Pat, the Editor

For your convenience in reading: Subject lines are printed in RED and Moderator replies when issued appear in BROWN.
Previous Issue (just one)
TD Extra News
Add this Digest to your personal   or  

 

TELECOM Digest     Wed, 15 Jun 2005 17:02:00 EDT    Volume 24 : Issue 269

Inside This Issue:                             Editor: Patrick A. Townson

    Front Lines Legal Report June 15, 2005 (Jonathan Marashlian)
    Jeff Pulver Has a Dream (Lisa Minter)
    Intermix Settles Lawsuit With New York AG Spitzer (Lisa Minter)
    AOL Users Most Likely to Make Zombie of Your Computer (Lisa Minter)
    Email to Former AT&T Phones Now Cingular (NOTvalid@XmasNYC.Info)
    BT Launches World's First Fixed Mobile Service (Telecom DailyLead USTA)
    Re: Schools Prohibit Personal E-mail Sites (Michael D. Sullivan)
    Re: Schools Prohibit Personal E-mail Sites (Charles Cryderman)
    Re: Cellular Phone Spam (Lisa Hancock)
    Re: Cellular Phone Spam (NOTvalid@XmasNYC.Info)
    Re: Please Explain LATA (Michael D. Sullivan)
    Re: Please Explain LATA (burris)
    Re: Please Explain LATA (hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com)
    Re: Please Explain LATA (Clark W. Griswold, Jr.)
    Re: Please Explain LATA (Joseph)
    Re: Please Explain LATA (Tim@backhome.org)
    Re: Please Explain LATA (Charles Cryderman)
    Re: DSL and Speakerphone Problems!? (Dave Grebe)
    Re: Cell Phone Rental in Europe (Joseph)   
    Re: Cell Phone Rental in Europe (John Levine)
    Re: Companies Subvert Search Results to Squelch Criticism (Steve Sobol)
    Re: Recommendations for Good External Faxmodems? (Robert Bonomi)
    Re: Recommendations for Good External Faxmodems? (T. Sean Weintz)
    Last Laugh! Netter Wants to Help Me Get Rich! (Patrick Townson)

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.  


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

From: Jonathan Marashlian <jsm@thlglaw.com>
Subject: The Front Lines - June 15, 2005
Date: Wed, 15 Jun 2005 16:06:44 -0400
Organization: The Helein Law Group
  

http://www.thefrontlines-hlg.com/ The FRONT LINES
http://www.thlglaw.com/

Advancing The Cause of Competition in the Telecommunications Industry 

NOTICE:   REDUCED THIRD QUARTER 2005 UNIVERSAL SERVICE FUND CONTRIBUTION
FACTOR EFFECTIVE JULY 1st 

The Wireline Competition Bureau of the FCC announced that the
Universal Service Fund contribution factor for the Third Quarter of
2005 will be 10.2%, nearly a full percentage decrease from the prior
quarterly factor of 11.1%.  The 10.2% contribution factor will become
effective unless the FCC takes action in response to the proposed
increase, which is not anticipated.

Contributors are reminded that they may not mark up federal universal
service line-item amounts above the contribution factor.  Thus,
contributors may not, during the third quarter of 2005, recover from
end users through a federal universal service line item an amount that
exceeds the interstate telecommunications charges on a customer's bill
times 10.2%.

FCC OPENS PROCEEDING TO EVALUATE ADMINISTRATION OF UNIVERSAL SERVICE FUND
PROGRAM, REDUCE FRAUD & ABUSE, AND IMPROVE COMPLIANCE 

On June 14, 2005, the Federal Communications Commission launched a
broad inquiry into the management, administration and oversight of the
Universal Service Fund.  The FCC's goals are to improve the operation
of the program for its beneficiaries and contributors and to enhance
program integrity.
 
Since 1997, the Universal Service Administrative Company ("USAC"),
which administers the USF Program, has disbursed approximately $30.3
billion from the fund.  The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking proceeding
will provide an opportunity for the FCC to work with all USF
stakeholders to learn from the experience of the past eight years and
find new, constructive ways to both meet the needs of those who depend
on the USF and protect the integrity of the program.

In particular, the FCC is seeking comment in the following areas:
 
*         Managing the Program:  The FCC is exploring ways to simplify and
streamline the management of the program.  In particular, the FCC
tentatively concludes that a multi-year application process for
telecommunications services for the E-rate and Rural Healthcare programs
would simplify the process in a way that still guards against potential
abuse.  The FCC also seeks comment on, among other things, reducing or
consolidating application forms and adopting deadlines and other criteria to
provide certainty to program applicants.

*         Improving Oversight:  The FCC seeks comment on the effectiveness
of existing efforts to protect the fund against potential misuse.  The FCC
tentatively concludes that more aggressive debarment procedures are
necessary to safeguard the fund and seeks comment on ways to improve the
debarment rules.  In addition, the FCC seeks comment on establishing
independent audits for certain USF beneficiaries and contributors and seeks
comment on what rules would help ensure that any audits are effective and
fair.  The FCC is also seeking comment on establishing rules for recovering
USF monies that were not used in accordance with program rules.

*         Administrative Structure:  The FCC is examining the effectiveness
of the existing administrative structure and seeks comment on whether any
rule changes are needed to ensure the USF is administered in an effective,
competitively neutral way.   

*         Performance Measures: The FCC is seeking comment on establishing
performance measures to assess the effectiveness of the program 

Through the rulemaking process, the FCC will determine whether it needs to
change any rules in order to manage and administer the USF more effectively
while deterring waste, fraud and abuse.  

The Front Lines is a free publication of The Helein Law Group, LLLP,
providing clients and interested parties with valuable information, news,
and updates regarding regulatory and legal developments primarily impacting
companies engaged in the competitive telecommunications industry. 

The Front Lines does not purport to offer legal advice nor does it establish
a lawyer-client relationship with the reader. If you have questions about a
particular article, general concerns, or wish to seek legal counsel
regarding a specific regulatory or legal matter affecting your company,
please contact our firm at 703-714-1313 or visit our website. 

The Helein Law Group, LLLP
8180 Greensboro Drive, Suite 700
McLean, Virginia 22102

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

From: Lisa Minter <lisa_minter2001@yahoo.com>
Subject: VOIP Pioneer Aims For End of Regular Phone Networks
Date: Wed, 15 Jun 2005 09:48:07 -0500


By Steven Scheer

Jeff Pulver has a dream: That his invention a decade ago of making
phone calls using the Internet will eventually be used by everyone and
traditional phone networks and copper wires will be a thing of the
past.

"Whether that will happen in my lifetime is another story but my hope
is to basically enable people to be free -- to have the freedom to
define what their communications experience is," Pulver said in an
interview with Reuters during a visit to Israel, which he calls the
birthplace of commercial use of Internet phone calling.

Pulver is a pioneer of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology
and is a co-founder of fast growing VoIP provider, Vonage, as well as
founder of a half-dozen other VoIP firms.

Vonage has more than 700,000 subscribers and is adding 15,000 a week
in the expectations of hitting 1 million by year end.

A number of competitors -- as well as many cable companies and large
telcommunication firms -- have sprouted up around the United States
and around the world as Internet voice services have become cheaper
than traditional phone offerings, while quality and reliability
continue to improve.

As a result, Pulver estimates there are some 9 million paying VoIP
customers around the world -- 6 million of them in Asia -- and
millions more with Skype, the Web site that allows for phone calls
around the world for free to and from computers.

"Skype is a major player," Pulver said. "So, if you look to the future
there is an opportunity to grow big. The market can bear a few more
Skypes."

Pulver believes the industry is at a crossroads, with so much room for
growth but a host of regulatory and financial issues confronting it.

"The last 125 years the telephone industry has replicated and
replicated but now, the DNA has changed," he said.

"The challenge is regulation and how it is adopted by governments
protecting (telecom) incumbents," Pulver said. "And, some companies
are so focused on the bottom line that they can't look outside the
box."

Pulver said there is a huge market where a company like dominant phone
company Bezeq Israel Telecom, for instance, could offer virtual
Israeli phone numbers to its citizens living abroad using VoIP.

The same could be said for any country, he said, adding another focus
for VoIP would be to blend messaging offerings into intergrated
devices.

"It's up to the kids now in high school," Pulver said. "They need to
look at the technology they are playing with and commercialise those."


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.

For a good combination of USA Today/United Press International news
and BBC World Service Radio, check out 
http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/internetnews.html ; never any login
or registration requirements.  

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

From: Lisa Minter <lisa_minter2001@yaho.com>
Subject: Intermix Media Settles Lawsuit With Sptizer, NY Attorney General
Date: Wed, 15 Jun 2005 09:51:42 -0500


Company settles 'spyware' lawsuit for $7.5 mln

Intermix Media Inc. has agreed to pay the state of New York $7.5
million to settle a lawsuit charging it with bundling hidden "spyware"
along with millions of programs it gave away for free, the company
said on Tuesday.

The company also said it would permanently discontinue distribution of
its adware, redirect and tool bar programs, all of which Intermix
noted it has previously stopped distributing. Intermix said it did not
admit any wrongdoing or liability.

Intermix shares rose $1.50, or 24.6 percent, to $7.60 in after-hours
trading on Inet following the news.

The settlement deal follows New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer's
April lawsuit charging that the company's practice of bundling hidden
spyware violated state laws prohibiting false advertising and
deceptive business practices.

It also came as the company on Tuesday posted a fourth quarter net
loss of $409,000 compared with a loss of $4.4 million a year
ago. Revenue rose to $24.1 million from $14.4 million, boosted by
gains at its Alena business unit and network segment.

The results also reflected a gain of $6.3 million related to an
investment in its newly-formed, majority-owned subsidiary MySpace
Inc. and a $6.9 million reserve established in connection with
Spitzer's lawsuit, Intermix said.

Spitzer's office had sought to stop Los Angeles-based Intermix from
secretly installing software on users' computers, make it return money
it made from the process and pay a fine.

These programs were secretly bundled with others designed to deliver
pop-up advertising or steer Web traffic to an Intermix search engine,
Spitzer charged in the lawsuit.

Under terms of the settlement, Intermix agreed to pay $7.5 million to
the state over three years. Since Spitzer's initial inquiry, Intermix
also said it has created the position of chief privacy officer and
worked with federal regulators to help protect Internet consumers.


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.

Also see http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/nytimes.html for daily
reports from New York Times, Christian Science Monitor and NPR News.

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

From: Lisa Minter <lisa_minter2001@yahoo.com>
Subject: AOL Users Most Likely to Make Zombie of Your Computer
Date: Wed, 15 Jun 2005 09:55:31 -0500


By Andy Sullivan

Internet "zombie" attacks that attempt to knock computer systems
offline are more likely to come from users of America Online than any
other source, according to a report released by a security company on
Tuesday.

AOL and other large Internet service providers serve as launching pads
for most "denial of service" attacks, according to Prolexic
Technologies, which helps companies fend off such attacks.

Other top sources of such attacks include T-Mobile's German-based
service; Wanadoo, a French Internet provider; and Comcast Corp.

Prolexic chief technology officer Barrett Lyon said the report could
indicate that some Internet providers don't protect their customers as
much as companies like EarthLink Inc. that don't show up on the list.

"Their clients may be exposed differently or they may be doing a poor
job of filtering certain things from their clients," Lyon said in an
interview, referring to AOL and the other providers named in the
report.

But such figures only show that AOL has a much larger user base than
other Internet providers who account for nearly as many attacks,
spokesman Andrew Weinstein said.

"This survey is a huge victory for our members. If they're three to
four times less likely to be compromised than their peers that's not a
bad thing," Weinstein said.

AOL provides antivirus, anti-spyware and firewall services for its
members, and those who are compromised probably haven't updated their
software recently, he said.

Denial-of-service attacks harness thousands of computers in a
coordinated effort to knock Web sites or other computer systems
offline through an unrelenting data blitz.

Early DDoS attacks targeted the U.S. government or high-profile online
vendors like eBay. Over the past year, criminals have used DDoS
attacks to extort payments from online gambling operations, banks and
other businesses, or to attack competitors.

Cybercriminals use worms or viruses to secretly hijack unprotected
computers to use in such attacks. Zombie networks also are used by
spammers to cover their tracks.

DDoS attacks are increasing in frequency from one or two a month to
one or two a week as attackers constantly try different methods to
take down their targets, Lyon said.

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission last month asked Internet providers
to disconnect their customers' computers if they find they have been
compromised. Law enforcers in 25 other countries are also taking
efforts to shut down such "zombie" networks.

Though U.S.-based computers were responsible for the largest portion
of DDoS traffic at 18 percent, countries like Hong Kong, Germany,
Malaysia and the United Kingdom had higher percentages of infected
computers, Prolexic said.

Prolexic based its report on attacks it saw over the last six months.

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.

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

Date: Wed, 15 Jun 2005 12:45:53 EDT
From: Telecom dailyLead from USTA <usta@dailylead.com>
Subject: BT Launches World's First Fixed-Mobile Service


Telecom dailyLead from USTA
June 15, 2005
http://www.dailylead.com/latestIssue.jsp?i=22352&l=2017006

		TODAY'S HEADLINES
	
NEWS OF THE DAY
* BT launches world's first fixed-mobile service
BUSINESS & INDUSTRY WATCH
* MCI shareholder launches proxy fight
* Yahoo! buys Internet telephony company
* Verizon cuts DSL price by 33%
* Sirius, Sprint strike mobile music deal
* RBOCs seek data on GPONs
USTA SPOTLIGHT 
* See USTA's Small Company Summit Presentations Online -- Free
EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES
* Napster goes wireless with Ericsson
REGULATORY & LEGISLATIVE
* FCC to review USF

Follow the link below to read quick summaries of these stories and others.
http://www.dailylead.com/latestIssue.jsp?i=22352&l=2017006

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

From: NOTvalid@XmasNYC.Info
Subject: Email to Former AT&T Phones Now Cingular
Date: 15 Jun 2005 09:30:05 -0700


AT&T: 10-digit-number@mobile.att.net formerly worked but no longer

Cingular: 10-digit-number@mobile.mycingular.net may work for original
Cingular customers.

What is the current methods to send text msgs to former AT&T now
Cingluar cell phone numbers?



[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I think @mobile.mycingular.com (or .net)
works for the AT&T displaced customers as well.   PAT

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

From: Michael D. Sullivan <userid@camsul.example.invalid>
Subject: Re: Schools Prohibit Personal E-mail Sites
Date: Wed, 15 Jun 2005 05:31:13 GMT


> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Here is a question for the collected
> readership: _If_ Bell had not gotten divested, and was still in
> charge of most everything relating to telecommunications, what would
> the internet be like today?  Would it all be run by 'the telephone
> company'? Would we be getting all our attachments and peripherals from
> the telephone company? I suggest that might be the case. What do the
> rest of you think?  PAT]

The Internet wouldn't be run by the "telephone company."  It would be
a very limited linkup between universities and defense contractors who
could afford to pay for the $1000+ per month 256k high-speed lines
needed.  The rest of us would still be using the Source, Compuserve,
and BIX over dialup, using special utilities to minimize toll call
time.


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


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: _You_ might be doing that, but I 
suspect I would be doing like I was around 20-25 years ago: I
called into eecs.nwu.edu on my user account there, since it was
a local call, then telnetted over to either bu.edu  or lcs.mit.edu
where I could work in peace. In those days, I was a Unix account
collector. I had Unix accounts on several university systems, such
as Northwestern, Boston University, Berkeley in California and a
couple others.  The only one that was local to me (in terms of the
telco charges) was Northwestern University in Evanston, where I
had an account on alpha.eecs.nwu.edu (which was also known as
alpha.nwu.bitnet). After Bill Pfieffer started his rec.radio.broadcasting
newsgroup using the University of Illinois at Chicago computers, he
got for me an account on uics.edu as well, and I traded to him one of
my accounts at Berkeley; a machine known these days as remarque.org
but back then it was (something).berkeley.edu . I suspect I would get
along okay. 

Admittedly I would not spend the _hours_ each day logged into massis I
do now. I prefer (or did prefer, before my own brain got so scrambled
up) to use a shell in my work -- preferably tc-shell or c-shell (I use
tc-shell and emacs in putting this Digest together each day (along
with various other scripts) and whenever I have reason to chat with an
ISP, one of my first questions to them is 'if I place my account with
you, can I have a shell to work with and use my scripts?'  Their
answer is always no, so that ends the discussion.  PAT]

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

Subject: Re: Schools Prohibit Personal E-mail Sites
Date: Wed, 15 Jun 2005 12:00:14 -0400
From: Charles Cryderman <Charles.Cryderman@globalcrossing.com>


The one thing I have noticed in this thread is that nobody has
mentioned the fact that the reason could be e-mails with virus or
Trojan Horses.  My employer had no issue with employees checking
outside e-mail accounts but has since blocked all outside access due
to these problems. It is hard to believe that someone working for a
communications company can be duped into opening these e-mails which
infect the company's intranet, so what would you expect of a child?
This could simply be nothing more then the schools trying to keep
their network safe, as well as helping to remove a distraction that
the kids don't need.


Chip Cryderman


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: That is a very good point!  PAT]

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

From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com
Subject: Re: Cellular Phone Spam
Date: 15 Jun 2005 10:22:34 -0700


> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note:  'The hole through which
> spammers collect new addresses' is usually some technical employee (at
> the email system in question) has cut a deal with some spammer to
> provide them with new account names.

Doesn't it bother people that employees are leaking confidential
information that results in inconvenience and higher cost to
customers?


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Somehow I doubt that the miscreant
employee tells his supervisor what he is doing in his spare time. 
Or hell, maybe it _is_ his supervisor who is doing it. And what do
you mean about 'inconvenience and higher cost'?  Any real man knows
how to fix his computer to get rid of all that stuff and run faster
than ever; either that or he just accepts his lot in life and calls
it quits. After all, we cannot tell other sites how to do business.
PAT]

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

From: NOTvalid@XmasNYC.Info
Subject: Re: Cellular Phone Spam
Date: 15 Jun 2005 09:03:23 -0700


I am tempted to try this test:

Set up an email as a catch-all so that I get anything sent to
'*@mydomain.Info". Then post a message on usenet with
anyname@mydomain.Info and see if after the '*@mydomain.Info".gets
harvested dictionary blasts are used.


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: You might very well, and certainly
dictionary attacks are common enough, but it is far more likely,
IMO, one or more spams within a few minutes of opening the account
is more that likely a devious registrar employee who has a deal
on the side of his own with some spammer operation. PAT]

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

From: Michael D. Sullivan <userid@camsul.example.invalid>
Subject: Re: Please Explain LATA
Date: Wed, 15 Jun 2005 05:42:34 GMT


pisicuta60634@yahoo.com wrote:

> Can somebody tell me what LATA is?

Local Access and Transportation Area.  It's a term from the 1982
Modification of Final Judgment -- the consent decree breaking up AT&T
 -- that represented the "exchange area" for purposes of local
telephone service.  The LATA is the area within which a Bell local
telephone company could transport calls.  Anything beyond the LATA had
to be handed off to an Interexchange Carrier, or IXC.  Some LATAs were
very large, and as a result, even though the intraLata traffic was
deemed "local" for purposes of the MFJ and could be provided by the
Bell LEC, it was actually divided up into multiple exchange areas for
purposes of call rating.  This led to "IntraLata toll" or
"short-distance" calls that the Bell could handle even though they
were considered toll calls, with a per-minute charge.

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

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

Date: Wed, 15 Jun 2005 05:57:24 -0400
From: burris <responder@comcast.net>
Subject: Re: Please Explain LATA


pisicuta60634@yahoo.com wrote:

> Can somebody tell me what LATA is?

> Thanks.

This is the definition ... you can dig in from here ...

http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/L/LATA.html

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

From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com
Subject: Re: Please Explain LATA
Date: 15 Jun 2005 07:25:33 -0700


pisicuta60634@yahoo.com wrote:

> Can somebody tell me what LATA is?

It used to have more significance than it has now.

If you are concerned about long distance telephone charges, keep in
mind that today many local telephone companies (the Baby Bells) offer
long distance service and long distance carriers carry local calls so
the LATA is not as significant anymore.

IMHO, what really matters is the overall rate plan for all toll calls
(short distance and long distance) that you make.

A very brief definition would the boundary between a local and long
distance calling area.  Calls within a LATA were handled by your local
company (even if toll), calls between LATAs were handled by your long
distance company.

The front of your telephone directory should have a LATA map.

However, there were numerous exceptions right fromt the start. As
mentioned, long distance companies now carry local calls and local
companies now carry long distance calls.

LATAs may contain multiple area codes, or split up area codes.  LATAs
may span multiple states or be within a state.

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

From: Clark W. Griswold, Jr. <spamtrap100@comcast.net>
Subject: Re: Please Explain LATA
Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 20:42:27 -0600


pisicuta60634@yahoo.com wrote:

> Can somebody tell me what LATA is?

Local Access and Transport Area -- but you could have learned that from
Google.

This goes back to the days when Long Distance really meant something.

As a part of the AT&T breakup oh so many years ago and the
introduction of competitive long distance, the country was divided up
into a bunch of small areas. The local operating company was permitted
to handle calls within the LATA, but had to hand the call off to a
long distance company for calls outside the LATA.

Although LATAs had number similar to area codes, there was no
correlation. In low density areas (like North Dakota), the LATA and
area code covered the same territory. In high density areas an single
area code could have manay LATAs.

While LATAs almost certainly still exist on the books, the rules
changed a few years ago to allow local operating companies into the
long distance business.  I'm not sure LATAs have any meaningful
significance anymore.

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

From: Joseph <JoeOfSeattle@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: Please Explain LATA
Date: Wed, 15 Jun 2005 10:32:16 -0700
Reply-To: JoeOfSeattle@yahoo.com


On 14 Jun 2005 14:38:42 -0700, pisicuta60634@yahoo.com wrote:

> Can somebody tell me what LATA is?

Local Access and Transport Area.  Essentially the geographical area
defining local telephone service.  Generally LATAs have "local"
interests in common for example the Portland, Oregon LATA carves out a
section of northwest Oregon and southwest Washington state.  The
eastern Massachusetts LATA includes most of eastern Massachusetts from
Worcester to Boston/Newberryport to Cape Cod.  Washington state is
devided into three LATAs western Washington excluding the southwestern
portion, Portland-Vancouver LATA and eastern Washington east of the
Cascade range.

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

From: Tim@Backhome.org
Subject: Re: Please Explain LATA
Date: Wed, 15 Jun 2005 10:47:16 -0700
Organization: Cox Communications


Local Access Transport Area.  They generally are within a state, but
can cross state lines within a common area of interest.  They were the
areas where local phone companies could carry "local" long distance
calls.

The lines are pretty much blurred now, though.

pisicuta60634@yahoo.com wrote:

> Can somebody tell me what LATA is?

> Thanks.

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

Subject: Re: Please Explain LATA
Date: Wed, 15 Jun 2005 16:21:46 -0400
From: Charles Cryderman <Charles.Cryderman@globalcrossing.com>


pisicuta60634 inquired as to what LATA is.

Well the simple answer is imaginary boundaries that were created to out
line the local telephone company monopolies had exclusive control over.
They were created after Judge Green broke apart AT&T into the long
distance company and the Baby Bells.

See:  http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/L/LATA.html


Chip Cryderman

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

From: Dave Grebe <DGrebe@ix.netcom.com>
Subject: Re: DSL and Speakerphone Problems!?
Date: Wed, 15 Jun 2005 02:04:15 GMT
Organization: EarthLink Inc. -- http://www.EarthLink.net


Steven O. wrote:

> Ever since I got DSL (from Verizon), I have been having problems with
> the speakerphone service.  I've tried two or three phones, and for
> some reason, although I can hear people speaking when I try to use the
> speakerphone on my regular phone, no one can hear me when I speak.
> Has anyone else had similar problems with DSL service?

<stuff deleted>

Do you have a DSL filter in series with the speaker phone?  My DSL kit
came with several "Z-Blocker" DSL filters, you're supposed to put them
in series with all the phones since some phones will interfere with
DSL, and DSL will interfere with some phones.

Dave Grebe

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

From: Joseph <JoeOfSeattle@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: Cell Phone Rental in Europe
Date: Wed, 15 Jun 2005 10:21:19 -0700
Reply-To: JoeOfSeattle@yahoo.com


On 14 Jun 2005 13:02:13 -0700, Sandyman <mshawn@roadpost.com> wrote:

> Try Roadpost http://www.roadpost.com .  You can get a rental that
> includes 30 flat rate minutes (no long distance charges!) for less
> than $60 or $70 if I remember right, with their summer special.  If
> you get their Greece service, the incoming calls when you're in Greece
> will be free.  I think that phone will also work in Turkey.  I've used
> them, I was very happy.

You say $60 or $70 per week is certainly no bargain when you can get a
second-hand phone to *keep* for that kind of money and just buy a
local prepaid account readily available in lots of local places.

Also, you may not be aware, but it's likely that if you rent a phone
in Greece the phone may work in Turkey if you're "renting" a post paid
account.  It's also likely even if you are you'll pay huge roaming
costs outside the home country.  Sure it will work, but at what cost?

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

Date: 15 Jun 2005 03:09:05 -0000
From: John Levine <johnl@iecc.com>
Subject: Re: Cell Phone Rental in Europe
Organization: I.E.C.C., Trumansburg NY USA


> Try Roadpost http://www.roadpost.com .  You can get a rental that
> includes 30 flat rate minutes (no long distance charges!) for less
> than $60 or $70 if I remember right, with their summer special.

Why would you want to pay $70 to rent a phone that you could buy and
keep for under $50?  I went and priced Greek prepaid SIMs.  You can
get them for E19.90 which includes E8 of airtime, which is about 25
local minutes.  If you talk more than that, you can buy more airtime
credit.

> If you get their Greece service, the incoming calls when you're in
> Greece will be free.  I think that phone will also work in Turkey.

All European countries use GSM 900/1800 phones, so a phone that works
in one country will work in all of them.  They all are caller pays, so
as long as you have a SIM and phone number for the country you're in,
incoming calls are always free to you, although rather pricey to the
caller.

R's,

John

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

From: Steve Sobol <sjsobol@JustThe.net>
Subject: Re: Companies Subvert Search Results to Squelch Criticism
Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 20:21:18 -0700
Organization: Glorb Internet Services, http://www.glorb.com


Barry Margolin wrote:

>>> It's not illegal, but it's SEO gone bad. Companies such as Quixtar are
>>> using Google-bombing, link farms and Web spam pages to place positive
>>> sites in the top search results -- which pushes the negative ones
>>> down.

>> Yeah, and there may be no laws against it, but if it's done on a large
>> enough basis you can bet they'll get sued.

> On what grounds?

Google has money and I'm sure they have hired competent, resourceful
attorneys who could find something reasonable and make it
stick. Something fraud-related, possibly, or they might be able to
point to violations of their Terms of Service.

> against frivilous lawsuits, which is what such a lawsuit (as manipulating
> a search engine) would be.  PAT]

Oh, really? Creating fraudulent search engine results is not a valid
reason for a lawsuit?


JustThe.net - Steve Sobol / sjsobol@JustThe.net / PGP: 0xE3AE35ED
Coming to you from Southern California's High Desert, where the
temperatures are as high as the gas prices! / 888.480.4NET (4638)

"Life's like an hourglass glued to the table"   --Anna Nalick, "Breathe"

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

From: bonomi@host122.r-bonomi.com (Robert Bonomi)
Subject: Re: Recommendations for Good External Faxmodems?
Date: Wed, 15 Jun 2005 04:51:31 -0000
Organization: Widgets, Inc.


In article <telecom24.268.8@telecom-digest.org>,
 <colin@nospamamail.com> wrote:

> Are there any good external faxmodems to be used for a VOIP connection
> for under $35?

"You can have it 'good',  or you can have it 'cheap'.  Pick one."

Fax over VoIP is somewhat 'iffy' anyway. unless the VoIP provider
expressly provides support for it.  The audio characteristics are
significantly different from voice conversation,

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

From: T. Sean Weintz <strap@hanh-ct.org>
Subject: Re: Recommendations for Good External Faxmodems?
Date: Wed, 15 Jun 2005 12:11:43 -0400


colin@nospamamail.com wrote:

> Are there any good external faxmodems to be used for a VOIP connection
> for under $35?

Under $35? No.

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

From: Dennis Adams <Adams327@aol.com>
Reply-To: Dennis Adams <Adams327@aol.com>
Subject: Last Laugh! Fw: You Can Make 30k in 30 Days
Date: Wed, 15 Jun 2005 13:37:56 -0600


Hello there future business owner,
 
Would you like at least $1500.00 to $3500.00 per day, just for
returning phone calls? I do!  If you have a telephone and can return
calls you are fully qualified for this program.
 
Give Us A Call At: 1 888 238 3164 Anytime, 24 hours/day.

Sincerely,

Dennis Adams


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Sounds like a great deal to me! I would
love to make $1500-3500 per day in my business. Lord only knows I do
not make that much from the cheats at Google with their Ad-Sense
program; no where close. This sounds like such excitement and fun I
am going to suggest to other readers here that they call you for more
information. Of course, a lot of the guys are busy and on the road,
so they may have to call you from pay phones, but you know the routine
I imagine.   Thanks for writing to tip me off to this great
opportunity to make me rich.   PAT]

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


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
networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, Yahoo Groups, and
other forums.  It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the
moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'.

TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational
service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents
of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in
some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work
and that of the original author.

Contact information:    Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest
                        Post Office Box 50
                        Independence, KS 67301
                        Phone: 620-402-0134
                        Fax 1: 775-255-9970
                        Fax 2: 530-309-7234
                        Fax 3: 208-692-5145         
                        Email: editor@telecom-digest.org

Subscribe:  telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org
Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@telecom-digest.org

This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm-
unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and
published continuously since then.  Our archives are available for
your review/research. We believe we are the oldest e-zine/mailing list
on the internet in any category!

URL information:        http://telecom-digest.org

Anonymous FTP: mirror.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives/
  (or use our mirror site: ftp.epix.net/pub/telecom-archives)

RSS Syndication of TELECOM Digest: http://telecom-digest.org/rss.html
  For syndication examples see http://www.feedrollpro.com/syndicate.php?id=308
    and also http://feeds.feedburner.com/TelecomDigest

*************************************************************************
*   TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from                  *
*   Judith Oppenheimer, President of ICB Inc. and purveyor of accurate  *
*   800 & Dot Com News, Intelligence, Analysis, and Consulting.         *
*   http://ICBTollFree.com, http://1800TheExpert.com                    *
*   Views expressed herein should not be construed as representing      *
*   views of Judith Oppenheimer or ICB Inc.                             *
*************************************************************************

ICB Toll Free News.  Contact information is not sold, rented or leased.

One click a day feeds a person a meal.  Go to http://www.thehungersite.com

Copyright 2004 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved.
Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA.

              ************************

DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE JUST 65 CENTS ONE OR TWO INQUIRIES CHARGED TO
YOUR CREDIT CARD!  REAL TIME, UP TO DATE! SPONSORED BY TELECOM DIGEST
AND EASY411.COM   SIGN UP AT http://www.easy411.com/telecomdigest !

              ************************

Visit http://www.mstm.okstate.edu and take the next step in your
career with a Master of Science in Telecommunications Management
(MSTM) degree from Oklahoma State University (OSU). This 35
credit-hour interdisciplinary program is designed to give you the
skills necessary to manage telecommunications networks, including
data, video, and voice networks.

The MSTM degree draws on the expertise of the OSU's College
of Business Administration; the College of Arts and Sciences; and the
College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology. The program has
state-of-the-art lab facilities on the Stillwater and Tulsa campus
offering hands-on learning to enhance the program curriculum.  Classes
are available in Stillwater, Tulsa, or through distance learning.

Please contact Jay Boyington for additional information at
405-744-9000, mstm-osu@okstate.edu, or visit the MSTM web site at
http://www.mstm.okstate.edu

              ************************

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

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 fifty 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.

End of TELECOM Digest V24 #269
******************************

Return to Archives**Older Issues