OLE@csli.stanford.edu (Ole J. Jacobsen) (03/19/89)
I used to live in the UK about 5 years ago and here are some notes on phones, wiring etc, based upon memory and recent observations. Apologies for any inaccuracies, but I think most of this is close to being pretty much true. First of all, UK and US phones are basically compatible and you can use either on either system (PTT/BOC regulations notwithstanding). It may be that the pulse make/break ratio and rate is different on paper, but it really does work in practice. I have a couple of British phones on my home PBX (yes, I am a phone fanatic) and they work just fine. The standard UK rotary phone, which was all that was available up until about 1980, has 4 wires going into it: WHITE RED GREEN BLUE The WHITE and RED are connected directly to the outside world and corresponds to the US red/green. The GREEN, in simple terms, powers the bell of the phone. UK phones do not have the "anti-tinkle circuit" found in most US phones, and to solve this problem the bell is wired in such a fashion that if you lift the handset of one phone it disables the bell of the other. This allows dialling without the other phone(s) going tinga-linga-ling. In residences with only one phone (very common), the GREEN is simply connected to the WHITE at the wall socket. The BLUE is, as far as I can tell, only used in PBX applications for a ground-start switch. Needless to say, only two wires run from the customer premises to the CO. The above applies to the "old" system. The more "modern" UK phone system, uses a modular plug (different from its US counterpart), electronic phones, and more and more Touch-Tone (in which case the anti-tinkle circuit is unecessary). It is interesting to note how the new British Telecom regulates what you can and cannot do to their system. All phones have to be "BT Approved" which is not that different from FCC sub 68 approved when you think about it. The difference lies in what the consumer is allowed to do. You can purchase an "Add-your-own- modular-extension" kit from any BT store, but you cannot buy a tool to "modularize" an existing phone by putting on the little white connector at the end of your line cord. Such tools as well as open-ended cables can be purchased elsewhere, but your aren't strictly supposed to use them. The availability of different phones is pretty good, and in stores you'll see familiar brands such as Panasonic. Once again there is a peculiar difference: UK handset cords are NOT replaceable, at least not by the consumer without special tools. On phones with modular handset cords, the "release clip" is broken off such that you need a screwdriver or similar object of just the right size in order to get the cord loose. Why they did this is completely beyond me. (I have also never seen "extra long handset cords" for sale which makes sense if you can't easily replace them). As mentioned earlier, many COs or "exchanges" as they are known over there, accept touch-tone dialling, and processing seems even faster than in the US. Calling the US from the UK seems alot faster than the other way around. This may have to do with the fact that there are more hierarchies of switches/LD interfaces through which the call has to be processed over here. Also, I was told by someone who supposedly knows, that WITHIN the UK the ringing the caller hears is generated by the CALLERS CO rather (as is the case in the US) than by the CALLEES CO. This is probably because they use CCITT Signalling System #7 or their own variant where no voice path is opened until the call is answered. My most favorite aspect of the Britsih phone system is the PhoneCard. It is a green credit card-sized card which comes in different values (20 units, 100 units, etc.). Put one in the special PhoneCard phones and dial away *anywhere*. There is no minimum charge, and you can talk until the "money" runs out (1 unit = 10p). Of course, if you call international, the units tick down pretty fast (as displayed on the phone), but the system does have advantages over 0+ dialling and other schemes which require surcharges and minimum deposits. The only drawback is that you need to find the magic green PhoneCard phones and keep a supply of cards, but many stores sell the cards and the phones are becoming more and more common. Another reason to travel to the UK! Ole -------
sg04@gte.com (Steven Gutfreund) (03/21/89)
In article <telecom-v09i0098m01@vector.UUCP>, OLE@csli.stanford.edu (Ole J. Jacobsen) writes: > My most favorite aspect of the Britsih phone system is the PhoneCard. > It is a green credit card-sized card which comes in different values > (20 units, 100 units, etc.). Put one in the special PhoneCard phones > and dial away *anywhere*. There is no minimum charge, and you can > talk until the "money" runs out (1 unit = 10p). Of course, if you > call international, the units tick down pretty fast (as displayed > on the phone), but the system does have advantages over 0+ dialling > and other schemes which require surcharges and minimum deposits. I'm not so sure that PhoneCards are such a great idea. The Japanese took this idea and applied it to their entire service sector. Now you have cards for groceries, restaurants, beauty parlors, etc. In effect you go from a "type-less" form of money to a stongly typed form of money. I like my money to be typeless, it allows me to switch retailers and does not force me to pre-pay. -- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Yechezkal Shimon (Steven) Gutfreund sgutfreund@bunny.UUCP GTE Laboratories, Waltham MA sgutfreund@gte.com -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
dhesi@bsu-cs.uucp (Rahul Dhesi) (03/22/89)
In article <telecom-v09i0098m01@vector.UUCP> OLE@csli.stanford.edu (Ole J. Jacobsen) writes: >My most favorite aspect of the Britsih phone system is the PhoneCard. >...Put one in the special PhoneCard phones >and dial away *anywhere*. There is no minimum charge, and you can >talk until the "money" runs out (1 unit = 10p). This seems to be of dubious value. What is the difference between buying a phone card from a grocery store and then using it in a telephone, as opposed to just putting the money into the telephone directly? This just seems to add an extra step. The only advantage I see is that you can user paper money to buy the phone card, while telephones will only take coins. A little advance preparedness eliminates this advantage too, and you don't have to hunt for a place to buy the phone card before you use the telephone. -- Rahul Dhesi UUCP: <backbones>!{iuvax,pur-ee}!bsu-cs!dhesi ARPA: dhesi@bsu-cs.bsu.edu
ron@ron.rutgers.edu (Ron Natalie) (03/23/89)
The advantage to the phone cards is that you don't have to waddle around with a pocket full of coins on the off-chance that you might decide to make a public call today. You don't have to sit there and push them into the slot. We've got the same thing here at the University for the photocopiers in the library. If I go there and find an article that I want to copy, I just pop this card into the machine and it just debits the copies as I go. Several mass transit systems here have the same thing (Washington and San Francisco amongh others). Rather than having to carry change, or find an open token booth, you just zip the card into the turnstile. For the person who makes frequent use of these things, the cards are an incredible convenience over coins or tokens. For those who don't, you can always revert to the hard money (except on the subways where they force you to buy the card anyway). -Ron
decom@dgp.toronto.edu (Jonathan Haruni) (03/24/89)
In article <telecom-v09i0102m07@vector.UUCP> dhesi@bsu-cs.uucp writes: >This [phonecards] seems to be of dubious value. >What is the difference between >buying a phone card from a grocery store and then using it in a >telephone, as opposed to just putting the money into the telephone >directly? This just seems to add an extra step. In Britain, you pay by time for even local calls, so you tend to go through alot of coins. And the coins are bigger and heavier as well. The phonecards save you the frustration of running out of coins during a call, the frustration of having your calls interrupted every minute by "more coins please" noises, and the frustration of sewing up holes in your pockets. >The only advantage I see is that you can user paper money to buy the >phone card, while telephones will only take coins. A little advance >preparedness eliminates this advantage too, and you don't have to hunt >for a place to buy the phone card before you use the telephone. The cards come in denominations ranging from the equivalent of $3 to about $100. So you buy one which you know will last you a reasonable amount of time. They are particularly useful for long distance calls, because you get the customer-dialled rate without feeding a continuous stream of coins into the phone. >-- >Rahul Dhesi UUCP: <backbones>!{iuvax,pur-ee}!bsu-cs!dhesi > ARPA: dhesi@bsu-cs.bsu.edu Jonathan Haruni decom@dgp.toronto.edu
dswise@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu (03/24/89)
I was introduced to the British Telecom debit card only recently, and I am surprised at the pollution that the system generates: depleted green cards littering the floors of call-boxes. 'Course, Telecom is not answerable to environmental interests. :-) Instead of purchasing new green cards all the time, why can't one go to one of a few secure coin-operated stations where one's depleted card can be recharged (or replaced if defective.) (Put them in post offices and the corner Boot's.) In order to use these machines you *must* return your old card. Viola: no litter. The Washington, DC, Metro has a system like this that recovers residual value from fare cards too depleted to buy any fare---but it recovers the cards in the process! Result is also reduction in litter. Incentive: Such machines might recharge to 100% of value for only 95% fee. Like deposits on beverage containers, except no human handling is required. I suspect that the 5% would be a good long-term investment.
piet@cs.ruu.nl (Piet van Oostrum) (03/28/89)
In article <telecom-v09i0102m07@vector.UUCP>, dhesi@bsu-cs (Rahul Dhesi) writes: `In article <telecom-v09i0098m01@vector.UUCP> OLE@csli.stanford.edu (Ole J. Jacobsen) writes: `>My most favorite aspect of the Britsih phone system is the PhoneCard. `>...Put one in the special PhoneCard phones `>and dial away *anywhere*. There is no minimum charge, and you can `>talk until the "money" runs out (1 unit = 10p). `This seems to be of dubious value. What is the difference between `buying a phone card from a grocery store and then using it in a `telephone, as opposed to just putting the money into the telephone `directly? This just seems to add an extra step. It makes sense if you dial an international call. With coins you will not do much more than pushing coins. Moreover, the British pay phones have the terrible habit of disabling the voice channel momentarily while you insert a coin (maybe they have better ones now?). I think the major advantage is for the phone company. They don't have to collect the coins and there is no chance of theft of the money from the phone. -- Piet van Oostrum, Dept of Computer Science, University of Utrecht Padualaan 14, P.O. Box 80.089, 3508 TB Utrecht, The Netherlands Telephone: +31-30-531806. piet@cs.ruu.nl (mcvax!hp4nl!ruuinf!piet)