TELECOM Digest     Tue, 24 May 2005 15:55:00 EDT    Volume 24 : Issue 230

Inside This Issue:                             Editor: Patrick A. Townson

    More News on our RSS Syndication (TELECOM Digest Editor)
    Virus Infection Holds Computer Files Hostage (Lisa Minter)
    Banks Notify Customers of Data Theft (Lisa Minter)
    Congress Passes Law Banning Computer Spyware (Lisa Minter)
    Publishers Protest Google Library Project (Lisa Minter)
    Spammers Cannot Hide Behind Affiliates (Lisa Minter)
    Television Reloaded (Monty Solomon)
    Tangled up Over DSL - Some Cell Phone Users Demand (Jack Decker)
    Vonage's Jeffrey Citron on E911 and SBC's Reluctance (Jack Decker)
    Re: Verizon Wireless Ringback Tones Reach New England (Joseph)
    Re: Verizon Wireless Ringback Tones Reach New England (Danny Burstein)
    Re: Very Early Modems (Scott Dorsey)
    Re: Corporate Identify -- Verizon vs. "Bell Telephone" (Steve Sobol)
    Re: Packet8 DTMF Tones Sound "Clipped" (PrinceGunter)
    Re: ACLU Pizza (William Warren)
    Re: Why Does it Take So Long? (John R. Levine)
    Re: Very Early Modems (Scott Dorsey)
    Re: Looking for a Model 15 or 19 (Kenneth P. Stox)
    Last Laugh! Your House at P.O. Box 4621 (Customer Service)

Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the
Internet.  All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and
the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other
journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are
included in the fair use quote.  By using -any name or email address-
included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article
herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the
email.

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

Addresses herein are not to be added to any mailing list, nor to be
sold or given away without explicit written consent.  Chain letters,
viruses, porn, spam, and miscellaneous junk are definitely unwelcome.

We must fight spam for the same reason we fight crime: not because we
are naive enough to believe that we will ever stamp it out, but because
we do not want the kind of world that results when no one stands
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.  

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

Subject: More News on our RSS Syndication
Date: Tue, 24 May 2005 13:28:31 EDT
From: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu (TELECOM Digest Editor)


I mentioned here the other day that Telecom Digest/comp.dcom.telecom is
now syndicated. This means we now have an RSS feed in addition to the
more standard and somewhat obsolete methods of newsgroup distribution
we have enjoyed for many years, including NNTP for Usenet. RSS is a 
method by which many publications share syndicated news and other 
articles. We started using RSS a few months ago, with 'modules' from
other sources sprinkled through our web site, http://telecom-digest.org
and now Telecom Digest is also available as a 'module' for use on
other people's web sites as well. For instance, if you happen to like
reading news mainly from a single source such as Yahoo or MSN News,
our module each day is now displayed on those web sites as well. In
both cases, the Telecom Digest / c.d.t. newsgroup module is an optional
addition. In both cases, it is not automatically displayed on their
web sites; you have to 'subscribe to the module' to have it included. 

Where some readers like going around the net from one URL to another
to check for news of interest, other readers prefer to see as many
headlines as they can at one single location. I do that here, for
example, by providing NY Times, NPR news, Christian Science Monitor,
AP News, Reuters and other news reports in the section of our daily
Telecom Digest called http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra. The intent
is if you wish to make telecom-digest.org your 'home page' or starting
point on your computer each day -- and I hope you would -- you will 
find news and features from _many different sources_ each day. But just
as some of you wish to start out _here_ and use the 'modules' other 
sites have provided, there are some readers who prefer to start, for
example, with Yahoo or MSN and do the same kind of thing, and get
their Telecom Digest news in the form of a 'module' on that _other_
site. I of course stress telecommunications news first, with the 
other modules optional for whoever wants them. Every URL on the net
stresses its own area of interest _first_ then allows for optional
modules, as called for by readers, to other modules, including, as
requested, TELECOM Digest. Really, its your choice.

http://telecom-digest.org/TELECOM_Digest_Online/atom.xml is where you
will find our RSS feed, for use in your own RSS reader.

http://telecom-digest.org/rss.html is where you will find a javascript
interpretation of our feed, to place Telecom Digest headlines on
your own site. (No reason you have to come here to the Digest each
day; we can come to you also in this manner.)

http://telecom-digest.org/archives/back.issues/recent.single.issues/latest-issue.html
is where you go to not only read the latest issue but where you can
also go to 'subscribe' (or place the telecom news module) on your 'My
Yahoo' or 'My MSN' home pages if you wish to go that way. As other
sites come on line with home pages readers themselves construct,
telecom will be available to read there also.

I hope you are as enthusiastic about this new delivery method for news
as I am.

Patrick Townson

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

From: Lisa Minter <lisa_minter2001@yahoo.com>
Subject: Virus Infection Holds Computer Files Hostage
Date: Tue, 24 May 2005 02:11:27 -0500


Web Infection Holds Computer Files Hostage
    By TED BRIDIS, AP Technology Writer 11 minutes ago

Computer users already anxious about viruses and identity theft have
new reason to worry: Hackers have found a way to lock up the
electronic documents on your computer and then demand $200 over the
Internet to get them back.

Security researchers at San Diego-based Websense Inc. uncovered the
unusual extortion plot when a corporate customer they would not
identify fell victim to the infection, which encrypted files that
included documents, photographs and spreadsheets.

A ransom note left behind included an e-mail address, and the attacker
using the address later demanded $200 for the digital keys to unlock
the files.

"This is equivalent to someone coming into your home, putting your
valuables in a safe and not telling you the combination," said Oliver
Friedrichs, a security manager for Symantec Corp.

The FBI said the scheme, which appears isolated, was unlike other
Internet extortion crimes. Leading security and antivirus firms this
week were updating protective software for companies and consumers to
guard against this type of attack, which experts dubbed "ransom-ware."

"This seems fully malicious," said Joe Stewart, a researcher at
Chicago-based Lurqh Corp. who studied the attack software. Stewart
managed to unlock the infected computer files without paying the
extortion, but he worries that improved versions might be more
difficult to overcome. Internet attacks commonly become more effective
as they evolve over time as hackers learn to avoid the mistakes of
earlier infections.

"You would have to pay the guy, or law enforcement would have to get
his key to unencrypt the files," Stewart said.

The latest danger adds to the risks facing beleaguered Internet users,
who must increasingly deal with categories of threats that include
spyware, viruses, worms, phishing e-mail fraud and denial of service
attacks.

In the recent case, computer users could be infected by viewing a
vandalized Web site with vulnerable Internet browser software. The
infection locked up at least 15 types of data files and left behind a
note with instructions to send e-mail to a particular address to
purchase unlocking keys. In an e-mail reply, the hacker demanded $200
be wired to an Internet banking account. "I send programm to your
email," the hacker wrote.

There was no reply to e-mails sent to that address Monday by The
Associated Press.

FBI spokesman Paul Bresson said more familiar Internet extortion
schemes involve hackers demanding tens of thousands of dollars and
threatening to attack commercial Web sites, interfering with sales or
stealing customer data.

Experts said there were no widespread reports the new threat was
spreading, and the Web site was already shut down where the infection
originally spread. They also said the hacker's demand for payment
might be his weakness, since bank transactions can be traced easily.

"The problem is getting away with it - you've got to send the money
somewhere," Stewart said. "If it involves some sort of monetary
transaction, it's far easier to trace than an e-mail account."

Details: http://www.websensesecuritylabs.com/alerts/alert.php?AlertID194

Copyright 2005 The Associated Press.

NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the
daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at
http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new
articles daily.


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: But, as some of our Bright young 
readers would explain, "on internet there is no consensus on what
is, and is not malicious." Or as another reader would explain, "there
is no such thing as an internet; just a collection of sites, and
we cannot tell another site how to operate." And the Bright young
reader concurs, "nor does anyone on the net want things any 
different".   PAT]

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

From: Lisa Minter <lisa_minter2001@yahoo.com>
Subject: Banks Notify Customers of Data Theft 
Date: Tue, 24 May 2005 02:17:46 -0500


By PAUL NOWELL, AP Business WriterMon May 23,11:06 PM ET

More than 100,000 customers of Wachovia Corp. and Bank of America
Corp. have been notified that their financial records may have been
stolen by bank employees and sold to collection agencies.

In all, nearly 700,000 customers of four banks may be affected,
according to police in Hackensack, N.J., where the investigation was
centered.

So far, Bank of America has alerted about 60,000 customers whose names
were included on computer disks discovered by police, bank spokeswoman
Alex Liftman said Monday.

"We are trying to communicate with our customers as promptly as
possible," she said. "So far, we have no evidence that any of our
customer information has been used for account fraud or identity
theft."

Wachovia said it has identified 48,000 current and former account
holders whose accounts may have been breached.

"The numbers have increased as we continue to receive additional names
from police," Wachovia spokeswoman Christy Phillips said Monday.

Both banks are providing the affected customers with free credit
reporting services.

In a separate case with the potential for identity theft, a laptop
containing the names and Social Security numbers of 16,500 current and
former MCI Inc. employees was stolen last month from the car of an MCI
financial analyst in Colorado, said company spokeswoman Linda
Laughlin.

The car was parked in the analyst's home garage and the computer was
password-protected, she said. MCI would not comment on whether the
data was encrypted.

The bank record theft was exposed April 28 when police in Hackensack
charged nine people, including seven bank workers, in an alleged plot
to steal financial records of thousands of bank customers.

The bank employees accessed records for customers of Cherry Hill,
N.J.-based Commerce Bank, PNC Bank of Pittsburgh, and Charlotte-based
banks Wachovia and Bank of America, according to Hackensack Police
Chief Ken Zisa.

Repeated calls seeking comment were not returned by Commerce Bank
officials, while PNC officials declined to estimate how many of their
customers' accounts may have been breached.

"We have no evidence that any of these accounts have been compromised
at all. We continue to work with law enforcement officials," said Pat
McMahon, a spokesman for PNC.

New Jersey authorities found 12 names and Social Security numbers
belonging to PNC customers but the bank found no suspicious activity
in the accounts, he said.

Collection agent Orazio Lembo Jr., 35, of Hackensack made millions of
dollars through the scheme, Zisa has said.

Authorities said they discovered the plot after they executed a search
warrant at Lembo's apartment in February as part of a separate
investigation. They seized 13 computers which contained details about
the plan, Zisa said.

Lembo received lists of people sought for debt collection and turned
that information over to the seven bank workers, who would compare
those names to their client lists. The bank workers were paid $10 for
each account they turned over to Lembo, Zisa said.

In New Jersey, continued scrutiny of computer discs seized from
Lembo's offices was yielding more names. Investigators have now
identified nearly 700,000 potential victims, Hackensack police
Capt. Frank Lomia said Monday.

Copyright 2005 The Associated Press.

NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the
daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at
http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new
articles daily.


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Geeze, I can remember back in the
1970's when the worst thing you had to worry about with the banks
was when one of them (First National Bank of Chicago comes to mind)
would commit _postal fraud_ by riffling through mail not addressed
to themselves, open the mail and pocket any cash money they found. I
was forced to file a Small Claims case against First National Bank
in Chicago when this _snot_ of a customer service lady refused to
return money to me their mailroom employees had pilfered. (circa 1974-
1975). If you want more details, just ask. PAT] 

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

From: Lisa Minter <lisa_minter2001@yahoo.com>
Subject: Congress Votes to Outlaw Computer Spyware
Date: Tue, 24 May 2005 02:23:53 -0500


By Andy Sullivan

The U.S. House of Representatives on Monday voted to establish new
penalties for purveyors of Internet "spyware" that disables users'
computers and secretly monitors their activities.

By overwhelming majorities, the House passed two bills that stiffen
jail sentences and establish multimillion-dollar fines for those who
use secret surveillance programs to steal credit-card numbers, sell
software or commit other crimes.

Spyware has emerged as a major headache for computer users over the
last several years.

It can sap computing power, crash machines and bury users under a
blizzard of unwanted ads. Scam artists use spyware to capture
passwords, account numbers and other sensitive data.

Spyware can end up on users' computers through a virus or when they
download games or other free programs off the Internet.

"Consumers have a right to know and have a right to decide who has
access to their highly personal information that spyware can collect,"
said California Republican Rep. Mary Bono (news, bio, voting record),
who sponsored one of the bills.

The bills prohibit a number of practices often associated with
spyware, such as reprograming the start page on a user's Web browser,
logging keystrokes to capture passwords and other sensitive data, or
launching pop-up ads that can't be closed without shutting down the
computer.

The practice known as "phishing" -- in which scam artists pose as
banks or other businesses in an attempt to trick consumers into
divulging account information -- would also be outlawed.

The House voted 395 to 1 to impose jail sentences of up to 2 years.
Violators could face fines up to $3 million per incident. Those who
use spyware to commit other crimes, such as identity theft, could have
an additional 5 years tacked on to their sentences.

Both bills passed the House last year but the Senate adjourned before
taking action. Similar legislation has been introduced in the Senate
this year.

Most spyware practices are already illegal under deceptive-business
laws but federal and state law enforcers have only sued two spyware
purveyors so far, one expert said.

"We know that there are literally hundreds of these cases out
there. Unless nthere's a push for enforcement, passing a new law is
really only going to help after the fact," said Ari Schwartz,
associate director at the Center for Democracy and Technology, a
consumer-advocacy group.

The bill gives the Justice Department an additional $10 million per
year through 2009 to fight spyware.

Copyright 2005 Reuters Limited.

NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the
daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at
http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new
articles daily.

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

From: Lisa Minter <lisa_minter2001@yahoo.com>
Subject: Publishers Protest Google Library Project
Date: Tue, 24 May 2005 02:15:33 -0500


By MICHAEL LIEDTKE, AP Business Writer

A group of academic publishers called Google Inc.'s plan to scan
millions of library books into its Internet search engine index a
troubling financial threat to its membership.

The Association of American University Presses said in a letter that
was to be sent to Google on Monday that the online search engine's
library project "appears to involve systematic infringement of
copyright on a massive scale."

The association, which represents 125 nonprofit publishers of academic
journals and scholarly books, asked Google to respond to a list of 16
questions seeking more information about how the company plans to
protect copyrights.

Two unidentified publishers already asked Google to withhold its
copyrighted material from the scanners, but the company hasn't
complied with the requests, Peter Givler, the executive director for
the New York-based trade group, wrote in the letter.

Google, based in Mountain View, Calif., did not return phone and
e-mail messages left Monday.

The association of nonprofit publishers is upset because Google has
indicated it will scan copyright-protected books from three university
libraries -- Harvard, Michigan and Stanford.

Those three universities also operate publishing arms represented by
the group complaining about Google's 5-month-old "Libraries for Print"
project.  That means the chances of the association suing Google are
"extremely remote," Givler said in an interview Monday.

Still, Givler said the association is very worried about Google's
scanning project.

"The more we talked about it with our lawyers, the more questions
bubbled up," he said. "And so far Google hasn't provided us with any
good answers."

Google also is scanning books stored in the New York Public Library
and Oxford in England, but those two libraries so far are only
providing Google with "public domain" works -- material no longer
protected by copyrights because of its age, or its author's intentions.

Federal law considers the free distribution of some copyrighted
material to be permissible "fair use." The company has told the
nonprofit publishers that its library program meets this criteria.

Some for-profit publishers also are taking a closer look at Google's
library-scanning project.

"We are exploring issues and opportunities with Google, including the
potential impact of this program on our authors, our customers and our
business," said John Wiley & Sons Inc. spokeswoman Susan Spilka.

Copyright concerns aren't the only issue casting a cloud over Google's
library-scanning project. The project also has drawn criticism in
Europe for placing too much emphasis on material from the United
States.

One of Google's most popular features -- a section that compiles news
stories posted on thousands of Web sites -- already has triggered
claims of copyright infringement. Agence France-Presse, a French news
agency, is suing for damages of at least $17.5 million, alleging
"Google News" is illegally capitalizing on its copyrighted material.

The latest complaints about Google are being driven by university-
backed publishers who fear there will be little reason to buy their
books if Google succeeds in its effort to create a virtual reading
room.

The university presses depend on books sales and other licensing
agreements for most of their revenue, making copyright protections
essential to their survival.

Google has turned its search engine into a moneymaking machine,
generating a $369 million profit during the first three months of this
year alone. The company is counting on its library scanning project to
attract even more visitors to its site so it can display more ads and
potentially boost its earnings even more.

Investors already adore Google. The company's shares surged $13.84, or
5.7 percent, to close Monday at $255.45 on the Nasdaq Stock
Market. Earlier in the session, the shares traded as high as $258.10 -
a new peak since the company went public nine months ago at $85.

Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. 

NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the
daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at
http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new
articles daily.

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

From: Lisa Minter <lisa_minter2001@yahoo.com>
Subject: Spammers Cannot Hide Behind Affiliates 
Date: Tue, 24 May 2005 23:39:58 -0500


Originally published on O'Reilly Network http://www.oreillynet.com/
http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/network/2005/04/29/spamkings.html

Spammers Can't Hide Behind Affiliates
by Brian McWilliams, author of Spam Kings

In a case that tests a key provision of the U.S. CAN-SPAM law,
Microsoft has scored a legal victory against a Washington man alleged
to be one of the top ten spammers in the world.

A King County (Washington) superior court judge ruled that Robert
Soloway, operator of Newport Internet Marketing (NIM), was in default
on the spam lawsuit originally filed by Microsoft on December 18,
2003, against NIM and 20 "John Doe" defendants.

Soloway, 25, is ranked the world's eighth largest spammer by the
Spamhaus spam tracking and blocking service. Soloway and NIM have been
listed on the Spamhaus Register of Known Spam Operations (ROKSO) since
the list's inception in October 2000.

Soloway had argued that NIM's subcontractors -- otherwise known as
spam affiliates -- and not his company, were responsible for waves of
illegal spam cited in Microsoft's complaint. The messages included
"from" lines forged to make the messages appear as though they were
sent via Microsoft's MSN and Hotmail services.

Besides asserting that he was unaware that the subcontractors were
operating illegally, Soloway also claimed he didn't know their actual
identities, since his dealings with affiliates were conducted
exclusively over the ICQ chat service.

Microsoft filed a request for a default judgment against Soloway on
March 31, 2005, complaining that Soloway was playing "a shell game"
during the protracted, 15-month discovery process. Microsoft said
Soloway had failed to produce documents and other information
regarding NIM's dealings with subcontractors.

Soloway turned over a list of 67 ICQ numbers used by his affiliates,
but he provided no names, addresses, phones, or email addresses,
according to Microsoft.

"The evidence withheld by defendants ... goes to the heart of
Microsoft's case ... the only witnesses who can corroborate or
contradict Soloway's testimony are the subcontractors," stated
Microsoft in its filing.


Also read:
      Spam Kings
      The Real Story behind the High-Rolling Hucksters Pushing Porn, Pills,
      and %*@)# Enlargements
      By Brian McWilliams

      Table of Contents
      Sample Chapter

Under the rules of civil procedure, a court can order a default
judgment against a party who fails to appear in court or to respond to
charges against him.

Judge William Downing agreed to Microsoft's request on April 8. "The
only issue that remains is the amount of damages Plaintiff Microsoft
is entitled to," stated the default judgment.

Microsoft's head anti-spam attorney, Aaron Kornblum, said Tuesday that
Microsoft is "finalizing our pleadings to include the damages amount."

But in an online interview this week, Soloway brushed off Microsoft's
apparent courtroom win.

"The fact is, they have no case, and I can honestly say with the
utmost confidence that there will not be a monetary damage awarded,"
said Soloway.  He declined to elaborate on why he was so confident of
his position versus Microsoft.

Soloway claimed that he has always removed any MSN.com and Hotmail.com
addresses from his mailing lists and that he instructed affiliates to
do the same.

"One of my subcontractors ... clearly did not do what I hired them to
do.  They broke the rules, and violated my policy," said Soloway.

"Should I be responsible for the actions of someone that didn't follow the
rules I gave to my advertisers?" he asked.

Under both federal and Washington State anti-spam statutes, the answer
apparently is _yes_; companies are liable for illegal spam sent on their
behalf by third parties.

In the case of CAN-SPAM, a firm is responsible if it "procured the
transmission" of the unlawful email. Under Washington's Commercial
Electronic Mail Act, companies are liable if they "assist the
transmission" of the illegal messages.

Many large spam operations rely heavily on affiliates, who are
typically paid a commission for any sales leads or purchases they
generate on behalf of the "sponsor."

Soloway testified to Microsoft that he has fired all his subcontractors
and now sends email himself using the Dark Mailer spam program 
and proxies.

Soloway declined to comment on a recent bout of spam from his firm
that offered, "we email your web site to 2,500,000 opt-in email
addresses for free." A disclaimer in the spams stated, "the above
emailing is only free if you are a nonprofit organization that aids
child abuse victims."

Soloway disputed Spamhaus' appraisal of NIM as a top source of spam,
and he noted that Spamhaus director Steve Linford has publicly
admitted to assisting Microsoft in its litigation.

"Steve is making plenty of money from certain large corporations in
relation to PR," asserted Soloway, "so Microsoft could go 'look, we've
won a judgment against the top [spammer].'"

                      ----

In October 2004, O'Reilly Media, Inc., released Spam Kings.

  a.. Sample chapter 1, "Birth of a Spam King" (PDF), is available free
online.
  b.. You can also look at the Table of Contents (PDF) and the full
description of the book.
  c.. For more information, or to order the book, go to our site.

Brian McWilliams is the author of Spam Kings and is an investigative
journalist who has covered business and technology for web magazines
including Wired News and Salon, as well as the Washington Post and PC
World, Computerworld, and Inc. magazines.

Copyright 2005 O'Reilly Media, Inc.

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

Date: Tue, 24 May 2005 07:39:18 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: Television Reloaded


It's a transformation as significant as when we went from
black-and-white to color-and it's already underway. The promise is
that you'll be able to watch anything you want, anywhere-on a huge
high-def screen or on your phone.

By Steven Levy
Newsweek
Updated: 6:25 a.m. ET May 23, 2005

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7935915/site/newsweek/

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

From: Jack Decker <jack-yahoogroups@withheld_on_request>
Date: Tue, 24 May 2005 09:58:32 -0400
Subject: Tangled up Over DSL - Some Cell Phone Users Demand to Stand


http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/business/3195270

Some Cell Phone Users Demand to Stand Alone

By JOHN C. ROPER
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle

A growing number of U.S. consumers are cutting the cord on traditional
home telephone service, choosing instead to exclusively use cell
phones.

But many of these consumers have found ditching their land-line phone
service, and its accompanying cost, isn't possible if they want speedy
DSL, or digital subscriber line, Internet service in their homes.

Providers such as SBC Communications require customers to buy
residential phone service to have access to their broadband lines, a
tactic consumer advocacy groups say is unfair.

Full story at:
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/business/3195270

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/


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I think I read somewhere -- maybe here
in the Digest -- where SBC was going to bite the bullet also and
begin offering 'naked DSL'. Fact or fiction?  Personally, I would say
that _whenever possible_ people just ditch telco and go with cable
internet.  PAT] 

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

From: Jack Decker <jack-yahoogroups@withheld_on_request>
Date: Tue, 24 May 2005 11:37:01 -0400
Subject: Vonage's Jeffrey Citron on E911 and SBC's Reluctance to Help


http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000040044246/

The Engadget Interview: Jeffrey Citron, chairman and CEO of Vonage

Posted by Peter Rojas

We recently sat down with Jeffrey Citron, the chairman and CEO of
Vonage, to talk about the future of Voice over IP, whether or not
Skype is their number one competitor, Vonage's wireless strategy,
and how they're responding to the recent controversy over VoIP and
E911 calling. Oh, and for all the Treo fans out there, we also asked
them how much longer we're going to have to wait until we see a
version of Vonage's softphone client for the Palm OS.

[Regarding E911:] It's the Baby Bells that generally control that
infrastructure?

They control about 90% or 80% of it.

Are they reluctant to grant Vonage access? Do they say it's a cost
issue and that they want you to share the cost with them?

No, no. It's interesting. Every Bell will make a different
excuse. Verizon is the one that is to be most commended. Verizon says,
"Let's put all this crap to the side and let's figure out a way to
make this work."

And Verizon actually has multiple solutions, depending on the
market. And they work really well, and our goal is now to roll it out
territory-wide. Verizon makes available to us the same things it makes
available to a combination of wireline entities and wireless entities.

So we've gone to the other RBOCs and said we want these same
things. With Qwest we have an agreement in principle, but we're
still working on details. Bell South and SBC have been very reluctant
for every reason under the sun. Bell South's made some progress and
they're starting to come around, but still not there yet. SBC keeps
issuing press release after press release of how they're going to
offer this, but they don't offer us the complete solution to do all
the pieces like the wireless guys have so we can do it all real and
right.

SBC finds that E911 is a competitive advantage over Vonage and they
want to extort that competitive advantage. I've got to tell you,
the last thing anyone should be doing in this country is using E911 as
a competitive advantage and risking people's lives. It's not the
right thing to do. Remember, these Bells were given 911 as a public
trust. Originally given by Congress to AT&T and then by AT&T through
divestiture to the Baby Bells. And they should really honor their
public trust commitment. Verizon has. We're very pleased about
that.

Full story at:
http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000040044246/

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: Joseph <JoeOfSeattle@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: Verizon Wireless Ringback Tones Reach New England
Date: Tue, 24 May 2005 05:26:22 -0700
Reply-To: JoeOfSeattle@yahoo.com


On Tue, 24 May 2005 01:26:15 -0400, Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
wrote:

> WOBURN, Mass., May 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Wireless, the first
> national carrier to launch Ringback Tones, today announced the arrival
> of its Ringback Tones service in New England.  Verizon Wireless
> customers throughout the region can now find the perfect Ringback Tone
> to replace the standard ring callers hear while they wait for their
> call to be answered.

The only trouble with this story is that it's not true.  T-Mobile USA
launched this service many months before Verizon in the USA after
launching the same service in the UK several months prior to that.

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

From: Danny Burstein <dannyb@panix.com>
Subject: Re: Verizon Wireless Ringback Tones Reach New England
Date: Tue, 24 May 2005 06:13:24 UTC
Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and UNIX, NYC


In <telecom24.229.3@telecom-digest.org> Monty Solomon
<monty@roscom.com> writes:

> Greet Wireless Callers With a Song Instead of a Ring; Numerous Artists
>              and Music Genres Available

> WOBURN, Mass., May 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Wireless, the first
> national carrier to launch Ringback Tones, today announced the arrival
> of its Ringback Tones service in New England. 

[ snip ]

T-Mobile has had this quite a bit longer. No doubt Verizon will use
the "national carrier" line to claim the distinction ...

That being said, an obvious question comes to mind (which, alas, I'm
not in a position to check on) :

	Since the ringback is specially generated,
	does the call get "supervised" as soon as
	the caller first hears the ringing?

	Similarly, what happens if the recipient 
	doesn't answer but just lets the ringing continue
	(most specifically _not_ counting a
	kickover to voice-mail).

Anyone know? I don't have any friends who've signed up for this
sillines so can't check things myself.

Thanks.

( minor disclosure: shareholder in Omnipoint)

_____________________________________________________
Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key
		     dannyb@panix.com 
[to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded]

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

From: kludge@panix.com (Scott Dorsey)
Subject: Re: Very Early Modems
Date: 24 May 2005 11:47:58 -0400
Organization: Former users of Netcom shell (1989-2000)


Brad Houser  <bradDOThouser@intel.com> wrote:

> Here is a picture of a 1958 AT&T modem (not sure if this is the first
> commercial modem, the Bell 103. If so it was 300 baud):

> http://www.att.com/history/milestone_1958.html

No, the Bell 103 is a little plastic box only a little bit larger than
a Hayes external modem.

This appears to be a photograph of an encrypted data system using a 
carrier key tape.

--scott

"C'est un Nagra.  C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

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

From: Steve Sobol <sjsobol@JustThe.net>
Subject: Re: Corporate Identify -- Verizon vs. "Bell Telephone"
Date: Mon, 23 May 2005 23:56:03 -0700
Organization: Glorb Internet Services, http://www.glorb.com


Al Gillis wrote:

> On a slow day a few years ago I was looking at some US West (now
> Qwest) tariffs at the Oregon PUC.  Most of the documents had wording
> that went something like "...Pacifc Northwest Bell, dba US West...",
> with dba standing for "doing business as".  I don't know this for
> sure, but I'm guessing changing the name of a big company might be
> really expensive but using another name for the business might be as
> easy as filing a form with a state's corporation commission.  This
> same syndrome afflicts many railroads; One road buys another, paints
> new logos all over everything but retains the old name on deeds to
> properties, operating authorities and the like.  In addition to being
> expensive this tactic might shield the new owner from misdeeds of the
> former company.  Who knows?

Not just a railroad and telecom issue, either.

Look how many companies Clear Channel bought, and a ton of them still
have the original licensee's name on the license, like Clear Channel
Victor Valley, which owns most of our local radio outlets that are
still licensed to Capstar ... Capstar sold out to Clear Channel long
before I moved here.


JustThe.net - Apple Valley, CA - http://JustThe.net/ - 888.480.4NET (4638)
Steven J. Sobol, Geek In Charge / sjsobol@JustThe.net / PGP: 0xE3AE35ED

"The wisdom of a fool won't set you free"
     --New Order, "Bizarre Love Triangle"

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

From: PrinceGunter <slippymississippi@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: Packet8 DTMF Tones Sound "Clipped"
Date: 24 May 2005 06:41:47 -0700


> I seem to recall that the old Bell System spec for tone duration was
> 20ms, or 1/5th of a second. Some switches allowed you to go as fast as
> 10ms, which put the speed in speedial. :)

> Don't know how P8 generates tones, but is it possible they are right
> at the lower spec limit and your system isn't capable of decoding at
> that rate?

I had a T-Berd on the line, and it didn't recognize any DTMF either.
But after another couple of tests, I think I can definitely state that
there is no difference in tone between keypresses ... for some reason
his device or Packet8 is translating those keypresses to a monotone
"blip" on inbound calls.

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

Date: Tue, 24 May 2005 11:03:33 -0400
From: William Warren <william_warren_nonoise@comcast.net>
Subject: Re: ACLU Pizza


Monty Solomon wrote:

> http://www.aclu.org/pizza/

> http://www.aclu.org/pizza/images/screen.swf

Interesting, but they left out a few things:

1. The change in your life insurance;
2. The notice sent to your boss;
3. The reevaluation of your children's sat scores in light
    of the new profile information.

William

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

From: johnl@iecc.com (John R. Levine)
Subject: Re: Why Does it Take So Long?
Date: 24 May 2005 11:12:59 -0400
Organization: I.E.C.C., Trumansburg NY USA


> But I just ordered a major American magazine subscription, and a
> major American weekly book review journal subscription through
> amazon, and been told to be patient: it may take CLOSE TO THREE
> MONTHS before either of these start arriving.

For some reason, magazines print up their mailing labels way in
advance, and it sounds like they'll add you to the next list they
print.  They probably also batch up their subscription updates, so
it might be a couple of weeks until  they add your name to the list.

If the magazine is a monthly, you get up to one month of delay if you
happen to subscribe the day after the current issue comes out, then
another month for the label nonsense, and the third month for the
leisurely process of printing and mailing.

I'll be interested to hear if the weekly takes as long to start up,
since their cycle is presumably a week rather than a month.  Remember
that Amazon say three months to everyone, for every magazine, so
that's the worst case number.

R's,

John

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

From: kludge@panix.com (Scott Dorsey)
Subject: Re: Very Early Modems
Date: 24 May 2005 11:49:49 -0400
Organization: Former users of Netcom shell (1989-2000)


Tony P.  <kd1s@nospamplease.cox.reallynospam.net> wrote:

>> http://www.att.com/history/milestone_1958.html

> So the carrier was on tape. How interesting. 

> I guess at that point it was hard to stabilize a tube based
> oscillator.

It is much easier to stabilize a tube oscillator than it is to
stabilize a mechanical device like a tape machine.  The old HP 200CD
bench oscillator from the fifties is nearly as stable as the modern
bench gadgets once it warms up.

The tape in this device is almost certainly being used to store a
varying carrier, for encryption purposes.

--scott

"C'est un Nagra.  C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

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

From: Kenneth P. Stox <ken@stox.org>
Organization: Ministry of Silly Walks
Subject: Re: Looking for a Model 15 or 19
Date: Tue, 24 May 2005 16:22:09 GMT


moody1951@aol.com wrote:

> Looking for a Model 15 or 19 in good cosmetic condition and operating
> order.

Teletype??

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

From: Customer Service <customerservice@mortgagequotenetwork.net>
Subject: Last Laugh! Your House at P.O. Box 4621
Date: Tue, 24 May 2005 12:16:48 -0400



[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Fished (or do you say 'phished') out of
my ever-full, always overflowing spam bucket this morning, on my way
to put out this issue of the Digest. As we can see by a cursory glance
through the binary code below, it is a spam-thingy. PAT]

MThlIE1vcnRnYWelIFF1b3RlIE5ldHdvcmsNCkEgUGVyc29uYWwgQXBwcm9hY2ggdG8gT25saW5l
IEJvcnJvd2luZw0KDQpHZXQgYSBGcmVlIE1vcnRnYWdlIFF1b3RlIQ0KaHR0cDovL3d3dy5tb3J0
(and several _hundred_ more lines like the above).

I bashed the rest of it, and altered the above just enough to cause it
to lose its punch so none of _you_ would possibly 'inherit' it in your
travels around the net today. That's how I say 'Thank you for visiting
our web site today'; I spam you and perchance hand you a virus 'souvenier'
to take home and show or give to your friends. Of course many netters
would contend it is impossible to define 'offensive' or 'malicious'
and still others would contend the 'internet does not exist; it is
only a collection of sites, etc'.

But my observation is this: Note the original subject line, 'Your
House at P.O. Box 4621'. I would like you to know (a) 'Box 4621' in
Skokie, Illinois is a very old snail- mail address I used when I lived
in Skokie (metro Chicago area) about _ten years ago_; that is the age
and quality of the mailing lists these spammers often times use. I'll
bet whoever he bought the mailing list from told him 'a new, fresh
list with x-gazillion email names and addresses' on it. From what I
can gather, its another of those 'you have qualified to receive a
mortgage loan' things. My second observation, (b) is the guy does not
seem to be very bright. He could not or did not even think it through
and use an _actual house address_ (such as 'Your House on Niles Center
Road') or something similar to at least try to make it a message worth
reading.

I hope that at least occassionally, some of these spammers who
sincerely bought their lists, etc thinking there was money to be made
on the internet grow discouraged, and give up their efforts voluntarily
and find other uses for their computers. Or is that too much to ask?

PAT

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


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