TELECOM Digest Mon, 15 Nov 93 02:20:30 CST Volume 13 : Issue 761 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Re: Cellular Phone Monitoring Systems (Bill Fischer) Re: ADSI (Al Varney) Re: Cordless Phone Systems (Gordon Hlavenka) Re: Problems With Michigan Bell (John Perkins) Re: Information About Iridium Wanted (Jeffrey Oliver Breen) Re: Calling Card Question (Carl Oppedahl) Re: TDMA vs. CDMA = Betamax vs. VHS? (Ed Casas) Re: Need List of Country Codes (Gordon Torrie) Re: Feature Interaction (Ed Leslie) Strange Telephone Behavior (Jason Hunsaker) Re: What is Transpac? (John R. Levine) Re: What is Transpac? (bob1@cos.com) Re: What is Transpac? (Fazal Majid) Re: Skokie, IL, and Telephone History (Paul J. Bell) Re: Skokie, IL, and Telephone History (David A. Kaye) Re: Minneapolis is no Picnic Either (vs Chicago) (Bill Pfeiffer) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: bill.fischer@t8000.cuc.ab.ca Organization: T-8000 Information System Date: Sun, 14 Nov 93 21:08:00 Subject: Re: Cellular Phone Monitoring Systems Robin Singla (u19250@uicvm.uic.edu) had a few questions about cellular phone monitoring systems. For the benefit of all readers, the basics of such monitoring follows: Calls to and from all phones in a particular cell can be monitored, or specific numbers can be entered into a log, and all other calls ignored. The equipment monitors the data on the cell's control channel and switches a radio scanner to the specified voice frequency when the phone makes or receives a call in that cell. The equipment will change to a new voice frequency each time the phone switches, ensuring that the complete call is monitored from start to finish. We have a Cellular Surveillance Interface that performs this function. It doesn't cost $6000, and it will work on both the AMPS (USA, Canada, Mexico, Australia) and TACS/ETACS (Europe, Middle East, Southeast Asia) cellular systems. I've sent Robin a copy of our brochure by private e-mail to maintain the non-commercial nature of this forum ;-) Regards, Bill Fischer Internet: bill.fischer@t8000.cuc.ab.ca Electronic Countermeasures Inc. Voice: +1-403-233-0644 65 - 31 Avenue South West Calgary, AB, Canada T2S 2Y7 [Moderator's Note: No doubt you will send your brochure to anyone who requests it after seeing your message here also. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Nov 93 00:41:17 CST From: varney@ihlpe.att.com Subject: Re: ADSI Organization: AT&T In article bobh@cc.bellcore.com (Robert Hettmansperger) writes: > In article , varney@ihlpe.att.com wrote: >> TR-1273 says feature-specific TRs will determine if Call Waiting >> can interrupt a given ADSI "session" (SPCS or "server"). I haven't >> seen such requirements. Also, the recovery from an interrupted >> session is up to the "server". Just to check the latest, >> TA-NWT-001436, Visual Screen List Editing, August 1993 (issued 8 >> months after TR-1273) says not one word, zip, about session >> interruptions of any kind. > This is not quite true. [And Robert explains why Call Waiting won't bother VSLE users, assuming the switch programmers follow the reference threads ...] Thanks, Robert, for pointing out my error. I still claim there is no requirement dealing with interrupted sessions in general, but that's just being picky. And also thanks for giving me a chance to correct a mis-conception spread by my original article. Even co-workers felt I was a little "hard" on ADSI -- that was NOT my intent. ADSI is a reasonable extension of the Caller-ID interface and provides an improved "feature control" capability for complex features such as CLASS, as well as to Call Waiting. It opens the door to other service providers who don't need user terminals with full screens and a keyboard. (See, I'm not against it!) Nor am I concerned with the way Bellcore and/or NTI have pushed the ADSI interface. Every new protocol/interface has to have a sponsor, and prototyping and demonstrating interfaces almost always results in better standards and requirements, and an overall shorter idea-to-product window. I think this has been a good example of vendor/industry cooperation. My only concern was/is related to the issue of "spoofing" such terminals in the same way TR-30 caller ID boxes can be "spoofed" with off-hook signaling. While Bellcore and other close to the original TA reviews may have been aware of this issue, it did not appear in any CPE vendor documents. Awareness could prevent some problems and make ADSI less "hacker-friendly". Nothing in the current requirements says something as simple as a "off-hook message" indicator couldn't be used to let the user know what's happening. But if the CPE vendors aren't reminded to think about it, we can hardly fault them for not doing so on their own. > Applications which use a non switch-based server (such as banking, > etc.) can not rely on the switch to prevent such interruptions. > Therefore, they will have to depend on the customer (or the customer's > CPE) utilizing the Cancel Call Waiting feature. Cancel Call Waiting was also mentioned to me by a co-worker as a specific way around the Call-Waiting-interruption problem with servers. Some providers do not bundle Call Waiting and CCW, so that might have to be required for ADSI "server-based" users who also have Call Waiting. Al Varney - just my opinion ------------------------------ From: cgordon@vpnet.chi.il.us (gordon hlavenka) Subject: Re: Cordless Phone Systems Organization: Vpnet - Public Access Unix and Usenet Date: Sun, 14 Nov 1993 22:02:56 GMT Delavar K. Khomarlou wrote: > Our company is investigating the use of cordless phones (with mobile > base stations) in our stations (harsh environment). > We are looking at an 800 Mhz and a 1.2 Ghz > (European) system. Can someone tell me which system would have better > propagation characteristics in this environment? We've had a SpectraLink system in my office here for about two weeks. This is an 800MHz system in a normal office environment. Perhaps our installation is flawed (it was done in one evening by a non-telco type) but it has not performed well here. The PTs cut out a lot, and there is a strong "digital" character to the audio. Plus an echo problem. Cutting out could be explained by poor cell siting, but the distortion is apparent even when the signal is strong and echo has nothing to do with (RF) signal strength. I'd stay away from this one ... Gordon S. Hlavenka cgordon@vpnet.chi.il.us Proud father of Daniel Scott born August 9, 1993 ------------------------------ From: johnper@bunsen.rosemount.com (John Perkins) Subject: Re: Problems With Michigan Bell Organization: Rosemount, Inc. Date: Sun, 14 Nov 1993 23:00:11 GMT In article smp@agape.sol.net (Steven M. Palm) writes: > [Deleted: long account of incorrect billing by Michigan Bell and writer's valiant attempt to straighten it out.] > [Deleted: long list of recommendations by the Moderator on how the > original writer should proceed] Here's another approach (that has worked very well for me in the past): Ignore the whole thing and save yourself a lot of trouble. There's really nothing they can do and eventually they'll get tired and give up. John Perkins [Moderator's Note: The only reason I did not suggest that as an alternative to the original writer was because MBT's collection agency *might* let something go to a credit bureau on it and then he would be stuck with removing that. While getting credit bureau repairs is not impossible, or all that difficult, it still might leave his credit messed up for awhile in the interim. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Jeffrey Oliver Breen Subject: Re: Information About Iridium Wanted Organization: Dept. of Astronomy, University of Virginia Date: Sun, 14 Nov 1993 22:00:32 GMT In article prakash@cis.ohio-state.edu (ravi prakash) writes: > I would like to get information about the following: > - Iridium : a low earth orbit mobile satellite system The latest issue of _Wired_ magazine (1.5 - November 1993) has a feature article on Iridium and other competing systems (Globalstar, Ellipso, Aires, and Odyssey). It's a pretty good review article with some interesting tidbits. For example, Iridium is so named (at least partly) because its original spec called for 77 satellites in orbit: Iridium is element number 77 (==> 77 electrons in orbit). Besides, as the author correctly points out, "Iridium" sounds better than "Dysprosium", element number 66, which matches the current spec. :) _Wired_ lists the following contact information for Iridium: Iridium, Inc. 13501 Street, NW Washington, D 20005 (202) 371-6889 Best Regards, Jeffrey Oliver Breen Internet: job5g@Virginia.edu Department of Astronomy University of Virginia Charlottesville, VA 22903 (804) 924-7494 ------------------------------ From: oppedahl@panix.com (Carl Oppedahl) Subject: Re: Calling Card Question Date: 14 Nov 1993 18:48:12 -0500 Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC In dannyb@panix.com (danny burstein) writes: > In yet another display of my ignorance, I ask the following question: > Can a calling card be acquired from either the LEC or an IXC with > the following restriction: that it can -only- get billed by the Local > Carrier (where appropriate) or by the disgnated IXC? > This would do a good job of reducing the tele-zleaze surcharges. The answer is, "sort of". All you have to do is to get a calling card issued by someone *other* than AT&T or a local operating company. For example, you could get a card issued by MCI or Sprint. All calls are placed via an 800 number or a 950 number or 10XXX, and there are never any surprises about what the call will cost. It will always be billed by MCI or Sprint, at their rates. You might wonder how local calls are handled in that case. Don't ask; it would get MCI or Sprint in trouble if the local operating companies were to learn that MCI or Sprint sometimes connects local calls in competition with the local operating company. Now, it is also the case that *some* of AT&T's cards are also safe against sleaze. But why choose a company that costs *more* and only protects some of its cards? Carl Oppedahl AA2KW (patent lawyer) 1992 Commerce Street #309 Yorktown Heights, NY 10598-4412 voice 212-777-1330 [Moderator's Note: He can also get a totally 'independent' calling card like the Orange Card (25 cents per minute of use, billed in 30 second increments with no surcharge) or use one of his VISA/MC cards through the hookup they have with MCI. PAT] ------------------------------ From: edc@ee.ubc.ca (Ed Casas) Subject: Re: TDMA vs. CDMA = Betamax vs. VHS? Date: Sun, 14 Nov 93 23:21:19 PST In article , wrote: >> I personally suspect this is a bit of a religious debate, >> exactly like Betamax vs. VHS, and while technical arguments >> pro and con can be made, whoever has the best marketing is >> going to win. (wink wink) > It's certainly the case that the debate will be settled > politically, but it turns out that CDMA has major technical > advantages: ... I think these "technical advantages" are mostly a result of Qualcomm marketing. For example, I looked at Qualcomm's claims for capacity improvement and found that their claims were made on the basis of grossly unfair comparisons. For example, the Qualcomm system assumed: more-directional base station antennas, turning off the transmitter during silent periods to reduce interference, the use of low-rate high-gain codes, the use of low-rate speech coding, etc. A fair comparison would have been between a second-generation TDMA system (which could make use of many of the above techniques) and a CDMA system. I think you would then see the capacity advantage for CDMA eliminated. You should understand that a CDMA receiver starts off with a major handicap -- its correlator cannot separate signals anywhere near as well as a TDMA receiver's IF filter. You have to use a lot of tricks to overcome that initial disadvantage. To me (at least) the technical superiority of CDMA is far from proven. Ed Casas (edc@ee.ubc.ca) ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Need List of Country Codes From: gordon@torrie.org (Gordon Torrie) Date: Sun, 14 Nov 1993 10:18:22 -0500 Organization: Torrie Communications Services Malcolm Dunnett writes: > I'm looking for a list of all the "Country Codes"; either an FTP > site or someone to post/mail me a copy. While one might suppose that because Malcom posted his message to this group he meant the numeric codes one dials to route a call to a particular country, this was not explicitly stated. In the event that what he meant was a list of the country codes assigned by the ISO I will point out that a summary of them is available by anonymous FTP from ftp.uni-erlangen.de in directory pub/doc/ISO/english. Gord Torrie ------------------------------ From: edleslie@elearn.edu.yorku.ca (Ed Leslie) Subject: Re: Feature Interaction Organization: York University Date: Sun, 14 Nov 1993 11:45:42 -0500 Tony Harminc (EL406045@BROWNVM.brown.edu) wrote: > After about an hour, I wondered at my friend's line still being busy > (he has a modem line, so it wasn't that). I dialed *66 again, mainly > out of curiosity to see if the system would give me the same friendly > message, or would tell me that I had already made the same request. Does call return not limit its trials to a 30 minute period (assuming that after that length of time, you have moved on to other things)? Ed Leslie ------------------------------ From: Jason Hunsaker Subject: Strange Telephone Behavior Date: 14 Nov 93 13:43:19 MDT Organization: Utah State University I had an experience last night that I find difficult to understand. My telephone rang. I answered. There was no response. I was about to hang up when I heard a click followed by a busy-signal. This continued for a few seconds, and then I heard another click. Then, with the receiver still in my hand and the phone still off hook, my telephone rang. I had to hangup to answer the incoming call. How is it possible for my phone to be off hook and still activate the ringer? Internet: slhw4@cc.usu.edu (Jason Hunsaker), Logan, Utah ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Nov 93 00:35 EST From: johnl@iecc.com (John R Levine) Subject: Re: What is Transpac? Organization: I.E.C.C. > Can anyone tell me what Transpac is? A public network in France > perhaps? Thanks. It's the French X.25 network. Dialup access is available nationally via special phone numbers. Here is some somewhat obsolete information courtesy of MCI Mail: Contact: Mr. J.M. Chevalier - Tel: (33-1) 47 62 79 61 Direction des Telecomications des Reseaux Exterieurs INTELCOMFRANCE Tour Franklin 92081 Paris La Defense Cedex 11, France Telex: (842) 610586 A/B: CPTI 610586F or 610329 A/B: CPTI 610329F Prices: All charges in French Francs (FFr) Initial Fee: 160 FFr/NUI Monthly Fee: 80 FFr/month Connect Time Charge: 0.70 FFr/minute at 300 bps 0.90 FFr/minute at 1200 bps 1.00 FFr/minute at 2400 bps Volume Charge: 38 FFr/kilosegment A 18.6% VAT should be added to the above charges. Dialup (once you have an account): All cities in France may access TRANSPAC with the national numbers given below. 300 bps access: 36 01 1200 bps access: 36 00 1200/75 bps access (incl. Minitel): 36 13 36 21 (ASCII mode) 300/1200/2400 bps MNP error-corr.: 36 06 24 24 DOMPAC and TOMPAC provide similar service at slightly higher prices in the overseas parts of France. Regards, John Levine, johnl@iecc.com, {spdcc|ima|world}!iecc!johnl ------------------------------ From: bob1@cos.com Subject: Re: What is Transpac? Reply-To: bob1@cos.com Organization: Corporation for Open Systems Date: Sun, 14 Nov 1993 14:26:06 GMT In phil@concave.cs.wits.ac.za (Philip Green) writes: > Can anyone tell me what Transpac is? A public network in France > perhaps? Thanks. You win the teddy bear! Transpac is the French Public Packet-switched Data Network operating according to Recommendation X.25. Transpac, DATApac (Canada), Telenet (USA), and the U.K. network (forgotten the name) were the first national packet-switched networks. Main reason that I remember is because I was on the team that did DATApac. Bob Blackshaw ------------------------------ From: majid@enst.enst.fr (Fazal Majid) Subject: Re: What is Transpac? Date: 14 Nov 1993 00:06:33 GMT Organization: Telecom Paris - France Philip Green (phil@concave.cs.wits.ac.za) wrote: > Can anyone tell me what Transpac is? A public network in France > perhaps? Thanks. Transpac (now officially called France Telecom Transpac) is a French public X.25 network operated by France Telecom, the national carrier, recently spun off from the PTT administration. Among other things, "Minitel" videotext services are carried by Transpac. Disclaimer: I work for France Telecom, but not in the Transpac division ------------------------------ From: pjb@23kgroup.com (Paul J. Bell) Subject: Re: Skokie, IL, and Telephone History Reply-To: pjb@23kgroup.com Organization: The 23K Group, Inc. Date: Mon, 15 Nov 1993 02:09:06 GMT In article , TELECOM Moderator noted: > [Moderator's Note: Actually, I have but three lines: one for voice, > one for data and one for fax. I'll make do somehow. The fax is now > on a full time dedicated line and available to anyone who wants to > use it: 708-329-0572. The Skokie area was also the home of Teletype > Corporation as some old-timers may recall. I am just just hoping > very desparately that things will work out financially for me and > the family. :( PAT] When Western Electric's Teletype Corp. was located in Skokie, the plant (on Touhy Ave.) was the largest open area manufacturing facility in the world. At it's peak, well into the '70, they received more orders for Teletype machines in a month than they could build in a year. It was a very interesting place to visit. I left Chicago in the early sixties and have no idea what happened to the area. Does anyone know the fate of the Teletype complex ? Cheers, Paul ------------------------------ From: dk@crl.com (David A. Kaye) Subject: Re: Skokie, IL, and Telephone History Date: 14 Nov 1993 21:58:28 -0800 Organization: CRL Dialup Internet Access (415) 705-6060 [login: guest] Dave Levenson (dave@westmark.com) wrote: > It was reported in that year that the largest number of telephones per > capita (86 per 100 population) anywhere in the world was in the > District of Columbia, USA. The second largest value of this number (I > think the number was around 70 or so) was in Skokie, Illinois. I don't know if it's still true or not, but the city of San Ramon (25 miles east of SF) had 102 phones per 100 population. This fact used to be in the back of the Pacific Bell yellow pages for that area, which I think is the Central Contra Costa book. I would think there might be an explanation here, but I don't know what it is. This was before cellular, and the community doesn't seem to have that much more business than any other community. ------------------------------ From: rrb@deja-vu.aiss.uiuc.edu (Bill Pfeiffer) Subject: Re: Minneapolis is no Picnic Either (vs Chicago) Date: Mon, 15 Nov 1993 03:54:09 CST > [Moderator's Note: I'm sorry to hear this grim news. I hope for your > sake you did not violate any of the civil rights of the burglar; the [...] > The people filed bankruptcy at that point, but the court ruled > the judgment could not be dismissed in bankruptcy, so I guess they > will be working a long time to pay off this guy. Let that be a lesson > to you. Keep your homes neat, clean and free of dangers. If someone > breaks in while you are gone (or some have the nerve to do it while > you are there!), you don't want them to injure themselves. PAT] Nice piece of urban folklore, Pat. But we all know that it is hogwash. You can shoot a burglar in your home (like the 90 year old woman just did on the south side when a 15 year-old broke in and wheeled her around in her wheelchair demanding that she point out valuables). She shot him after asking him to leave several times. She has not been, and will not be, charged. If someone invades your home (unlike your business) all bets are off. Although I have heard these tales too, they are not true. You CAN be sued, or even arrested, if you set up a booby-trap to either fire a weapon or do other bodily harm, via an automatic system (like pointing a shotgun at a doorway, triggered by a solinoid, connected to a door switch). But rest-assured, you may blow someone away without an eyeblink if they are inside your home uninvited. William Pfeiffer - Moderator/Editor rec.radio.broadcasting - Airwaves Radio Journal - Internet email - Article Submission: articles@airwaves.chi.il.us Subscription Desk: subscribe@airwaves.chi.il.us [Moderator's Note: I think you are in error. It is not quite that cut and dry. Yes, you have some rights inside your home you do not have outside your home, but I'm afraid shooting someone in your home would at least cause a few eyes to blink. I suspect you would get a lot of hassles from the police over it, etc. PAT] ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #761 ****************************** Downloaded From P-80 International Information Systems 304-744-2253