TELECOM Digest Tue, 28 Feb 95 12:43:30 CST Volume 15 : Issue 122 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Pakistan Shuts Down Cellular Network (Rishab Aiyer Ghosh) Book Review: "Using E-Mail" by Gibbons et al. (Rob Slade) AT&T Offers 'International Redial' (TELECOM Digest Editor) Minority Scholarships in Telecommunications (Heather Hudson) Analog Interface Parameters (Eli Cohen) Transport Training Advisory Group Wanted (George B. Ford) Non-Published Phone Number and Privacy Act (Ron Higgins) Oradell, NJ Finally Gets 911 Service (Robert Casey) More CellOne/NY Frolics (Stan Schwartz) Hardware Wanted For Forward-on Busy, No Answer (Chris Lee) Does Bridge Affect Modem? (Ted Shapin) T1's, NewBridge Banks, and High End Modems (Mark Hittinger) Automated Bridge Wanted (Stephen J. Mahler) G7 Meeting Notes Wanted (Lars Kalsen) Information Wanted on Directory Assistance System (Shanavas H. Nyakhar) Invitation to Long Distance Domestic Re-Sellers and Reps (Kevin Lipsitz) Edwards Research Institute Virtual Mall (C. Boyle) 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. 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Any organizations listed are for identification purposes only and messages should not be considered any official expression by the organization. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Pakistan Shuts Down Cellular Network From: telco-rg@dxm.ernet.in (Rishab Aiyer Ghosh) Date: Tue, 28 Feb 95 20:46:21 IST Organization: Deus X Machina --==(C) Copyright 1995 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh Unable to intercept traffic, Pakistan shuts down cellular network The Karachi daily _Dawn_ reported yesterday (26th February 1995) that the Pakistan government has shut down a cellular network run by Mobilink, a joint venture between Motorola and Pakistani SAIF Telecom, as it was unable to intercept traffic. The company was unable to provide interception services to intelligence agencies. According to a Mobilink official "there are no commercial products ... that enable over-the-air monitoring of calls." However it remains unclear why agencies would require monitoring of wireless mobile-to-base traffic, instead of intercepting at the base station. While GSM's digital encrypted traffic may be hard to tap in real-time, it is decrypted at the base station. Earlier in January the network was suspended for two weeks during negotiations. Karachi, Pakistan's largest city and commercial capital, has been suffering from considerable sectarian and political violence, which has claimed 700 lives last year, and a further 154 this month. --==(C) Copyright 1995 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh (rishab@dxm.ernet.in) --==May be distributed electronically provided that only compilation or --==transmission charges are applied. Other uses require written permission. For Electric Dreams subscriptions and back issues, send a mail to rishab@arbornet.org with 'get help' as the message Subject. Rishab Aiyer Ghosh rishab@dxm.ernet.in rishab@arbornet.org Vox +91 11 6853410 Voxmail 3760335 H 34C Saket, New Delhi 110017, INDIA ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 28 Feb 1995 21:08:33 EST From: Rob Slade Subject: Book Review: "Using E-Mail" by Gibbons et al. BKUEMAIL.RVW 950124 "Using E-Mail", Gibbons et al, 1994, 0-7897-0023-9, U$24.99/C$33.99/UK#22.99 %A Dave Gibbons dgibbons@bigcat.missouri.edu 70007.5106@compuserve.com %A David Fox %A Alan Westenbroek alan@datastorm.com awestcnb@bigcat.missouri.edu %A Dick Cravens 73324.2743@compuserve.com %A Andrew B. Shafran shafran@cis.ohio-state.edu %C 201 W. 103rd Street, Indianapolis, IN 46290 %D 1994 %G 0-7897-0023-9 %I Que/MacMillan Computer Publishing (MCP) %O U$24.99/C$33.99/UK#22.99 75141.2102@compuserve.com %P 376 %T "Using E-Mail" Although large chunks of this book are simply versions of product documentation, there are many sections of good, thoughtful, useful advice as well. Chapter one is a good introduction and a breakdown of the mail system into the mail user agent (MUA, called "front end" in the book) and the mail transport agent (MTA). Later parts of the chapter may become too technical in discussions of wide area networks, to no purpose. Chapters two and three give a very good overview of email use and evaluation. The material is broad- ranging and generally excellent, with the notable exception of deficiencies in the coverage of security and file attachments. Chapters four through seven document uses and commands for cc:Mail, MS-Mail, Novell Groupwise, Lotus Notes and Windows for Workgroups. Chapters eight to fourteen cover what is generally the "mail Internet"; BBS networks, commercial services, and the Internet, itself. Except for two sizeable chapters on Compuserve and America Online, the material is quite terse, though an acceptable introduction. Directions and tables of internetwork addressing are a strong point, here. (For a book discussing global email, there is much evidence of US-centrism. This may explain some of the blind spots with regard to security issues.) A fair amount of the book could be discarded with no appreciable loss, and a few points (such as netiquette) could stand some boosting. Overall, though, this is a solid introduction to the topic. And the authors show admirable restraint in not promoting ProComm. copyright Robert M. Slade, 1995 BKUEMAIL.RVW 950124. Distribution permitted in TELECOM Digest and associated publications. Rob Slade's book reviews are a regular feature in the Digest. ROBERTS@decus.ca, RSlade@sfu.ca, Rob Slade at 1:153/733 RSlade@cyberstore.ca Author "Robert Slade's Guide to Computer Viruses" 0-387-94311-0/3-540- 94311-0 ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Feb 95 22:32:27 CST From: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu (TELECOM Digest Editor) Subject: AT&T Offers 'International Redial' A new service from AT&T allows subscribers who make a lot of international calls to cut through the wasted time so prevelant when calling many international points with no circuit messages, busy signals and such. Called 'International Redial' the way it works is after dialing an international call where you did not get through, you just have to hang up a second and dial *234. That will automatically redial your last international call over again, several times for up to thirty minutes. Once it gets through, a message is played in your choice of 14 languages to the party who answers the phone. It tells him to hold on and you are called back and patched through. Nothing comes free: The cost is $3.00 per month, and it only works to about twenty countries at the present time, however those twenty include a few that are notorious for sending back that message saying 'your call cannot be completed in the country you dialed at this time'. To enroll or for more information: 1-800-732-WORLD. Yes, I know you can leave the /D/ off the end if you want. Pat T. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Feb 1995 21:38:02 PST From: HUDSON@CLUSTER.USFCA.EDU Subject: Minority Scholarships in Telecommunications Please ask your readers to share the following information: The University of San Francisco offers MBA and MA Programs in TelecommunicationsManagement and Policy. Scholarships are available for minority students through funding from the Telecommunications Education Trust. USF also offers professional seminars, and will offer a seminar on the Global Information Infrastructure (GII) for planners and policy makers from developing countries. For further information, please contact: Telecommunications Program McLaren School of Business U of San Francisco San Francisco, CA 94117-1080 e-mail: hudson@usfca.edu phone: 415/666-6642; fax: 415/666-2502 Thanks, Heather Hudson ------------------------------ From: gandalf!elic@uunet.uu.net (Eli Cohen) Subject: Analog Interface Parameters Organization: Tel-Aviv University Computation Center Date: Tue, 28 Feb 1995 11:23:04 GMT I'm looking for information in the form of articles research papers etc. on the topic of Analog Interface Parameters. The parameters I'm looking for (such as Line Impedance, Dial Tone, Cadences, etc.) should be categorized be country of origin. Thanks for your help. Eli Cohen elic@lannet.com ------------------------------ From: fordgb@aur.alcatel.com (George B. Ford) Subject: Transport Training Advisory Group Wanted Date: 27 Feb 1995 16:39:59 GMT Organization: Alcatel Network Systems Inc, Raleigh NC Reply-To: fordgb@aur.alcatel.com Does anyone know if there is a Training Advisory Group for Transport products? SNIC, COM-TAG, and NARC-TAG used to provide recommendations for Switching products. Any leads or information will be appreciated. ------------------------------ From: rhiggins@carroll1.cc.edu (Ron Higgins) Subject: Non-Published Phone Number and Privacy Act Date: 27 Feb 1995 07:43:19 -0600 Organization: Lightning Systems Before I spend hours of my personal time digging into this subject, I am wondering if there is anyone out there that has looked into using the Privacy Act to avoid having their telephone number published in the annual telephone directory and given out by "information". Our local telephone company is planning a 900% (900 percent) increase in the rate that it charges for a non-published, non-listed telephone number on a monthly basis. And that is on top of the "*67" that I have to dial to stop my number from being transmitted by Caller ID. If you know of any information available on this subject, please send e-mail to the address at the end of this message. Thank you, Ron | Lightning Systems | Lightning Systems rhiggins@carroll1.cc.edu | (414) 363-4282 200megs | P. O. Box 4 Apple // & Van Halen Forever! | 21.6k USR Dual Standard | Mukwonago, WI 53149 [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I think you will find the various privacy regulations apply more to the government than they do to private businesses. Since telco is a privately owned business -- not a government entity -- it may be hard to apply this as you want. Also there would be a conflict where your contract with telco (as expressed through its tariffs) is concerned. I can see what you are trying to accomplish, but I don't think it will work. Remember also that according to telco tariffs, you have no 'property rights' in your telephone number. It is not, strictly speaking, yours to 'protect'. It will be interesting to hear the results of your investigation and efforts as you proceed further on this, if you do. You should also bear in mind that you can press *67 all you like, but it will NOT prevent subscribers to 800 service (or people who subscribe to 500 service who accept your reverse charge call via a PIN) from getting your number. Likewise, long distance carriers are entitled to have your name, address and phone number *despite your non-pub status* for billing purposes when you use their network. PAT] ------------------------------ From: wa2ise@netcom.com (Robert Casey) Subject: Oradell, NJ Finally Gets 911 Service Organization: Netcom Online Communications Services (408-241-9760 login: guest) Date: Tue, 28 Feb 1995 04:28:50 GMT My home town, Oradell, NJ (in Bergen County, in the northeast corner of NJ, near NYC) now has 911 service. Until recently, you had to call the seven digit phone number if you needed the police or fire departments. A problem would crop up, as the police's exchange was 262, and 261 also exists in town. Car accident happens at the corner, pick up the phone, and dial the wrong number, cause I could never get it clear in emergencies. Half the time I'd get it wrong. (Note, a rather bad intersection was near my parent's house, not a month would go by without an accident there until they put a blinker light up.) I haven't tried the 911 number, no emergencies have come up, and I don't want to waste their time on my tests. ------------------------------ From: stans@panix.com (Stan Schwartz) Subject: More CellOne/NY Frolics Date: 28 Feb 1995 03:37:34 -0500 Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC We've all heard the stories of the "fun" I had trying to use my CellOne NY/NJ phone while roaming in Canada. Last week, I visited some friends on the Inner Harbor in Baltimore. Before I left, I looked at my CellOne Coverage Area map (dated 5/94 - I haven't seen a newer one) and saw that all of Maryland and Delaware and DC are in my "expanded home rate" area, and that there were not any notes or asterisks that referred to the Baltimore area. Wasn't I surprised, then, when I tried to call my CellOne phone from the hotel room and I received my voice mail! (I shouldn't have been surprised!). I called CellOne's 800 number, and the rep told me that even though Baltimore is a NACN city, incoming callers had to dial a roamer access number! (Where does it say that in CellOne's map?). I figured that it wouldn't do any good to argue on a Saturday night, so I asked what the roamer access number was. I told her that I was in Baltimore, in area code 410. She gave me a 202 (DC) number and insisted that it was the closest one! I called back a bit later, and another rep gave me a 410 number. Imagine asking my friends in Baltimore to call DC so that they could reach me if I was down the street. (Almost as silly as asking them to call New York, but at least they'd be able to reach me directly). The first rep mentioned something about the lack of a mutual roaming agreement, and I wonder if this is retribution for CellOne turning off access to roamers in NY? CellOne Strikes Again! Stan ------------------------------ From: chrislee@calon.calon.com (Chris Lee) Subject: Hardware Needed For Forward-on Busy, No Answer Organization: North Bay Network's news posting service Date: Tue, 28 Feb 1995 03:01:53 GMT Help! My lovely local GTE switch does not offer call forward on no answer or call forward on busy. Is there any box I can buy for home usde that will give me these features? Thanks, Chris úÿ [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: A service which is identical to 'call forward on busy' is known as 'hunting', or 'jump-hunting' if the number used for overflow calls is not immediatly in sequence with the line which is busy. The only difference between the two seems to be their name, and the fact that most telcos charge for the former but not the latter. Maybe someone will write and tell me other actual differences between these. I certainly would imagine that GTE offers hunting; I have not seen a switch or a CO that could not do that much. You might want to go back to the rep and put it in different words. When your one line is busy, you want to have calls hunt to another line. That will take care of one segment of your problem. Regards call forwarding on no answer (as opposed to absolute call forwarding, where every call is forwarded without giving you an opportunity first to answer; I imagine your telco offers that also), Radio Shack used to have a little box to do what you wanted, and I think Hello Direct currently has one also. Check with them at 1-800-HI-HELLO. PAT] ------------------------------ From: tshapin@kaiwan.com (Ted Shapin) Subject: Does Bridge Affect Modem? Date: 28 Feb 1995 02:02:31 -0800 Organization: KAIWAN Internet (310-527-4279,818-756-0180,909-785-9712) I have two copper pairs coming to my residence and need a third line. If it is bridged between the two pairs, what effect will it have on my use of a v.32bis modem on one of the copper pairs? Ted ------------------------------ From: bugs@warlock.win.net (Mark Hittinger) Subject: T1's, NewBridge Banks, and High End Modems Date: 28 Feb 1995 12:13:24 -0500 Organization: Win.Net Communications, Inc. I'd be interested in e-mail from anyone else who is using T1's with the low end newbridge channel banks connected to high speed modems. We know of many problems with v.fc's so those are not on the table. The setup mostly works but I am seeing some percentage of bad connections and poor throughput. I realize the v.34's at 28.8 are not going to deliver perfection. I am seeing something nasty even at 14.4. My suspicion is some electrical noise in the channel bank itself is contributing to the problem. I can here something even when I disconnect the T1 from the bank. Has anybody else seen this? Please e-mail if you have some ideas for me. Done grounded it and all dat. Does Wiltel shave the bandwidth for voice channels down to 3000hz from 3600hz? Thanks, Mark Hittinger bugs@win.net ------------------------------ From: sjm8725@ucs.usl.edu (Mahler Stephen J) Subject: Automated Bridge Date: 28 Feb 1995 20:23:31 GMT Organization: Univ. of Southwestern La., Lafayette I am looking for a device that .... * is connected to by lines that are in a hunt group; * as each person calls the hunt group, the calls are conferenced/ bridged; All parties converse as required and can hangup without impacting the other connections. Any information/pointers appreciated. Prefer standalone POTS connections but have G3 switch if required. Steve ------------------------------ From: dalk@login.dknet.dk (Lars Kalsen) Subject: G7 Meeting Notes Wanted Date: 27 Feb 1995 18:45:24 GMT Organization: DKnet Hi - outhhere, Does someone have the final paper from the G7-meeting in Brussels where innovations in the IT-area was discussed. Please E-mail me if you have any information from the meeting. Lars Kalsen, partner, IT-gruppen Tel : +45 98 24 65 02 Brorsonsvej 19 Fax. : +45 98 24 79 02 9490 Pandrup Mobile: +45 40 10 36 44 Denmark E.mail: dalk@login.dknet.dk ------------------------------ From: snyakh@delphi.com (Shanavas H. Nyakhar) Subject: Information Wanted on Directory Assistance System Date: 28 Feb 1995 08:20:48 GMT Organization: Delphi Internet Services Corporation Hello, Our company in the middle east is bidding for a Bi-Lingual directory assistance system for a national PTT. Any help in identifying companies who have undertaken such projects or have such existing systems (whose specifications are given below) will be highly appreciated. Alternatively, companies who are intrested in bidding for such a project together with us, may kindly contact me for full details on the project. Brief Details on the Project: The project is to be implemented on a Turn-key basis. Bid is for hardware and software for creating a directory assistance system (for Telephone, telex, fax, pagers and mobile) based on a multi parameter enquiry concept. Queries would be entered in English / Arabic via operator terminals running MS-Windows as front end. Queries should utilize Phonetization Tables, Synonymization Tables, Acronyms and/or secondary or related listings etc., to come up with possible matches. The system is to be fully compliant with International Number Retrieval (TPH-28) so that Directory Assistance (DA) databases can be accessed via X500 links. Bidders are also expected to install and integrate Automatic Call Distributor (ACD) supporting upto 100 trunk lines, into the proposed system. The existing Host system is an HP9000, which will be utilized for running the SQL Database. For more details, kindly contact: Shanavas H. Nyakhar Legend Computers L.L.c, Fax : +968 785627. Tel : +968 785628 or by e-mail to SNYAKH@DELPHI.COM Thanks, Shanavas ------------------------------ From: krazykev@escape.com Subject: Invitation to Long Distance Domestic Re-Sellers and Reps Date: 27 Feb 95 19:07:58 GMT I am currently looking for a domestic reseller who can provide service to our firm. We already get a very good deal as we continuosly shop around. Here is what we are looking for. If you can provide this to us under these terms, email me with the details and I will email you back with the best time to contact me so you can make your pitch, along with my direct telephone number. 1. We are looking for T-1 domestic USA FLAT rates without the T-1 comitt- ment. We have eight lines and want to use them on a non-pic, 10XXX basis. Specifically we require six second billing with six second minimum on all our domestic USA calls (not interested in 18 second or 30 second minimums). 2. We spend around $10,000.00 per month on all our telecommunications and split this amoung around a dozen companies, by choice. We route our calls over the least expensive carrier for each type of call. 3. We do not want a contract tying us down to one carrier. As long as you are cheapest you will keep our business for what you are cheapest on. We want no monthly minimum and no monthly fees and no sign-up fees. 4. To get our business, you will need to be very competitive. We pay nearly T-1 rates now and are looking to get down in that actual range of competitive T-1 rates. We understand that there are several companies offering to beat anyone's rates by 10% and we would like to hear from one of those companies, but not from a company called Affinity or anyone representing them, as a friend had a very bad experience with them. They promised something and then did not come through for him. We will not even consider them. So if you would like to contact us, we would welcome your sales pitch. Note: we are not interested in any of the following arrangements, which have been proposed to us before: 1. Selling long distance to *effectively* reduce our bill. 2. Paying an inflated invoice to get a rebate later. Thanks. Sincerely, Kevin Jay Lipsitz, President :-) KRAZY KEVIN MAGAZINE CLUB, THE INTERNET DIVISION OF COLLEGETOWN MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES: "Managing Magazines for Cost-Conscious Busy Professionals, Students, Educators and Regular Consumers Internationally Since 1973." krazykev@escape.com ------------------------------ From: C. Boyle Subject: Edwards Research Institute Virtual Mall Date: 28 Feb 1995 04:06:39 -0800 Organization: Virtual Mall Can you help us? Edwards Research Institute is conducting a search for unique, high quality items which can be of benefit to others throughout the world via the web. Areas of interest include: Education; health; environment; culture; politics; music; books; sports and recreation; hobbies and crafts; humor; virtual reality; medical and nourishment. Come and visit us on the web at http://www.virtualmall.com. Browse through examples of items which you may find beneficial to your quality of life. Feel free to acquire items of interest to you and register your suggestions; or give us a call at (510) 657-2499. We would also need to know the manufacturer and/or distribution information, along with who you are and how we may reach you. Upon our acceptance of your suggestion you will receive a Virtual Mall gift certificate. Thanks for your help. ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V15 #122 ******************************