TELECOM Digest Mon, 28 Feb 94 21:06:00 CST Volume 14 : Issue 108

TELECOM Digest Mon, 28 Feb 94 21:06:00 CST Volume 14 : Issue 108

Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson

Re: Caller ID in Russia (For Curious) (Dima Volodin)
Re: 1-900 as a State Moneymaker (Conrad Kimball)
Re: PCS Documents? (M. Hedlund)
Re: Answering Machine Accepting Collect Calls (Danny Burstein)
Re: Information Needed on Satellite Phone (Lars Poulsen)
Re: Looking For Low Cost Phone System (David A. Kaye)
Re: Calling 800 Numbers in USA From UK (Bram Smits)
Re: Cordless Telephone Output Power (Joseph R. Schumacher)
Re: Intern's Pay in Telecom (Russ McGuire)
Interference With Tape (was Re: Digital Cellular Phone Review) (B. Walker)
Re: Lowest Number in the NANP? (Hugh Pritchard)
Need Help Locating Writer (Dr. Harold Joseph Highland)
Full Service Network (Joydeep Bose)
Help Needed With Motorola Advisor Pager (Alec Isaacson)
Any Information on Interop Conference? (Arnold Shore)
Phones in the Movies Again (J. Harrison)
Re: Inter-LATA CID (Stephen Polinsky)
Question About Sprintnet Connections (Patrizio Menchetti Dott)
Elementary Area Code Question (William Kucharski)
Mailing List For Discussing Video Telephony (Oliver Jones)
Re: 1-900 as a State Moneymaker (Phil Howard)

TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not
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From: Dmitry V. Volodin <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Caller ID in Russia (For Curious)
Organization: Demos Plus
Date: Mon, 28 Feb 1994 02:24:41 GMT

In <[email protected]> [email protected] (John R Levine) writes:

> It is my understanding that when dialing a toll call in Russia, you
> have to dial your own phone number after the desired number so that
> the exchange can tell who to bill it to. Is this what you're referring
> to as Caller-ID?

No. You don't have to dial your own phone number unless your exchange
is _really_ old.

> The term has a somewhat different meaning in the U.S.

The term has exactly the same meaning here and in the U.S.

A couple of words about ISKRA:

In fact there's _two_ Iskras. Vassili described the older one
(Iskra-1), but made a mistake -- it is _not_ digital. The newer one
(Iskra-2) has five-digit numbers and it's own system of three-digit
area codes and is based on digital exchanges. Iskra-2 is used
extensively for dial-up access to various computer networks. Iskra-2
is not reachable from the PSTN (and vice versa), but it can be
reachable from outside of the country. Iskra-2 used it's own
long-distance trunks, but the current trend is that Iskra-2 and PSTN
share the same long-distance trunks, so it's advantage is diminishing
rapidly.

Dima

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

From: [email protected] (Conrad Kimball)
Subject: Re: 1-900 as a State Moneymaker
Date: 28 Feb 94 23:03:13 GMT
Organization: Boeing Computer Services, Seattle, WA

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] (Dale
Worley) writes:

>> Heard on the news today that Missouri state government has
>> started a 1-900 number for businesses to find the provider of the
>> lowest-cost workers' compensation insurance. They are charging $1
>> /min, with $.45-.55 to go to the state general revenue fund.

> Sounds like a great deal, since finding a good workmens' compensation
> company can save you thousands a year.

>> Just a new method to rob people for information they should be
>> providing free as a public service.

> Eh? Providing the names, addresses, and rates of insurance companies has
> never been a job of the state government, to my knowledge. That's what
> you have insurance agents for!

Given that the state government has already collected this information
(at a minimum, as a result of registering with the state insurance
commissioner's office), that this information is of a public nature,
and that the people have already paid the government once to collect
this information, many people object to the government viewing such
information as a revenue-generating asset. I.e., why should I have to
pay for something that I, as a taxpayer, _already_ own?

Conrad Kimball | Client Server Tech Services, Boeing Computer Services
[email protected] | P.O. Box 24346, MS 7M-HC
(206) 865-6410 | Seattle, WA 98124-0346

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

From: [email protected] (M. Hedlund)
Subject: Re: PCS Documents?
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Mon, 28 Feb 1994 18:30:56 GMT

In article <[email protected]> [email protected] writes:

> Are there any 'white papers' out there which gives an overview on PCS
> (Personal Communications Services)? I have seen alot of articles on
> the service over the last few months, but I would like to have one
> definitive document which gives an overview and possibly a listing of
> some of the companies which are driving this.

I highly recommend Bellcore Special Report SR-INS-002301, "Feature
Descrip- tion and Functional Analysis of PCS Capabilities," Issue 1,
April 1992. Available from Bellcore at 1(800) 521-CORE (2673),
$55.00. If you have a higher budget than that, they have some more
recent documents, but remember, they will primarily be concerned with
the connect between the PCS service provider and the RBOC network
(Bellcore is jointly owned by the seven RBOCs).

]\/[. ]-[edlund <[email protected]>

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

From: [email protected] (danny burstein)
Subject: Re: Answering Machine Accepting Collect Calls
Date: 28 Feb 1994 17:38:38 -0500

In <[email protected]> Monty Solomon <[email protected]>
writes:

> In article <[email protected]> [email protected] (deborah
> castillo) writes:

>> The real answer to your question is you should record your greeting to
>> include the phrase, "operator, we will accept collect calls at this
>> number". Obviously, you don't want to have that phrase on your machine

> The phrase should include the word "yes" since some of the automated
> collect call handlers ask the answering party to say "yes" to accept
> the call.

Hhmm, I can just see the following:

Telesleaze Incorporated here. We have a $43 collect call from Mr.
Dewey Scrooem. Will you accept?

Perhaps in the old days of reasoanbly consistent AT&T rates it was
safe to have your answering machine automatically accept calls, but I
wouldn't do it now.

[email protected] (or [email protected]) (10288) 0-700-864-3242

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

From: [email protected] (Lars Poulsen)
Subject: Re: Information Needed on Satellite Phone
Organization: CMC Network Products, Copenhagen DENMARK
Date: Mon, 28 Feb 94 16:47:36 GMT

In article <[email protected]> [email protected].
ca (Min Hu) writes:

> During the Gulf War, both the reporters and the American soldiers used
> a kind of satellite phone system so that they could communicate with
> outside world. Does anybody out there know companies who make or sell
> this kind of mobile phone system?

What you saw during the Gulf War was partly video uplinks on the
rather enpensive systems used for broadcast feeds, and partly the
Inmarsat telephone service, which provides phone service for many
ships on the high seas. Presently, you should begin to hear about
services from Motorola's Iridium system.

In the Inmarsat system, the world is covered by three geostationary
satellites, positioned roughly over the center of the Atlantic ocean,
the center of the Pacific Ocean, and over India. Calls are about USD
10/minute. Earth stations typically use a three-foot dish antenna
pointed towards the satellite.

In the Iridium system, the earth is covered by about 70 satellites in
low earth orbit. They will use channel management techniques derived
from cellular mobile systems, except that in this case, it is the base
stations that move. I believe they will use omnidirectional antennas.

> The following features will be desirable.
> 1. Ability to communicate while the phone is in motion (say a jeep)
> 2. The diameter of the antanne should be less than 1 meter
> 3. The satellite carrier should be either American satellite or sea
> monitoring satellite.
> 4. The antanne should be all-direction antanne, do not have to worry about
> the direction of the satellite.

It will be interesting to see how Iridium service will be priced. I
think they must be several years away from being operationsal, though.

Lars Poulsen Internet E-mail: [email protected]
CMC Network Products Phone: (011-) +45-31 49 81 08
Hvidovre Strandvej 72 B Telefax: +45-31 49 83 08
DK-2650 Hvidovre, DENMARK Internets: designed and built while you wait

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

From: [email protected] (David A. Kaye)
Subject: Re: Looking For Low Cost Phone System
Date: 27 Feb 1994 01:12:13 -0800
Organization: CRL Dialup Internet Access (415) 705-6060 [login: guest]

keith danekind ([email protected]) wrote:

> machine and a modem. We are currently not able to handle the phone
> traffic and the boss would like an automated solution rather than
> hiring a receptionist to answer the calls. We are interested in call

I know this goes counter to the very nature of telecom technology, but
I'd recommend hiring a receptionist. As companies get bigger and
bigger they tend to lose their friendliness. For instance, today when
I call the post office I call the number for the nearest small town,
not the big city post office. Why? The small town post office has a
live person answering the phone. The big city has poorly maintained
voicemail. I had occasion to call UPS today. First I got an internal
dialtone, then nothing. Second call got a modem squeal. Third call
got voicemail. There was no fourth call. I called FedEx instead.
Got a human immediately.

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

From: [email protected] (Bram Smits)
Subject: Re: Calling 800 Numbers in USA From UK
Date: Mon, 28 Feb 1994 22:36:00 GMT
Organization: Fangorn Systems

Being one of the people who's touched the subject in the past year:

> This comes up so often here, I am wondering: if I were to install a
> couple lines here which people could call from all over the world for
> the specific purpose of being reconnected to an 800 number, would anyone
> be interested in using it if they had to pay $10 per month and use a
> passcode to make the call (once they were connected through me)? PAT]

I don't need to call 800 numbers very often, so $10 per month wouldn't
be appealing to me. Maybe a system that would allow me to key in my
credit card number and be billed like 50 cents per use would be better
-- and it would still make you a nice bundle -- you have no costs except
the monthly charges for the lines (and it saves on accounting, too ...).

Bram 'mouser' Smits. Fangorn Systems Heerlen, The Netherlands

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

From: [email protected]
Date: 28 Feb 94 15:59:49
Subject: Re: Cordless Telephone Output Power

The (FCC) RF output limits for cordless phones are as follows:

46/49 MHz phones: 10,000 microvolts / meter, as measured three meters
from the phone.

900 MHz (narrow band) phones: 50,000 microvolts / meter, same as above.

900 MHz (spread-spectrum) phones : 1 W EIRP.

I believe that 10,000 microvolts/meter is roughly equivalant to an ERP
of about -15 dBm (about 30 microwatts). The 900 MHz limit is obviously
4 dB hotter (0.75 mW ERP).

In the 902-928 MHz spread-spectrum rules, the FCC sets requirements
for what constitutes spread-spectrum and what doesn't (i.e. a minimum
chip rate). Some 900 Mhz phones will satisfy this rule, others won't.
The others will obviously be held to the lower limit. On the other
hand, I'd be surprised to find a consumer-grade cordless telephone
with an ERP of exactly 1W; I'd guess that s-s cordless phones would
use the same RF finals as handheld cellular phones.

And while I'm on the topic:

With respect to the discussion on increasing cordless phone range,

1) It's illegal to modify the circuitry without re-testing for FCC approval

2) even if it was legal, why does everyone want to increase the output
power? There is probably more room for increasing the receiver sensitivity
which would have the same effect. For instance, a cheap FET between the
antenna and the receiver chip could add at least 10 dB of sensitivity,
if you know what your'e doing.

Joe

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

From: [email protected] (Russ McGuire)
Subject: Re: Intern's Pay in Telecom
Date: 28 Feb 1994 15:24:03 GMT
Organization: WilTel
Reply-To: [email protected] (Russ McGuire)

In article <[email protected]> Ramaiah V Narla <narlara1@
student.msu.edu> writes:

> Anyway, what I'd like to know is: is that how interns are taken up? So
> badly paid? In the telecom industry, particularly? And, could an
> institution such as NATA be as resource-starved? (The official said
> they only pick up two interns each summer and pay them each just $10/day,
> due to resource crunch).

Could they have possibly meant $10/hour? I thought it was illegal to
pay less than minimum wage, even to interns ;^) ...

We have used interns at times here at WilTel, but I'm not sure how
well we've paid them. I'm pretty sure it was more than $10/day ...

Russ McGuire WilTel, Inc.

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

From: [email protected] (Bill Walker)
Subject: Interference With Tape (was Re: Digital Cellular Phone Review)
Date: Mon, 28 Feb 1994 14:20:58 -0800
Organization: Qualcomm, Inc.

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected]
(Ronald Oakes) wrote:

> I can confirm that this will, and does, happen. I have a bag phone,
> placed next to the transfer case controller on the floor of my S-10
> Blazer, so that the antenna sits right next to my car radio. I can
> always tell when my phone registers and when I am about to receive a
> call by the distinctive POP that comes out when listinging to a tape.
> If I am listening to the radio, a registration is not as obvious, but
> the extra transmissions when acknowledging a page and getting ready to
> ring will cause noticeable interference with the radio.

Tape players make surprisingly good recievers. I once drove between
two friends who were communicating via CB radio, and I could hear
their conversation on my 8-track (remember 8-track?) tape player!

Bill Walker - [email protected] - QUALCOMM, Inc., San Diego, CA USA

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

Date: Mon, 28 Feb 94 11:20 EST
From: Hugh Pritchard <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Lowest Number in the NANP?

> [Trivia comment/question: What places have *three* different area
> codes
as part of their local calling area? ... PAT]

The Washington, DC, metro area. Affected regions:
DC (202)
suburban Maryland (301)
suburban Virginia (703)

Within your own region (don't say "state;" DC is not a state), dial
seven digits. Calling another region, but within local calling area,
dial NPA + 7D (not 1+). Calling outside local calling area, dial
1 + NPA + 7D.

Note that from my home in College Park, MD [301], (between DC and
Baltimore/ Washington Airport) a call to Reston, VA [703], (well
across the Potomac, almost to Dulles airport) is within the local
area; but a call to Fort Meade, MD, which is in the 410 NPA, but not
that far away, is a toll call.

Hugh Pritchard [email protected] (Internet)
800/906-1621 (beeper) Smoke 'N Mirrors, Inc.

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

Date: Mon, 28 Feb 94 09:48 EST
From: Dr. Harold Joseph Highland <[email protected]>
Subject: Need Help Locating Writer

Pat you had a note about SecretAgent from AT&T. It was from David
Arneke. His Internet address, which I have to use, is incorrect; mail
bounces. It is noted as [email protected] -- that first period
must be an error. Thanks for your help.

Harold

[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: A period is perfectly valid as a separ-
ator in an address, and I do believe the way you saw it is the way I
got it, but mistakes do occur. Unfortunatly I no longer have the
original from him; those are usually tossed out immediatly following
publication, otherwise I would be extremely overloaded with stuff. If
it was wrong, hopefully the author will see this and contact you. PAT]

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

From: [email protected] (Joydeep Bose)
Subject: Full Service Network
Organization: National Computer Board, Singapore
Date: Mon, 28 Feb 1994 08:30:08 GMT

I am looking for some information on Full Service Networks.
Specifically what is the architecture , how do they provide Cable Tv
together with Interactive VOD and other Multimedia Services. Are they
totally switched or partially star and partially BUS/RING.

Any specific information on Time Warner and PAC BEL Trials would be
appreciated.

Regards,

Joydeep

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

Date: Mon, 28 Feb 94 12:27:43 EST
From: Alec Isaacson <[email protected]>
Subject: Help Needed With Motorola Advisor Pager

I was just issued a Motorola "Advisor" display pager and I'm
interested in two things.

First, is there any software available on the net to send messages to
the thing? If so, where is it? (I've heard the term IXO/TAP protocol
used before, I think that's what this pager speaks)

Second, what sort of interesting things are there to know about this
model (i.e. self test modes, and other things unaccesable to the regular
customer).

Thanks,

Alec D. Isaacson AI4CPHYW @ miamiu.acs.muohio.edu
Miami University, Oxford, OH

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

From: [email protected] (Arnold Shore)
Subject: Information Wanted on Interop Conference
Date: 28 Feb 1994 22:24:24 GMT
Organization: Express Access Online Communications, Greenbelt, MD USA

Will appreciate any information on a series of conferences or
expositions named Interop xx, where xx is the year.

Theme, of course, was interoperability/telecom products, services,
issues.

Thanks, folks.

[email protected] <Arnold Shore (410) 849-8721>

[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Calling Ole Jacobson! Ole is our
Interop person here; he publishes the {Interoperability Report} and
comments here from time to time. I hope he will see this message and
respond. PAT]

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

Date: Mon, 28 Feb 1994 18:06:02 +0000
From: [email protected]
Subject: Phones in the Movies Again

I know we've discussed this before but ... where do they get phone
numbers for actors to use where necessary in a movie?

I thought there is supposed to be a list of "safe" numbers somewhere
for just this purpose. So anyway when I was watching the old movie
"10" on VCR last night Dudley Moore tells the hotel operator to get
him some number.

I wrote it down and called it to see what would happen ... and now
some poor guy in LA wonders who it was that didn't leave a message on
his answering machine. I guess it was a real number alright.

Can they do this? I know I would be pretty unhappy if *my* number was
used in this way. And yes I wrote it down right (I ran the tape a
couple more times to make sure).

Joe
ICL Ltd. Bracknell Berkshire RG12 8SN UK (+44-344-473424)
[email protected]
S=Harrison/I=J/OU1=bra0112/O=icl/P=icl/A=gold 400/C=GB

[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: There is no 'list of safe numbers'. Generally
they'll use a number like 555-2341 since it is unlikely such a number will
be assigned anytime soon. Maybe they assumed no one would be silly enough to
actually dial the number to 'see who is there'. Tell me, if the number had
answered, were you going to say "This is Dudley Moore calling," or were you
just going to ring off and not say anything at all, or were you going to
apologize for your intrusion? Whether or not someone has any claim as a
result of their phone number appearing in a movie would depend I guess on
which came first: their aquisition of the number or the production of the
film. If the film was made years and years ago, a person who got assigned
the number in recent weeks/months could hardly blame the film maker. PAT]

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

Date: Mon, 28 Feb 1994 10:18:22 EDT
From: [email protected]
Subject: Re: InterLATA CID

[email protected] wrote:

> I have a question regarding the use of Caller ID on Inter-LATA calls.
> Currently the technology exists to deliver the calling number to the
> terminating LEC office:

> Originating-->--ISUP-->--InterLATA-->--ISUP-->--Terminating
> CID LEC Carrier CID LEC

I may be wrong about this, but I think it is because the FCC hasn't
approved interstate Caller-ID, leaving the states to approve it on a
one-by-one basis for local service.

So, legally, PUCs for each state could probably approve inter-LATA,
intrastate CID. But there is no financial motivation for the LECs to
file the tariff, fight the court battles and work throught the
hardware differences with the IXCs. They already charge for CID, and
probably would not be permitted to charge any more for inter-LATA,
intrastate CID.

The technical problems, though present, pale in comparison.

Stephen Polinsky [email protected]

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

Subject: Help Needed Using Sprintnet
Date: Mon, 28 Feb 94 16:25:29 CET
From: Patrizio Menchetti Dott <[email protected]>

I am trying to reach an online service available via SPRINTNET and at
the same time avoid being ripped off with international or intercontin-
ental calls.

My subscription to the service includes subsription to SPRINTNET.
Unfortunately, I have been provided with a phone number list which
does not include Italy.

I tried the SPRINT toll-free number, but apparently nobody was able
to answer the following questions:

- Are SPRINTNET accesses available in Italy?
- Is SPRINTNET access available through INTERNET?

Some help in this respect will be gladly welcomed. Thank you in
advance.

Patrizio Menchetti

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

From: [email protected] (William Kucharski)
Subject: Elementary Area Code Question
Date: 28 Feb 1994 17:59:49 -0700
Organization: Solbourne Computer, Inc., Longmont, CO

OK, this is probably an obvious question, but here goes:

We recently went through a change requiring people within the 303 area
code to dial 1 + 303 to call long distance numbers within the 303 area
code (rather than just 1 + number). While I understand why they did
this (need to reuse area code numbers as exchanges), why don't phone
switches just use the following obvious (at least to me) algorithm:

1-XXX-YYYY 1+7 digits, must be long distance within the area code,
so XXX is the exchange;

1-XXX-YYY-ZZZZ 1+10 digits, so XXX must be the area code.

It seems a one or two second pause would be quite sufficient to denote
"end of number ..."

William Kucharski [email protected]
William Kucharski, Solbourne Computer, Inc.
Internet: [email protected] Ham: N0OKQ
Snail Mail: 1900 Pike Road, Longmont, CO 80501

[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Elaborating on that idea then, why bother
to use '1' at all? Why not just say if seven digits, then the first
three must be an exchange within the area and if ten digits, then the
first three must be an area code? There would have to be longer than a
two second timeout; some people are slow about dialing. But a five to
seven second timeout would be sufficient and the timeout could always
be overridden by the use of the # symbol as a terminator or carriage return.
As things go now, we need to have timeouts to differentiate between 0 for
the local operator and 00 for the long distance operator; people in the
know about these things always dial 0# for fastest responses. I've always
thought '1' was redundant with timeouts and/or a # terminator a superior
way to deal with it. Plus, consider the flexibility: anything could be
an area code; anything could be an exchange. In effect, telco says to the
subscriber, you tell *us* where you are calling. PAT]

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

From: [email protected] (Oliver Jones)
Subject: Mailing List For Discussing Video Telephony
Organization: Vivo Software, Inc.
Date: Tue, 1 Mar 1994 02:29:47 GMT

At the suggestion of several people on the comp.dcom.isdn newsgroup, I
have started up a public mailing list for the discussion of video
telephony, CCITT H.xxx standards, and related topics.

To contribute to the discussion, please send email to:
[email protected]

To subscribe, unsubscribe, or conduct other administrative business,
please send email to
[email protected]

The content of this mailing list won't be moderated in any way.

Regards,

Oliver Jones

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

From: [email protected] (Phil Howard)
Subject: Re: 1-900 as a State Moneymaker
Date: 28 Feb 1994 20:38:27 -0600
Organization: fasttax.com

[email protected] (Les Reeves) writes:

> Several years ago I installed a channel bank for the US Office of
> Personnel Management's job line 900 service. It was a menu-driven
> voice information system to provide up to date info on job availability
> within parts of the federal government. The cost was the lowest I have
> ever seen on any 900 service; 40 cents per minute. They told me they
> selected a per-minute rate that would just cover the cost of the access
> from MCI.

So where does one call to get this kind of government information when
they have 900/976 blocking? This really needs to be separated from
the ripoff numbers.

Phil Howard KA9WGN Unix/Internet System Admin
CLR/Fast-Tax [email protected]

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

End of TELECOM Digest V14 #108
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