Return-Path: Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.7.4/NSCS-1.0S) id MAA01404; Fri, 26 Apr 1996 12:36:17 -0400 (EDT) Date: Fri, 26 Apr 1996 12:36:17 -0400 (EDT) From: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu (Patrick A. Townson) Message-Id: <199604261636.MAA01404@massis.lcs.mit.edu> To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V16 #202 TELECOM Digest Fri, 26 Apr 96 12:36:00 EDT Volume 16 : Issue 202 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Pacific Bell To Consolidate Statewide Bill Processing (Mike King) FCC Proposes 5 GHz Spectrum (Bennett Z. Kobb) Tricked Into Switching (Paul D. Tidwell) Russians Killed Dudayev Through Satellite Phone! (Rishab Aiyer Ghosh) Junk Mail From Matrix Telecom "10% Savings Off ATT's Rates" (Robert Casey) Long Distance PIC Freeze and Telemarketing Termination (J.D. Craig) Sprint Keeps on Going and Going and Going (Nick Vora) "Heads Up" at Naval Ordnance Center (John B. Rose) S.C. to Get Third Area Code by 1998 (Stan Schwartz) Caller Choice Service in Alltel Carolina Service Area (Stan Schwartz) Need 1950 Telephone Book from California (Loring Fiske-Phillips) Bumper Sticker of the Day (Jack Unger) Last Laugh! Grandma Gets Obscene Phone Call (Richard Keith) TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not exclusively to telecommunications topics. It is circulated anywhere there is email, in addition to various telecom forums on a variety of public service systems and networks including Compuserve and America On Line. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. Subscriptions are available to qualified organizations and individual readers. Write and tell us how you qualify: * ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu * The Digest is edited, published and compilation-copyrighted by Patrick Townson of Skokie, Illinois USA. 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Any organizations listed are for identification purposes only and messages should not be considered any official expression by the organization. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Mike King Subject: Pacific Bell To Consolidate Statewide Bill Processing Date: Thu, 25 Apr 1996 12:32:49 PDT Forewarded to the Digest FYI: Date: Tue, 23 Apr 1996 14:15:00 -0800 From: Marcia.Flint@pactel.com (TELESIS.EA_SF_PO:Marcia Flint) Subject: NEWS: Pacific Bell To Consolidate Statewide Bill Processing Pacific Bell To Consolidate Statewide Bill Processing Services For Release: April 18, 1996 Contact: Dave Miller (Sacramento), (916) 972-2811 John Britton (Orange), (619) 237-2430 SACREMENTO -- Pacific Bell announced plans Thursday to consolidate its two existing bill processing centers into one location to streamline operations, improve efficiencies and expedite output. The consolidation, projected to be completed by the second quarter of 1997, will combine the company's Anaheim and Sacramento bill processing centers into one location in West Sacramento. "This is another example of a continuing company-wide effort to improve efficiencies, reduce costs and improve service," said Dan Hammalian, director of Pacific Bell's Statewide Bill Processing group. Hammalian said the project has been in the planning stages for the last year and is unrelated to the recent announcement of a merger between Pacific Telesis Group and SBC Communications, Inc. Pacific Bell's bill processing group distributes 14 million bills statewide per month. "We have a very large operation," Hammalian said. "We knew we could gain efficiencies and reduce duplication by centralizing in one location." The company plans to purchase new state-of -the art equipment that will streamline and automate many of the current printing and mail distribution processes. For instance, new high-speed printers will speed print processing by approximately 50 percent. And the installation of a conveyor belt system will smooth operations by eliminating the need to bring in envelopes and inserts by palette. Also, new postal qualification software will automatically sort bills into trays by zip code to speed up bill delivery to the U. S. Postal service. Hammalian said final staffing has not been determined, but it is expected that the consolidated center will employ a smaller labor force than the two existing centers. However, he said the regular employees from the two centers will have the opportunity to follow their work to the new West Sacramento site. Currently, Pacific Bell employs 122 employees at its Sacramento bill processing center and 80 in Anaheim. The Anaheim center will remain open up to 18 months after the consolidation with a scaled down staff to provide backup processing. "We've given employees as much advance notice as possible," Hammalian said. "They were told about a year ago that the company was considering a consolidation. Since that time, we've filled job openings with temporary employees so that fewer permanent employees will be affected by the consolidation." Hammalian said new work processes will be used at the new center and are being designed with employee assistance. "Our bill processing employees are helping us design these process improvements," he said. "That's a recognition of the fact that those who actually do the work know best where improvements can be made." The consolidation is the latest in a series of efforts by Pacific Bell's Statewide Bill Processing group to improve efficiencies and service. In June 1994, the group switched to a two-sided bill to lower costs and reduce paper, water and electricity usage. And in November 1995, the unit began using green payment envelopes made from old telephone directories and other recycled materials. Pacific Bell is a subsidiary of Pacific Telesis Group, a San Francisco-based diversified telecommunications corporation. ---------------- Mike King * Oakland, CA, USA * mk@wco.com [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I am suprised they are only leaving one center open instead of two. The reason is, if anything goes wrong at that center, it really puts the company in a bind as far as cash flow is concerned. I notice they say they are leaving the other site open for 'backup purposes' for about a year. Good thinking! It is an additional, but needed operation. PAT] ------------------------------ From: bkobb@newsignals.com (Bennett Z. Kobb) Subject: FCC Proposes 5 GHz Spectrum Date: Thu, 25 Apr 1996 23:35:59 -0400 Organization: Ebullient Nucleus Today the FCC proposed to provide 350 MHz at 5 GHz for unlicensed NII/SUPERNet devices for broadband wireless communications at short distances. The proposal is based on petitions by Apple Computer and by the Wireless Information Networks Forum (WINForum). Importantly, the proposal would not permit longer-range operations as requested by Apple. The FCC appears focused principally on wireless LANs for indoor use. A report including transcripts from the FCC public meeting and press conference is on the New Signals WWW site at: http://home.navisoft.com/nspi Bennett Kobb SpectrumGuide/America's Airwaves ------------------------------ From: eustidw@exu.ericsson.se (Paul D. Tidwell) Subject: Tricked Into Switching Date: 25 Apr 1996 17:03:38 GMT Organization: Ericsson, Inc. Reply-To: eustidw@exu.ericsson.se I was surprised to find that I had been switched to AT&T on may latest GTE phone bill. Apparently since March 19th, I have been using AT&T and didn't even know it. When I called GTE, they agreed to switch me back to my original carrier, but refused to credit my account the $4.48 IXC switching fee. "I would have to talk to AT&T about that," I was told. I called AT&T and asked how I got switched. The agent told me that I had probably entered a drawing at a grocery store somewhere. The fine print on the entry form explained that my IXC would be changed. I personnally have never filled out any type of entry form, but my wife says she has ... however not any regarding AT&T or phone service that she could recall. The agent at AT&T agreed that this was a sneaky way to do business but I would have to complain to the FCC if I wanted anything done about it. Since I don't have the FCC's address handy, I thought I would start by complaining to the general public and the readers of this news group. So be warned: AT&T, and probably others, has found new ways to trick you into switching. As for the $4.48 charge, AT&T is sending me a coupon to apply to my local phone bill. What a pain. Paul D. Tidwell [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: This is an old, old story, and I have to wonder what even makes it newsworthy any longer. Still, it is important to note that *all* the carriers -- including AT&T -- still seem to be up to their tricks. PAT] ------------------------------ From: rishab@nntp1.best.com (Rishab Aiyer Ghosh) Subject: Russians Killed Dudayev Through Satellite Phone! Date: 25 Apr 1996 19:06:45 GMT Organization: Best Internet Communications A report datelined 24 April from Agence France Presse quotes Russian sources as saying that a satellite phone was used for homing in on Chechen separatist leadet Dzhokar Dudayev, who was blown up by rockets on Tuesday. Russian Interior Ministry sources said that Dudayev was tracked as he used a satellite phone; AFP reported unidentified experts as agreeing that the satellite could have tracked Dudayev while he was using the phone even when mobile. Scary if true. But I wonder why the satellite (what service wasn't mentioned -- if it was INMARSAT or some such, under what conditions did the Russians get hold of tracking data?) tracks location at all. If it is to focus the transmission beam (i.e. it doesn't use multiplexing) than I wonder how many phones it could track at a time. Surely it would make more sense to simply broadcast the downlink, or at least not focus it enough to offer a military target, as reception AFAIK need not require any tracking from the satellite. Rishab The Indian Techonomist - newsletter on India's information industry http://dxm.org/techonomist/ rishab@dxm.org Editor and publisher: Rishab Aiyer Ghosh rishab@arbornet.org Vox +91 11 6853410; 3760335; H 34 C Saket, New Delhi 110017, INDIA ------------------------------ From: wa2ise@netcom.com (Robert Casey) Subject: Junk Mail From Matrix Telecom "10% Savings Off ATT's LD" Organization: Netcom Online Communications Services (408-241-9760) Date: Thu, 25 Apr 1996 18:55:05 GMT I recieved some junk mail from Matrix Telecom Inc advertising their "Instant Savings code (10xxx)". "It already exists on your phone line". "Save xx% to xx% on calls and (larger number)% in interna- tional faxes (I deleted the actual numbers to avoid giving this company a free advertisment, also deleted the three last digits of the 10xxx code for same reason). "You'll still get the same monthly phone bill and each LD call placed with your Instant Savings code will be shown on your bill next to the service name "Matrix". Just use the Code." It struck me strange that nowhere in this piece of mail was there a return address (not even a box number). It was postal meter "Fort Worth, TX" They did provide an 800 number though. Their claimed savings were compared with "AT&T FCC Tariff No 1. Does not include special calling plans." The whole thing just seemed to be ever so slightly misleading, but strictly speaking on the legal up and up. That is, they made a big deal out of using what appears to be ordinary 10xxx code usage, and gave it funny names "Instant Savings code". Far as I can tell, this service appears to have reasonable rates, not outragious, but nothing special eighter. Guess that's what advertising is all about, to make your ordinary product look great. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Some of those guys are sending out their advertisements in envelopes addressed to 'local telephone customer' and with a thing right on the envelope saying 'new dialing instructions/proceedures for your area enclosed' as though it was a change being made by telco. A tricky bunch of people ... PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 25 Apr 1996 16:47:41 -0400 Subject: Long Distance PIC Freeze and Telemarketing Termination From: century1@usa.pipeline.com (JD Craig) Hello, I have been told that you can e-mail me with information related to how to properly request that AT&T, MCI, etc. stop calling me to switch my long distance telephone service. I would appreciate any help you can give me. Also, do you know about LEC PIC freeze instructions? Thanks in advance for your help. Stephen [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: To stop the calls, just hang the receiver in the middle of the call; even in the middle of a sentence. They'll get the idea eventually. To prevent changes in carrier, most telcos offer a thing where if you contact them, they will put a freeze on the line and all carrier changes have to be authorized by you to them in writing. They won't take instructions on this from any carrier. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Neeraj 'Nick' Vora Subject: Sprint Keeps on Going and Going and Going Date: Thu, 25 Apr 1996 23:44:33 -0400 Organization: Cambridge Technology Partners I was one of the lucky ones to receive a mailgram informing me that I had to send in a federal tax id, etc. otherwise I would lose my Fridays Free and Business Sense program. So I called and after a few minutes of conversation was hung up on by a supervisor. Anyway, a couple of days later my long distance access was cut off and it asked me to press "1" which of course I did. I put it on speakerphone, had dinner, watched TV (Ok, so maybe a slight exaggeration) but after approximatly 30 minutes got throught to an agent to whom I explained the situation and said "If necessary please switch me over to Sprint Sense, I need long distance regardless of what I have for the time being." She said it'd be on in a couple of hours. Then, just curious, I call residential customer service for rates only to be told that I'm a business customer and was transferred over to business customer service. The agent assured me that everything was fine that I was on Business Sense and Free Fridays. Not wanting to get burnt I explained the receipt of the mailgram and the ensuing conversation and my inability (being a one person business from home) to provide articles of incorporation etc. she assured me, once again, not to worry and to remember that "all your calls on Friday are completely Free even on your FonCard." At this point I thanked her and hung up. Friday rolls around and I call business customer service to verify my status and am assured that everythings okay and that all calls on Friday are Free. So, I make calls. Today I received a letter from Mr. Robin Loyd dated April 17, 1996 via Priority Mail (I know they aren't the quickest, but seven days?!) "confirming that my Business Sense and Free Fridays program has been cancelled effective March 28, 1996" and all calls after that will be billed at Sprint Sense rates including calls on Fridays. HAH!!! Talk about a SCAM!!! OK, So I know I don't want to pay these charges what's the best thing for me to do?!!! HELP, would be most appreciated!? Somebody do something about them ... [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: What's being done now by many or most of the customers who have been lied to or defrauded by Sprint is they are simply withholding *all payments* at this time. In other words, they are putting a complete freeze on paying anything to Sprint until the company confirms *in writing* exactly what is going on, and arranges to correct all errors in billing, etc. I cannot stress this enough: if you are a Sprint customer who has been burned by Sprint and its representatives, the company is *never* going to respond to you in a satisfactory way as long as you keep just sending in the money they claim is due. *Stop making all payments to Sprint now* and wait until they get in touch with you, which they will do. Then let them know you have put a hold on them until you are able to contact Robin Loyed who thus far has refused to accept or return phone calls regarding Sprint's unilaterally cancelling out customer contracts; their complete termin- ation of your long distance service (if that occurred), etc. Do not accept their *verbal* assurances on anything. You need it all in writing at this point. It might be a good idea at this point also to send them registered mail letting them know it is imperative that they get in contact with you, in order to clear up misunderstandings and so that you can authorize payment of their invoices *at the earlier agreed upon rate*. If they attempt to hassle you or pressure you into paying their bogus invoices by using a collection agency -- good! Then it goes straight to the Federal Trade Commission. You are not legally required to pay invoices in dispute. At this point I feel there needs to be tremendous pressure applied to Sprint to get them to conform with their own advertising and contracts, etc. We are still trying to establish contact with Robin Loyed are we not, at 214-405-5404? PAT] ------------------------------ From: cables@hamptons.com (John B. Rose) Subject: "Heads Up" at Naval Ordnance Center Date: 26 Apr 1996 03:58:59 GMT Organization: Rose Business Systems Inc. Reply-To: cables@hamptons.com (John B. Rose) Hi, Pat -- The following was forwarded via my cousin, a civilian employee at the Navy Dept in Washington. -Rgds- John Baker Rose (cables@hamptons.com) FOR ALL DIRECTORATE/PEO/DRPM/WC/HRC ADMIN OFFICERS... The following "heads up" was provided to us by the Naval Ordnance Center (NOC) for information. It is noted that our Merlin telephone system does provide protection from the transfer aspect, however, there remains some risk of a recall. Concentration of this telephone scam is going on in Southern Maryland and NCIS is involved in this matter. Please readdress as appropriate. R/Andria Author: SMITH_CATHERINE at P-NAVORDCEN Date: 4/23/96 10:45 AM URGENT.....URGENT.....URGENT.....URGENT.....URGENT.....URGENT If you get requests from anyone saying they are from AT&T, Bell Atlantic, etc., testing the telephone lines and they ask you to transfer to or recall to 900#, DO NOT DO IT. JUST HANG UP. This is a scam that started this past weekend at NSWC IHDiv and NAVORDCEN HQ and has continued into the work week. The 900# transfers the individual to an international operator and then we are charged accordingly with the telephone charges. ------------------------------ From: Stan Schwartz Subject: S.C. to Get Third Area Code by 1998 Date: Fri, 26 Apr 1996 00:05:05 -0400 This first appeared in December, 1995, yet the NANP site still doesn't show an assignment for the 843 NPA. By KIM CURTIS, Associated Press With South Carolina's second area code, 864, barely in place in Upstate, plans are already in the works to add a third. Fifteen primarily coastal counties would be affected by the change, which would take place in early 1998. With fast-paced growth in areas like Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head Island, another area code will be necessary, said Ed Clement, executive director of the South Carolina Telephone Association. The association made its proposal to the Public Service Commission on Tuesday. Clement said the commission was receptive to the idea, and he expects its approval. Whether the commission approves the plan, Bellcore has the final say. Bellcore is a private company that administers the North American Numbering Plan and assigns new area codes. New area codes use two through nine in the middle digit. This format creates 640 new area codes and five billion telephone numbers. If all goes smoothly, South Carolina's new area code will be 843 and it will go into effect in April 1998 with mandatory use beginning in September of that year. The third area code should provide enough phone numbers to last until 2010, Clement said. Even with the addition of the 864 area code, it's still not enough to cover the growing need for phone lines from equipment like computers and fax machines. The counties affected by the proposed change are Chesterfield, Marlboro, Darlington, Dillon, Marion, Florence, Horry, Georgetown, Williamsburg, Berkeley, Dorchester, Charleston, Colleton, Beaufort and Jasper. ------------------------------ From: Stan Schwartz Subject: Caller Choice Service in Alltel Carolina Service Area Date: Fri, 26 Apr 1996 00:01:51 -0400 This is from the {Union Observer} in North Carolina. Interesting to note the "Caller Choice" service that ELIMINATES 1+10D dialing for local calls across NPA lines and converts it to 10D only. WHY??? Stan EXPANDED PHONE SERVICE IN WAXHAW GIVES 5,000 CUSTOMERS MORE OPTIONS Friday, March 29, 1996 Section: UNION (North Carolina) OBSERVER Page: 2U By STEVE LYTTLE, Staff Write Officials at Alltel Carolina plan to turn a switch Saturday that will bring a number of new services to about 5,000 Waxhaw-area telephone customers. Alltel will turn on its new digital switch for the Waxhaw area, enabling customers to use Caller ID, Call Return, Repeat Dialing and Call Trace. The customers are those with the 843 exchange. In addition, customers can use Alltel's Message Center voice-mail service. Waxhaw is the last area in Union County to receive these services, which were introduced in the past two years to Alltel customers in the Hemby Bridge-Indian Trail and Marshville-Wingate areas. GTE, which serves the rest of Union County, also has offered the services for several years. "The new system we're installing will be the most advanced in the market today," said Warren Caldwell, Alltel's vice-president of operations. "It will help us identify problems before they become apparent to the customer, as well as improve the quality of their telephone service," Caldwell added. Also available in Waxhaw, starting Saturday, is Caller Choice. This service offers an automatic 50 percent discount on some long-distance calls. With Caller Choice, customers in the Waxhaw area no longer will need to dial a 1 when calling phone exchanges near Waxhaw in South Carolina. They only need to dial the area code (803) and the seven-digit phone number. Alltel Carolina serves more than 162,000 customers in North Carolina. Its service area in Union County includes Waxhaw, Indian Trail, Hemby Bridge, Wingate and Marshville. ------------------------------ From: loring@pobox.com (Loring Fiske-Phillips) Subject: Need 1950 Telephone Book From California Date: Thu, 25 Apr 1996 21:47:24 -0700 Organization: Me, Myself and I I am working on a scavenger hunt and one of the items I need is a telephone book from the year 1950. It can be for any city in California, and the front cover needs to be intact. I realize that anyone who still has such a thing probably has a sentimental attachment to it. I only need to borrow it for a few days, and I'll pay postage both ways (insured if you wish). I'll even pick it up if you live in Southern California. If you can help with this odd request, please let me know at loring@pobox.com. Thank you! Loring Fiske-Phillips ------------------------------ From: junger@netcom.com (Jack Unger) Subject: Bumper Sticker of the Day Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest) Date: Thu, 25 Apr 1996 18:29:41 GMT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD AUCTION OFF ALL WIRELESS FREQUENCIES TO THE BIG TELEPHONE COMPANIES Jack Unger K6XS (junger@netcom.com) Advertisement: Wireless InfoNet designs, installs, and supports wireless WANs, and high-speed wireless Internet access. (408) 335-2439 Social Comment: A gun, in a moment of anger, turns a "law-abiding" citizen into a criminal. ------------------------------ From: LNUSTC1.ZZ7HLW@gmeds.com Subject: Last Laugh! Grandma Gets Obscene Phone Call Date: Thu, 25 Apr 1996 22:05:05 -0400 Several years ago my 85 year old mother received a random obscene phone call. As she tells it the caller made several lewd sexual suggestions which caused my mother to laugh responding to the caller with, "Boy has it been a long time since I've tried anything like THAT!" she told the caller that she was quite flattered being 85 years old she didn't get propositioned like that anymore. Being a Sunday school teacher she has an interest in children so she asked this youngster how old he was. He told her he was 25 but after some more conversation he admitted to being only 12. He then went on to tell her that he was lonely because his mother was always working and he did these phone calls for something to do. She talked with this young man for several more minutes, and he apologized for making the call. My mother told him that when he got lonely to call her and she would be glad to visit with him whenever he wanted. He did call back on several occaisions after this. Richard Keith lnustc1.zz7hlw@gmeds.com ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V16 #202 ******************************