[fa.telecom] TELECOM Digest V4 #89

telecom@ucbvax.ARPA (09/20/84)

From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) <Telecom-Request@MIT-MC>


TELECOM Digest          Thursday, 20 Sep 1984      Volume 4 : Issue 89

Today's Topics:
                  pulse-meter toll charging (in Europe)
                 New phones at UMass prove to be lemons
                               212 modems
           Lower cost for medium distance toll calls in Europe
                        Re: US-French 800 service
                                Headsets
                DDN connection for NCR TOWER running UNIX
                    Touch-tone decoding on an IBM PC
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Date: Tue, 18-Sep-84 18:37:57 PDT
From: Lauren Weinstein <vortex!lauren@RAND-UNIX.ARPA>
Subject: pulse-meter toll charging (in Europe)

Of course, such charging techniques are infamous for being inaccurate,
particularly in the excess charge direction!  There are all sorts of
problems with pulse rates coming through too high, even through forms
of crosstalk with other lines.  When such systems are used, as was
noted, it is generally IMPOSSIBLE to get an itemized bill, which
probably makes the government-owned post office/telephone operations
quite happy.

Having your own counter at home can verify the total number of pulses,
but does you little good if excess pulses are actually being sent down
the line, which is often the case.  The result is that it's almost
impossible for the average subscriber to ever be REALLY sure that
their charges are accurate, and almost impossible to get a refund if
you suspect a problem, since all the telco has to work with is a total
number of pulses -- and you can't prove much one way or another from
that.

--Lauren--

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 19 Sep 84 01:56 EST
From: Andrew D. Sigel <sigel%umass-cs.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa>
Subject: New phones at UMass prove to be lemons


   I thought the following (slightly edited) article printed yesterday
in the Massachusetts Daily Collegian (Univ. of Mass school paper) 
would be of interest to this digest.  The headline, "New phones a 
heartache for students" (article by Kenneth B. Albert) seems an 
adequate summation of the situation.

   -----------------------------------------------------

   New telephones installed in the University of Massachusetts 
dormitories last summer are causing problems for students, including 
those who own or rent home computers.

   The new phones have receivers that do not couple with the computer 
modems, so students with computer terminals in their rooms cannot "log
on".

   Chuck Wyman, associate director of the UMass Computing Center, 
said, "I was talking to a student with a direct-connect modem.  He 
could send information, but not receive it.  This looks like a problem
with the phone itself.

   "If students are unable to communicate with the computer from their
rooms, they will come to the public terminals and we don't have enough
space as it is," he said.

   "The acoustic couple modems are going to have the most trouble," 
Wyman said.  "The receiver shape itself could easily cause problems."

   Under the state bidding system, the University was forced to buy 
7,000 phones at $105,000 from the lowest bidder, the Mura Corporation,
according to Gerald Quarles, director of the Housing Assignment
Office.

   The telephone system was tested in Prince House [grad student dorm]
and a 14 percent error factor was found, said Quarles.  The error
factor means that of the 7,000 phones, 920 could malfunction.

   Quarles said, "It would have cost about $30,000 to test the entire 
system.

   "What was the best way to proceed?  Turn on the whole system, or 
expect a 14 percent error factor in the fall?" Quarles asked.  "We 
decided to wait."

   Sophomore Laurie Autlet said, "I can't make long distance calls 
because the phone quality is so bad.  The other night I couldn't get a
dial tone for fifteen minutes."

   Sherri Miller, a sophomore living in Knowlton House said, "If you 
move the phone at all, the jack falls right out.  The operators keep 
cutting in for no reason.  It happened three times in one call to New 
York the other night."

   "All this started as a result of the AT&T divestiture," Quarles 
said.  "Last year, all of our phones were AT&T rentals.  The 
University was informed in February that the rate would be going up 
about 300 percent over the next three years," he said.  "There wasn't 
much time to respond."

   The rate increase "forced the University to step up modernization.
 We decided at that time to purchase our own phones," and eliminate 
"the need to push up student fees," he said.

   "We've done around 500 repair jobs in the last week and a half."

     -------------------------------------------------------

Ignoring the fact that the article badly needs a rewrite, it brings up
some interesting fodder for discussion.  I wonder how many of the 
"cheaper" phone manufacturers are making a decent living selling to 
government, because they are required to accept minimum bid, even if 
it is for equipment that is not compatible.  I think the University 
was off it's proverbial rocker in not specifying, in the bid, that the
phones must be acoustic-modem compatible.  I also wonder about 
warranties, and how ANY company can survive on a 14 percent error 
factor (except the American car industry, of course).  And given that 
there have been 500 repair jobs in 10 days, one wonders if the 14 
percent number will prove to be a fluke, and the actual number much 
higher.  I'll send a follow-up when I hear more.

                                        Andrew Sigel

------------------------------

Date: 19 Sep 84 04:10:46 EDT
From: *Hobbit* <AWalker@RUTGERS.ARPA>
Subject: 212 modems

   From: waters%viking.DEC@decwrl.ARPA (Lester Waters)

   Does anyone out there have any info about the banks of DIP switches
   contained in a Bell 212A 300/1200 baud modem?

Is that the standard Dataphone 212A type, in the cast aluminum box
with external transformer and the kludge run into a 5-liner to make a
standalone unit?  If so, we *do* have the documentation on the
suckers, sent to us by someone down at ATTIS after we bitched hard
enough.  We also have an 8-position rack; they all take the same
plug-in cards.  The cards have two boards each, one mounted toward the
front, upside down and about half the length of the main card.  *Cute*
modems, and they work quite well, but Krighst help us when they break.
The only doc we have is the installation guides and stuff, not
schematics.  Anyway, WE loves to mis-label their components so you
can't tell what they are.

_H*

------------------------------

Date: Wednesday, 19 Sep 1984 07:06:55-PDT
From: minow%rex.DEC@decwrl.ARPA
Subject: Lower cost for medium distance toll calls in Europe

In V4.88, Lars Poulson described the difference between European 
(Danish) and American pay-phone systems, noting that the European 
method of charging for a "pulse" yielded lower-cost medium-distance 
toll calls.  He somewhat understated the case.  When I lived in Europe
and travelled a lot, I could call between the Copenhagen airport and
my home outside of Stockholm for 10-15 seconds for one Danish Kroner
(about 10 cents).  Enough to say which plane I was on.

By contrast, to call 15 miles on Cape Cod, (Orleans to Provincetown) 
cost a minimum of 90 cents.

Martin Minow.

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 19 Sep 84 11:36:23 EDT
From: Joe Pistritto <jcp@BRL-TGR.ARPA>
Subject: Re: US-French 800 service

        A US-France toll free hookup is indeed useful.  For instance, 
a client of mine is a French concern with a large US
marketing/support/ co-production operation.  They could use this
service to help their marketing efforts, and also for customer access
to service personnel.  (who have to be available 24hours anyway).  For
a US company selling in Europe, this would bridge a major gap in phone
service.  I suspect that this is part of a push on AT&T's part to
better their rival long distance companies, and it could result in a
substantial expansion of US business contacts in Europe.  Good idea,
even worth repeating in other Common Market countries...

                                                -JCP-

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 19 Sep 84 13:13:29 EDT
From: Ron Natalie <ron@BRL-TGR.ARPA>
Subject: Headsets

Actually, the Plantronics headsets that most operators use now are
constructed to be light and non-fatiguing.  You can get a noise
reducing option for them but all it is is a stupid cup that goes on
the microphone.  Better yet, try one of the headsets that are designed
for use in airplanes and helicopters.

The two front runners are Telex and David Clark.  _Ron

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 18 Sep 84 10:50 EDT
From: Harold Grossman <hcgrs%clemson.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa>
Subject: DDN connection for NCR TOWER running UNIX

Does anyone have any information about putting an NCR TOWER running
UNIX on DDN?  Specifically would an 1822, HDH, or x.25 connection be
the most appropriate?  What type fo drivers are
available(commercilaically or public domain)?  What sources of
interface boxes are available?  Any information whether personal
experience or hear-say on putting something like an NCR TOWER on DDN
will be greatfully appreciated.

harold (hcgrs@clemson)

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 19 Sep 1984  15:32 PDT
From: HALVORSEN@SU-CSLI.ARPA
Subject: Touch-tone decoding on an IBM PC


Does anybody know if there is available off-the-shelf hardware which
will enable an IBM PC to decode touch tone tones sent to it from a
phone?

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End of TELECOM Digest
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