HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
Date: Tue, 01 Sep 1992 16:02:08 GMT
From: zweig@cs.uiuc.edu (Johnny Zweig)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: ISDN And Dialing 911
Reply-To: zweig@cs.uiuc.edu
Organization: University of Illinois, Dept. of Comp. Sci., Urbana, IL
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 677, Message 11 of 11

I was chatting with a couple of friends last night about the rumored
criminal case in which somebody died because Garth Brooks concert
tickets went on sale and nobody could get a dialtone to call 911 with
the switches saturated with thousands of eager ticketbuyers, and it
occurred to me that the obvious solution to the problem may be
forthcoming.

The obvious solution, to me at least, is to have line cards that are
smart enough to tell that someone is dialing 911, and some
priority-based emergency override in the switch so that an emergency
call goes through at the cost of possibly not giving a line to (or
even taking bandwidth away from) a non-emergency call.  

My understanding is that current switches are designed to have the
line cards just digitizing the customer's loop signal and send
keypresses on to the switch for processing (it isn't clear to me if
keypresses are decoded before or after digitization -- I could see
arguments for either way of doing it).  The problem is that the system
needs a distributed way of detecting the emergency call -- there must
be some resource that belongs to a line permanently, so that mobs of
concert fans can't use it all up. Since line cards are the only piece
of central office equipment a line is always connected to, that seems
the logical place to put the emergency detection smarts.

Then I considered that ISDN line cards might well be intelligent
enough to more sophisticated processing of the signal coming from a
customer's line.  The must clearly be enough stuff for it to
demultiplex out the D channel and send signalling information to the
switch.  It thus seems that the protocol that operates between the
line card and the switch could be set up to allow an emergency
override, so that dialing 911 on one's ISDN phone caused the call to
go through no matter what kind of nasty stuff was going on in the
switch.  All that is needed is some way for a line card to demand
attention somehow.  Since the phone units are smart, they could
generate a special signal to put on the D channel, regardless of
whether there is switch capacity to give dial tone.

So my question for the list is: Do you suppose that ISDN can and will
create an environment in which everyone in town flooding a switch with
requests will not cause people to be unable to dial 911 due to lack of
dialtone?


Johnny Emergency
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 92 12:56:53 EDT
From: andys@internet.sbi.com (Andy Sherman)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: AT&T and Sandia
Reply-To: andys@flatline.sbi.com (Andy Sherman)
Organization: TELECOM Digest
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 665, Message 14 of 15

In article <telecom12.660.5@eecs.nwu.edu>, haynes@cats.ucsc.edu (Jim
Haynes) writes:

> I see by the news that after September, 1993 AT&T will no longer serve
> as the management and operating contractor for the Dept. of Energy
> Sandia National Laboratories.  Does anybody know what's happening?  Is
> this AT&Ts decision, or DOE's decision, or is the lab being closed, or
> what?

This was AT&T's decision.  As far as I know the lab will remain open,
but with peace breaking out all over you can never tell.  As I recall
The official word was on the order of "we'd like to concentrate on
making money now".

The Sandia contract was cost + $1.00.


Andy Sherman
Salomon Inc  -  Unix Systems Support  -  Rutherford, NJ
(201) 896-7018  -  andys@flatline.sbi.com or asherman@mhnj.sbi.com
"These opinions are mine, all *MINE*.  My employer can't have them."
From: aescherm@iastate.edu (A Person of Awareness)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Funny Answering Service Error (was How Do I Locate Graybar?)
Date: 31 Aug 92 17:28:06 GMT
Organization: Iowa State University, Ames, IA
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 674, Message 10 of 10

Speaking of miscommunications:

I worked for US West Paging in Iowa this last spring and we had a
radio so we could act as an intermediary point between the police
department and the towing company that does their impounds.

I listened to a conversation one night that I will relate:

Base: [name deleted], you might want to grab the private tow at 10th and
      Locust.  It's a 79 Gray Dodge Van.

Mobile:  What color did you say it was?

Base:  Gray

Mobile:  What color, didn't get that?

Base:  Graaaaay    GRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!

Mobile:  Sorry still didn't get the color.

Base:  It's ggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaa
       aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy   GRAY!!!!!

Mobile:  You say it's a GAY van????

At this point I was laughing so hard my headset fell off and I almost
disconnected some poor woman trying to reach an insurance company.


Anthony Clifton
Date: Wed, 02 Sep 1992 13:31:44 GMT
From: kludge@grissom.larc.nasa.gov ( Scott Dorsey)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Automated Hate Calls in Minnesota
Organization: NASA Langley Research Center and Reptile Farm
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 681, Message 12 of 14

> [Moderator's Note: We have one working hard here at present exhorting
> whoever answers to be sure and vote Democratic.  PAT]

What do you want to bet that it's run by the Republican party in an attempt
to annoy voters and dissuade them from voting Democratic?


scott


[Moderator's Note: That sort of thing is always possible.  :)  PAT]
Date: Sun, 23 Aug 92 13:45:32 GMT
From: vixen!jadams@uunet.UU.NET (26070-adams)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: What are Personal Communication Services
Organization: Bellcore, Livingston, NJ
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 656, Message 10 of 10

In article <telecom12.641.7@eecs.nwu.edu>, perl@dwrsun4.UUCP (Robert
Perlberg) writes:

> I have seen mention in many industry magazines of Personal
> Communication Services (PCS).  ...stuff deleted
> ... How is PCS different from/better than cellular?

The common usage of PCS around here, NEW BUZZWORD ALERT -> NOMADIC
SERVICES!, is to establish a single number for each person, allowing
the intelligence of the network to figure out where to route it to
(home, macro cellular, micro cellular, etc.)  Visionaries also view
PCS as not simply single phone number, but seemless service as well.
i.e., voice mail on busy/don't answer, call park and page, plus all
the services operating uniformly no matter where the customer happens
to be.


Jack (John) Adams	     Bellcore RRC 4B-259
(908) 699-3447 {Voice}	     (908) 336-2871 {Facsimile}
jadams@vixen.bellcore.com    kahuna@attmail.com
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 92 19:20:42 GMT
From: aj008@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Aaron M. Barnes)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: New Sony 696HF VCR's For $329!
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, (USA)
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 663, Message 6 of 8

Thats right -- New 696HF VCR's for $329.

All you have to do is send your request for information to this
gentleman:

interpol@casbah.acns.nwu.edu

He let me know about this, but did not specify the dealer.

I am sure he would appreciate any and all responses.


Thanks.

Aaron Barnes    aj008@cleveland.freenet.edu


[Moderatpr's Note: Two questions: Do you think that is really such a
good deal, and who is 'interpol' here in the Chicago area. Casbah is a
work station here at Northwestern University in the Academic Computing
Center.  Oh, never mind, I will finger interpol myself:

[casbah.acns.nwu.edu]
Login name: interpol  			In real life: Drew Cheng
Directory: /home/u2/interpol        	Shell: /bin/csh
Last login Wed Aug 26 00:04 on ttyp1 from elvex.nwu.edu
No unread mail
Plan:
To search out and destroy every computer geek that FINGERs people to try to
find out their real names!  Do you HEAR me, you nerdy little hackers?  I'M
AFTER YOU!  Finger THIS, you putzes!  PREPARE TO DIE!!!  HAHAHAHAHHAHAHA.....
AHAHAHHAHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!
hahhahahahahahahaha!!!!!!
hahahah
ha
I kill me

(sorry, I've been on Prozac lately...)


[Moderator's Note: I guess so. I think I'd rather buy a used car from
this guy than a VCR.   PAT]
Date: 03 SEP 92 02:24 GMT   
From: MPA15AB!RANDY@TRENGA.tredydev.unisys.com
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Weird Intercept
Organization: TELECOM Digest
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 681, Message 5 of 14

In reference to my report of a "Your call cannot be completed as
dialed from the phone you are using; please check the instruction card
and dial again" intercept when trying to call 213-663-xxxx,
john@zygot.ati.com (John Higdon) writes:

> BTW, 663 IS still in 213. Call GTE repair about six times. That might
> do it. You will notice that I never had to ask if you were in GTE
> territory.

In this case, GTE has an airtight alibi: the intercept only occurs
when I try it from my office (in PacBell land) as a normal, 1+ call.
If I place it over our long-distance network, or via a major LD
carrier, it goes through fine.


Randy Gellens            randy%mpa15ab@trenga.tredydev.unisys.com
>>>>>>> If mail bounces, forward to rgellens@mcimail.com <<<<<<<<
Opinions are personal; facts are suspect; I speak only for myself
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 92 19:24:03 GMT
From: lars@spectrum.CMC.COM (Lars Poulsen)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Staying Up All Night - Or All Day
Organization: CMC Network Systems (Rockwell DCD), Santa Barbara, CA, USA
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 662, Message 3 of 14

In article <telecom12.659.3@eecs.nwu.edu> James.VanHouten@f544.
n109.z1.fidonet.org (James VanHouten) writes:

> Is there a tariff that prevents subscribers from dedicating modems
> together on POTS lines.  One of my customers has 20 auto parts stores
> that call into their parts computer every morning at 7 AM and they
> stay up until about 6 PM.  How are they getting away with this??

Until a few months ago, this GTE service area had flat rate local
calling, but now all business calls are metered. The rate is about
$0.02 / minute daytime, $0.01 / minute nighttime. Residential
subscribers have a choice between flat rate and measured local calls.
I would not be surprised to see flat rate phased out in a couple of
years.

The net result is that for a wide area of rate bands, from local to
transcontinental, it is cheaper to lease a line than to keep a call up
for more than about seven hours per day.

How common is flat rate or per call local calls anymore ?  If you will
mail me your data, I will summarize for the Digest.

Sample:
					Line,		daytime	night
City or suburb, ST Co	NPA-PFX	Plan	Monthly	Percall	Per min	Per min
Santa Barbara, CA GTE	805-682	Bus	$35.00	$0.02	$0.02	$0.01
Santa Barbara, CA GTE	805-682	Resflat	$12.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00


Lars Poulsen, SMTS Software Engineer	Internet E-mail: lars@CMC.COM
CMC Network Products / Rockwell Int'l	Telephone: +1-805-968-4262	
Santa Barbara, CA 93117-3083		TeleFAX:   +1-805-968-8256
Date: Sun, 30 Aug 1992 15:01:13 PDT
From: zygot!john@apple.com (John Higdon)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Voice Message Service
Reply-To: John Higdon <john@zygot.ati.com>
Organization: Green Hills and Cows
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 670, Message 6 of 12

On Aug 27 at 15:37, Scott Hinckley +1 205 650 0400 writes:

> Around here only the COCOTs offer that leave a message on busy service.
> Of course they charge much more for it ($1.00 I believe).

I did not see a price for the Pac*Bell proposal. Do you know that it
is actually cheaper?

You bring up an interesting point, however. Notice how as with the
information providing business, the field has been tried and tested by
true entrepreneurs who had to put up real risk capital to try out
their ideas. Once a market seems to be viable, then the telco muscles
its way into the market with its network control and ratepayer
subsidization.  Then it offers a better product at a cheaper price,
putting the competition out of business. Of course it does this with
free money and its superior network access.

Sidebar: Free Money: If the venture is successful, then no venture
capitalists must be paid off. If it fails, then the telco goes to the
PUC with a rate increase to cover its losses. Win/win.

It sure is a good thing for the LECs that there are plenty of suckers
out there willing to try out new technologies and markets. That way,
the telcos can sit back, watch for new markets that look attractive,
and then take over the ones that appear to hold promise for high
profits.

Note: The above correspondent asked that I submit his comment. It is
herewith submitted at the top of this message in its entirety complete
with my remarks. A two for one bonus!


        John Higdon         |   P. O. Box 7648   |   +1 408 264 4115
    john@zygot.ati.com      | San Jose, CA 95150 |       M o o !
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1992 23:36:04 GMT
From: lchiu@animal.gcs.co.nz (Laurence Chiu)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Monitoring of Broadcasts
Organization: GCS Limited, Wellington, New Zealand
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 666, Message 3 of 13

In article <telecom12.661.12@eecs.nwu.edu> voorhis@aecom.yu.edu
(Adrienne Voorhis) writes:

> What if a reporter, for instance, was listening to a police band
> radio and heard a newsworthy event?  Could he or she legitimately be
> punished for reporting this information?

Then I wonder if those laws apply in England. For those who are not
royal watchers the current scandal is the publication of recording of
intimate phone conversations between Princess Diana and some
unidentified "friend" in which the subject matter is embarrassing to
say the least. The tapes were made by someone who was apparently just
idly scanning the airwaves with his scanner and happened to pick up
the cell-phone frequencies.  The last news report I saw indicated that
the UK authorities had decided not to take any action against him.


Laurence Chiu
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 1992 09:14:17 GMT
From: kwang@zeus.calpoly.edu (Kevin Wang)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Busy Call Forwarding options in CA?
Organization: The Outland Riders
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 663, Message 3 of 8

I was looking for busy call forwarding, relatively cheap.  I would
install a hunt group, but unfortunately, our house line and my line
are on two separate billing names, so I cannot use that option.

I would like to use Busy Call Forwardning (CommStar ][ ) except that
the cost quickly climbs up beyond what I would like to pay.

Anyone have any alternatives?  I'm in San Luis Obispo (Central Coast)
and we don't have the latest and greatest in CO equipment.

(However, Cal Poly, SLO is setting up ISDN to end-users' homes, so
soon we'll have 64kb access to the internet! 8> )

Email me if possible, I don't read this newsgroup often enough.


Kevin Wang    kwang@hermes.calpoly.edu or kwang@gauss.elee.calpoly.edu
From: leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Question About PBX Phone
Date: 29 Aug 92 08:58:50 GMT
Article-I.D.: eecs.telecom12.673.3
Reply-To: 70465.203@compuserve.com
Organization: SCN Research/Qic Laboratories of Tigard, Oregon.
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 673, Message 3 of 13

dcg5662@hertz.njit.edu (Dave Grabowski) writes:

> I recently obtained a telephone that was used on a private Centrex
> system. It has a sticker on the back : "Caution: For use only on
> business lines or risk of electrical short circuit" (or something like
> that.) I popped it open, and it doesn't have a matching transformer or
> usual huge (.1mf, 450+volt) cap used in most other telephone-line
> devices. My question: Do I need to bother adding this hardware? I've
> got it on a line now and it's been there for a few weeks and it works
> fine.

It's probably set up to do A/A1 answer supervision. That means that
when you take it off hook, it *shorts* the second pair of wires
together.

If you have two-line wiring, this'll "busy out" the other line. If you
have one of those transformers mentioned recently, it'll short *that*
out. (not good!)

It's easy enough to check. See where the *outer* pair of wires
connects inside. Then, while the phone is not connected to the wall,
take it off hook. If the resistance between those wires drops to
nothing, it's wired that way, and you should disconnect one of the
wires where it enters the phone.

Some modems have A/A1 supervision as a "feature". I was getting
*quite* upset about the way one of our phone lines was failing to work
until I traced the problem to the modem!


Leonard Erickson		      leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com
CIS: [70465,203]			 70465.203@compuserve.com
FIDO:   1:105/51	 Leonard.Erickson@f51.n105.z1.fidonet.org
(The CIS & Fido addresses are preferred)
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 92 07:51:01 EDT
From: ers@cblpe.att.com (Eugene R Schroeder)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Polite Thief
Organization: AT&T
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 665, Message 5 of 15

In article <telecom12.661.14@eecs.nwu.edu> Jerry Leichter <leichter@
lrw.com> writes:

> Yesterday, I tried to place a long-distance credit card call using a
> pay phone in Piscataway, New Jersey.  LD service was from some company
> like "American Network Services".  Needless to say, I dialed 10288
> first.

> No combination I tried would let me select AT&T; either the sequence
> was (legitimately) declared invalid, or I got the "not necessary"
> message.

> I seem to recall that AT&T has a number at which they want nonsense
> like this reported, but I can't remember it.  Anyone?

The number to report having 10288+0 blocked from a public phone is
1-800-742-6260 (we got stickers some time ago to put on our
calling/universal cards).

Presumably this results in AT&T taking action to get the phone
unblocked.  Hopefully you can make the 800 for free.


Non-disclaimer:  I work for AT&T

Gene
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 92 17:11 EDT 
From: jbutz@homxa.att.com 
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Another AOS Experience
Organization: TELECOM Digest
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 664, Message 3 of 12

leichter@lrw.com writes:

> And this is right in the heart of AT&T land: Fire a gun in any >
direction and you'll probably hit an AT&T facility!

At a recent reunion of my college buddies at Puglia's family style
Italian restaurant (home of Jorge the keyboard player, dancing
permitted, but don't drink the house red) in Little Italy in
Manhattan, I had the unpleasant occasion of running into one of these
AOS monsters.  A 0+ call gave me a bong tone followed by a mechanical,
female voice announcing "ITI Telecommunications."  10288 was blocked
as well.  A call to 1-800-CALL-ATT put me in touch with an AT&T
customer rep who picked up the ANI that was intentionally not posted
on the phone, recorded the street address and cheerfully connected me
to bong tone which allowed me to complete my call on the carrier of MY
choice.  AT&T and NY Tel must have an intra-lata call completion
agreement, since my intra-lata call to "da Bronx" terminated with no
problems.

> I seem to recall that AT&T has a number at which they want nonsense
> like this reported, but I can't remember it.  Anyone?

The number is 1-800-CALL-ATT.

+ To report an AOS that blocks carrier selection, select option 2, 
  then option 0 for a customer rep.

+ To bill to card, select option 2, then option 1.  Enter the number 
  you are dialing, followed by your card number.


Later,

J Butz   jbutz@homxa.att.com  AT&T-BL   ER700 System Engineering
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 15:18:57 GMT
From: mcovingt@athena.cs.uga.edu (Michael A. Covington)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Disaster Reporting On Usenet
Organization: University of Georgia, Athens
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 682, Message 4 of 10

Back during the Los Angeles riots, I suggested organizing emergency
communications on Usenet, which should be able to play much the same
role as amateur radio.  Nobody did anything.  Rick Broadhead's mention
of the hurricane raises the issue again.  Any takers?


Michael Covington - Artificial Intelligence Programs - U of Georgia - USA 
Unless otherwise noted, these are private opinions, not official statements.
Date: 2 Sep 92 23:09:54 +1000
From: 10u6579@csdvax.csd.unsw.edu.au
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Multi-Frequency Signalling Queries
Organization: University of New South Wales
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 680, Message 4 of 9

Hi,

   I have a query about multifrequency signalling used in the
telephone system.  Is there any standard set of frequencies used for
signalling worlwide?  Where can I find out specific info on signalling
in Australia, the local Telecom office library won't let me in as I am
not a staff member!

  Is inband signalling still popular or is it all done on special
signalling circuits.  If you can help clear up my confusion please
E-mail to:

     Henry,   10u6579@csdvax.csd.unsw.oz.au
     University of NSW,  Sydney Australia.
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 92 5:00:34 EDT
From: Nigel.Allen@lambada.oit.unc.edu
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: San Francisco Area Exchange Names
Organization: TELECOM Digest
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 668, Message 2 of 12

In Volume 12, Issue 661, dmr@rugrat.Corp.Sun.COM (Daniel M. Rosenberg)
asks:

> Does anyone happen to have a phone book sufficiently old enough
> to list the old-style exchange names in the South Bay?
 
Pacific Bell probably has a historical department that could answer
your question.

If you are interested in looking at old telephone directories, your
local library may have them on microfilm. (In Canada, the Metro
Toronto Reference Library has a complete set of all Bell Canada
telephone directories ever issued on microfilm.) It's interesting to
look at a 1953 directory in which today's office-park suburbs show up
as farming communities with manual telephone service.