Return-Path: Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.7.4/NSCS-1.0S) id XAA26293; Mon, 26 Aug 1996 23:11:04 -0400 (EDT) Date: Mon, 26 Aug 1996 23:11:04 -0400 (EDT) From: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu (TELECOM Digest Editor) Message-Id: <199608270311.XAA26293@massis.lcs.mit.edu> To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V16 #442 TELECOM Digest Mon, 26 Aug 96 23:11:00 EDT Volume 16 : Issue 442 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Pacific Bell, AT&T Unable to Reach Agreement On Interconnection (Mike King) BellSouth Executive Officer J. Robert Fitzgerald to Retire (Mike King) BellSouth Mobility DCS Continues Launch of Wireless Service (Mike King) Mandl's Move to Tiny Start-Up Spotlights Wireless Rush (Tad Cook) Information on Low End Voicemail System Requested (Bryan R. Montogmery) Re: DFW Dialing (was End of Permissive Dialing in 954) (John R. Levine) Re: DFW Dialing (was End of Permissive Dialing in 954) (Linc Madison) Re: DFW Dialing (was End of Permissive Dialing in 954) (Carl Moore) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Mike King Subject: Pacific Bell, AT&T Unable to Reach Agreement On Interconnection Date: Mon, 26 Aug 1996 21:31:45 GMT From: sqlgate@list.pactel.com Subject: Pacific Bell, AT&T Unable to Reach Agreement On Interconnecting Networks FOR MORE INFORMATION: Jerry Kimata (415) 394-3739 jerry.kimata@pactel.com Pacific Bell, AT&T Unable to Reach Agreement On Interconnecting Networks SAN FRANCISCO -- Pacific Bell said today it has been unable to negotiate an agreement with AT&T to interconnect the companies' networks. AT&T is expected to file a request early this week with the California Public Utilities Commission for arbitration proceedings in order to reach an agreement. "We've been trying very hard over the past months to reach agreement on the terms and conditions for interconnecting our networks," said Liz Fetter, president-Industry Markets Group. "While we've made progress on many of the issues, several significant ones remain unresolved. "Pacific Bell has been successful reaching agreement with many of our competitors, giving them the access they need to compete directly with us," Fetter said. "Eleven competitive local exchange companies now can interconnect their networks with ours. Some already are exchanging phone traffic with us. "We're obviously disappointed that we couldn't reach an agreement with AT&T after all the hard work that both negotiating teams have put into the effort," she said. "However, if the arbitration process will lead to an equitable settlement that will give phone customers more choice, we're anxious to make it work." Pacific Bell has interconnect agreements with Teleport Communications Group, Cox Communications, Metropolitan Fiber Systems, Brooks Fiber, Continental Cablevision, Intel Communications Group, Winstar Wireless, MCI Metro, GTE California and PacWest. Pacific Bell is negotiating under guidelines issued by the CPUC for opening up its statewide network to competitors certified to provide local phone service in California. The Federal Communications Commission recently issued guidelines to implement the Federal Telecommunications Act of 1996. These included rules under which the Regional Bell telephone companies would provide access to their networks and facilities for competitors wishing to enter the local phone market. Pacific Bell is a subsidiary of Pacific Telesis Group, a diversified telecommunications corporation based in San Francisco. ----------- Mike King * Oakland, CA, USA * mk@wco.com ------------------------------ From: Mike King Subject: BellSouth Executive Officer J. Robert Fitzgerald to Retire Date: Mon, 26 Aug 1996 21:33:23 GMT From: BellSouth Subject: BellSouth Executive Officer J. Robert Fitzgerald to Retire J. Robert Fitzgerald, BellSouth Executive Officer, to Retire ATLANTA _ J. Robert Fitzgerald, Vice President-Corporate Responsibility and Compliance of BellSouth Corporation (NYSE:BLS) has announced he will retire Sept. 30, concluding a 26-year career with the Bell system. "There's no question that Bob Fitzgerald has made a significant and lasting contribution to BellSouth," said Buddy Henry, BellSouth Executive Vice President - Corporate Relations. "By leading the Internal Audit and Security departments, and serving as chief ombudsman for the company," continued Henry, "he's helped us prepare for the 21st century and many of the corporate challenges that the future is expected to present. We wish him well and understand his enthusiasm for wanting to devote more time and energy with his family and the nonprofit organizations he has supported for years." Fitzgerald is chairman of both St. Joseph's Hospital board of directors and St. Joseph's Health System in Atlanta, and is chairman of the Marist High School board of trustees. As a member of Cathedral of Christ the King and the Catholic Foundation of North Georgia, he plans to be an active volunteer at Ignatius House, a Jesuit retreat center in Atlanta. A native of Baton Rouge, La., Fitzgerald began his career with South Central Bell as an attorney. He moved to AT&T in New York in 1976 and a year later returned to New Orleans as South Central Bell's general attorney for the state. In 1980, Fitzgerald was elected Vice President - Louisiana; in 1983 he was elected Vice President and General Counsel with Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Company, now BellSouth Telecommunications, Inc. In February 1993, he was elected Vice President and Associate General Counsel of BellSouth Corporation. In July 1994, he was elected to his current position, Vice President - Corporate Responsibility and Compliance. BellSouth is a $17.9 billion communications services company. It provides telecommunications, wireless communications, directory advertising and publishing, video and information services to more than 25 million customers in 17 countries worldwide. NOTE: For more information about BellSouth Corporation, visit the BellSouth Web page at http://www.bellsouth.com/ ----------------------- Mike King * Oakland, CA, USA * mk@wco.com ------------------------------ From: Mike King Subject: BellSouth Mobility DCS Coontinues Launch of Wireless Service Date: Mon, 26 Aug 1996 21:34:20 GMT From: BellSouth Subject: BELLSOUTH MOBILITY DCS CONTINUES LAUNCH OF REVOLUTIONARY WIRELESS SERVICE Coverage of Personal Communications Services Network Increased Throughout Southeast RALEIGH, NC -- BellSouth Mobility DCS today launched the second phase of its three-year, $500 million network deployment plan to bring personal communications services (PCS) to the Carolinas and Eastern Tennessee. PCS, which incorporates the latest digital technology and combines voice and data communications with advanced calling features in one portable phone, is now available to people in Raleigh/Durham, Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point, Wilmington and Fayetteville in North Carolina; and Columbia, Florence and Myrtle Beach in South Carolina. These cities join Charlotte, North Carolina; Greenville-Spartanburg, South Carolina; and the Knoxville and Tri-Cities areas in Tennessee where BellSouth launched the digital service last month. Within the next few weeks, users in the region will have PCS coverage in all major metropolitan areas and along highways. Coverage throughout rural areas will increase as deployment plans continue. BellSouth Mobility DCS also announced that it has extended by $100 million its supply agreement with Northern Telecom (Nortel) for PCS network equipment and services for the region. This increases the total value of the original supply agreement, signed in June 1995, to $200 million. "Being the first PCS provider in our markets was an important goal for us and Nortel helped us achieve that," said Eric Ensor, president of BellSouth Mobility DCS. "The increase in our agreement to $200 million will allow us to continue meeting the demands of our customers as we proceed with our aggressive rollout plan over the next two years." As one of only three companies in the United States offering the latest in wireless technology, BellSouth Mobility DCS will offer PCS to an area of more than 12 million people throughout the Southeast. "We are excited as BellSouth Mobility DCS continues expanding its coverage and offering the highest quality, digital mobile communications available," said Ensor. "PCS represents a revolution in wireless communications and we are pleased to be the first to bring it to consumers in the Carolinas and Eastern Tennessee." The BellSouth Mobility DCS network offers completely digital technology, providing customers mobile communications with better clarity and less static than existing analog cellular systems, as well as sophisticated encryption for more secure conversations, automatic Caller Line ID, and built-in paging and text messaging capability. BellSouth Mobility DCS' three service plans -- Personal, Performance and Power -- are designed to meet the needs of all customers, from first-time users to more seasoned, frequent users. All three plans include Caller Line ID, built-in numeric paging, voice mail, Call Waiting, Call Hold and Call Forwarding at no additional charge. Each of the packages will be priced and marketed regionally to offer the best value for the customer. One of the hallmarks of BellSouth Mobility DCS lies in what the company's service does not include -- such as any charge for the first minute of all inbound calls, any roaming charges within BellSouth Mobility DCS' three-state region, long-term contracts and peak/off-peak airtime price differences. "BellSouth has been providing quality communications service to this region for more than 100 years, and now it brings the latest innovation in wireless technology to consumers," said Ensor. "Ultimately,consumers will select BellSout's digital service as the premium wireless communications service because of its unparalleled benefits -- the simplicity, value and performance. They will also experience a service that is backed by the expertise and excellence that many have come to expect from BellSouth." BellSouth Mobility DCS is offering a number of different portable phones that work with the new service ranging in price from $145 to $200 depending on the model and styling. Consumers can purchase the new service and handsets at a variety of retail locations, including large national retailers; by calling BellSouth's consumer and small business local sales offices; by visiting BellSouth Mobility DCS' own stores; and from a number of independent telephone company partners. BellSouth Mobility DCS is a subsidiary of BellSouth Corporation, the world's wireless leader. The company is developing its digital communications network in the Carolinas with partners DukeNet, a subsidiary of Duke Power; CaroNet, a subsidiary of Carolina Power & Light; and 30 independent telephone companies. BellSouth Corporation is a $17.9 billion communications company providing telecommunications, wireless communications, directory advertising and publishing, and information services to more than 25 million customers in 17 countries worldwide. Note: For more information, visit the BellSouth Mobility DCS Web Site at: http://www.bellsouthdcs.com For More Information Contact: Kristie Madara -- 404/841-2074 Pager - 1-800-835-6312 Andy Hagedon -- 404/870-3829 ---------------------- Mike King * Oakland, CA, USA * mk@wco.com ------------------------------ From: Tad Cook Subject: Mandl's Move to Tiny Start-Up Spotlights Wireless Rush Date: Mon, 26 Aug 1996 11:41:19 PDT Mandl's Move to Tiny Start-Up Spotlights Wireless Rush Via AP By GAUTAM NAIK The Wall Street Journal Alex Mandl's move from AT&T Corp. to a tiny wireless start-up may make him a rich man. But the technology he hopes to ride is largely unproved, and the company could face competition from scores of other rivals who hope to offer similar services. Mr. Mandl's new company, Associated Communications LLC of Washington, D.C., wants to use a rarefied slice of radio spectrum -- one typically used by the military to control the accuracy of "smart bombs" -- for a far more mundane purpose: to sell local phone service and Internet access to business customers. The plan is to bounce radio signals via an intricate array of rooftop transmitters and antennas. The space that Associated wants to use is located in the upper regions of the spectrum, at the 18 gigahertz range. There, radio signals travel short distances and are easily blocked by rain, snow or buildings. For years, some of the nation's savviest phone carriers saw little commercial value in it. Even the Federal Communications Commission handed the high-frequency licenses at no cost to the handful of interested applicants -- an irony, considering the $20 billion the FCC recently netted from its auction of other wireless licenses. Now, suddenly, the backwater radio spectrum has gone from being ignored and undervalued to a hotly pursued commodity. In addition to Mr. Mandl's stunning defection, a raft of entrepreneurs and carriers -- including AT&T and several Bell companies -- have filed a total of 700 applications to receive similar free licenses in the upper band from the FCC. The agency, perhaps smelling another money-raising opportunity, has frozen the application process. It may now auction the licenses early next year. "We're seeing an incredible renewed demand that reaffirms the value of spectrum," one FCC official said. What happened? For one thing, new telecommunications rules make it much easier for companies to compete in the local-phone market against century-old Bell monopolies. Various wireless technologies -- transmitters, electronics and antenna design -- also have improved in recent years, making it technically easier to operate in the "nosebleed" section of the radio spectrum. At the same time, lower regions now dominated by cellular-phone and other wireless operators are becoming crowded and the price of radio spectrum has become markedly steep. Taken together, these changes have triggered the wireless equivalent of a land rush. Winstar Communications Inc. was one of the first companies to seize the opportunity. For the past few years, it has been applying for -- and receiving -- free licenses to operate in the 38 gigahertz region, which is considerably higher even than the region of 18-gigahertz where Associated holds its licenses. Winstar is gearing up for a bold attack in dozens of the nation's largest markets. It plans to begin offering in October local-phone service to business customers in the New York area, trying to woo them away from Nynex Corp., the regional Bell. Winstar plans to expand its reach to 28 markets by year-end, and to 42 markets by Dec. 31, 1997. "When we started (accumulating licenses) in 1994, no one was really interested. We now have imitators," says William Rouhana, Jr., Winstar's chairman and chief executive officer. But it won't be easy. A host of companies have plans to enter the wireless market in a big way, and like Associated and Winstar, many are taking aim at the rich $90 billion market for local-phone service as well. In addition to cellular service, the new offerings include digital "personal communications services," fiber-optic technologies and even satellite systems planned by Motorola Inc. and several other players. Another obstacle is making the technology work. Services in the upper reaches of the spectrum must be "fixed," which means that, unlike cellular systems, end users can't move. For a signal to carry, it must be zapped via radio transmitters to a dish antenna that sits atop a customer's rooftop. It then travels along regular phone lines to the end destination -- a desktop computer, say. Higher-frequency transmission also requires "direct line of sight" between transmitters and antennas -- a tough problem to crack in high-rise downtown areas. And because signals in the higher realms are focused more narrowly than, say, broadcast TV signals, they can't penetrate rain or snow, let alone buildings. "It will work, but the question is to what degree. For a percentage of time you'll be without service in heavy rain," said Paul Baran, a wireless-technology expert. Adds Stewart Lipoff, analyst at Arthur D. Little: "Reliability is an issue. For businesses it doesn't seem to be a terrific fit." Nonetheless, Winstar and Associated point out that the technology is already popular in Europe, where it is used by cellular carriers to transmit cell-phone signals between transmission towers instead of using traditional "land-line" methods. In the U.S., the growing demand for data offerings, such as Internet access and interactive services, may boost the prospects of the new wireless players. "More and more, we need high-speed, high-capacity" links, Mr. Mandl said in an analyst conference call Monday, adding that Associated had licenses covering the nation's top 31 metropolitan areas. The higher frequencies "open up enormous markets ... We're testing the service now and plan to be in full commercial service in the second quarter of 1997." Some entrants who moved in early already have benefited. Entrepreneur Tom Domencich, the largest shareholder of a closely-held Milliwave L.P., quietly received free licenses in the 38-gigahertz band over several years. Milliwave has yet to sign on a single customer. But it recently struck a deal to be acquired by Winstar Communications for $125 million, delivering a windfall to Mr. Domencich and Dennis Patrick, a former FCC chairman and Milliwave's co-owner. Now Mr. Mandl hopes to strike it rich, and appears to have few qualms in forsaking his high-profile position at AT&T and taking a gamble with Associated Communications. "It's a one-time opportunity for me that I couldn't say no to," he said on Monday. "It's one of those rare times when this kind of business can be built in a short time." ------------------------------ From: monty@wizvax.net (Bryan R. Montogmery) Subject: Information on Low End Voicemail System Requested Date: 26 Aug 1996 19:44:50 -0400 Organization: Monty's Madhouse Reply-To: monty@wizvax.net Hi, I am looking for information on a 'cheap' voicemail system. This would be used by a fire dept. for members to pick up either individual messages or broadcast messages. Subsequently, I am looking for about 500+ mailboxes, setting up of 'distribution lists/groups' and remote retrieval. There seem to be plenty of voice modems with software out there -- has anybody tried this? Thanks, Bryan ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Aug 96 13:43 EDT From: johnl@iecc.com (John R Levine) Subject: Re: DFW Dialing (was End of Permissive Dialing in 954) Organization: I.E.C.C., Trumansburg, N.Y. > So, let me propose a "uniform dialing procedure": > HNPA local: 7D > HNPA toll: 1+NPA+7D > FNPA local: 10D > FNPA toll: 1+NPA+7D Yuck. It's really convenient that here in the more enlightened part of the country, we can dial eleven digits on any call, local, toll, or whatever. It makes it much easier to set up dialing directories in computers, use pay phones (I live near an NPA boundary), and otherwise use telephones to make actual telephone calls. As I've noted before, there's two mutually incompatible points of view here: one group appears to live in dread of making an accidental toll call, the other group just wants their phone calls to complete so they can talk to the people they're trying to call. (I'll skip the issue of whether "toll" calls cost more than "local" calls other than to note that in a lot of places, they often don't.) When DDD was young, I can see that making a toll call by mistake would have been a problem, since there was a three-minute minimum and a domestic call across the country could cost something like $1.50 back when you could buy a reasonable lunch for that amount. But now, a one-minute domestic toll call costs me at most 12 cents, for which I can buy almost 1/4 of a package of M&M's. What's the big deal? John R. Levine, IECC, POB 640 Trumansburg NY 14886 +1 607 387 6869 johnl@iecc.com "Space aliens are stealing American jobs." - Stanford econ prof ------------------------------ From: Telecom@Eureka.vip.best.com (Linc Madison) Subject: Re: DFW Dialing (was End of Permissive Dialing in 954) Date: Mon, 26 Aug 1996 19:39:41 -0700 Organization: Best Internet Communications In article , bpurcell@centuryinter.net (Brian Purcell) wrote: > Linc Madison wrote: >> As the area codes get smaller and smaller, and people become more and >> more mobile, it becomes more and more important to have a single >> uniform dialing procedure that is guaranteed to work anywhere in the U.S. >> Southwestern Bell and the Texas PUC should stop dragging their feet and >> make the change. > Make the change? Make *what* change? A quick review of the dialing > plans section of this year's NANP shows that there is no concensus on > how to dial local FNPA calls. Many states use 1+10D, many use 10D, > and lots use 7D. In addition, several use more than one as standard > or permissive. Virginia will let you use any of the three. Just > because California has elected to use 1+10D does not mean that this is > the way everyone else should do it. There is a strong consensus -- even in many places that require '1+' for all toll calls -- that *ALL* calls should be PERMITTED to be dialed as 1-NPA-NXX-XXXX, irrespective of area code and toll status. You still haven't presented a counterargument. (I'll spare you the trouble -- you can't, because none exists.) > If you ask me, most consumers have come to believe that 1+ means > "toll" while it seems to me that many telco people (particularly in > this newsgroup) will say the 1+ means "the following number includes > an area code." If that's the way it is, we should just do away with > 1+ completely and let the system figure out if: > a) it's 7D or 10D > b) it's local or toll > c) it's intra- or inter-LATA And how exactly is the system supposed to figure out if it's 7D or 10D? Take a look at the Los Angeles area as an example. The prefixes 213-714, 213-619, 818-805, 818-909, 213-626, 310-626, 619-626, and 909-626 are all in use. In Chicago, you have prefixes like 312-630 and 312-847. In New York City, you have 212-516, 718-917, and 718-201. At least some of those will be ambiguous. > Otherwise, what's the point of adding the 1+? Maybe we should just > incorporate 1 into everyone's NPA (1415, 1510, 1213, etc.). That's > pretty much what dialing 1+10D on every FNPA call (local or toll) > means anyway. Gee, I guess you've never heard of "0+", have you? > IMHO, it makes sense to use 1+ only to designate *toll* > calls, and forbidding it on local calls. That way, the consumer know > when dialing if it's a free call or not. And how exactly does forbidding dialing the 1 on local calls serve this purpose? IT DOESN'T!! Any consumer who is concerned about the toll status of a call (in areas with mandatory 1+ for toll) will simply dial it without the '1' and see if it goes through. No problem. That's the whole point -- forbidding dialing the '1' on local calls serves NO LEGITIMATE PURPOSE. Linc Madison * San Francisco, Calif. * Telecom@Eureka.vip.best.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Aug 96 10:17:44 EDT From: Carl Moore Subject: Re: DFW Dialing (was End of Permissive Dialing in 954) Responding to bpurcell@centuryinter.net (Brian Purcell) > If you ask me, most consumers have come to believe that 1+ means > "toll" while it seems to me that many telco people (particularly in > this newsgroup) will say the 1+ means "the following number includes > an area code." If that's the way it is, we should just do away with > 1+ completely and let the system figure out if: > a) it's 7D or 10D > b) it's local or toll > c) it's intra- or inter-LATA I'm not a telco person, but we're no longer limited to N0X/N1X area codes and NNX prefixes. The system here in country code 1 rarely uses timeouts (aside from 0 by itself reaching the local operator), so it became necessary to use "leading 1 means area code follows", whether or not leading 1 also means toll. > IMHO, it makes sense to use 1+ only to designate *toll* > calls, and forbidding it on local calls. I take it you know the arguments in favor of allowing 1 + NPA + 7D for ANY call within +1. ------------------------------ 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. ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V16 #442 ******************************