HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
Date: Sat, 26 Sep 92 18:37 GMT
From: Richard Cox <mandarin@cix.compulink.co.uk>
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Stop the Presses, Call the Police!
Reply-To: mandarin@cix.compulink.co.uk
Organization: TELECOM Digest
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 735, Message 3 of 13

Cmoore@BRL.MIL asks:

> What kind of exchange is it that strips some leading digits off and
> processes the remaining digits, within what is apparently only the
> local phone number?

Well, Strowger exchanges had a penchant for doing this.  The common
setup was for the first two digits to "route" the call to the required
local exchange, often called a satellite unit, and the last four
digits to be the party's real number.  On calls within the same
satellite unit, the leading digits were 'absorbed' by the switch.

Of course it wasn't presented to the customers that way - they were
just given standard six figure numbers.  Routing the call from the
main (or tandem) to the satellite unit, meant seizing a junction relay
set from a selector level, and extending the digit train.  Once
extended to the relay set, the connection was usually held backward
from the relay set to the earlier selectors.  But, sometimes the
holding earth from the relay set was late in arriving (slow or sticky
relays, etc) and the selector train dropped out (returning the caller
to dial tone from the first selector) before the hold arrived.  Of
course, the caller didn't know anything about this and just kept
dialling -- straight into the first selector, which then routed on the
last four digits.  If those last four digits were sufficient for a
connect, the caller got that connect.

Hope that explains how it happens on Strowger -- other "mechanical"
systems may adopt a similar approach if the path is held from the
outgoing trunk or junction relay set.


Richard Cox

Mandarin Technology, Cardiff Business Park, Llanishen, CARDIFF, Wales CF4 5WF
Voice: +44 222 74-7111     Fax: +44 222 71-1111    VoiceMail: +44 399 87-0101
E-mail: mandarin@cix.compulink.co.uk
Date: Sun, 27 Sep 1992 03:22:41 GMT
From: ddavis@osiris.cso.uiuc.edu (dave davis)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: AT&T AUDIX System Info Wanted
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 739, Message 17 of 17

Our location has recently installed AT&T's AUDIX voice mail system
(I'm an end user).  I've requested info on the system capibilities
from the local folks, but they're just learning the operation
themselves.  The "help" sheet I have refers to the system as AUDIX
Release 1 Version 5.

 - I'm curious about menuing capabilities (i.e., can I direct callers
to multiple informational messages based on their responses?), and any
other "advanced" features that are available.

 - Do we have the latest version of the software?  (The system appar-
ently sat for about a year before being installed -- it's probably out
of warranty.)

Any information or pointers to information on this system would be
appreciated.


dave davis   ddavis@aeha1.apgea.army.mil (preferred)
ddavis@osiris.cso.uiuc.edu
Date: 4 Oct 1992 20:56:49 GMT
From: 1012breuckma@vmsf.csd.mu.edu
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Network Installation Box Installation Rules
Reply-To: 1012breuckma@vmsf.csd.mu.edu
Organization: Marquette University - Computer Services
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 760, Message 6 of 12

In article <telecom12.755.8@eecs.nwu.edu>, David <ofsevit@nac.enet.
dec.com> writes:

> I just had a second phone line installed in my home, and the
> Network Interface Box was installed on the outside of the house.  This
> strikes me as a problem, since it leaves the box open to weather,
> vandalism, and theft of service.  Also, my phone number is written
> inside the box (which does have a hole for a padlock, but which is
> made of flimsy plastic).

> ...  I don't seem to have any option to have it installed
> inside the house.

Here (SE Wisconsin) I've seen the Network Interface placed both inside
and outside.  New construction seems to be mainly outside.  If you
don't have one on an old installation and request one, they usually
put it inside right next to the protector.  It would seem to be a
security problem to me also, wandering teenagers with telephones
calling 900 numbers from your line.  I would at least erase/eradicate
the number written inside.  Maybe you could build a more substantial
box around theirs.
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 14:45:52 GMT
From: cjl@ecsvax.uncecs.edu (Charles J. Lord)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Need PC Programming Software For American Tele (Fujitsu) Focus
Organization: Triangle R&D Corp,RTP,NC
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 753, Message 13 of 18

I am searching for the PC (as in "IBM") software package that American
Telecom (or Fujitsu) supposively sold as the "Enhanced Database
Support System Package" or EDSS.  This software allowed you to program
the Focus 50/100/200 hybrid EKS/PBX with a common PC rather than the
overly expensive console ... all calls have been a dead end, as Sales
doesn't deal in obselete equipment like the Focus, and Service doesn't
want to give up a cash cow in providing every little programming
change at $100/hr.  Anyone heard of this beast?


Thanks!

C. Lord     cjl@ecsvax.uncecs.edu
From: syd@dsi.com (Syd Weinstein)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Centel of Florida Merging With "Sprint Corporation"
Date: 2 Oct 92 19:44:42 GMT
Reply-To: syd@dsi.com
Organization: Datacomp Systems, Inc.  Huntingdon Valley, PA
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 754, Message 2 of 13

TELECOM Moderator notes:

> [Moderator's Note: I think the Sprint Corporation is one of the
> various subsidiaries of US Sprint, which itself is a subsidiary, etc. 
> Suffice to say, Central is being bought by Sprint. That's all you need
> to know; guess who will provide Central's LD service in the future!  PAT]

No, let me set the 'Parentage Straight' ...

United Telecom, which does its Local Excange Service under the name
United Telephone, recently bought out GTE from the US Sprint Limited
Partnership.

At that time, the decided to change the name of United Telecom to
Sprint, as it has a wider recognition.  All the shareholders had to
vote on it (as if that mattered, the big blocks decided it I am sure)

So:

United Telecom became: Sprint Corporation;

US Sprint Limited Partnership died as of the buyout and is now just
Sprint United Telephone; well, it sounds like they may be moving those
to the Spirnt name soon also ...


Sydney S. Weinstein, CDP, CCP          Elm Coordinator - Current 2.3PL11
Datacomp Systems, Inc.                 Projected 2.4 Release: Oct 1,1992
syd@DSI.COM or dsinc!syd      Voice: (215) 947-9900, FAX: (215) 938-0235
Date: Sun,  4 Oct 92 09:22:24 PDT
From: John_David_Galt%portal@cup.portal.com
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Funny 800 Number Spelling
Organization: TELECOM Digest
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 759, Message 10 of 14

It took a friend of mine in Palo Alto over four months to get Pac Bell
to give him the unused number xxx-1234.  Their initial story was that
"mnemonic sequences" like that and xxx-0000 are reserved for business
customers only.
Date: Sat, 26 Sep 1992  07:27:43 EDT
From: FZC@CU.NIH.GOV
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Storing Phone Numbers
Reply-To: TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM
Organization: TELECOM Digest
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 734, Message 6 of 13

In a message of <22 Sep 92> by <J Phillip Miller> said:

> How is the list of numbers physically stored by the switch?  Is it
> stored as a string of ASCII characters (one character per digit) or is
> some more efficient storage utilized?

I worked for a switch company as a temporary for a week (Pacific Bell
after they bought Northern Telecom's Southern California sales
office.)  One of the sales people informed me that a switch is nothing
but a computer with phone lines; all the work is done through the
software, and that the software is the only difference between a DMS-1
used in a telco central office and the one used as a PBX.

I remember once, seeing on a photo or a cover or something, a piece of
code related to the programming of a switch (the comments said so).
The item I saw had to do with AT&T (possibly it was one of their
stockholder's reports).  The code was clearly written in the "C"
language.

I have been programming since 1976; professionally since 1978 and I
know that if you have a number, you have a number of ways to store it
internally.  In fact, for most operations you cannot work with a
number in ASCII, it has to be in internal binary.

If the number is to be saved to trip relays, where the actual digits
need to be saved individually, it could be in packed decimal which
uses two digits per byte.  If they can simply deal with the telephone
number as a number itself, in binary a four byte integer can hold 2^32
or around 4.1 billion which is large enough to hold a seven digit
number, plus the area code (NPA) if it's compressed into one of the
160 current prefixes.

If it has to be stored as separate parts, the number can be kept as
three 16-bit integers.  So a number can be stored as a three 2-byte
integers, or as a 5-byte packed decimal number, or as a 16-bit integer
prefix and a 32-bit integer number (also six bytes) or in other ways.
But it would not be stored as ASCII because the hardware would not be
able to manipulate it.

Not knowing the internals of switches I cannot absolutely guarantee
that I am right, but knowing the insides of several different
computers from the CDC Cyber, IBM 370, Univac 90/60, and Itel AS/6
Mainframes, PDP 11/70 Minicomputer, and PDP 11/03 and IBM XT
Microcomputers, that I know from programming these how they work, and
in general DISPLAY is useless for anything but displaying numbers.
For working with them you have to convert them to an internal code.

These opinions are nobody else's responsibily except mine.


Paul Robinson    TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM
Date: Mon, 05 Oct 1992 02:45:09 -0400
From: Dave.Leibold@f730.n250.z1.FIDONET.ORG (Dave Leibold)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: AT&T Wants $3 For International DA
Organization: TELECOM Digest
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 760, Message 1 of 12

As far as I can tell, getting international DA in Canada is relatively
free, though I've encountered the odd occasion where the operator
demands that this coincide with an actual call. One wonders how long
this might last under the opened competiton, although Canadian
overseas calling remains a monopoly under Teleglobe.

But at $3/call, I would wonder whether it is possible to dial the DA
operators overseas more cheaply? This would not be cheaper for the
more primitive operations that require 15-20 minutes to get an
operator, but surely a DA operator can be summoned rapidly from
Australia, the UK or some other places.


(this Fidonet address, or c/o dleibold@vm1.yorku.ca)

Dave Leibold - via FidoNet node 1:250/98
INTERNET: Dave.Leibold@f730.n250.z1.FIDONET.ORG


[Moderator's Note: Directory service is fast and very effecient in the
UK and Australia to name just two places. You can get on and off in a
minute or so with either place.  PAT]
Date: Fri, 02 Oct 1992 00:45:13 GMT
From: cgordon@vpnet.chi.il.us (gordon hlavenka)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Question About Air Phones
Organization: Vpnet Public Access
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 754, Message 12 of 13

In article <telecom12.749.9@eecs.nwu.edu> TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM writes:

> In a movie I saw last night on TV, a woman wanted to call someone and
> saw an airplane telephone.  She "swiped" her credit card through the
> mag card reader, removed the card, then took the handset away.

> Is this correct?

There are two types of telephones being operated on airplanes by GTE.
One of these is a cordless unit which captures your credit card and
returns it when the handset is replaced.  The second type is a
seatback unit with a cord.  The seatback unit does not capture your
credit card.

The telephones installed by In-Flight Phone Corp. are also seatback
mounted and have cords.  They do not retain your credit card either.

Often, Hollywood modifies reality a bit in order to make the
screenplay a little easier.  Another glaring example is the fact that
upward calling to a commercial airplane just does _not_ exist.  (Yet,
but that's another post.)


Gordon S. Hlavenka  cgordon@vpnet.chi.il.us
Date: Sun, 4 Oct 92 15:47:54 EDT
From: dwn@dwn.ccd.bnl.gov (Dave Niebuhr)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Telecom in the MidWest
Organization: TELECOM Digest
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 759, Message 3 of 14

In TELECOM Digest V12 #752 Ang Peng Hwa <MCMANGPH@NUSVM.BITNET>
writes:
 
> Pat noted:

>> Even twenty years ago, Tulsa, OK, was considered an ideal place for
>> telemarketers as was Omaha, NB. Why? Because they had the least
>> expensive WATS costs of anywhere in the USA. After all, the most you
>> can go in any direction from Tulsa is 2,000 miles or less,....

> I was told that the reason telemarketers chose the MidWest was that they
> had the most "neutral" accents. Nebraska was said to have been pitching
> that. I'm told by a Nebraskan that she thinks the accent is neutral
> except for Washington, which they pronounced "Waa-shington."

Another reason for good telephone service in Nebraska is that Omaha
was the home of the former Strategic Air Command of the US Air Force
and top-notch telecom service was needed.

At least that was one of the reasons I was told when I grew up there.

If PAT doesn't mind, I'd like to point out that Nebraska's
abbreviation is NE not NB.


Dave Niebuhr      Internet: niebuhr@bnl.gov / Bitnet: niebuhr@bnl
Brookhaven National Laboratory Upton, NY 11973  (516)-282-3093


[Moderator's Note: Thanks for the postal code abbreviation correction.
And as 'they' say, the abbreviation for the area along the south shore
of Lake Michigan from southeast Chicago eastward to Gary is PU.  :)   PAT]
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 92 08:58:34 EDT
From: egg@inuxy.att.com (Edwin G Green)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: AT&T Public Phone 2000
Organization: AT&T
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 750, Message 10 of 13

roy%cybrspc@cs.umn.edu (Roy M. Silvernail) writes:

> [regarding the AT&T Public Phone 2000]

> Now, if AT&T and the airports were to join some forces, perhaps we
> might see a PP3K that includes TDD access along with the rest of the
> fancy features.

The Public Phone 2000, when equipped with a keyboard, can be (and
almost always is) a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD).


Edwin G. Green    AT&T Bell Laboratories     Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
INH 1E-506        317-845-3659     egg@inuxy.att.com
Date: Thu, 01 Oct 92 14:10:37 PST
From: Leonard.Erickson@f51.n105.z1.fidonet.org (Leonard Erickson)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: N0N/N1N Exchanges and 1+ Dialing
Organization: TELECOM Digest
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 757, Message 3 of 13

I'm going to add to the confusion *again*.

Here in Portland (and as far as I know, all of Oregon) we have the "1
means toll" setup.

Calling Vancouver, WA (just a few hundred yards acroos the Columbia
River, and in the same LATA) requires 1-206-NNX-XXXX. Calling local
calls is NNX-XXXX. Toll calls in NPA 503 (regardless of LATA) are
1-NNX-XXXX.

Note that there *are* a few points in Oregon where local calls can be
made to exchanges in 208 or 708. They are *also* made with NNX-XXXX
dialing. And those exchanges cannot be used anywhere in NPA 503
because of this! (I found that out a few years back when I asked about
the notation "PROT NPA 208" and "PROT NPA 708" on an exchange list I
got from someone at the phone company.

Apparenlty due to some sort of technical considerations, we'd have to
go to universal ten-digit dialing to allow the use of such office
codes (BTW, we currently have only about 50 left, *including* the
"protected" ones.

I think that a new feature is needed. A code that can be dialed before
a number (much like the cancel call waiting code) that will instruct
the switch to fail the call if the number is toll. Sort of a "one
call" toll restriction. Perhaps even add it to regular toll
restriction. So you'd have four possible line types: 1) no toll
restriction (current default). 2) no toll restiction with per call
blocking. 3) toll restriction with per call override. 4) toll restricted
(currently available).

I'd be willing to pay a small charge for such a feature, just so I'd
*know* that my BBS isn't going to make toll calls without my
knowledge. (I just discovered that I'd gotten incorrect information a
year or so back, and I had an exchange marked as local, that was
actually halfway across the state!)

True, similar features can be achieved with "toll blockers" or (in the
case of a BBBS or the like) with proper toll tables and software. But
those solutions depend on the availability of *accurate* exchange
lists. And keeping them updated. It'd work much better on the switch.

If anybody at Bellcore is reading this, I hope it gets passed along.


uucp: uunet!m2xenix!puddle!51!Leonard.Erickson
Internet: Leonard.Erickson@f51.n105.z1.fidonet.org


[Moderator's Note: If you just discovered you had received incorrect
information from a year earlier, I have to wonder if you bother to
reconcile your phone bills each month or check the toll charges on
each statement, etc.  Did it go unnoticed there for a year?   PAT]
Date: Sat, 26 Sep 1992 10:53:00 +0000 
From: Henry (H.W.) Troup <hwt@bnr.ca>
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: New Cards Telephones in Ontario, Canada 
Organization: TELECOM Digest
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 736, Message 6 of 10

Bell Canada has disabled international calling card calls from
payphones for some time.  Now, they are starting to deploy significant
numbers of payphones with magnetic card readers, LCD displays, etc.
Presumably these will permit international calls -- I haven't used one
other than for local calls yet.

Recently I saw the first in an outdoor booth. (For Ottawa locals in
was near the Baskin-Robbins in the plaza at Highway 16 and
Meadowlands.)

They're all Bell Canada owned and operated.  Is there anything that it
would be useful to check or try out?

Special disclaimer: I work for a company partly owned by BCE, which
owns Bell Canada. I own stock in BCE.  This is not an official
statement, nor a commercial announcement.


Henry Troup - HWT@BNR.CA (Canada) - BNR owns but does not share my opinions
Date: Sat, 26 Sep 92 00:23:54 -0400
From: shri@freal.cs.umass.edu
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Funny Phone Behaviour
Organization: TELECOM Digest
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 736, Message 2 of 10

Hi,

  I just had my second line installed and was trying it out with and
old and slightly moody EASA-PHONE (It works, but the speakerphone mode
is crackly with noise etc.)

  When my modem picks up the line, the EASA-Phone dies out ... ie.
becomes totally dead. When the modem drops the line, the Easa-phone
gets alive again. This happens for both speakerphone and handset use.
(Modem and phone are on same line, via a duplex adapter).

  Ok, so the Easa-phone does not like the extra drop on the line,
obviously!

  [That was an important backgrounder, BTW. Read on ...]

  Ok ... now the funny part ...

  If I dial my other number, and let the answering machine (a taiwan
make) pick up the call, strange things occur. The EASA-phone recieves
loud and clear the ring-back tone all the while till the machine picks
up the call,and then its total silence till the machine drops the
call. The phone just goes dead ... no recieve, no sidetone, and no
transmit my voice either.  The moment the machine drops the call .. my
Easa-phone gets crackling alive again, with sidetone and all.

   If I pick up the handset on the same answering machine, then this
does not happen. ie. all works well. (Ok the taiwan machine cum phone
puts different load on the line for the two cases.) If I pick up the
cordless (a good Sony) on that line too, then all is fine.

  Now,

  1. My Easa-phone needs a higher loop voltage, that we know.

  2. Can the kind of the remote instrument affect my loop voltage?
     How can it? Drat!!

If it helps, I am served by New England Telephone. Both phones are
served by (413)-549, come to the same punchdown in the basement, and
got to be on the same exchange.

BTW, could someone tell me what the ANI readback number is in my area
 ... Amherst, MA (413)-549?  I need it very desparately, since each
time I switch instruments and lines it gets confusing.


shrikumar ( shri@legato.cs.umass.edu, shri@iucaa.ernet.in )
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 92 6:12:38 CDT
From: phil@wubios.wustl.edu (J. Philip Miller)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: SWBT Leaves St. Louis
Organization: TELECOM Digest
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 748, Message 1 of 12

The big news of yesterday (other than Bush's visit :-) was that SWBT
corporate offices are moving from St. Louis to San Antonio.  Stated
reasons include the fact that SWBT gets 60% of its income from Texas
and to be closer to Mexico where it now has a significant ownership in
the phone company.

Maybe others closer to the action will wish to provide more
information, but according to the paper about 500 folks will move (out
of over 10,000 SWBT employees in St. Louis) and many of them were
unaware of the move until it was announced.


     J. Philip Miller, Professor, Division of Biostatistics, Box 8067
	 Washington University Medical School, St. Louis MO 63110
     phil@wubios.WUstl.edu - Internet  (314) 362-3617 [362-2694(FAX)]
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1992 00:53:42 GMT
From: GeraldR@sunfish.ratsys.com (Gerald Ruderman)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: What LD Carriers Pay Local Carriers
Organization: Rational Systems, Inc.
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 744, Message 2 of 14

How much to long distance carriers pay local carriers (in the US) for
completion of long distance calls?

Do they pay the originating local carrier as well as the terminating
one?

Does it vary by time of day or anything else?

How much do business using bypass save when they use Metropolitan
Fiber or similar companies?


Gerald Ruderman    geraldr@ratsys.com