telecom@ucbvax.ARPA (09/14/84)
From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) <Telecom-Request@MIT-MC>
TELECOM Digest Friday, 14 Sep 1984 Volume 4 : Issue 85
Today's Topics:
Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #82 (new telephone channels)
Info about telephones?
Michigan Bell and BBN
Equal access
[Kahin: Fiber Optics]
odds & ends
"smart" phones
dialing only 7 digits
Determining your own phone number
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From: ihnp4!houxm!homxa!mzk@Berkeley
Date: 10 Sep 84 11:20:59 CDT (Mon)
Subject: Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #82 (new telephone channels)
What are ITFS && MDS. Thank you.
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Date: Mon 10 Sep 84 20:24:50-EDT
From: Bob Soron <Mly.G.Pogo%MIT-OZ@MIT-MC.ARPA>
Subject: Info about telephones?
Can anyone recommend a book (or detailled yet easy-to-find
magazine article) on telephone installation? Our house is hard-
wired, and I'd like to replace our old ten-button touchtones with
something a little more modern. Thanks... ...Bob
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Date: 11 Sep 84 16:16:32 EDT
From: dca-pgs @ DDN1.ARPA
Subject: Michigan Bell and BBN
Congrats to BBN; I understand that they won a sizable contract from
Michigan Bel to build a large data network.
Can anyone out there supply some more info on this project? Will the
net be based on C/30 IMP technology (indeed, will it be based on
packet switching?)? Will BBN implement other facilities, such as
E-mail, and what will they use? (i. e., C/70, VAX, etc.) is
Is this BBN's first venture in building common carrier facilities?
Many apologies for typos; this thing doesn't backspace.
Best,
-Pat Sullivan
Defense Switched Network
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Date: Mon 10 Sep 84 21:09:10-EDT
From: Robert S. Lenoil <LENOIL@MIT-XX.ARPA>
Subject: Equal access
Living in the Back Bay, I have just come under equal access, and
completed a semi-rigorous review of what the various long distance
carriers have to offer. I initially am going with MCI, but NOT for
their low rates. (on the contrary, MCI had the highest rates, next to
AT&T, on calls from Boston->New York) You see, MCI is giving me one
hour's worth of free calls, worth about $12.50. After I've used up
the $12.50, I will change carriers for a $5.00 fee, for a $7.50
profit. My next target is USTel, which claims it will enclose $25 in
coupons along with my second month's bill. I might actually stay with
USTel, as they are AT&T resellers (which means their quality should be
comparable to AT&T's), and they were among the lowest priced carriers
for the Boston->NY mileage band.
Presently, before my MCI presubscription goes into effect, I am using
ALLNET. They are also AT&T resellers, and though the setup time is
slightly longer, the call quality is just fine. ALLNET's prefix is
10444, and as they have a billing agreement with NET, anyone can use
their service. Also, ALLNET and USTel both claim to bill in 6 second
increments. I am eager to see how this looks on the ALLNET bill
section generated by NET.
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Date: 11 September 1984 20:59-EDT
From: Steven A. Swernofsky <SASW @ MIT-MC>
Subject: [Kahin: Fiber Optics]
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 84 12:05 EDT From: Kahin@MIT-MULTICS.ARPA Subject:
Fiber Optics To: *bboard@MIT-MC.ARPA
Communications Forum
Monday Seminar Series
on
FIBER OPTICS
Dr. Stewart Personick
Bell Communications Research
"Optical Fiber Technology and Applications"
Optical Fibers; Sources and Transmitters; Detectors and Receivers;
Optical Components; System Phenomenology; Telecommunications Trunk
ing; Data Links; Local Area Networks; Analog Links; Broadband
Networks; Measurement and Sensing Systems; Emerging Technology and
Applications (Integrated Optics, Heterodyning, Photonic Switching)
First meeting: September 17, 1984 Room 36-144, MIT
For further information: (617) 253-4181.
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Date: Wed, 12 Sep 84 9:12:00 EDT
From: Carl Moore (VLD/VMB) <cmoore@Brl-Vld.ARPA>
Subject: odds & ends
Would some hotels charge if you just picked up the phone and got dial
tone and made no call?
On July 2, I saw the following exchanges in use at Mount Vernon, Va.
(area code 703): pay phone was 780 (local service to DC & suburbs)
but a charge-phone right next to it was 781 (local to DC & Va. suburbs
but not to Md.)
Jan. 1984 Northern Virginia (DC area suburbs) directory mentions a
restricted calling card good only for calling a particular phone
number (such as calling home from college).
Comments on 1+ coming to New Jersey: Even without NXX exchanges, 1+
makes some exchanges, currently available as local calls just over the
area-code border, also available within one's own area. (For example,
Trenton has local service to 736 in Morrisville, Pa., and 1+ makes
possible the use of 609-736 distant from Trenton.) Requiring
0+areacode (not just 0+) within the area is a feature of areas using
NXX (except in Los Angeles area), and we've been told in this digest
that area 201 will need NXX (any timetable on this)? How does all this
affect 609? I have heard that most NJ phones won't even shut off the
dialtone on leading 1+ (and this now has to change).
I dial 1+ by hitting the switchhook. This does fail on rare
occasions.
Cases of 1+ on non-toll calls I know about: Local (and message-unit)
calls going over areacode line in NYC and Los Angeles areas. (Must
dial 1+areacode+ local number for this.) From 261 & 621 prefixes (and
at least 1 other) in Md., the phone book (Laurel or Md. Suburban) says
to dial 1+number ("this is not a toll call") to reach 569 in Md.,
because 569 without the 1+ is a local call to Springfield, Va. In
area 215 (Phila., etc.) in exchanges adjacent to the Phila. metro
area, you can get Phila. metro service, and dial 1+number to get
Phila. metro area numbers not already included in flat rate or
extended flat rate areas.
[Boston Metropolitan service also crosses the 1+ boundary in many
places (especially those outside Rte 128). Boston Central Exchange
doesn't include those 1+ areas in the Metro calling area. --JSol]
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Date: Thu, 13 Sep 84 00:10:47 pdt
From: tamir@Berkeley (Yuval Tamir)
Subject: "smart" phones
I am interested in purchasing a "smart" phone that has the following
features: (1) Speakerphone (2) Tone/pulse dialing (3) Memory for at
least 10 numbers (4) Automatic continuous redial of busy numbers
One model that has these features is the Panasonic 2130. It retails
for $99 around here. Its main disadvantage is that it will
automatically redial busy numbers for a maximum of only 15 times. If
you are trying to reach, say, the IRS, you may want it to continue
redialing as fast as possible for hours . . .
I am looking for recommendations or warnings about specific models
(the Panasonic and others) that provide the above features. If there
is sufficient response, I will post a summary.
Yuval Tamir
ARPANET/CSNET: tamir@Berkeley
UUCP: ucbvax!tamir
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Date: Thu, 13 Sep 84 9:31:11 EDT
From: Carl Moore (VLD/VMB) <cmoore@Brl-Vld.ARPA>
Subject: dialing only 7 digits
It has been noted that 1+ doesn't always mean a toll call, but note
that when 1+ is in force, you CANNOT make a toll call if you dial only
7 digits.
[That's not completely true. 1+ in many areas means "use a toll
switch". It doesn't always mean that non 1+ calls will use the toll
switch, nor does it say that non 1+ calls will always be local.
--JSol]
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Date: 12 Sep 1984 14:04-EST
From: randy@uw-june.ARPA
Subject: Determining your own phone number
Several people have responded to my question of how to determine the
phone number of your own phone (without calling Directory Assistance,
etc.) In Seattle I have tried all of the following, none of which has
worked: 1-200-555-1212 200-555-1212 *3113 1-200-222-2222 200-222-2222
These generally come back with a "Your call can not be completed as
dailed" message, although one came back with a "Please check your
owner's manual" message. The best idea so far was a suggestion to call
911 and ask them what number you are calling from. Anyone else know
how to determine your own number? Randy Day. UUCP:
{decvax|ihnp4}!uw-beaver!uw-june!randy ARPA: randy@washington CSNET:
randy%washington@csnet-relay
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End of TELECOM Digest
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