TELECOM Digest Mon, 20 Dec 93 10:08:00 CST Volume 13 : Issue 830
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
Collecting Switches and Cards (David Leibold)
Siemen Phones Wanted (Steve Bauer)
Rural Telco Service/Internet Access? (Bruce Klopfenstein)
Standards and Where to Get Them (Mike Storke)
Checking up on Dialing Changes in 717 (Carl Moore)
San Ramon, CA and Pac Bell Headquarters (Darren E. Peterson)
Voice Mail Hardware Wanted (Joseph I. Ceasar)
Re: Automated FAX Delivery (Bob Frankston)
Re: FCC: No! GTE!!! (Steven H. Lichter)
Re: Calling a PBX and Billing (Fred Goldstein)
Re: Caller ID in Software? (Paul Robinson)
Re: Is UK IDDD Changing 4/94? (David Leibold)
Re: Acoustic Coupler For PCMIA Modem Wanted (Mark Earle)
Re: NBTel Goes Digital (506) (Curtis R. Nelson)
Re: Automatic Call Distributor Information Wanted (Alex Cena)
Re: The Superhighway and Telcos (Mike Lanza)
Re: NPA 905 Not Universally Recognized (David A. Kaye)
Re: Why Was 334 Picked For Alabama? (Carl Moore)
Re: International Calls via Cable or Satellite (Joe Harrison)
Re: Being Paged by Mystery 800 Number (Dave Niebuhr)
Overheard ... (Mark S. Brader)
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. Subscriptions are available at
no charge to qualified organizations and individual readers. Write and
tell us how you qualify:
[email protected].
The Digest is compilation-copyrighted by Patrick Townson Associates and
redistribution/cross-posting of articles herein to news groups such as
those distributed via 'Usenet' is prohibited unless permission is ob-
tained in writing. This does not apply to *authorized* redistribution
lists and sites who have agreed to distribute the Digest. All cross-
postings or other redistributions must include the full Digest intact
and unedited.
Our archives are located at lcs.mit.edu and are available by using
anonymous ftp. The archives can also be accessed using our email
information service. For a copy of a helpful file explaining how to
use the information service, just ask. You can reach us by snail mail
at Post Office Box 1570, Chicago, IL 60690 or Fax at 1-708-329-Date.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
0572 aTRh0<: Sun, 19 Dec 93 21:13:30 -0500
From: David Leibold <
[email protected]>
Subject: Collecting Switches and Cards
From a letter to {The Toronto Star} 28 November 1993, one Bruce
Crawford collects SxS (Strowger) switches, meeting other such
collectors from Britain and America, but no one else from Canada.
Those who want to contact him can write c/o Box 1000, Cargill,
Ontario, Canada N0G 1J0.
Meanwhile, in the {Star} 18 December 1993, the coin collector column
was devoted to telephone cards (stored value, thus something like
currency) such as the Israeli Telecards or Sprint Instant FonCards
(and the new Bell Canada "Hello Phone Pass" cards). There are
periodicals such as "International Telephone Cards" from the UK
(address: Box 777, Colchester UK CP3 3LQ) with the associated "World
Telephone Cards" catalogue. There is also the new bi-monthly "Premier
Telecard" (Box 3451, San Luis Obispo, CA USA 93403), or one might join
the Telephone Card Collectors Group c/o Alex Rendon, Box 323,
Massapequa Park NY USA 11762.
David Leibold
------------------------------
From: STEVE BAUER <
[email protected]>
Subject: Siemen Phones Wanted
Date: Sun, 19 Dec 93 20:48:35 CST
Pat,
I am very interested in locating a source for Siemen telephone models
2111 and 2212.
I used these phones and had good luck with them.
If anyone knows how I can get some please let me know.
I heard they were still manufactured, but in Germany and not sold in
the U.S. anymore.
If I can't find these phones, I am looking for a good 2500 type
feature phone. Have been using the ITT 3480 and 3490 series, but have
not been real happy with them.
Some are saying Panasonic phones are good.
I usually order 50 to 100 at a time for use on my Plexar system.
Steve
------------------------------
From:
[email protected] (Bruce Klopfenstein)
Subject: Rural Telco Service/Internet Access?
Organization: Bowling Green State University B.G., Oh.
Date: Mon, 20 Dec 1993 03:38:45 GMT
I am looking into buying a house in rural NW Ohio (United Telephone).
This will leave me with a long distance call to either my university
or the University of Toledo, making access to this account and the
Internet a long distance call.
What are my options? Can a residential subscriber get WATS service at
a reasonable charge? Are their tollfree numbers for getting access to
the Internet? Where other than this newsgroup can I get some very
quick help?
Thanks in advance for taking the time to reply.
Bruce C. Klopfenstein |
[email protected]
Department of Telecommunications |
[email protected]
Bowling Green State University | (419) 372-2138; 372-2224
Bowling Green, OH 43403-0235 | fax (419) 372-8600
------------------------------
From:
[email protected] (Mike Storke)
Subject: Standards and Where to Get Them?
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Mon, 20 Dec 1993 04:52:06 GMT
CCITT v.* standards and the Bellcore DS* (aka T*) standards?
Mike P. Storke Paranormal Investigator and Researcher; Inet nut...
Inet:
[email protected] Amateur: No bbs locally :{
Snailmail: 2308 Paradise Dr. #134 Reno, NV 89512
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 20 Dec 93 03:50:03 EST
From: Carl Moore <
[email protected]>
Subject: Checking Up on Dialing Changes in 717
I went to a payphone on the Hensel (717-548) exchange at a little
crossroads called Peach Bottom, in southern Lancaster County, PA. The
new instructions aren't posted, but 233-xxxx (no leading 1) was
apparently recognized as a long distance call to Harrisburg.
I have no word available regarding local calls from 717 area to other
area codes. 717-548 has no such service; the closest place (or one of
the closest) in 717 that does is 529 at Kirkwood, elsewhere in
Lancaster County near the Chester County line. In late October, I did
try 452-xxxx from a pay phone on 717-456 at Delta in York County, and
it was still recognized as a local call to Cardiff, Maryland.
------------------------------
From:
[email protected] (darren)
Subject: San Ramon, CA and PacBell Headquarters
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Sun, 19 Dec 1993 20:32:00 GMT
>> San Ramon, CA has 102 phones per 100 people ...
Just a wierd thought -- but San Ramon is home of Pac Bell (at Bishop
Ranch) which means if you drive the 680 corridor to work every
morning, you reach a massive traffic jam. There are 100,000 people who
work at Bishop Ranch every day, which seems like nothing big right? I
mean San Fran probably has 1,000,000 and New York has 7,000,000
workers entering every day -- but aside from Bishop Ranch, San Ramon
is a small sleepy town of maybe 30,000 -- too many of them yuppies who
are making it very hard on us younger types who want to buy homes in
our own region.
Maybe some of those Pac Bell employees could speak to this ... Also,
AT&T has an office in Pleasanton -- don't know what is there.
Never liked the place anyway. And if you work for Pac Bell, just
kidding; my phone service is wonderful and soooooooo cheap. Merry
Christmas.
darren e. peterson Odessa
[email protected]
------------------------------
From:
[email protected] (Joseph I. Ceasar)
Subject: Voice Mail HW Wanted
Date: 20 Dec 1993 01:43:00 -0500
Organization: CLS Computer Solutions
I am looking for voice mail cards that can be fully programmed. I
have to build digital dictation machine for a customer. They have
one, but were charged $40,000 for a 386SX with some voice mail cards
in it. I told my customer that since they will be needing more of
them machines, I could duplicate 'em for about $10,000. The question
is where do I find voice mail cards?
I have one from Talking Technologies, but it supports only two
lines/card. I need something that can support four lines/card. I've
heard of a Canadian company called Bicom, but cannot locate them!
Can anyone help?
Yossi (Joseph I. Ceasar) @ CLS Computer Solutions ---> e-mail:
[email protected]
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Dialogic also makes voice mail cards
capable of handling four lines. They are (I think) in Parsippany, NJ. PAT]
------------------------------
From:
[email protected]
Subject: Re: Automated FAX Delivery
Date: Sun, 19 Dec 1993 15:04 -0400
The problem with using a PBX is that it would generally not be
integrated with a PC delivery system. In the United States, simpler
solution is to bypass the PBX and use DID (Direct Inward Dialing).
There are a number of boards that support DID including Brooktrout and
Gammalink. At least as of 1990.
I don't know what the European equivalent is, though one would assume
that ISDN with called number delivery would be an alternative except
that there might be a limit on the number of callable numbers
associated with a single link.
I guess assigning everyone an extension with a modem in their PC is
also possible. I suspect the economics are perverse in that the
fax/modem board is the smallest part of the expense. An additional
line card or a capable desk instrument is probably more of the
problem.
------------------------------
From:
[email protected] (Steven H. Lichter)
Subject: Re: FCC: No! GTE!!!
Date: 19 Dec 1993 17:27:46 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (USA)
There have been follow ups on this and it appears GTE plans to take
the same action as Bell Atlantic has done and bring suit against the
FCC.
The above statements maybe mine and have nothing to do with my employer.
Steven H. Lichter
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 19 Dec 1993 18:15:09 -0500
From:
[email protected]
Subject: Re: Calling a PBX and Billing
If a PBX has Direct Inward Dialing, then the call is not supervised
until it is answered. During that interval, the speech path is only
supposed to be open in one direction, PBX-to-caller. Supervision
makes it two-way. Thus ringtone, busy, and announcements are "free".
Semi-amazing Fact #1: On the old Rolm CBX, they figured out that the
"autopark" feature can be unsupervised, even if it took a while. So
you called a busy extension with the feature enabled (default), waited
ten seconds listening to busy, then got silence or music-on-hold. The
callee got a beep tone and could "connect" to the waiting call, or
hang up and get rung by the waiting party -- even minutes later
(though by default it timed out to the operator after a while). Only
then did the line supervise/charge. I don't know if anyone else
picked up on this feature.
Semi-amazing Fact #2: Some PBXs can be combined into clusters, with
some feature transparency between separate switches. In most cases
("satellite operation"), at least in the early '80s when I looked into
it, supervision occurred when the first PBX decided that the
destination was in the second PBX and seized a tie line. Thus for
some extensions, the caller could get charged for busy or ring-no-answer,
because the PBX with the DID trunks thought it connected (though only
to another PBX). I avoided setting up this sort of arrangement; when
I set up SatOps, I got each PBX its own trunks.
fred
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 19 Dec 1993 12:14:42 EST
From: Paul Robinson <
[email protected]>
Reply-To: Paul Robinson <
[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Caller ID in Software?
Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring, MD USA
John Allen <
[email protected]>, writes:
> Are there any tools that do Caller ID in software? I really do not
> want to buy a box when I have all these nice computers sitting here
> ready to do some work for me.
Software only goes so far. Caller ID is sent on a telephone line as a
stream of data between rings to a telephone line which is on-hook.
Therefore, you still need hardware that can monitor an on-hook line
and retrieve the data that is delivered. Software can't do this
unless there is hardware there to pick up the information, any more
than a color paint program can generate colors from a black and white
scanned image.
Paul Robinson -
[email protected]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 20 Dec 93 00:08:27 -0500
From: David Leibold <
[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Is UK IDDD changing 4/94?
Richard Cox writes:
> UK internal area codes will be changing at the same time. With a few
> specific exceptions, they are to be prefixed with a "1". i.e. London
> (currently +44 71) will become +44 171
The +44 956 I have listed as a PCN phone system, so I guess that's why
those numbers won't be changing ... I don't have specifics on what
exact service is represented by 956, though.
Meanwhile, I've seen some posts on uk.telecom which suggest that the
prefixing of geographic UK area codes with '1' was not a necessary
thing, and some claims that the number of area codes were actually
being reduced because of consolidation of exchanges and such. Can
anyone confirm or deny whether UK was really running out of area
codes, or is the idea to distinguish between "geographic" codes
(regular phone service in specific regions) and "non-geographic" codes
(such as cellular, 0800/0500 services, PCNs)?
David Leibold
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 20 Dec 93 03:38:31 CST
From:
[email protected] (Mark Earle)
Subject: Re: Acoustic Coupler For PCMIA Modem Wanted
Computer Products Plus, Inc
16351 Gothard Street
Huntington Beach, CA 92647
+1 800 274 4277
+1 714 847 1799
+1 714 848 6850 Fax
I have one of their Telecouplers; works very well, especially at 2400
- 9600 baud (w/wout error correction) and my Motorola 8000H portable
cellular phone. It has also seen service in offices with "digital"
phones; and in hotels who frown on customers taking apart their
instruments.
The one I have cost about $150. The company has a whole line of
products designed to make life for the "road warrior" easier.
Suggest you call for their catalog!
Do not 'reply'. Instead, send to
[email protected]
Note the 'w' it's mwearle Mail FROM me may
originate at a variety of addresses for a while.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 20 Dec 1993 2:09:30 CST
From:
[email protected]
Subject: Re: NBTel Goes Digital (506)
In V13 #794 <
[email protected]> (Derek J. Billingsley)
writes:
> The New Brunswick Telephone Company (New Brunswick being on the east
> coast of Canada -- mostly rural with a few major centers ... well
> major being >50k people) has recently announced that it is running all
> digital switches with the final analog switch being taken offline
> about a month ago. They are proclaiming to be the first telco in
> North America to do this.
Lincoln Telephone Company (200,000 lines in SE Nebraska, 19th largest
independent in the US) became 100% digital (switching and inter-office
trunking) in December of 1992. By the middle of 1994 we will have
replaced about a dozen of our older digital switches to allow full
Equal Access capability and prepare for enhanced features like CLASS
services. The city of Lincoln (about 100,000 lines) has SS7 in place
and CLASS features have been offered for about a year and a half.
Curtis R. Nelson, P.E. email:
[email protected]
Lincoln Telephone Company phone: (402) 476-4886
1440 'M' Street fax: (402) 476-5527
Lincoln, NE 68508
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 20 Dec 93 01:42:46 EST
From: Alex Cena <
[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Automatic Call Distributor Information Wanted
On Wed, 08 Dec 1993 15:47:43 EST Jason Demarte <
[email protected]>
wrote:
> I have recently been reading about the sytem called Automatic Call
> Distributor (ACD) and am wondering who are the major dealers for each
> version of ACD: integrated ACD and stand-alone ACD. If anyone has
> some any information on this please post me a response, thanks.
You should call Aspect Telecom for some information. Their stand
alone ACD is used by companies like Microsoft, Intuit, Sharper Image,
Wal Mart and Nintendo. Their number is 1-800-541-7799. Moreover,
many PBX vendors offer ACD capabilities as well.
Alex M. Cena Lehman Brothers
[email protected]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 20 Dec 93 16:18:47 PST
From: Mike Lanza <
[email protected]>
Subject: Re: The Superhighway and Telcos
What we really need is a new packet-switched network that is more
aggressive and forward-thinking than the ones we've got. Maybe the
Internet service providers are the ones to do it.
The existing big three (SprintNet, CompuServe, and BT Tymnet) are all
procrastinating and whining their way toward 9600 coverage. This
should be in place at roughly half of their POPs by the end of this
year, with 100% coverage to supposedly come shortly thereafter.
14,400 deployment is slated to begin next year. There isn't even a
plan to make this ubiquitous -- they're going to "wait and see what
the market wants." Have these guys seen statistics for modem sales
lately? v.32bis (14,400) is already outselling the other speeds.
In addition, the market is crying out for ubiquitous one-number
access, but the big three are really behind on this one as well.
Sprint does offer an 800 packet service (it can, since it has both 800
service and SprintNet), but it's grossly undermarketed and grossly
overpriced. BT Tymnet says they'll have something like this as a
result of the merger (or is it an acquisition?) with MCI, but this
seems to be moving pretty slowly.
How about a new 950 service (950 is better than 800 since it avoids
local access charges) that hooks into a state-of-the-art packet
network? Does anyone know of anything like this that's in the works?
If you do, I know of some potential customers!
Mike Lanza
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: You might try 950-1288 which is an
AT&T service connecting several places together. See the file in the
Telecom Archives on exploring 950-1288 for details and a help file. PAT]
------------------------------
From:
[email protected] (David A. Kaye)
Subject: Re: NPA 905 Not Universally Recognized
Date: 20 Dec 1993 00:14:32 -0800
Organization: CRL Dialup Internet Access (415) 705-6060 [login: guest]
David Esan (
[email protected]) wrote:
> companies do not. They rely on a tape or floppies from BellCore. And
> BellCore was late in getting this information into the system. The
> 905 NPA went live on 15 October, the pages were not filed until 22
> November.
But, what's wrong with Bell Canada for not allowing at least a six month
grace period as is done in the USA to allow for these kinds of problems?
I've seen a lot of area codes split in California and there always has
been a changeover time of six months to a full year. I don't mean
dialing from within one of the affected area codes, but from without
as well.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 20 Dec 93 9:04:59 EST
From: Carl Moore <
[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Why Was 334 Picked For Alabama?
I don't know why the first NNX area code won't be of the form AB0,
unless there was concern over people getting confused and trying to
"correct" it to A0B. Remember the biggest concern is the people
getting the first area codes of form NNX, and the other people who
can't reach them because of improperly-programmed equipment. I had to
re-word the comment in the history file about NN0 when I learned of
334. There was an "official" list of early NNX area codes in this
digest long ago.
But 520 in Arizona will be next door to Mexico, and some people were
wondering if Mexico would become reachable through area codes of form
52x where x is not zero (I removed the word "necessarily" from a new
version of the history file when I learned of 520). (502 is in
Kentucky.)
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 20 Dec 1993 08:16:33 GMT
From:
[email protected]
Subject: Re: International Calls via Cable or Satellite
Here's something from the UK Telecom FAQ, I'm afraid I haven't tried
it myself.
{start quoting}
Question 30:
How do I get a guarenteed non-satellite circuit to the USA ? [from the UK]
Answer:
To get a guaranteed non-satellite circuit to the USA, useful for
certain data transmission requirements which involve a lot of
handshaking, dial 0101 83 + area code + number.
The code 84 allows you to obtain a satellite link, if you really want
one for any reason.
And before someone asks -- no, it doesn't allow you to dial 800 or 900
numbers. I believe it did once.
{end quoting}
Joe
ICL Ltd. Reading Berkshire RG1 3PX United Kingdom (+44-734-586211)
*
[email protected] *
* S=Harrison/I=J/OU1=rea0803/O=icl/P=icl/A=gold 400/C=GB *
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 20 Dec 93 07:49:41 EST
From:
[email protected] (Dave Niebuhr)
Subject: Re: Being Paged by Mystery 800 Number
[email protected] (Console Cowboy) writes:
> I was paged five times in five minute intervals today by an 800
> number. Dialing the 800 number reveals a modem. It doesn't respond to
> any prompts and drops carrier after approximatly five seconds. The
> number is 8008841111. Who's doing this and why?
I just checked 800-884 and found that it was assigned to Sprint. You
might want to contact them and find out who the number was assigned to
by them. Unfortunately, I don't have the phone number for Sprint.
Dave Niebuhr Internet:
[email protected] (preferred)
[email protected] / Bitnet: niebuhr@bnl
Senior Technical Specialist, Scientific Computing Facility
Brookhaven National Laboratory Upton, NY 11973 (516)-282-3093
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 20 Dec 1993 04:24:39 -0500
From:
[email protected]
Subject: Overheard ...
Overheard ... a co-worker hanging up the phone and talking softly to
himself in a "this is a recording" tone of voice.
If you have a touch-tone phone, please hang up now.
If you do not have a touch-tone phone, please stay on the line
and a representative will explain how to buy one.
Mark Brader, SoftQuad Inc., Toronto, utzoo!sq!msb,
[email protected]
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V13 #830
******************************
******************************************************************************
Downloaded From P-80 International Information Systems 304-744-2253
