*************************
TELECOM DIGEST - Issue 15
*************************





From: "Marc T. Kaufman" <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Cellular Phone & E911
Date: 26 May 89 15:50:25 GMT
Reply-To: "Marc T. Kaufman" <[email protected]>
Organization: Stanford University


In article <[email protected]> "james.j.sowa" <jjjs@
cbnewsc.att.com> writes:

->First of all E911 means two things:
->1) an ability to route the calling number to the proper
->serving PSAP. This means if one house has Police A and Fire
->A and the next house has Police B and Fire A the 911 call
->would go to the primary answerer (maybe police) in this
->case both calls go to poilce A at the PSAP when it is
->determined it is a fire call all the PSAP attendant will do is
->press a button labeled fire and the call will route
->correctly to the proper Fire department .

The routing function is applied on a number-by-number basis, so that a single
exchange may have more than one primary answerer, if the exchange slops over
multiple jurisdictions (as many do).

In my area in California, we got Police and Fire from two different dispatch
centers, (because we use the county sheriff for police, and a neighboring city
for fire).  The sheriff put up quite a fight to get us to dispatch through the
county com center.  We finally prevailed, and now all calls go first to fire
dispatch.  This is because over 2/3 of all calls to fire are for medical aid,
and may be life threatening -- so we felt fire response time optimization was
more important.

Marc Kaufman ([email protected])


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

From: John Higdon <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Cellular Phone & 911 - two replies
Date: 27 May 89 01:50:13 GMT
Organization: ATI Wares Team


In article <[email protected]>, [email protected].
net writes:
> I have had several occasions to use 911 from my cell phone.  On all of them I
> might as well have not called.

On the other hand, one of the most satisfying calls I ever made in my
life was to 911.

I was driving I5 to Los Angeles, about 50 miles north of Grapevine.
Traffic was relatively light. As I approached a slow-moving vehicle in
the right lane, I prepared to move momentarily to the left to pass.
Suddenly, the other car sped up and when the driver realized that his
increase in speed would not in any way prevent my passing him, he
suddenly veered into the left lane, forcing me into the median strip.

When I got back onto the roadway, I approached him again (he was poking
along at around 40 MPH) and he sped up again. This time I backed off
and watched as another motorist tried to pass him and got the same
response that I had earlier. That did it. I picked up the phone and
dialed 911. It was the Bakersfield system that responded and I was
connected to the CHP, the initial call handling agency.

I described the car and its actions and location. Not five minutes
later, two CHP cruisers zipped onto the highway, and off in the
distance I could see the gentleman being forced to the side of the
road. You talk about instant gratification!

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] (Ron
Natalie) writes:
> The more interesting question is which 911 operator you get
> when you dial 911 from a cellular phone, since the cellular
> coverage areas almost always span more than one 911-service
> area.
>
> My guess is that it's just handled by the MTS operator.

In California, or at least in the San Francisco area, the calls from
both cellular providers are handled by the CHP. The operator asks for
your mobile number (they don't see it on a display), your location, and
type of emergency you are reporting. You are then connected to the
appropriate agency. The calls are free of all charges. *All* mobile
telephones are allowed to call 911, regardless of roaming or service
status. You can even call 911 with a test NAM in your radio.
--
       John Higdon         |   P. O. Box 7648   |   +1 408 723 1395
     [email protected]       | San Jose, CA 95150 |       M o o !

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

Date: 25 May 89 19:25:27 PDT (Thu)
From: "Dave L. Speed" <[email protected]>
Subject: Routing Incoming Calls on Home Phone

I'm experiencing a lot of demand on my "home" phone line; home phones, home
office phone, answering machine, modem(s), and a fax machine.  In addition,
I'm besieged with telephone solicitations. With today's use of
telecommunications, I don't think I'm alone in this situation.

One solution might be a home PBX, where a caller gets a second "dial-tone"
and selects the proper internal line with a touch-tone code (perhaps with a
10 second wait default to the answering machine line). This and roll-over on
busy from outside line A to outside line B would go a long way towards
congestion relief.

I've seen only two "home" type PBX systems advertised so far; one from Nutone
in the $1200 range and one from Toshiba in the $400 range.  I have requested
literature on both; that which was sent to me was inadequate to make any
rational decision. Would either of these offer a realistic solution? Are there
other systems available?  Are they compatible with modems (both 2400 baud
and/or Telebits?  Are they compatible with (common) fax systems? Are they
reliable?  What necessary questions am I not asking?


 Dave Speed (dspeed)   :      "Don't Crush That Dwarf,              :
 8908 Van Gogh Circle  :      Hand Me The Pliers" - Fireside        :
 Fair Oaks, CA  95628  :                                            :

  UUCP: (known universe) pacbell!sactoh0!dspeed   BELL: (916)966-4188
  >>> As a matter of fact, my opinions *are* those of my company <<<

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

From: David Lewis <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Area Codes and N10 style numbers
Date: 26 May 89 12:47:23 GMT
Organization: Bell Communications Research


In article <[email protected]>, nvuxg!mjs1@bellcore.
bellcore.com (Sonnier) writes:

] So, the bottom line is that all N11 and N00 codes are reserved, for the
] obvious reasons.  The N10 codes (except 610) are all included in the
] unassigned codes.  This can be ascertained by looking at the tables of
] assigned NPA codes, and see which 19 are not assigned.
] The 610 code is (apparently) used in Canada, so is reserved.
]
] [Moderator's Question: So does this mean codes 210-310-410-510-710-810-910
] *will be* used as area codes or *won't be* used?  If not, why not? I think
] the thing with 610 is that unlike here where Western Union operates the
] telex machines, in Canada many (or all?) are run by the telephone people.
] If those numbers, plus the two 'regular' left overs are still available,
] then indeed it will be several years before we run out, no?   PT]

Will be used.  They're included in the list of unassigned codes; to
clarify what Mike said, the list of unassigned codes is the list of
legally-assignable but as-yet-not-assigned codes.

The same source Mike was quoting (Notes on the BOC Intra-LATA Networks
(1986)) estimates that the 152 available NPA codes will be exhausted in
1995.  At that time, it'll be necessary to go to NXX format NPA codes;
that also occupies several pages of Notes explaining what that'll be all
about.

--
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
David G Lewis           "If this is paradise, I wish I had a lawnmower."
Bellcore                                                    201-758-4099
Navesink Research and Engineering Center         ...!bellcore!nvuxr!deej

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

Date: Fri May 26 03:39:58 1989
From: [email protected] (Chuck Forsberg WA7KGX)
Subject: Hum on local loop
Organization: Omen Technology Portland OR

Recently the local phone company (US West) replaced two junction/arrestor
boxes and three cable drops to my houseboat with a single multi-pair cable
and a 5 or 6 pair junction box.

This rewiring is the result of a month's complaining about static on one of
the lines.  The lineman swore he'd replace the junction box with a style that
allows for isolating the internal wiring UNTIL he discovered a loose connection
in a telco distribution box.

With the new junction box, connecting the box's ground to a "ground line"
running along the boardwalk induces an annoying hum on one and one of the three
lines - the other two are not affected.

The lineman that responded to the hum complaint is convinced my computers are
causing the problem.  Nevermind that the two lines that *do* have computers
(modems/fax) on them are NOT affected!  The voice line has three regular phones
and one feature phone on it.  Obviously a fault in my wiring or the feature
phone could cause a hum, but an MSEE and 25 years electronics experience
doesn't give me any idea how my wiring or equipment would cause a hum that
depends on the grounding of the phone company's arrestor block.

Faced with a choice between an aggravating hum and leaving the ground off, I
told the lineman to get rid of the hum. Obviously there is something wrong with
the arresting block or the juction box wiring, but there doesn't seem any way
to convince US West of that.  Meanwhile what little protection was afforded by
the ground wire (which appears to be connected to the power line neutral) is
gone. Between US West and me, one of us has been smoking bad dope.

Has anyone run into something similar?


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


Date:     Mon, 29 May 89 11:04:14 CDT
From:     TELECOM Moderator <[email protected]>
Subject:  New Enhancements From the BOC's

Three of the Bell Operating Companies have started new innovative services
in recent weeks. Here is a summary of each --

MICHIGAN BELL now allows customers in several suburban Detroit communities
to order Touch-Tone service and Custom Calling features on a trial basis
using an automated dial-up system that turns on the services within minutes.

The service is available 24 hours per day. The system provides ordered
services within 15 minutes, according to the telco, compared with the previous
waiting period of up to 48 hours.

The service is accessed by dialing an 800 number, and features recorded
information and prompts for users of tone-dial phones. The trial is scheduled
to continue until the end of the year. About 200,000 customers are in the
test area.

BELL OF PENNSYLVANIA now is offering something called 'I.Q. Services', which
is a combination of Custom Calling and CLASS services into a single personal
call-management system.

I.Q. enables subscribers in the Philadelphia area to redial busy/no answer
numbers automatically, block unwanted incoming calls, assign a special ring
to selected numbers, forward only on selected calls, and initiate a trace.
Custom calling services of course include call-waiting, three-way calling,
call forwarding and speed calling. CLASS call-management services include
return call, priority call, repeat call, call block, select forward, and
call trace.

The CLASS offerings *do not* include caller identification service at the
present time, as this feature is subject to Pennsylvania Public Utility
Commission review at the present time.

SOUTHWESTERN BELL has begun a telemetry trial that allows utilities to read
home utility meters over a single telephone line. The test is being conducted
at about fifty homes in Kansas City, MO.

Water and gas meters at each site are equipped with meter encoder/digitizers
that link to a telemetry interface unit at each home.

Readings collected at each site are sent over the telephone line to meter
reading access circuits at a Southwestern Bell central office, which relays
the readings to computers at the gas and water company offices. The system
delivers a reading in about ten seconds, and automatically disengages if
the subscriber is using the phone.

Southwestern Bell also announced they have signed a contract with MCI to
provide billing and collection services for MCI's long distance service,
beginning in the fourth quarter, 1989. Southwestern Bell subscribers in
that company's five-state region who opt to use MCI will begin seeing long
distance charges from that company on their October, 1989 phone bills.


Patrick Townson



Date: Mon, 29 May 89 18:49 EDT
From: "Scott D. Green" <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: New Enhancements From the BOC's

Yes, Bell of PA has started offering CLASS services, with no subscription
necessary.  All of the features are available right now for your (and the
kids') endless enjoyment.  Here's the list of codes, services, and rates:

*57     Call Trace                              $1.00/use
*60     Call Block                              $.50/day or $5/month
*61     Distinctive ring (up to 6 #'s)          $.50/day or $2.75/month
*63     Selective Call Forwarding (up to 6 #'s) $.50/day or $3.50/month
*66     Auto Redial                             $.25/use or $1.75/month
*69     Return Call                             $.25/use or $2.50/month


Bell of PA has apparently realized that, once the kids get ahold of these
codes, they are going to be pretty popular at recess.  In fact, on their
in-house newsline last week, they felt it necessary to warn their employees of
exactly that, suggesting that customers may be in for a shock when the bills
come in.  Bell asked their employees to tell their kids not to play with the
IQ services.

Is it really fair, though, for the BOC's to offer these value-added services
to a customer's line without his or her consent or even knowledge?  Is this
something akin to the flap over 976- services, which led to the BOC's offering
no-charge blocking of these numbers as well as placing the racier material on
exchanges that require advance sign-up in order to access them?  Where is the
PUC?  Is this arrangement a concession to Bell of PA, because of the
investigation of the CallerID service (proposed at $6.50/month)?

Just wondering.

-scott green

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

From: Mark Robert Smith <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: New Enhancements From the BOC's
Date: 30 May 89 02:16:08 GMT
Organization: M. R. Smith Consulting, New Brunswick, NJ


Our home in NJ (Tenafly) has had telemetry on our water meter for some
time.  The new meter has a box connected to it, with a line running to
our (nearby - just 6 feet above the meter) telephone service
terminator (whatever it's supposed to be called - the box on the
outside of the house except that ours is inside).  I have no idea how
it works, but the phone does not ring, nor are we charged for a call
(could be local).

Mark
--
Mark Smith (alias Smitty) "Be careful when looking into the distance,
61 Tenafly Road          that you do not miss what is right under your nose."
Tenafly, NJ 07670-2643         rutgers!topaz.rutgers.edu!msmith
[email protected]

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

Date: Mon, 29 May 89 17:59:39 PDT
From: "I'll be back..." <judice%[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Cellular and 911


I've tried 911 from my cellular phone on MetroOne in Central New Jersey
(specifically the I287 corridor from Piscataway to Bedminster) and gotten
nothing but "invalid" messages.

I have the State Police Edison and Somerville barracks numbers programmed
into my phone though. About a year ago, I called to report an accident.
The MetroOne Operator did not even have a *listing* for the State Police
Edison Barracks (their territory). So I asked for the Totawa Division HQ.
They *REFUSED* to report the accident to Edison, and did not have the
number handy for the Edison barracks so the operator could call!!

I wrote a letter to the State Police, answered by a Captain in their
communications division. The letter said, in the future, just use 911.
But it did not work, at least up to a few months ago!

Nevertheless, with the direct numbers programmed in, it's easy to be
a good samaritan now and then...

/lou

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

From: Ron Schnell <[email protected]>
Subject: More 911 cellular experience
Date: 30 May 89 06:06:40 GMT
Organization: MIT EE/CS Computer Facility, Cambridge, MA



Last week I was driving in Los Angeles and I came upon an overturned
van.  The accident had occured within the previous two minutes so I
figured I would call 911 to make sure that the proper people knew
about it.  The conversation went something like this:


Woman's voice: Mobile 911 emergency, what freeway are you calling from?
Me: I'm not calling from a freeway, I'm on Westwood Blvd in Westwood, there
   is an overturned van in the intersection.
Woman: Are there any injuries?
Me: Possibly, there are people trying to pry someone out of it.
Woman: Hold on, I will transfer you to L.A. Police.

(Several clicks later a phone started ringing and continued to ring about 10
times)
Finally...
Another woman's voice: <garble garble> please hold...
(I could then hear her talking in the background):
"How many people? ... What time?  And you say you had a reservation?"
Woman (to me): <garble garble> Restaurant may I help you?

By the time I finally redialed and got through to the right people, I
was informed that they already knew about it. And no, I didn't make a
reservation.

#Ron
--
                       #Ron
                       (ronnie@mit-eddie.{UUCP,ARPA})
                       Home: (914) 352 - 7694

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

From: Mike Morris <[email protected]>
Subject: NPA, etc...
Date: 29 May 89 23:31:53 GMT
Reply-To: Mike Morris <morris@jade.*a%Mssa.gov>
Organization: What - me organized?


Recently there has been a discussion of the n10 area code and the fact that
it is in use in Canada for TWX machines, but not used in the US.  Well,
I decided to try dialing it and see what happened.  I got the local ANI!
It seems that both 1223 and 1610 goes to the same set of ANI trunks.

as Spock would say, "Interesting..."

US Snail:  Mike Morris                    UUCP: [email protected]
          P.O. Box 1130                  Also: WA6ILQ
          Arcadia, Ca. 91006-1130
#Include disclaimer.standard     | The opinions above probably do not even

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

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


Date:     Tue, 30 May 89 23:06:43 CDT
From:     TELECOM Moderator <[email protected]>
Subject:  Area Code 710

According to Harry Newton, in the June, 1989 issue of [Teleconnect Magazine],
'area code' 710 is now assigned to Government Services.

Would anyone care to comment, elaborate or refute his claim? By Government
Services, does he mean an 'area code' under which all FTS and/or Autovon
lines are handled for billing purposes, etc?

Inquiring Moderator wants to know.



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


Date: Wed, 31 May 89 16:49:46 PDT
From: John Gilmore <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: New Enhancements From the BOC's

> *57   Call Trace                              $1.00/use
> *60   Call Block                              $.50/day or $5/month
> *61   Distinctive ring (up to 6 #'s)          $.50/day or $2.75/month
> *63   Selective Call Forwarding (up to 6 #'s) $.50/day or $3.50/month
> *66   Auto Redial                             $.25/use or $1.75/month
> *69   Return Call                             $.25/use or $2.50/month

Gee, I knew the price of DRAM was high, but 50c/day for a few bytes?

Of course, the service that provides the calling number to customer
equipment will cost even more than this.  People would figure out that
rather than paying $5 or $10/month, they could buy a smart answering
machine that would do all this for them, and start saving money within
a year.  So do-it-yourself will be even more expensive than
"rent my DRAM...please".

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


Date: Wed, 31 May 89 16:55:52 PDT
From: John Gilmore <[email protected]>
Subject: HR 1504 (Beeper Abuse Prevention Act)

The bogonz in congress assembled are at it again.  Three years in jail
for selling a pager to a minor?  If you didn't believe when Abbie Hoffman
said that the drug hysteria was just an excuse for more control of the
citizens, think again.

       "Pagers don't commit crimes, Congressmen do."

From: [email protected] (Richard Thomsen)
Newsgroups: talk.politics.guns
Subject: The future is now - future bans are being considered
Keywords: drugs, beepers, bans
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
Date: 30 May 89 19:16:49 GMT

There were some articles guessing what would be banned next, after guns
were banned and did not have an effect on the war on drugs.

I was given a copy of _USA_ _Today_, and saw a "face-off" on the issues.
According to this article, Representative Kweisi Mfume (D-Md) says the
following (reprinted without permission, spelling errors are probably mine):

       The drug business is using the  latest technology to promote
       its deadly trade.  One such advance, the paging device, or
       beeper, is now appearing in classrooms and schoolyards.  I
       have introduced the Beeper Abuse Prevention Act to curtail
       the use of beepers by young people who deal drugs.  It would
       require the Federal Communications Commission to prescribe
       regulations that would restrict the possession and use of
       paging devices by persons under age 21.

       Law officers say dealers and suppliers send coded messages
       via beeper to youths in school.  The codes translate into
       messages like "meet me at our regular place after class to
       pick up the drugs."  Drug traffickers are even using 800
       numbers now available with regional paging services.  A
       supplier could actually conduct a transaction in Baltimore
       from Miami, for example.

       My bill, H.R. 1504, would require any person selling or renting
       paging devices to verify the identification and age of every
       customer; encourage parents and businesses to take more
       responsibility in their children's or employees' activities;
       make it unlawful for a person to knowingly nad willfully rent,
       sell or use paging devices in violation of rules prescrived by
       the FCC (there are provisions for stiff fines and up to three-
       year prison terms for adults who illegally provide beepers to
       youths); and require parents or businesses who allow the use of
       beepers to state that intention with and affidavit at the time
       of purchase.

He goes on to say that he recognizes that there are legitimate uses of
beepers, but we can no longer stand by and watch drugs flow into our
neighborhoods.  The opposite side is taken by Lynn Scarlett, from Santa
Monica, CA.  She asks what beepers have to do with the drug trade, and
regulating their use will not put a dent it it.  She also says that there
is little evidence that gun control keeps guns out of the hands of
gangsters, and it will take a good dose of wizardry to keep beepers away
from bad guys.  She finishes with:

       The logic of the Beeper Abuse Prevention Act opens the door for
       laws to make us sign promises that we won't, we swear, use these
       things for illicit acts when we buy them.  De Tocqueville, that
       eminent observer of our nation, waned that our loss of freedom
       would sneak in through passage of quiet, seemingly innocuous
       and well-intended laws  --  laws like H.R. 1504.

So all of you who were guessing the next thing to be banned did not
guess the real truth.  I saw no guesses that it would be beepers.

Before you ask, I cut the article out of the newspaper, and did not cut
out the part that shows the date of the paper.  But it was last week,
which means from 22 to 26 May.  It was probably the Wednesday or Thursday
(21 or 22 May) issue, on the opinion page at the bottom.

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


Date:     Wed, 31 May 89 16:41:14 EDT
From:     Carl Moore (VLD/VMB) <[email protected]>
Subject:  Statewide Uniformity

Recent messages in telecom say that area code 404 in Georgia is apparently
preparing for N0X/N1X prefixes.  Does this affect area 912? (912, by the
way, is an "easier-to-dial" area code on a dial telephone.)

Other cases where a state has 2 area codes, one of which got N0X/N1X prefixes:

New Jersey, areas 201 and 609; 201 got N0X/N1X, and the new dialing require-
ments also applied to area 609 for statewide uniformity (and later, two N0X/
N1X prefixes were made local to Barnegat, in area 609).

Virginia, areas 703 and 804; 703 got N0X/N1X, apparently limited to the DC
area suburbs (all but the outermost ones also being reachable in area 202).
804 did NOT get the new dialing requirements (however, DC and Maryland did,
so that 703, 202, and 301 all now dial long-distance and 0+ calls the same
way).

(Did 817 get the same dialing requirements as 214 did when the latter got
N0X/N1X?)

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


Date: Thu, 1 Jun 89 11:10:37 PDT
From: HECTOR MYERSTON <[email protected]>
Subject: USADirect Clone

       Saw an ad in a [military] newspaper for a USADirect clone.
It sounds like an AOS-like overseas operator.

       THE AD [abridged but without comments]:

       To call the States from Overseas and to charge the call to a
       Credit Card or Phone Company Calling Card
       or to Call Collect
       or to call Person-to-Person
       or to an 800 number
       or to directory assistance..In English..In the USA ...and in
       Dollars
       Just dial any Toll Free number below:
       (list on number in most of Europe, Australia and parts of the
       Far East)

       THE SMALL PRINT:
       Charge calls = $4.80 plus $1.35 (UK) per minute or part
                                 $1.55 (Europe)     "
                                 $1.95 (Asia)       "
       $3 surcharge for person-to-person
       800 calls are NOT toll-free and cannot be charged to Telco cards
       In several European countries there is a local charge for the
       "Toll-free" access number

The company is not named other than "A service of Credit Card Calling
Systems Inc, Suite 2411 67 Wall St, NY, NY, 10005"

MY OPINION:  It is a true test of your confidence in mankind to be
travelling overseas and give someone in "suite" in New York City
your credit card number over the phone. %-)


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

From: William Mihalo <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Atlanta Company Offers Residential 800 service
Date: 1 Jun 89 21:35:44 GMT
Reply-To: William Mihalo <[email protected]>
Organization: Chinet - Public Access Unix


The number to call for Telecom USA is 1 800-476-9000

They have a $10 installation fee and a $2.75 monthly fee. The rates
that were quoted over the phone were $0.29/minute 8 AM to 5 PM and
$0.21/minute all other times.

BTW, when I called Telecom USA I could barely hear the person at the
other end. It was a very poor connection. I don't know if they are using
their own 800 numbers for business purposes. I just thought I'd mention
this.

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

From: John Higdon <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Atlanta Company Offers Residential 800 service
Date: 2 Jun 89 03:59:16 GMT
Organization: ATI Wares Team


In article <[email protected]>, CER2520%ritvax.bitnet@
eecs.nwu.edu (C. E. Reid) writes:
> [Information about Atlantic Bell offering residential 800 service]
>            Much like the toll-free services commonly used by businesses, the
> Personal Hotline accepts incoming calls only, at no charge to the caller.  To
> call a residential 800 line, callers dial 1-800 plus the regular seven digits
> of the number.

So I have had a statewide 800 number in my home for my personal use for
years. It's tied in with my Commstar II (residential centrex) so that I
can answer it from any line in my home. My question is this: What makes
residential 800 service different from business 800 service? My
"business" 800 service couldn't be much cheaper, and I had no trouble
at all associating it with my residential service.

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

Subject: Area code data for Autovon number
From: [email protected]
Date: 01 Jun 89 11:07:30 EDT

/* Written  2:20 am  May 27, 1989 by [email protected] in S41:comp.dco
m.telecom */
/* ---------- ""area code" data for Autovon number" ---------- */
>I'd like to mash a copy of the area code program to return locations
>for Autovon prefixes (and vice-versa).  Does anyone have an online
>copy of Autovon prefixes+locations I could grab for this purpose?

>--Frank
/* End of text from S41:comp.dcom.telecom */

I'd like to point out here to anyone who might be listening in on this is that
what Frank wants to do is Not Especially Legal, at least according to what I
know about DSN (Defense Switched Network).

DSN is FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY.  So are its phone books.  That means that the
information contained therein is for use only by DoD employees (civilian
and military) and contractors, and for business only.  That we give out DSN
phone numbers in clear text over the phone is not relevant here.  Please,
Frank, cease and desist.  For anyone to want that information is a bit
suspect, and sets of a flag with <insert favorite agency here>.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chuck Stern                    "Keep your feet on the ground, keep reaching for
Prime Computer, Inc.            the sky, pray for rain, keep the humor dry and
500 Old Connecticut Path        keep eating those Powdermilk Biscuits"
Framingham, MA 01701
[email protected]

/*  I do not claim to even KNOW who speaks for Prime, much less claiming that
    I do so myself. */

[Moderator's Note: As a point of clarification, the original message to
which Mr. Stern is replying was NOT in this Digest. The notations with the
message would indicate it appeared in (or was written to) one of the various
local telecom bulletin boards receiving the Digest for redistribution. PT]
------------------------------

From: "thomas.j.roberts" <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Area Code 710
Date: 1 Jun 89 19:14:55 GMT
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories


From article <[email protected]>, by [email protected].
edu (TELECOM Moderator):
> According to Harry Newton, in the June, 1989 issue of [Teleconnect Magazine],
> 'area code' 710 is now assigned to Government Services.
>
Area Code 710 is used for "Special" government services, NOT FTS, FTS-2000,
or AUTOVON. It is wierd.

Tom Roberts
att!ihnet!tjr

[Moderator's Note: So, can you please explain what are 'Special' government
services? What would happen if I dialed one of those numbers? How are they
accessed from government phones?  Details, please....spare no details!
Anybody??  PT]

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


From: Daniel Senie <[email protected]>
Subject: 4-Party Lines vs. ESS
Date: 1 Jun 89 14:35:47 GMT
Organization: Stratus Computer, Inc., Marlboro, MA


My dad has a summer cottage in western Mass. which currently is on a 4-party
line. I have been looking in to the pricing alternatives for him for switching
to single party service, since a Rabbi and his wife are also on the same line
and talk for 3 or 4 hours at a time. NET charges about $3.50 per month for the
service, which we can't complain about... My dad is willing to pay the
extra $4.26 per month for private service, but does not want to pay $32 for
the privilege of conversion.

One interesting thing came up in the conversation I had with NET. The CO is
supposed to become an ESS (probably a satellite off a 5ESS) in 1992. During
the year prior to the conversion, the 4 party lines are eliminated by
offerring 2-party lines, single party timed, or single party unlimited
service. It seems there  is no way to support 4-party service on an ESS. I
was surprised that a 2-party service would work. (With party lines it is
required by law that you be able to hear the other party talking when you
pick up the phone -- so that you can tell them to get off in an emergency).
During the conversion period, NET will do the conversion free.

I'm somewhat surprised that they don't just do it for free now if desired.
The party line service is responsible for at least 5 service calls a year of
the variety where they need to come out on a Sunday (all summer cottages).
The best service call was to CUT the line to one of the other houses when
they plugged in an answering machine... All long distance calls are operator
assisted, since it is not possible to determine which house is originating
calls.

Thought people on the net would be amused by the archaic equipment we deal
with in the little forgotten towns...

--
Daniel Senie               UUCP: harvard!ulowell!cloud9!dts
Stratus Computer, Inc.     ARPA: [email protected]
55 Fairbanks Blvd.         CSRV: 74176,1347
Marlboro, MA 01752         TEL.: 508 - 460 - 2686

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


From: "John R. Covert" <covert%[email protected]>
Date: 2 Jun 89 08:51
Subject: RE: Cellular Rates

Steve Elias ([email protected]) asks:

>could any cellular phone users out there tell me how expensive it is
>to use a cellular phone?  what are the different minimum rates, charges
>per call, local calling areas??

This is a complicated question -- there are over four hundred different sets
of rates depending on location, and they vary drastically, from incredibly
low rates such as Washington, D.C., with a $10/month off-peak rate INCLUDING
100 minutes of off-peak usage to very high rates such as in L.A. with $45/month
and no minutes included.

Since you're in Boston, you would probably take service from NYNEX Mobile or
Cellular One (Southwestern Bell).

NYNEX rates are: (monthly - peak minutes - off-peak minutes)
A: $19 .45 .30
B: $45 .35 .30
C: $ 5 .65 .65
D: $9.95 .60 .25 (best plan for non-business users)
E: $44 .45 .30 includes 60 minutes peak

On outgoing calls, in addition to air time, you pay the same rates a business
telephone user would pay.  For local calls, this means that you pay for a local
call from one of: Boston, Providence (RI), Worcester, New Bedford, Framingham,
Brockton, Lynn, Lowell, or Lawrence regardless of where you are in the three
state area (Eastern Mass, Rhode Island, Coastal New Hampshire).  Local calls
are charged in message units of .111 cents each, and for calls to places local
to multi-message unit towns, such as Burlington (charged from Boston) you'll
pay .333 cents for the first three minutes and .111 each additional minute
(same as from a Boston phone).  For non-local, intra-LATA calls, you'll pay
the toll charge from the closest points.  Since I have a Boston number, I don't
know whether all inter-LATA toll is charged from Boston or if it is charged
from the zone office (one of the nine above) which corresponds to your mobile
number.

When you're roaming in the Nashua/Manchester (Contel) system, the Biddeford, ME
(Star Cellular) system, or the Portland, ME (Maine Cellular) systems, you'll
pay .45/minute regardless of time of day.  Note that you are _not_ roaming in
Southern Massachusetts if you're a NYNEX customer; it is one continuous system.

NYNEX has nationwide roaming agreements with mostly B but many A carriers,
allowing you to choose the lowest rate and best service in many other cities.
In particular, in New England and the Northeast, you are less likely to be hit
with daily usage fees when roaming if you're a NYNEX customer.  You'll also
have roaming agreements with companies in Los Angeles, which
Cellular One does not currently have.

Cellular One rates are:
$19 .44 .29
$44 .43 .28 w/ 60
$59 .42 .27 w/ 100 after 300 mins .35 .27

The points of interconnection for Cellular One are:
Lynn, Lawrence, Waltham, Framingham, Worcester, Quincy, and Brockton

When roaming on the A carriers in Nashua/Manchester, Biddeford, ME, Portland,
ME, New Bedford, MA, and Providence, RI, you pay .44 and .29.

When roaming outside this area, you will have roaming agreements with mostly
A and some B carriers.  You will be more likely to encounter daily fees,
especially in the Northeast.

Please realize that charging algorithms vary drastically from company to
company and from city to city.  For example, Contel in Nashua/Manchester does
not charge a local call or toll call charge for anywhere in either their system
or in the NYNEX system, even when roaming (or so I'm told by their customer
service department).  U.S. West in the Seattle area charges you for outgoing
calls based on where you are and where you're calling within the area.  Rates
are changing faster than anyone can keep up with them (mostly going upward as
fast as the market will bear).

/john

------------------------------
Date:     Mon, 5 Jun 89 13:54:42 CDT
From:     Will Martin <[email protected]>
Subject:  Cellular phones in Beijing?

A telecom-related point came up in the news coverage of the recent troubles in
Beijing over this past weekend. When describing and playing back the tape of
the incident where the troops took the CBS correspondents into custody during
the clearing of the square, Dan Rather referred to the audio feed as
coming from "a cellular telephone" on at least two separate newscasts.

This sort of surprised me. Does Beijing have cellular telephone service?
I would have expected them to have some form of mobile telephones, but
maybe only for official government use, not available to foreign
correspondents or even ordinary citizens. I certainly may be wrong in
that supposition, though. Having cellular phone service readily
available just doesn't seem to me to be that likely. Also, that it was
still working during that period is surprising; I would have thought the
telephone service would have been shut down by the Army.

Just how worldwide IS cellular telephone service implemented? I didn't
think it even was available all over Europe yet. Where in the Third
World can one use a cellular phone, and are all the systems
interchangeable and compatible?

Or would what the CBS correspondents had been using have been some
system that they took with them and installed themselves to support
their newsgathering activities? I recall seeing a military-oriented
portable cellular system advertised in one of the magazines, maybe
Defense Electronics. Are such things available for private purchase?
(I would think the red tape and paperwork involved in getting official
approval for bringing such a system into a foreign country, especially
a Communist country, would be monumental and prohibitive.)

Maybe all this technology has run on far faster than I realized, and it
is not unusual to have a cellular phone in Nairobi or Quito. Any
comments on this situation?

Regards, Will Martin


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

From: John Higdon <[email protected]>
Subject: new area code
Date: 6 Jun 89 01:56:01 GMT
Organization: ATI Wares Team


Heard it on the Channel 7 news: the new area code for the east bay
(east side of 415) will be 510. Must be true. Puts to bed all those
speculations about it being 9XN something or other.
--
       John Higdon         |   P. O. Box 7648   |   +1 408 723 1395
     [email protected]       | San Jose, CA 95150 |       M o o !

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

From: Brendan Kehoe <[email protected]>
Subject: Maine fiber optics plan approved
Date: 3 Jun 89 00:54:47 GMT
Reply-To: [email protected]
Organization: Jolnet Public Access Unix


This is from the Kennebec Journal, the newspaper that serves the Augusta, ME
area..

AUGUSTA(AP) -- A state plan to permit telecommunications companies to lay
fiber optic cable within interstate highway rights-of-way has been approved
by the Federal Highway Administration, Gov. John R. McKernan's office
announced Thursday.
Maine is the first state to obtain the federal approval, the governor's
office said.
Officials said the plan is designed to ensure motorist safety while promoting
the modernization of the state's telecommunications network.
McKernan, in a prepared statement, said that "in today's economy, the ability
to 'move' information is becoming as important as the ability to transport
commodities. It is appropriate that our highways of the future should lay
alongside our highways of the present."

--
Brendan Kehoe
[email protected]    | GEnie: B.KEHOE  | Oh no! I forgot to say goodbye
[email protected]  | CI$: 71750,2501 |  to my mind!
[email protected] | Galaxy: Brendan |                - Abby Normal

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


From: John Higdon <[email protected]>
Subject: Saturday business with the Business Office
Date: 3 Jun 89 18:52:20 GMT
Organization: ATI Wares Team


Last Thursday I placed a residential order with Pac*Bell and was given
a Monday due date (my tenth line). She said if I had any questions to
give her a call *even on Saturday*. So today I tried it out. The
business office is really open!

Do you suppose they are following the banks' example? Imagine, the
phone company open on Saturday! Never thought I'd see it.
--
       John Higdon         |   P. O. Box 7648   |   +1 408 723 1395
     [email protected]       | San Jose, CA 95150 |       M o o !

[Moderator's Note: Illinois Bell Business Offices have been open on Saturday
for about a year now. Of course, there is but one walk-in business office
these days, at the downtown HQ building. But the telephone reps are available
on Saturday. And AT&T reps are available 24 hours per day, as are Sprint
and MCI reps.  PT]
------------------------------


Date: Sun Jun  4 10:16:22 1989
From: "Randal L. Schwartz" <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Cellular Phone & E911
Organization: Organization?  You've got to be kidding!

In article <[email protected]> [email protected]
(Dave Levenson) writes:

| The mobile number is probably less useful than the approximate
| current location of a mobile telephone.  If I see an emergency
| situation while driving, I'd like to be able to report it to the
| local authorities, not the PSAP who handles the home address
| associated with the mobile number (which may be hudreds of miles
| away!)

I differ.  I have called 911 roughly once a week since I received my
cell phone.  I have learned that all calls go to the Portland 911
office, no matter where I am, so it is a simple matter to ask for the
appropriate agency (State Police, XXXX County Sheriff, etc.).  If the
Portland 911 office doesn't handle dispatch for that agency, they just
push a button.

Now, they've always asked for my phone number, so I presume my number
is not showing on their boards.  (I know they can get the phone number
of a call from a landline phone, because they call people back, and the
local 911 operators did some stupid things with that info...).  Just
two days ago, I called to report a deer on the road (yes, this is Rural
America :-), and gave them a bad vector.  The 911 operator called me
back to resolve the inconsistant information.  But, suppose it had been
an emergency, and I didn't have time to give them the number, and then
got one of the infamous "cutoffs" that happen only when you don't want
them to. Yeah, I'd much rather have them have the cell phone number
than the cell antenna number.

-- Randal L. Schwartz, Stonehenge Consulting Services (503)777-0095
quality software, documentation, and training at affordable rates
<[email protected]>  ...!uunet!agora.hf.intel.com!merlyn


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

Date: Sun Jun  4 11:40:41 1989
From: Lang Zerner <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: NPA-NXX databases
Reply-To: [email protected] (Lang Zerner)
Organization: The Asylum; Belmont, CA

There is a New Jersey, USA number (probably at Bell Labs) which reads area
codes from your touchtone pads, then uses a DECtalk speech synthesizer to speak
the name of the city as it appears in their database.  This seems to be the
database that AT&T uses in itemizing its long-distance calling charges.

The reader is pretty smart, but has problems in cases where vowels are removed
from the city name because it would otherwise be too long.  Then it just reads
the letters in the name.  Also, it tries to read out as words the two-letter
postal codes for state names.  So you get interesting results with something
like SNCRLS-BLMNT, CA (which is close to the text representation of San
Carlos/Belmont NPA-NXXs).  Still, the system is fast and correct.

I don't have the number handy, but I will be happy to look it up for you if you
*MAIL* a request (remember to try the addresses below if you get a bounce, or
call me at 415/327-9232).

--
Be seeing you...
--Lang Zerner
ARPA:[email protected]  MX:[email protected]  UUCP:bionet!asylum!langz
"...and every morning we had to go and LICK the road clean with our TONGUES!"



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


Date: 2 Jun 89 08:17:34 PDT (Friday)
Subject: The High Cost of Telco Features
From: [email protected]

I'm getting nauseous hearing about all of these phone services being talked
about on this dl.  You people toss references to the services around like
they're free or something.  (Sarcasm mode has been on since the begining of
this msg, no hook-up charge involved).  In Wayne County, NY New York Tel
will let us, those of us who already pay over $35 just for the grand
pleasure of using the noisey, intermittant pulse only services of a private
line, will let us pay an additional $2.21 per month to be able to dial our
phones with TONES!!  And if we sign up for these services before July 21 we
won't be charged the $9.20 hook-up charge!!  We can also enjoy the
furturistic features of call waiting, call blocking, speed dialing (max of
8 numbers) and who knows what all else as a package deal.  Buy now to avoid
the $15.50 hook-up charge and you can then begin to pay $13+ per month.
Sorry, you missed the deadline, Sarcasm Mode turned off.
Is NYT for real, do real people in the rest of the world get charged rates
like this?  It's not like NYT has to get out of their chair or anything to
enable these services, is it?  I thought it was bad when I paid a base rate
of just over $30 to get a lousy connection that might let me carry on a
short 300 bps modem conversation to my office just 30 miles away, long
distance at that.  Do I really want to pay almost $50 per month to utilize
the telephonic state of the art?

Mike Krause
Xerox Corporation

The remarks above are my own and do not reflect the opinions of any other
irrational human being.

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

From: "K.BLATTER" <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Atlanta Company Offers Residential 800 service
Date: 2 Jun 89 19:13:26 GMT
Organization: AT&T ISL Lincroft NJ USA


In article <[email protected]>, [email protected]
(William Mihalo) writes:
> The number to call for Telecom USA is 1 800-476-9000

> BTW, when I called Telecom USA I could barely hear the person at the
> other end. It was a very poor connection. I don't know if they are using
> their own 800 numbers for business purposes.

According to the TELECOM Digest Guide to North American Area Codes dated
Jan 19, 1989 800-476 is "owned" (if that's the proper term) by Teleconnect.

Kevin L. Blatter
AT&T - Bell Labs


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

From: [email protected] (Bruce Carlson)
Subject: Re: Area code data for Autovon number
Date: 2 Jun 89 19:33:55 GMT
Reply-To: [email protected] (Bruce Carlson)
Organization: The Mitre Corporation

>X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 9, issue 184, message 10 of 11

>/* Written  2:20 am  May 27, 1989 by [email protected] in S41:
comp.dcom.telecom */
>/* ---------- ""area code" data for Autovon number" ---------- */
>>I'd like to mash a copy of the area code program to return locations
>>for Autovon prefixes (and vice-versa).  Does anyone have an online
>>copy of Autovon prefixes+locations I could grab for this purpose?

>>--Frank
>/* End of text from S41:comp.dcom.telecom */

I have a copy of the Department of Defense Telepone Directory for the
National Capital Region [Washington, DC for the nonmilitary types].
This directory provides the numbers for all DoD offices in Washington, DC
and also includes the AUTOVON prefixes and information numbers for almost
all DoD installations.  There is a statement on page one
that says this directory is "For sale by the Superintendent of
Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402".

If they will sell you a copy I assume it is legal to do so and it should
solve your problem with determining location of AUTOVON numbers.

Bruce Carlson
MITRE Corp

Disclaimer:  My comments do not necessarily reflect the views of MITRE
Corp or any government agency MITRE supports.

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

Date: 2-JUN-1989 19:22:05.26
From: "DOUGLAS SCOTT REUBEN)" <[email protected]>
Subject: re: Call-Waiting

Not to spoil that amusing article a few Telecoms back about the
loud "clicks" you hear on old ESS Call-Waiting, but...

I've noticed that on newer exchanges, mainly DMS-100 (-200?) and 5ESS
niether party hears a click.

The called party hears only a beep, while the person talking to the
called party hears nothing. Only if the person who gets the Call
Wait is talking or if there is a lot of noise in the background
will you hear a small gap of silence while he receives the Call-Wait
tone.

This is pretty nice, but it also means that you can't tell if the
person who is Call-Waiting you has hung up or not (ie, you don't
answer the Call-Wait.) On the an older ESS, you would hear a final
"click" after the person calling you would hang up. On a DMS (and
I presume 5ESS, although I never tried it), you only hear the
two Call-Wait tones, and that's it. The person Call-Waiting you
could stay on the line and keep ringing for hours, and as long
as you were still talking, you'd never know, and may miss
other Call-Waits. (Silly, but it can happen...)

(DMS's do other weird things, like not let you make a 3-way call
until you connect to your other party, even if it's long distance.
Most older ESS's only do this locally (or only to 'tandem' exchanges?)
so if you call someone in Toronto (assuming you don't live there) and
he is busy, you can 3-way that call with someone else. (Again, silly,
but you may want to for some reason...) On a DMS, it *knows* you
didn't complete the call, and won't give you the three-way tone,
and will just drop the Toronto/busy call and give you a dial
tone. I guess it all depends on how much info the switch is given...
If has a way to test for call completion, I guess it uses that
info when processing 3-way calls... )

Anyhow, have fun with Call-Waiting!

-Doug

[email protected]
dreuben%[email protected]
(and just plain old "dreuben" to locals! :-)  )
(I hear the local count reading these is up to 3!!! wow!)

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

Subject: The Term "Touchtone" -- No Longer Protected?
Date: Fri, 2 Jun 89 17:48:32 EDT
From: "Dr. T. Andrews" <[email protected]>

At one time, the term "touchtone" (wiht possible capitalization) was
protected as a trademark by The Phone Co.  Has TPC given up the
rights to the name?  I have close at hand an advert from a candy
seller offering cheap "touchtone" phones markedlN`-9 name of the
candy.

There is no trademark ACK in the fine print, either.  If the term is
no longer protected, then I should be interested to know.  No one
knows what I mean when I say "DTMF".

Repies via e-mail; I'll post a summary unless there is a moderator
note with this message indicating that I shall e-mail results to
interested parties.  Thanks.

                                       Dr. T. Andrews, Systems
                                       CompuData, Inc.  DeLand
--
...!bikini.cis.ufl.edu!ki4pv!tanner  ...!bpa!cdin-1!cdis-1!ki4pv!tanner
or...  {allegra killer gatech!uflorida decvax!ucf-cs}!ki4pv!tanner


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


From: "John R. Covert" <covert%[email protected]>
Date: 6 Jun 89 19:10
Subject: Cellular around the world

>Does Beijing have cellular telephone service?

Most certainly.  And not just available to the government -- it really is there
for the use of the foreign business community.  Beijing was really trying very
hard to be a modern city.  I agree that it is amazing that the phone service
was not shut off, but it's equally amazing that essentially all international
long distance service is still working normally.

>Just how worldwide IS cellular telephone service implemented? I didn't
>think it even was available all over Europe yet.

We Americans tend to think we've got the best of everything, but we're often
wrong.  Cellular phones are much more common in some European countries (Sweden
in particular) than here.  And in many cases the systems are much more fully
developed and quite sophisticated.  The NMT-900 system operating in the Nordic
countries works automatically in all four countries.  Even for incoming calls,
with no nonsense with "roamer ports."  Germany's C-Netz (which I used during a
recent trip) operates almost all over the country, even in some fairly rural
areas.  No matter where I was in Germany, I could be called from all over the
world on the same number.  Incoming calls were at no cost to me.  The system
in the U.K., which uses the same hardware as the U.S. system, but different
software in the phones, is likewise a nationwide integrated system.

In the 1990s, Europe is supposed to introduce a new pan-Europe system which
will work no matter where you are in Europe.  Cellular users in the U.S. can
hope that our regulators will get their heads out of the sand and allow our
systems to connect together by then.  (We just got Follow-Me-Roaming here in
Boston, and I refuse to use it, because NYNEX Mobile has decided to charge
local airtime in addition to the long distance call and roamer airtime.
Fortunately, I have a computer at home that can transfer callers to the roamer
port.)

The following table lists countries with cellular systems.  The protocol used
in the U.S. is "AMPS."  Theoretically, a U.S. cellular user would be able to
use his phone in any of those countries.  In fact, local regulations often do
not permit you to even bring your own phone into many countries.

I do know that American visitors can sign up to use their own phones in the
following countries:  Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, Cayman Islands, Hong Kong,
Netherlands Antilles, St. Kitts & Nevis, and Zaire.

American Samoa          AMPS            American Samoa Government (PTT)
Argentina               AMPS            Companie de Radio Commun. Mobiles (CRM)
Australia               AMPS            Telecom Australia (PTT)
Austria                 NMT-450         PTV
Bahamas                 AMPS            Bahamas Telecomms Corp.
Belgium                 NMT-450         PTT
Bermuda                 AMPS            Bermuda Telephone Co., Ltd.
Brazil                  AMPS
British Virgin Islands  AMPS            CCT Boatphone
Canada                  AMPS            Cantel (A) or Local Telco (B)
Cayman Islands          AMPS            Cable & Wireless
China (PRC)             TACS/NMT        PTT
Denmark                 NMT-450/900     PTT
Dominican Republic      AMPS            Codetel
Finland                 NMT-450/900     PTT
France                  Radiocom 2000   PTT
                       NMT-450
Hong Kong               AMPS & TACS     Hutchison Radio
                       TACS            Hong Kong Telephone
                       AMPS-type       Chinatel
Iceland                 NMT-450         PTT
Indonesia               NMT             PTT
Ireland                 TACS-900        PTT
Israel                  AMPS            Motorola Tadiran
Italy                   RTMS            SIP
Jamaica                 AMPS            JTC
Japan                   NAMTS           NTT & others
Kenya                   AMPS            Kenya PTC
Kuwait                  NAMTS           PTT
Luxembourg              NMT-450         PTT
Malaysia                NMT-450         JTM
Mexico                  AMPS            DGT
Netherlands             NMT-450         PTT
Netherlands Antilles    AMPS            East Carribean Cellular, N.V.
New Zealand             AMPS            PTT
Norway                  NMT-450/900     PTT
Oman                    NMT             PTT
Panama                  AMPS
Philippines             AMPS            1) PLDT 2) Express
St. Kitts & Nevis       AMPS            CCT Boatphone
Saudi Arabia            NMT             PTT
Singapore               AMPS            The Telecommunications Authority
South Korea             AMPS            Korea Telecomms Authority
Spain                   NMT-450         La Co. Telefonica Nacional de Espana
Sweden                  NMT-450/900     PTT
Switzerland             NMT-900         PTT
Taiwan                  AMPS
Thailand                AMPS            CATS
                       NMT-450         TOT
Tunisia                 NMT-450         PTT
Turkey                  NMT-450         PTT
United Arab Emirates    TACS            PTT
United Kingdom          TACS-900        1) Cellnet 2) Vodaphone
Venezuela               AMPS            CANTV
West Germany            C-Netz          PTT
Zaire                   AMPS            Telecel

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

Subject: Access Code for Mercury (UK)
Reply-To: K.Hopkins%[email protected]
Date: Mon, 05 Jun 89 15:30:04 +0100
From: Kevin Hopkins <pkh%[email protected]>


In  the UK the  only company  allowed  to provide an  alternative telephone
service  to British Telecom  (BT) is Mercury  (part  of Cable  & Wireless).
Access to Mercury is gained over the ordinary  BT exchange line by pressing
the Mercury button before dialling a phone number.  This Mercury  button is
really just a  memory button which  zaps  an   access code  down the  line,
causing the switch from the BT system  to Mercury  system, and follows this
with the subscribers authorisation code.  Could someone please tell me what
form the  *ACCESS* code to Mercury is?  Is it of the  form  of an area code
0NXX or of a special operator-like code 1XX? It's just one of those things
that have been bugging me recently.

+--------------------------------------------+--------------------------------+
| K.Hopkins%[email protected] | Kevin Hopkins,                 |
| or    ..!mcvax!ukc!nott-cs!K.Hopkins       | Department of Computer Science,|
| or in the UK: [email protected]      | University of Nottingham,      |
| CHAT-LINE: +44 602 484848 x 3815           | Nottingham, ENGLAND, NG7 2RD   |
+--------------------------------------------+--------------------------------+

[Moderator's Note: Any problem with simply asking Mercury, if you wish
to sign up for the service or use it occassionally?  PT]
------------------------------

From: Brian Jay Gould <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Atlanta Company Offers Residential 800 service
Date: 6 Jun 89 13:48:57 GMT
Organization: NJ InterCampus Network, New Brunswick, N.J.


In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] (K.
BLATTER) writes:
> In article <[email protected]>, [email protected]
> (William Mihalo) writes:
> > The number to call for Telecom USA is 1 800-476-9000
>
> > BTW, when I called Telecom USA I could barely hear the person at the
> > other end. It was a very poor connection. I don't know if they are using
> > their own 800 numbers for business purposes.
>
> According to the TELECOM Digest Guide to North American Area Codes dated
> Jan 19, 1989 800-476 is "owned" (if that's the proper term) by Teleconnect.
>
> Kevin L. Blatter
> AT&T - Bell Labs

Yes Kevin, Telecom*USA is the parent company to Teleconnect (as well as a half
dozen or more other carriers.  In fact, I believe that Telecom*USA is the
fourth largest long distance carrier in the country.  If your guide is more
than three weeks old, it is out of date.

As for the problems with the 800 number, I called and had no problem.
--
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Brian Jay Gould  :: INTERNET [email protected]                       -
-                     UUCP rutgers!njin!gould   Telephone  (201) 329-9616 -
-                     BITNET gould@jvncc        Facsimile  (201) 329-9616 -
- Vice President, Systems Integration    ---   Network Design Corporation -
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

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


Date: Tue, 6 Jun 89 22:26:10 -0800
From: "Michael C. Berch" <[email protected]>
Subject: Details on new area code 510

The press release from Pacific Bell, quoted in the San Francisco
Chronicle, gives the phase-in dates for the new NPA 510.  (By the way,
is this the first "real" [i.e., geographical] N10 NPA?)

Inception is scheduled for 7 October 1991, with a four-month grace
period when NPA 415 will still work for the affected numbers.  Final
cutover is scheduled for 27 January 1992.

NPA 510 will encompass Alameda and Contra Costa counties, which
currently have 842,388 customers.
--
Michael C. Berch
[email protected] / uunet!tis.llnl.gov!mcb

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

Date: 6 Jun 89 16:41:43 GMT
From: Lars Poulsen <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: The High Cost of Telco Features

In article <[email protected]>
                [email protected] writes:
>                                        In Wayne County, NY New York Tel
> [pulse-only private-line service is over $35/month]
> [tone dialing offered as a new service for $2.21/month, $9.20 hook-up]
>furturistic features of call waiting, call blocking, speed dialing (max of
>8 numbers) and who knows what all else as a package deal.  Buy now to avoid
>the $15.50 hook-up charge and you can then begin to pay $13+ per month.

These rates are certainly much higher than what the much-maligned GTE is
charging me; for $22.50/month I get two private lines, one tone and one
pulse. For another $6.50/month I could get a feature pack; I am not
taking any of those, though; I think this is grossly overpriced. One new
offering has me intrigued, though: They have just announced a new
expanded feature pack which includes camp-on !!! I think it was
$11/month for *all* optional features.

Is that a true camp-on, or is it just "busy number redialing" (which is
the official name) ? I'd expect camp-on for local calls, redialing for
toll calls. It always seems to be toll calls that get the frustrating
permanent busy. And for a couple of hundred dollars, I could buy a very
fine demon dialer of my own :-).

/ Lars Poulsen <[email protected]>     (800) 222-7308  or (805) 963-9431 ext 358

 ACC Customer Service                Affiliation stated for identification only

                 My employer probably would not agree if he knew what I said !!


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


Subject: Re: Mercury
Reply-To: K.Hopkins%[email protected]
Date: Wed, 07 Jun 89 12:43:42 +0100
From: Kevin Hopkins <pkh%[email protected]>


In reply to your  comment, Patrick,  companies of Mercury's  ilk don't like
you asking for their  access  codes. They think you are  trying to find the
full format  of  the  codes  (including the   authorisation  codes used for
billing)  in order to  crack their system, which  I am not  of course.  The
code is in fact 133,  an operator-like  code.   Thanks  to Peter Morgan  at
Brighton for supplying the information.

I know of the following operator-like codes in the UK, anyone care to add
to these:

100     Operator Services
133     Mercury Access Number
142     London Directory Enquiries (from London numbers only)
150     Phone Hardware Enquiries (maybe only locally defined)
151     Fault reports
153     International Directory Enquiries
155     International Operator
191     Other Enquiries
192     Directory Enquiries

                       Kev.


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


Subject: Denmark has changed all area codes!
Date: 7 Jun 89 18:57:09 MET (Wed)
From: "Kim F. Storm" <[email protected]>

Starting May 16th, all area codes in Denmark were changed from the old
01 to 09 (where the 0 was left out on international calls) to area codes
in the range 31 to 99, while the last 6 digits are the same for MOST
subscribers.

This has effectively expanded the numbers from 7 digit (+ leading 0) to
8 digit.  The change was very well prepared, and everything has worked
very well from day one.

The reason for the change was that the old number scheme ran out of
numbers in the Copenhagen area (which were split into two areas a couple
of years ago).

The old 7 digit numbers (+ 0) will work until January 1st 1990, and so
will international calls using the old numbers (a time out is used to
distinguish old 7 digit numbers from the new 8 digit numbers).

The problem with the approach is that the assignment of new area codes is
almost arbitrary in large areas.  For example, 01 becomes any of 31, 32,
through 39, 02 becomes 42, 43, ... 49, 03 becomes 52, 53, ...., etc.

The only way you can know the new number is to lookup the old 7 digit number
in a conversion table.

The really funny thing about this number change is that except for the
numbers in the central of Copenhagen, all area codes will change again
sometime within the next 15 years as the centrals are replaced by digital
exchanges, i.e. about 50000 numbers will change each year!

So be prepared for problems dialing into Denmark for the next 15 years :-)

The market has been flooded with programs (mainly for the PCs) which can
go through files and replace phone numbers correctly.  However, many
companies use the phone number as account numbers for their customers,
so I can imagine all sorts of problems if these programs are used by
the average non-expert PC user.

I think this example puts some perspective on the "oh no, now we have to
use the 404 area code inside the 404 area" and similar debates.  We went
through the same excercise one year ago when the tel.co. prepared the
transition to 8 digit numbers: We had to learn to use the 0N area code
inside all 0N areas!

I also think this demonstrates that Danes are very tolerant people.

---
Kim F. Storm        [email protected]        Tel +45 429 174 00
Texas Instruments, Marielundvej 46E, DK-2730 Herlev, Denmark
         No news is good news, but nn is better!

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

Date: Tue Jun  6 23:15:10 1989
From: Lang Zerner <[email protected]>
Subject: Touch-tone charges going away?
Reply-To: [email protected] (Lang Zerner)
Organization: The Great Escape, Inc.

When I got my basic service installed here in Palo Alto, CA, the guy on the
other end asked if I wanted the touch-tone "option".  I asked him what the
additional cost was, and took it.  Then I gave him the old "Did you know..."
about how when the phone-using public was paying for the research that led to
touch-tone, it was told (correctly) that touch-tone would bring down the cost
of running the phone system and (incorrectly) that the savings would trickle
down to the consumers.

He was surprisingly knowledgeable for a sales rep, and we had a nice
conversation about the current state of digital systems implementation and
arbitrary restrictions on ISDN services.  He also said that "PacBell is
lobbying (some regulating body (the PUC?)) to kill the extra charge for
touch-tone".

PacBell is a business.  It wouldn't try to kill the touch-tone charge unless
(a) they believe that the cost of supporting pulse dialing will soon exceed the
revenue of touch-tone charges, or (b) they have been overcome by an irrational
urge to charge for a service proportionally to its cost.  If PacBell is
anything like other BOCs I've done business with, I find (b) to be exceedingly
unlikely.  Anyone have any evidence suggesting (a)?  Any other reasons PacBell
would be lobbying for such a move?  Any evidence that the sales rep was
mistaken (i.e. that PacBell is making no such lobbying effort)?

I have always felt that tone "service" charges were one of the most irrational
BOC charges.  There is no extra cost to the BOC, and in some cases it results
in *lower* operating costs.  I am very interested to learn if there is any
truth to the rumor that the charge may be removed.

--
Be seeing you...
--Lang Zerner
ARPA:[email protected]  MX:[email protected]  UUCP:bionet!asylum!langz
"...and every morning we had to go and LICK the road clean with our TONGUES!"



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


From: Richard Childers <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Cellular Phone & 911 - two replies
Date: 7 Jun 89 20:13:35 GMT
Reply-To: Richard Childers <[email protected]>
Organization: Metaprogrammers International


[email protected] (John Higdon) writes:

>When I got back onto the roadway, I approached him again (he was poking
>along at around 40 MPH) and he sped up again. This time I backed off
>and watched as another motorist tried to pass him and got the same
>response that I had earlier. That did it. I picked up the phone and
>dialed 911. It was the Bakersfield system that responded and I was
>connected to the CHP, the initial call handling agency.

Yup, a real emergency there.

>I described the car and its actions and location. Not five minutes
>later, two CHP cruisers zipped onto the highway, and off in the
>distance I could see the gentleman being forced to the side of the
>road. You talk about instant gratification!

Talk about juvenile power trips. You could have waited a few minutes to
get past him. This sounds like an infantile power trip.

Instant gratification, indeed.

-- richard

*    "We must hang together, gentlemen ... else, we shall most assuredly     *
*     hang separately."         Benjamin Franklin, 1776                      *
*                                                                            *
*      ..{amdahl|decwrl|octopus|pyramid|ucbvax}!avsd.UUCP!childers@tycho     *

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


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