Telecom-Request@Mit-Mc.ARPA (04/11/84)
TELECOM Digest Wednesday, 11 Apr 1984 Volume 4 : Issue 44
Today's Topics:
Speed dialing
eavesdropping cordless phones
AMEX card and the New AT&T Telephones
Competition for Long Distance in Massachusetts
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Subject: Speed dialing
Date: Sun, 8 Apr 84 15:45:34 EST
From: Nathaniel Mishkin <Mishkin@YALE.ARPA>
I'm curious about the technology behind speed dialing -- the feature
that lets you store frequently used phone numbers and use them later
simply by pressing 2 or 3 buttons (I'm not talking about the kind
where the phone itself remembers the numbers). How are the numbers
stored and retrieved? What kind of memory is used? What kind of
backups are done ("we're sorry, we've lost all your stored numbers; we
hope you remember them all so you can re-enter them" just doesn't seem
like a Bell thing to do).
-- Nat
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Date: 9 Apr 1984 07:27-CST
Sender: SAC.ADR@USC-ISIE
Subject: eavesdropping cordless phones
From: SAC.ADR@USC-ISIE
It seems both sides of the conversation can be heard on FM. True, the
owner of the cordless phone is very distinct at 49.8 - 49.9 MHz;
however, the other party can be heard faintly. The other party can be
heard better at AM 1.7 MHz, which is just above 1600 KHz on the AM
dial or on most shortwave radios.
Frankly, I'm amazed anyone would own a cordless. The opportunity to
reveal sensitive information is great. In a couple of hours of
monitoring in a suburban neighborhood (hence not too many folks have a
cordless), I found out when a neighbor is going on vacation, where
someone stores bonds at home, and all the details about a messy
divorce.
What worries me more, though, is that, although I don't own a
cordless, I may talk to someone who does. Seems I should first ask
about the type of phone he's using before divulging any secrets. But
microwave signals can be tapped also, can't they??
George Rezac SAC.ADRRP at USC-ISIE
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Date: 9 Apr 1984 1922-EST
From: Philip A. Earnhardt <S.PAE at MIT-EECS>
Subject: AMEX card and the New AT&T Telephones
What code is being transmitted from my AMEX card on these new phones?
Is this some arbitrary code unrelated to my account number, or could I
concievably use some permutation of my AMEX card number from other
phones? Have AT&T and American Express been planning this
functionality for several years?
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Date: Tue 10 Apr 84 09:25:01-EST
From: covert%castor.DEC@Purdue-Merlin.ARPA
Subject: Competition for Long Distance in Massachusetts
Sender: RSX-DEV@DEC-MARLBORO.ARPA.ARPA
Reply-to: covert%castor.DEC@Purdue-Merlin.ARPA
UUCP-Address: "{ucbvax,allegra,decvax}!decwrl!rhea!castor!covert"
Five companies, MCI, GTE/Sprint, Western Union, First Phone Corp, and
New England Digital Distribution Inc have applied for permission to
offer long distance service in competition with New England Telephone
WITHIN the Massachusetts LATAs.
New England Telephone opposes the sudden entry of competitors,
favoring a gradual phase in of competition. This is required, says
N.E.T., to prevent a rapid increase in local rates, which are heavily
subsidized by long distance.
For example, a call from Boston to Gloucester costs the consumer three
times what it costs N.E.Tel. However, a call from the North End to
the South End of Boston costs N.E.Tel three times as much as the
consumer pays. (For those unfamiliar with Boston Geography, the North
End and South End of Boston are one and a half miles apart. Measured
service lines pay about two cents per minute for a call.)
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End of TELECOM Digest
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