[comp.dcom.telecom] Do American phones work in Australia?

mdf0@gte.com (Mark Feblowitz) (02/21/89)

A relative from Australia is visiting and has taken a fancy to some of
our more unusual phones (San Francisco streetcars, high-heeled shoes,
pianos, etc.). She would like to know if our telephones will work in
Australia.

Please let me know if the phones are compatible with Australia's
switches with or without modification. Also, do prevailing regulations
permit the use of privately owned CPE?

Thanks in advance.
--
Mark Feblowitz   GTE Laboratories, Inc., 40 Sylvan Rd.  Waltham, MA 02254
						(617) 466-2947
CSNET:  feblowitz@GTE-LABS.CSNET
UUCP:   feblowitz@bunny.UUCP       old UUCP:  harvard!bunny!mdf0

dave@uunet.uu.net (Dave Horsfall) (03/15/89)

In article <telecom-v09i0068m04@vector.UUCP>,
    bunny!mdf0@gte.com (Mark Feblowitz) writes:
|
| Please let me know if the phones are compatible with Australia's
| switches with or without modification. Also, do prevailing regulations
| permit the use of privately owned CPE?

Well, no-one else has answered (at least in public), so...

The answer is a firm definite "maybe" (apologies to Fred Flintstone).
Tone-dial phones should be no problem, but they are still rare in Oz.
Pulse-dial will work anywhere, but I believe the mark-space ratio is
different - 2:1 break/make or something like that.  And don't try
anything clever with call-progress indicators - they're different.

Legally, you can plug in your own device (they use a big 4-prong affair
by the way, but RJ-11 adaptors are available), but it needs Telecom approval.
This requirement is more often than not ignored - just unplug the device
and hide it if Telecom come a-knockin' :-)

Telecom also freak out over mains-powered devices on their lines, besides,
our power is 240 volt 50 Hz.

Summary?  They might work, then again maybe not.

Hmmm... just realised this is the 3rd enquiry on the Australian phone
system in a month or so...  Maybe I should be saving my replies and
just issue them as & when.

--
Dave Horsfall (VK2KFU),  Alcatel-STC Australia,  dave@stcns3.stc.oz
dave%stcns3.stc.oz.AU@uunet.UU.NET,  ...munnari!stcns3.stc.oz.AU!dave
            Self-regulation is no regulation