Return-Path: Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.7.4/NSCS-1.0S) id JAA18540; Fri, 30 May 1997 09:14:08 -0400 (EDT) Date: Fri, 30 May 1997 09:14:08 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <199705301314.JAA18540@massis.lcs.mit.edu> To: ptownson Subject: TELECOM Digest V17 #140 TELECOM Digest Fri, 30 May 97 09:14:00 EDT Volume 17 : Issue 140 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Re: Are Cordless' as Bad as Cellulars? (Ed Mitchell) Local Telephone Monopolies (Dave Wade ) Re: Stopping the Splits (Adam H. Kerman) Re: Stopping the Splits (Rick Ellis) Re: Stopping the Splits (nwdirect@netcom.com) Re: MCI Cheats, Lies, and Steals (nwdirect@netcom.com) Re: Four-Year Recap Re: New Toll-Free Number Coming (Ken Jongsma) Re: ISP Diversification Plans (Jon Gauthier) Updated GSM-List 05/28/97 (Jurgen Morhofer) Re: AT&T/SBC Merger (Mike Gawdun) Re: "Good Morning, and Please Go Away" (Rich Osman) 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: Ed Mitchell Subject: Re: Are Cordless' as Bad as Cellulars? Date: Thu, 29 May 1997 15:19:02 -0700 fist@ozemail.com.au (Stewart Fist) writes: > The main study on ham radio operators was conducted by Milham in > California and Washington. He used the FCC > records to look up the death rates for amateur radio operators from > 1979 to 1984. .... > He showed an excess of leukemia deaths (over what would be expected > from the general rate in the population) of 31 to (an expected) 24.3 > in California (Washington wasn't large enough to be significant). Milham's study on ham radio operators, according to many published reports, helped to excite on-going research on the biological impacts of RF and electromagnetic fields. Stewart Fist has presented this old study without interpretation, falsely leading many readers to conclude that ham radio causes cancer. Milham's study looked at a sample of death certificates of amateur radio operators. His study had no information on whether the licensee ever operated a radio; if they did, how often? How much power was used? What frequencies were involved? What type of communication was conducted? Where were antennas located with respect to the operator? What other contributing factors may there have been in this group? Did they smoke? Did they drink alcohol? Were they overweight? Did their work tend to involve close proximity to strong magnetic fields or expose them to other hazards? What was their socioeconomic status? It turns out that many ham radio operators work in technical fields and are exposed to hazards in the workplace (everything from RF, EMF to toxins). It has also been observed that the "average" amateur radio operator is older than the average age of the population and leads an excessively sendentary life style. Some of the ham's who's death certificates were examined may not have operated amateur radio equipment much at all yet this data was not collected by the Milham study. > These figures were all highly significant. But most significant of > all, was the acute form of Myelogeneous Leukemia (AML) which was > nearly double -- 15 cases compared to 8.5 (expected). I wish I had the study in front of me (I don't right now) but the study also showed a DECREASED expectation of certain other forms of cancer. I do have some of the references cited in one of the articles buried in my web site at http://www.hamradio-online.com Last I checked, the current thinking on this issue was that exposure to certain forms of magnetic fields - rather than RF - might be the culprit in many of these situations - it so happens that radio ops, radar ops, physiotherapists and others are also typically exposed to large magnetic fields associated with power supplies and other equipment. These issues should be studied but through controlled experiments. Quoting out of date epidemiological surveys harms the public understanding of this issue and can lead to government policy that is based on false assumptions and paranoia. As controls have been added to EMF and RF studies, the reported incidence of cancer and other disease has decreased. An Oct 1989 issue of Science showed that the reported incidence of alleged EMF/RF problems had cut in half since studies in the late '70s - due to better designed surveys and experiments. For example, some of the early studies identifying an increase in childhood leukemia based solely on proximity to power lines proved erroneous when it was later determined that no power was being sent through the lines. > And I must say that I am amazed at the intellectual inertia (and > outright denial) of technical people in resisting any suggestion that > these potential major health problems should be treated seriously and > researched vigorously. I don't think many folks here are arguing against doing research. The problem is that the people finding health associations with EMF (who your web site indicates you like) often have as many credibility problems as those on the defensive such as the CTIA and industry (people your web site indicates you do not trust). All of us need to review these issues with a healthy dose of skepticism. Large percentile increases in very tiny epidemiological numbers do not necessarily make a crisis. There is sufficient "good" data for you to use in raising these issues without resorting to the use of out of date surveys. Your use of such old studies leads many readers to question your own biases. Ed Mitchell, kf7vy http://www.hamradio-online.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 May 1997 16:02:29 -0600 From: djw@physics.lanl.gov (Dave Wade ) Subject: Local Telephone Monopolies How much longer will it be before the local telephone monopoly here in the mountains of New Mexico is broken up? I'd really like to have a phone; but I refuse to buy one from U.S.West. I'd even settle for a Cellular Phone in my car. I bought a Range Rover from a fellow out in Los Angeles, and the Range Rover had a phone in it. He left the phone in the car, but I can't seem to get it hooked up. None of the local Cellular resellers or even the local company which controls the Cellular equipment that the resellers are reselling will talk to me. Everybody wants me to sign up for a year and they will give me a "free" telephone; but I can't use "both" telephones ... Why? Why me? I don't really hate the telephone company! Just because I live up in the mountains, and the only local calls I can make are to the two bars; and the bartenders don't know who I am ... Why me? Just because the telephone company decided that the eight party lines at forty dollars a month weren't bringing in enough money so they decided to sell single lines at seventy dollars a month and REQUIRE you to leave the eight party lines (that I couldn't afford anyway...) Dave [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Frontier will turn on your existing cellular phone without a contract. They will bill month by month and charge it to your credit card. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 30 May 1997 02:32:16 CDT From: Adam H. Kerman Subject: Re: Stopping the Splits Jim Gottlieb wrote: >> someone has to stop this proliferation of area codes ... or the term >> will simply lose its meaning. > If they had just listened to me :-) years ago when I proposed 8-digit > dialing, then we wouldn't be in this mess today. Sigh. 6.4 billion numbers isn't enough? That's 40 for every adult in the NANP. ------------------------------ From: ellis@ftel.net (Rick Ellis) Subject: Re: Stopping the Splits Date: 29 May 1997 10:27:54 GMT Organization: Franklin interNet http://www.ftel.net In article , Jim Gottlieb wrote: > In article , >> someone has to stop this proliferation of area codes ... or the term >> will simply lose its meaning. > If they had just listened to me :-) years ago when I proposed 8-digit > dialing, then we wouldn't be in this mess today. I can't help wondering just how many phone numbers are eaten by the practice of assigning a number to each incoming line even if they are in a hunt group. If an ISP puts 1000 lines in a POP, they get 1000 phone numbers. All they really wanted was one phone number. I don't get it. ------------------------------ From: nwdirect@netcom.com Subject: Re: Stopping the Splits Organization: Netcom On-Line Services Date: Thu, 29 May 1997 21:51:46 GMT Jim Gottlieb (jimmy@sinden.info.com) wrote: > In article , >> someone has to stop this proliferation of area codes ... or the term >> will simply lose its meaning. > If they had just listened to me :-) years ago when I proposed 8-digit > dialing, then we wouldn't be in this mess today. 8-digit dialing is not needed nor will it ever be. Illinois area code 847 is 29% utilized and they are already crying out for relief. Just require that no one may reserve an entire exchange (10,000 numbers) unless they can prove they will have 80% of it utilized within one year (with severe penalties if they don't). Then and only then will the insanity stop. * 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: nwdirect@netcom.com Subject: Re: MCI Cheats, Lies, and Steals Organization: Netcom On-Line Services Date: Thu, 29 May 1997 21:58:27 GMT joseph kim (jokim@cisco.com) wrote: > Oh, I also didn't mention MCI cut off my long distance without my > permission. > Actually, I couldn't get it turned back on until a few days after > they cut it off and so during the interim had to use 10xxx to get long > distance. When I asked MCI if they would pay for the extra charge over > $1.83/minute for using 10xxx since it was their fault they hung up on > me. IMO, MCI is one of the most dishonest LD companies out there. They too "officially" disconnected my long-distance service without telling me. Then when I made LD calls with 1-plus they still went through MCI but at the 10XXX rate which includes around a $1.25 surcharge for each call. Since most of my calls are in the one to two minute range the cost was exorbitant. Once I got my local bill and saw the charges I called the LEC and got the surcharges removed. Stay away from MCI. BTW, I have been very happy with Sprint. * 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: ken.jongsma@das.honeywell.com (Ken Jongsma) Subject: Re: Four-Year Recap Re: New Toll-Free Number Coming Date: Thu, 29 May 1997 15:46:42 GMT Organization: Honeywell, Inc. - DAS Judith Oppenheimer wrote: [Judith's recap of 800 number history deleted to save bandwidth.] This seem to point out the fallicy of using of using special access codes to indicate billing proceedures. Wouldn't it be far better to use an unused "star code" to indicate the collect or callee pays status of the call? For example: *800 312 555-1234 The "owner" of any number could designate whether or not to automatically accept such calls. Ken ------------------------------ From: Jon Gauthier Subject: Re: ISP Diversification Plans Date: 29 May 1997 14:07:10 GMT Organization: General DataComm, Inc. Krishnan J. Iyer wrote in article ... > Did you know that "average fax costs of an United States Fortune 500 > company is US $ 15 million a year", according to 1996 Gallop / Pitney > Bowes study. > Also fax costs is about 41% of their total cost of telephone > communications. It is high time one should think of transferring fax > traffic to low cost networks like Internet. snip, snip ... > I appreciate your comments on "the future of faxing" and information > on your diversification plans. > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: You pose an interesting scenario. I > would like to hear responses if any from ISPs who have considered > this angle. PAT] I still am amazed by the fax craze. 95% of all documents faxed today originated in electronic form. Yet people still fire up Microsoft Word, print another copy, and fax it to it's destination, when they could just select File/Mail and e-mail the durn thing. Almost as absurd is to "print" to a fax server/modem. Now I realize there are cases where faxes are necessary -- signed documents or those with hand-written annotations. But in today's world, the majority of senders and receivers of faxes have e-mail accounts and mail gateways to the Internet. Now people want to send faxes over the Internet! Almost as bad as the Cells-in-Frames proposal for those people who want to encapsulate ATM cells in Ethernet frames (which will probably be transported over an ATM backbone ...) If I just had a thousandth of the money wasted on shoe-horning horse-and-buggy solutions onto today's interstate highways... Jon Gauthier Principal Network Engineer General DataComm, Inc. jon.gauthier@gdc.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 May 1997 16:59:34 +0200 From: Jurgen Morhofer Subject: Updated GSM-List 05/28/97 For the latest edition of this list look at my Web-Site: http://www.cs.tu-berlin.de/~jutta/gsm/gsm-list.html kindly supplied by Jutta Degener. And if you're already on the Web, take a look at my commercial site: http://deltos.net/globaltel I really would appreciate your business! (Changes in the list marked by "*") Date 05-28-1997.=20 Country Operator name Network code Tel to customer service ------ ------------- ------------ ----------------------- Albania AMC 276 01 Andorra STA-Mobiland 213 03 Int + 376 824 115 Argentina Armenia Armentel Australia Optus 505 02 Int + 61 2 342 6000 Telecom/Telstra 505 01 Int + 61 18 01 8287 Vodafone 505 03 Int + 61 2 9415 7236 Austria Mobilkom Austria 232 01 Int + 43 664 1661 max.mobil. 232 03 Int + 43 676 2000 Azerbaidjan* Azercell 400 01 Int + 994 12 98 28 23 Bahrain Batelco 426 01 Int + 973 885557 Belgium Proximus 206 01 Int + 32 2205 4912 Mobistar 206 10 Bosnia Cronet 218 01 PTT Bosnia 218 19 Botswana Brunei DSTCom 528 11 Jabatan Telekom 528 01 Bulgaria Citron 284 01 Int + 359 88 500031 Burkina Faso OnaTel Cambodia CamGSM Cameroon PTT Cameroon Cellnet 624 01 Chile China Guangdong MCC 460 00 Beijing Wireless China Unicom 460 01 Zhuhai Comms DGT MPT Jiaxing PTT Tjianjin Toll Croatia HR Cronet 219 01 Int + 385 14550772 Cyprus CYTA 280 01 Int + 357 2 310588 Czech Rep. Eurotel Praha 230 02 Int + 42 2 6701 6701 Radio Mobil 230 01 Int + 42 603 603 603 Denmark Sonofon 238 02 Int + 45 8020 2100 Tele Danmark Mobil 238 01 Int + 45 8020 2020 Egypt Arento Estonia EMT 248 01 Int + 372 6 397130 Radiolinja Eesti 248 02 Int + 372 6 399966 Ritabell Ethiopia ETA 636 01 Fiji Vodafone 542 01 Int + 679 312000 Finland Radiolinja 244 05 Int + 358 800 95050 Telecom 244 91 Int + 358 800 17000 Alands Mobil France Itineris 208 01 Int + 33 1 44 62 14 81 SFR 208 10 Int + 33 1 44 16 20 16 Fr.Polynesia Tikiphone 547 20 Fr.W.Indies* Ameris 340 01 Georgia Superphone Geocell Germany D1, DeTeMobil 262 01 Int + 49 511 288 0171 D2, Mannesmann 262 02 Int + 49 172 1212 Ghana Franci Walker Ltd ScanCom Gibraltar GibTel 266 01 Int + 350 58 102 000 G Britain Cellnet 234 10 Int + 44 753 504548 Vodafone 234 15 Int + 44 836 1191 Jersey Telecom 234 50 Int + 44 1534 882 512 Guernsey Telecom 234 55 Manx Telecom 234 58 Int + 44 1624 636613 Greece Panafon 202 05 Int + 30 94 400 122 STET 202 10 Int + 30 93 333 333 Guinea Int'l Wireless Hong Kong HK Hutchison 454 04 SmarTone 454 06 Int + 852 2880 2688 * Telecom CSL 454 00 Int + 852 2888 1010 Hungary Pannon GSM 216 01 Int + 36 1 270 4120 Westel 900 216 30 Int + 36 30 303 100 Iceland Post & Simi 274 01 Int + 354 800 6330 India Airtel 404 10 Int + 91 10 012345 Essar 404 11 Int + 91 11 098110 Maxtouch 404 20 BPL Mobile 404 21 Command 404 30 Mobilenet 404 31 Skycell 404 40 RPG MAA 404 41 Usha Martin Modi Telstra Sterling Cellular Mobile Telecom Airtouch BPL USWest Koshiki Bharti Telenet Birla Comm Cellular Comms TATA Escotel JT Mobiles Indonesia TELKOMSEL 510 10 Int=A0+ 62 778 455 455 PT Satelit Palapa 510 01 Int + 62 21 533 1881 PT Kartika Excelcom 510 11 Iraq Iraq Telecom 418 ?? Iran T.C.I. 432 11 Int + 98 2 18706341 Celcom Kish Free Zone Ireland Eircell 272 01 Int + 353 42 38888 * Digifone 272 02 Int + 353 61 203 501 Italy Omnitel 222 10 Int + 39 349 2000 190 Telecom Italia Mobile 222 01 Int + 39 339 9119 Ivory Coast Ivoiris 612 03 Int + 225 23 90 00 Telecel 612 Comstar 612 01 Int + 225 21 51 51 Japan Jordan JMTS 416 01 Kenya Kenya Telecom Kuwait MTCNet 419 02 Int + 965 484 2000 La Reunion SRR 647 10 Laos Lao Shinawatra 457 01 Latvia LMT 247 01 Int + 371 256 2191 Lebanon Libancell 415 03 Cellis 415 01 Lesotho Vodacom 651 01 Liechtenstein Natel-D 228 01 Lithuania Omnitel 246 01 Bite GSM 246 02 Int + 370 2 232323 Luxembourg P&T LUXGSM 270 01 Int + 352 4088 7088 Lybia Orbit Macao CTM 455 01 Int + 853 8913912 Macedonia PTT Makedonija 294 01 Malawi TNL 650 01 Malaysia Celcom 502 19 * Maxis 502 12 Malta Advanced 278 ?? Marocco O.N.P.T. 604 01 Int + 212 220 2828 Mauritius Cellplus 617 01 Int + 230 4335100 Monaco Itineris 208 01 Int + 33 1 44 62 14 81 SFR 208 10 Int + 33 1 44 16 20 16 Office des Telephones Mongolia MobiCom Mozambique Telecom de Mocambique Namibia MTC 649 01 Int + 264 81 121212 Netherlands PTT Netherlands 204 08 Int + 31 6 0106 Libertel 204 04 Int + 31 6 54 500100 New Caledonia Mobilis 546 01 New Zealand Bell South 530 01 Int + 64 9 357 5100 Nigeria EMIS Norway NetCom 242 02 Int + 47 92 00 01 68 TeleNor Mobil 242 01 Int + 47 22 78 15 00 Oman General Telecoms 422 02 Pakistan Mobilink 410 01 Int + 92 51 273971-7 Philippines Globe Telecom 515 02 Int + 63 2 813 7720 Islacom 515 01 Int + 63 2 813 8618 Poland Plus GSM 260 01 Int + 48 22 607 16 01 ERA GSM 260 02 Portugal Telecel 268 01 Int + 351 931 1212 TMN 268 06 Int + 351 1 791 4474 Qatar Q-Net 427 01 Int +974-325333/400620 Romania * MobiFon 226 01 Int + 40013022222 * MobilRom 226 10 Int + 40012033333 Russia Mobile Tele... Moscow 250 01 Int + 7 095 915-7734 United Telecom Moscow NW GSM, St. Petersburg 250 02 Int + 7 812 528 4747 Dontelekom 250 ?? KB Impuls 250 ?? San Marino Omnitel 222 10 Int + 39 349 2000 190 Telecom Italia Mobile 222 01 Int + 39 339 9119 SaudiArabia* Al Jawal 420 01 * EAE 420 07 Senegal * Sonatel 608 01 Seychelles SEZ SEYCEL 633 01 Serbia Singapore Singapore Telecom 525 01 Int + 65 738 0123 MobileOne 525 03 Slovak Rep Eurotel 231 02 Int + 421 903 903 903 Globtel 231 01 Int + 421 905 905 905 Slovenia * Mobitel 293 41 Int + 386 61 131 30 33 Digitel 293 ?? South Africa MTN 655 10 Int + 27 11 445 6001 Vodacom 655 01 Int + 27 82 111 Sri Lanka MTN Networks Pvt Ltd 413 02 Spain Airtel 214 01 Int + 34 07 123000 Telefonica Spain 214 07 Int + 34 09 100909 Sweden Comviq 240 07 Int + 46 586 686 10 Europolitan 240 08 Int + 46 708 22 22 22 Telia 240 01 Int + 46 771 91 03 50 Switzerland PTT Switzerland 228 01 Int + 41 46 05 64 64 Syria SYR MOBILE 417 09 Taiwan LDTA 466 92 Int + 886 2 321 1962=20 Tanzania * Tritel 640 01 Thailand TH AIS GSM 520 01 Int + 66 2 299 6440 Tunisia Turkey Telsim 286 02 Int + 90 212 288 7850 Turkcell 286 01 Int + 90 800 211 0211 UAE UAE ETISALAT-G1 424 01 UAE ETISALAT-G2 424 02 Int + 971 4004 101 Uganda Celtel Cellular 641 01 Ukraine * Mobile comms Vatican Omnitel 222 10 Int + 39 349 2000 190 Telecom Italia Mobile 222 01 Int + 39 339 9119 Vietnam MTSC 452 01 Yugoslavia Mobile Telekom Pro Monte Zaire African Telecom Net Zimbabwe NET*ONE 648 01 Sincerely, Jurgen Morhofer Tel:+39-6-780-8093 GlobalTel Fax:+39-6-780-8777 If you would like to send a FREE fax anywhere in the world, go to our Web-site at: http://deltos.net/globaltel and click on the "Fax for free" button. ------------------------------ From: mike.gawdun@mindspring.com (Mike Gawdun) Subject: Re: AT&T/SBC Merger Date: Fri, 30 May 1997 12:43:15 GMT Organization: MindSpring Enterprises Thank you Lars for articulating the feelings of thousands of Reed Hundt supporters. Did you see the LA Times article on the ATT/SBC merger written by James Flanigan? It is about the 'mating of dinosaurs' and the coming dark age if the merger is allowed to go through. Thanks again! ------------------------------ From: osman@NTCSAL01DA.ntc.nokia.com (Rich Osman) Organization: Nokia Telecommunications Date: Thu, 29 May 1997 17:52:34 +0300 Subject: Re: "Good Morning, and Please Go Away" siegman@ee.stanford.edu (Anthony E. Siegman) wrote: > Says the article: "Systems capable of calculating individual customer > profitability will make it possible, for example, to let > less-profitable customers sit on hold longer when they call into a > telephone center." > Does that confirm your most paranoid fantasies? Yup, interesting. I've had an account with Nation's for about a year, and I've been pleased enough with the service that I was about to transfer all of my active bank funds to them. I guess I'll wait a while longer and see if the service declines. I'm currently matching at least two of their profile criteria (minimum balance and use of branches.) Oz (Rich Osman) ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V17 #140 ******************************