Telecom-Request%usc-eclc@brl-bmd.UUCP (Telecom-Request@usc-eclc) (11/10/83)
TELECOM Digest Thursday, 10 Nov 1983 Volume 3 : Issue 96
Today's Topics:
MCI Mail and the Delete key
Restrictive telecom regulations in Germany
dead numbers
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Date: 9 Nov 1983 0451-EST
From: John R. Covert <RSX-DEV at DEC-MARLBORO>
Subject: MCI Mail and the Delete key
I've sent them a message complaining again about the behaviour of the
delete key. I've told them that their reply shows that "we are still
not communicating." What I'd like to tell them is that they don't
know what they are talking about (BS=CTRL/H -- even though they say
they tell users not to use BS, but to use CTRL/H).
I've asked to speak to someone in charge when I get back from Europe
next week.
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Date: 9 Nov 1983 0509-EST
From: John R. Covert <RSX-DEV at DEC-MARLBORO>
Subject: Restrictive telecom regulations in Germany
By the way, since I just mentioned that I'm in Europe, I thought you
folks would like to know that there are incredibly restrictive telecom
regulations here.
I could go on and on for ages about them, but here are just a few:
Total Post Office monopoly on modems, and essentially EVERYTHING
dealing with telecommunications. (About a year ago I sent a long
article discussing this from the telephone user's viewpoint to the
digest.)
No computer may be used as a switching service between different
services.
What that means is that although I can "SET HOST" from within our
office to a system within our private network, I can only do this when
I am physically within our building. If I dial into this same local
system via a modem from outside the building, I may neither set host
nor use MAIL to communicate with anyone not on a node within the
building.
They do have a few neat things, though.
All the major trains (which run hourly on the main lines) are equipped
with payphones. You can call essentially any diallable point in the
world (the rate is twice the normal rate due to the radio-telephone --
but that's actually about the same as from a hotel).
(By the way, you can only make calls to diallable points from any pay
phone; any other kind of call must be made from a private phone or
Post Office. Credit card calls to the U.S. are not permitted from
Germany, although if you go to a Post Office and make a collect call,
the person accepting the call can give a credit card number.)
All payphones are outgoing only, although they are beginning to
introduce some public incoming only phones in a few key places -- I
could, for example, call my PC and have it call me back at the
incoming phone. They may be able to convert the existing outward only
payphones to two-way service, but there seems to be a charge
manipulation problem which they discovered when they tried it earlier
this year.
Regards/John
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Date: 9 Nov 1983 05:26-PST
Subject: dead numbers
From: Geoffrey C. Mulligan (AFDSC, The Pentagon) <GEOFFM@SRI-CSL>
Reply-to: geoffm@SRI-CSL
Does anyone know of any dead numbers, ie numbers that when dialed,
answer but have no noise or tones? I am looking for a number local to
the Washington DC area.
geoff
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End of TELECOM Digest
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