TELECOM@Usc-Eclb (07/09/82)
TELECOM AM Digest Friday, 9 July 1982 Volume 2 : Issue 84
Today's Topics:
Cellular Radio - Gold Rush At The FCC
Installation Wiring - Do It Yourself
Problems With OZ Dialups - Two Possible Ideas
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Date: 7 Jul 1982 1856-PDT
Sender: GEOFF at SRI-CSL
Subject: Gold Rush At The Fcc.
From: the tty of Geoffrey S. Goodfellow
Reply-To: Geoff at SRI-CSL
Is the title of an interesting article on the 'Unprecedented Returns'
and licensing aspects of cellular radio in the july 12th edition of
fortune on pages 102-112.
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Date: 8 Jul 82 00:36:55 EDT (Thu)
From: Steve Bellovin <smb.unc@UDel-Relay>
Subject: Installing your own wiring
Here are some items from a N.Y. Bell billing insert I thought would be
of interest to readers of this list.
In N.Y. customers are allowed to install their own wiring. The
monthly charge for wiring is separated into an "investment charge"
($1.04/mo. for residential lines; $.72/mo. for businesses -- a
curious reversal) and a "maintenance charge" ($.75/mo. for each
residence phone; $3.51/mo. for each business phone). Customers can
avoid both charges if they supply all of their own wiring; also, they
are not liable for the investment charge if their wiring was installed
after April 3, 1982.
If you want to install your own wiring, N.Y. Bell offers three
options: a "Standard Network Interface" at $11.25 (plus a premises
visit charge), a "Network Interface" at $4.25, and a "Demarcation
Point Arrangement". The first two are modular jacks installed where
the phone line enters the building ("The SNI is more expensive because
it is equipped to make testing of your line easier for you and the
company if a trouble condition should develop. But, it's your
choice...." [sic]. Anyone know what the difference is, or how repairs
are billed in such situations?); the DPA is just an officially-blessed
modular jack that you can plug your own wires into. They will supply
a free kit to convert non-modular jacks to modular ones, thus making
them eligible to be declared DPAs.
A new booklet, "Providing Your Own Telephone Wiring" is available
through PhoneCenters or the local business office; it sets out the
regulations for rolling your own.
One other item in the same insert: they no longer charge for
Touch-Tone lines (line charge only; equipment not included) for folks
who use the feature only to "access computers services and/or
specialized long distance common carriers", and who do not use it to
make local calls. If you're in such a situation, they want you to call
them.
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Date: 8 July 1982 06:03-EDT
From: James M. Turner <JMTURN at MIT-AI>
Regarding the OZ dialups:
The problem you were having is that the OZ tips were on MIT-restricted
lines. This is a problem that the clone company propagated on MIT by
making assumptions. And yes, when this occured, I called the MIT
operator (253-1000), and told her I needed an inside mit data phone
dialed for me, and could she plese dial mumble. As far as I know, this
problem went away after Ma Bell had the facts explain at her.
James
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Date: 8 Jul 1982 1442-EDT
From: John R. Covert <RSX-DEV at DEC-MARLBORO>
cc: rkb at MIT-AI
Subject: Intercept anomaly
It is VERY unlikely that the problem you are having has anything to do
with which line you are calling from. Much more likely is that at the
time you were calling from your regular line, the number you dialed
was available, but when calling from your other line, it was busy.
But why didn't I get a busy signal, you say? Well, it's not uncommon
for lines in hunting groups to hunt to numbers which have been removed
(i.e. the size of the hunt group has been reduced or the hunt number
was improperly entered).
But why did it tell me that the number I dialed was out of service,
rather than the number that was hunted to? Because No. 1 ESS sends
the number dialed, not the final number, to AIS. (I once forwarded my
phone to a friend's phone in the same C.O. the day his phone was to be
removed. Calling my number dropped you into AIS with the recording
refernecing my number.)
Why did the AIS database point the number to the MIT main number, even
though that number was actually in service? One of two reasons could
be responsible for this: The AIS database often, in order to save
memory, points to the same recording for large groups. Also, the AIS
database is not always changed immediately when a new number is
connected (in fact, it very seldom is).
[That seems inconsistent with the above statement by JMTURN, which
states that the OZ dialups had been restricted MIT numbers. Can Rkb's
main number can call restricted phones at MIT? 617-497 and 617-258 are
on the same ESS machine, I believe. --JSol]
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End of TELECOM Digest
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