Return-Path: Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.7.4/NSCS-1.0S) id DAA12316; Tue, 3 Mar 1998 03:23:10 -0500 (EST) Date: Tue, 3 Mar 1998 03:23:10 -0500 (EST) From: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu (TELECOM Digest Editor) Message-Id: <199803030823.DAA12316@massis.lcs.mit.edu> To: ptownson Subject: TELECOM Digest V18 #34 TELECOM Digest Tue, 3 Mar 98 01:49:00 EST Volume 18 : Issue 34 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Telecom Update (Canada) #122, March 2, 1998 (Angus TeleManagement) Texas PUC Seeks Three New Area Codes (Greg Monti) 602 NPA Split (Dave Stott) Partial Outage/NYC. Parts of Wall St, Others Affected (Danny Burstein) Book Review: "Effective E-Mail: Clearly Explained" (Rob Slade) California's 19th Area Code to Debut Despite Resident Complaints (Tad Cook) Iowa State Correspondence Training (Paul Rosenberg) 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. Views expressed herein should not be construed as represent-* * ing views of the ITU. * ************************************************************************* In addition, a gift from Mike Sandman, Chicago's Telecom Expert has enabled me to replace some obsolete computer equipment and enter the 21st century sort of on schedule. His mail order telephone parts/supplies service based in the Chicago area has been widely recognized by Digest readers as a reliable and very inexpensive source of telecom-related equipment. Please request a free catalog today at http://www.sandman.com --------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 02 Mar 1998 11:06:41 -0500 From: Angus TeleManagement Subject: Telecom Update (Canada) #122, March 2, 1998 ************************************************************ * * * TELECOM UPDATE * * Angus TeleManagement's Weekly Telecom Newsbulletin * * http://www.angustel.ca * * Number 122: March 2, 1998 * * * * Publication of Telecom Update is made possible by * * generous financial support from: * * * * Bell Canada ................. http://www.bell.ca/ * * City Dial Network Services .. http://www.citydial.com/ * * Computer Talk Technology .... http://icescape.com/ * * fONOROLA .................... http://www.fonorola.com/ * * Lucent Technologies ......... http://www.lucent.com/ * * * ************************************************************ IN THIS ISSUE: ** Bell Shake-Up Continues ** CRTC Considers Canada-Canada Bypass ** Bell Launches Business Internet Service With Free Offer ** Budget Funds Optical Internet Project ** Price Cap Decision This Week ** MTS Intros Digital PCS ** BCE Mobile Raises $257 Million ** BC Telecom Sets Up New-Media Fund ** CRTC Seeks Comment on DAL Contribution ** Nortel Expands Wireless Portfolio ** Westel Intros Paging Service ** Price Caps Proceeding for Telus Edmonton ** Newbridge Writes Off $181 Million ** Subscribers, Revenue, Losses Rise at Clearnet ** Cantel Extends Wireless Data to Calgary ** COO Exits Cantel ** MetroNet Hires New CEO, Reports on Growth ** How to Profit From the LD Price War ============================================================ BELL SHAKE-UP CONTINUES: The shake-up of Bell Canada's top leadership team continues, with the abrupt departure on February 25 of Ontario Group Vice-Presidents Don Morrison (Consumer Markets and Sales) and Bruce Barr (Marketing Communications and Retail). Josee Goulet has been promoted to a new position which combines both portfolios. CRTC CONSIDERS CANADA-CANADA BYPASS: Should carriers be permitted to route calls between Canadian locations through the United States? On February 27, The CRTC, which was already considering in Public Notice 97-34 whether to permit routing of overseas calls through the U.S., asked participants in that proceeding to comment on Canada-U.S.- Canada routing by March 25. BELL LAUNCHES BUSINESS INTERNET SERVICE WITH FREE OFFER: Bell Canada has launched a new "business class" dialup Internet service, dubbed Advantage Internet. The telco is offering up to one year of free dial-up service, worth up to $685, to users of its Advantage Optimum long distance savings plan. http://www.aibn.ca BUDGET FUNDS OPTICAL INTERNET PROJECT: Ottawa's new budget includes $55 Million to launch CANARIE's next-generation network initiative, which aims to develop a high-speed, all-optical Internet backbone in Canada. ** The budget also approved $205 million over three years for SchoolNet and the Community Access Program. PRICE CAP DECISION THIS WEEK: The CRTC will release its Price Cap Implementation Decision on Thursday, March 5, at 9:00am. Among other things, the decision will include final "going-in" local rates and the rationale for the rate increases, which were effective January 1. MTS INTROS DIGITAL PCS: MTS Mobility has begun digital wireless service at 800 MHz in Winnipeg. Airtime is $30 for 150 minutes/month; $60 for 600 minutes. BCE MOBILE RAISES $257 MILLION: BCE Mobile has raised $257 Million from an equity issue; 65% of this was taken up by BCE Corp. (See Telecom Update #112) BC TELECOM SETS UP NEW-MEDIA FUND: BC Telecom has established a five-year $10-Million fund to encourage development of new media and television broadcast content. (See Telecom Update #87, 102) For information, go to http://www.bctel.com/b_creative/ CRTC SEEKS COMMENT ON DAL CONTRIBUTION: CRTC Telecom Public Notice 98-4 reopens the contentious issue of contribution fees on long distance traffic carried over Direct Access Lines. To participate, notify the Commission by March 27. http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/telecom/notice/1998/p984_0.txt NORTEL EXPANDS WIRELESS PORTFOLIO: Northern Telecom announced six new wireless products last week, including: ** Wireless Voice-Activated Dialing, which offers no-hands dialing and feature access for digital and analog wireless phones. ** "Reunion," a portfolio of base-station and other equipment for wireless broadband (LMCS) providers. ** A small wireless switch that promises economical service for as few as 50 subscribers. WESTEL INTROS PAGING SERVICE: BC's Westel Telecommunications has launched WestPage, with airtime rates beginning at $5.95/month. PRICE CAPS PROCEEDING FOR TELUS EDMONTON: CRTC Telecom Public Notice 98-3 seeks comment on extending the Price Caps regime now in effect for most Stentor members to Telus (Edmonton) on January 1, 1999. The proceeding will set the telco's going-in rates and 1998 contribution rate. To participate, notify the Commission by March 25. http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/telecom/notice/1998/p983_0.txt NEWBRIDGE WRITES OFF $181 MILLION: Newbridge Networks has taken a one-time charge of $181 Million for write-offs, severance, and facilities closure of the former UB Networks. Revenues for the quarter ending February 1 were $358 Million, a decline from the previous quarter caused by falling sales of Newbridge's time division multiplexers. SUBSCRIBERS, REVENUE, LOSSES RISE AT CLEARNET: Clearnet reports revenue of $40.0 Million and a net loss of $147 Million for the fourth quarter. On December 31, Clearnet had 152,000 subscribers (including analog SMR). "The faster we grow, the greater our short-term loss," said CFO Robert McFarlane. CANTEL EXTENDS WIRELESS DATA TO CALGARY: Rogers Cantel now offers its Mobitex wireless data service in Calgary, its first location in western Canada. COO EXITS CANTEL: Rogers Cantel says that Executive Vice- President and COO Kent Thexton is leaving. Cantel says his departure "follows [its] recent announcement to realign the Company to better serve the Canadian wireless market." METRONET HIRES NEW CEO, REPORTS ON GROWTH: MetroNet Communications has chosen Craig Young, previously President of the U.S. competitive local carrier Brooks WorldCom, as its President and CEO. Two MetroNet founders, Eric Hobson and Bob McKenzie, will now "begin a transition of their current operating responsibilities." ** As of December 31, MetroNet had installed five voice switches and 10,370 km of fiber, and was providing service to 4,000 local access lines. Fourth-quarter revenue: $2.8 Million. HOW TO PROFIT FROM THE LD PRICE WAR: Business can make big savings today by getting competitive bids on long distance service, but non-price issues are crucial to a successful deal. Learn more in two articles now on the Angus TeleManagement Web site (http://www.angustel.ca) ** "The New Long Distance Price War: Big Bargains for Smart Customers," by Ian and Lis Angus ** "Long Distance Deals: Rates Aren't Everything," by Henry Dortmans Both articles appeared in the February issue of Telemanagement. To subscribe to Telemanagement, go to http://www.angustel.ca/teleman/tm-sub.html or call 1-800- 263-4415 ext 225. ============================================================ HOW TO SUBMIT ITEMS FOR TELECOM UPDATE E-MAIL: editors@angustel.ca FAX: 905-686-2655 MAIL: TELECOM UPDATE Angus TeleManagement Group 8 Old Kingston Road Ajax, Ontario Canada L1T 2Z7 =========================================================== HOW TO SUBSCRIBE (OR UNSUBSCRIBE) TELECOM UPDATE is provided in electronic form only. There are two formats available: 1. The fully-formatted edition is posted on the World Wide Web on the first business day of the week. Point your browser to http://www.angustel.ca/update/up.html 2. The e-mail edition is distributed free of charge. To subscribe, send an e-mail message to majordomo@angustel.ca. The text of the message should contain only the two words: subscribe update To stop receiving the e-mail edition, send an e-mail message to majordomo@angustel.ca. The text of the message should say only: unsubscribe update [Your e-mail address] =========================================================== COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER: All contents copyright 1998 Angus TeleManagement Group Inc. All rights reserved. For further information, including permission to reprint or reproduce, please e-mail rosita@angustel.ca or phone 905-686-5050 ext 225. The information and data included has been obtained from sources which we believe to be reliable, but Angus TeleManagement makes no warranties or representations whatsoever regarding accuracy, completeness, or adequacy. Opinions expressed are based on interpretation of available information, and are subject to change. If expert advice on the subject matter is required, the services of a competent professional should be obtained. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 02 Mar 1998 13:35:08 From: Greg Monti Subject: Texas PUC Seeks Three New Area Codes On Thursday, February 27, 1998, an article appeared on the Business section front of the {Dallas Morning News} entitled "PUC Seeks New Dallas Area Code". A summary: The Texas Public Utilities Commission chairman, Pat Wood, has called for three new area codes for Texas, one each for Dallas, Houston and Austin/Corpus Christi. The Dallas code would be an overlay of both the existing 214 and 972 codes. The Houston one would be an overlay of both 713 and 281. The article isn't specific about the Corpus Christi case, but I infer that the new code would cover Corpus, while Austin would retain 512. All three codes could go into affect by late 1998, although no hard dates were mentioned. This time, neither the PUC nor the telephone companies are basing the need on the explosion of fax machines, wireless phones or second residential lines. The PUC chairman is doing all the blame-fixing himself this time around: he blames it the telephone industry of Texas, for insisting that telephone numbers be handed out to telcos in blocks of one prefix (10,000 numbers). Each competitive carrier must have at least one prefix in each area where it offers service, even if it has far less than 10,000 customers there. If numbers could be given out to telcos in smaller increments, the introduction dates for the new area codes could be pushed two years later, said the Chairman. Wood said that Southwestern Bell and other companies have filed briefs that he interprets to mean that the telcos will sue if they must implement a number conservation plan that would require them to accept and assign numbers in blocks smaller than 10,000. (Not mentioned in the article: This would require individual telephone prefixes to be divided among competing carriers. Calls are currently priced based on the area code and prefix. If more than one carrier shares a prefix, and are compensated differently, pricing and access charges for calls might need to be based on all 10 digits.) Greg Monti Dallas, Texas, USA gmonti@mindspring.com http://www.mindspring.com/~gmonti ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 02 Mar 1998 07:28:05 -0500 From: Dave Stott Subject: 602 NPA Split Well I attended one of the public comment meetings about the new 602 (Phoenix, AZ) split/overlay, and it appears the AZ Corp. Comm. still hasn't decided what to do. The geographic split would leave 602 mostly in Phoenix proper, from the far south, where the city abuts the Gila River Indian nation to the far north, where the city meets the 520 NPA. This leaves the west side of 602 and the east side of 602, two apparently separate, non-contiguous chunks of Maricopa County, as the new NPA. This leads me to wonder -- are there other non-contiguous NPAs in the NANP area (excluding Hawaii, of course)? Maybe the ACC is looking at this to complement our already unique non-contiguous N. Arizona LATA! Unfortunately, the map shows that the split isn't as clean as it might sound. Parts of eastern and western Phoenix fall into the new area code. Paradise Valley is split between the two codes on a north (new) / south (602) basis. Glendale is worse, with the southern part of town going to the new code, the central piece of town staying in 602, and the northern piece going to the new code. Tiny pieces of both Scottsdale and Tempe fall into the 602 area but the majority of both cities go to the new code. Mostly the meeting was to get public comment, and all six of us who attended gave our viewpoints. (Note: this was the biggest turnout yet to one of these meetings, according to the ACC staffer!) There was no consensus among us as to which was best, but I did suggest that if the ACC decides to go with the geographic split they also mandate permissable ten-digit dialing within the two area codes so that people like me can just program everything for ten-digit dialing. The Commissioner who was there liked the idea. I'll keep you updated as more information becomes available. Dave S. (602) 831-7355 dstott@2help.com http://www.2help.com ====================================================================== Helping you profit from changes in the telecommunications industry ====================================================================== ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 02 Mar 1998 21:51:53 EST From: danny burstein Subject: Partial Outage/NYC. Parts of Wall St, Other Businesses Affected Phone outage causes city chaos The Associated Press 02/25/98 7:51 PM Eastern NEW YORK (AP) -- Businesses across the city, including hospitals and the New York Mercantile Exchange, were thrown into turmoil Wednesday by a regional telephone outage that caused scattered interruptions of services. The problem, which began shortly before 2 p.m. EST, was traced to a breakdown in equipment owned by Illuminet Inc., a privately-held company that provides signaling and other services to phone company networks. [snip] (The article continues by noting, to my surprise, that:) AT&T, the nation's top long-distance carrier, experienced problems "across the United States," said spokesman David Johnson. (It continues with descriptions of problems faced by various small and large businesses throughout the NY area, including:) At Columbia-Presbyterian (a major NYC hospital center), a switchboard operator who declined to give her name said, "It's chaos, total chaos." (The article adds that this all seemed to have started with a problem in Illinois, which shows the increasing interdependance and, in some cases vulnerability, of parts of the phone network). [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: My 800 number was out of order last Wednesday also, but it was due to an El Nino style storm and mudslide in California (!) according to Call America/My Line, which handles my service. Normally, you *never* get a busy signal (or a ring for that matter) when calling my 800 number. After a couple seconds of silence following dialing, you hear me begin to speak on the recorded greeting which answers. So last Wednesday, calls to the 800 number -- but not the 415 version which is cross-linked to it -- received a busy signal returned locally here in Skokie by the central office. Interestingly enough, someone who dialed it from California -- where the fiber was cut in a mud slide incident -- got through just fine on both the 800/415 numbers. Meanwhile, anyone around here trying to reach me, Skokie CO busies them out, and this lasted for about eight hours. Is that strange or not? I tried calling MyLine on their 800 number and Skokie CO returned a busy signal on their line also ... but if I called myself on my 415 number, then used my admin code to exit voicemail, sit on their switch and dial MyLine, it went through fine as did an intra-switch call to my own 800 number while I was parked on their switch. The MyLine rep said the fiber cut was 'in a different section of California' where calls to me were routed; on the other hand, their office is in San Luis Obispo with 415 foreign exchange lines (among other things) and that was routed 'from northern California somewhere ... ' (rep's words). I've not mentioned MyLine here recently, and I really should. They offer a very reasonable, low-cost combination 800 inbound/outbound service, plus voicemail and other stuff. The inbound 800 number works like AT&T's 'follow me 500 service' but better. You also have the option to make outgoing calls by dialing in to your 800 number and dialing back out at rates a lot cheaper than any calling card I have found. I have been a subscriber there for a few years now, and Jeff Buckingham, one of the owners of the company has been a regular subscriber here for just as long. If you want, you can have a non-800 number linked in from one of several California area codes. This is useful if you receive international calls from places where access to your 800 number won't work for some reason. The MyLine switch can even understand fax signals when it hears them and route incoming calls to whatever number your fax is on automat- ically; that is in addition to routing incoming voice calls to one of three locations as you program it. Also, 'virtual call waiting' along with conferencing is part of the package. If a call comes in on your 800 number while the MyLine switch knows you are also on line you hear a little beep and MyLine says, 'excuse me, you have an incoming call waiting.' If you want to accept the call then and there you press a key and the switch patches you in to the new call while keeping your existing call on hold. Seriously, the best 800 service I've ever seen. If you want more information, email one of these folks: estrong@callamerica.com (Ernie Strong) beth-harris@callamerica.com (Beth Harris) jbucking@callamerica.com (Jeff Buckingham) If you insist, they'll assign you an 888 number (grin ... ) but I think they still have plenty of the old-fashioned 800 style available also. Figure around $20-25 per month for a very nice complete package. Great customer service and probably it will be turned on and working within a day of your order. Mention me please. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Rob Slade Organization: Vancouver Institute for Research into User Date: Mon, 02 Mar 1998 07:41:22 -0800 Subject: Book Revieww: "Effective E-Mail: Clearly Explained", Bradley Shimmin Reply-To: rslade@sprint.ca BKEFFEML.RVW 971129 "Effective E-Mail: Clearly Explained", Bradley Shimmin, 1997, 0-12-640060-1, U$39.95/C$55.95 %A Bradley Shimmin bshimmin@ultranet.com bshimmin@stearns.com %C 525 B Street, Suite 1900, San Diego, CA 92101-4495 %D 1997 %G 0-12-640060-1 %I Academic Press/Academic Press Professional/Harcourt Brace %O U$39.95/C$55.95 619-231-0926 800-321-5068 fax: 619-699-6380 %P 292 p. + CD-ROM %T "Effective E-Mail: Clearly Explained" While Web traffic continues to grow with ever larger graphics, sound, and video files being flung to all corners of the world, and despite dancing banners that delight the hearts of the hard core gaming crowd, the "don't you dare take away my access" killer app of the net is still email. And there are a large number of people who could use it more effectively. Shimmin's definition of "effective" might differ from that of some other people. The book takes a rather technical look at email, although not one that is beyond the grasp of an intelligent and dedicated reader. Still, he does tend to throw the reader in at the deep end, starting off an explanation of the concepts of email with a dissection of a full header. Shimmin seems to be OK with redefining many other terms, and even concepts. Chapter two supposedly deals with file formats. Of course, this is intended to refer to file attachments that you may receive with email. The book assumes that the reader is using a mail agent that will automatically deal with encoding: not always the case. He does overview graphics, sound, and movie file formats, and notes a few programs that can be used to deal with them. In some cases, though, it is assumed that the user will access the files through a Web browser. (In which case, one wonders why Shimmin does not simply assume the use of one of the later versions of Web browsers to deal with mail, and deal with pretty much all aspects of decoding and playing.) "Text file" is also redefined to include documents which contain non-printable material such as proprietary word processor formats. (He also has interesting ideas about how .CHK files are created.) Archiving and compression is looked at briefly in chapter three. On the one hand, the formats listed tend to be only the most common. On the other, there are some listed that Shimmin admits you are unlikely to see in your lifetime. The biggest problem, though, is that the text looks only at archival formats specific to the platform under which they are most popular. Most users need help on those formats from other platforms they do not deal with on a regular basis. In a sense, chapters two to four are backwards. It is only in the last that the book deals with the base encoding formats such as BinHex, uuencode, or base64. The chapter does make a quick nod to cross-platform difficulties: the recommended utility does deal with all three encoding styles. However, it only runs on Windows. Chapter five starts out by saying that the previous material has dealt with the most frustrating and difficult parts of email. Then it goes on to look at SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol), POP (Post Office Protocol), IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol), and error messages. Chapter six looks at various aspects of non-standard email systems, including a revisit of encoding formats. Eventually getting around to practical search tools for finding people on the net, chapter seven starts by discussing LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) and X.500. Although chapter eight portrays itself as dealing with "high octane" email, it discusses some fairly basic issues of configuration and mail management. Chapter nine talks about various problem areas, such as netiquette and viruses. At times it is difficult to determine whether or not Shimmin is recommending that users pursue courses of vengeance, and there isn't a really strong warning that such activity could get them into trouble. The suggested activities in the section on viruses aren't bad, although the implications of some of the background explanations are a little odd. Encryption concepts aren't covered terribly well in chapter eleven, but it does provide a good guide for getting and using Zimmermann's PGP program. Chapter eleven looks at a few non-email technologies. An appendix provides contact information for a variety of email tools and information resources. Overall, the book provides a good deal of interesting and potentially useful information. The level of presentation is suitable to the novice, or non-technical, user, and also to the intermediate user who has been dealing with email for some time, but only at a basic level. The organization, and sometimes presentation, of the material could use some work, though. There are also a number of topics that could help people be more effective in email usage that don't make it into the book. Mailing lists, netiquette, and the multiplicity of mail agents are three subjects that do get mentioned, but deserve a larger place. For those new to email, or wanting to advance in some areas, this book does have useful information. You will have to dig for it, and remember not to trust everything you read. copyright Robert M. Slade, 1997 BKEFFEML.RVW 971129 ------------------------------ Subject: California's 19th Area Code to Debut Despite Resident Complaints Date: Mon, 2 Mar 1998 07:47:28 PST From: tad@ssc.com (Tad Cook) California's 19th area code to debut despite resident complaints MARTINEZ, Calif. (AP) -- First they were 415, then 510 and soon many east San Francisco Bay area residents will have to get used to another area code -- 925. California's 19th area code goes into effect March 14 for most of Contra Costa County, as well as the eastern portions of Alameda County. The last change occurred in 1991, when most of the East Bay switched from 415 to 510. Customer response to the additional area code has not been positive. "It's an inconvenience and I wish the phone company would make up its mind," said Jeff Gottlieb, owner of Walnut Creek Printing Co., whose business depends on customers needing new stationery and business cards. Chris Kniestedt, a spokesman for the California-Nevada Code Adminis- tration, which orders area code changes, said the growing demands of the Internet, modems, pagers, phones and faxes is driving the need for the new area code. Even swiping an ATM or credit card through the machine at the supermarket or gas pump requires a phone call. "There is really an incredible proliferation of the need for these additional services. Every year it continues to escalate and grow," said Kniestedt, who added that California will have 23 area codes by the end of the year. There will be a six-month grace period in which callers can still dial 510. Contra Costa officials anticipate some problems because the change splits the county into two area codes, with central and eastern cities in the new 925 area code and western communities in the old 510 area code. "If someone has to call Martinez from Richmond, they'll have to dial those three extra digits," said county General Services Director Bart Gilbert. "It will not cost more, but it will create a bit of confusion." ------------------------------ From: Paul A. Rosenberg Subject: Iowa State Correspondence Training Date: 3 Mar 1998 04:20:32 GMT Organization: Prodigy Services Corp A new correspondence course from Iowa State University and ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR magazine allows you to learn data communications at home, at your own pace, and for a very reasonable price. It covers structured cabling, Category 5 cabling, the new Level 6 and 7 cabling, digital telephony, the Internet, and even the installation of optical fiber. If you need to get trained in data communication, this may be the opportunity you are looking for. Provided by a leading trade magazine and a top University, the certification that comes with this course carries a lot of weight. Here is what the course covers: Lesson 1 The Basics Of Data Communications. Intro to the course. An easy-to-understand tutorial in how and why data signals are sent from one place to another. Signal quality versus signal strength. Digital versus analog. Digital signal failure. Basic communication network structures. Lesson 2 Types of Data Networks (Category 5, 6, 7). Why we need networks, and how they are built. The fundamental concerns in network architecture. Common types of data networks. Ethernet, EIA/TIA 568, Structured Cabling, FDDI. Lesson 3 Designing Data Networks (Category 5, 6, 7). Network components. Understandable explanations of servers, bridges, routers, multiplexers. LAN equipment, WAN equipment. Sample network diagrams, etc. Lesson 4 Data Cables & Hardware (Category 5, 6, 7). Characteristics and applications of Category 5, Category 6, Category 7, and fiber cables. Termination devices, outlets, patch panels, splicing trays, etc. Lesson 5 Installation of Data Cabling (Category 5, 6, 7). Installation mechanics, pulling tensions, twist patterns, layout and working drawings, as-builts, cable marking, cable management. Cable protection, crowded and hazardous environments, separation from other systems, etc. Lesson 6 Testing Data Cabling (Category 5, 6, 7). Understandable explanations of data testing, including, continuity, pair-reversal, NEXT, ACR, skew, and power-sum tests. Test documentation. Certification of drops. Customer or municipal inspection. Lesson 7 Outside Plant Installations. Outdoor cables. Network distance limitations. Inside/outside transition techniques. Surge and lightning protection. Aerial runs. Underground runs. The use of fiber for long runs. Cable splicing and tagging. Lesson 8 Hybrid Copper/Fiber Networks. The use of fiber backbones and copper for the last 100 meters. Campus hybrid networks. Fiber/copper transitions. Sample network structures. Vertical versus horizontal backbones. Problem areas. Lesson 9 Data Transmission over Telephone Lines. Telephone system network structure. Switched versus routed networks. The limitations of old-style phone wires. Modems. Applications of data-over-phone technology. Future developments. The effects of the internet on new telephone installations. Lesson 10 ISDN & T1 Digital Phone Lines. Explanation of what digital phone lines are, how they differ from standard (analog) lines, how the phone companies handle digital lines, etc. Installation and operation of ISDN, T1, ADSL, other digital circuits. Lesson 11 The Internet & Intranets. What the internet is, how it developed, how it works. TCP/IP protocols. Limitations and capabilities. Using the net to turn LANs into WANs - or intranets. Dealing with ISPs to set up intranets. Internet-to-LAN transitions. Lesson 12 The Datacom Business. How the data communications business differs from electrical construction. Estimating, bidding, RFPs, negotiating, training, certification, oversight, project management, purchasing, obtaining trained workers. Registration For The ISU/EC DATA COMMUNICATION INSTALLATIONS Course: Name ________________________________ Company______________________________ Address ______________________________ City ________________State _______________Zip _________________ Phone _______________________________ Fax_______________________________ The registration fee of $375.00 will be handled as follows: ___ Enclosed is a check payable to Iowa State University ___ VISA ___ MasterCard ___ Discover Exp. Date__________ Card #______________________________________________ Signature ___________________________________________ Mail or fax this completed form and registration fee to: Carole Seifert Iowa State University 102 Scheman Building Ames, Iowa 50011 Fax: (515)294-6223 COMMON QUESTIONS: Is this a college course? Yes it is. The course is a joint venture of Electrical Contractor magazine and Iowa State University (College of Engineering, Dept. of Continuing Education). Electrical Contractor magazine is covering the course in a twelve-part series of articles. How Does The Course Work? This course is conducted completely by correspondence. You will get all of your lessons by US mail, along with the textbook and exercises, about two weeks after you register. (The cost of the textbook is included in the course fee.) After you complete your lessons, send them back to the instructor. He will grade your papers and send you the results. How Long Does It Take? There are twelve lessons in the course, and most students spend between two and six hours on each lesson. However, how quickly you complete the course depends on you. Do I Get Some Type Of Credit? When you complete the course, you will receive a certificate of completion from Iowa State University, along with 6 Continuing Education Units (CEUs). All segments of the course must be completed to gain the CEU credit for the series; partial credit will not be awarded. The credits will be permanently recorded by the Department of Extended and Continuing Education. Each person who earns credit will receive a certificate of completion from Iowa State University. Is There Any Time Limit? Yes, all course work must be completed by April 1, 1999. Are There Prerequisites? There are no prerequisites for this course, although a general understanding of electricity is assumed. Can I get more information? Sure. For registration questions call Carole Seifert at 515/294-6229. For course content questions call Paul Rosenberg at 312/409-2992. ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V18 #34 ***************************** Issue 34/35 mailed out of sequence; issue 35 appears BEFORE issue 34 in this archive. Issue 36 will follow next.