[fa.telecom] TELECOM Digest V2 #72

TELECOM@Usc-Eclb (06/05/82)

TELECOM AM Digest      Saturday, 5 June 1982      Volume 2 : Issue 72

Today's Topics:
                         "Rusty Switch" Scam
          Problems Repairing Phones - Continuing Telco Saga
         Foreign Exchange Rate Structure - Will Need Revision
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Date: 4 Jun 1982 18:00 EDT
From: Axelrod.WBST at PARC-MAXC

FCC regs say that an intrastate line is part of an interstate network
if it is connected to an interstate line, either directly, or through
a "switch".  The term "switch" is ordinarily understand to mean a PBX
or such-like, but it isn't defined very clearly.

SO. . .

If you need an intrastate line, and if ATT is cheaper than your local
OpCo (it usually is), and if you've got an Interstate line in the near
vicinity, then you order a manual TBar switch, or something like that,
and you say that "sometimes" you'll switch the data from the local
line onto the interstate line, and the rest of the time it will be
switched onto your local widget.  Therefore, it's part of an interstat
network.

BUT. . .

Somehow, the switch never gets used!  As a matter of fact, it gets
forgotten and neglected and it "rusts into position".

We don't do that around here or anywhere else in Xerox that I know of.
(Really.)  But it does get done.  I've been told that companies in
California that need to run lines from LA to San Fransisco can
actually save money by getting a dead-end line from LA to Lake Tahoe,
just for that purpose.  Seems Pacific Tel & Tel is quite expensive,
and gives terrible service.
   Art

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Date:  4 June 1982 19:52 edt
From:  Frankston.SoftArts at MIT-MULTICS
Subject:  Continuing Telco saga

1. I finally got someone out.  So far it seems that Telcos
equipment works and it may be mine.  Once I reached the
engineering people they were very helpful.

2. On the other hand, the guy who did come out seemed to have
the same problems I had -- it took him 10 minutes to get through
to repair on 1-555-1515.  Oh well.

(It did take till Wednesday evening to get someone though).

I still need to figure out whether it is my Avanti MEDIUM haul
modems or what.  I`ll have to deal with it after the NCC.

 I am still concerned that it is so difficult to work with Telco
to solve simple problems.

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Date: 4 June 1982 1711-PDT (Friday)
From: lauren at UCLA-Security (Lauren Weinstein)
Subject: FX service

Generally, it is not practical to charge different amounts for FX
service based on the technology used to implement it in a given case.

Regardless of whether the service is provided through call forwarding
and billing modifications, or via dedicated interoffice trunks, the
end result (as far as the customer is concerned) is the same.  They
are still deriving the same benefits in terms of rate areas and
billing.  *If* the mileage charges associated with FX service were
only charging you for rental of the physical plant associated with a
dedicated trunk, *then* you might be able to argue that a serious
differential exists.  However, all sorts of factors are involved in
those mileage charges relating to physical plant *and* rate areas
"crossed", so it is not a simple calculation.  How do you explain to
customer A that they are paying 30% more for similar FX service than
customer B, simply because (strictly by luck) customer B happens to be
served by the appropriate ESS equipment to provide the pseudo-FX
function?  This is similar to the situation in regards to IDDD service
(International Direct Distance Dialing).  Many parts of the country
still cannot make IDDD calls.  However, those users get charged the
direct-dialed rate even though they must call through an operator.

Probably it will be necessary to restructure *all* FX type rates over
time to account for new methods of providing the service -- but the
task will not be simple, given the complexities involved.

--Lauren--

P.S.  I believe that the overwhelming majority of existing FX lines
are provided via dedicated interoffice facilities at this time.

--LW--

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End of TELECOM Digest
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