HAMER524@ruby.vcu.edu (Robert M. Hamer) (03/01/91)
Arnold Robbins <arnold%audiofax.com@mathcs.emory.edu> writes: > code. The Atlanta LATA is apparently the largest free calling area in > the world, from what an adjunct professor who works for Southern Bell > once told me. I heard somewhere that the "Big Island" in Hawaii might also be a candidate for largest free calling area, as in Hawaii, each island is a LATA. Anyone know for sure?
newton@gumby.cs.caltech.edu (Mike Newton) (03/03/91)
This seems to come up every few years... As of when I was last living there (1.5 years ago -- and Hawaiian Tel doesnt move too fast ..) all of the Big Island (4000+ sq. mi.) is one calling area. It also has one of the greatest vertical calls. The observatories on top (14 k feet) have Hilo prefixes (sea level and 15 miles away). Also, Hilo is the wettest US city (average of 160 in/yr rain in Hilo). Long distance was amusing. I could call Mass. (at night, possibly during the day too, but I've forgotten for sure) far cheaper than I could call Oahu (Honolulu). (With _Long_ Reach out America). But, all calls to the mainland did something like: me --> local-switch --> u-wave station --> u-wave xcvr (oahu) --> oahu CO --> '2 block long' cable to ATT --> [usually:] satallite xmtr --> satallite xcvr (near San Fran.) [the last few could be replaced with cable to mainland ... making cnversations _much_ easier due to the lack of delay]. It gave even newer meaning to the phrase `phase shift' ... We never did get our PEP telebit modems going above 600 cps ... mike (newton@gumby.cs.caltech.edu) Beach Bums Anonymous, Pasadena President