Return-Path: Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.7.4/NSCS-1.0S) id IAA22933; Sat, 21 Dec 1996 08:47:11 -0500 (EST) Date: Sat, 21 Dec 1996 08:47:11 -0500 (EST) From: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu (TELECOM Digest Editor) Message-Id: <199612211347.IAA22933@massis.lcs.mit.edu> To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V16 #672 TELECOM Digest Sat, 21 Dec 96 08:47:00 EST Volume 16 : Issue 672 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Book Review: "Java Developer's Resource" by Harold (Rob Slade) 385 or 435 to be Used for Utah (John Cropper) California Telephone News (Tad Cook) Ameritech Wants to Enter InterLATA Market in Michigan (Jack Decker) PUC Says No Overlays for California (Tad Cook) Re: GSM is GSM is GSM - Not (David Clayton) Re: GSM is GSM is GSM - Not (Rishab Aiyer Ghosh) 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. You can reach us by postal mail, fax or phone at: Post Office Box 4621 Skokie, IL USA 60076 Phone: 847-329-0571 Fax: 847-329-0572 ** Article submission address: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Our archives are located at mirror.lcs.mit.edu. The URL is: http://mirror.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives They can also be accessed using anonymous ftp: ftp mirror.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives A third method is the Telecom Email Information Service: Send a note to tel-archives@mirror.lcs.mit.edu to receive a help file for using this method or write me and ask for a copy of the help file for the Telecom Archives. ************************************************************************* * TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from the * * International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in Geneva, Switzerland * * under the aegis of its Telecom Information Exchange Services (TIES) * * project. Views expressed herein should not be construed as represent-* * ing views of the ITU. * ************************************************************************* Finally, the Digest is funded by gifts from generous readers such as yourself who provide funding in amounts deemed appropriate. Your help is important and appreciated. A suggested donation of twenty dollars per year per reader is considered appropriate. See our address above. All opinions expressed herein are deemed to be those of the author. Any organizations listed are for identification purposes only and messages should not be considered any official expression by the organization. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 20 Dec 1996 14:09:29 EST From: Rob Slade (roberts@decus.ca> Subject: Book Review: "Java Developer's Resource" by Harold BKJAVADR.RVW 960917 "Java Developer's Resource", Elliotte Rusty Harold, 1997, 0-13-570789-7, U$26.95/C$26.95 %A Elliotte Rusty Harold elharo@sunsite.unc.edu %C One Lake St., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458 %D 1997 %G 0-13-570789-7 %I Prentice Hall %O U$26.95/C$26.95 +1-201-236-7139 fax: 201-236-7131 beth_hespe@prenhall.com %P 608 %T "Java Developer's Resource" Resourceful this book definitely is, covering all the standard topics. In fact, it goes a bit farther, with a chapter on how to generate VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language) descriptions with Java. Additional readings are recommended at the end of each chapter for those who want to explore further, and the last chapter in the book lists archive sites, lists, groups, and even a couple of magazines on Java. (And, Elliotte, while I could agree with you on most Java books, you might want to have a look at "Java in a Nutshell" (cf. BKJAVANS.RVW) and "Core Java" (cf. BKCORJAV.RVW).) The most interesting thing about this book, though, is that while the author states outright that it is for those who already know programming, no knowledge of any specific language is assumed. The explanations thus provided are accessible to any intelligent reader, and therefore provide an excellent introduction to the language, without oversimplifying to the point where the book loses usefulness to the programming expert. I was slightly disappointed by the chapter on object-orientation, but only because of the high quality of the rest of the book: the topic is covered better than in almost all other Java books, and, indeed, better than in many object-oriented programming texts. copyright Robert M. Slade, 1996 BKJAVADR.RVW 960917 Distribution permitted in TELECOM Digest and associated publications. Vancouver ROBERTS@decus.ca | "It says 'Hit any Institute for rslade@vcn.bc.ca | key to continue.' Research into rslade@vanisl.decus.ca | I can't find the User Rob_Slade@mindlink.bc.ca | 'Any' key on my Security Canada V7K 2G6 | keyboard." ------------------------------ From: John Cropper Subject: 385 or 435 to be Used for Utah Date: Fri, 20 Dec 1996 14:29:58 -0500 Organization: MindSpring Reply-To: psyber@mindspring.com Deseret News Archives, Thursday, December 12, 1996 LITTLE NOISE FROM RURAL UTAH ON NEW AREA CODE By Jennifer Toomer, Staff Writer A Public Service Commission hearing on a proposal to give rural Utah a different area code reaped little participation from those who would be most affected. The Utah telecommunication industry has proposed limiting the current 801 area code to the Wasatch Front to handle growth and the abundance of fax machines, cellular phones, pagers and modems in Utah. ``We're running out of telephone numbers to distribute to customers,'' PSC chairman Stephen Mecham said at the hearing. Two other discussions on the matter have been held since May. But on Tuesday, just three people - plus one via e-mail - spoke in otherwise empty classrooms set up in 20 locations statewide for an interactive teleconference, broadcast from the University of Utah campus. None opposed the plan to assign area code 385 or 435 (802 already has been issued in Vermont) to those outside the populous Wasatch Front, although it would cost them. Richfield resident Dale Gibson owns several restaurant businesses in Sevier and Beaver counties and subscribes to a dozen phone numbers. He and other business owners in the affected area would shoulder the cost of altering stationary and other advertising items to reflect the new code. ``I see the need for a new area code, but I think we need to see two or three put in,'' Gibson said from the Sevier Valley Applied Technology Center. ``I'd not like to face those (printing costs) more than once.'' He likely wouldn't have to, since rural Utah would change area codes only once. But businesses retaining 801 in Weber, Davis, Salt Lake and Utah counties may have to add another area code by 2005, and possibly again after that, depending on growth, said Jack Ott of the North American Numbering Plan Administration. The administration is unlikely to assign more than one new area code at a time unless need is demonstrated, Ott said. Besides, several area codes would require 10-digit numbers for local calls. ``Why get them before we have to? Let's continue the seven-digit dialing as long as we can,'' Ott said. Local calling areas, dialing plans and rates, at least for US WEST customers, would not be altered under the plan, Ott said. Cellular phone customers in the affected area would need to have their phones reprogrammed, Ott said. He was unsure about the cost. AirTouch Cellular, which recently has added new area codes in several states, provides the reprogramming free of charge, spokeswoman Lisa Bowersock said from Seattle. Customers can reprogram their phones themselves within minutes in some cases or take them to an authorized retailer, she said. Fax machines, modems or pagers would not need to be reprogrammed. If approved, the plan would take effect June 22. A permissive dialing period, where callers could get through using either code, would extend through January 1998. Afterward, a recorded message would give misdialers the appropriate area code. The proposal mirrors those recently implemented in Phoenix and Seattle. A new area code is expected to cost US WEST several million dollars to reprogram data bases, switchboards and billing systems, Ott said. But US WEST spokesman Duane L. Cooke said the one-time cost would not overwhelm the company, which serves 14 states and has assigned additional area codes in the past. ``It's part of the cost of doing business,'' Cooke said. ) 1995 Deseret News Publishing Co. John Cropper voice: 888.NPA.NFO2 LINCS 609.637.9434 PO Box 277 fax: 609.637.9430 Pennington, NJ 08534-0277 mailto:psyber@mindspring.com http://www.the-server.com/jcbt2n/lincs/ ------------------------------ Subject: California Telephone News Date: Fri, 20 Dec 1996 12:02:53 PST From: tad@ssc.com (Tad Cook) Pac Bell customers to get aid from the North We've heard from people who need regular ol' phone service work. We've heard from folks who want a high-speed ISDN line installed. Their complaint: It takes too long -- weeks -- to get Pacific Bell to show up. Guess what? Pac Bell agrees, and says the cavalry is on the way -- including from as far away as British Columbia, no less. "We're definitely out further than we want to be" on service calls, company spokesman John Britton said. "We are definitely in a hiring mode." While the great bulk of service orders get handled promptly, he said, record demand for new lines is an issue. In the South Bay, for example, the company has added 170 service and maintenance technicians this year, on top of a base of about 475, and is still looking to hire 200 more. "The truth of the matter is: It did catch us a bit by surprise," Britton said. Another factor: Installation of second lines is taking a back seat to wiring of first lines, he said, so those customers might wait longer. Earlier corporate downsizing hasn't played much of a role, he said, although that's debatable to some. Last month, a state administrative law judge recommended improved standards for ISDN customer service. In the meantime, crews are working overtime and help is expected from an unusual quarter. On Jan. 6, at least 120 technicians from British Columbia are due to arrive. ----------------- GOT IT? Speaking of phones, there's a murky region of the telephone landscape that could, ironically, end up costing you money even as you try to save. It involves local toll calls and long-distance carriers. It gets a little tricky, but bear with us: Domestically, there are essentially three zones of telephone service. Make a local call -- up to 12 miles -- and it's free, because it's already included in the cost of your monthly service. Next come those local toll calls -- calls made beyond the free area but short of your local LATA. (That's phone company talk for a large service region that sometimes follows area code boundaries, but sometimes doesn't; California has 11 of them.) Typically, local service providers Pacific Bell and GTE handle these calls, which are charged on a per-minute basis. Finally, come calls that reach beyond the LATA -- the calls we commonly recognize as long distance. (Things are slightly different for calls in the 12-to-16-mile range, but the basic logic doesn't change.) Today, most folks know they've got a choice in long-distance carriers. It's less well appreciated, however, that callers might save money by routing local tolls calls through one of many long-distance providers. (This is done by dialing a five-digit code preceding calls.) And that's where the trap can lie waiting for you. Let's say you're making a local toll call, and because you've got a better deal from Joe's Long Distance Co. than Pac Bell, you route the call through Joe. Bully for you. But what if it turns out your call actually isn't long enough to be a toll call? What if you thought it was beyond the free boundary, but it really wasn't? In that case, if you route it through Joe's, Joe will charge you for use of his network. So you end up paying for what should have been a free call. It's not hard to imagine this happening. How often do you really know the precise mileage of your call? And did you know the mileage is calculated not from your telephone but from the central office serving your phone? Nor is it hard to imagine how charges like these could add up if you do a lot of calling in that blurry area near the edge of your free area -- a not uncommon experience in lifestyle- and business-dispersed California. So what to do? Like so many efforts at deregulation, the situation has created a new market. Stepping into the void is a Bay Area firm, Telegen Corp. of Redwood City, which sells, for $69.95, a box that will take account of all the relevant factors and route a call to avoid that extra charge. "Why pay Joe when Pacific Bell is free?" asks Telegen exec Warren M. Dillard. "People are picking up on it." (If you're interested in the Telegen box, called the ACS 2000, call the company's customer service at 415-261-9400.) ------------------------ PHONING HOME: The term global is often used with the term Internet to describe the scope of this communications network. But so far, the Net hasn't been great for globetrotters. For subscribers to most U.S. Internet-service providers who travel overseas, accessing the Net can be both frustrating (finding closest dial-up access point) and expensive (running up long-distance). A few local companies are trying to bring costs down, by applying to Net access the "roaming" concept widely used by cellular phone customers outside their carriers' service areas. AimQuest, in Santa Clara, grew out of the software division of Aimnet, a Bay Area ISP, and now offers other ISPs membership in a partnership called the Global Reach Internet Connection. The company has partners in 22 countries, predominantly in Asia but a growing number of which are in Europe. It works this way: A Net user outside the country makes a connection with a local ISP. Software would identify them as part of AimQuest's global gig. And with that, long-distance charges are avoided. AimQuest, meanwhile, will take care of the intra-alliance billing, acting as a clearinghouse of sorts for the ISPs. "We want to be the VISA or Cirrus of the Internet," said Vice President Christophe Culine. The field isn't without competition. One Palo Alto start-up, I-Pass Alliance, has ISPs in 159 countries on board and has allied with BBN Planet to help make the worldwide connections. But AimQuest this month took the technology a further step, offering the same capability for sending faxes internationally. ---------------------- SIGNS OF THE TIMES: Joining the likes of Goodyear and Fuji, the AltaVista Internet search engine now has a blimp ... Bumper sticker recently seen: "Hang up and drive." Pipeline appears every other Friday and is compiled by members of the Mercury News' telecommunications reporting team: Mike Antonucci, Howard Bryant, Elizabeth Wasserman and Christopher H. Schmitt. We'd love to hear from you with ideas -- call (408) 920-5265 and leave a message, fax to (408) 288-8060 or e-mail to pipeline@sjmercury.com . ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 20 Dec 1996 21:17:27 -0500 From: Jack Decker Subject: Ameritech Wants to Enter InterLATA Market in Michigan I got an e-mail today from Rick Gamber at the Michigan Consumer Federation. He tells me that Ameritech has started the process of trying to get approval to enter the interLATA long distance market in Michigan. The interesting part of this is that they are asserting that they meet all of the 14 requirements of the federal telecom law. I won't quote Rick's comments precisely, but let's just say that he expressed some doubt about the validity of that assertion. :-) Anyway, Rick wants to hear from competitors or potential competitors of Ameritech who feel that they have been treated in a discriminatory manner -- what he calls "roadkill on the information superhighway." If you have attempted to compete with Ameritech in any way, and have been subjected to unusual and unnecessary details, charges, roadblocks, and/or just being made to jump through a lot of unnecessary hoops, and would be willing to allow your story to become part of the record of this case, please contact the Michigan Consumer Federation. Even if you are just a potential competitor, but have information that you think would be helpful, they would like to hear from you. It is quite possible that there are stories of Ameritech inhibiting local competition that have not yet been told. Comments must be filed soon, so if you have info please send e-mail ASAP to mcf@sojourn.com While I'm at it, I'd like to take this opportunity to mention a Web site that is under development at http://www.utilitywatch.org/. It's called UtilityWatch and the intent of the site is to provide links to consumer-oriented utility information. We have pages with links to Utility Watchdog Groups, State and Federal Utility Regulatory Agencies, and State Public Utility Laws that can be found on the Web, plus a section for e-mail mailing lists (which so far only contains a listing for MI-Telecom, the Michigan Telecommunications Mailing List). If you maintain or know of a page in any of these categories, and it's not already listed, let me know and I'll see that it gets added. Jack ------------------------------ Subject: PUC Says No Overlays for California Date: Sat, 21 Dec 1996 00:26:42 PST From: tad@ssc.com (Tad Cook) Geographic Splits Set For Area Code Relief in California Until Year 2001; Pacific Bell Calls CPUC Decision On Area Code Overlays `Disappointing` SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 20, 1996--The state Public Utilities Commission adopted a comprehensive policy today that reinforces geographic splits as the only accepted method of providing area code relief in California through the year 2000. The decision effectively precludes the use of overlays as a viable alternative to traditional geographic area code splits in 12 area code relief projects to be implemented in the next three years in California. The Commission said an overlay option will not be considered until the next round of area code relief projects, which are set to begin in the year 2001. Because overlays cannot be considered in the current round of area code relief projects, an estimated 12 to 15 million California residents and businesses assigned to the new area codes through geographic splits will need to change the area code portion of their telephone number. Pacific Bell, which has been an advocate of overlays as the preferred form of area code relief for dense urban areas, said it was `very disappointed` with the Commission's ruling. `We believe this decision deprives consumers, particularly in the 213 area code, of a logical solution that would be less disruptive to them than a geographic split,` said John Banuelos, the company's regulatory policy manager. The Commission also said it will require a number of conditions to be met before overlays can be implemented, including: -- Mandatory 1 plus 10 digit dialing for all calls in the affected region -- Permanent local number portability, which allows people to keep their same phone number even if they move or change telephone companies. -- An overlay must have at least three more years of life than a geographic split -- Every prospective competitor must have at least one prefix (10,000 telephone numbers) 90 days in advance of the overlay's introduction With an overlay, a new area code is placed over the existing area code, with the two codes sharing the same geographic boundaries. Existing customers keep their area code and the new area code is given only to people requesting new phone numbers. Consequently, customers are not required to print new stationary, business cards, etc. or learn new area code boundaries. New York has already successfully implemented the nation's first overlay and three area code overlays are planned -- one in Pennsylvania, and two in Maryland in May and June of 1997 respectively. Banuelos said the 213 area code, which is projected to run out of phone numbers in early 1999, is a `perfect candidate` for an overlay because of its small geographic area -- only 9 square miles -- and dense population. `It doesn't make sense to rule out the possibility of an overlay for the 213 area code, especially since this area has suffered in recent years from negative impacts of multiple area code relief projects,` he said. Since 1984, the 213 has spun off two area codes -- the 818 and 310, both of which will split again in 1997 followed by another 213 split in 1998. The latest 213 geographic split now pending before the Commission would keep downtown Los Angeles in the 213 area code and place other nearby cities in a new area code. `This creates a donut-shaped area code split, with downtown Los Angeles being the center of the donut,` Banuelos said. `This will be difficult for consumers trying to keep track of the area code dividing line since you'll have one area code plunked down in the middle of another area code.` Banuelos said his remarks are not intended to criticize the proposed 213 geographic split plan. `It was the best plan the industry could come up with given the small geography of the 213 area code. The 213 plan is just a reflection of the overall problem with geographic splits. You cannot continue to divide area codes into smaller and smaller pieces. At some point, we'll have area codes that look like city blocks and very angry consumers who are fed up with widespread confusion, inconvenience and the added expense of changing their business cards, stationary and so forth over and over again because of area code splits. We already have people in this region who live in one area code, work in another one and send their children to school in still another area code. This creates unnecessary stress and confusion in people's lives.` That's why it's so important for the Commission to give overlays a chance. `With overlays, we can stop slicing up area codes to gain more phone numbers and disrupting consumers each time. If more numbers are needed, another overlay is added,` he said. `Overlays are a solution needed in California where number usage has gone through the roof,` he continued, adding that the second round of area code relief projects in the 415, 310, 916 and 408 regions are prime candidates for overlays. Today, California has 13 area codes, more than any other state. Plans call for doubling that number from 13 to 26 by the year 2001 to keep up with the state's phenomenal phone number usage. That usage is being spurred by the high-technology explosion of cellular phones, fax machines, pagers and modems and the onset of local telephone competition. Ten of the 13 area codes must be added by the end of 1998. In another decision Friday, the CPUC denied a request by telecommuni- cations industry representatives to move up the introduction dates for new area codes in the 310 and 619 area codes in Southern California. `We applaud the Commission's decision and agree that moving up the timeline is not appropriate because of negative impacts on customers,` Banuelos said. The Commission said accelerating the implementation dates by several months would cause `widespread and massive` customer confusion and disruption because it doesn't allow enough time for advance notice of the change and jeopardizes Pacific Bell's ability to provide critical customer support and billing functions. CONTACT: Pacific Telesis Dave Miller, 916/972-2811 URL: http://www.pactel.com ------------------------------ From: dcstar@acslink.aone.net.au (David Clayton) Subject: Re: GSM is GSM is GSM - Not Date: Fri, 20 Dec 1996 22:10:38 GMT Organization: Customer of Access One Pty Ltd, Melbourne, Australia Lloyd Matthews contributed the following: > I have a GH388 GSM phone from Sprint Spectrum/DC which I'd like to use > in PacBell's GSM service area in Los Angeles (and someday all of CA). > But they use a CF388 phone, and possibly a different frequency (1800 > vs 1900 MHz)? The people at PacBell Mobile Services said the phones > were not compatible, and that their GSM was "better" than in Europe or > DC. You'd think they'd go with the majority standard so they could > collect roaming fees, unless the later phases of GSM service will only > work with PacBell's system? > The odd thing is that something is weakly pinging my phone in San Jose > and giving me a No Access message. I can't figure out who the carrier > might be, since Pac Bell isn't officially up yet in NoCal and they're > supposedly incompatible anyway. > How can I find out exactly which GSM systems worldwide use the GH388, > and who the mystery carrier is in San Jose? And what's the point of a > worldwide standard like GSM if everybody has a different, incompatible > implementation? AFAIK the USA is the only place that does not conform to the "normal" GSM standard. GSM phones in Australia can be used in New Zealand, Europe, South Africa, etc. etc. with most providers having international roaming agreements, (either automatic, or via additional SIM cards). If the USA goes to GSM on 1800/1900Mhz you may have to get a multi frequency phone to have full usability and roaming on everyone elses GSM networks. The Ericsson home page, (sorry - don't know it's URL), should tell you what networks that phone will work on, unless it's a special USA model. There are also quite a few other GSM info. pages on the web. Regards, David Clayton, e-mail: dcstar@acslink.aone.net.au Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. ------------------------------ From: rishab@nntp.best.com (Rishab Aiyer Ghosh) Subject: Re: GSM is GSM is GSM - Not Date: 20 Dec 1996 23:25:28 GMT Organization: Best Internet Communications Lloyd Matthews (lloydm@pop.svl.trw.com) wrote: > I have a GH388 GSM phone from Sprint Spectrum/DC which I'd like to use > in PacBell's GSM service area in Los Angeles (and someday all of CA). > But they use a CF388 phone, and possibly a different frequency (1800 > vs 1900 MHz)? The people at PacBell Mobile Services said the phones I presume you mean the GH388 and the GF (not _CF_) 388 manufactured and trademarket by The only difference between these two is the shape of the case. GSM operates at around 900 or around 1800; both are compatible. If your operators insist you use the phones they supply you with they're ripping you off. The neatest thing about GSM is that it _is_ a standard. Any phone should work with any network, only the SIM card provided by the operator differs. In India where it's all GSM (see http://dxm.org/techonomist/news/cellular.html) people keep switching from one operator to another depending on who's got the best discounts. The same instrument can be used anywhere in the country, under any network. If roaming is not enabled, all you need is a SIM for every operator you use. BTW as a large percentage of the phones here are smuggled from east Asia, Europe or the US to avoid import duties, there's a lot of variety, but they all work fine in any network, because GSM is a standard. Rishab The Indian Techonomist - newsletter on India's information industry http://dxm.org/techonomist/ rishab@dxm.org Editor and publisher: Rishab Aiyer Ghosh Pager +91 11 9622 162187 A4/204 Ekta Vihar, 9 Indraprastha Extension, New Delhi 110092, INDIA ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V16 #672 ******************************