telecom@eecs.nwu.edu (TELECOM Moderator) (05/29/89)
Three of the Bell Operating Companies have started new innovative services in recent weeks. Here is a summary of each -- MICHIGAN BELL now allows customers in several suburban Detroit communities to order Touch-Tone service and Custom Calling features on a trial basis using an automated dial-up system that turns on the services within minutes. The service is available 24 hours per day. The system provides ordered services within 15 minutes, according to the telco, compared with the previous waiting period of up to 48 hours. The service is accessed by dialing an 800 number, and features recorded information and prompts for users of tone-dial phones. The trial is scheduled to continue until the end of the year. About 200,000 customers are in the test area. BELL OF PENNSYLVANIA now is offering something called 'I.Q. Services', which is a combination of Custom Calling and CLASS services into a single personal call-management system. I.Q. enables subscribers in the Philadelphia area to redial busy/no answer numbers automatically, block unwanted incoming calls, assign a special ring to selected numbers, forward only on selected calls, and initiate a trace. Custom calling services of course include call-waiting, three-way calling, call forwarding and speed calling. CLASS call-management services include return call, priority call, repeat call, call block, select forward, and call trace. The CLASS offerings *do not* include caller identification service at the present time, as this feature is subject to Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission review at the present time. SOUTHWESTERN BELL has begun a telemetry trial that allows utilities to read home utility meters over a single telephone line. The test is being conducted at about fifty homes in Kansas City, MO. Water and gas meters at each site are equipped with meter encoder/digitizers that link to a telemetry interface unit at each home. Readings collected at each site are sent over the telephone line to meter reading access circuits at a Southwestern Bell central office, which relays the readings to computers at the gas and water company offices. The system delivers a reading in about ten seconds, and automatically disengages if the subscriber is using the phone. Southwestern Bell also announced they have signed a contract with MCI to provide billing and collection services for MCI's long distance service, beginning in the fourth quarter, 1989. Southwestern Bell subscribers in that company's five-state region who opt to use MCI will begin seeing long distance charges from that company on their October, 1989 phone bills. Patrick Townson
GREEN@wharton.upenn.edu (Scott D. Green) (05/30/89)
Yes, Bell of PA has started offering CLASS services, with no subscription necessary. All of the features are available right now for your (and the kids') endless enjoyment. Here's the list of codes, services, and rates: *57 Call Trace $1.00/use *60 Call Block $.50/day or $5/month *61 Distinctive ring (up to 6 #'s) $.50/day or $2.75/month *63 Selective Call Forwarding (up to 6 #'s) $.50/day or $3.50/month *66 Auto Redial $.25/use or $1.75/month *69 Return Call $.25/use or $2.50/month Bell of PA has apparently realized that, once the kids get ahold of these codes, they are going to be pretty popular at recess. In fact, on their in-house newsline last week, they felt it necessary to warn their employees of exactly that, suggesting that customers may be in for a shock when the bills come in. Bell asked their employees to tell their kids not to play with the IQ services. Is it really fair, though, for the BOC's to offer these value-added services to a customer's line without his or her consent or even knowledge? Is this something akin to the flap over 976- services, which led to the BOC's offering no-charge blocking of these numbers as well as placing the racier material on exchanges that require advance sign-up in order to access them? Where is the PUC? Is this arrangement a concession to Bell of PA, because of the investigation of the CallerID service (proposed at $6.50/month)? Just wondering. -scott green
msmith@topaz.rutgers.edu (Mark Robert Smith) (05/30/89)
Our home in NJ (Tenafly) has had telemetry on our water meter for some time. The new meter has a box connected to it, with a line running to our (nearby - just 6 feet above the meter) telephone service terminator (whatever it's supposed to be called - the box on the outside of the house except that ours is inside). I have no idea how it works, but the phone does not ring, nor are we charged for a call (could be local). Mark -- Mark Smith (alias Smitty) "Be careful when looking into the distance, 61 Tenafly Road that you do not miss what is right under your nose." Tenafly, NJ 07670-2643 rutgers!topaz.rutgers.edu!msmith msmith@topaz.rutgers.edu
wheels@watmath.waterloo.edu (Gerry Wheeler) (05/30/89)
In article <telecom-v09i0178m02@vector.dallas.tx.us> telecom@eecs.nwu.edu (TELECOM Moderator) writes: >SOUTHWESTERN BELL has begun a telemetry trial that allows utilities to read >home utility meters over a single telephone line. The test is being conducted >at about fifty homes in Kansas City, MO. A similar trial was conducted in Toronto, Ont., over ten years ago. I presume it involved Bell Canada and whatever Toronto utilities were interested. Anyone know what came of it? As a repairman at the time, we were only told about it so we wouldn't accidentally disconnect the telemetry device. I never heard any more about it. -- Gerry Wheeler Phone: (519)884-2251 Mortice Kern Systems Inc. UUCP: uunet!watmath!mks!wheels 35 King St. North BIX: join mks Waterloo, Ontario N2J 2W9 CompuServe: 73260,1043
gnu@toad.com (John Gilmore) (06/01/89)
> *57 Call Trace $1.00/use > *60 Call Block $.50/day or $5/month > *61 Distinctive ring (up to 6 #'s) $.50/day or $2.75/month > *63 Selective Call Forwarding (up to 6 #'s) $.50/day or $3.50/month > *66 Auto Redial $.25/use or $1.75/month > *69 Return Call $.25/use or $2.50/month Gee, I knew the price of DRAM was high, but 50c/day for a few bytes? Of course, the service that provides the calling number to customer equipment will cost even more than this. People would figure out that rather than paying $5 or $10/month, they could buy a smart answering machine that would do all this for them, and start saving money within a year. So do-it-yourself will be even more expensive than "rent my DRAM...please".
morris@jade.jpl.nasa.gov (Mike Morris) (06/04/89)
>>SOUTHWESTERN BELL has begun a telemetry trial that allows utilities to read >>home utility meters over a single telephone line. The test is being conducted >>at about fifty homes in Kansas City, MO. >A similar trial was conducted in Toronto, Ont., over ten years ago. I >presume it involved Bell Canada and whatever Toronto utilities were >interested. Anyone know what came of it? As a repairman at the time, we >were only told about it so we wouldn't accidentally disconnect the >telemetry device. I never heard any more about it. I'd like to know where they get the sensors. A couple of years ago, a friend of mine who owns property in Northern Calif asked me if we could come up with any way to sense the use of water, gas and AC power by his tenant. While the tenant was paying the bills, my friend was suspicious that the tenant was doing some nefarious things. The solution,a t that time, was to ask the local cop and the neighbors to keep an eye on the place. Later on, I heard that the guy had been busted for something. I'd still like to know where to get some sensors for AC current, water flow, and natural gas flow. US Snail: Mike Morris UUCP: Morris@Jade.JPL.NASA.gov P.O. Box 1130 Also: WA6ILQ Arcadia, Ca. 91006-1130 #Include disclaimer.standard | The opinions above probably do not even