TELECOM Digest     Wed, 19 Oct 2005 14:02:00 EDT    Volume 24 : Issue 474

Inside This Issue:                             Editor: Patrick A. Townson

    Google Loses Name 'gmail' in Lawsuit Against Company (Reuters News Wire)
    Email Spammers Face Jail Time Under New Nigerian Laws (Camillus Eboh)
    Highlights of Third-Quarter Results Cingular Wireless (Monty Solomon)
    Easements (was Alamogordo Telephone Office) (Neal McLain)
    How Switchboards Work? (AM)
    Heights Some People Go to Avoiding Telcos and Cable (Danny Burstein)
    Cellular-News For Wednesday 19th October 2005 (Cellular-News)
    Re: Note to Drivers: Lose the Phone (and Lipstick) (Paul Coxwell)
    Re: Giant Conspiracy or Just Rotten Luck? (William Warren)
    Re: Giant Conspiracy or Just Rotten Luck? (Harold Hallikainen)
    Re: TV Show - Legacy Phone in Scene (Joseph)
    Re: TV Show - Legacy Phone in Scene (Tim@Backhome.org)

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: Reuters News Wire <reuters@telecom-digest.org> 
Subject: Google Loses Name 'gmail' in Lawsuit Against Company
Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2005 11:50:29 -0500


Internet search leader Google has been forced to change the name of
its free Gmail email service in Britain after failing to secure the
necessary trademark.

Google has been sparring with UK financial research company
Independent International Investment Research (IIIR) since launching
Gmail on April 1, 2004 and shaking up the free email market by
offering large amounts of storage for free.

Starting Wednesday, British users who sign up for Gmail, which has
been in a "beta" trial phase since its launch last year, will receive
addresses ending in "googlemail.co.uk" rather than "gmail.com."
Existing users will be able to keep their current email addresses, the
company said.

IIIR's Pronet subsidiary has a Web-based email service called G-Mail.
Google did not file a trademark application until its own service had
already launched. The two companies have been in heated negotiations
to settle the dispute, but they have been unable to reach an
agreement.

"This company has been very focused on a monetary settlement," Google
said in a statement. "We went back and forth trying to settle on
reasonable terms, but the sums of money this company is demanding are
exorbitant."

Google has already changed the name of its email service from Gmail to
Googlemail in Germany, but said it does not plan to change the name in
any other countries.  "Google asked us at one point what it would cost
to make the problem go away. We had an independent valuation
commission assess what the value of the trademark actually is, but we
couldn't reach a settlement," IIIR Chairman and Chief Executive Shane
Smith told Reuters.

The IIR-commissioned assessment pegged the value of the Gmail name at a
minimum of 25 million pounds.


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: Camillus Eboh <reuters@telecom-digest.org>
Subject: Email Spammers Face Jail Time Under New Nigerian Laws
Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2005 11:50:03 -0500


By Camillus Eboh

ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigeria, home to some of the world's most notorious
cyber crimes, has proposed a law making spamming a criminal offence for
which senders of unsolicited emails could be jailed for at least three
years.

The draft law identifies the use of computers for fraud, spamming,
identity theft, child pornography and terrorism as criminal offences
punishable by jail terms of between six months and five years, and
fines of 10,000 naira to 1 million naira.

Under the bill, which has to be approved by the National Assembly to
become law, convicted spammers face jail terms of three to five years
and could also be made to hand the proceeds of crime to the government.

"Any person spamming electronic messages to recipients with whom he
has no previous relationship commits an offence," said a section of
the draft law obtained by Reuters on Wednesday.

Under the proposed law, service providers who aid and abet cyber crimes
and fail to cooperate with law enforcement agents could be fined between
500,000 and 10 million naira.

The draft law empowers law enforcement agents to enter and search any
premises or computer and arrest any person in connection with an
offence.

The advance fee email scam, known as "419" after the relevant section
of the Nigerian Criminal Code, is a computer age version of a con game
dating back hundreds of years and is sometimes called "The Spanish
Prisoner."

Typically spammers send millions of unsolicited emails around the
world promising recipients a share in a fortune in return for an
advance fee.  Those who pay wait in vain for the promised windfall.

President Olusegun Obasanjo has been keen to clean Nigeria's image as
a country of spammers and one of the world's most corrupt nations
since he was elected in 1999, ending 15 years of military rule in
Africa's to oil producer. President Obasanjo noted that "these people,
these spammers, have almost ruined any chance for Nigeria to compete
in the international community because of their deliberate cheating. I
will not permit our country to be ruined like that. From now on,
severe punishment awaits every one of them."

He set up the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in 2003 to crack
down on email fraudsters who had elevated scamming to one of the
country's main foreign exchange earners after oil, natural gas and
cocoa, according to campaigners.

The anti-fraud agency is investigating hundreds of suspects and
prosecuting over 50 cases involving about 100 suspects.

The agency got its first major conviction in July when a court
sentenced a woman whose late husband masterminded the swindling of
$242 million from Brazilian Banco Noroeste S.A. between 1995 and 1998,
one of the world's biggest email scams.

The agency signed a deal with Microsoft last week to help fight
spamming, phishing, spyware, viruses and counterfeiting. President
Obasanjo noted that "the fine American company Microsoft is going to
help us bring an end to this scourge against the citizens of our
country. Starting now, all spammers in Nigeria will go to jail. "

Copyright 2005, Reuters.

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: It will indeed be good if Microsoft
takes a leadership role in helping this backward country (Nigeria)
clean up its act.   PAT]

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

Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2005 08:39:44 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: Highlights of Third-Quarter Results for Cingular Wireless


- Normalized OIBDA margin of 31.6 percent for the quarter, a 270-basis-
       point sequential improvement

     - Gross subscriber additions of 4.4 million and net subscriber
       additions of 867 thousand; 52.3 million cellular/PCS
       subscribers at quarter's end

     - Data ARPU grows to $4.33, a sequential improvement of 4.1
       percent

     - Continued strength in enterprise services, with more than 700
       new high-end service contracts in the quarter

     - UMTS/HSDPA roll-out on track

     - Merger initiatives on or ahead of schedule

     - Continued progress in transitioning subscribers to GSM, with 93
       percent of minutes now on Cingular's GSM network

ATLANTA, Oct. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Cingular Wireless, which is a joint
venture between SBC Communications Inc. (NYSE:SBC) and BellSouth
Corporation (NYSE:BLS), today reported solid third-quarter results
driven by expanded margins, progress on merger initiatives, growth of
data ARPU, and continued strength in enterprise services.

For the quarter, the nation's largest wireless provider had OIBDA
margins, normalized to exclude merger-related integration costs and
costs associated with Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, of 31.6 percent,
which represents a sequential improvement of 270 basis points.  (OIBDA
margin is operating income (loss) before depreciation and
amortization, divided by total service revenues.)  For the first time
since its acquisition of AT&T Wireless, Cingular's OIBDA margins were
higher than in the comparable quarter in the prior year.

This strong showing in margins was in part the result of the company's
continued progress in its merger integration initiatives, which are on
or ahead of schedule.  For example, by the end of the year Cingular
will have integrated its own and former AT&T Wireless GSM networks in
30 markets and created a single TDMA network in all its markets.

Cingular's data ARPU improved 4.1 percent sequentially to $4.33, and
the company's Business Markets Group signed up more than 700 new
high-end service contracts in the quarter.

Gross subscriber additions continued to be strong at 4.4 million.  Net
additions were 867 thousand, which was 7.3 percent higher than pro
forma net additions in the year-ago third quarter.  Postpaid net
additions were up by 56 percent compared to the year-ago third
quarter.  (Pro forma results reflect the acquisition of AT&T Wireless,
plus related acquisitions and dispositions, as if they had occurred on
January 1, 2003.)  Cingular ended the third quarter of 2005 with 52.3
million cellular/PCS subscribers.

Monthly subscriber churn was 2.3 percent, which was a sequential
increase of 10 basis points, and post-paid churn was 2.0 percent,
which was a sequential increase of 20 basis points.  Churn results
reflect seasonal patterns and a relatively high number of contract
expirations in the quarter, the company noted.

     - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=52449401

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

From: Neal McLain <nmclain@annsgarden.com>
Subject: Easements (was Alamogordo Telephone Office)
Reply-To: nmclain@annsgarden.com
Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2005 03:10:30 -0400


hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote:

> As I understand real estate law, such easements for utilities are 
> part of the general law and not necessarily shown on someone's
> deed. There is nothing to stop the phone, power, or water company 
> from digging up your front lawn to run or maintain lines, whether 
> you like it or not.

True, provided that the easement document has been recorded.  Such
easements may be recorded as part of a plat map, a survey map, or a
separate document.

Individual property deeds often include some catchall phrase like
"subject of easements of record"; however, recorded easements still
apply even if individual deeds don't mention them.

> The law is fuzzier when it comes to newer services such as cable 
> and fiber optic.

Franchised cable TV operators have a federal right to utilize
easements recorded "for compatible uses."  47 U.S.C. 541(a)(2).  The
term "compatible uses" is usually construed to mean easements
dedicated for electric power and/or telephone facilities.
http://tinyurl.com/84syy

In most states, telcos offering cable TV-like video services must
obtain local CATV franchises; thus, they have the same federal right
to use easements.  In Texas, SBC now has a statewide CATV franchise,
which presumably grants it the same right; however, there will
undoubtedly be much litigation before it's settled.

> They [cable TV operators] don't have quite the same "common 
> carrier" status as the old line utility service.

Cable TV operators are indeed not common carriers, but that doesn't
mean they don't have a legal right to use recorded easements.  See my
previous post on this subject at http://tinyurl.com/7onfs .

> Even established carriers have to handle things differently for new
> services.  For example, when Verizon strung fiber through our area
> for its FIOS service, they needed municipal permission ...

i.e., a cable TV franchise.

> ... and they did not provide it universally.

If Verizon obtained a franchise that does not impose the same
requirements on Verizon that it imposes on the incumbent cable TV
franchisee, you can expect some litigation.

SBC's statewide franchise in Texas contains a similar exemption, and
Time Warner has already field suit.

Neal McLain

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

From: AM <am@am.am>
Reply-To: am@am.am
Subject: How Switchboards Work?
Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2005 15:01:05 GMT
Organization: [Infostrada]


Hello telco gurus,

I am new about switchboards and our telco operator talked to me about
analysis trees and so on that are a default for a switchboard.

I would gather material and documents about how a switchboard works.

Could you point me in the right direction, please? Any link will be
appreciate.

Alex.


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: You might begin by looking through our
Frequently Asked Questions http://telecom-digest.org/index.html and
see if there is anything on those pages which can be of help to you,
and perhaps some other readers here with information about 'analysis
trees' can provide some help as well. Good luck in your research,
and stay in touch with us with any questions you have.  PAT]

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

From: Danny Burstein <dannyb@panix.com>
Subject: The Heights Some People go to Avoid Telcos and Cable
Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2005 09:44:00 -0400
Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and UNIX, NYC


" A blisteringly fast data downlink provided by a stratospheric
balloon floating 24,000 metres above the Earth has been tested for the
first time.

" The untethered, 12,000-cubic-metre helium balloon was tested on 31
August for several hours. Analysis now shows the test was a success
and sent data to the ground at 1.25 gigabits per second.  That is
thousands of times the capacity of a home broadband internet
connection and the first time such a link has been tested from the
stratosphere.....

[ snip ]

http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn8177

( and... a url in the article gets you to some video:

http://www.capanina.org/documents/CAPANINA_testing_tracking_system.mpg

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

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

Subject: Cellular-News for Wednesday 19th October 2005
Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2005 07:29:34 -0500
From: Cellular-News <dailydigest@cellular-news-mail.com>


Cellular-News - http://www.cellular-news.com

3G, Other Market Trends Challenge Handset Component Makers
http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14462.php

Wireless handset component makers are scrambling to support some
challenging market trends including the proliferation of 3G services,
reports In-Stat. By mid-2005, the number of 3G subscribers (CDMA2000
1X EV-DO & WCDMA) exceeded 50 million, the hig...

Samsung Handset with Hard Drive
http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14461.php

Samsung has introduced a 3GB hard-drive embedded phone, model
SPH-V7900. This is Samsung's latest model equipped with a hard disc
drive following the world's first mobile phone equipped with 1.5GB
hard disc drive, model SPH-V5400, which Samsung intro...

Overview of the Jordanian Telecoms Market
http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14460.php

Sailing into un-chartered regional telecom territory, Jordan leads the
region in full telecom market liberalization. Jordan is now one of the
regional pioneers in the full liberalization of the communications
market. By end of 2004, the exclusivity o...

Improving T-Mobile's Network
http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14459.php

Over 1,000 of T-Mobile Germany's mobile stations have been modernized
by Ericsson since July says the company. The network quality will once
again be noticeably improved with the replacement of the equipment. In
addition, operating and energy costs w...

Orange Testing 3G Evolution Technologies
http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14458.php

Orange Slovakia says that it is testing two technical solutions that
would give Orange customers mobile broadband internet access with
megabit speeds. The first, HSDPA, can reach peak sector speeds of up
to 14 Mbps under ideal conditions. HSDPA is a ...

CDMA Deployment in Macau
http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14457.php

Lucent Technologies has completed the deployment of a CDMA2000 1X
network for Macau Unicom, a subsidiary of China Unicom based in
Macau. As part of Macau Unicom's CDMA2000 1X network deployment,
Lucent supplied its Compact 4.0 base stations and mobil...

Automatic handset Configuration Live on Four Networks
http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14456.php

Insignia Solutions has said that it is supporting four mobile operator
deployments of the new Insignia Automatic Device Configuration
(Insignia ADC) solution. ADC allows mobile operators to trigger device
management operations automatically when a mo...

HSDPA is Just Around the Corner
http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14455.php

High speed downlink packet access (HSDPA) will soon become a
commercial reality, with many operators currently conducting
trials. IDC expects many of the operators to launch in 2006, but a
minority number are seeking to open their respective networks...

Improving Austrian Network Perfomance
http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14454.php

Austrian mobile operator tele.ring has licensed Andrew Corporation's
Optum automated cell planning tool. Optum automatically finds the
optimal radio network configuration for an operator--the right mix of
power levels, antenna type, direction, and ti...

Analog Supporting Chinese 3G Standard
http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14453.php

Analog Devices has announced that China's ZTE Corporation has designed
it's SoftFone-LCR chipset and Datang Mobile's solution into its new 3G
TD-SCDMA U310 handset and MU100 data card. Analog Devices'
SoftFone-LCR chipset is based on the popular RAM-...

Alcatel Wins GSM Contract in Togo
http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14452.php

Alcatel has been awarded a US$15.6 million contract with Togo
Cellulaire, the leading mobile operator in Togo, to expand and upgrade
its GSM network across the country. The contract has been won through
Alcatel Shanghai Bell, Alcatel's Chinese flagsh...

Russia To Decide On Tender For Far East Cell License
http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14451.php

The Russian State Commission for Radio Frequencies said Tuesday it
will decide in November on terms for a tender for frequencies in the
Russian far east, with interested parties including KT Corp. (KTC) and
OAO Vimpel Communications (VIP). ...

French Telecom Regulator Says 76 Operators Bid For WiMax
http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14450.php

France's telecommunications regulator Tuesday said 76 operators have
indicated they intend to bid for a license to provide wireless
Internet services over a WiMax network. ...

Nextel Partners Sees 32% Gain In Sales
http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14449.php

Nextel Partners Inc. said Tuesday that third-quarter revenue rose 32%
on a preliminary basis, while the company added a record 107,200
wireless-phone customers. ...

Brazil Mobile Phone Subscribers Up 21.8% Jan-Sep
http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14448.php

Brazilian mobile phone companies added 14.3 million customers in the
first nine months of the year, bringing the total subscriber base to
79.9 million consumers, telecommunications regulator Anatel said
Tuesday. ...

Ericsson Upgrades Cingular 3G Network In Texas
http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14447.php

Swedish telecommunications equipment maker Telefon AB LM Ericsson
(ERICY) Tuesday said it has successfully upgraded Cingular Wireless'
(CIW.XX) infrastructure in the Dallas/Fort Worth market. ...

3 UK Looks To Exploit Mobile Advertising Potential
http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14446.php

3 UK, the U.K. mobile telecommunications company owned by Hutchison
Whampoa Ltd. (0013.HK), Tuesday said it sees a big opportunity to
exploit advertising opportunities on its network. ...

Nokia Makes Step Forward In Microwave Access R&D Plan
http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14445.php

Finland's Nokia Oyj (NOK) Tuesday said its Network business group has
completed a data call as part of its Worldwide Interoperability for
Microwave Access development program. ...

3 UK On Track For EBITDA Break-Even By Year End
http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14444.php

3 UK, the mobile telecommunications unit of Hutchison Whampoa
Ltd. (0013.HK), Tuesday said it is on track to achieve its key
financial target of break-even, including subscriber acquisition
costs, by the year end. ...

Ericsson Gets Orders Worth $290 Million From China Mobile Units
http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14443.php

Swedish telecommunications equipment maker Telefon AB LM Ericsson
(ERICY) Tuesday said it has received contracts worth around $290
million from Chinese operators Guangdong Mobile Communication
Corporation Ltd. and Guangxi Mobile Communication Corpora...

Europe's Mobile Phone Market Grows 10% In 3Q - GfK Research
http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14442.php

Market research firm GfK said the European handset market has
delivered 10% growth in the third quarter, with a phone from Sony
Ericsson proving the hottest sell in the period. ...

Venezuela CANTV Upgrades Contingency Reserves To $332.6 Million
http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14441.php

Venezuela's largest telecommunications company, CA Nacional Telefonos
de Venezuela (VNT), or CANTV, has decided to increase its contingency
reserves to 715 billion bolivars ($332.6 million) for the third
quarter to cover an adjustment in workers' pen...

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

Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2005 10:12:51 +0100
From: Paul Coxwell <paulcoxwell@tiscali.co.uk>
Subject: Re: Note to Drivers: Lose the Phone (and Lipstick)


>> So I guess that means no more talking on the ham radio while driving
>> as well. Or would being licensed by the FCC preclude state or local
>> laws?

> Being licensed by the FCC does trump any lower-level government
> attempt to regulate the Federally regulated activity.

> HOWEVER, the state law does not regulate use of amateur radio.  it
> regulates _driving_an_automobile_.  It says that you cannot drive
> while you are doing certain other things.  You are penalized for
> driving while doing that 'other thing', not for doing that 'other
> thing "while driving".  It is a subtle distinction, no doubt, but that
> is the way the law works.

It would also be a good idea to check the EXACT wording of your state
law.

A cellphone law was passed here in Britain a short while ago, but the
law specifically lists the relevant GSM bands and the band applies
only to equipment using those frequencies (and then only if handheld).
Thus the use of any other two-way radio while driving is still quite
legal.

-Paul

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

Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2005 08:59:46 -0400
From: William Warren <william_warren_nonoise@speakeasy.net>
Subject: Re: Giant Conspiracy or Just Rotten Luck?


Gordon S. Hlavenka wrote:

> So, what do I do now?  Obviously I'm going to call Qwest back and
> raise whatfor, but then what?  If I can't get my LD account "fixed"
> then I'll have to port the 800 number elsewhere; any suggestions for
> cheaply "parking" an 800 number?  [snip]

Check out the CLEC's in your area: in your case, the smaller ones are
the best. They'll be able to set up pretty much any arrangement you
want. Don't forget that it's YOUR number, not QWEST's. If QWEST gives
you trouble about a transfer, tell your new provider to force the
change -- there's a nominal fee, but a "force" bypasses the old carrier
completely.

> Also, any suggestions as to how somebody could be cramming these LD 
> calls onto my account?  [snip]

"Cramming" may be the right word: it's possible they're being added in
the data-processing system, either because of a programming error or
due to a mistake by a CO Tech who has set up someone else's number to
bill to yours.

I suggest you take these steps, and ignore any demand that you deal
with only one person and/or agency:

1. File a fraud complaint with the FCC, with copies to your
    Senators and Congressman.
2. File a fraud complaint with the PUC, with copies to your
    local and state officials.
3. File a fraud complaint with the telco security department.
4. File a fraud complaint with EVERY consumer-help reporter
    at EVERY local TV station.
5. File a fraud complaint with the consumer-affairs reporter
    at EVERY newspaper that serves your area.
6. Demand to see the AMA Local Usage Detail records from your
    central office. Don't let anyone tell you they can't
    provide them; they do it routinely for the police.
7. Demand to see a printout of all Call Detail Records
    that applied to your account in the billing system(s).
    Ditto for these - keep harping on how easily the police
    can get them, and remember that these are NOT the
    same as the central office records. (This is where
    cramming happens).
8. Demand that the cable department check every terminal that
    connects to your cable pair to be sure no one is doing
    clip-on fraud. Ditto the CO inside wiring.
9. Demand that the Central Office supervisor personally
    check your CO translations and certify that no other
    dial tone is being billed to your line. Ignore any
    assurances that it "couldn't happen", because it
    did and it does: the service reps usually have access
    only to a provisioning system, not the actual CO
    computer.

Long story short: make a lot of noise, and do whatever you can to
force the customer reps to deal with other departments and
agencies. ILECs are vertically structured, so it's important to go
both _up_ and _across_ the chain of command: it's harder for them to
cope with inquiries from outside their "smokestack", i.e., questions
from other agencies or departments that cross the boundaries they're
used to dealing with.

1. When you speak with anyone at QWEST or the ILEC, demand to
    have the real name and phone number for every person you
    talk to: anyone who won't give it to you is a functionary
    with no real authority.
2. Demand to speak to the the boss, again and again, and demand
    that whomever you're referred to give you _their_ boss'
    name, title, and contact number _before_ you'll talk to them.
3. Never take vague assurances that they'll "look into it" or
    that they'll "contact their supervisor". Demand a specific
    time when you will be contacted, and the name
    _and contact number_ of the person to whom the problem is
    being referred. Always ask if the contact time is after
    the shifts change, and if so, demand to go higher right
    away.
4. Consider recording your phone calls: you do NOT need to
    have a "beep" tone on the line so long as you tell people
    that they're being recorded. This is a double-edged sword,
    but it's very effective at getting you out of the lower
    echelons quickly.
5. If someone from the legal department calls you, insist on
    speaking to an attorney. Don't let them tell you that
    a lawyer can only talk to a lawyer.

Keep your eyes on the prize: you want your account flagged with a big
notice saying "Supervisor access only. Legal department must be
notified of any change. FCC/PUC inquiry pending." Your "end state" is
not just to get credit for these calls, but to be someone they want to
keep happy in the future.

Oh, and just to be safe, tell your kids that you're going to do all
this and that they may have to talk to the police, and ask them if
there is any chance they or their friends made a mistake and called
Mexico.

FWIW. YMMV. Don't ask me how I know. :-(

William


William Warren

(Filter noise from my address for direct replies)

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

From: harold@hallikainen.com <harold@hallikainen.com>
Subject: Re: Giant Conspiracy or Just Rotten Luck?
Date: 19 Oct 2005 10:23:19 -0700
Organization: http://groups.google.com


I wonder if there's a forgotten bridge tap off your pair somewhere.
Someone just plugged a phone in and it worked (on your line). It'd be
interesting to hang a line activated voice recorder (that starts when
line voltage drops) across the line to see if you can catch any of
these calls to Mexico being placed "on your line"

Harold

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

From: Joseph <JoeOfSeattle@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: TV Show - Legacy Phone in Scene
Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2005 07:07:37 -0700
Reply-To: JoeOfSeattle@yahoo.com


On 18 Oct 2005 08:17:42 -0700, hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote:

> For many years, on TV the ringer sound for a telephone often did not
> match the telephone set shown.  In earlier years a 300 set or separate
> bell box ringer would be used for a 500 set.  In later years, a modern
> phone with an electronic ringer would still sound like a mechanical
> bell and vice versa.

TV isn't very good about matching phones with their real sounds.  How
many shows have you seen where someone uses a pay phone and when they
insert the money it goes "ding-ding?"  Ding-ding went out with the
demise of the three slot payphone (around the middle of the 60s.)  I'm
guessing that most people casually wouldn't have a clue that the
ringing of a phone's sound was wrong.  How many times have I seen a
show with a 2554 wall phone that rings with a dual gong ringer sound?
Plenty!

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

From: Tim@Backhome.org
Subject: Re: TV Show - Legacy Phone in Scene
Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2005 07:19:56 -0700
Organization: Cox Communications


hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote:.)

> For many years, on TV the ringer sound for a telephone often did not
> match the telephone set shown.  In earlier years a 300 set or separate
> bell box ringer would be used for a 500 set.  In later years, a modern
> phone with an electronic ringer would still sound like a mechanical
> bell and vice versa.

How about the often incorrect ringback tones from the C.O.?  Or, the
immediate return to dial tone when the other party suddenly hung up?
(called or calling party, it didn't matter ;-)


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Or how many times have you seen shows
where a cellular phone was involved and the person using the cell
phone heard 'dial tone' when he took the phone 'off hook' to dial a
number. We know there is no such thing as 'dial tone' on a cell
phone.   PAT]

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


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