Return-Path: Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.7.4/NSCS-1.0S) id WAA11192; Fri, 14 Nov 1997 22:17:05 -0500 (EST) Date: Fri, 14 Nov 1997 22:17:05 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <199711150317.WAA11192@massis.lcs.mit.edu> To: ptownson Subject: TELECOM Digest V17 #316 TELECOM Digest Fri, 14 Nov 97 22:17:00 EST Volume 17 : Issue 316 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson California GTE Payphones Go to 35 Cents (Tad Cook) Help! Grounding! (Howard Eisenhauer) Book Review: "Web Client Programming with Perl" by Wong (Rob Slade) BellSouth Retains Seven-Digit Cross-NPA Dialing (Stan Schwartz) Re: 10XXX/101XXX Codes In Canada? (Mark J. Cuccia) Re: InTRA-LATA Carrier Verification (Timothy A. Deem) Re: InTRA-LATA Carrier Verification (Bill Levant) Re: How Do I Learn My Default Long Distance Carrier? (Fred McClintic) Re: How Do I Learn My Default Long Distance Carrier? (Rich Courtney) Re: NY State Thruway Rockland County and MFS (John Stahl) Re: NY State Thruway Rockland County and MFS (Steve Sokal) Re: Mobile Phone Penetration Rate 39% In Finland (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: * telecom-request@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 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. 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Any organizations listed are for identification purposes only and messages should not be considered any official expression by the organization. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: California GTE Payphones Go to 35 Cents Date: Fri, 14 Nov 1997 17:18:57 PST From: tad@ssc.com (Tad Cook) GTE to Raise Local Pay-Phone Rate; 911, Toll-Free and Calling-Card Calls Are Still Free Business & News Editors/Telecommunications Writers THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 14, 1997--GTE Friday announced that it is raising the rate for local calls on public pay phones to 35 cents throughout California. Calls to 911, 1-800 or 1-888 and calling-card calls remain free to pay-phone users. GTE's local pay-phone rate has not risen since 1984, when it increased from a dime to 20 cents. GTE operates more than 40,000 pay phones in California and 120,000 nationwide. "We know that consumers want easily available, high-quality pay phones," said Don Wood, GTE's area public communications manager. "A modest price increase helps ensure the wide availability of pay phones in both high-traffic and out-of-the-way but necessary locations." Since their invention in 1889, public pay phones have been owned and operated exclusively by local telephone companies. In 1984, the Federal Communications Commission allowed other companies to offer pay-phone service. Consequently, the number of businesses operating pay phones since 1984 has grown significantly. In addition, all pay-phone providers face increasing competition from the explosive growth of new technologies such as cellular services, paging and public Internet terminals. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 deregulated the pay-phone business, allowing market-based rates. Prior to Oct. 7, state regulatory commissions set pay-phone rates without regard to the actual cost of providing the service. Additionally, the act requires that pay-phone businesses like GTE's be self-sustaining and eliminates intercompany subsidies. GTE California serves more than 4.8 million customer lines in California and portions of Nevada and Arizona. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of GTE Corp., one of the nation's largest telecommunications companies and an industry leader in providing customers with one-stop shopping for Internet access and local, regional and long-distance voice, video and data services. http://www.businesswire.com ------------------------------ From: aa988@chebucto.ns.ca (Howard Eisenhauer) Subject: Help! Grounding! Date: 14 Nov 1997 23:46:58 GMT Organization: Chebucto Community Net I'm in need of some advice on grounding matters. I work for a company installing PCS equipment and some issues have been raised about reference grounds for the radio and transmission equipment. Issue #1: When an insulated ground lead (1/0 Cu. to be specific) is run through a metallic conduit(11/2"-2" EMT) should the conduit be bonded to the ground lead: a.-where the lead enters and exits the conduit b.-at one end only c.-not at all Issue #2: Is it permissable to secure the ground lead to walls, ceilings, cable racks, slow moving installers or whatever with: a.-mettalic clamps that encircle the lead b.-mettalic clamps that don't encircle the the wire c.-non-mettalic clamps only Please note that in most cases a seperate lightening protection system will be in place for the outside plant structures/equipment although in my experience lightning goes pretty much where it wants so the possibility exists to have surge current on the reference ground. If anyone can point me to some references to make the arguments one way or another I would very much appreciate it. Thanks a lot, Howard Eisenhauer on ***************************************** Chebucto Community Network *Switching is a science, Radio is an art* Halifax Nova Scotia * Grounding is Black Magic * aa988@ccn.cs.dal.ca ***************************************** ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Nov 1997 11:10:37 EST From: Rob Slade Subject: Book Review: "Web Client Programming with Perl" by Wong BKWBCLPR.RVW 970507 "Web Client Programming with Perl", Clinton Wong, 1997, 1-56592-214-X, U$24.95/C$42.95 %A Clinton Wong %C 103 Morris Street, Suite A, Sebastopol, CA 95472 %D 1997 %G 1-56592-214-X %I O'Reilly & Associates, Inc. %O U$24.95/C$42.95 800-998-9938 707-829-0515 fax: 707-829-0104 nuts@ora.com %P 228 %T "Web Client Programming with Perl" I admit it, I did not pay enough attention to the title. I assumed this had something to do with forms or other Web *server* programming. But the title is correct: this book teaches you how to write *clients* for the Web. What, program your own browser? Well, maybe. What the author concentrates on, though, is development of small, specialty utilities. Why fire up a browser, and navigate menus and screens, when what you really want is simple confirmation of package delivery? You don't actually want to read http://www.av.ibm.com/Update.html everyday -- only when a new version comes out and the page changes. Or, perhaps, you are simply obsessive and want to check AltaVista every morning to see if anyone has put up a Web page about you overnight. All of this is much simpler and quicker with a utility than a full browser. (Besides, a utility can work in the background.) After an introduction, chapters two and three cover HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol). In and of itself, this is worth the book, since so few HTML (HyperText Markup Language) and even CGI (Common Gateway Interface) texts do a decent job of it. Wong then goes on to cover sockets programming aspects of Perl and the LWP (Library for WWW access in Perl). Chapter six has sample LWP programs, while seven shows graphical interfaces with Tk. Appendices list HTTP headers, reference tables, and the Robot Exclusion Standard. Overall, a useful book in many ways, and readable as well. The book may be of particular interest to those dealing with intranet application development. copyright Robert M. Slade, 1997 BKWBCLPR.RVW 970507 roberts@decus.ca rslade@vcn.bc.ca slade@freenet.victoria.bc.ca link to virus, book info at http://www.freenet.victoria.bc.ca/techrev/rms.html Author "Robert Slade's Guide to Computer Viruses" 0-387-94663-2 (800-SPRINGER) ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Nov 1997 10:12:22 PST From: Stan Schwartz Reply-To: stannc*no*spam@yahoo.com Subject: BellSouth Retains Seven-Digit Cross-NPA Dialing From the BellSouth Corporate web site, this is in conjunction with the upcoming North Carolina NPA splits. Aren't "protected exchanges" such as these what contribute to chewing up existing NPA's?? ------------- Existing seven-digit cross-NPA EAS routes which will retain their seven-digit dialing -- Existing seven-digit EAS routes that will become cross-NPA and will retain their existing seven-digit dialing when new NPA boundaries are implemented -- Existing seven-digit cross-NPA EAS routes which will retain their seven-digit dialing -- Anderson to Mebane Belmont to Mill Creek, SC Bessemer City to Mill Creek, SC Burlington to Mebane Charlotte to Lake Wylie, SC Dillon to Dillon, SC Lake View, SC Latta, SC Fairmont to Rowland, SC Gastonia to Clover, SC Mill Creek, SC Lake Wylie, SC Lake Wylie West, SC Gatewood to Danville, VA Gibson to Newtonville, SC Grover to Antioch, SC Blacksburg, SC Kings Mountain to Antioch, SC Mill Creek, SC Laurinburg to Newtonville, SC Liberty to Benton, TN Blue Ridge, GA Copper Basin, TN Dial, GA Lakewood, GA McCaysville, GA Lowell to Mill Creek, SC Lumberton to Rowland, SC Milton to Danville, VA Mt. Holly to Mill Creek, SC Pembroke to Rowland, SC Rowland to Rowland, SC Saxapahaw to Mebane Shelby to Antioch, SC S. Crowders Creek to Clover, SC Lake Wylie, SC Lake Wylie West, SC Mill Creek, SC York, SC Stanley to Mill Creek, SC Waterville to Newport, TN Existing seven-digit EAS routes that will become cross-NPA and will retain their existing seven-digit dialing when new NPA boundaries are implemented: Denver to Maiden Newton Sherrills Ford Goldsboro to LaGrange Moss Hill Lincolnton to Maiden Maiden to Denver Lincolnton Newton to Denver Stony Point to Taylorsville Taylorsville to Stony Point ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Nov 1997 09:41:15 -0600 From: Mark J. Cuccia Subject: Re: 10XXX/101XXX Codes In Canada? Sebastien Kingsley wrote: > Ok, first of all, I KNOW what a PIC (primary interstate carrier) code > is (10xxx/101xxx), and what they are used for, but my question is, how > are they used in Canada? > The reason I ask this is because it was my understanding that they > WEREN'T used in Canada. > But, I recently obtained a document from Industry Canada, that > contains PIC codes for many Canadian RBOCs and other long distance > carriers. > Here are a few of them: > BC Tel - 10323 > Bell Canada - 10363 > Fonorola - 10507 > London Telecom - 10960 > Likewise, it was my understanding that the use of the special 950 > exchange WASN'T used in Canada. However, this same document lists > 950-xxxx dialups for Canadian companies too!?! > Here are a few of them: > BC Tel - 950-5226 > BC Tel - 950-5322 > Fonorola - 950-5507 > Canadian Tire - 950-5303 > Vancouver TE - 950-5826 > Could someone PLEASE enlighten me on this subject? If they aren't > used here, then why do Canadian companies have them assigned to them? > And if they ARE used here, are they used in the same manner as in the > USA? > Here in BC Tel country, dialing 10xxx will result in an intercept > message. Dialing a 950 dialup results in a similar fashion. People > at the telco tell me that they aren't used, but they cannot explain > why BC Tel are assigned a 10xxx code, and a 950 dialup. > TIA for any help on this puzzling subject. First, some definitions ... PIC = Primary InterExchange Carrier CIC = Carrier Identification Code XXX (except 10X, 15X, 16X), in permissive expansion to 0XXX; also 5XXX, 6XXX; and after mid-1998, possible to be any XXXX CAC = Carrier Access Code (10-XXX, 101-XXXX) i.e., 10 + a three-digit "CIC", and 101 + a four-digit "CIC" fgB = Feautre-Group "B", where 950-xxxx numbers are dialed fgD = Feature-Group "D", where a "CAC" is dialed LATA = Local Access and Transport Area In the US, Equal Access and dialing to alternate carriers has been around for over ten years, but originating use is still not universally available (such as from some independent or rural area). Canada does now have Equal Access or dialing through an alternate carrier, but similarly, originating use is not available from all areas. It is possible that your _particular_ area of British Columbia doesn't yet have originating Equal Access. In the US, 950-xxxx numbers pre-dated the use of 10[1X]XXX+ codes and choosing a primary carrier. Similarly in Canada, where originating access was made available, use of 950-xxxx access pre-dates 10[1X]XXX+ access or choosing a primary carrier. Since 950-xxxx numbers are _supposed_ to be coin-free and toll-free to the originating end-user, another use of 950-xxxx numbers has been for a 'universal' toll-free seven-digit number, similar to 800/888-nxx-xxxx numbers. There have been 950-xxxx numbers assigned to Pizza Hut, banks, credit-card companies, etc. for voice services, or for modem/data functions) There have been many postings to TELECOM Digest over the years regarding Equal Access, 950-xxxx numbers (fg.B) and 10[1X]XXX+ service (fg.D). Also, Bellcore/AT&T/Lucent/Nortel/etc. have published many documents since the 1980's regarding such, including Bellcore's "Notes on the BOC Intra-LATA Networks" (1983, 1986), "BOC Notes on the LEC Networks" (1990, 1994, 1996). As for LATAs, when the Bell System broke-up in the 1980's, the US was divided into "LATAs". For the most part, (toll) calls placed within a LATA are supposed to be carried by the toll functions of your local telco, while inTER-LATA calls are to be carried by your chosen long-distance company. In some states, you can even choose a primary carrier for toll calls within your LATA, and that carrier can be different from your chosen primary inTER-LATA carrier. But in either case (except from areas where Equal Access and fg.D originating hasn't yet been implemented), you can place calls via a different carrier on a per-call basis, by dialing the 10[1X]XXX+ "CAC" code before dialing the number, so long as that LD-carrier desires to carry your call. Some of them will accept 'casual-use' calls dialed with a "CAC", _only_ if you have previously set up an account with them. Canada hasn't adopted the "LATA" concept. Where Equal Access and fg.D originating has been implemented in Canada, it is supposed to be where _toll_ calls to the US and Canada (even toll within your province) is to be routed (and billed) on the carrier that you chose as your primary. And use of a 10[1X]XXX+ CAC is to route/bill such toll calls on a 'per-call' basis (casual use) via the dialed alternate carrier. Therefore, if you choose fONOROLA as your primary (US/Canada) toll carrier, you _don't_ have to dial 10[10]507+ prior to the number. But if you want to use the toll services of BC-Tel on a casual-use per-call basis, you would dial 10[10]323+ first. But with inTRA-LATA toll competition in the US, as well as competition between local telcos (which is also coming to Canada), it could possibly happen in the next several years that LATAs as we have known them will eventually vanish. Since I don't actually live in Canada, I couldn't say how certain ideosynchosies and inconsistancies exist, such as calling the operator or operator/card services, non-US international, etc. It has been that Teleglobe is the protected monopoly for calling non-US internatinal locations, and such calls have been placed as before, through your Canadian local telco's services. I don't know what happens if you dial a 10[1X]XXX+ "CAC" first, then 011+. Nor do I know how (straight) 011+ calls would be handled if your primary toll carrier were _not_ the toll services of "your local telephone company". However, I understand that Teleglobe is soon supposed to be losing its protected monopoly status if it hasn't lost it already. It could also be that other carriers allow you to use them for 011+ calls, but they are simply _reselling_ Teleglobe. Even where Equal Access and fg.D origination has been implemented in Canada (_and_ in the US), various inconsistancies will abound. MARK_J._CUCCIA__PHONE/WRITE/WIRE/CABLE:__HOME:__(USA)__Tel:_CHestnut-1-2497 WORK:__mcuccia@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu|4710-Wright-Road|__(+1-504-241-2497) Tel:UNiversity-5-5954(+1-504-865-5954)|New-Orleans-28__|fwds-on-no-answr-to Fax:UNiversity-5-5917(+1-504-865-5917)|Louisiana(70128)|cellular/voicemail- ------------------------------ From: Timothy A. Deem Subject: Re: InTRA-LATA Carrier Verification Date: Fri, 14 Nov 1997 16:46:12 -0600 Organization: ComSource, Inc >> At one point, Worldcom told us to dial 700-4141 (we're in area code >> 610) to verify our inTRA-LATA toll PIC assignment. I did; it works >> just like (700) 555-4141. > I tried it here in upstate N.Y. and got a recording from my inter-LATA > IXC. But they're not my intra-LATA toll carrier. My intra-LATA IXC > is New Yo, er, Nyn, er, Bell whoever they are, who happen to have > decent rates for intra-LATA toll with one of their calling plans. It appears you have to dial the following based upon which you want: IntraLATA provider: 1-(your area code)-700-4141 LD provider: 1-700-555-4141 Hope that helps ... ------------------------------ From: Wlevant@aol.com Date: Fri, 14 Nov 1997 20:34:55 EST Subject: Re: InTRA-LATA Carrier Verification >> At one point, Worldcom told us to dial 700-4141 (we're in area code >> (610) to verify our inTRA-LATA toll PIC assignment. I did; it works >> just like (700) 555-4141. > I tried it here in upstate N.Y. and got a recording from my inter-LATA > IXC. But they're not my intra-LATA toll carrier. My intra-LATA IXC > is New Yo, er, Nyn, er, Bell whoever they are, who happen to have > decent rates for intra-LATA toll with one of their calling plans. Sounds like Brandex (er, Bell Whatsis) screwed up the translation. Surprise. Bill ------------------------------ From: Fred McClintic Subject: Re: How Do I Learn My Default Long Distance Carrier? Date: Fri, 14 Nov 1997 16:45:33 -0600 Peter Capek wrote: > I recently tried using 1-700-555-4141 to determine the long distance > company associated with a phone line, but the number seems to be > invalid. The LEC's operator supervisor couldn't explain why -- she > thought it should work -- but referred me to the business office. > Did I miss something? Has this capability gone away or become > obsolete, perhaps as side effect of local deregulation? > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: It should work; it is the number of > record for that purpose on a national basis. I cannot say why it > does not but I can tell you a work-around that you might try. On > the line in question just dial 00 (double zero) and let it time out > to a live operator. Ask her what company she with. Ask her what is > the number for the business office of that company. That should get > you a reliable answer. PAT] I've used that number in the past here, so I tried to dial it just to see what would happen. I got a bad number recording "Your call cannot be completed as dialed. Please, check the number and dial again. 21K" We are in the middle of changing from AT&T to MCI, so I wasn't sure what I *should* be getting at this particular moment. I then grabbed a line from our other GTE location and checked from one of their trunks. Same thing. Next I grabbed a line from our SWB location. There I got the AT&T jingle. Next I went out locally and dialed 00. I got the MCI jingle. Ah, looks like a carrier problem ... I then asked the MCI operator why I couldn't dial 700-555-4141. She wasn't aware of the number and asked her supervisor. Her supervisor was aware of the number, but wasn't sure why it didn't work. She offered to transfer me to customer service, which I agreed to. (after waiting on hold for five minutes...) I asked the customer service person the same question. She took our phone number and verified that we had 30 lines on this account, but wasn't aware of the 700-555-4141 number. She, like all of the people I had been talking to from MCI kept asking "well, does double-zero work?" Of course it does, but that isn't the issue ... I had her ask her supervisor who told her "that number has been taken down on a national level". Funny, when you dial 10+CIC+1-700-555-4141, it works fine for AT&T, Sprint, LDDS (err.. LDDS/WorldCom err.. MCI/WorldCom or whatever...), and all the companies that I've been slammed to in the past.... grrr ... Finally, I called our MCI rep. She had never heard of the number, but called back after asking one of her technical consultants, who suggested that maybe 700-555-4141 was for dedicated service and that 700-555-4242 was for switched service. I'd not heard of this anywhere before, but tested the new number -- same recording. I then sent her a copy of this email which I was ready to send. That was the last I've heard of her for about six hours now. That's our results here in northeast Missouri ... Fred ------------------------------ From: Rich Courtney Subject: Re: How Do I Learn My Default Long Distance Carrier? Date: 14 Nov 1997 18:19:11 GMT Organization: Norand Corporation We have MCI and I get a recording. Using 10228+ AT&T responds correctly. Iowa location. ------------------------------ From: aljon@worldnet.att.net (John Stahl) Subject: Re: NY State Thruway Rockland County and MFS Date: Fri, 14 Nov 1997 19:36:19 +0000 Richard W. Museums said: > I saw that Metropolitan Fiber System is laying colored tubes along the > West bound side of RT 87 in Rockland, does this mean Fiber is going to > the suburbs now too? MFS has a contract with the NYS Thruway Authority to put in a fiber-optic "superhighway" across the length and breadth of the 641 mile Thruway system in New York State. The Thruway Authority not only has the Thruway (I90) but also has authority and control for many of the ancillary roads connecting to I90. These include I84, the Cross Westchester Expressway, some of the Interstate roads around Buffalo and part of the Thruway connecting CT to NYC on the west shore of the LI Sound. I remember when the Authority went out for bid on this project back in 1994/95, hearing them at several bidders conferences discussing the advantages the "system" offered any would-be successful bidder. Their routes from west to east, north to south cover most of the major transportation corridors and major population areas of NY. From PA to CT, from Canadian border to New York City, MFS has a complete fiber route for them selves. They are installing a conduit system for who knows how many fibers. The Authority is to get some number of "dark" fibers and drop-off at each of their facilities along the routes - toll booths, offices, maintenance areas, etc. Now that WorldCom, parent of MFS, has their sights on MCI, all of these companies including Compuserve and the other publicized companies that WorldCom has purchased so far, sure seem to be helping to make them a giant among telecommunications companies! John Stahl Aljon Enterprises Telecommunications, Data and Internet Consultants email: aljon@worldnet.att.net ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Nov 97 16:28:00 EST From: Steve Sokal Subject: Re: NY State Thruway Rockland County and MFS The fiber optic cable being placed by MFS is part of the New York State NYT Project. A complete description may be found in the RFP referenced at http://www.irm.state.ny.us/nyt/nyt.htm ------------------------------ From: Rishab Aiyer Ghosh Subject: Re: Mobile Phone Penetration Rate 39% In Finland Date: Sat, 15 Nov 1997 04:00:36 +-5-30 Kimmo Ketolainen (kk@sci.fi) wrote: > We don't yet have flat-rate cellular service. For the subscription > quoted above, the per-minute fee is 1.92 FIM (0.37 USD) during > Mon-Fri working hours and 0.99 FIM (0.19 USD) at all other times. Thanks. I was curious because the other figures were almost exactly the same as the rates in India - or at least in Delhi, where the two private operators seem to have formed a cartel. The exception being that if you pay Rs 299 (USD 8) per month, you get charged Rs 3/Rs 6/Rs 9 per minute for off-peak/standard/peak hours. Peak hours are four hours during weekdays; off-peak is all Sunday; standard is everything else. which means that you pay on average Rs 7 (USD 0.13) per minute. > (Local, regional and long distance calls are all charged at this same > rate as it is done in most European cellular networks. Nothing is > charged for receiving incoming calls.) Isn't that because landline users are charged extra to call mobile phones? In India landline users pay the same to call a mobile phone as to call another landline, so mobile users have to pay for incoming calls too, about 60% of the rate for outgoing calls. rishab ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V17 #316 ******************************