TELECOM Digest     Tue, 17 Jan 95 17:57:00 CST    Volume 15 : Issue 38

Inside This Issue:                          Editor: Patrick A. Townson

    Attention: 800 Number Subscribers (News Alert) (Judith 
Oppenheimer)
    Re: 800 Numbers From Overseas (Tor-Einar Jarnbjo)
    Re: Help ... Ancient Party Lines Must Die! (Raymond Mereniuk)
    Re: Help ... Ancient Party Lines Must Die! (Jim Cebula)
    Call Waiting and Comm Software (Mansoor Chishtie)
    Call Waiting and Caller-ID Question (Repeat) (Keith Knipschild)
    Re: Bellcore Standards Question (Wally Ritchie)
    Re: B8ZS, AMI, Bipolar Line Coding? (synchro@access3.digex.net)
    Re: Where is PicturePhone II Now? (synchro@access3.digex.net)
    Re: ATT Entering Rochester Market (Steve Samler)
    Re: Wireless CO's Challenge New NPAs? (John Nagle)
    Re: Some Questions About the LDDS Calling Card (Rob Boudrie)
    Re: "High-end" Phone Products (Paul Crick)
    Re: Inter-LATA Rates in California (Eric Paulak)
    Re: SNA Over Token Ring (James Dollar)
    Re: Urgent Help Needed With European Phone Systems (Christian 
Weisgerber)
    Re: Urgent Help Needed With European Phone Systems (Harri 
Kinnunen)

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

From: producer@pipeline.com (Judith Oppenheimer)
Subject: Attention: 800 Number Subscribers (News Alert)
Date: 17 Jan 1995 13:32:56 -0500
Organization: Interactive CallBrand(TM)


Negotiations are under way for a new International Freephone Service
which would compromise the value and integrity of existing 800 numbers
for U.S. 800 customers.

There is a User Statement which was presented in Geneva in November
'94 that calls for grandfathering of existing 800 assignments.  This
position protects and promotes the interests of all U.S. businesses
utilizing 800 service for brand reinforcement, direct marketing,
customer service, etc.

This user position fully supports the U.S. position as developed in
January, '93, and was signed by the Ad Hoc Telecommunications Users
Committee, Aeronautical Radio, Inc., American Airlines, American
Express Company, Continental Airlines, Electronic Data Systems Corp.,
Ford Motor Company, International Communications Association, Norwest
Technical Services, Inc., USAir, and Versus Strategy Group, Inc.

However, due to the immense revenues awaiting their clearance into
international freephone service ($1.10 per minute), the U.S. carriers
are not supporting the U.S. position. (No disrespect to European
participants of this newsgroup.)  They are siding with the European
position that calls for starting with a "clean slate" because they can
then enter this market more quickly.

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.

This per the final report from a source who has been present at the
meetings:

"U.S .Carriers appear to be rushing for approval of a service that is
unsatisfactory. Although the proposed service is unfair to the U.S.
Customer as it is currently written, it appears that if the service
can be approved before there is wide spread customer awareness of the
situation, the carriers can "blame" the Europeans for not supporting a
compromise that would protect users."

Some of you may already be aware of this, but having just found out
about it, I'm bringing it to the attention of everyone I know who is a
major 800 subscriber.


J. Oppenheimer, Producer@Pipeline.com    Interactive CallBrand(TM)

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

From: bjote@cs.tu-berlin.de (Tor-Einar Jarnbjo)
Subject: Re: 800 Numbers From Overseas
Date: 17 Jan 1995 17:38:31 GMT
Organization: Technical University of Berlin, Germany


Mr Robert Hall (robhall@HK.Super.NET) wrote:

> So, I wonder if the assumption that it's up to my local IDD provider
> to just turn on access to U.S. toll-free numbers is, in fact 
correct,
> or whether the U.S. 800 service provider has a say in the deal as
> well.  Are there all of the usual tariff negotiations between the
> carriers?

I have tried sometimes to call US 800-numbers from Norway, and either
they are completed or I get a message telling "Your call cannot be
completed as dialed. Please check the numbers and try again, or call
your local operator for assistance". When you try to call 800-numbers
from Germany you get a German message telling, that the area-code you
have dialed does not exist. Dialing Norwegian toll-free numbers from
Germany does not work (exept for the tip-phone of the Norwegian
Customs) because the phone-system in Norway have recently been
changed, so when I call 00 47 80 0x xx xx (which is a toll-free
number) the Norwegian exchange believes of some reason that I have
dialed the Norwegian number (080) 00x xx, and since the (080)
area-code earlier was for cellulars, it just tells me that the number
have been changed, and to call a local operator for the new one.


Tor-Einar Jarnbjo

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

Date: Tue, 17 Jan 1995 15:38:10 -0800
From: Raymond Mereniuk <Raymond@zed.ca>
Subject: Re: Help ... Ancient Party Lines Must Die!


> ..land in Francois Lake - near Burns Lake in Northern BC
> .."Gee, what about ISDN"

Canada has 26 - 27 million people living mainly within 200 miles of
the 49th latitude.  I live in the Lower Mainland area (Vancouver),
within 30 miles of the 49th latitude, which has a population of
approximately two million and within this area ISDN is very difficult
to obtain.  ISDN is available only out of selected COs and even if you
have a local loop out of one of these COs you will find ISDN very
difficult to obtain.  Switched 56 (Northern Telecom Datapath) should
be available out of most Lower Mainland COs providing your local loop
is less than 4.5 kilometers.  Burns Lake is at least 360 miles north
of Vancouver; considering the strengths and weaknesses of BC Tel you
may be lucky to have access to any sort of functioning land line.

The telcos in Canada are still regulated monopolies and BC Tel is
definitely not one of the best managed of the Canadian telcos.  Some
third-world countries have better infrastructure than BC Tel and it is
difficult to have employee relations that can be any worse than BC
Tel's.  The union problem is so bad at BC Tel that all sales people
and some management people are unionized, the good union brothers
can't have too many scabs near them.  Dealing with BC Tel is very
difficult, BC Tel may offer certain services but they don't keep your
BC Tel rep informed and finding someone who is in the know is almost
impossible. I worked for a company which sold data comm equipment and
it was not uncommon to send a service tech out to do an install who
then spent a day or more trying to convince BC Tel that their lines
had a problem or two.  Now you want `IS..D..what'.

I heard a rumor a few years ago which indicated BC Tel's main source
of CO switches was Chile, as the Chilian telco upgraded their switches
BC Tel took all their old switches through a deal with BC Tel's parent
GTE.  In an attempt to satisfy demand for digital and enhanced analog
services they have installed at least one Northern Telecom DMS 100
switch in all exchanges within the Lower Mainland area; not all have
the software to offer ISDN.  If you do not live within a major
population centre, Lower Mainland, Victoria, Kelowna, or Kamloops you
are right of luck if you require anything more than POTS.

The Telco in Saskatchewan has announced universal Internet access as
part of their normal offering.  BC Tel responded with a statement,
something like since the Lower Mainland area has the highest density
of Internet access providers in Canada there is no requirement for BC
Tel to provide universal Internet access anywhere in BC.  I believe BC
Systems Corp., a BC government Crown corporation, is attempting to
become the main source of Internet access in BC, but possibly 
primarily 
on a wholesale basis and maybe only to government facilities.

The best solution may be for you and your neighbors to contact the
local MLA (member of the legislative assembly - BC gov't) and have him
help you make your voice heard.  Unfortunately, due to Canadian
politics, if your MLA is part of the oppostion you are really out of
luck.  Maybe you could try the CRTC, the same people who attempted to
institute a $6 per month (over three years) increase in basic
telephone rates which the telcos did not even request.  Welcome to
Canada, the country where the government taxes you but never listens
to you.


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: They probably learned how to govern by
following the example seen to their south in the USA. Down here we get
taxed a-plenty also and no one wants to listen to anything you have to
say ... nothing.   PAT]

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

From: jimmyc@drycas.club.cc.cmu.edu (Jim Cebula)
Subject: Re: Help ... Ancient Party Lines Must Die!
Date: Tue, 17 Jan 95 01:45:27 GMT
Organization: Carnegie Mellon Computer Club


In Article <telecom15.30.1@eecs.nwu.edu> TELECOM Digest Editor noted 
in 
response to John Leong <leong+@andrew.cmu.edu>:

> maintain the subscribers who have it. I don't think telcos in the 
USA
> can take on new party line customers either; they just have to sit 
and
> wait patiently to get rid of the ones they have had all along.    
PAT]

I'm certainly not sure about the regulations regarding new party
lines, but Bell Atlantic (Greater Pittsburgh area) still states "A
two-party line is available for $xxxx" in the front section of the
phone book where they list the rates for the different residential
service plans.


Jim

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

From: mansoor@newshost.micro.ti.com (Mansoor Chishtie)
Subject: Call Waiting and Comm Software
Organization: Texas Instruments, Houston
Date: Mon, 16 Jan 1995 21:14:19 GMT


I am wondering why I have to disable my call waiting feature before I
can run my PC comm software. I know that there are some comm packages
available such as PC Anywhere that automatically detects call waiting
beeps and warns you that a call is coming in. You can do a quick save
and software will connect you to the incoming voice call. It probably
disconnects itself from the remote modem (loss of carrier) and reestab-
lishes the connection after the voice call is over.

I think that it is possible due to the fact that modems on both sides
are running the same software. Hence they can communicate with each
other and hang-up safely without any loss of data. But I'm not sure
how they detect call-waiting beeps from real data and during brief
moments when exchange switches from data to warning beeps, how do they
manage to recover.

Any thoughts from telecom experts welcome. I'm interested in learning
how to do that as well as any comm software that successfully does
that. If possible, please email any responses directly to me. I can
post a summary here if others are interested. 


Regards,


Mansoor A. Chishtie

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

From: keith.knipschild@asb.com
Organization: America's Suggestion Box - BBS (516) 471-8625
Date: Mon, 16 Jan 95 18:46:37 
Subject: Call Waiting and Caller-ID Question (Repeat)


I posted a message last week concering CALL-WAITING's CALLER ID, But
got no responces ... so here I go again:

I just my the lastest copy of the "HELLO DIRECT" Catalog and on page 
24
they adverise a Northern Telecom phone model# " PowerTouch 225 "

The ad states :   CALLER ID, CALL WAITING MODULE
       Comming in mid-1995, You'll see who's 
       on a CALL WAITING call, without inter-
       rupting the call you're already on ...

I never heard of any telcos offering this. The only way to achive this
was by having an ISDN line.

Also, they mention "ADSI" ????

The ad states: Looking ahead to the future
Comming in late-1995, is ADSI
It will help you do your banking,
pay bills, and such - by phone...


If anyone has info please POST or E-Mail me ...


Thanks,

Keith   Keith.Knipschild@asb.com


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: We briefly discussed Caller-ID on Call
Waiting here about a month ago or so. Maybe someone will point you to
that message for starters.   PAT]

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

From: writchie@gate.net
Subject: Re: Bellcore Standards Question
Date: 17 Jan 1995 04:25:57 GMT
Reply-To: writchie@gate.net


In <telecom15.26.11@eecs.nwu.edu>, charris@coypu.cig.mot.com (Craig
Harris) writes:

> I am looking for any Bellcore specification on an idle T-1 channel.
> That is, if the channel is idle, would the T1 equipment send 
01111111
> or 10000000?

The "classic" spec is PUB 43801. Equivalent information, however, is
contained in many other documents.

For PCM voice, idle channels are required to be encoded with a near
zero level which may not necessarily be a continuous code. Digital
generation of a zero level, however, result in all zero PCM level
which can be transmitted as all ones. There are actually two zero
level code words in PCM which are sometimes called positive and
negative zero. Some equipment will alternate positive and negative
zeros for a zero level. Accordingly the MSB may alternate between zero
and one.

The LSB will contain signalling every 6th frame. The state of the
signalling bits will depend on the particular channel units (or
equivalent) involved.  Unequipped channels MUST transmit a 1 in the A
bit position. This normally corresponds to a OFF-HOOK state for most
channel units.

The general rule is that a receiver should interpret X111111X as an
idle or zero level code.


Wally Ritchie    Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

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

From: synchro@access3.digex.net (Steve)
Subject: Re: B8ZS, AMI, Bipolar Line Coding?
Date: 17 Jan 1995 11:55:29 GMT
Organization: Express Access Online Communications, Greenbelt, MD USA


AMI (Alternate Mark Inversion) is a linecode that has a one's density
requirement so as to prevent the repeaters from freaking out.

B8ZS (Binary Eight Zero Substitution) is a linecode that substitutes a
special string when eight zeroes in a row are presented.  This method
was developed so as to eliminate the one's density requirement thus
allowing various "clear channel" applications to flourish (64k,
crypto, video, ...)

When you order a T1 from telco you specify the linecode flavor and set
your CSU/DSU accordingly.


Take it easy,



Steve

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

From: synchro@access3.digex.net (Steve)
Subject: Re: Where is PicturePhone II Now?
Date: 17 Jan 1995 11:57:41 GMT
Organization: Express Access Online Communications, Greenbelt, MD USA


My RBOC has a few floating around as conversation desk ornanments.


Take it easy,

Steve


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I wonder whatever happened to the 
various
private vendors of 'picturephone' like instruments a few years ago?  
One
company was offering a slow-scan version in sets of two. Presumably 
you
had one and members of your family elsewhere had the other one. Then 
too,
in a unique approach to the adult sexphone market, about three years 
ago
an Information Provider made an unusual offer: He had this bunch of 
nice
ladies working for him, and not only did they want to talk to you 
about
whatever, they wanted to *show* you what they were doing! His solution 
to
that was to offer slow-scan video/picturephone devices to his 
customers.
You could purchase one outright and get some period of time free on 
his
network to chat and view the folks of your choice, or you could lease 
the
device from him, having made some sort of security deposit with your 
credit
card. After a certain number of months on the lease, you bought it for 
a
dollar more if desired. His ad ran in a few adult magazines for 
several
months, then I did not see it any longer. He was based out of Florida
somewhere; Pensacola comes to mind. Anyone know who I mean?   PAT]

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

Date: Tue, 17 Jan 1995 10:14:24 EST
From: Steve Samler <steve@individual.com>
Subject: Re: ATT Entering Rochester Market


MFS Intelenet is planning to offer service by March 31.  Time Warner
has plans for mid year.

Both will be using their own switch MFS (AXE 10) TW 5ESS.  For more
info see page 6 of last week's {Telephony}.

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

From: nagle@netcom.com (John Nagle)
Subject: Re: Wireless CO's Challenge New NPAs?
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 
guest)
Date: Tue, 17 Jan 1995 17:48:47 GMT


Linc Madison (LincMad@netcom.com) wrote:

> In some of the recent discussions of the swarm of new area codes
> coming this year, I've seen notations that the wireless companies 
are
> challenging plans to move wireless services (cellular, beepers, 
etc.)
> into an overlay area code.  The challenges are being made to the 
state
> regulators and/or to the FCC.

> My question is, on what grounds are they challenging the overlays?  
It
> seems to me that the tariffs have always been pretty clear that the
> telco does not in any way guarantee that you will be able to keep a
> given number or area code.

     It's a monopoly competition issue.  The RBOCs shouldn't be 
allowed to 
keep the "good" numbers while insisting that competitors use the new 
"bad" 
numbers.  See the article in the 13 Jan 95 {Wall Street Journal}.


John Nagle

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

From: rboudrie@ecii.org (Rob Boudrie)
Subject: Re: Some Questions About the LDDS Calling Card
Date: 17 Jan 1995 13:30:25 -0500
Organization: Center for High Performance Computing of WPI


> b) My card has the logo of "American Travel Network" on the
> upper-right-hand side.  I also hear "Metromedia" associated with the
> LDDS name, but it doesn't appear on the card.  Who's ATN, are there

ATN = American Travel Network.  Some sort of reseller/marketer of
LDDS.  LDDS is sold through other hcannels at apparantly higher rates.

> different versions of the card, and if so are there different rates?

I think the ATN card is 17.5 (at leat that's what mine is, and it's
mode of delivery and card description matches mine).

The only "catch" is that they apear to round the calls individually,
then add.  (i.e., 10 one minute calls at $.175 round to $.18 each and
add to $1.80, not $1.75).

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

From: paulc@cix.compulink.co.uk (Paul Crick)
Subject: Re: "High-End" Phone Products
Organization: L C Bickler & Co
Date: Tue, 17 Jan 1995 13:37:46 GMT


> I'm 99.9995832% sure there are no three-line cordlesses, other than
> those dedicated to work with specific multi-line phone systems.

99.9995832? Obviously using a Pentium :-)

Sorry - I couldn't resist!


Paul Crick: paulc@cix.compulink.co.uk  --  +44-1534-287213 (24 hours)
            paulc@bickler.demon.co.uk  --  PO Box 783, Jersey JE4 0SH, 
UK

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

Date: Tue, 17 Jan 1995 11:36:51 -0500
From: ericp@ucg.com (Eric Paulak)
Subject: Re: Inter-LATA Rates in California


Linc Madison asked:

> Have the IXC's reduced their rates on calls between LATAs in
> California to be more in line with both the new intra-LATA and
> interstate rates?

The answers a resounding "yes." In fact, AT&T, MCI and Sprint have all
undercut Pac Bell's rates. For example:

For a 45-mile call from L.A. to Anaheim using basic 1+ business 
service,

        Pac Bell charges $.136 for the first minute and $.114/minute
thereafter. 
        AT&T charges $.11 for all mintues

With its Preferred service, MCI charges $.04075 for the first 30-
seconds 
and $.00815 for every six-second increment thereafter.

There are currently 98 long distance carriers who have signed up to
offer service in California's intraLATA market. Call the Consumer
Affairs Branch of the Public Utility Commission to get a complete
list, to inclue the 10-XXX codes. They can be reached in-state at
(800) 649-7570.


Eric Paulak
The Center for Communications Management Information
(301) 816-8950, ext. 327
11300 Rockville Pike, Suite 1100, Rockville, MD 20852

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

From: James Dollar <Dollar@Coca-Cola.Com>
Subject: Re: SNA Over Token Ring
Date: 17 Jan 1995 07:09:24 GMT
Organization: InfiNet


Paul Robinson <paul@tdr.com> wrote:

> Timothy S. Chaffee <tchaffee@crl.com>, writes:

>> I am looking into moving our print traffic from a SDLC/SNA 
>> connection to run over our Token Ring network. Can this be done? 
Any 
>> pointers in the right direction would be greatly appreciated! 

What my company moved to was using Novell's SAA gateway with HostPrint
software; allowing sdlc or sna attachment on one side and both
ethernet and token ring connections out the other. Novell captures the
print job and spools it to Novell's print queues using JetDirect
cards, old pc's, Intel Netports, and we even print to printers on
tcp/ip terminal servers via Novell's Flex/IP product.

Not a CNE; just solved a problem with their software.


j$

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

Date: Tue, 17 Jan 95 21:03 MET
From: naddy@mips.pfalz.de (Christian Weisgerber)
Subject: Re: Urgent Help Needed With European Phone Systems


In comp.dcom.telecom you write:

> What should I do to make a cordless phone work in Europe?

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DO THIS.

> I bought it in Canada.

North American cordless phones operate in frequency ranges reserved
for entirely different services in Europe. Using such a phone will
interfere with those services.  E.g. Berlin airport was not happy to
find people's chatter from foreign cordless phone in their 
tower/aircraft 
communications.

This is *not* like connecting an unapproved modem/telephone set/
answering machine/etc to the phone network. Using a North American
cordless phone will be operation of an illegal radio transmitter, i.e.
constitute a felony.

AFAIK, in Germany the usual sentence for *possession* of such illegal
transmitters is one year on probation. (Licensed amateur radio 
operators 
are allowed possession.)  Laws in other European countries are likely
to be very severe about this, too.


Christian 'naddy' Weisgerber, Germany                
naddy@mips.pfalz.de

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

From: k22413@kyyppari.hkkk.fi (Harri Kinnunen)
Subject: Re: Urgent Help Needed With European Phone Systems
Date: 17 Jan 95 14:29:13 GMT
Organization: Helsinki School of Economics


In <telecom15.22.5@eecs.nwu.edu> petar@trance.helix.net (Petar Nikic) 
writes:

> What should I do to make a cordless phone work in Europe? I bought 
it
> in Canada. There are two problems with the plugs: the phone plug and
> the plug for the recharger. Both of them are different than those
> which Europeans use.

This is not authorative answer, but: If your phone has RJ-plug (the
small (1x1x1cm) kind), local phone companies carry adapters for those.
I'm not sure about the wiring scheme, but give it a try.

> I am sure that somebody else has been faced with these problems. So, 
I
> would appreciate any help.


Harri


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: But, as our earlier correspondent 
notes,
this fellow's problems go a lot further than just swapping around a
few plugs to get it hooked into the phone system. Apparently the 
entire
frequency range is off-limits for this use. I am sorry all this 
information
did not get back to him before he left on his trip. Oh well, maybe 
they
will be lenient on him and simply settle for confiscating the phone.   
PAT]

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

End of TELECOM Digest V15 #38
*****************************

                                                                                                                          
