blake@xrtll.uucp (Blake McCraw) (02/07/90)
I know that you didn't want to hear much about Caller-ID, but there
hasn't been much information regarding the situation on this topic in
Canada.
I was at a seminar type of thing at the Inn on the Park last night.
There was a meeting of all the major (?) customers of a computer
distributor named Ingram. There was a guy from Bell Canada there who
gave a speech about the future of Bell's so-called digital platform
technology. I am presuming that this means fibre optics and all the
nifty computer-based gadgetry that it entails. He spoke of ISDN and a
system similar to the old Telidon terminals called ALEX that has
already been implemented in Montreal and/or Ottawa.
After having a few of the ol' vino's, I cornered the guy and quizzed
him about Caller-ID (which in Canada will fall under the title of
"Call Management"). Either he was very good at being evasive or he
really didn't know what the situation was. More likely, he was victim
of a condition of Bell Canada of which he was not too pleased to be
informed: the compartmentalization of information that is essential
for any conglomorate of its size in order to maintain its operational
level of consumer misinformation. He did however confirm to me that
there were no plans to provide any mechanism by which one could
curtail the distribution of one's telephone number just by placing an
outgoing call.
I didn't press him for details regarding any possible public hearings
or even soliciting the public's opinion on the topic for fear of
totally wearing out what little welcome I had left with which to
question the fellow.
He had no idea whether Northern Telecom would be distributing any
devices other than the basic phone that would display the incoming
number. I also surveyed the representatives of the various modem
manufacturers: none had any idea of any plans for a device for
intercepting digitally the incoming phone number. If I was any way
energetic I would figure out how to make and manufacture one myself.
blake@xrtll Clascom Computers, 80 Richmond St. W.
Toronto, Ontario M5H 2A4
Voice: (416) 369-9944 Fax: (416) 369-9786