jsol@bu-it.bu.edu (09/11/89)
Yes, those magnanimous switches were something to behold. What I found most amusing was the absorbing of digits. In the Niantic CT exchange (they just went DMS or ESS this year) (203-739), you only had to dial 9-xxxx to get local numbers. The local calling area was them and New London (all started with 4), Norwich (all started with 8) and then recently Old Lyme (434 -- which broke the 4-meant-new-london rule into 44 for New London, and 43 for Old Lyme). Anyway, you could dial: 7373737373737377773333377777333331-800-536-8000 and it would happily interpret the 1 at the end of the absorption, and feed the rest of the number to the tandem. In any case, as a kid growing up, I had PLENTY of fun with this. In Hamden, CT: (203-288, 203-248, 203-281), you could dial 231 if you wanted 281, or 238 if you wanted 288. That's sort of the same thing as absorption but more complex, since there are two digits you can absorb. I believe (203-684) Stafford Springs, CT is still a SxS exchange, as is Orange, MA (508-544), but the number is definitely getting smaller. I think there are more fun things you can do with an ESS now than ever before. Like "Intelledial" (residential centrex). I just got mine and love it. --jsol
kenr@bbn.com (Ken Rossen) (09/12/89)
In article <telecom-v09i0365m05@vector.dallas.tx.us> jsol@bu-it.bu.edu writes: >I believe (203-684) Stafford Springs, CT is still a SxS exchange, as is >Orange, MA (508-544), but the number is definitely getting smaller. I think Orange, like Athol (508/249) is a crossbar, tho' I could be wrong. But in the (still relatively rural) area of Massachusetts between Worcester and the Quabbin and stretching all the way from the CT to NH lines, SxSs are the exception, rather than the rule. They all have five-digit dialing, and many (as in my town) will accept four digits within the exchange. They all have their quirks, but the one I find most annoying is that the limited number of long-distance circuits results in a busy upon dialing "1", the limited number of circuits to each neighboring town can result in busy after the first two [disambiguating] digits, etc. This makes it fairly important to listen to the progress of your dialing, which is impractical with a dialing modem, or with a phone which (like most pulse/tone switchable phones in pulse mode) blocks out the noise while dialing is in progress. In general, New England Telephone seems to have made better progress migrating New Hampshire to ESS than Massachusetts; remaining SxSs in the southern half of NH tend to be privately-, even family-owned (as in Chichester). They're saying all-electronic by 1992, but many of the towns in Worcester County and much of 413 has yet to be done. I only know of one SxS conversion in Mass. in my four years in New England, and that's Pepperell (508/433, I'm sure there are a few others). Not exactly a breakneck pace. -- KENR@BBN.COM
goldstein@delni.enet.dec.com (09/13/89)
In article <telecom-v09i0368m04@vector.dallas.tx.us>, kenr@bbn.com (Ken Rossen) writes... >But in the (still relatively rural) area of Massachusetts between >Worcester and the Quabbin and stretching all the way from the CT to NH >lines, SxSs are the exception, rather than the rule. They all have >five-digit dialing, and many (as in my town) will accept four digits >within the exchange. That's backwards, and I think you meant to say it right: SxS is the rule in that area. New England Tel is (wisely) phasing out crossbar much faster than it's phasing out SxS. The latter ages more gracefully! Only steppers generally accept abbreviated dialing. >In general, New England Telephone seems to have made better progress >migrating New Hampshire to ESS than Massachusetts; remaining SxSs in >the southern half of NH tend to be privately-, even family-owned (as >in Chichester). They're saying all-electronic by 1992, but many of >the towns in Worcester County and much of 413 has yet to be done. I >only know of one SxS conversion in Mass. in my four years in New >England, and that's Pepperell (508/433, I'm sure there are a few >others). Not exactly a breakneck pace. As of 1/1/89, NET had 96 steppers left in Mass., about a third of their offices and about 7 1/2% of lines. NH had 55 steppers, 45% of offices and 12 1/2% of lines. Maine had 100 steppers, 71% of offices and almost a third of lines. That includes a lot of replacement work done in the past four years! Most of Worcester County is due for upgrade in 1990, though. Middlesex County (closer in to Boston) is pretty much out of steppers now; Littleton upgraded in 1986.
dcr0@gte.com (David Robbins) (09/14/89)
From article <telecom-v09i0368m04@vector.dallas.tx.us>, by kenr@bbn.com (Ken Rossen): ... > But in the (still relatively rural) area of Massachusetts between > Worcester and the Quabbin and stretching all the way from the CT to NH > lines, SxSs are the exception, rather than the rule. They all have ^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^ Surely you meant SxSs are the *rule* rather than the *exception*. > five-digit dialing, and many (as in my town) will accept four digits > within the exchange. ... > In general, New England Telephone seems to have made better progress > migrating New Hampshire to ESS than Massachusetts; remaining SxSs in > the southern half of NH tend to be privately-, even family-owned (as > in Chichester). They're saying all-electronic by 1992, but many of > the towns in Worcester County and much of 413 has yet to be done. I > only know of one SxS conversion in Mass. in my four years in New > England, and that's Pepperell (508/433, I'm sure there are a few > others). Not exactly a breakneck pace. Those of us who live in Central Mass. are constantly reminded by the Boston and Providence news media (by being totally ignored in same) that we don't really exist. We're sort of in between, and despite the fact that Worcester, at last count, is the second largest city in New England, we have no "major" media "of our own." (I live in a town just southeast of Worcester.) However, in 1989 New England Telephone has most definintely taken notice of us. From April through August 1989, NET converted at least six or eight exchanges in the Blackstone Valley (towns south of Worcester) from SxS to ESS -- if that doesn't qualify as a breakneck pace, I don't know what does. This doesn't speak to the rest of Central and Western Mass., but where I live it has been astounding. There may well be much more conversion taking place; I am aware only of my local area, because NET places ads in the local papers explaining to people such concepts as seven-digit dialing for a month or two prior to the cutover. Dave Robbins GTE Laboratories Incorporated drobbins@gte.com 40 Sylvan Rd. ...!harvard!bunny!drobbins Waltham, MA 02254 [Moderator's Note: Well, he may have meant SxS is the rule rather than the exception, and that may be what you meant, but around here it is not only an exception, it is a rarity. Illinois Bell has been almost 100 percent ESS for about three years. It is very rare to dial anywhere in northern Illinois -- within IBT territory -- and hear the ringing and clattering associated with the older type exchanges. PT]
john@zygot.ati.com (John Higdon) (09/17/89)
> [Moderator's Note: Well, he may have meant SxS is the rule rather than > the exception, and that may be what you meant, but around here it is > not only an exception, it is a rarity. Illinois Bell has been almost > 100 percent ESS for about three years. It is very rare to dial > anywhere in northern Illinois -- within IBT territory -- and hear the > ringing and clattering associated with the older type exchanges. PT] Not so in California. If you travel anywhere outside of any hard-core metro area, you will find old-timey CO equipment being operated by Pac*Bell. Even in the metro areas, crossbar is still the order of the day. San Jose, California's third largest city, *still* has about twenty prefixes served by #5 crossbar, and quite a few prefixes served by ESS offices running an obsolete generic. In the nearby Santa Cruz mountains they are running SXS as they are in many other areas of the state. John Higdon | P. O. Box 7648 | +1 408 723 1395 john@zygot.ati.com | San Jose, CA 95150 | M o o ! [Moderator's Note: Years ago people were saying how very progressive Illinois Bell was, relative to her sisters. I think it was true. We were among the first places to be equipped with 911; we had centrex service in several large organizations (Chicago Tribune, City of Chicago, and Amoco Credit Card, to name just three) in the middle 1960's -- on crossbar yet, as was our first 911; our downtown and near north side were ESS as of 1973-74; and over a nine year period Chicago was completely converted to ESS. We in the outlying areas finally cut over about 1984. Historical trivia: The City of Chicago offices operated on a seven position cord board (RAndolph 6-8000) for fifty years. Police emergency was translated by each CO from POlice 5-1313 to some other number at police HQ. The police administrative number was WAbash 2-4747. In about 1963 when all city offices were scheduled for cutover to centrex, some wit at telco who was a bit of a radical in the radical 1960's when police were unkindly referred to as 'pigs' said people should dial P-I-G to reach them. It so happens the 744 prefix was *not* in use, and as a lark, that person maneuvered to have that prefix assigned to the new City of Chicago centrex. So now to reach the main number for City Hall, we can dial 312-PIG-4000. Or to reach any certain police officer, dial PIG and the desired four digit extension. :) PT]