review: "Fundamentals of Telecommunication Networks" úÿ BKFNTLNT.RVW 941128 "Fundamentals of Telecommunication Networks", Saadawi et al, 1994, 0-471-51582- 5, U$69.95 %A Tarek N. Saadawi %A Mostafa H. Ammar %A Ahmed El Hakeem %C 605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158-0012 %D 1994 %E John G. Proakis %G 0-471-51582-5 %I John Wiley & Sons, Inc. %O U$69.95 800-CALL-WILEY 212-850-6630 Fax: 212-850-6799 Fax: 908- 302-2300 %P 485 %S Telecommunications and Signal Processing %T "Fundamentals of Telecommunication Networks" This work is intended as a text for a two-semester course at the senior or graduate level. The organization is slightly odd, with discussions of data link and routing coming before flow control and access contention, but the content is basically sound. The material, and particularly the chapter end questions, show a decided preference for the engineering curriculum. Those wanting practical information may wish to pursue other sources. copyright Robert M. Slade, 1994 BKFNTLNT.RVW 941128. Permission given for distribution in TELECOM Digest and associated publications. Vancouver ROBERTS@decus.ca Institute for Robert_Slade@sfu.ca Research into rslade@cue.bc.ca User p1@CyberStore.ca Security Canada V7K 2G6 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 1 Feb 95 07:41 EST From: Hardwire <0003436453@mcimail.com> Subject: MCI to Launch First Nationwide Sonet/ATM Network networkMCI Services Jim Collins 214-918-5569 MCI TO LAUNCH FIRST NATIONWIDE SONET/ATM NETWORK Network Will be First To Combine Advanced Switching and Transmission Technologies for Commercial Use DALLAS, TX, January 30, 1995 - MCI today announced that in March of this year it plans to activate the world's first nationwide "virtual" high-speed commercial telecommunications network, combining advanced information age technologies known as Synchronous Optical Network (SONET) And Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM). Marking a major milestone in the development of the information super- highway, the new network will be capable of combining voice, data and video transmissions together at 155 megabits (155 million bits of information) per second over MCI's high-speed backbone network, currently operating at 2.5 gigabits (2.5 billion bits) per second -- the equivalent of transmitting the entire U.S. Mail list of names and addresses across the country in less than a minute. "This network is the first-of-its-kind to combine both of these advanced telecommunications technologies in one seamless commercial operation nationwide," said John Gerdelman, president of networkMCI Services. "SONET and ATM will allow voice, data and video signals to be transmitted over the same channel simultaneously, and are vital components of the innovative multimedia applications and information services that we are developing." As communications technologies converge, MCI customers will continue to have available to them an increasing array of new services, from advanced telemedicine applications and rapid image transfers to remote data access and online shopping -- at the touch of a button. Last year, the company introduced networkMCI BUSINESS, the first software application combining important business tools, such as electronic mail, fax messaging, document sharing, videoconferencing and information services, in a single product. MCI also launched it's HyperStream ATM service, currently the Fastest on the market, and is the only carrier offering SMDS. This now gives MCI the lead in providing the nation's most complete data services. Other recent MCI innovations include internetMCI, a portfolio of services giving customers easy, high-speed access to the rapidly growing and increasingly popular Internet. MCI continues to invest in the latest telecommunications technologies, such as SONET and ATM, faster than other long distance carriers. Recently, the company added ATM capabilities and plans to provided SONET to its Developers Lab in Richardson, Texas, bringing the power and intelligence of these technologies to outside developers for the first time. The Lab, which MCI refers to as "the twenty-first century garage," offers developers the opportunity to test innovative applications in a live network environment. According to Gerdelman, MCI's goal is to create the "network for the information age," and provide not only access to information services, but content as well. "With SONET you gain certain benefits in terms of reliability and overall network performance," said Gerdelman. "ATM gives us the advanced switching capability for multiple signal transmissions. Combine the two and you have the foundation of a network that is well positioned to generate new revenue from these emerging markets." MCI plans to boost its transmission speed to 10 gigabits (10 billion bits) per second in early 1996, and is currently introducing new fiber optic technologies that will allow 40 gigabits (40 billion bits) per second transmissions in the near future. "If you think transmitting the entire U.S. Mail list in one minute is fast, just wait," said Gerdelman. "At 40 gigabits we'll be able to do it in only 4 seconds!" MCI, headquartered in Washington, D.C., has expanded from its core long distance business to become the world's third largest carrier of international calling and a premier provider of data communications over the vast Internet computer network. With annual revenue of over $13.3 billion, the company today provides a wide array of consumer and business long distance and local services, data and video communications, on-line information, electronic mail, network management services and communications software. networkMCI Services is the division responsible for developing MCI's information technology and operating its global intelligent network. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 1 Feb 95 11:02:18 GMT From: ukcbajr@ukpmr.cs.philips.nl (John Bell 3313 ADV) Subject: POCSAG to be Upgraded to APOC To everyone interested in POCSAG, and new more advanced terrestrial paging systems for communications in tommorrow's world: An overview of APOC, the upgrade to POCSAG, is now available by EMail. If you are interested, please send a request to me (ukcbajr@ukpmr.cs. philips.nl) stating the reasons for your interest. This is a summary of the ascii document, which is about 31000 bytes long. --------------- Start of Summary --------------- The need for a new paging protocol is reviewed and the basic philosophy of the APOC code defined. The essential characteristics of APOC confirmed by PCIA in 1993 are greater capacity, battery life and POCSAG compatibility than other codes (POCSAG, ERMES, FLEX) while offering superior or at least equal call success performance. A migration path from POCSAG to High Speed APOC is outlined. The results of a pager network financial model comparing costs per subscriber is shown, also supporting the commercial advantages of APOC. --------------- End of Summary --------------- Please distribute this to list servers, bulletin boards etc. that should know about this -- or let me know who else should know. Thanks in advance, John ------------------------------ From: md@pstc3.pstc.brown.edu (Michael P. Deignan) Subject: 7/8ths Heliax Sources Needed Date: 1 Feb 1995 10:48:45 GMT Organization: Population Studies & Training Center I need to find 350' of 7/8ths 50ohm heliax for an RF application I'm working on. Cheapest I've been able to find is $4.50/ft. Anyone have other source suggestions? MD ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V15 #73 *****************************