Telecom-Request@usc-eclb@brl-bmd.UUCP (08/15/83)
TELECOM Digest Monday, 15 Aug 1983 Volume 3 : Issue 49
Today's Topics:
ANALIT - Detecting Carriers
Finding Touch-Tone(TM)
CATV Datacomm Services
Telco Tariffs / FCC Certification
Telephone Flames
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Date: 10 Aug 1983 1552-PDT
Subject: ANALIT or whatever
From: Ian H. Merritt <MERRITT@USC-ISIB>
The use of a program to periodically scan for a particular tone on
each line (or each of a list of suspected lines) in a CO strikes me as
a bit strange. Assuming the detection hardware were readily available
to be switched into each of these lines quickly, this seems to be a
rather ineffecient method of scanning.
I seem to recall that there once was (and may still be) a class of
service which said, in effect, watch for DTMF dialing and flag it. In
this mode, ESS would accept tone dialing, but the ringback/dtmf test
line would ignore tone signals. When tones were used, a printed log
or perhaps special entries on the AMA tapes would be made, thus
informing the company of unauthorized DTMF use. It makes far more
sense, though, simply to ignore touch tones on lines not paying for
the service, which appears to be the current policy in ESS offices.
Checking for carriers would be somewhat more difficult, since there
are not already detectors for this purpose. Also, DTMF signals need
only be monitored during dialing; once the call has been set up, the
detectors are free to be used elsewhere. Detecting carriers requires
the detector during the entire call.
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Date: Wed, 10 Aug 1983 22:06 EDT
From: DVW.STRAT@MIT-OZ
Subject: Finding Touch-Tone(TM)
In regard to Phil's message;
I have found that down here (in Virginia/DC/MD), offices run by ESS
really don't need to check for Touch-Tone(TM) on rotary lines, simply
because if one doesn't pay for tone, a tone pad will not break the
dial tone, regardless of whether it's hardwired or acoustically
coupled into the line. They're not filtered, because other carriers
can receive them, but the CO refuses to hear them..
It shouldn't be that hard to find modems in ESS offices,
because the software (from what I've heard) is hackable to listen for
anything from DTMF to MF to whatever else they'd like.
--Bob--
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Date: 11 Aug 1983 0657-PDT
Subject: CATV Datacomm Services
From: WMartin at Office-3 (Will Martin)
Appropriately enough on reading Lauren's comments re communications
provided by local CATV companies, I recalled just having read the
following, from the Aug 8 issue of DATA CHANNELS (V 10 # 16), one of
those high-priced technical newsletters:
MOUNTAIN BELL SEEKS PROBE INTO CABLE COMPANIES' DATA SERVICE
CAPABILITIES
Mountain Bell, which in June asked the New Mexico Corporation
Commission to stop Albuquerque Cable TV from offerring data
transmission services it claims compete with telephone-delivered
services, has now asked the NMCC to let it expand its complaint. The
telephone company now wants the commission not only to investigate
whether Albuquerque Cable is offering common carrier services without
a certificate of public convenience and necessity, but also to launch
an industrywide investigation into the state's cable companies'
capabilities to provide services in competition with telephone
companies.
Rather than looking at the specifics of individual companies' actions,
the Bell operating company wants the commission to look at the extent
to which cable companies, now unregulated by the state, can offer ways
to bypass the phone company's local loop, Mountain Bell's Jim Haynes
told DATA CHANNELS contributing editor Anna L. Zornosa.
Mountain Bell appears to be concerned about Los Alamos Cable TV, which
plans to offer 3 data services to its small but sophisticated service
area. The services, Subnet, Biznet, and Labnet, will allow
subscribers with terminals in their homes to use the cable system to
transmit high-speed data for a variety of applications.
Labnet, the service most important to the company's interactive data
program, will offer employees of the Los Alamos National Laboratory a
way to work at home by using personal computers to tie into the labs.
This service, an LATV official told us, will supply enough revenue to
get the others off the ground. A deal between the cable system and
the laboratory is nearly sealed, and the service could start in a
month, he said.
The other 2 services are designed for the city and county governments,
students at a branch of the University of New Mexico, and businesses.
Subscribers will pay $25 per month to access the services. "It's
going to bring us a lot of revenue," the official said. "Surveys have
shown people are very interested." Regarding Mountain Bell's
challenge, he suggested that the telco "regrets the fact it didn't do
it first."
****End of news item****
Some people have all the luck... Here in St. Louis City, the local
politicos have been wrangling and fussing over whether to award a
cable system charter for years, so I don't have Cable TV access at
all, much less a choice of fancy services...
Will Martin
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Date: Thursday, 11-Aug-83 17:19:19-PDT
From: Lauren Weinstein <vortex!lauren@LBL-CSAM>
Subject: Telco Tariffs / FCC Certification
The "rules" regarding the connection of equipment to the telephone
network and such are all contained in the "tariffs" that the telcos
have filed with (and which have been approved by) the various state
public utility commissions. These tariffs are rather like laws, but
are indeed actually civil documents. The term "illegal" is frequently
used to refer to acts which violate these tariffs, even though an
actual "criminal" offense need not be involved. The normal reaction
of the telcos to tariff violations (depending on circumstances, of
course) include warnings, disconnection of service, or in some cases
lawsuits.
Unless there are other (criminal) acts involved, you won't normally be
taken away in handcuffs for a telco tariff violation.
---
On the subject of FCC certification:
This certification applies to specific products and/or systems.
Unless a component of an FCC certified piece of telephone equipment
had been *separately* certified, that component itself would *not* be
certified once it was removed from the certified equipment. Any user
modifications of the certified equipment also invalidate the
certification.
--Lauren--
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Date: 8 Aug 1983 1517-PDT
Subject: Telephone flames
From: Ian H. Merritt <MERRITT@USC-ISIB>
If I may make a suggestion, many of the flames about stupid telephone
rate structures and excessive charges sound well-informed, and loud. I
think they would be most effective if sent to the news media,
senators, and regulatory agencies, in addition to this list. I have
been doing so, and what I am hearing is that there are many times more
angry letters being received by these agencies on this issue than on
any similar issue in the past. Creative alternatives and specific
points would be useful, if one is son inclined, however just another
vote will make a difference.
I urge anybody with any opinion on this issue to write it up and send
it to the appropriate agencies.
<>IHM<>
[Note from the moderator: Please do NOT mention TELECOM in any of
these correspondences. That would constitute political use of this
digest, which is contrary to DCA policy governing ARPANet mailings
such as this one. --JSol]
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End of TELECOM Digest
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