From: SK89221@ACAD.DRAKE.EDU (Sal Kabalani)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Carrier Access Codes in Northern Minnesota
Date: 14 Aug 92 05:59:37 GMT
Organization: TELECOM Digest
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 625, Message 2 of 4

Jack Decker <Jack@myamiga.mixcom.com> writes:

> A week ago I was in Northern Minnesota and happened to pick
> up some literature from one of the local phone companies (Consolidated
> Telephone Company, Brainerd, MN) that listed the XXX codes for the
> long distance carriers serving their area.  Since this is a small, 
> independent telco it is somewhat amazing that they have this many choices! 
    [list deleted]
> Interestingly enough, in northern Minnesota you can choose one carrier
> for your interLATA calls, and a different carrier (if you want) for
> your intraLATA calls, so apparently there is both interLATA AND
> intraLATA competition there.

This is accomplished through Centralized Equal Access. Telcos in
Minnesota got together and built a fiber optic network connecting all
their exchanges to DMS 100/200 to act as a Centralized Equal Access
switch(es). This centralized location happens to have POPs for most
carriers. In effect, each access line in the participating exchanges
have a choice of carriers that have POPs at the centralized location.

This idea was first implemented in Iowa in 1986, and went on-line in
1988.  Today 128 independant telcos in Iowa partcipate in the Iowa
equal access network (formally called Iowa Network Services) serving
just under 200,000 access lines. This service is only available to
rural areas (non-RBOC regions).

Extensive modification to the DMS 100/200 software had to be made to
provide dual PICs. Each number can be PICed for both inter- and
intraLATA. Since INS domain covers five latas and three area codes,
INS became an IXC as well.

INS keeps a mirror of traffic on the netowrk. Telcos are technically
capable of recording most toll (1+, 0+, 0-), but they cannot record
10xxx. the DMS 100/200 is surperior to most telco switches, and
therefore capable of ticketing/recording all types of traffic,
including 10xxx and FGB. The only problem I found with this setup is
that the IXCs do not provide ANI if a call originates outside of CEA
network to be delived in a CEA town.

INS is capable of providing Rating and Recording for all partcipating
telcos, CABS traffic reporting, 900, CMDS/STARS, Terminating Intralata
Reports, and many other services. most of the participating telcos
have dial up capability to change PICs. They dial up the VAX system,
change the PICs in the database.  The VAX changes the PIC on the
switch in real-time through a direct serial connection to the switch.
So lines can be connected/disconnected/PICed in seconds.

MEANS is a mirror-image of INS, so the same goes for them.

> I've noticed this in a few other cities, where an independent telco
> will have their offices close to (or even next door to) a Bell
> building, but in most such cases the independent serves the town,
> leaving one to wonder what the Bell building is doing there!  I'm sure
> there are historical reasons for things like that, but it really makes
> you wonder ... I mean, you'd think that if Bell were going to go
> through the trouble of building a switching center, they's also serve
> the community; and that conversely, Bell wouldn't be much interested
> in building a switching facility in "foreign" territory.  As I say, it
> makes you wonder ...

That can be easily explained. In the old days, Bells used to serve
rural towns in Minnesota. When MEANS came on line, many telcos ran
their own fiber optic lines from the local exchanges directly to the
centralized equal access switch, therefore bypassing the Bells. Some
telcos opted to use the Bells lines on a limited basis for the purpose
of connecting their exchanges to the nearest fiber optic link to MEANS
(thereby paying CABS charges to Bells). Today many of the Bell offices
are abandoned because of the centralized equal access netowrk.


Sal A Kabalani----------Internet: SK89221 @ Acad.Drake.Edu
Superv. of Operations        Phone: (515) 830-0436
Data Systems Department  VoiceMail: (515) 830-1086
Iowa Network Services         Fax : (515) 830-0123
4201 Corporate Drive     Centralized Equal Access 
Des Moines, Iowa 50265           CIC 225