TELECOM Digest     Fri, 8 Jul 94 13:44:00 CDT    Volume 14 : Issue 312

Inside This Issue:                          Editor: Patrick A. Townson

    China's Telecom Structure (Cedric Hui)
    Telco's Records - Do They Include CNID? (Danny Burstein)
    Exchanges Local to Entire LATA (Steve Arlow)
    Sprint to Face the Wrath Of Ernie!! (Jack Winslade)
    Forwarded Mail From Russia (Lars Poulsen)
    Help on Research (Fausto Zambrano)
    USA Area Code Databases w/Zip (Cory Krell)
    Long Distance Telemarketers (David A. Moe)
    DECT - Datacommunications ? (Lars Kalsen)
    Strange CNID Name Text (Clifton T. Sharp)
    AT&T Response to Sprint (DeFantom@aol.com)
    Comparisons of U.S. and Canadian Telecommuinication Costs (Mitch Dawson)
    Cheapest Way to Call Israel and South Africa From the USA? (krazykev@panix)
    Billing Software for LD Company (Hindra Irawan)
    SL-1 PBX Information Needed (login_name@hookup.net)
    Cyber Sabre Giveaway - Enter and Win NOW! (Earl Christy)

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----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: chui@netcom.com (Cedric Hui)
Subject: China's Telecom Structure
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest)
Date: Thu, 7 Jul 1994 07:33:18 GMT


        In responding to some enquiries on China telecommunications
infrastructure, I found an excellent reference published in the
September 1993 issue of the "Electronics News for China".  This is
my first attempt in Chinese to English translation.  Please let me
know if I have used the wrong technical term in the translation (I
am sure the experienced will spot the error by context).

        This part of the article covers the structure of the 
telecommunications network of China and an overview of China's 
telecommunications policy.

Cedric 

                      ---------

The critical moment as China entering the booming era of telecommuni-
cations development.

Economic reform, the opening of the market economy and the top
pripority placed in telecommunications as strategic economic policy,
provides the favorable conditions for improvement and expansion in
China's telecommunications industry, as well as foreign investment
opportunity in China.


written by Tan, Shu Cheng
Deputy Chief Engineer
Technology Intelligent Center
Ministry of Posts & Telecommunications of PRC

                ------------------

        As the modern world is entering the Information Age, the
development of the society become more relying on the support of
information.  Economic activities, like manufacturing,
distributing, trading and comsumer spending, generate enormous
information. They are manipulated, processed and transported
through the communication networks which in turn connect societies
into an unified virtual entity.  Telecommunication as the society's
infrastructure and the essentail element in supporting the economic
development has received top priority in the national development
policy in China.

        Since the reform and the opening of the Chinese market,
Chinese economy has achieved prominent improvemnets.  The
increase of economic activities incite the growth of information
exchange. In fact, the growth rate of the telecommunications
industry has exceeded the national economic growth and is the
major factor in the high growth of the Chinese economy.

        Currently, China's reform is entering another new era of
development. As new demands for telecommunications services come
to light, China's telecommunications industry is once again facing
the challenge of new demands and requiremnets.  This is the
critical moment as China entering the booming era of
telecommunications development.


The Structure of the Telecommunications Network and its
Management System

        China's telecommunication network consist of the national
public network and the departmental proprietary networks (Rail,
Power, Oil etc). The public Network is the backbone of the
national telecommunications network.  Propeitary networks are
supplemental to the public network.

        The public network is based on the long distance telephone
network and is organised into 5 levels of hierarchical network
structure.  The first levels exchange centers are directly
connected to form the network in the highest hierarchy and each
lower level exchange centers connect directly to the higher level
exchange centers.  Lower level connection within the same
hierarchy are mainly handled by switching with supplemented some
number of direct circuits.

        Level 1 exchange centers serve between and among capital
and provinces (Wide-Area Center).  They are the communication
hub for provinces(including Autonomy) within a Wide-Area. There
are also supplemental inter-provincial exchange center in some
geophically larger or economically more developed area.

        Level 2 are provincial centers. Being the communication
hub for the province or autonomy, a level 2 exchange center
serves regional areas and cities within the province. Supplemetal
provincial center may be established if needed.

        Level 3 center is regional exchange center serves between
and among counties.  It's location is usually confined to its
services area.

        The main function of the level 1 to level 3 exchange
center is to facilitate long distance telephone service within
its service area.

        Level 4 is the terminating point for long distance
telephone services.  Its service area includes the towns and
villeges within the same county.  Level 5 is the local central
office switches.

        In recent years, digital electronic systems are more
widely used in China and the expansion of the regional
economies lead to the increase of local telephone networks.
The telephone network structure will gradually be simplified
and the levels in the hierarchy be reduced.

        Local telephone network as opposed to the national long 
distance telephone network is confined to a regional area.
Its service area may include a certain number of central
offices and exchange centers which forms a dialing zone.
There is a long distance telephone network access point
in the local telephone network and its level is defined by
its hierarchy in the long distance telephone network. Thus,
based on the concept of local and long distance telephone
network, the long distance telephone access point is not
part of the local telephone network structure.

        The local telephone network model may seems to resemble
the traditional municipal telephone system. However, the local
telephone network has a much wider service area compare to the
municipal telephone system.  For instance, the Beijing municipal
telephone system includes Beijing city and the near suburban
area while the Beijing local telephone network also includes the
surround 10 counties.

        With China's telecommunications development as a national
policy and the long term interest of the national
telecommunications infrastructure in mind, knowing that the
telecommunications infrastructure is relatively backward, the
management and development of the national public telephone
network will be the responsibility of the government. In order
to accelerate telecommunications development and centralized
limited resouces, the Ministry of Posts & Telecommunications
of the People's Republic of China will centralize the regulating,
development and the management of the most of the
telecommunications services for the public telephone network
with some services open to the private sector. The Ministry of
Posts & Telecommunications will seek a cooperative relations
with the proprietary networks in network development and
integration based on the priciple of mutual benefit and
acess compensation.

------------------------------

From: dannyb@panix.com (danny burstein)
Subject: Telco's Records - Do They Include CNID?
Date: 8 Jul 1994 04:13:06 -0400


As all folk who read TELECOM Digest know, the majority of United
States telco central office switches now have full detail records of
all calls made from your phone (i.e. time it was made and the number
you called), and also keeps track of calls made -to- you.

This is, of course, something which has been phased in over the past
few decades as the switches have become more and more advamced. (In
the old days, as far too many of us recall, billing was done by
mechanical counters which were photographed each month, but I
digress ...)

Which brings to mind a question about what data fields are actually
kept.  Specifically, what I'd like to know (and hopefully someone out
in digest land may know the answer) is if these records, now that CNID
is phasing in nationwide, store the number calling you.

We've had a couple of high profile cases involving telecom in NYC, i.e. 
the World Trade Center bombing, and telco records were one of the things 
used in the investigation and prosecution. For example, they got the 
records from the suspects' home telephones which showed, let's say, a 
call coming in at 16:45.

Given this specific case, I'm sure the gendarmes had the people and 
computer access to have every CO in the tristate area queried with a 
'what calls were made between 16:44 and 16:46 and were any of tehm made 
to this phone number?" type of check, but what about a more routine and 
less public investigation?

(One of the results of this was that the federales tracked calls back to 
a coin phone in a convenience store, which was fortuitously videotaped - 
and they then got photos of teh suspects. Of course there are lots of 
other things that were done which have never been disclosed, but that's 
another story)

So if anyone knows if a) current CO programming keeps the CNID in one of 
the fields, or b) this is an available "feature" which hasn't been 
implemented or c) while not yet implemented it will be, etc., etc., could 
you advise? 


Thanks muchly,

Danny    dannyb@panix.com (or dburstein@mcimail.com)

------------------------------

From: sea@umcc.umcc.umich.edu (Steve Arlow)
Subject: Exchanges Local to Entire LATA
Date: 7 Jul 1994 12:16:54 -0400
Organization: UMCC, Ann Arbor, MI, USA


Somehow, some providers of cellular, pager, and voice-mail services
get phone numbers in exchanges which are a *local* call from anywhere
within the LATA.  And some of these companies are charging a flat rate
for their service, which seems to imply that these numbers can be had
for a flat monthly (or annual?) rate, regardless of usage.

How can one go about getting such a number?  (My RBOC is Ameritech). I
suspect that this arrangement is only available to companies which are
willing to purchase an entire exchange.  Does anyone know the details
of how this works?  I can think of quite a number of other profitable
ways such an exchange could be used.


Steve Arlow, Yorick Software  \ sea@umcc.umich.edu
39336 Polo Club Dr. #103,      \ (810) 473-0920
Farmington Hills, MI 48335-5634 \ FAX select box 3

------------------------------

From: jsw@gonix.gonix.com (Jack Winslade)
Subject: Sprint to Face the Wrath Of Ernie!!
Date: Fri, 8 Jul 1994 00:53:37 CDT


(For those of you not familiar with Omaha politics, State Senator
Ernie Chambers has represented Omaha's second district for as long as
I am aware.  Ernie (he does not like to be addressed as 'Senator') has
developed a reputation as a gloves-off and very outspoken guy who is
very effective in representing his constituents.  As far as I know, he
has never had a serious challenger for his office.  Ernie is
originally a barber, and he holds a law degree from Creighton
University, but has never sought to be admitted to the Bar.)

State Senator Ernie Chambers invites his constituents to phone him
directly at his office in Lincoln, collect, if they ever have any need
to get in touch with him.  (State offices in Lincoln are a toll call
from Omaha, and such a call will often cost more than a similar-length
call from Omaha to either coast.  Such 50-mile calls are intrastate,
but inter-LATA, so they are handled by any of several carriers.)  He's
had this policy for years, and receives many collect calls from
constituents, other taxpayers, and other elected officials.

Beginning June 22, for reasons that are still not clear, those trying
to phone Ernie collect using Sprint received an intercept stating that
collect calls were not permitted to that number.  Users of other
carriers had no difficulty making collect calls to Chambers' office.
Ernie was made aware of this block on Wednesday, when a constituent
reported the intercept.  He then asked a fellow Senator to try a
collect call from outstate, confirming the fact that Sprint was indeed
blocking those calls.

Ernie immediately contacted Sprint and demanded an explanation.  He
also filed a complaint with the Public Service Commission.  Sprint's
initial response (according to television station KETV) was that
Sprint had some trouble with a previous holder of Ernie's office phone
number.  Ernie was enraged at the response, since Ernie has had that
number for more than ten years.  He told a reporter "I will show them
(Sprint) what it is like to have their corporate throats attacked by
an enraged legislative pit-bull."

Historically, Ernie is well known for NOT letting things drop, and
carrying things through to the end when he believed he is right.

The department that oversees the state telephone system was not aware
that Sprint placed a block on the line.  Chambers stated that he would
file a formal complaint with the PSC and explore the possibility of
legal action against Sprint.


Good day        JSW

(Information above included material presented by the {Omaha World-Herald}
and television stations KETV and WOWT.)

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 8 Jul 94 03:27:02 PDT
From: lars@reggae.RNS.COM (Lars Poulsen)
Subject: Forwarded Mail From Russia


  Date: 01 Jul 94 03:39:27 EDT
  From: Ivan Bobrovnikov <75020.337@compuserve.com>
  To: Lars <lars@spectrum.RNS.COM>
  Subject: ISDN providers. please help

Lars, 

I got your e-mail address in one of the telecom groups. Can ask you
for a favor to post an article on my behalf in comp.dcom.isdn or in
telecom digest (is Pat still around?)? I wish I could do that myself,
but do not know how to use the damn newsreader.

Thanks.

I'm trying to establish basic ISDN link between our office in Seattle,
WA and Moscow, Russia. Which companies should I go to for the service?
Is it all possible?

Please respond via e-mail: 75020.337@compuserve.com

Thanks, 

Ivan Bobrovnikov

 ----- End Included Message -----

------------------------------

Date: 08 Jul 94 10:37:54 EDT
From: Fausto Zambrano <FZambran@Telecomm.MHS.CompuServe.COM>
Subject: Help on Research 


Hello everyone!
     
I am helping a friend doing a research paper on the affects on
personnel productivity when the corporation decides to go multisite;
i.e. R&D is located in California and Headquarters in Michigan. How
telecommunications are affected in order to keep the sense of unity.
     
I have some books about this topic, but we need more input so If you
have any titles or articles that could help us, please send me an
E-Mail note.
     

Thanks again!!
                                            
Fausto Zambrano
Amway Telecommunications
Voice: 616-676-7039   ccMail: fzambran
E-Mail: fzambran@amwayusa.mhs.compuserve.com

------------------------------

From: cory@akix.cts.com (Cory Krell)
Subject: USA Area Code Databases w/Zip
Organization: BOI Inc.
Date: Fri, 08 Jul 1994 01:12:29 GMT


Hi, I'm looking for a database of USA areacodes and prefixes that also
includes Zip code and if needed, more address info.  For example:

       619-471-xxxx = 92069, San Marcos, CA

Does anyone know where I can find this?

  Thanks in advance,
     - Cory

(p.s. please e-mail me - my net connection is marginal.)

Cory Krell
cory@akix.cts.com  - or -  {nosc,ucsd,hplabs!hp-sdd}!crash!akix!cory


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: The answers you want are right here with
long time Digest reader Carl Moore. I'm sure Carl will see this and be
in touch with you soon.   PAT]

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 8 Jul 94 11:48:37 CDT
From: dmoe@ted.cray.com (David A. Moe)
Subject: Long Distance Telemarketers


I'm tired of being called by AT&T, MCI and Sprint asking to switch my
long distance phone service.  I've (politely) asked to have my name
removed from their telemarketing list, but that doesn't seem to work.
My question is: Is there a list - similar to the "take my name off the
junkmail mailing list" - I can get my phone number added to to
avoid/stop these telemarketers (ALL telemarketers would be even
better, but I'm not greedy).  Any and all responses would be
appreciated.

Thanks in advance,


Dave

------------------------------

From: dalk@login.dkuug.dk (Lars Kalsen)
Subject: DECT - Datacommunications?
Date: 8 Jul 94 14:34:17 GMT
Organization: DKnet


Hi - outthere,

Can DECT systems be used for datatransmission - for example for
setting up a wireless LAN.

Plaese E-mail if you have any information.


Greetings,

Lars Kalsen   dalk@login.dkuug.dk

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 8 Jul 94 01:43:14 CDT
From: clifto@indep1.chi.il.us (Clifton T. Sharp)
Subject: Strange CNID Name Text


The past couple of days, the name information that comes along with
CNID has been ending (sometimes) with " 0R", i.e. "Doe,John 0R".  It's
intermittent and even calls from the same person might or might not
have it.

Does this ring a bell with anyone?


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Sure it does. Someone programming the
output at the central offices in question has one or more misplaced
or mismatched quote marks in a print statement. Maybe a semi-colon is
there instead of the correct terminator for a print statement.  So when 
it is sent out to your box, the text gets printed but the junk on the
end is some value; maybe the value of some string; they did not close
the quote correctly. Instead of the instruction being 'Print "name";
then do something' they screwed it up to be 'Print "name; do something".' 
Well you get the idea.  Is 0R possibly the value of a carriage return
or something like that in the language being used?  Instead of taking
whatever action is accomplished by the opcode 0R (I assume it is an
operand to whatever comes before it or after it) its getting printed
out instead because of the way the quote was incorrectly closed.  It is
intermittent because CNID comes from various servers or locations and
over various circuits, etc. Only one (hopefully) is screwed up. Get
handled by that equipment and you get the bug.  

Ummm ... call 611 and tell 'em, will ya. <grin> ...  If ya wanna send
information about your central office and the calling numbers, etc it
maybe some tech from the area will see it and try to help.   PAT] 

------------------------------

From: DeFantom@aol.com
Date: Fri, 08 Jul 94 22:09:15 EDT
Subject: AT&T Response to Sprint


Thought everyone would be interested in what AT&T had to say about the
Sprint deal.

(From AT&T Online)

AT&T COMMENTS ON SPRINT DEAL WITH FRENCH AND GERMAN CARRIERS

     NEW YORK -- AT&T issued the following statement following an
announcement this morning by Sprint that it has signed a
memorandum of understanding with France Telecom and Deutsche
Telekom "to offer seamless global telecommunications services to 
business, consumer and carrier markets worldwide."

          "There's something very wrong when telephone companies
     like the France Telecom and Deutsche Telekom monopolies can
     buy into the U.S. telecom market while keeping their home
     markets closed tighter than a drum.

          "French and German businesses and consumers will be
     denied lower prices and service innovations until there is
     fair and open competition in their countries.

          "We urge the United States government to condition
     approval of the proposed equity investment in Sprint on the
     French and German governments opening their
     telecommunications markets on the same terms as the United
     States market is open to France Telecom and Deutsche
     Telekom."

------------------------------

From: Dawson, Mitch <DAWSONM@i7e.istc.ca>
Subject: Comparisons of U.S. and Canadian Telecommunication Costs
Date: Fri, 08 Jul 94 16:29:00 EST


Hello ... just a shot in the dark.

     I am looking for any studies(or data) which compares the cost of 
telecommunications in Canada and the U.S. Anything available on the NET 
would be great!

Thanks for your time,

     Mitch Dawson
     dawsonm@i7e.istc.ca

------------------------------

From: krazykev@panix.com
Subject: Cheapest Way to Call Israel and South Africa From the USA?
Date: Fri, 08 Jul 1994 02:08:54 -0500
Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC


Hi,

I make a lot of calls to Israel and South Africa.

Currently the only really cheap time for me to call is on the weekends
with Sprint's Most Worldwide Plan.

Normally weekends cost $.76/minute to Israel and $.75/minute to South
Africa.

Right now, until the end of 7/94 or so I can call for $.38/minute to
Israel and $.375/minute to South Africa, but only on the weekends.

I have seen rates dropping like crazy internationally and flat rate
plans seem to be popping up all over the place with calls to Europe as
low as 35 cents per minute, with six second billing and thirty seconds
minimum.

Has anyone seen low rates to Israel and South Africa for calling during 
the week during our business day (9-5 EST)?

------------------------------

From: irawan@netcom.com (Hindra Irawan)
Subject: Billing Software for LD Company
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest)
Date: Fri, 08 Jul 1994 16:33:20 GMT


I am researching for my company looking for billing software, not call
accounting software for PBX. I need to find out if there publishers
out there that deals with billing software. Does anybody have a
recommendation or experience to share?

Thanks in advance,


Hindra   MIS Manager
Bittel Telecommunications, inc.

------------------------------

From: login_name@hookup.net
Subject: SL-1 PBX Information Needed
Date: Fri, 08 Jul 1994 18:43:30 GMT
Organization: HookUp Communication Corporation, Oakville, Ontario, CANADA


I am looking for tests to determine proper installation for Sl-1 PBX
specifications in areas where PBX security can be compromised and what
can be done to compensate.  Lists of any publications that are
available on this topic would be appreciated.

This information is required for a PBX Audit.

------------------------------

From: bladerunner@ping (Earl Christy)
Subject: Cyber Sabre Giveaway - Enter and Win NOW!
Date: 7 Jul 1994 20:19:10 GMT
Organization: Amateur Radio Gateway WA4MEI, Chamblee, GA


There's an old saying about contests- "if you can't give away really
cool prizes don't even bother." So before starting this Internet
contest a group of Ohioans in pursuit of excellence invented the only
prize that would be totally new, extremely cyber, and absolutely
cutting edge. And now you can win it!

Introducing the Cyber Sabre -- the only cutting edge product ever
designed to be given away in cyberspace. Cyber Sabres are beautiful
limited-edition versions of the world famous Christy sliding-blade
pocket knife. Like all Christy knives, Cyber Sabres are handmade at
the 104 year-old Christy Co.  in Fremont, Ohio USA.

Even with hundreds of Cyber Sabres up for grabs there's still no time
to waste. Quickly turn the page and enter now by filling in all the
fields including the number of knives [from one to one million] that
you'd like to see the Christy Company sell during 1994. Then send your
entry to: bladerunner@ping.com. Good luck and remember, Barnum Lives!

To get a picture of the Cyber Sabre, do an anonymous FTP to
ftp.netcom.com (/pub/contest). You can also find it in alt.binaries.
pictures.misc.

              --- Official Cyber Sabre Contest Entry Form ---

name:
address:
city:
state:
zip code:
country:
phone:
e-mail:
# of knives:

This is a contest not a commercial. It is void where prohibited,
taxed, or otherwise restricted. The decision of the judges is final.

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V14 #312
******************************
