Received: by bu-cs.BU.EDU (5.58/4.7) id AA23925; Mon, 9 Jan 89 00:32:16 EST Message-Id: <8901090532.AA23925@bu-cs.BU.EDU> Date: Mon, 9 Jan 89 0:08:54 EST From: The Moderator Reply-To: TELECOM@bu-cs.BU.EDU Subject: TELECOM Digest V9 #8 To: TELECOM@bu-cs.bu.edu TELECOM Digest Mon, 9 Jan 89 0:08:54 EST Volume 9 : Issue 8 Today's Topics: 900 list AT&T alleges dumping Another lesson on 700/800/900 service [Moderator's Note: Scott Statton has provided more information on the special services available for telephone users. I had another letter I was going to include today but unfortunatly it got trashed before I got it in here. The person asked a simple question: "Who/where do I contact at AT&T to install 900 service?" If any of you know what department or bureau at AT&T handles this, and where they are located, please post a message to me. I promise not to lose it! Patrick Townson] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 2 Jan 89 23:49:10 EST From: scotts@bu-it.BU.EDU To: telecom@bu-cs.bu.edu Subject: 900 list 900 Series Prefix to OCN translation table Please note that this differs from the 800 table, because much fewer of the 900 NXXs are assigned. NXX OCN NXX OCN NXX OCN NXX OCN NXX OCN 200 ATX 202 Ameritech 210 ATX 220 ATX 221 TDX 222 ONC 223 TDX 225 Pac. Bell 226 MCI 233 TDX 234 TEN 240 U.S. West 248 Ameritech 250 ATX 258 TEN 254 TTU 255 SNT 260 ATX 264 ADG 266 CSY 272 Bell Atl. 273 CAN 275 ITT 280 Ameritech 282 LGT 283 Pac. Bell 288 GTE N.west 297 CAN 300 ATX 301 Ameritech 302 Ameritech 303 Pac. Bell 321 TEN 322 TDX 327 ETS 328 ATX 331 TET 332 PLG 333 U.S. West 335 Bell Atl. 342 ATX 344 ATX 345 ALN 346 United Tel. 350 ATX 364 GTE N.west 366 ONC 369 TEN 370 ATX 377 GTS 386 United Tel. 388 SNT 399 ARZ 400 ATX 407 ATX 410 ATX 420 ATX 422 ALN 426 PLG 428 Ameritech 430 U.S. West 444 ONC 445 PHE 446 MCI 450 Ameritech 451 CAN 456 TEN 463 United Tel. 478 AAM 479 ARZ 480 ATX 483 GTE Midwest 488 ONC 490 U.S. West 500 ATX 505 Pac. Bell 520 ATX 529 MIT 536 BUR 540 ALN 543 ALN 545 GTE Calif. 550 ALN 555 ATX 567 ALN 580 U.S. West 590 ATX 595 CAN 600 ATX 620 Ameritech 624 Pac. Bell 626 CSY 628 Ameritech 630 CAN 633 MIT 639 PLG 643 CAN 645 CAN 650 ATX 654 TEN 656 SNT 660 ATX 661 United Tel. 663 MDE 665 ALN 666 ONC 670 CAN 677 CAN 678 MCI 680 ATX 686 LTG 690 CAN 698 NY Tel. 699 PLG 701 Bell Atl. 710 TGN 720 ATX 722 Pac. Bell 724 RTC 725 SNT 727 GTE Calif. 730 ATX 739 CSY 740 ATX 741 TEN 746 ITT 750 CAN 753 ALN 765 ALN 773 ATX 777 Pac. Bell 778 Ameritech 780 Ameritech 786 ATX 790 CAN 792 CAN 801 Bell Atl. 820 ATX 830 CAN 843 Pac. Bell 844 Pac. Bell 847 United Tel. 850 ATX 860 ATX 866 AAM 870 CAN 872 TEN 887 ETS 888 CIS 900 TDX 901 Bell Atl. 903 ATX 909 ATX 924 Ameritech 932 ATX 948 ARZ 949 MIC 963 TEN 970 MIC 971 MIC 972 MIC 973 MIC 974 ALN 975 ALN 976 ATX 988 MCI 990 MCI 991 ALG 993 SNT 999 TEN ------------------------------ To: telecom@bu-cs.bu.edu Subject: AT&T alleges dumping Date: 8 Jan 89 00:17:40 PST (Sun) From: bovine!john@apple.com (John Higdon) Now that AT&T has entered the real world of competition, it has also adopted the good ole American way of dealing with it. Having discovered that its high-priced do-nothing crap they call equipment isn't selling all that well, they focused their attention on (who else) the Japanese. With the CWA and IBEW joining in the chorus, they are accusing Japanese manufacturers of "dumping" cheap (but nevertheless full-featured) electronic key equipment on the US market and are seeking relief from the US government in the form of sanctions. They may be right. What sane person (other than some corporate mentality type) would by a Merlin over a Panasonic 1232? But just maybe they ought to consider how they might improve their product and lower the price. But then that wouldn't be the American way. Just ask the auto manufacturers. -- John Higdon john@bovine ..sun!{apple|cohesive|pacbell}!zygot!bovine!john ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 3 Jan 89 01:57:48 EST From: scotts@bu-it.BU.EDU To: telecom@bu-cs.bu.edu Subject: Another lesson on 700/800/900 service I have compiled some more information about the SACs for your edification. These include 700, 800, and 900. Most telephone users from the United States are quite familiar with 800 service. A number that they dial and incur NO charge (not even message units in most [all?] areas). Then there is 900 service, which is most people perceive as 'value added', i.e. you pay more for the information than for the transport of the call. These vary typically from 35 cents to a few dollars for either a timed service, or a 'as long as you like' duration-sensitive service. There are two sub-species of 900 service, AT&T and "everybody else". Finally there is 700 service, which many people remember as Alliance Teleconferencing. This is the third "canonical" SAC. With few limitations, this SAC is given over to the IEC entirely. Let's look at these in more detail: 800 service is offered by various IECs. Each NXX in the 800 SAC is assigned to a given carrier, who is responsible for assigning numbers from that block to customers, and providing 10 digit translation. When you as Joe Customer dial 1-800-222-1234 (made up number, please don't bother them) it will initiate the following sequence: 1. If you are in an Electronic Office (DMS-100, DMS-200, 1A ESS, #5 ESS) the 800-222 will be translated to "AT&T" and search for an opening in a trunk group marked for 800 origination. Should none be found, bump to step 3 2. If you are in a non-electronic office (SXS, XB, and some flavors of ESS), it will go to the access tandem that you're office 'homes' on, where 800-222 will be translated to "AT&T" [note that if at this point, the number doesn't have a translation, you will get a "lose" recording from the CO] 3. Find a trunk in a trunk group marked for 800 origination. Should none be found, give the customer a recording "Due to network congestion, your 800 call could not be completed" or die, or whatever. (Depends on phase of moon, etc.) 4. The end office will the send the following pulse-strea (in MF): KP + II + 3/10D + ST + KP + 800 222 1234 + ST (note that this is a simplification, there are some fine points of ANI spills that are beyond the scope of this article) II = 2 information digits ... typical values are: 00 normal ANI .. 10 digits follow 01 ONI line ... NPA follows 02 ANI failure ... NPA follows 3/10D = 3 or 10 digits. Either the NPA, or the entire 10 digit number. KP and ST are control tones 5. The carrier receives all of this (and probably throws the ANI into the bit bucket) and translates the 800 number to what's called a PTN, or Plant Test Number. For Example, 617-555-9111. Then, the call is routed AS IF the customer had dialed that 10 digit number. Of course, the billing data is marked as an 800 call, so the subscriber receiving th call pays the appropriate amount. 900 Service. As I mentioned earlier there are two flavors of 900 service, AT&T, and "Everybody Else". Everybody else is handled exactly as 800 service above, except the IEC will probably use the ANI information to send you a bill. (Either directly, or through your BOC, each situation governed by applicable tarrifs and contractual arrangements between the IEC and the BOC) AT&T 900 is a curious monster indeed. It was designed as a "mass termination" service. When you dial a 900 # by AT&T (such as the "hear space shuttle mission audio" number) you get routed to one of twelve "nodes" strewn throughout the country. These nodes are each capable of terminating 9,000 calls >PER SECOND<. There are several options available, where the customer and/or the IP pay for all/part of the call. The big difference between 800 and AT&T 900 is >NOT< "who pays for the call" (there are free 900 numbers) but "how many people can it handle at once". The IP is responsible for providing program audio. AT&T is prohibited from providing audio-program services (i.e. tape recorded messages) [As with any rule, there are exceptions to these as well] The last SAC we'll deal with is 700. I've seen ads on late-nite television for Group Access Bridging service (GAB) under 700 numbers, with a elephantine dialing sequence. The one that comes to mind is 10041-1-700-777-7777. [I make no guarantee about the quality or availability of this service. I don't even know if it still exists.] If you were to dial 1-700-555-4141 you will hear a recording announcing your Equal-Access carrier. (Some carriers ignore the last four digits, and any 700-555 number will give the announcement). This is signalled the same as 800 service, and may or may not be billed ENTIRELY at the discretion of the IEC. In New York, under PSC tarrif you can order 900 and/or 700 blocking as well as 976, 970, 550, and 540 blocking in various (but not entirely orthoganal) combinations. What in ONE carrier might be a customer service hotline (Dial 1-700-I AM LOST) might for another be a revenue product. There is LITTLE standardization of 700 usage from IEC to IEC. The one last dialing pattern that is worth mentioning is what's called, "cut through dialing". Try dialing 10220#. If Western Union comes to your town, you'll get a FG-A style dial tone. Presumably if you had a Western Union "Calling Card" [I don't know their term for it] you could dial a call. (If someone DOES have WU service, could they please check this out for me?) Glossary: ANI - Automatic Number Identification. An MF sequence that identifies your line for toll billing information. Often confused with ANAC (Automatic Number Announcemnt Circuit) which reads your number back in a synthesised voice. BOC - Bell Operating Company. A often misused term (even in this very article :-) that in general usage means, "Your local exchange carrier." Since most of the telephones in the country are served by what used to be the Bell system, we tend to use the term. The proper term in this case, however IS "Exchange Carrier [EC]" They provide service within your LATA. FG-A - Feature Group A. Line Side termination for Long Distance carriers. The old 555-1234 for Widget Telephone Company then dial an access code and the number style dialing is called FG-A. FG-B - Feature Group B. Trunk Side termination for Long Distance carriers. (aka ENFIA B). 950 service. This is LATA wide service, and doesn't cost the customer message units. ANI is only provided when the trunks terinate in the End Office (as opposed to an access tandem). FG-D - Feature Group D. Trunk Side termination. Provides 10xxx dialing, 1+ pre-subscription dialing, and Equal Access 800/900 service. Only available in electronic offices and some 5XB offices (through a beastie called an Adjunct Frame.) GAB - Group Audio Bridging. Where several people call the same number, to talk to other people calling the same number. "Party" or "Chat" lines. IEC - Inter-Exchange Carrier. Someone who actually carries calls from place to place. AT&T, Sprint, MCI are all IECs. IP - Information Provider. Someone who sells a value-added service over the telephone. Where you pay for the INFORMATION you're receiving, as well as the cost of TRANSPORT of the call. NXX - Notation convention for what used to be called a "prefix". N represents the digits 2 through 9, and X represents the digits 0 through 9. There are 800 valid NXX combinations, but some are reserved for local use. (411 for Directory, 611 for Repair Bureau, 911 for emergency, etc.) ONI - Operator Number Identification. In areas with some styles of party-line service, the CO cannot tell who you are, and the operator will come on and say, "What number are you calling from?". You can lie, they have to trust you. They MAY know which PREFIX you're coming from, though. PTN - Plant Test Number. A regular 10 digit number assigned with your inward WATS line. This may NOT be a 'dialable' number from the local CO. (A friend has a WATS line in Amherst, MA [413-549, #5 ESS] and you cannot dial the PTN locally, but you can if you come in on a toll trunk.) SAC - Special Area Code. Bellcore speak for area codes that aren't really places, but classes of service. ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest *********************