Telecom-Request%usc-eclc@brl-bmd.UUCP (Telecom-Request@usc-eclc) (09/18/83)
TELECOM Digest Sunday, 18 Sep 1983 Volume 3 : Issue 58
Today's Topics:
Rotary Dial
Enterprise Xxxxx
Duck Decoys
Holographic Telephone Credit Cards On Trial In West Germany
Billed Number Screening
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Date: 14 Sep 1983 1911-PDT
Subject: Rotary dial
From: Ian H. Merritt <MERRITT@USC-ISIB>
It sounds like you are on a step-by-step machine. When you dial a
digit, on SxS, the dial-tone is not turned off until after it has been
determined that the pulse train is complete. There is a delay of
roughly the maximum allowable pulse time plus a bit, after which the
decision is made. When you dial short initial digits (eg: 1, 2, or
3), you are more likely to hear the dial-tone.
<>IHM<>
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Date: 14 Sep 83 20:04:24 PDT (Wednesday)
From: Murray.PA@PARC-MAXC.ARPA
Subject: Enterprise xxxxx
A few days ago, I called the operator to get an Enterprise number. I
could hear her flipping pages, so I assume she was looking it up on a
big list. What's going on? Why would anybody want an Enterprise
number rather than an 800 number?
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Date: 15 Sep 83 17:55 EDT (Thu)
From: Mijjil the Hutt (Matthew J Lecin) <LECIN@RU-GREEN>
Subject: Duck decoys
The television program SILVER SPOONS has one of those duck decoy
phones in it. It quacks somewhat like conventional duck-call gizmos.
The question isn't "can it swim?", but rather "Can it fly?"
{Mijjil}
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Date: 16-Sep-83 14:48 PDT
From: William Daul - Tymshare Inc. Cupertino CA <WBD.TYM@OFFICE-2>
Subject: Holographic telephone credit cards on trial in West Germany
The Bundespost, West Germany's postal and telecommunications
authority, is evaluating the use of plastic credit cards that contain
holograms for consumer placement of credit telephone calls from
specially equipped public telephones. The holograms contain a number
of credit units, which are destroyed as they are used up. The
telephones are supplied by Landis & Gyr AG of Switzerland. Consumers
prepay 10 or 20 Deutschmarks (about $4 or $8, respectively) for the
cards.
From LASER FOCUS Sept. Issue
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Date: 17 Sep 1983 1422-EDT
From: John R. Covert <RSX-DEV at DEC-MARLBORO>
Subject: Billed number screening
After several conversations with the Business Office all resulting in
being told that what I wanted was not possible (even though it's been
available for quite a while), I finally received the following letter:
Dear Mr. Covert,
As a result of recent technological developments, we are now able to
offer a feature of your telephone service called billed number
screening. This feature is offered at no charge and provides the
capability to prevent attempts to bill long distance calls to your
number that are made to and from other telephones (third number
billing).
This letter confirms your order to add billed number screening to your
service, 263-5433, beginning 09-16-83. Once billed number screening
becomes part of your service, no third number calls will be billed to
your account or to the numbers you have specified. Therefore, it is
important that you make other arrangements for long distance calling
with those people authorized to bill to your number, e.g., Calling
Card(s).
Please call us at 345-3830 if you have any questions about this
service or about your order.
Yours truly,
K. Boucher
Service Representative
[As many of you know, over the past year or so third party billing
from pay phones has been restricted to require confirmation. However,
calls placed from other telephones were not subject to any screening,
allowing significant potential for abuse or error. This plugs the
hole.]
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End of TELECOM Digest
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