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TELECOM Digest     Wed, 6 Apr 2005 00:58:00 EDT    Volume 24 : Issue 146

Inside This Issue:                            Editor: Patrick A. Townson

    Satellite Radio Takes Off, Altering the Airwaves (Monty Solomon)
    Verizon Juices up Its DSL Service (Monty Solomon)
    Comcast Eyes Advertising System for DVRs (Monty Solomon)
    Cable Execs Say They're Not Blocking Outside VoIP (Jack Decker)
    Re: Wired: Word From on High: Jam Cell Calls (John McHarry)
    Re: The Real Reason Why SBC Won't Work With Vonage on E-911 (L. Hancock)
    Re: The Real Reason Why SBC Won't Work With Vonage on E-911 (Sullivan)
    Re: Prison Cell Phone Scandal (Fred Atkinson)
    Re: Some Concerned About Privacy Implications of E-Z Pass (Chris Farrar)
    Accessing an Old Norvergence Article (Eli Varenberg)
    Re: Obituary: Schiavo Dies After Feeding Tube Removed (John McHarry)

Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the
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We must fight spam for the same reason we fight crime: not because we
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against crime.   Geoffrey Welsh

               ===========================

See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details
and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest.  

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

Date: Tue, 5 Apr 2005 15:12:17 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: Satellite Radio Takes Off, Altering the Airwaves


By LORNE MANLY

Just a blink after the newly emergent titans of radio -- Clear Channel
Communications, Infinity Broadcasting and the like -- were being
accused of scrubbing diversity from radio and drowning listeners in
wall-to-wall commercials, the new medium of satellite radio is fast
emerging as an alternative. And broadcasters are fighting back.

The announcement on Friday by XM Satellite Radio -- the bigger of the
two satellite radio companies -- that it added more than 540,000
subscribers from January through March pushed the industry's customer
total past five million after fewer than three and a half years of
operation. Analysts call that remarkable growth for companies charging
more than $100 annually for a product that has been free for 80 years.

Total subscribers at XM and its competitor, Sirius Satellite Radio,
will probably surpass eight million by the end of year, making
satellite radio one of the fastest-growing technologies ever --
faster, for example, than cellphones.

To keep that growth soaring, XM and Sirius are furiously signing up
carmakers to offer satellite radio as a factory-installed option and
are paying tens of millions of dollars for exclusive programming. On
Sunday, XM began offering every locally broadcast regular-season and
playoff Major League Baseball game to a national audience, having
acquired the rights in a deal that could be worth up to $650 million
over 11 years. And Howard Stern is getting $500 million over five
years to leave Infinity and join Sirius next January. Each company
offers 120 or more channels of music, news, sports and talk.

Though satellite radio is still an unprofitable blip in the radio
universe, it is pushing commercial radio to change its sound.
Broadcasters are cutting commercials, adding hundreds of songs to
once-rigid playlists, introducing new formats and beefing up their
Internet offerings. A long-awaited move to digital radio could give
existing stations as many as five signals each, with which they could
introduce their own subscription services -- but with a local flavor
that satellite is hard pressed to match.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/05/national/05satellite.html?ex=1270353600&en=724b9d6f25b87447&ei=5090

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

Date: Tue, 5 Apr 2005 20:50:59 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: Verizon Juices up Its DSL Service


By Peter J. Howe, Globe Staff  |  April 5, 2005

Verizon Communications Inc. ratcheted up the broadband Internet arms
race yesterday, doubling the speed of its $30-a-month service while
confirming that 11 more Massachusetts communities are getting its new
super-fast fiber-optic network.

Verizon's $30 digital subscriber line service will now offer
downstream access at up to 3 megabits, up from 1.5 megabits currently
and much closer to cable modems, for subscribers willing to sign a
one-year contract, or bundle DSL with phone service.

Subscribers who have already been paying $40 for 3 megabit service
will have their bills automatically lowered, starting with the next
billing cycle. Because of technology limitations, however, only about
half of customers whose phone lines can support Verizon DSL will be
able to get the faster speed, spokeswoman Bobbi Henson said.

At the same time, Verizon raised to 39 the number of Bay State
communities where it has confirmed it is building out its FiOS
fiber-optic network, which can deliver Internet access at speeds up to
30 megabits per second. This year, FiOS will also offer cable
television packages in direct competition with Comcast Corp. and
satellite TV companies.


http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2005/04/05/verizon_juices_up_its_dsl_service/ 


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

Date: Tue, 5 Apr 2005 23:37:38 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: Comcast Eyes Advertising System for DVRs


SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Comcast Corp. is working with TiVo Inc. on an 
advertising system that will insert new, updated commercials into 
already-recorded programs, the company said.

Comcast Chief Executive Roberts told cable executives late Monday 
that under such a system, programs that were recorded weeks ago on a 
TiVo digital video recorder would have their old commercials replaced 
with new ones.

The system could also take into account viewer patterns to make ads 
more targeted and relevant, Roberts explained.

Philadelphia-based Comcast, the country's largest cable company, 
announced last month it would start offering TiVo's DVRs by 2006.

The new technology could help make DVRs more palatable to TV 
networks, which are concerned about losing advertising opportunities 
because DVRs allow viewers to fast-forward past commercials in 
recorded shows.

      - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=48173844

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

From: Jack Decker <jack-yahoogroups@withheld on request>
Date: Tue, 05 Apr 2005 11:16:23 -0400
Subject: Cable Execs Say They're Not Blocking Outside VoIP
Reply-To: VoIPnews@yahoogroups.com


http://informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=160403733

Would cable companies block independent Internet services like Voice
over IP from their broadband offerings? Not a chance, according to
some top execs who spoke at the National Cable & Telecommunications
Show Sunday.  By Paul Kapustka

Advanced IP Pipeline
	  	
SAN FRANCISCO -- Would cable companies block independent Internet
services like Voice over IP from their broadband offerings? Not a
chance, according to some top execs who spoke at the National Cable &
Telecommunications Show here Sunday.

Those sentiments were echoed later in the day at a panel discussing
government issues, where a chief legal staffer on the House Energy &
Commerce committee said that members of that committee are "very
concerned" about incidents like the recent port-blocking case
involving Vonage and Madison River Communications, and that upcoming
telecom reform legislation might include specific wording prohibiting
the practice.

According to Paul Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft who is now
chairman and the largest shareholder of Charter Communications, and
Thomas Rutledge, chief operating officer of Cablevision, their
companies shouldn't have to worry about violating any such
law. Rutledge dismissed the idea of selectively blocking services out
of hand, even though players like Vonage might compete with
Cablevision's own VoIP offering.

"If you look at our high-speed network, Yahoo's on it, Google's on it,
AOL's on it and voice is on it," Rutledge said in an interview after
Sunday's keynote panel discussion. "Our customers expect to access to
the sites our network enables them to have, and the applications that
they're able to reach. For us to do anything otherwise would be
against our economic interest."

Kyle McSlarrow, the newly minted president and CEO of the NCTA, said
cable-company CEOs he has talked to since he's been on the job are
"absolutely" against selective blocking of Internet services or
applications.

Full story at:
http://informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=160403733

How to Distribute VoIP Throughout a Home:
http://michigantelephone.mi.org/distribute.html

If you live in Michigan, subscribe to the MI-Telecom group:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MI-Telecom/

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

From: John McHarry <jmcharry@comcast.net>
Subject: Re: Wired: Word From on High: Jam Cell Calls
Date: Wed, 06 Apr 2005 01:45:57 GMT
Organization: EarthLink Inc. -- http://www.EarthLink.net


On Sun, 03 Apr 2005 16:45:51 -0700, Lisa Minter wrote:

> Word From on High: Jam Cell Calls

> Four churches in Mexico have unobtrusively installed Israeli-made
> cell-phone jammers to thwart those who don't seem to understand they
> should turn the things off during services or weddings. They're not
> the only ones to install the jammers.

This is kind of old news. Jammers are illegal in the US, but if I were
building or extensively remodeling a theatre, church, etc., I would
make it into a Faraday cage. Done right, it is also good insulation.

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

From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com
Subject: Re: The Real Reason Why SBC Won't Work With Vonage on E-911
Date: 5 Apr 2005 14:08:37 -0700
Organization: http://groups.google.com


Jack Decker wrote:

> It's probably no secret that I don't have a lot of love for SBC,
> mainly because it seems as though any time they have a choice between
> doing something that would be beneficial to their customers or the
> general public, or making a profit, they always seem to choose to make
> a profit.

That's what regular businesses always do -- go for the profit.
Why should you be so surprised?

Some businesses have a very strong customer service/support policy.
They don't do so because it's "nice", they do so because they believe
it is most profitable FOR THEM to do so.  Other businesses are not so
big on customer service but have lower prices.  That's the free
market -- you choose the kind of business for yourself.

The old regulated-monopoly Bell System and airline industry operated
on a service philosophy since they were tightly regulated.  Eventually
the public complained rates were too high.  So, Bell got out of
leasing phones -- AND providing 24/7 free service to support those
phones.  The airlines stopped the freebies too (like easy ticket
exchanges annd interchanges with other airlines).

If you don't like SBC, don't use them.  Cable companies sell broadband
now and you can get your phone service through them.  Tell your town
to subscribe to VOIP so your 911 calls will go through.


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: But try to be realistic, would you
Lisa?  For most people, it is not as simple as just saying, 'Do not
use SBC.' I managed to pull that off, after considerable grief, and
I _know how the 'system' works_, but as we have said here many times,
not all cablecos are as effecient and friendly and prepared as ours
is here Independence. Not everyone has access to good _alternative_
phone networks as we do here. Oh, I agree, ASAP get yourslf weened
off of Traditional Bell if that's your pleasure, but its not all that
easy even for experienced people to do, let alone newbies to telecom.
PAT] 

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

From: Michael D. Sullivan <userid@camsul.example.invalid>
Subject: Re: The Real Reason Why SBC Won't Work With Vonage on E-911
Date: Wed, 06 Apr 2005 02:38:54 GMT


> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: My next question, to Steven, is about
> Alltel's purchase of Cellular One. _Which_ Cellular One? I had always
> thought 'Cellular One' was a brand name for a consortium of various
> cellular carriers which used the 'Cellular One' name.   PAT]

Alltel is acquiring Western Wireless, which not only uses the Cellular 
One brand name in its business as other companies do, it owns the brand 
and franchises use of the name.


Michael D. Sullivan
Bethesda, MD (USA)
(Replace "example.invalid" with "com" in my address.)

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

From: Fred Atkinson <fatkinson@mishmash.com>
Subject: Re: Prison Cell Phone Scandal
Date: Tue, 5 Apr 2005 15:32:17 -0400


Perhaps *this* might define a legitimate use for a cell phone jammer.  

Fred 

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

Date: Tue, 05 Apr 2005 16:40:44 -0400
From: Chris Farrar <cfarrar1307@rogers.com>
Subject: Re: Some Concerned About Privacy Implications of E-Z Pass System 


Gene S. Berkowitz <first.last@comcast.net> wrote:

> And another issue, maybe not so important, but serious for some:

>> portability. If you travel on business and rent a car, you are usually
>> stuck using the cash lanes on local toll roads. Even if you have a
>> working transponder at home which is compatible with the local system,
>> you aren't supposed to try using it. The transponder is only valid for
>> use in a registered vehicle, which your rental car isn't.

> I've been wondering about this.  Why can't the rental cars include an
> EZ-pass, then simply bill you for tolls accrued during the rental
> period?

Humm, New York E-ZPass can be transplanted into any vehicle of the
same class.  I had one that I was using for a few weeks before I
"registered" my licence plate with them, as I was waiting for them to
mail me my PIN numbers to access my account.  The CSR on the phone
said that as long as the E-ZPass is valid, they don't care what car it
is in.

The same goes for Ontario's Hwy 407ETR.  The only caviat is that if
the transponder isn't read it will generate a bill to the rental
company, who will in turn hit you for it plus a surcharge to handle
their time and effort to figure out who had the car that day.

As for why not have an E-ZPass for the rental fleet, cost is probably
a big issue.  The amount of pre-paid tolls has to be pretty hefty.

Chris

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

Date: Tue, 05 Apr 2005 17:48:11 -0400
From: Eli Varenberg <eliv44@asrlab.org>
Subject: Accessing an Old Norvergence Article


Dear Mr. Townson:

I am trying to access an October 2003, perhaps October 15, 2003 digest
that appeared at one point at the following webpage:

http://mirror.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/telecom-archives/TELECOM_Digest_Online/1140.html (This link no longer works.)

I am seeking a complaint against Norvergence, which is referenced in
the following article:
http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/October%202003/10-15-03.htm.

I'd appreciate your help in finding this digest. If you have any questions, 
please e-mail me or call me.

Sincerely,

Eli Varenberg, Researcher
Art science Research Laboratory
www.asrlab.org


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Ah yes, Norvergence! I think the item
you are looking for is here:

http://massis.lcs.mit.edu/archives/back.issues/volume.22/vol22.iss651-700

	(and in particular issue 675, through issue 690.)

Articles that old have long since been flushed from the online Digest
you referred to (1140.html) but I think if you look in the above
cluster of 50 back issues you will find a copy of it. There were so
many articles complaining about Norvergence I don't know which one
you specifically want. If you go to the above rather large file, use
an editor of some sort to sort down to issue 675 and look through it
in detail, also the issues following. 

If you ever have any other occassion to look for an older article
 from our archives, which does not show up in the
TELECOM_Digest_Online files because of its age, then use this formula:

Try to extrapolate the YEAR, MONTH and DATE of the article as best
you can.   Then go to http://telecom-digest.org/back.issues and
start from there. First locate the year in particular, then the month
and in each instance you will get a cluster of 50 back issues. (We
publish two or three issues daily). Our files go back to 1981, but are
only filed by individual issue (instead of clusters of 50) as of last
year. With the real, real old stuff, you can also use the
accelerated index covering 3 years at a time between 1989 and 1998,
and sort through those by subject line or author. On that real old
stuff I will help you as much as I can if you will send me clues like
you did this time. Working your way through our old archives will 
cause a sane person to go crazy. Maybe that is what imminently
qualifies me as the editor/publisher/caretaker around here. 

I hope this helps and is what you want.  Please let me know. Certain
topics around here, such as Bell System, Norvergence, and Terri Shiavo
never seem to go away. PAT] 

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

From: John McHarry <jmcharry@comcast.net>
Subject: Re: Obituary: Schiavo Dies After Feeding Tube Removed
Date: Wed, 06 Apr 2005 02:16:17 GMT
Organization: EarthLink Inc. -- http://www.EarthLink.net


On Sun, 03 Apr 2005 05:05:12 +0000, jmeissen wrote:

> What is more disturbing, in my mind, is that once they decided to let
> the body die (regardless of the state of the mind), they chose to let
> it happen through two weeks of starvation and dehydration.

> This is a sad statement about humanity, that we'll use drugs to
> painlessly put a mortally wounded dog out of its misery, but a human
> body must be forced to endure two weeks of torture until its organs
> fail.

It is certainly the Peronismo sin Peron of euthanasia, but the medical
authorities claim it is painless and without feelings of hunger or
thirst.  I think part of their motivation is laws criminalizing
euthanasia, including voluntary suicide for the competent.

Part of it also must be the feeling that there is a moral difference
between not acting to prolong "life" and acting to end it. Most of the
world failed to act to stop the genocide in the Balkans, and in
Africa, but seems to see a difference between that and actively
slitting the throats. I don't know why there is a feeling that one is
more answerable for action than for inaction, but it seems to fit some
sort of primitive moral intuition.


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Do we have Ms. Shiavo buried yet, at
least for the purposes of this Digest?   PAT]

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


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End of TELECOM Digest V24 #146
******************************

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