Return-Path: Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.7.4/NSCS-1.0S) id IAA06488; Thu, 19 Mar 1998 08:54:17 -0500 (EST) Date: Thu, 19 Mar 1998 08:54:17 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <199803191354.IAA06488@massis.lcs.mit.edu> To: ptownson Subject: TELECOM Digest V18 #40 TELECOM Digest Thu, 19 Mar 98 08:54:00 EST Volume 18 : Issue 40 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson 2nd CFP - IEEE Real-Time Systems Symposium 1998 (RTSS '98) (R. Gerber) Telecom Update (Canada) #124, March 16, 1998 (Angus TeleManagement) PacBell's Response to Posted Complaint (Michael D. Maxfield) New MCI FCC Charge (Marni Kamzan) IP-Telephony Early Adopter Interview Subjects (Scott Loney) Bell System Documentation (Tony Pelliccio) 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: rich@cs.umd.edu (Richard Gerber) Subject: 2nd CFP - IEEE Real-Time Systems Symposium 1998 (RTSS '98) Date: 18 Mar 1998 01:06:28 -0500 Organization: U of Maryland, Dept. of Computer Science, Coll. Pk., MD 20742 CALL FOR PAPERS The 19th IEEE Real-Time Systems Symposium Madrid, Spain December 2-4, 1998 Sponsored by The IEEE Computer Society Technical Committee on Real-Time Systems SCOPE OF THE CONFERENCE RTSS '98 brings together a diverse body of researchers and developers, to advance the science and practice of real-time and embedded systems. All papers on real-time, embedded or reactive systems are welcome, including (but not limited to) the following topics: * Real-time and embedded operating systems. * Systems design and analysis: theories, methods and tools. * Scheduling techniques: CPUs, devices, networks, end-to-end. * Programming languages for real-time and embedded systems. * Specification, verification and automated analysis. * Middleware and APIs for real-time and embedded systems. * Performance evaluation: theory, analysis and tool support. * Domain-specific architectures for embedded systems. * Instrumentation, profiling, testing and debug support. * Support for COTS-based integrated systems. * Fault-tolerance, reliability and safety. * Program analysis and tools. * Object-oriented languages: designs, programs, interfaces. * Real-time and reactive databases and file systems. * Computer networks and communications. * Signal processing, control and robotics. * Digital video, audio, animation and multimedia. Papers on these or other relevant topics are solicited for RTSS '98. Of particular interest are case-study reports on experimental results, from any core application area in real-time, embedded and/or reactive systems. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES Papers should describe original research (i.e., not published elsewhere), and should not exceed 20 double-spaced pages. All accepted submissions will appear in the proceedings published by IEEE, with the committee recommending a selection of the best papers for publication in a journal. If possible, submissions should be made electronically, either in postscript or PDF format. Additional details on submission guidelines will be posted at the RTSS'98 Home Page: http://www.cs.umd.edu/~rich/rtss98/ Electronic submissions are preferred; however postal submissions will be accepted for review, provided they arrive by the Submission Deadline of May 1, 1998. All authors taking this option should mail eight (8) copies of their submitted papers to the Program Chair: Richard Gerber Email: rich@cs.umd.edu Department of Computer Science URL: www.cs.umd.edu/~rich University of Maryland Phone: +1-301-405-2710 College Park, MD 20742 USA Fax: +1-301-405-6707 IMPORTANT DATES * May 1, 1998 -- Deadline for paper submissions * July 25, 1998 -- Notification of acceptance * September 1, 1998 -- Final paper due * December 2-4, 1998 -- RTSS '98, Madrid, Spain EXHIBITION, WORKSHOP AND WORK-IN-PROGRESS SESSIONS Exhibition and Show: RTSS '98 will include an industrial exhibition in a centrally located space, for vendors to demonstrate state-of-the-art systems, development tools and applications; where RTSS attendees can engage in technical discussions with product engineers and developers; and where company representatives meet (and potentially recruit) young researchers specializing in real-time and embedded systems. To reserve space for the exhibition, please contact the RTSS '98 Industrial Chair, Dr. Alan Burns (burns@minster.cs.york.ac.uk). Workshop: RTSS '98 will co-host a workshop on December 1, 1998, directly before the conference. The focus of the workshop will be a "hot topic" of special interest to researchers and developers of real-time systems. Recent RTSS workshops were on topics such as Middleware/APIs (1997) and Multimedia Systems (1996). More information on the 1998 workshop topic will be announced shortly, and publicized on the conference home page. Work-in-Progress Session: As in previous years, RTSS '98 will include a Work-In-Progress (WIP) session, featuring short presentations on new and evolving work. Accepted WIP papers will be included in a special proceedings, and distributed to RTSS'98 conference participants. The proceedings will then be published electronically on the IEEE-CS TC-RTS Home Page. WIP papers will be due approximately one month before the Symposium. ORGANIZING COMMITTEE General Chair: Kwei-Jay Lin, University of California, Irvine Program Chair: Richard Gerber, University of Maryland Finance Chair: Walt Heimerdinger, Honeywell Technology Center Registration Chair: Linda Buss Local Arrangements Chair: Angel Alvarez, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid Local Treasurer: Juan A. de la Puente, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid Publicity Co-Chairs: Alejandro Alonso, Universidad Politicnica de Madrid (Europe) Chao-Ju Jennifer Hou, Ohio State University (Americas) Joseph Ng, Hong Kong Baptist University (Asia/Pacific) Industrial Chair: Alan Burns, University of York Ex-Officio: (RTS-TC Chair) Doug Locke, Lockheed Martin Corporation PROGRAM COMMITTEE James Anderson (University of North Carolina) Azer Bestavros (Boston University) Sanjoy Baruah (University of Vermont) Giorgio Butazzio (Scuola Superiore e Sant'Anna) Gerhard Fohler (Malardalen University) Michael Gonzalez Harbour (Universidad Cantabria) Jeffrey Hollingsworth (University of Maryland) Seongsoo Hong (Seoul National University) Farnam Jahanian (University of Michigan) Kevin Jeffay (University of North Carolina) Hermann Kopetz (Vienna University of Technology) Kim G. Larsen (Aalborg University) Insup Lee (University of Pennsylvania) Jane W.S. Liu (University of Illinois) Keith Marzullo (University of California at San Diego) Sang Lyul Min (Seoul National University) Al Mok (University of Texas at Austin) Ragunathan Rajkumar (Carnegie Mellon University) Jennifer Rexford (AT&T Research) Manas Saksena (Concordia University) Bran Selic (ObjectTime, Ltd.) Andy Wellings (University of York) David Wilner (Wind River Systems) Sergio Yovine (CNRS/VERIMAG) Hui Zhang (Carnegie Mellon University) ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Mar 1998 11:29:54 -0500 From: Angus TeleManagement Subject: Telecom Update (Canada) #124, March 16, 1998 ************************************************************ * * * TELECOM UPDATE * * Angus TeleManagement's Weekly Telecom Newsbulletin * * http://www.angustel.ca * * Number 124: March 16, 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: ** Coalition Slams Teleglobe Appeal ** fONOROLA Raises $151 Million ** Bell Signs Up One Million for "FirstRate" ** Lucent Buys TKM Communications ** BC Tel Takes Writedown ** NewTel Buys Minerva ** MTS NetCom Changes Name ** Expertech Technicians Reject Contract ** Nortel Offers Meridian Text Telephony ** U.S.-Japan Cable Planned ** ACT Buys Commstar ** QuebecTel to Provide Corporate Intranets ** InfoInterActive Wins U.S. Contract ** PCS Carriers Cooperate for Calgary Microwave Towers ** Nortel, Cisco Join for Internet Access ** Royal Buys Internet Bank ** Internet Providers' Group Seeks President ** RISC Reorganizes, Incorporates ** What's Your Telecom Credibility Quotient? ============================================================ COALITION SLAMS TELEGLOBE APPEAL: Twenty-three telecom carriers have formed the "Coalition for Overseas Telecommunications Competition" to oppose Teleglobe's appeal of a CRTC ruling permitting "switched hubbing" -- the use of Teleglobe lines to route calls to third countries. fONOROLA RAISES $151 MILLION: fONOROLA Inc. has raised $151 Million through an equity offering. The proceeds will be used for U.S. expansion and other purposes. BELL SIGNS UP ONE MILLION FOR "FIRSTRATE": Bell Canada says that one million customers registered for its FirstRate long distance savings plan in the first month after it was introduced. Forty percent of the sign-ups came through automated phone and Internet ordering services. LUCENT BUYS TKM COMMUNICATIONS: Lucent Technologies has acquired TKM Communications, a Toronto-based call center integrator with 45 employees. BC TEL TAKES WRITEDOWN: BC Tel has joined the other Stentor members in converting to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. As a result, the telco's first-quarter earnings will take a $531 Million one-time writedown. NEWTEL BUYS MINERVA: NewTel Enterprises, the parent of Newfoundland's telco, has agreed to purchase Minerva Technology Inc, a Calgary-based systems integrator which specializes in client-server systems for the oil and gas industry. MTS NETCOM CHANGES NAME: Manitoba Tel's local, long distance, data, and enhanced services subsidiary has changed its name from MTS NetCom to MTS Communications. (See Telecom Update #110) EXPERTECH TECHNICIANS REJECT CONTRACT: Technicians at Expertech, a subsidiary of Bell Canada, have voted 90% to reject a proposed contract that would have eliminated 10 paid days off a year, cut wages 5%, and increased the work week from 38 to 40 hours. NORTEL OFFERS MERIDIAN TEXT TELEPHONY: Northern Telecom's new Meridian Text Telephony System allows deaf and hard-of- hearing people to communicate directly with users of a PC via the corporate LAN or intranet. U.S.-JAPAN CABLE PLANNED: A consortium of U.S. and Japanese companies is building Pacific Crossing (PC-1), the first privately owned and operated cross-Pacific undersea cable. The 20,000-kilometer fiber optic system is to begin service within 24 months. ACT BUYS COMMSTAR: U.S.-based Applied Cellular Technology, which bought City Dial Network Services in January, has agreed to buy Canada's Commstar Ltd. for about $14 Million. Commstar operates the Tigertel voice messaging service bureau, messaging call centers, and a call-forwarding service. (See Telecom Update #115) QUEBECTEL TO PROVIDE CORPORATE INTRANETS: QuebecTel has launched a new Montreal-based service, Rezolution, which will implement and manage corporate intranets. INFOINTERACTIVE WINS U.S. CONTRACT: Cincinnati Bell Inc. will market InfoInterActive's Internet Call Manager, which notifies Internet users when a voice call comes in. Halifax- based InfoInterActive has also received a $375,000 investment from MT&T. PCS CARRIERS COOPERATE FOR CALGARY MICROWAVE TOWERS: Clearnet, Microcell, Rogers Cantel, and Telus Mobility, in collaboration with the City of Calgary, have developed a plan to coordinate and reduce the number of microwave tower sites in residential areas of the city. NORTEL, CISCO JOIN FOR INTERNET ACCESS: Northern Telecom and Cisco Systems will collaborate in developing products for high-speed Internet access. As part of the deal, Nortel transferred its stake in NetSpeed, a U.S. equipment maker, to Cisco, which is acquiring the company. ROYAL BUYS INTERNET BANK: Royal Bank of Canada is buying the banking assets of Atlanta-based Security First Network Bank, the first bank set up to sell its services exclusively over the Internet. INTERNET PROVIDERS' GROUP SEEKS PRESIDENT: The Canadian Association of Internet Providers is looking for a President. Applications for the two-year, full-time position are due March 30. Send resume to: jobs@caip.ca RISC REORGANIZES, INCORPORATES: Five Ontario ISPs have relaunched the Responsible Internet Service Companies (RISC), a "watchdog and lobby" organization formed two years ago, because they are "angry at their treatment by Bell Canada." http://www.risc.ca WHAT'S YOUR TELECOM CREDIBILITY QUOTIENT? Finding it hard to convince senior management to back your proposals? In the March issue of Telemanagement, Henry Dortmans explains how a properly prepared Telecom Baseline can boost your Telecom Credibility Quotient. Also in the March Telemanagement: ** "New Wireless Options Challenge Fiber and Copper in Local Telecom," by Lis Angus ** "Canadian Auto Industry Drives Toward a Business Internet," by John Riddell To subscribe to Telemanagement, call 1-800-263-4415 ext 225 or go to http://www.angustel.ca/teleman/tm-sub.html ============================================================ 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: Thu, 19 Mar 1998 00:13:27 -0800 Subject: PacBell's Response to Posted Complaint Organization: Our Lady of Perpetual Freedom From: tweek@netcom.com (Michael D. Maxfield) Remember me? I posted here several days ago, and I was in a very nasty mood over not being allowed to impress upon a 611 repair representative, that a certain problem I was experiencing with my phone service to certain destinations, was not with my lines, but with PacBell's circuits. I'm no longer in that nasty mood ... sort of still gloating a bit in the "I told you so" fashion. I'm told that my problem is now fixed, and I haven't seen anything to contradict that ... I'm a happy camper now. Sees that someone high up in PacBell read or had passed to them, my posted complaint. (It was posted in comp.dcom.telecom as well as in a couple of Bay Area newsgroups ... general, consumers, and internet) I am told that the local facility which schedules repairs for the area, received a call from PacBell's NOC in Sacramento, and it was relayed that the bosses were upset about some guy flaming PacBell on the Internet for things gone wrong in MORGCA12. PacBell sent a tech out to MORGCA12, the CO for my service, and quickly found the problem. It was a MUX card on the end of a T1, which should have been set for "AMI" but was instead set for "B8ZS". (I'm curious as to what this setting handles, is it stacking, bandwidth, or modulation scheme?) I'm told that the problem is similar to trying to receive a Zmodem download with a program that only understands Kermit ... although I think that's a bit off, since I could get some communication over the established connection, whereas in the Zmodem/Kermit example nothing would get through ... probably more like running a jet engine on gasoline. Anyway, if the person who kicked new life into my trouble ticket is reading this, Thank You. I also want to point out that I wasn't flaming PacBell for something gone wrong in MORGCA12. Technical problems happen ... I was flaming PacBell for something gone wrong in the trouble reporting works, where one rep hangs up on a customer when asking to speak to a supervisor, and where both reps in one night would only "check *your* line for problems, but if it is clean, then there is nothing else that can be done." I don't know if they would have passed the ticket up to a second level for looking at as an unsettled complaint, or if they would have closed the ticket out right then and there as being unfounded. I got the impression that it was the latter disposition the ticket was destined for. There doesn't really appear to be a way to work within the system to report a problem which is beyond the "have you tested it at the demarc" level, UNLESS you end up with a rep on the line who is willing to use some independent smarts and realize that not every problem is covered on the laminated trouble Q/A chart in front of them, and take some initiative to go beyond what the chart says when the chart doesn't list a problem for the symptoms cited in the complaint. If my posting to Usenet and the three previous calls to 611 in two days hadn't brought the problem to the attention of someone who was independent enough to get the ball past the complaint lobby, then I would have had to decide which of the following two would have been my next option: - For every day the problem exists, call that evening and report the problem without referencing previous reports in the hope that at least one of them would result in a ticket moving up the tree to someplace where it might get the attention it deserved; or - Print up multiple copies of my complaint detailing the problem with the service, and at the risk of imposing upon acquaintances, asking folks whom I know work for PacBell, if they'd be willing, publically or anonymously, to pass my complaint up the lines to some point where it might get acted upon. Neither option really strikes me as pleasant. They both reek of abusive actions, but when the doors to the proper channels are guarded by map readers with incomplete maps, there really aren't many pleasant options left. I know there are good people in PacBell. I've dealt with them often over the years, and I can't recall any time where I've been hung up on or told that no problem exists when all the evidence points to one... and both of those bad experiences in the same day. :( All the same, in the three calls I made to 611 over this problem, only 1 got up to bat. It looked like the ball was headed out of the stadium, but for some reason the problem came back the next day, and the next two players didn't even want to get up off the bench to walk the plates. It looked like it might be a strike-out, but at the last minute a pinch hitter came in off the net, and brought in the first batter with a triple. Thank You. ------------------------------ From: Marni Kamzan Subject: New MCI FCC Charge Date: Wed, 18 Mar 1998 15:37:22 -0800 I am looking for answers to broader questions about the new PICC charges mandated by the FCC. What I cannot understand is why different carriers have such disparate charges for this PICC charge. To the best of my knowledge, the following is accurate for business accounts: MCI charges between 13 and 30% of the total usage, based on a sliding scale. ATT charges 4.09% of the bills usage. Qwest charges $2.75 per business line, per month, regardless of usage. (I've seen bills with lines with a monthly usage total of $.32 with a $2.75 PICC charge!) Can anyone really explain the rhyme or reason behind the wild vagaries of these charges? ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Mar 1998 14:22:02 -0500 From: Scott Loney <75310.127@compuserve.com> Subject: IP-Telephony Early Adopter Interview Subjects For Telecom Study Mr. Townson: I have been an occasional reader of TELECOM Digest for several years, but this is the first time I have tried to communicate directly with you. I am a student in the graduate program in telecommunications at Michigan State University, presently assisting in research one of our professors is undertaking in the field of IP-based telephony. There is, as you know, a great deal of interest among both academics and in the business community in the future of IP telephony, particularly as it may (or may not) represent the replacement of the circuit-switched voice traffic that currently dominates the PSTN. Much of this interest is expressed in the trade press and in research being performed by private consulting firms. We want to take an analytical snapshot of IP-telephony as it is being used now by early adopters, particularly among small and medium-sized businesses. My request is to see if there exists among your readers anyone who would be willing to direct us to current users of IP-telephony applications, either in a privately-networked environment, or via gateway to and from the public network (or both). We would like to interview these users. The questionnaire is short and the interview would take a very brief time. I assure you that there is nothing commercial about this undertaking, and that the interview subjects will not find themselves referred to mailing lists (electronic or otherwise) or become the targets of follow-up sales calls. If you are interested in assuring the bona fides of this request, please respond directly to me; I will refer you onward to the faculty member who is directing the course. I would appreciate it if anyone willing to participate would use the following contact information: Scott Loney Pager: 1-800-800-8596 (this is an alphanumeric pager; leave a message with the attendant, and it will reach me quickly). Email: 75310.127@compuserve.com Please let me know if you have questions, want additional information or if you have advice on how we might proceed to find IP-telephony users willing to participate in this study. Thanks, Scott Loney ------------------------------ From: nospam.tonypo@nospam.ultranet.com (Tony Pelliccio) Subject: Bell System Documentation Date: Wed, 18 Mar 1998 16:38:24 -0500 Organization: The Cesspool My boss surprised the heck out of me today. I've always known he was a packrat but this time he really shocked me. He handed me a book that's at least 500 pages and lo and behold, it's the Bell System Practices "Plant Series", Issue 1, June 1963 and other years/series. It's truly amazing to see the quality standards they held themselves to back in the good old days. I only wish Bell Atlantic could get a copy of this. Tony ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V18 #40 *****************************