TELECOM Digest     Tue, 17 May 94 15:12:00 CDT    Volume 14 : Issue 232

Inside This Issue:                           Editor: Patrick A. Townson

    Information Wanted on Callback Services (Andreas Werner)
    Callback Services FAQ v1.2 (Bruce Hahne)
    Re: SRI Ends Two Bobs' MGR (Will Martin)
    Re: Meeks Defense Fund (Greg Trotter)
    Re: Radio Frequency Interference on Redidential Phones (Gregory Ashley)

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From: werner@thunder.hrz.tu-chemnitz.de (Andreas Werner)
Subject: Information Wanted on Callback Services
Date: Tue, 17 May 1994 17:22:30 MET


Because of the urgent need to complete a project I am searching for a
more or less complete list of providers of callback-services. The list
should includes prices, countries and the adresses and communication
link of the provider.  All help most appreciated.


Best Regards,

Andreas W. Werner   Chemnitz / Germany
werner@thunder.hrz.tu-chemnitz.de
100042.2565@compuserve.com   fax: ++49-371-255835


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: This request came on the same day as the
FAQ which follows in this issue. They seem to go together nicely in this
issue of the Digest, with someone in Japan answering the question posed
by the reader in Germany. Indeed, this forum is international!   PAT]

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

From: bruce@jise.isl.melco.co.jp (Bruce Hahne)
Subject: Callback Services FAQ v1.2
Date: 17 May 1994 03:13:16 -0500
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway


Changes since version 1.1:
- Added archive-name header to try to meet news.answers posting guidelines.
- Updated MTC entries, CSI entry, and Progressive Communications entry.
- Added entries for Global Access Callback, INTEX, Global Communication,
  Globalcom 2000, Kallback Direct, and STAR*Telecom.
- Created "other information" section and added some Japan-specific
  information to it.
- Added pointer to Discount Long Distance Digest.
- Attempted to get all phone numbers into a consistent format.

        LIST OF COMPANIES PROVIDING INTERNATIONAL CALL-BACK SERVICE
                                version 1.2
                                May 15, 1994


Introduction:

This list started as an attempt to gather information about companies
which provide call-back services to Japan.  Such companies allow you to
call from Japan to the U.S. at U.S. rates instead of at the (much less
competitive) rates offered by Japan's 3 international phone companies.

I have since found that most call-back companies provide call-back
services to many different countries, so I will not limit the
distribution of this post to newsgroups such as soc.culture.japan and
fj.life.in-japan.  However, the pricing information I give has a bias
towards examples connecting to or from Japan. 

This document is in the public domain.  Please pass it around freely and
help people to save some money!  Please send additional information on
old or new callback companies to Bruce Hahne at any of the addresses
listed at the end of this post.

Companies are listed in alphabetical order.

This information is NOT guaranteed accurate, and may be based in part on
advertisements or fliers which are out of date, as well as on 3rd-party
reports.  For full details and up-to-date pricing information, contact
the companies directly.

NAME: Business Communications Management, Inc.
CONTACT INFO:   Business Communications Management, Inc.
                1320 El Capitan Drive, Suite 300
                Danville, CA  94526
                Phone: 1-510-277-3030
                Fax: 1-510-277-3555
                Internet: vthiry@netcom.com

HOW IT WORKS: Call your access number (in the U.S.?), then hang up. 
  Their computer calls you back at a preselected number.
BILLING: $50 one-time enrollment fee.  $25 monthly minimum.  Billed to
  your credit card.
SAMPLE RATES:   Japan to U.S. or U.S. to Japan: $0.45/min.
                Japan to U.K. or U.K. to Japan: $0.74/min.
                Japan to Canada or Canada to Japan: $0.68/min.
                Japan to Germany or Germany to Japan: $0.91/min.
                (30-second minimum per call, billed in 6-second increments)
COMMENTS:  Rates are the same at all times of the day and week. 
  Monthly statement is mailed to you.  No PIN.  You can register as many
  call-back numbers as you want.  
NOTES:  
- This company is a reseller of the MTC PASSPORT service, also available
  from MTC listed below.  They do not resell the MTC OneCard mentioned in
  the MTC entry.
- Vthiry@netcom.com appears willing to fax out rate sheets so that you
  have pricing information in writing.


NAME: Global Access Callback
CONTACT INFO:   Telegroup, Inc.
                505 North Third St.
                Fairfield, IA 52556
                Phone: 1-800-338-0225 or 1-515-472-5000
                Fax: 1-515-472-4747
HOW IT WORKS: Call a personal access number in the U.S., then hang up. 
  Their computer calls you back at a preselected number.
BILLING:  No start-up fee, no monthly minimum.  30-second minimum per call,
  billed in 6-second increments.
SAMPLE RATES: Japan to U.S.: $0.79/min.
              U.K. to U.S.: $0.39/min.
              Canada to U.S.: $0.23/min
              Germany to U.S.: $0.63/min.
NOTES:  This service is also offered by H.V. Griner Telecommunication
  Associates; see below.


NAME : Global Communication
CONTACT INFO: 1163 Wunderlich Drive
              San Jose, CA 95129
              Phone: 1-408-252-3105
              Fax: 1-408-257-7529
HOW IT WORKS:
        - Call an assigned number in the U.S., then hang up.
        - When the system calls you back, say "Hello".
        - Wait for a beep tone and enter a 7-digit account number, a PIN,
          and the number you want to call.
BILLING:  They set up a positive account balance by placing a $200
  charge to your credit card.  Once the account is set up, you can elect
  either to have your balance automatically "refilled" and charged to
  your card, or you can make the requests "manually" by contacting the
  company.  There is no entry fee or monthly minimum.
SAMPLE RATES:   Japan to U.S.: $0.70/minute.
                Taiwan to U.S.: $0.89/minute
                France to U.S.: $0.70/minute
COMMENTS:  Usable from "almost anywhere in the world".
NOTES:  I don't know how many digits are in the PIN.


NAME : Globalcom 2000
CONTACT INFO:  Phone: 1-408-761-1988
               Email: scottb@cats.ucsc.edu
HOW IT WORKS: Dial your assigned number (probably in the U.S.) and wait
  for a busy signal.  Hang up, and their computer calls you back, giving
  you a U.S. dial tone.
BILLING: Information unavailable.  Probably billed to credit card.
SAMPLE RATES:  Australia to U.S.: $0.88/min.
               Germany to U.S.: $0.57/min.
               Hong Kong to U.S.: $0.66/min.
               India to U.S.: $1.27/min.
               Japan to U.S.: $0.63/min.
               Sweden to U.S.: $0.54/min.
               Taiwan to U.S.: $0.80/min.
               U.K. to U.S.: $0.44/min.
COMMENTS:  Voice mail and fax store-and-forward services also available.
  24-hour operator assistance as needed.


NAME:  H.V. Griner Telecommunication Associates
CONTACT INFO:   Phone: 1-612-441-0658
                Fax:  1-612-241-9560
                Internet: HVGriner@icicle.winternet.mpls.mn.us
                Compuserve: 73174,2250
HOW IT WORKS:   Dial an unlisted number assigned to you in the U.S. 
  Their computer doesn't answer, but calls you back after you hang up,
  giving you a U.S. dial tone.
BILLING:  No startup fee, no monthly fee.  Billed in 6-second
  increments, 30 second minimum.
SAMPLE RATES: Japan to U.S.: $0.78/min.
NOTES: 
- This company is a reseller of the Global Access Callback
  service, listed above.
- They are looking for agents outside of the U.S.


NAME: INTEX
CONTACT INFO:   1-800-877-1456 or 1-516-767-3040
NOTES:  No other information available.


NAME: Kallback Direct
CONTACT INFO:  Kallback Direct
               417 Second Ave. W.
               Seattle, WA  98119
               Phone: 1-206-286-5280 or 1-800-959-5255
               Fax:  1-206-282-6666 or 1-800-949-5255
               Email: cyberspace@kallback.com
NOTES: No other information available.

NAME:  Logical / Kokusai Telecom
CONTACT INFO:   2-1-1 Minamidai
                Nakano-ku
                Tokyo 164, Japan
                Phone: +81-3-5385-4701
Other information presently unavailable.  Supposedly their rates are 25%
below those of KDD, at all times.  This company is the Japanese agent
for a U.S. company.

NAME:  MTC OneCard
CONTACT INFO:   MTC Passport Telemanagement
                Call Clearance Center
                55 S. Market St., Suite 1435
                San Jose, CA  95113
                Phone: 1-800-967-5382  or 1-408-298-2985
                Fax: 1-408-298-6905
HOW IT WORKS: Dial local access number, your PIN, the phone number
  you're calling FROM, then hang up.  Their computer calls you back and
  gives you a U.S. dial tone.
BILLING:  $5 for initial account setup.  Billed through your credit card.
SAMPLE RATES:  Japan to U.S.: 70 cents/minute?
COMMENTS:  Works from anywhere in the world with a local access number:
  about 45 countries.  Other services (speed dialing, conference calls,
  etc.) also available or will be available soon.
NOTES: 
- MTC also sells a callback service called "PASSPORT", listed below. 
- I have had serious problems trying to figure out which phone number(s)
  or addresses to use to contact MTC to request service. So far I have 3
  postal addresses, 5 phone numbers, 3 fax numbers, and at least one
  person has reported being told that MTC doesn't offer the "OneCard".
  This is clearly not true, since I have one.  See the entry below for
  more MTC addresses and phone numbers.
- MTC is allegedly receiving 100 new customers a day, so you may need to
  be patient about signing up and receiving information.


NAME:  MTC Passport
CONTACT INFO:   MTC Telemanagement Corporation
                1304 Southpoint Boulevard
                Petaluma, CA  94954
                Phone: 1-800-999-2682  or 1-800-733-2682
                Fax: 1-707-769-5940
                        or
                Passport International Telemanagement
                925 Lakeville St. #318
                Petaluma, CA  94952
                        or
                Nigel Grace, MTC Passport International Consultant
                Phone: 1-515-469-6000
                Fax: 1-515-469-6044

HOW IT WORKS: 2nd-hand information suggests it works as follows:  dial
  local access number, your PIN, then hang up.  Their computer calls you
  back at a predetermined number and gives you a U.S. dial tone.
BILLING:  $50 one-time enrollment fee?  $25 monthly minimum.
SAMPLE RATES:  From Japan to U.S.: 46.3 cents/minute, no per-call charge?
NOTES: 
- See notes above on MTC OneCard.
- The Passport service is also resold by Business Communications
  Management, listed earlier.
- I have a second-hand report that the $50 enrollment fee has been dropped.


NAME: Progressive Communications
CONTACT INFO:   P.O. Box 5890
                Athens, OH  45701-5890
                Fax: 1-614-592-4970
                Internet: dprince@oucsace.cs.ohiou.edu
NOTES:
- Other information presently unavailable.


NAME: Star*Telecom
CONTACT INFO:  STAR*TELECOM
               9541 SW 148 Ave. Cir. North
               P.O. Box 163055
               Miami, FL  33196
               Phone: 1-305-386-5343
               Phone, in France: +33-1-39-28-00-19
               Fax: 1-305-386-6352
               Contact person: Ron Valme
BILLING: No enrollment fee, no monthly minimum.
SAMPLE RATES:  Netherlands to U.S.: $0.40/min.
               Austria to U.S.: $0.34/min.
               U.K. to U.S.: $0.29/min.
NOTES: Phone card available for travellers.  Other information unavailable.
COMMENTS: I have a second-hand report that this company is a reseller of
  the MTC Passport service.  If so then their prices should be similar
  to those I have listed for MTC.


NAME: Telepassport
CONTACT INFO:   P.O. Box 1003
                Chicago, IL  60690
                Fax: 1-708-329-0572
HOW IT WORKS: There are two main methods:
  1: Dial a U.S. number given to you by Telepassport, then hang up.  Their
  computer calls you back at your home number.  PIN optional.
  2: Dial a local toll-free number for Japan, enter account number and
  PIN, then enter a number which requests a callback to wherever you are.
BILLING: $25/month minimum.  Billed via credit card or via electronic
  funds transfer (bank to bank).
SAMPLE RATES:
  From Japan to U.S., standard/discount/economy rates:  .98/.85/.79 ($/minute)
COMMENTS: PIN is 4 digits.  You receive monthly statements.  Service
  available all over the world.  Message forwarding, voice mail, and
  other services available.  For extensive information, email the following
  message to tel-archives@lcs.mit.edu :
        reply YOURNAME@YOURSITE.YOUR.DOMAIN
        info telepassport
        end


OTHER INFORMATION:

Van Hefner (vantek@aol.com) is the moderator of Discount Long Distance
Digest, a free weekly electronic publication which focuses primarily on
the long distance reselling industry but also covers other
telecommunications businesses.  It is targetted at telecommunications
resellers, NOT at casual consumers who want to lower their long distance
bills.  However, Mr. Hefner writes that "everyone is welcomed".
To subscribe, send email to telconet@aol.com and put "Subscribe Digest"
in your Subject: line.

Since this FAQ started out as a way of helping people in Japan to save
money on international calls, I'd like to put in a word encouraging all
of the above companies to do more advertising in English-language
publications in Japan.  Japan's three international phone companies
regularly take out enormous advertisements in my daily newspaper, but I
never see any ads from callback companies.  Since almost everyone listed
above is undercutting the best Japanese rates by a significant
percentage, particularly for calls to the U.S., it seems to me that the
possible returns on a few ads would be quite high.  I make no
guarantees, however; this is just a suggestion.  The present per-minute
rates of KDD, the major international long-distance provider in Japan,
are (after exchange rate conversion, $1.00 = Y103) roughly $2.16/min,
$1.74/min, and $1.26/min. depending on the time of day.  KDD has
recently started a 10% discount program which costs a few dollars extra
per month, but I don't know the details.

For discussions about Internet and other networking issues in Japan,
join the EFJ list:  send the message "subscribe Your Name" to
<efj-request@twics.com>.  You will receive an acknowledgement giving more
information about the list.


Disclaimer:  I don't work for any of these companies.

Bruce Hahne
Current address:  bruce@jise.isl.melco.co.jp
Lifetime address: hahne@acm.org

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

Date: Tue, 17 May 94 9:37:51 CDT
From: Will Martin <wmartin@STL-06SIMA.ARMY.MIL>
Subject: Re: SRI Ends Two Bobs' MGR


Regarding the supersession of shortwave by satellite-radio broadcasting:

This topic has been kicked around on some of the radio-related mailing
lists and newsgroups for a while. There are oft-stated arguments on
the subject and some ideas I've had that I've not seen elsewhere:

First off, cost of equipment for reaching relatively poor target
audiences: shortwave reception is cheap and simple technology these
days, even though many new receivers incorporate high-tech user
interfaces and features.  A basic SW radio can be bought for about $US
20 or so; a low-end digital-readout model for $US 50.  Satellite
reception costs a vast amount more, currently, and even if new-tech
audio-only satellite receivers are mass-produced they still will cost
more than this. Digital broadcasting may have some effect on this, but
I'm going to reserve judgement until I see what shakes out of the
trees regarding that whole issue.

There's a sizeable investment in shortwave transmitters and more are
being built every day. The countries and organizations that use these
aren't going to just shut them down and sell them for scrap anytime
soon. Same with the receiver investment among the populace -- they'll
still be used as long as anything is on the airwaves to pick up.
Actually, the main thrust of discussion/negotiation among shortwave
broadcasters at fora like the ITU meetings is the overcrowding of
broadcast bands and the resulting destructive interference. There are
far more candidates for SW broadcast spectrum space than there are
slots to give them. So even if some broadcasters cut their SW output,
the quantity of signal on the air will still remain high. Now, some
people may complain about the *content* of the signals, as the recent
increase in US-based religious/political shortwave broadcasters has
caused many comments among the hobbyists. But these people have a
strong and overriding motivation to spread their messages, and they're
probably going to stay on the air even if many government-funded
national services disappear due to budget cuts.

Also, there's at least one aspect that no one ever seems to mention:
you can hide your SW reception. I can listen in my bed to shortwave,
using a radio that's the size of a paperback book. In good-signal
conditions, I don't even have to extend the whip antenna to receive a
major broadcaster with a nearby relay site (for example, Radio Netherlands 
with their Bonaire relay). No one has ever shown me how they can receive 
 from a satellite without an external antenna of some kind, even if
technological advances make it possible to do away with a large dish
and low-noise-amp mounted at the feedpoint. How can I duplicate the
simplicity of this SW reception I have now in a satellite situation?

Consider the number of countries that have come out with edicts
banning or severely restricting satellite dishes in private hands:
China, Iran, Saudi Arabia have all been mentioned in recent news as
doing this. Even if technology makes "stealth" satellite antenna
setups possible in the future, it still will be risky in some
countries or under some regimes to have any external receiving
devices. The high frequencies used by satellite services make direct
line-of-sight reception necessary -- no whip antenna inside your house
will suffice. So shortwave still is better for reaching a target
audience that suffers such repression.  (Yes, shortwave can be jammed,
but it isn't a totally-successful effort; witness the Eastern Europe
and USSR experiences.)

Maybe the proliferation of satellite services will cause the amount of
shortwave programming directed specifically at developed areas to
decrease, with the former senders switching over to satellites and
relying on local rebroadcasting of the satellite-fed signal. The VOA
has done this in several areas, contracting with local FM or AM
medium-wave stations to relay VOA programming. The BBC has explicitly
reduced its shortwave-to-North-America services and stated that the US
public-radio relays of BBC signals is the reason. Personally, I don't
like this, since I feel the BBC should have a mission to give a
24-hour shortwave service to English-speaking areas all over the
world, but that's where our opinions differ. I'm lucky enough that a
local public-radio station relays the BBC World Service from midnight
to 5 AM (6 AM on weekends), but many North Americans do not have this
luxury.  I still tune in the BBC on shortwave at other times, and put
up with weak signals when I wish to hear a program at a time when
there is no North-American-directed shortwave signal (such as
mid-day). But this reduction of strong signals directed to a target
area here actually makes the shortwave-listening/DXing hobby better --
if there are fewer strong signals, it is easier to pull in weak DX!
And that weak DX will be the vast quantity of shortwave-broadcast
signals directed at other areas, which will still fill the airwaves.

Lastly, we're discussing this at a sunspot-minimum point (actually
still on the way down) in the solar cycle. Every time this happens,
people who can't remember over a decade back predict the imminent
death of shortwave. (Similar to the "imminent death of the Net". :-)
It didn't happen the last time, nor the time before, nor before that,
and we had other technological developments at the time that people
thought would kill off shortwave (television, for example). I think
people will still be broadcasting on and listening to shortwave 50
years from now, and probably fussing about how it is going to
disappear "real soon now" ...


Will

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

From: greg@gallifrey.ucs.uoknor.edu (Greg Trotter)
Subject: Re: Meeks Defense Fund
Date: 17 May 1994 16:28:10 GMT


In article <telecom14.213.9@eecs.nwu.edu> TELECOM Digest Editor noted:

> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Nowhere in the above report is any
> mention given of whether or not libel did occur. Note that the article
> seems to skirt that (to me) very basic premise ... instead, the
> writers complain of how the accused has very little money, is doing
> all this for free out of sense of volunteerism, and how the plaintiff
> is a big company with lots of money -- as though those facts alone
> meant anything. Big corporations have rights also; even AT&T is
> entitled to the protection of the law, the same as you or I. (Note: I
> use AT&T as an example only, I do not know who is suing him.)

I sent email to the fund address, asking for a pointer to the
supposedly libelous article. They asked me not to repost it.

Basically, it's an article about a direct mail firm that seems to have
some shady practices and has run afoul of regulatory agencies in
several states.

I don't claim to be an expert in libel. However, I do know that most
people think that libel is "a published untruth." However, this is not
the case.

If I remember my journalism days correctly, libel is "damage or injury
to reputation." Because of this, you can still libel someone while
telling the truth.

A typical defense for libel is that the article was "true and absent
malice."

After reading the inflammatory tone of Brock's article, I have opted
not to assist the defense.


greg

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

From: gashley@nwpx30.nts.uswc.uswest.com (Gregory C. Ashley)
Subject: Re: Radio Frequency Interference on Residential Telephone Line
Date: 16 May 94 08:13 CST


In response to recent articles on radio interference I found an
internal company memorandum that may be helpful to some.  I don't know
how current the model numbers or phone numbers are.

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

AT&T makes modular telphone filters (Models #Z100A and Z101A) that are
designed to eliminate interference from AM broadcast stations.  The
filters can easily be plugged into any phone which has a standard
modular jack.  They are available at Phone Center Stores or can
ordered by calling the AT&T National Sales and Service Center at
1-800-222-3111.  NOTE: These filters are only effective for
interference from AM broadcast stations.  They are not designed to
filter out interference from CB or amateur radio transmitters.

Radio Shack makes a "snap-on choke" filter (Catalog #273-104) which is
designed to filter out transmissions from CB or amateur radios.  These
chokes are installed on the telphone cord by wrapping the cord around
and/or through the choke.  Chokes of many different types, also called
"ferrites", "beads", or "toroids", are available at most electronic
stores.

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

Greg C. Ashley (gashley@nwpx30.mnet.uswest.com)

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

End of TELECOM Digest V14 #232
******************************

