TELECOM Digest Thu, 23 Sep 93 10:34:15 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 659 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson ATM/Frame Relay Conference (Pacific Rim) (Tsz-Mei Ko) Call Back Services in Trinidad (John Schmidt) Sprint's Dvorak (Free Modem) Offer (Roy M. Silvernail) Telephone Museum in Michigan (Jack Decker) What's With Pac Bell Airport Terminals? (David Kiviat) AT&T Call Manager Disappeared Again? (Alan Boritz) Thieves Like GSM Phones (Juha Veijalainen) US West Files For Big OPX Price Increase in Washington (Dave Ptasnik) Export of Encryption Software National Security Risk? (MVM@cup.portal.com) New Area Code 905 Now Works From 519 NPA (Nigel Allen) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: eetszmei@uxmail.ust.hk (Tsz-Mei Ko) Subject: ATM/Frame Relay Conference (Pacific Rim) Organization: Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1993 22:13:11 +0800 I'm posting the following for a friend. Please don't reply to this email. Sep. 2,1993 Dear Telecom Professional : You are cordially invited to attend the 1993 Broadband Workshop (Frame Relay/SMDS/ATM) and the first Pacific Rim Frame Relay/SMDS/ATM Interest Group (PRFASIG) meeting to be held in Taipei from November 22 to 24. You are also welcome to participate as a speaker at the workshop. PRFASIG was formerly the Pacific Rim SMDS Interest Group (PRSIG) which held successful workshops and meetings in Taipei and Singapore during the past year. At the Singapore meeting in May, the charter and scope of PRSIG were broadened to include Frame Relay and ATM, consequently the new name PRFASIG was conceived. The purpose of the 1993 Broadband Workshop and the first PRFASIG meeting is to provide a common forum for all interested parties of the telecommunications industry in the Pacific Rim to share experiences and insight on emerging broadband technologies and services, and to explore opportunities for cooperation. Your expertise and contribution to this workshop will be greatly appreciated. We are looking forward to your acceptance of this invitation and thank you in advance. A tentative agenda as well as a copy of the Singapore meeting minutes are enclosed for your information. Details on the exact location of this workshop will follow shortly. Please send your reply and all correspondences to: Cheng-Sheng Lin 1993 Broadband Workshop Telecommunication Laboratories (TL) 12, Lane 551, Min-Tsu Road, Sec. 3 Yang-Mei, Taoyuan, Taiwan, 326 R.O.C. Tel: 886-3-4244605 Fax: 886-3-4244888 Sincerely yours, Maria Chou Chair PRFASIG ****Please respond by October 8, 1993 **** = AGENDA ======================================================== 1993 Broadband Workshop Tentative Agenda : Time : November 22-24,1993 Place: Taipei, Taiwan Number of Sessions : 8 1. Introduction and Goals of the Workshop 2. Session I : Overview : Standards, Technology and Services. . Broadband Applications and Market Drive - Video - Multimedia - Highspeed Data - LAN interconnection... . Broadband Technology Overview - Architecture/Model/Functions - SONET, ATM, AAL, OAM, Signaling . Broandband Standards Development and Status - ATM Forum - TSS . Broadband Services - Frame Relay - Cell Relay - SMDS 3. Session II : System, Product, Network and Service Trial . Broadband Systems & Network Architecture - Switching functions and architecture - Interworking unit - Evolution . Broadband Components and Products - Chips - Subsystems - HUB... . ATM VP SW design & Application . Broadband Service Trials (or experimental test bed) 4. Session III : Broadband User Needs . Hospital Users . Science and Technology Organization Users . Industry Users (Financial, Insurance, Medical) 5. Session IV : Broadband Services from Telecommunications Service Providers . Planning & Deployment Plans . Trial Plans . Market Needs . Services . DGT role 6. Session V : Broadband Equipment Suppliers . Switch (includes Cross Connect) . CPE 7. Session VI : Interest Groups - PRFASIG, U.S.SIG, European SIG, ATM Forum, FR forum, Monte Jade science and technology association (Yu-Sen Association) . Role . Activities 8. Session VII : Open Issues for Discussion . Broadband Traffic Management . Broadband Signaling Architecture and Protocols . Broadband Network Operations 9. Session VIII : PRFASIG meetings === MEETING MINUTES ===================================== PRSIG MEETING (5/15/93) MINUTES . Maria Chou (Chair) called the meeting to order at 8:30 am. Since there were significantly more countries (Taiwan, R.O.C., Singapore, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Australia, U.S., Indonesia, Thailand) represented than at last year's Taipei meeting, Maria again went through the approved PRSIG bylaws. Cheng-sheng Lin (Treasurer) and Wayne Tsou (Secretary) gave financial and secretarial reports which are attached. . New businesses: there was a proposal from the floor for a joint meeting withNorth American SMDS Interest Group (NASIG) and the European SMDS Interest Group (ESIG), or to invite NASIG and ESIG members to the next PRSIG meeting. Steve Cortez (DSC) suggested our officers meet with NASIG and ESIG counterparts at the INTEROP FALL '93 conference (August). Steve agreed to set up the meeting. . It was agreed that there should have more user involvement at this forum to stimulate discussions of service applications. Maria asked attendees to provide contact information for potential SMDS users so they can be invited to the next workshop and/or PRSIG meeting. . The following parties agreed to provide appropriate contacts: - Local carriers (e.g., Singapore Telecom, Malaysia, Japan's IDC, DGT Taiwan, R.O.C, Telecom) will provide contacts of their prospective customers. - David Brown (QPSX), in Australia. - Friedrich Knopf (Siemens), users of British Telecom's SuperJanet service and at the University of Stuttgart. - Gene Choy (Cisco) and Dan Murray (ADC/Kentrox), will provide their customer contacts. . The Group discussed the possibility of broadening the charter to include other broadband technologies and services. Each country in the region has different strategies: - Taiwan, R.O.C. is deploying Frame Relay this year and is planning SMDS trials for the future - Singapore is trialing a MAN service and looking at Frame Relay and SMDS. - Japan plans to deploy Frame Relay next year - Malaysia has Frame Relay trials planned for next year. The common denominators to all of these strategies: they want to eventually evolve to a multi-services ATM platform and are currently considering Frame Relay and SMDS (or SMDS-like service). So it would be beneficial to have one forum in the Pacific Rim region for discussing all Frame Relay, SMDS, and ATM issues. . It was therefore decided to broaden the Group's charter to include Frame Relay and ATM. A new name for the Group was then solicited. Among the suggestions were: Emerging Broadband Services Interest Group, Emerging Broadband Data Services Interest Group, Frame Relay/ATM/SMDS Interest Group, Broadband Services Interest Group, and Broadband Data Services Interest Group. After some debate, "Pacific Rim Frame Relay/ATM/SMDS Interest Group (PRFASIG)" was voted the new name. . Dr. Liang (TL of Taiwan, R.O.C.) noted there may be a ATM Conference in late October or November of this year in Taipei initiated by Monte Jade Science and Technology Association and he suggested the next/first PRFASIG meeting to be held in conjunction with this ATM conference. David Brown (QPSX) will ask Telecom Australia if they would be interested in hosting the next meeting in Australia. . Meeting was adjourned at noon. Respectfully submitted, Wayne Tsou Secretary of PRFASIG ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1993 23:49:45 EDT From: JOHN SCHMIDT Subject: Call Back Services in Trinidad The following article appears on page 2 of the _Sunday Express_ for September 19th, published in Port Of Spain, Trinidad: TSTT VOWS HARD LINE ON CUT RATE OVERSEAS CALLS TSTT has warned that it will take a hard line against subscribers to the call-back services being offered by local agents in conjunction with foreign telephone companies. The local telecommunications service strongly advises its customers not to subscribe to what it describes as illegal call-back services or else their lines will be disconnected. "TSTT will be actively monitoring the misuse of its network for call-back services and will take immediate action to disconnect any lines, to terminate any service, and to otherwise remove network access to any TSTT telecommunications facilities which are used for such services" said the company's public relations officer, Patt Christopher. The condemnation of the proposed overseas calling service came in response to an advertisement in which a San Fernando {Trinidad} based security company offered a system designed to slash international telephone bills by up to half. Industrial Security Consultants (ISC) and its American partner Interworld Communications Corporation (ICC) invited prospective subscribers to pay a nominal fee which would entitle them to a personal identification number which would guarantee savings on overseas calls and faxes. The subscriber, they said, has only to dial a toll free number and ICC will return the call and put it through, saving the subscriber between 35 and 50 percent on normal foreign calls. Director of Telecommunications Winston Ragbir said on Friday that although similar telecommunications systems are operating in other Caribbean islands, they are illegal in Trinidad and Tobago. "TSTT is the sole provider for that service. We can't give permission for those companies to operate here. Government has an agreement with TSTT and Cable and Wireless for telecommunications services. It is a Government policy", he said. As to claims the call-back service does substantially reduce overseas billing Ragbir said "It is economically true but illegal". He explained how it works: "Rates vary from country to country. Companies in the USA charge less. Overseas calls are therefore directed to the USA to make it appear as if it is coming from the cheaper end." Stressing that this type of service is "unlawful", Christopher explained that it involved the unauthorised use of telecommunications networks in both Trinidad and Tobago and abroad in order to circumvent the established international procedures for processing calls. In so doing, she added, call-back services misuse TSTT's local and international services. "In their unlawful and unauthorised use of TSTT's service, system, equipment and facilities, call-back operators exploit the significant capital investment made by TSTT for its customers. Their actions are parasitic and are therefore detrimental to the long-term growth and development of telecommunications facilities and services in Trinidad and Tobago," Christopher said. Contacted on the situation, managing director of ISC, Ambrose Carrington said that the project was still in its early stage, and that his company will be holding discussions next week with representatives of ICC on the "legal" avenues. __END OF STORY__ Kind of sounds like "Ma Bell" in the old days ... (and my father worked for Western Electric for over 30 years.) I guess TSTT makes a bundle on international calls, and doesn't like the idea of competition at all :-( John H. Schmidt, P.E. |Internet: schmidt@auvax1.adelphi.edu Technical Director, WBAU |Phone--Days (212)456-4218 Adelphi University | Evenings (516)877-6400 Garden City, New York 11530 |Fax-------------(212)456-2424 ------------------------------ Subject: Sprint's Dvorak (Free Modem) Offer From: roy@sendai.cybrspc.mn.org (Roy M. Silvernail) Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1993 17:53:37 CST Organization: The Villa CyberSpace, executive headquarters I decided it was worthwhile to switch my modem line to Sprint and get that free modem. It was actually a pleasant experience ... When I called 800-669-8585, I got an "all representatives are busy" message, but it was from a live human being! He took my name and number, and promised that a representative would return the call within 45 minutes. It took only 20 minutes. The rep knew of the offer, and filled me in on the details. After asking my monthly volume, he offered the Most plan, which gives me a 20% discount on whatever number I call the most (no minimum, no monthly charge). He also offered a Sprint Calling Card, which is free. I accepted both. Sprint will also refund my $5 changeover fee with a gift certificate. He then asked a few questions for their records, like address, how long I'd been at my present job (but didn't ask anything further about the job), whether I had a checking account or credit card (and again, with no further prying for details), and whether I owned or rented. He asked for my SSN, but was very understanding when I told him I preferred not to disclose it. There was no problem leaving that space blank. The rep closed by giving me a toll-free customer service number, and asking that I suggest Sprint to my friends. (I told him that I had already passed the offer along to a couple of people) The Most plan should come in handy, since most of my traffic lately has been to a California support BBS (keeping up on modem software updates for my Connection 96+ SoftModem). Thanks, Mark Earle and PAT, for passing this offer along! Roy M. Silvernail |+| roy@sendai.cybrspc.mn.org ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1993 00:24:00 -0400 From: ao944@yfn.ysu.edu (Jack Decker) Subject: Telephone Museum in Michigan Reply-To: ao944@yfn.ysu.edu A telephone nuseum worth a visit when you are in the area: Montrose Historical & Telephone Pioneer Museum 144 E. Hickory Street P.O. Box 577 Montrose, Michigan 48457 Hours: 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays ONLY (other times by appointment/special arrangement). Call (313 639-6644 for more information. Jack ------------------------------ From: davidk@netcom.com (David Kiviat) Subject: What's With Pac Bell Airport Terminals? Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest) Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1993 07:54:11 GMT Pac Bell has had terminal telephones in airports for years now but when you try to use them as a terminal (they have a full keyboard) instead of as a TTY or an overly complex telephone they just reply "This option has not been implemented yet". It would be very usefull to have these terminals working so people could check their E-mail between flights. My question to Pac Bell people who may be reading this is 'How many more years is it going to take to get these phones fully implemented?" ------------------------------ Subject: AT&T Call Manager Disappeared Again? From: drharry!aboritz@uunet.UU.NET (Alan Boritz) Date: Wed, 22 Sep 93 22:07:33 EST Organization: Harry's Place BBS - Mahwah NJ - +1 201 934 0861 Is AT&T silently dropping this service (again)? I just found it disabled on one of my lines at home and called AT&T. The billing rep said that they were advised to tell customers that Call Manager is not working in the New York City area, and that they have no estimate for repair. The billing rep also gave a phone number to call for more information (1-908-204-4182). This seems like an awful lot of trouble to go to, without trying to fix the problem. Is AT&T trying to discourage Call Manager users from using the product, and eventually eliminate it? aboritz%drharry@uunet.uu.net or uunet!drharry!aboritz Harry's Place BBS (drharry.UUCP) - Mahwah NJ USA - +1-201-934-0861 ------------------------------ From: JVE%FNAHA@eccsa.Tredydev.Unisys.com Date: 22 SEP 93 10:48 Subject: Thieves Like GSM Phones Following information is based on an article in 'Tietoviikko', a Finnish data processing weekly, on 23.09.1993. New type of crime has hit GSM phone owners. With analog mobile phones, especially with older NMT450, phone fraud was the problem. Not with GSM. Intelligent SIM card prevents fraud, but now criminals are stealing phones and resell them or use their own quite legal SIM cards. According to the article GSM phones do not identify themselves to the network, so there is no way to know whether the actual phone is stolen or not. SIM card in the phone has to be valid, though. Operators are creating a new system, where phones would send their ID which then would be compared against database of stolen phones. Calls from stolen units would be blocked even when the SIM card is valid. All GSM phones have this equipment ID feature, but it is not currently used. It would need to be 'activated', whatever that means. SIM -cards have a four to eight number PIN associated with them. Currently some phones, like mine, have also a 'phone lock' PIN. When you turn on the phone, you'll have to type in the phone lock code (0 to eight digits) and then the SIM PIN (four to eight digits). I suspect, though, that most users don't bother with extra security. Juha Veijalainen 4ge system analyst, tel. +358 40 5004402 Unisys Finland Internet: JVE%FNAHA@eccsa.tredydev.unisys.com >> Mielipiteet omiani ** Opinions are PERSONAL, facts are suspect << ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1993 08:35:18 PDT From: Dave Ptasnik Subject: US West Files For Big OPX Price Increase in Washington (at Least) Excerpts from a Tele-Communications Association letter - On August 31, 1993 US West (re)filed a terminal loop rate increase tariff. The intent of this tariff filing is to withdraw all termial loop service (ie OPX's, tie lines, and centron/centraflex mileage charges, etc.) from the exchange service transport tariff, redesignate them as private lines, and bring them under the private line transport tariff. Since the pricing rules uncer the private line transport tariff require the addition of subsidies to support other telecommunications rate payers, this tariff filing, if approved, will result ina substantial increase in the cost of terminal loops. Using US West's figures, OPX's in the same central office will increase 220 percent on recurring charges and 385 percent on installation charges ... ________________ Other rates equally horrible were gone into. In one of my applications, installation of a Centron OPX to a different CO would go from about $60 to over $250, monthlies would go from about $25 to about $50. Kinda ugly. While this letter did not specifically mention it, I think this proposal would slightly raise basic line rates for businesses with four lines or less, and lower basic rates for businesses with over four lines, so that both would be the same price. I don't know the intended overall revenue effect, but it sure seems like US West is encouraging businesses with multiple locations in the same town to not have a networked voice system. Customers ought to look at this one very carefully, and hold on to their wallets tightly. All of the above is nothing more than the personal opinion of - Dave Ptasnik davep@u.washington.edu ------------------------------ From: MVM@cup.portal.com Subject: Export of Encryption Software National Security Risk? Date: Wed, 22 Sep 93 20:47:05 PDT (From {The Wall Street Journal}, 22 Sept 93, pg. B6.) Copyright (C) 1993 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. U.S. Grand Jury Probing Encryption Software Sales SAN JOSE, Calif. -- A federal grand jury is probing sales of encryption software, programs used to protect data from eavesdroppers by putting it into code. The U.S. District Court here has subpoenaed two small companies that sell programs based on a software code called PGP, for Pretty Good Privacy. Developed by Boulder, Colo., computer consultant Philip Zimmermann, the software has been widely copied internationally since Mr. Zimmermann made it available for free in the U.S. ViaCrypt, a division of Phoenix-based Lemcom Systems Inc., and Austin Code Works, Austin, Texas, have been asked to supply documents about their software that incorporates the coding program. The government has been trying to limit proliferation of encryption programs, and regards their export as a violation of laws restricting technology transfers that could threaten national security. But computer users contend that software publishers are entitled to the same free-speech protections as any other publisher, and say it is too late to stop the spread of coding programs. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 23 Sep 93 01:50:51 EDT From: ae446@freenet.carleton.ca (Nigel Allen) Subject: New area code 905 now works from 519 NPA Organization: National Capital FreeNet, Ottawa Reply-To: ae446@freenet.carleton.ca Chris Farrar, sysop of the Professional Thinkers Guild BBS in Windsor, Ontario (FidoNet 1:246/20, modem (519) 256-8717) posted the following message in the C-TELECOM echo on Fidonet. 21 Sep 1993 (1650 EDT) Phone numbers that will be in area code 905 after the upcoming split are now dialable as 1-905-NXX-XXXX from the 519 (Windsor) area. Previous to this, Bell would intercept the call after eight digits were dialed, even though 905 was active. A test with AT&T from Jackson MI on Saturday Sept 18, would not connect with NPA 905 numbers. Chris [Note from NDA: The official date for the introduction of 905 is October 4, 1993. I suspect some COCOTs and PBXs will still block 905 after that date because their administrators didn't bother to reprogram them for the new area code.] Nigel Allen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada ae446@freenet.carleton.ca ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #659 ****************************** ****************************************************************************** Downloaded From P-80 International Information Systems 304-744-2253