wyatt@cfa.HARVARD.EDU (Bill Wyatt) (11/28/89)
<< [...] In short a modem call is the same as a voice
<< call, and should not be subject to any additional charges.
<
< A modem phone call is not the same as a voice phone call. Modem calls are
< continuously transmitting tones on the line, while a voice call has lots
< of periods of silence. This makes modem calls harder to multiplex on the
< phone network than voice calls.
I don't want extra charges either, but in addition to the above
consideration, modem calls are not the same simply because they
usually last much longer than a voice call. Somewhere I read an
estimate that if only 20% of household had modems in regular use,
the phone system would be hoplessly bogged down.
Bill Wyatt, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (Cambridge, MA, USA)
UUCP : {husc6,cmcl2,mit-eddie}!harvard!cfa!wyatt
ARPA: wyatt@cfa.harvard.edu
SPAN: cfa::wyatt BITNET: wyatt@cfadavidb@Pacer.UUCP (David Barts) (12/05/89)
In article <1989Nov30.233030.16215@aqdata.uucp>, sullivan@aqdata.uucp (Michael T. Sullivan) writes:
-> . . .
-> Sorry. I've tried using tone on a "new" pulse line and tone just doesn't
-> get through.
Oops, I guess not always. Nevertheless, I've been able to use tone on
a `pulse' line on every modern exchange I've tried (at least 10).
--
David Barts Pacer Corporation
davidb@pacer.uucp ...!fluke!pacer!davidbgrier@pinocchio.Berkeley.EDU (Jim Grier) (12/06/89)
In article <254@zircon.UUCP>, davidb@Pacer.UUCP (David Barts) writes: > In article <1989Nov30.233030.16215@aqdata.uucp>, sullivan@aqdata.uucp (Michael T. Sullivan) writes: > -> . . . > -> Sorry. I've tried using tone on a "new" pulse line and tone just doesn't > -> get through. > > Oops, I guess not always. Nevertheless, I've been able to use tone on > a `pulse' line on every modern exchange I've tried (at least 10). When our local (NYNEX) exchange converted from _very_ old pulse to a new switching system last year, I couldn't resist seeing whether my Touch-Tone phones worked or not. The answer depended on the make of phone. Standard old Western Electric phones with tone DO NOT generate a tone; new-fangled units that generate the tone from their own power source DO. I vaguely recall something to do with the polarity of the lines or something that is switched to gimmick the older tone phones, but there is apparently no default block on tone recognition here. Jim Grier Encore Computer Corp. grier@encore.com 508/460-0500 x2635
schow@bcarh185.bnr.ca (Stanley T.H. Chow) (12/06/89)
In article <254@zircon.UUCP> davidb@Pacer.UUCP (David Barts) writes: > >Oops, I guess not always. Nevertheless, I've been able to use tone on >a `pulse' line on every modern exchange I've tried (at least 10). >-- >David Barts Pacer Corporation >davidb@pacer.uucp ...!fluke!pacer!davidb This depends on what kind of exchange. The new (meaning <10 years) all digital switches all control tone vs pulse on a per line basis. This means you gotta pay. The older semi-digital or cross-bar switches are often "dumb" in that all lines are tone capable but it is possible to control it on a per line basis. Just that most telephone companies don't bother. Stanley Chow BitNet: schow@BNR.CA BNR UUCP: ..!psuvax1!BNR.CA.bitnet!schow (613) 763-2831 ..!utgpu!bnr-vpa!bnr-rsc!schow%bcarh185 Me? Represent other people? Don't make them laugh so hard.
greg@gagme.uucp (Gregory Gulik) (12/09/89)
In article <255@zircon.UUCP> davidb@Pacer.UUCP (David Barts) writes: >Let's move this thread out out comp.unix.wizards. Comp.misc may not >be the best place, but there's no alt.phone-phlames group :-). Sure, no problem. >My thoughts exactly. So even if I'd be living in a place where they >filter out the DTMF during the dialing stage, I'd still order a pulse >line. I'd get a nice warm feeling from paying less for a line that >costs the phone company more. > >... Until everybody starts doing this and then the phone co. would >RAISE rates on pulse lines so they'd be more than DTMF. :-( Well, sounds like a good idea, but a few year ago when my family lived in an area serviced by Illinois Bell and we bought our first touch tone phone, we plugged it in and were pleasantly surprised that it worked without having to pay the touch tone service. Well, some time went by and nobody got around to informing the phone company that there is a touch tone phone using the line now, and everything was peachy. Well, a couple weeks later, somebody from the phone company called and informed us that they will be adding the touch tone service fee to our bill from now on since they have detected the use of a touch tone phone on that line. Yep, we got busted! -greg -- Gregory A. Gulik ...!jolnet!gagme!greg || greg@gagme.UUCP || gulik@depaul.edu
rwa@cs.AthabascaU.CA (Ross Alexander) (12/11/89)
Here in Sunny Alberta [ :-) ], whether DTMF works or not is a function of whether you've paid a $2 surcharge on your basic line rental fee. AGT turns it on or off on a per-subscriber basis. Cheap sods... when I was still on the old 4-subscriber party line (6 months ago), DTMF worked just fine. I've paid a ton of $$$ to upgrade to private line; now I have to pulse dial. Progress, this is progress! Ross
mrk@gvgspd.GVG.TEK.COM (Michael R. Kesti) (12/12/89)
In article <26@gagme.uucp> greg@gagme.UUCP (Gregory Gulik) writes: >[...] somebody from the phone company called and informed us that >they will be adding the touch tone service fee to our bill from now >on since they have detected the use of a touch tone phone on that >line. The way I understand it is that the real irony here is that it actually costs the phone company less to provide the touch tone service (a matter of economy of scale) but that the Public Utility Commission(s), who set the rates, insist on charging according to the "value" of the services provided, not their cost. I'd say that this results in it being worth a phone company's while to actively search out persons such as Greg, and get that billing upgraded! -- ============================================================================ Michael Kesti Grass Valley Group, Inc. | "Like one and one don't make two, mrk@gvgspd.GVG.TEK.COM | one and one make one." !tektronix!gvgpsa!gvgspd!mrk | - The Who, Bargain