ehopper@attmail.com (01/18/91)
These are the AT&T releases on the war: AT&T ADVISORIES *** There was an extraordinary surge of calling to the Middle East during the first five hours after war erupted (7 p.m. to midnight EST). There was significant blocking of international calls last night, and some international calls are still being blocked to some countries. International calling volumes remain very heavy into andoutof the Middle East. From 7 p.m. to midnight EST last night, the domestic AT&T network experienced almost 25% increase in calling volume. Despite this, the network continued to function within normal ranges. There was no significant blocking. *** AT&T and other companies have received numerous bomb threats during the past few days. AT&T received several such threats yesterday. On investigation all such threats appear to be unfounded to date. *** 8 A.M. EST FLASH -- As of 8 a.m. this morning, the AT&T network is operating normally. We are experiencing no significant problems with domestic calling. Calling to and from Iraq ceased shortly after air attacks began there, and we have not been able to re-establish communications. International calling remains heavy. Calls are getting through. However, some customers may hear a recording that circuits are busy. Operators can assist if necessary, but we recommend at the present time that customers delay international calls to the Middle East region. There have been no reports of injury to AT&T employees or damage to any company property or equipment domestically or overseas. AT&T IN THE NEWS *** WAR WORDS -- Phone lines were jammed as people tried to make contact with loved ones. Domestic lines were busier, but nothing like international lines. Within 90 minutes, phone traffic had returned to normal, except one, said AT&T's Lynn Newman. "At 7:03 p.m., we lost all direct circuits to Iraq." [USA Today] *** At AT&T facilities in Kansas City and elsewhere, security manpower has been increased, spokesman Fran Anderson said. Employees have been briefed on new security procedures, she said, declining to discuss details. US Sprint also has reviewed security matters with employees and stepped up its security efforts, even though it has received no immediate threats. [KC Star] *** Long-distance lines in the U.S. are "particularly unprotected" and could be targets of terrorist attacks, a high ranking U.S. senator who serves on a Select Committee for Intelligence warned colleagues earlier this month. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) is proposing a three-step plan to assess "key vulnerabilities" that could be targets for such international terrorists as Abu Nidal who, Hatch said, is in Baghdad and "ready to resume business." The Utah senator said that although the FBI has taken some "preliminary stop-gap measures" to warn private companies of the potential of terrorist attack, he favors a national plan that would first assess "vulnerable technologies," then establish protection standards and a plan to build "redundancy" into systems so that downtime would be eliminated should a terrorist attack be successful. James Messenger, an AT&T spokesman, said the company's Bell Labs have been working on network reliability features for its underground cables since 1984, but that the Jan. 4 break was "rather extraordinary." [Long-Distance Letter, 1/91]
abm88@ecs.soton.ac.uk (Morley A.B.) (01/21/91)
In <16146@accuvax.nwu.edu> ehopper@attmail.com writes: >*** AT&T and other companies have received numerous bomb threats >during the past few days. AT&T received several such threats Can anyone tell me whay anyone would wish to bomb telecommunications sites? Is it AT&T in particular or all telecom companies? Andrew Morley, abm88@uk.ac.soton.ecs [Moderator's Note: The same people who propose these 'solutions' are the same ones who propose terrorizing the post office. For the past week, the post office I use has had *no* wastebaskets; *no* mail receptacles inside the building; *no* convenience lockers where you insert a few coins to rent a little locked compartment for a few hours. All but one entrance is locked, at a location of the building which is inconvenient to me. Many of the banks have their night deposit slots blocked off. All the federal building toilet facilities are closed to the public. Something tells me I am going to be tired of this war in more ways than one before it is over ... and just now on the television President Bush said 'everything is right on schedule'. Ha! and double ha! PAT]