Return-Path: Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.7.4/NSCS-1.0S) id WAA26139; Wed, 21 May 1997 22:06:39 -0400 (EDT) Date: Wed, 21 May 1997 22:06:39 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <199705220206.WAA26139@massis.lcs.mit.edu> To: ptownson Subject: TELECOM Digest V17 #126 TELECOM Digest Wed, 21 May 97 10:06:00 EDT Volume 17 : Issue 126 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson `Dial Around' and Save? Often, the Answer Is No (Stan Schwartz) Book Review: "ISDN for Dummies" by Angell (Rob Slade) Denver Handful at Meetings: 84 for 3-Way Split, 50 for Overlay (D Heiberg) Book Review: "Learn Internet Relay Chat" by Toyer (Rob Slade) MCI Vision VIP Rates (Ted Rodham) How Do You Dial a Vanity 800 Number? (corny@worldonline.nl) 816 Relief Code Announced (John Cropper) Net2Phone Worse Than a COCOT! (Stanley Cline) New Toll-Free Number Coming (nwdirect@netcom.com) Re: Why Not Have a Pizza Delivered by Taxicab (David K. Bryant) Re: Why Not Have a Pizza Delivered by Taxicab (Nils Andersson) Re: Why Not Have a Pizza Delivered by Taxicab (Ron Kritzman) 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: * subscriptions@telecom-digest.org * 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: 847-727-5427 Fax: 773-539-4630 ** Article submission address: editor@telecom-digest.org ** Our archives are available for your review/research. The URL is: http://telecom-digest.org (WWW/http only!) They can also be accessed using anonymous ftp: ftp hyperarchive.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives (or use our mirror site: ftp ftp.epix.net/pub/telecom-archives) A third method is the Telecom Email Information Service: Send a note to archives@telecom-digest.org 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Stan Schwartz Subject: `Dial Around' and Save? Often, the Answer Is No Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 22:52:26 -0400 Kathy Kristof, Newsday, Long Island 5/18/97 THE LATEST SALVO in the continuing battle for long-distance calling dollars is an often misleading advertising blitz to "dial around and save." A host of so-called dial-around services with names like VarTec, Telco, Matrix and Telecom USA are blanketing airwaves and mailboxes urging consumers to use five-digit access codes before they dial a long-distance number. All the appeals claim huge savings - up to 50 percent off long-distance rates - but what they fail to mention is the discounts are gauged against AT&T's highest rates - not the rates you might be paying on a discounted calling plan. Moreover, many of the services assess fees and access charges that can overwhelm any savings you might otherwise enjoy from lower per-minute rates. "Because of the way the ads are worded, consumers get the impression they're still using their chosen long-distance carrier - just getting a discount," says Ken McEldowney, executive director of Consumer Action in San Francisco. "That's not the case. And as a result of the deceptive marketing, consumers are making bad decisions." Dial-around, dubbed "10-XXX services" because the five-digit dial-around access codes all start with the number 10, are not new. They've been around for more than a decade. However, they're getting new attention in today's hotly competitive phone market largely because many major telecommunications firms have abandoned attempts to get consumers to switch their primary long-distance carriers. Instead, they're refocusing their marketing on getting long-distance business one call at a time. Once you dial a 10-XXX access code, you leave the confines of your normal long-distance carrier and your normal long-distance rates. Your call is connected by the company that owns that access code, and your phone bill will reflect the 10-XXX company's rates. The trouble with that, consumer advocates say, is many consumers don't know the rate they are paying before they make the call. Consider, in a series of 30-second spots on both radio and television, a company called Telecom USA - actually a division of MCI Communications Corp. - maintains that consumers can save up to 50 percent off of AT&T's long distance rates. What the ads don't mention is that the savings are available only on calls lasting more than 20 minutes. Shorter calls are billed at MCI's normal long-distance rates, which are only a penny per minute less expensive than AT&T's highest rates and substantially more expensive than the rates offered through any of the big carriers' discounted calling plans. Matrix Telecom, which pitches dial-around by mail, claims 10-percent to 45-percent discounts for those who call the "instant savings" code. What's the per minute rate? They can't say. It varies based on where you call and when. But the discount claims are also gauged against AT&T's highest rates. A Matrix customer service representative acknowledged that anyone who is enrolled in a discount calling plan would pay more by calling Matrix "instant savings" code. Moreover, a number of other 10-XXX firms charge high per-call or per-month access fees. VarTec Telecom, for instance, advertises a 10-cent per-minute rate on calls lasting more than three minutes, but the company charges a $5 monthly fee. If you use the access code for just one three-minute call in a month, that call will cost you $5.30 - nearly 12-times more than what you would have paid by using AT&T's flat rate program at 15-cents per minute. Indeed, you'd have to make more than 100 minutes of long-distance phone calls in a single month before the VarTec deal actually would start saving -- rather than costing -- you money. If you find all the telephone claims confusing and need help sorting through it all, there are a number of sources of free help and information. The Tele-Consumer Hotline - a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that is supported by several of the nation's biggest telephone companies - offers free dial-around shopping tips and a list of questions to ask a dial-around service. The tips are available on-line or via regular mail. To access them on the Internet go to www.teleconsumer.org/hotline or, to get a copy mailed to you, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Tele-Consumer Hotline, Dial Around, P.O. Box 27207, Washington, D.C. 20005. Consumer Action has just compiled a survey comparing rates of many major phone companies. To get a copy, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Consumer Action, Long-Distance Survey, 116 Montgomery St., Suite 223, San Francisco, Calif. 94105. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 14:03:59 EST From: Rob Slade Subject: Book Review: "ISDN for Dummies" by Angell BKISDNDM.RVW 961210 "ISDN for Dummies", David Angell, 1995, 1-56884-331-3, U$19.99/C$26.99/UK#18.99 %A David Angell dangell@angell.com %C 155 Bovet Road, Suite 310, San Mateo, CA 94402 %D 1995 %G 1-56884-331-3 %I International Data Group (IDG Books) %O U$19.99/C$26.99/UK#18.99 415-312-0650 fax: 415-286-2740, +1-415-655-3299 %P 332 %S for Dummies %T "ISDN for Dummies" In chapter two, we are told the PRI (Primary Rate Interface, the large economy size of ISDN) is beyond the scope of the book. Fair enough, on a practical level, although conceptually rather odd. BRI (Basic Rate Interface) is what most home or small office users will want. But then why does Appendix B give us over forty pages of detail on ISDN wiring and power guidelines? This inconsistency of level is unfortunately typical of the book. The introductory section explaining ISDN and its benefits is vague and undependable. (Or even self-contradictory: we are told in one place that ISDN lines are $15 a month, and fifteen pages later they are $50 a month.) Yet chapters three and four, on the basic requirements for service, equipment, and setup, are very good. Much of chapters five through sixteen simply describe specific products. As usual, the later chapters give company contact information. Probably useful, but not altogether reliable. copyright Robert M. Slade, 1997 BKISDNDM.RVW 961210 roberts@decus.ca rslade@vcn.bc.ca rslade@vanisl.decus.ca ------------------------------ From: Donald M. Heiberg Subject: Denver Handful at Meetings: 84 for 3-Way Split, 50 for Overlay Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 09:55:18 -0600 Submitted by Don Heiberg, Denver (303) 589-1539 For a few days, posted at: http://www.denver-rmn.com/business/0520code.htm Voters back plan for area-code split Handful of phone users vote on way to split overloaded 303 By Rebecca Cantwell Rocky Mountain News Staff Writer Those who attended recent metro Denver town meetings on area codes favor adding two new numbers to what's now the 303 terrain. Splitting the area code into east and west areas while leaving Denver in 303 won more votes than either of the other options. The votes are non-binding. The Public Utilities Commission will hear more testimony and decide the question in late July. At 10 town meetings around the area served by Colorado's first area code -- which now reaches from Bailey to Allenspark on the west and Elbert to Roggen on the east -- residential and business phone users voted on the choices. The "double split" of the area code garnered 84 votes of support, 60 from residential users and 24 from business, said spokeswoman Barbara Fernandez of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission. "People like it as a compromise," said Fernandez. "And they think it will preserve a sense of community. You can still call your neighbor using seven digits." In second place was the overlay option in which new phones throughout 303 would get a new area code but almost no one would have to change phone numbers. Fifty votes favored that option: 28 residents and 22 businesses. If the overlay is adopted, all local calls will require 10 digits and the same family could end up with two area codes by adding a second line. Least popular was the single area code split, in which Denver and the Tech Center would become the hole of a donut keeping 303, with the entire surrounding area getting a new number. Only 10 favored the option: eight residents and two businesses. The Public Utilities Commission held the meetings to solicit ideas in anticipation of a controversial decision. People could vote on business options if they had a business line or spoke for their business, and Fernandez said some voted as both residents and businesses. The meetings were "very poorly attended," Fernandez said, and several people predicted a public outcry no matter which option is selected. A formal public hearing will be held June 30 at 4 p.m. at commission offices, 1580 Logan St. The PUC expects to make a decision in late July after hearing testimony. Officials say the 303 area code will run out of numbers late next year. They cite population growth, the surge in second lines for fax machines and computers, the boom in wireless phones and pagers, and the increasing use of phone lines for such uses as checking credit card transactions. Under the option favored at the town meetings: -Most of Denver would keep 303 except for Denver International Airport. -Getting a new "east area" code would be Douglas, Arapahoe and Elbert counties and portions of Jefferson, Adams and Weld Counties. -A new "west area" code would be assigned to Boulder, Gilpin and Clear Creek counties along with most of Jefferson and parts of Park, Adams and Weld counties. Local calls in each of the three area codes would be dialed with seven digits. Ten-digit dialing would be required for local calls between the areas. The toll-free local area would not change. Those who want to comment before the hearing can write the PUC: Attention 97A-103T, 1580 Logan St. OL2, Denver CO 80203. Tuesday, May 20, 1997 Subscribe to Denver's #1 Newspaper (c) Rocky Mountain News ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 19 May 1997 17:55:42 EST From: Rob Slade Subject: Book Review: "Learn Internet Relay Chat" by Toyer BKLRNIRC.RVW 961210 "Learn Internet Relay Chat", Kathryn Toyer, 1997, 1-55622-519-9, U$19.95 %A Kathryn Toyer %C 1506 Capital Avenue, Plano, TX 75074 %D 1997 %G 1-55622-519-9 %I Wordware Publishing Inc. %O U$19.95 972-423-0090 fax: 972-881-9147 jhill@wordware.com %P 215 %T "Learn Internet Relay Chat" Toyer's Style is definitely hands-on and field independent. The book jumps right in with how-to and directions for use. The background and applications are terse: brief to the point of not making sense at times. The directions, however, are quite clear. You may not understand what the book is saying, but if you follow the instructions it *will* work. The book concentrates on Winsock client software but the commands given in chapter three should work with most programs, including those available under UNIX shell accounts. copyright Robert M. Slade, 1997 BKLRNIRC.RVW 961210 roberts@decus.ca rslade@vcn.bc.ca rslade@vanisl.decus.ca Ceterum censeo CNA Financial Services delendam esse Please note the Peterson story - http://www.netmind.com/~padgett/trial.htm ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 19 May 1997 12:22:12 -0400 From: Ted Rodham Subject: MCI Vision VIP Rates Dear Listers, Just wanted to compare notes on what 011+ rate/minute (including discounts) some of you are being charged for dedicated service (T-1) to overseas destinations if you have an MCI 3-year term "Vision VIP Plus Worldwide Power Rate with CPR." I receive one discount for the three year commitment. I also receive a second discount based on a minimum dollar commitment/year which is $360K/year based on the tariffed rates. Of course with the two discounts, our annual dollar minimum is a good deal less than the $360K. I'd like to compare notes with someone in the same program. I'll show you mine if you'll show me yours! (What a deal!) Confidentiality respected both ways, of course. TIA Ted Rodham Telecom Manager Antelope Consulting ------------------------------ From: corny@worldonline.nl Subject: How Do You Dial a Vanity 800 Number? Date: Mon, 19 May 1997 22:22:48 GMT Organization: World Online Hi, I noticed that in the USA it's possible to use a mnemonic to dial a phone number. Suppose I'd want to dial 1-800-CLEANERS, what keys would I have to enter? Isn't it so that the letters A,B and C all represent one number (1 for instance)? So that a lot of numbers could make the word CLEANERS? Thank you for answering in advance. Regards, Cor. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Actually, A,B, and C are on the '2' key, or opening on the dial. Although there are three letters associated with the digits two through nine on American telephones, there is no ambiguity since there is only one number for each group of three letters. Never mind what other letters also appear with the letter you want; just push the associated number. In the example you gave, 'CLEANERS' would be 25326377 which would be parsed as 253-2637 with the final 7 ignored by the telephone switching network. Where a problem might arise is with telephones in other countries which place the numbers, letters, etc in different positions on the dial. The main thing you have to concern yourself with is that only one number goes with each cluster of three letters, and the arrangement in the USA traditionally has been: 1 = no letters 2 = ABC 3 = DEF 4 = GHI 5 = JKL 6 = MNO 7 = PRS 8 = TUV 9 = WXY 0 = no letters The letters Q and Z are normally not used in words forming phone numbers. When they are used in other phone applications such as voicemail, they are not standardized. Frequently the Q will appear with the 1 and the Z with the zero, which instead of being zero clicks is actually ten clicks. Sometimes Q and Z will both be with the 1. You might want to check out the Telecom Archives file which deals with 'words to numbers' in telephone numbers. PAT] ------------------------------ From: John Cropper Subject: 816 Relief Code Announced Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 23:08:16 -0400 Organization: Mindspring Enterprises Late Friday, BellCore posted the relief code for Northwestern Missouri. 660 will replace 816 in areas Northwest Missouri outside the St. Joseph and Kansas City calling areas later this year. Dates will be announced shortly, but approximate exchange lists are available on our site, based on Missouri PSC data released in April. John Cropper, Webmaster voice: 888.76.LINCS LINCS fax: 888.57.LINCS P.O. Box 277 mailto:jcropper@lincs.net Pennington, NJ 08534-0277 http://www.lincs.net/ The latest compiled area code information is available from us! NPAs, NXXs, Dates, all at http://www.lincs.net/areacode/ ------------------------------ From: roamer1@pobox.com (Stanley Cline) Subject: Net2Phone Worse than a COCOT! Date: Mon, 19 May 1997 03:14:28 GMT Organization: An antonym for Chaos Reply-To: roamer1@pobox.com Just because I had nothing to do, I downloaded IDT's Net2Phone software (which allows calls to any *phone* over the internet.) They say to try calling any 800/888 number "for free", so I was going to try calling my own AT&T 500 number (via 1-800-CALL-ATT.) Guess what -- it didn't work! For some f***ing reason IDT has seen fit to BLOCK the Big Three's 800 calling-card/collect/500 access numbers! Yet they say *any* 800/888 number will work. Strangely enough, other MCI access numbers, and the access numbers for other, smaller calling card providers [which I will NOT disclose in the Digest, nor to IDT] were NOT blocked and went through fine. (This is horribly reminiscent of f***ing COCOTs, specifically some I have repeatedly warned the FCC and Georgia PSC about -- that block ALL 888 numbers PLUS CERTAIN 800 numbers. One calling card company, whose 800 and 888 access numbers have been blocked by "The Right Stuff"'s payphones, told me they're sending them a cease-and-desist order!) The email I sent to IDT: ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Sun, 18 May 1997 23:01:39 -0400 From: Stanley Cline To: billing@net2phone.com Cc: scline@nospam.mindspring.com Subject: billing RE: Blocking Certain 800 Numbers The following 800 #s are BLOCKED: 1-800-225-5288 [ATT] 1-800-321-0288 [ATT] 1-800-888-8000 [MCI] 1-800-674-7000 [MCI] 1-800-877-8000 [Sprint] All those are access to AT&T/MCI/Sprint calling card networks. Why are you doing this? And why are other carriers' access numbers *not* blocked? What are you afraid of? If you're afraid of being fraudulently reverse-billed, please check with your telco for LIDB/ANI flagging! ** IF YOU WERE A COCOT OWNER OR "REAL" TELCO, THIS WOULD BE A CLEAR VIOLATION OF FCC AND MOST STATE REGS. ** Besides, this makes AT&T's 500 number service (billed to the 500 customer via the use of a PIN or LEC/AT&T calling card) *completely* unreachable. (They must be dialed through the 800 numbers from payphones, where 0+ not available, etc.) Please see: http://www.mindspring.com/~scline/payphone/ http://www.att.com/trueconnections/ http://www.fcc.gov/ -SC cc: Telecom Digest [I mean what I say! :) -SC], AT&T 500, FCC-CCB and this will be posted on my web page! -------- end fwd msg ---------- I guess IDT is true sleaze, even worse than the worst COCOT owners -- trying to pull stuff such as this. Stanley Cline (Roamer1 on IRC) ** GO BRAVES! GO VOLS! CLLI MRTTGAMA42G NPA 770 ** scline(at)mindspring.net mailto:roamer1(at)pobox.com ** http://www.pobox.com/~roamer1/ From/Reply-To may be changed -- NO SPAM! http://spam.abuse.net/spam/ ------------------------------ From: nwdirect@netcom.com Subject: New Toll-Free Number Coming Organization: Netcom On-Line Services Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 20:28:36 GMT From Reuters AT&T Corp. said it plans to introduce a new toll-free prefix in one year to meet a growing demand for toll-free services. A year ago, AT&T created an 888 toll-free code to supplement a dwindling supply of 800 numbers. The company said those new numbers are being consumed so quickly that it is working to create another pool of available numbers using an 877 code. "Of 7.78 million available combinations, 7.71 million, or 99.9%, are working, reserved or otherwise taken from the pool of available numbers," AT&T said of the original batch of 800 numbers. The next code, 877, is scheduled to be operational by April 4, 1998. * Internet Access Providers - Web Presence Providers - BBSes * * http://www.thedirectory.org/ - largest directory on the web * * tens of thousands of listings - over 7,600 Access Providers * * Telephone Prefix Locations - "The BBS Corner" - Web Banner Creation * ------------------------------ From: dbryant@netcom.com (David K. Bryant) Subject: Re: Why Not Have a Pizza Delivered by Taxicab Organization: Netcom On-Line Services Date: Mon, 19 May 1997 00:13:13 GMT Joey Lindstrom writes: > On Mon, 12 May 1997 04:35:03 -0400 (EDT), someone@telecom-digest.org > wrote: >> Reminds of the story I heard, likely in this newsgroup, about the >> woman whose phone number she'd had for many years was similar to a >> brand new large hotel. She'd get many mis-dialed calls for the hotel. >> She tried talking to someone at the hotel but get a rude reception. >> She then started confirming all the room reservations she got. > Similar story here: Years ago, while working at a local taxi dispatch > office, we discovered that our number was very similar to a local > pizza delivery place. Usually on Friday and Saturday nights, we'd get > drunks phoning up asking for a large pepperoni and mushroom, extra > cheese. The funny part was that no matter what you said to these > people, all you'd get out of them would be "how long for my pizza?" > Finally, we just started accepting the pizza order. > Epilogue: some years later, I met up with a fella who, during the time > in question, worked answering phones at the pizza place. And sure > enough, on Friday and Saturday nights, they'd get people phoning 'em > for taxis. And after fighting with them long enough, they too started > taking the taxi orders! :-) Here in the Fremont CA area there is the Take Out Taxi. You place telephone orders with participating restraunts or one of the participating taxi companies. The taxi companies use their slack/idle time to make the delivery. The price difference isn't that much different from the walk-in prices. (They make up the difference in tips I'm sure.) ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 18 May 1997 20:41:58 -0400 From: nilsphone@aol.com (Nils Andersson) Organization: AOL http://www.aol.com Subject: Re: Why Not Have a Pizza Delivered by Taxicab In article , Joey Lindstrom writes: > It's amazing how people can place a phone call, and then complete > that call, without actually LISTENING to a single word the other > party says. How you could possibly confuse "Good evening, Checker > Cabs" with "Good evening, Mother's Pizza" is beyond me ... Many phone operators/answerers blurt out the name of the business so routinely that it can be hard to catch. I once worked in the UK for a subsidiary of ICL called ICL Dataskil. The switchboard was manual. I once got a call from a very polite but also very insistent gentleman who insisted that I further pursue the case of rehousing this "old lady who lives in absoluuuutly apaaaahling conditions".) When I conceded that this might all be very sad, he quetioned whether I was indeed Mr. Anderson. I said yes. This happened several times when I seemed unresponsive or at least unacknowleging of the fact that this was an ongoing case with which I was supposed to be familiar. (Anderson is much less common name in England than in the US, due to the paucity of recent Scandinavian immigrants.) Finally, it dawned on me what must have happened. He had called the switchboard, thinking he was dialing some social services agency or whatever, and disregarding the rapidfire blurb "eyecee-eldettuhskillgodMOOORning" had asked for a Mr. Anderson. So I said "this is all very sad, but I believe you have the wrong Anderson, my name is Nils Andersson, and this is EYE --- CEE -- ELL --- DATASKIL, a computer software company." At that point, he went away amicably. Regards, Nils Andersson ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 21 May 1997 09:27:23 -0500 From: Ron Kritzman Organization: Kritzman Communications Subject: Re: Why Not Have a Pizza Delivered by Taxicab Joey Lindstrom wrote: > It's amazing how people can place a phone call, and then complete > that call, without actually LISTENING to a single word the other > party says. How you could possibly confuse "Good evening, Checker > Cabs" with "Good evening, Mother's Pizza" is beyond me ... Heh heh. Its amazing, isn't it. Some friends of ours had a phone number similar to that of a popular radio station. Their answering machine even announced "You have reached the home of Mark and Marsha. If you are looking for the radio station, you have misdialed. Their number is NXX-XXXX. To leave a message for Mark or Marsha, please speak at the tone." Sure enough, their messgae tape was always full of song requests. ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V17 #126 ******************************