TELECOM Digest     Tue, 17 Jan 95 23:45:16 CST    Volume 15 : Issue 42

Inside This Issue:                           Editor: Patrick A. 
Townson

    Re: More CO Codes For Each NPA - Any Telcos Take Advantage? (Carl 
Moore)
    Re: Returning Blocked Local Calls to be Discontinued (Robert 
Schwartz)
    800 Numbers/Letters Overseas (Richard Jay Solomon)
    Re: Where to Get Text of the ECPA? (John A. Thomas)
    Re: Cross Keys (Carl Moore)
    Re: NEC Neax 2400 (John Stewart)
    Business Telephone Sales Expected Salary/Commission Ranges? (Neil 
W.
Giles)
    Phone Bill Has Wrong Area Code and City (Carl Moore)
    Help With Number Plan (Robert Smith)
    Re: What is a T1 Line? (Butch Lcroan)
    Re: Bellcore Standards Question (Wally Ritchie)
    Wanted: We Buy and SellL Used Telephone Systems and Parts (David 
Russell)
    Economics of the Telecommucations Industry (Victor Prochnik)
    Re: Is the Pentium Bug Really That Bugging? (Wally Ritchie)
    FCC PCS Auction Information (Darryl Kipps)
    Aministrivia: Sendmail Let's Me Down (TELECOM Digest Editor)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Tue, 17 Jan 95 23:03:28 GMT
From: Carl Moore <cmoore@ARL.MIL>
Subject: Re: More CO Codes For Each NPA - Any Telcos Take Advantage?


You mentioned 206-803.  But 206 was running short of prefixes before
the NNX area codes were available, and it staved off a split for a
while by generalizing from NNX to NXX prefixes.  As you know, the
phone number shortage in 206 is to be relieved by new area code 360,
which has now entered permissive mode.

What Dave Leibold was asking was what I mentioned (in different words)
in the area code history file: With the generalized area codes, what
becomes of "no N0X/N1X prefixes unless NNX prefixes are running out"?
In other words, all area codes -- not just the ones running short of
NNX prefixes -- now have published dialing instructions which can also
accommodate N0X/N1X prefixes.

------------------------------

From: r.schwartz18@genie.geis.com
Date: Wed, 18 Jan 95 04:09:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Returning Blocked Local Calls to be Discontinued in 
Canada
 

> By June 30, a called party will no longer be able to do this.
> In a decision handed down on December 5 [1994], the CRTC ordered 
Bell
> to "implement the disablement of call return on blocked local 
calls."
 
This is OUTRAGOUS!  We finally reap the benefits of peace and
tranquillity from heavy breathers thanks to technology and now the
government is talking this peace away from us!  What is going to deter
pranksters from calling now.  We have just taken a HUGE step backwards
in time.  Another first <g> for the Canadian Telecommunications
Industry.  I think the ministers are getting fed up of walking to the
pay phone to call their mistress!
 
> While acknowledging that the CRTC's order was "not unexpected," Mike
> Kassner, associate director, Consumer Market Management, said, "It
> tilts the balance once again in favour of the calling party and 
might
> cause problems with increased use of Call Trace now that the 
handling
> of minor annoyance calls via Call Return has been taken away."
 
Sure!  Why spend $0.50 to deter a prankster when you can spend $5.00
on Call trace and have to go through the hassle of getting a court
order so that the law takes action on your behalf ... for a prank
call!!!!
 
> All is not lost, however. Call Screen, said Mike, is still an
> "effective device" for preventing unwanted calls from the same 
number.
> "Call Screen can be activated to work on the last incoming number 
even
> though the number is blocked," he noted.
 
Sure, another $5.00 a month service charge ... will it ever end!?
 
If anyone knows the e-mail address of the government body responsible
for this fiasco, please let me know.

 
Robert Schwartz    Ottawa, Ontario.

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 17 Jan 1995 23:52:06 -0500
From: rjs@farnsworth.mit.edu (Richard Jay Solomon)
Subject: 800 Numbers/Letters Overseas


In TELECOM Digest V15 #38:

> The European position imposes a lottery where there is more than one
> applicant for a specific international freephone number.  You can
> imagine the land rush this will create among European carriers and
> their customers, especially for valuable numbers such as 800 THE 
CARD,
> 800 HOLIDAY, and 800 FLOWERS, or Home Shopping Club's well-ensconced
> 800 284-3200.

Before the land rush starts, American firms should take a hard look at
the telephone dials overseas. Not only are the letter/number 
combinations 
not always the same as in North America, but in the U.K., the 
competing 
wireless firms don't even have the same set of letter/numbers! And
some places have no letters at all, or they have non-Roman letters, as
in several Mideast countries. A little due diligence goes a long way.

I can remember when AT&T tried to convince us that letters were stupid
 -- they spent a fortune on advertising "all-number dialing," as if it
made any difference. Now they are trying to tell us that letters are
valuable.  Reminds me of a Dr. Seuss story.


Richard Solomon   MIT Research Program on Communications Policy

------------------------------

From: jathomas@netcom.com (John A. Thomas)
Subject: Re: Where to Get Text of the ECPA?
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 
guest)
Date: Tue, 17 Jan 1995 20:29:26 GMT


Wilson Mohr (mohr@cig.mot.com) wrote:

> I have been poking around the FCC's FTP server to no avail so I will
> ask: Does anyone know where/how I can get a full text of the ECPA?

Try ftp to ftp.eff.org.  They might have the text on-line.  Or else go
to a law library.  The ECPA was codified in the statutes dealing with
wire interception, 18 U.S.C. Sections 2510-2521, and the statutes
dealing with stored electronic communications, 18 U.S.C. Sections
2701-2711.


John A. Thomas  jathomas@netcom.com
N5RZP   214/263-4351


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Now that you mention it, I have a full
copy here sent recently to me by someone, and I think I will send it
out as a special mailing in the next day or three. It is quite huge,
so I may have to just put it in the archives for reference.    PAT]

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 17 Jan 95 20:52:10 GMT
From: Carl Moore <cmoore@ARL.MIL>
Subject: Re: Cross Keys


What is the meaning of the + in front of the 51 in the Telex line?

> Coldra Woods, Chepstow Road, NEWPORT, Gwent, NP6 1JB  UK
> tel. 01633 413600
> Telex 497557 (from outside the UK, +51 497557)


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: That plus means 'dial whatever you dial 
to
make an international call, then add what follows.'     PAT]

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 17 Jan 1995 09:23:19 EST
From: STEWART@SALEM.WVNET.EDU
Subject: Re: NEC Neax 2400
Organization: West Virginia Network


My predessor was able to crash the call accounting and the Maintence
terminal with-in a 4 month period prior to his release. They wanted
over 8 Gs to fix the call accounting using very old and outdated
equiptment. For this reason we found it more cost effective to write
our own software. We do off site collection on a Vax VMS. When doing
off site accounting there MUST be a short haul modem on each end or
the SMDR card will be lost. They are very touchy about spikes,surges,
and the like. If you need more info contact me.  


John Stewart  (stewart@salem.wvnet.edu) 
Salem-Teikyo University  (304) 782-5341

------------------------------

From: nldc31@nosc.mil (Neil W. Giles)
Subject: Business Telephone Sales Expected Salary/Commission Ranges?
Organization: NCCOSC RDT&E Division, San Diego, CA
Date: Tue, 17 Jan 1995 23:13:14 GMT


What kind of salary and commission structures can a person entering
the Business Telephone Sales industry expect?

I am curious about major corporations as well as smaller VAR type
reselling positions. 

For comparison purposes, I am primarily interested in information
based on major city locations but I would be interested in hearing
about the smaller areas too.  


Thanks,

Neil Giles    Neil.Giles@lasernet.com

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 17 Jan 95 14:49:48 EST
From: Carl Moore <cmoore@ARL.MIL>
Subject: Phone Bill Has Wrong Area Code and City


On the AT&T part of my phone bill, I found a call which I had made
from 815-945 prefix on a pay phone at Chenoa, Illinois (along I-55
between Joliet and Bloomington).  It showed up with the wrong area
code (309, which happens to be next door to the Chenoa exchange) and
the wrong city name (Geneseo, apparently served by 309-945).  Geneseo
is along U.S.6 and I-80, way out toward Rock Island.

------------------------------

From: rmsmith@csc.com (Robert Smith)
Subject: Help With Number Plan
Date: 14 Jan 1995 14:42:03 -0500
Organization: Computer Sciences Corporation


I am documenting a dialed number plan.  I am looking for advice on how
to present the data to a reader.  I know I can show two switches, the
trunks between them, all the data under the trunks, etc.

Is there another way to show this data that is easy to follow?

I figure I will have to do a table and a graphic to catch the entire
audience.  Recommendations or experiences appreciated.


Thanks,

bob

------------------------------

From: balcroan@netcom.com (Butch lcroan/.nameBalcroan Lilli)
Subject: Re: What is a T1 Line?
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 
guest)
Date: Tue, 17 Jan 1995 08:28:19 GMT


ARGHHH !! I am really getting tired of this BIT-Robbing conversation
that Jeffery Rhodes started. I used to work with Jeffery and he
certainly is a smart guy, but he is no expert in this area. I would
just like to point out that for DATA it is 56k because the 8th bit is
robbed every 6th frame to give line staus information so rather than
deal with this on async data circuit they just ignore the eight bit
completly rather than have to track the status of the transport 
systems
framing for voice. Believe me, all modems use voice; that is to
say they use the voice bandwidth to transmit a carrier (or multiple
carrier at the same time in the higher speed techniques) that passes
thru the network as if it were voice. Therefore the encoding scheme, 
not
the minor bit robbing is what limits the bandwith for noise or
quantizing distortiion. 

That is to say that since the analog waveform is quantized to a level
that is represented by number (the eight bits) the problem with
Jeffery's statements is that yes indeed a bit is being lost every 
sixth
frame but this bit is the least significant bit. That is to say its
weight is that of a " ONE " so an actual 254 might be encoded as a 253
 ... but there is more to consider here. The " MU LAW " is not a 
linear
scale it is more of a log function with more steps closer to the lower
levels where the ear is more senstive. I really can't believe 2 DB;
come on Jeff, 3 db is half power *and also the least amount the ear 
can 
detect*. I really doubt that the modems are affected by this as
much as Jeffery has stated. I would more believe than something more
common such as " ECHO " and several other more common impairments are
really alot more important than a occasional bit robbing.  There are
also several new technologies such as fiber that have introduced
timing impairments such as " Jitter " into the equation. I think that
the newer modems are more senstive the the phase angle modulation that
a SONET based " Fiber Optic " system might introduce.  

I advise everyone to look into the volumes of information that pours
out of the ANSI T1.101 group on this very subject matter.  I was on
the leading edge of this matter and as such expect alot of flames from
people like Jeffery who I worked with in the past. I can only say
please feel free to flame but remember it wouldn't hurt to checkout
T1.101. We all can learn how much of a poorly planned product SONET
was and how we end users were sold a illusion with SONET and FIBER!

------------------------------

From: writchie@gate.net
Subject: Re: Bellcore Standards Question
Date: 18 Jan 1995 05:35:04 GMT
Reply-To: writchie@gate.net


In <telecom15.39.11@eecs.nwu.edu>, wtm@uhura.neoucom.edu (Bill Mayhew)
writes:

> No more than seven zeros in a row are permitted, or an automatic on
> insertion occurs to prevent the demodulator from losing lock on the
> incoming bit stream.  This can result of one LSB resoultion on a
> maximal signal.  Since low levels contain a lot of ones, there is no
> loss of resolution on small signals due to forced ones.

Actually, the All Zero Code word is prohibited in D4. This is done by
replacing Bit 7 (Number 1 - 8 sign - lsb) with a 1 when an all zero
code word would otherwise be transmitted. This is not the lsb but the
second least significant bit.

> Also, if you are using older D4 non ESF (extended superframe) 
equipment.  
> A bit will be robbed every 6th frame for signalling.  The robbed 
bits
> alternate between the A bit and B bit.

Even with ESF, a bit will be robbed every 6th frame for channels that
use Robbed Bit Signalling, i.e. other than clear channels or DDS
channels. ESF extends the AB signalling to ABCD. ESF by itself does
not eliminate the robbed bit signalling. What ESF does is to enable
clear channel e.g. 23B+D ISDN PRI by removing the coding restriction
on the all zero octet.

Just picking nits to keep the record straight.


Wally Ritchie    Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

------------------------------

From: itelecom@bilbo.pic.net (David M. Russell)
Subject: Wanted: We Buy and Sell Used Telephone Systems and Parts
Date: 17 Jan 1995 19:20:24 GMT
Organization: Integrity Telecommunications


We buy and sell used telephone systems and parts.  Please fax, smail
or email your used and surplus inventories.


David M. Russell   Integrity Telecommunications  "The Name Says IT 
All"
2970 Blystone Lane, Ste. 102  Dallas, TX 75220-1515
Voice 214-357-7484   Fax 214-357-7485

------------------------------

From: victorp@omega.lncc.br (Victor Prochnik)
Subject: Economics of the Telecommunications Industry
Date: Tue, 17 Jan 1995 18:55:43 -0300


I am working on the economics of telecommunication industry.  My next
research will be on the demand of Brazilian large enterprises for
global telecom services.

I would be pleased to discuss this and other subjects.  Can you share
your insight with me?


VICTOR PROCHNIK    INDUSTRIAL ECONOMICS INSTITUTE
FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF RIO DE JANEIRO, BRASIL
E-MAIL: VICTORP@OMEGA.LNCC.BR

------------------------------

From: writchie@gate.net
Subject: Re: Is the Pentium Bug Really That Bugging?
Date: 18 Jan 1995 06:05:15 GMT
Reply-To: writchie@gate.net


In <telecom15.35.13@eecs.nwu.edu>, Anthony D'Auria <dauriaa@voyager.
bxscience.edu> writes:

> Hi! My name is Anthony D'Auria and I own a P90 super loaded desktop. 
I
> use it practically every day for the net and business. I haven't
> experienced any trouble with the floating point calculations (not 
that
> I use them). I think that IBM is making a big deal of a little 
thing.

It's not a little thing that spreadsheets produce wrong results. IBM's
concerns reflect the major concerns of its corporate clients many of
whom depend on their machines for mission critical applications.
Neither is it a small thing for CAD programs, Signal Processing, or
any other programs that depend on heavy floating point calculations.
Customers with lots of machines that use floating point are going to
see real problems.  For these customers the Pentium is Russian


roulette with only a few chambers in the gun. If you don't use
speadsheets, or CAD, or other floating point programs, no big deal. If
you're a single user user with a single machine and you do use
speadsheets and/or CAD programs, you too are playing russian roulette.
The probabilites are small, but they are a threat if you care what
your results are.

> People with Pentiums start panicking, thinking that their system is
> all messed up.  For an average user, it doesn't seem to fearsome, 
but
> if you have some heavy duty stuff to do, it can really do some 
damage.

> Question: Does this floating point calculation bug affect system
> performance? Is that why some Pentiums bottleneck? What and where
> should a person contact to get the messed up chip replaced? Is it
> actually worth it?

> If you have any ideas, respond: dauriaa@voyager.bxscience.edu.

I personally think that the outrage felt by users is due to three 
factors.

First, Intel kept information of the flaw to itself for a relatively
long time.

Second, Intel downplayed the potential seriousness of the problem.

Third, Intel has spent tens of millions of dollars on the Intel Inside
ad compaign with the effect of brainwashing (like all advertising)
masses of users to buy Pentium. Some of these users might have better
off putting their money in faster video cards. Clearly, a flawed
Pentium is much worse the alternatives. Intel must now make these
people whole again.


Wally Ritchie     Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

------------------------------

Date: 18 Jan 95 02:01:38 EST
From: Darryl Kipps <72623.456@compuserve.com>
Subject: FCC PCS Auction Info


Good day to all,

I've just come from ftp fcc.gov to see how the PCS auctions
are going and have some questions.

1. I see there are both Broad and Narrow bands.  What's the 
difference?

2. Narrowband has both Nationwide and Regional while Broadband seems 
to
   be entirely regional (or by market) -- Why the distinction and how
   are the regions (markets) defined?

If anyone could shed some light here would be appreciated, or just
point me in the right direction if the answers are available
elsewhere.


Thanks,

Darryl Kipps

------------------------------

From: TELECOM Digest Editor <telecom@eecs.nwu.edu>
Subject: Administrivia: Sendmail Lets Me Down ...
Date: Wed, 18 Jan 1995 00:15:00 CST


On Tuesday some of you got two or three copies of issues 32 through 
34.
Others of you received only one copy. Hopefully everyone got at least
one copy of each and a copy of issue 35. If you did not get one of
these, let me know so it can be replaced.

What happened was those three issues (32, 33, 34) had been handed over
to sendmail for processing to the mailing list. All of a sudden for
reasons unknown to me, this machine (delta.eecs.nwu.edu) belched and
shut down for about five minutes. During that time I was locked up 
here
unable to get any response. When I got back online, I noticed that 
those three issues had stopped moving, but I guessed they would 
restart
when sendmail got around to it again. In the meantime, issue 35 was
finished and sent to the mailq. Issue 35 seems to be going okay, but
mailer-daemons began flooding in ... those three issues had started up
again, but sendmail was quite confused. 

   Can't find programs!      (my own little group of hacks done to
                             sendmail for use with very large mailing
                             lists like this one so I can have as many
                             invocations of sendmail going at one time
                             as desired with no ill-effects or slow-
                             downs for other users. I frequently have
                             six or seven invocations of sendmail 
going
                             at one time against my mailing list. 

   Can't locate mailing list!  I don't leave it out under its most 
obvious
                             names where hackers who like to sneak in 
the
                             back door with commands like VRFY and 
EXPD
                             can snoop into it. Aside from the fact 
that
                             I think the admin here disabled VRFY and 
EXPD
                             why take chances?  Part of my 'send-
telecom'
                             does 'mv bogus.name real.name' in the 
process
                             of getting it out for use in mailing. 
Trouble
                             is I had it out when delta went down and 
when
                             it restarted obviously the mailing 
list(s)
                             were not where sendmail expected to find 
them.
                             So then it wrote all over the one that 
was 
                             out and ruined it. I had to use the 
backup
                             copy it created the day before, and 
reinstall
                             all the adds and deletes from the several
                             hours prior.

   Unknown Host!             Oh Lord, were the name servers hosed 
Tuesday.
                             Were they?  WERE THEY?  About 80 percent 
of
       or                    the mailing came back due to unknown 
host.
                             A few sites hung a long time before 
sendmail
                             decided they had not accepted its 
delivery.
                             Of course, that does not really mean the 
mail
   Timed out during          did not get delivered, just that sendmail 
is
   user open with ..         saying it didn't. So, a third time around 
and
                             that time, the mail seemed to stick. 

Maybe you got those issues once, maybe you got them three times, or 
maybe
not at all ...  <grin, albiet somewhat bitter one, with teeth bared> 
...
But I just about lost control when 400 -- yes, *four hundred* mailer
daemons arrived all in the space of about fifteen minutes. 

You tell me what needs to be replaced/retransmitted between issues 31 
and
42, Tuesday morning through Wednesday morning. And for those of you 
who
wrote to tell me you got three copies of it and to stop already, all I
can say is something lewd, crude and rude. But I won't say it, I'll 
just
think it.  Have a nice Wednesday!    


PAT]

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V15 #42
*****************************

                                                                                                 

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From telecom-request@delta.eecs.nwu.edu  Wed Jan 18 03:27:32 1995
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From: telecom@delta.eecs.nwu.edu (TELECOM Digest (Patrick Townson))
Message-Id: <9501180713.AA19514@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>
To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: TELECOM Digest V15 #42


TELECOM Digest     Wed, 18 Jan 95 01:13:00 CST    Volume 15 : Issue 42

Inside This Issue:                          Editor: Patrick A. Townson

    Re: More CO Codes For Each NPA - Any Telcos Take Advantage? (Carl 
Moore)
    Re: Returning Blocked Local Calls to be Discontinued (Robert 
Schwartz)
    800 Numbers/Letters Overseas (Richard Jay Solomon)
    Re: Where to Get Text of the ECPA? (John A. Thomas)
    Re: Cross Keys (Carl Moore)
    Re: NEC Neax 2400 (John Stewart)
    Business Telephone Sales Expected Salary/Commission Ranges? (Neil 
W.
Giles)
    Phone Bill Has Wrong Area Code and City (Carl Moore)
    Help With Number Plan (Robert Smith)
    Re: What is a T1 Line? (Butch Lcroan)
    Re: Bellcore Standards Question (Wally Ritchie)
    Wanted: We Buy and SellL Used Telephone Systems and Parts (David 
Russell)
    Economics of the Telecommucations Industry (Victor Prochnik)
    Re: Is the Pentium Bug Really That Bugging? (Wally Ritchie)
    FCC PCS Auction Information (Darryl Kipps)
    Administrivia: Sendmail Lets Me Down (TELECOM Digest Editor)

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
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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.  Views expressed herein should not be construed as 
represent-*
* ing views of the ITU.                                                 
*
**********************************************************************
***

Additionally, the Digest is funded by gifts from generous readers such
as yourself who provide funding in amounts deemed appropriate. Your 
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is important and appreciated. A suggested donation of twenty dollars 
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year per reader is considered appropriate. See our address above.

All opinions expressed herein are deemed to be those of the author. 
Any
organizations listed are for identification purposes only and messages
should not be considered any official expression by the organization.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Tue, 17 Jan 95 23:03:28 GMT
From: Carl Moore <cmoore@ARL.MIL>
Subject: Re: More CO Codes For Each NPA - Any Telcos Take Advantage?


You mentioned 206-803.  But 206 was running short of prefixes before
the NNX area codes were available, and it staved off a split for a
while by generalizing from NNX to NXX prefixes.  As you know, the
phone number shortage in 206 is to be relieved by new area code 360,
which has now entered permissive mode.

What Dave Leibold was asking was what I mentioned (in different words)
in the area code history file: With the generalized area codes, what
becomes of "no N0X/N1X prefixes unless NNX prefixes are running out"?
In other words, all area codes -- not just the ones running short of
NNX prefixes -- now have published dialing instructions which can also
accommodate N0X/N1X prefixes.

------------------------------

From: r.schwartz18@genie.geis.com
Date: Wed, 18 Jan 95 04:09:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Returning Blocked Local Calls to be Discontinued in 
Canada
 

> By June 30, a called party will no longer be able to do this.
> In a decision handed down on December 5 [1994], the CRTC ordered 
Bell
> to "implement the disablement of call return on blocked local 
calls."
 
This is OUTRAGOUS!  We finally reap the benefits of peace and
tranquillity from heavy breathers thanks to technology and now the
government is talking this peace away from us!  What is going to deter
pranksters from calling now.  We have just taken a HUGE step backwards
in time.  Another first <g> for the Canadian Telecommunications
Industry.  I think the ministers are getting fed up of walking to the
pay phone to call their mistress!
 
> While acknowledging that the CRTC's order was "not unexpected," Mike
> Kassner, associate director, Consumer Market Management, said, "It
> tilts the balance once again in favour of the calling party and 
might
> cause problems with increased use of Call Trace now that the 
handling
> of minor annoyance calls via Call Return has been taken away."
 
Sure!  Why spend $0.50 to deter a prankster when you can spend $5.00
on Call trace and have to go through the hassle of getting a court
order so that the law takes action on your behalf ... for a prank
call!!!!
 
> All is not lost, however. Call Screen, said Mike, is still an
> "effective device" for preventing unwanted calls from the same 
number.
> "Call Screen can be activated to work on the last incoming number 
even
> though the number is blocked," he noted.
 
Sure, another $5.00 a month service charge ... will it ever end!?
 
If anyone knows the e-mail address of the government body responsible
for this fiasco, please let me know.

 
Robert Schwartz    Ottawa, Ontario.

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 17 Jan 1995 23:52:06 -0500
From: rjs@farnsworth.mit.edu (Richard Jay Solomon)
Subject: 800 Numbers/Letters Overseas


In TELECOM Digest V15 #38:

> The European position imposes a lottery where there is more than one
> applicant for a specific international freephone number.  You can
> imagine the land rush this will create among European carriers and
> their customers, especially for valuable numbers such as 800 THE 
CARD,
> 800 HOLIDAY, and 800 FLOWERS, or Home Shopping Club's well-ensconced
> 800 284-3200.

Before the land rush starts, American firms should take a hard look at
the telephone dials overseas. Not only are the letter/number 
combinations 
not always the same as in North America, but in the U.K., the 
competing 
wireless firms don't even have the same set of letter/numbers! And
some places have no letters at all, or they have non-Roman letters, as
in several Mideast countries. A little due diligence goes a long way.

I can remember when AT&T tried to convince us that letters were stupid
 -- they spent a fortune on advertising "all-number dialing," as if it
made any difference. Now they are trying to tell us that letters are
valuable.  Reminds me of a Dr. Seuss story.


Richard Solomon   MIT Research Program on Communications Policy

------------------------------

From: jathomas@netcom.com (John A. Thomas)
Subject: Re: Where to Get Text of the ECPA?
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 
guest)
Date: Tue, 17 Jan 1995 20:29:26 GMT


Wilson Mohr (mohr@cig.mot.com) wrote:

> I have been poking around the FCC's FTP server to no avail so I will
> ask: Does anyone know where/how I can get a full text of the ECPA?

Try ftp to ftp.eff.org.  They might have the text on-line.  Or else go
to a law library.  The ECPA was codified in the statutes dealing with
wire interception, 18 U.S.C. Sections 2510-2521, and the statutes
dealing with stored electronic communications, 18 U.S.C. Sections
2701-2711.


John A. Thomas  jathomas@netcom.com
N5RZP   214/263-4351


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Now that you mention it, I have a full
copy here sent recently to me by someone, and I think I will send it
out as a special mailing in the next day or three. It is quite huge,
so I may have to just put it in the archives for reference.    PAT]

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 17 Jan 95 20:52:10 GMT
From: Carl Moore <cmoore@ARL.MIL>
Subject: Re: Cross Keys


What is the meaning of the + in front of the 51 in the Telex line?

> Coldra Woods, Chepstow Road, NEWPORT, Gwent, NP6 1JB  UK
> tel. 01633 413600
> Telex 497557 (from outside the UK, +51 497557)


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: That plus means 'dial whatever you dial 
to
make an international call, then add what follows.'     PAT]

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 17 Jan 1995 09:23:19 EST
From: STEWART@SALEM.WVNET.EDU
Subject: Re: NEC Neax 2400
Organization: West Virginia Network


My predessor was able to crash the call accounting and the Maintence
terminal with-in a 4 month period prior to his release. They wanted
over 8 Gs to fix the call accounting using very old and outdated
equiptment. For this reason we found it more cost effective to write
our own software. We do off site collection on a Vax VMS. When doing
off site accounting there MUST be a short haul modem on each end or
the SMDR card will be lost. They are very touchy about spikes,surges,
and the like. If you need more info contact me.  


John Stewart  (stewart@salem.wvnet.edu) 
Salem-Teikyo University  (304) 782-5341

------------------------------

From: nldc31@nosc.mil (Neil W. Giles)
Subject: Business Telephone Sales Expected Salary/Commission Ranges?
Organization: NCCOSC RDT&E Division, San Diego, CA
Date: Tue, 17 Jan 1995 23:13:14 GMT


What kind of salary and commission structures can a person entering
the Business Telephone Sales industry expect?

I am curious about major corporations as well as smaller VAR type
reselling positions. 

For comparison purposes, I am primarily interested in information
based on major city locations but I would be interested in hearing
about the smaller areas too.  


Thanks,

Neil Giles    Neil.Giles@lasernet.com

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 17 Jan 95 14:49:48 EST
From: Carl Moore <cmoore@ARL.MIL>
Subject: Phone Bill Has Wrong Area Code and City


On the AT&T part of my phone bill, I found a call which I had made
from 815-945 prefix on a pay phone at Chenoa, Illinois (along I-55
between Joliet and Bloomington).  It showed up with the wrong area
code (309, which happens to be next door to the Chenoa exchange) and
the wrong city name (Geneseo, apparently served by 309-945).  Geneseo
is along U.S.6 and I-80, way out toward Rock Island.

------------------------------

From: rmsmith@csc.com (Robert Smith)
Subject: Help With Number Plan
Date: 14 Jan 1995 14:42:03 -0500
Organization: Computer Sciences Corporation


I am documenting a dialed number plan.  I am looking for advice on how
to present the data to a reader.  I know I can show two switches, the
trunks between them, all the data under the trunks, etc.

Is there another way to show this data that is easy to follow?

I figure I will have to do a table and a graphic to catch the entire
audience.  Recommendations or experiences appreciated.


Thanks,

bob

------------------------------

From: balcroan@netcom.com (Butch lcroan/.nameBalcroan Lilli)
Subject: Re: What is a T1 Line?
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 
guest)
Date: Tue, 17 Jan 1995 08:28:19 GMT


ARGHHH !! I am really getting tired of this BIT-Robbing conversation
that Jeffery Rhodes started. I used to work with Jeffery and he
certainly is a smart guy, but he is no expert in this area. I would
just like to point out that for DATA it is 56k because the 8th bit is
robbed every 6th frame to give line staus information so rather than
deal with this on async data circuit they just ignore the eight bit
completly rather than have to track the status of the transport 
systems
framing for voice. Believe me, all modems use voice; that is to
say they use the voice bandwidth to transmit a carrier (or multiple
carrier at the same time in the higher speed techniques) that passes
thru the network as if it were voice. Therefore the encoding scheme, 
not
the minor bit robbing is what limits the bandwith for noise or
quantizing distortiion. 

That is to say that since the analog waveform is quantized to a level
that is represented by number (the eight bits) the problem with
Jeffery's statements is that yes indeed a bit is being lost every 
sixth
frame but this bit is the least significant bit. That is to say its
weight is that of a " ONE " so an actual 254 might be encoded as a 253
 ... but there is more to consider here. The " MU LAW " is not a 
linear
scale it is more of a log function with more steps closer to the lower
levels where the ear is more senstive. I really can't believe 2 DB;
come on Jeff, 3 db is half power *and also the least amount the ear 
can 
detect*. I really doubt that the modems are affected by this as
much as Jeffery has stated. I would more believe than something more
common such as " ECHO " and several other more common impairments are
really alot more important than a occasional bit robbing.  There are
also several new technologies such as fiber that have introduced
timing impairments such as " Jitter " into the equation. I think that
the newer modems are more senstive the the phase angle modulation that
a SONET based " Fiber Optic " system might introduce.  

I advise everyone to look into the volumes of information that pours
out of the ANSI T1.101 group on this very subject matter.  I was on
the leading edge of this matter and as such expect alot of flames from
people like Jeffery who I worked with in the past. I can only say
please feel free to flame but remember it wouldn't hurt to checkout
T1.101. We all can learn how much of a poorly planned product SONET
was and how we end users were sold a illusion with SONET and FIBER!

------------------------------

From: writchie@gate.net
Subject: Re: Bellcore Standards Question
Date: 18 Jan 1995 05:35:04 GMT
Reply-To: writchie@gate.net


In <telecom15.39.11@eecs.nwu.edu>, wtm@uhura.neoucom.edu (Bill Mayhew)
writes:

> No more than seven zeros in a row are permitted, or an automatic on
> insertion occurs to prevent the demodulator from losing lock on the
> incoming bit stream.  This can result of one LSB resoultion on a
> maximal signal.  Since low levels contain a lot of ones, there is no
> loss of resolution on small signals due to forced ones.

Actually, the All Zero Code word is prohibited in D4. This is done by
replacing Bit 7 (Number 1 - 8 sign - lsb) with a 1 when an all zero
code word would otherwise be transmitted. This is not the lsb but the
second least significant bit.

> Also, if you are using older D4 non ESF (extended superframe) 
equipment.  
> A bit will be robbed every 6th frame for signalling.  The robbed 
bits
> alternate between the A bit and B bit.

Even with ESF, a bit will be robbed every 6th frame for channels that
use Robbed Bit Signalling, i.e. other than clear channels or DDS
channels. ESF extends the AB signalling to ABCD. ESF by itself does
not eliminate the robbed bit signalling. What ESF does is to enable
clear channel e.g. 23B+D ISDN PRI by removing the coding restriction
on the all zero octet.

Just picking nits to keep the record straight.


Wally Ritchie    Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

------------------------------

From: itelecom@bilbo.pic.net (David M. Russell)
Subject: Wanted: We Buy and Sell Used Telephone Systems and Parts
Date: 17 Jan 1995 19:20:24 GMT
Organization: Integrity Telecommunications


We buy and sell used telephone systems and parts.  Please fax, smail
or email your used and surplus inventories.


David M. Russell   Integrity Telecommunications  "The Name Says IT 
All"
2970 Blystone Lane, Ste. 102  Dallas, TX 75220-1515
Voice 214-357-7484   Fax 214-357-7485



------------------------------

From: victorp@omega.lncc.br (Victor Prochnik)
Subject: Economics of the Telecommunications Industry
Date: Tue, 17 Jan 1995 18:55:43 -0300


I am working on the economics of telecommunication industry.  My next
research will be on the demand of Brazilian large enterprises for
global telecom services.

I would be pleased to discuss this and other subjects.  Can you share
your insight with me?


VICTOR PROCHNIK    INDUSTRIAL ECONOMICS INSTITUTE
FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF RIO DE JANEIRO, BRASIL
E-MAIL: VICTORP@OMEGA.LNCC.BR

------------------------------

From: writchie@gate.net
Subject: Re: Is the Pentium Bug Really That Bugging?
Date: 18 Jan 1995 06:05:15 GMT
Reply-To: writchie@gate.net


In <telecom15.35.13@eecs.nwu.edu>, Anthony D'Auria <dauriaa@voyager.
bxscience.edu> writes:

> Hi! My name is Anthony D'Auria and I own a P90 super loaded desktop. 
I
> use it practically every day for the net and business. I haven't
> experienced any trouble with the floating point calculations (not 
that
> I use them). I think that IBM is making a big deal of a little 
thing.

It's not a little thing that spreadsheets produce wrong results. IBM's
concerns reflect the major concerns of its corporate clients many of
whom depend on their machines for mission critical applications.
Neither is it a small thing for CAD programs, Signal Processing, or
any other programs that depend on heavy floating point calculations.
Customers with lots of machines that use floating point are going to
see real problems.  For these customers the Pentium is Russian
roulette with only a few chambers in the gun. If you don't use
speadsheets, or CAD, or other floating point programs, no big deal. If
you're a single user user with a single machine and you do use
speadsheets and/or CAD programs, you too are playing russian roulette.
The probabilites are small, but they are a threat if you care what
your results are.

> People with Pentiums start panicking, thinking that their system is
> all messed up.  For an average user, it doesn't seem to fearsome, 
but
> if you have some heavy duty stuff to do, it can really do some 
damage.

> Question: Does this floating point calculation bug affect system
> performance? Is that why some Pentiums bottleneck? What and where
> should a person contact to get the messed up chip replaced? Is it
> actually worth it?

> If you have any ideas, respond: dauriaa@voyager.bxscience.edu.

I personally think that the outrage felt by users is due to three 
factors.

First, Intel kept information of the flaw to itself for a relatively
long time.

Second, Intel downplayed the potential seriousness of the problem.

Third, Intel has spent tens of millions of dollars on the Intel Inside
ad compaign with the effect of brainwashing (like all advertising)
masses of users to buy Pentium. Some of these users might have better
off putting their money in faster video cards. Clearly, a flawed
Pentium is much worse the alternatives. Intel must now make these
people whole again.


Wally Ritchie     Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

------------------------------

Date: 18 Jan 95 02:01:38 EST
From: Darryl Kipps <72623.456@compuserve.com>
Subject: FCC PCS Auction Info


Good day to all,

I've just come from ftp fcc.gov to see how the PCS auctions
are going and have some questions.

1. I see there are both Broad and Narrow bands.  What's the 
difference?

2. Narrowband has both Nationwide and Regional while Broadband seems 
to
   be entirely regional (or by market) -- Why the distinction and how
   are the regions (markets) defined?

If anyone could shed some light here would be appreciated, or just
point me in the right direction if the answers are available
elsewhere.


Thanks,

Darryl Kipps

------------------------------

From: TELECOM Digest Editor <telecom@eecs.nwu.edu>
Subject: Administrivia: Sendmail Lets Me Down ...
Date: Wed, 18 Jan 1995 00:15:00 CST


On Tuesday some of you got two or three copies of issues 32 through 
34.
Others of you received only one copy. Hopefully everyone got at least
one copy of each and a copy of issue 35. If you did not get one of
these, let me know so it can be replaced.

What happened was those three issues (32, 33, 34) had been handed over
to sendmail for processing to the mailing list. All of a sudden for
reasons unknown to me, this machine (delta.eecs.nwu.edu) belched and
shut down for about five minutes. During that time I was locked up 
here
unable to get any response. When I got back online, I noticed that 
those three issues had stopped moving, but I guessed they would 
restart
when sendmail got around to it again. In the meantime, issue 35 was
finished and sent to the mailq. Issue 35 seems to be going okay, but
mailer-daemons began flooding in ... those three issues had started up
again, but sendmail was quite confused. 

   Can't find programs!      (my own little group of hacks done to
                             sendmail for use with very large mailing
                             lists like this one so I can have as many
                             invocations of sendmail going at one time
                             as desired with no ill-effects or slow-
                             downs for other users. I frequently have
                             six or seven invocations of sendmail 
going
                             at one time against my mailing list. 

   Can't locate mailing list!  I don't leave it out under its most 
obvious
                             names where hackers who like to sneak in 
the
                             back door with commands like VRFY and 
EXPD
                             can snoop into it. Aside from the fact 
that
                             I think the admin here disabled VRFY and 
EXPD
                             why take chances?  Part of my 'send-
telecom'
                             does 'mv bogus.name real.name' in the 
process
                             of getting it out for use in mailing. 
Trouble
                             is I had it out when delta went down and 
when
                             it restarted obviously the mailing 
list(s)
                             were not where sendmail expected to find 
them.
                             So then it wrote all over the one that 
was 
                             out and ruined it. I had to use the 
backup
                             copy it created the day before, and 
reinstall
                             all the adds and deletes from the several
                             hours prior.

   Unknown Host!             Oh Lord, were the name servers hosed 
Tuesday.
                             Were they?  WERE THEY?  About 80 percent 
of
       or                    the mailing came back due to unknown 
host.
                             A few sites hung a long time before 
sendmail
                             decided they had not accepted its 
delivery.
                             Of course, that does not really mean the 
mail
   Timed out during          did not get delivered, just that sendmail 
is
   user open with ..         saying it didn't. So, a third time around 
and
                             that time, the mail seemed to stick. 

Maybe you got those issues once, maybe you got them three times, or 
maybe
not at all ...  <grin, albiet somewhat bitter one, with teeth bared> 
...
But I just about lost control when 400 -- yes, *four hundred* mailer
daemons arrived all in the space of about fifteen minutes. 

You tell me what needs to be replaced/retransmitted between issues 31 
and
42, Tuesday morning through Wednesday morning. And for those of you 
who
wrote to tell me you got three copies of it and to stop already, all I
can say is something lewd, crude and rude. But I won't say it, I'll 
just
think it.  Have a nice Wednesday!    


PAT]

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V15 #42
*****************************

                                                       
