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The Telecom Digest for Sat, 21 May 2022
Volume 41 : Issue 91 : "text" format

table of contents
Biden Broadband Initiative Requires States to Consult with Unions on Broadband Buildout Plans
CWA Bargaining Update
Re: Resale – Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) Basic Rate Interface (BRI)
Re: ISDN's days are numbered: What should you do?

Message-ID: <20220519213603.C4BF2815@telecom2018.csail.mit.edu> Date: Thu, 19 May 2022 21:36:03 +0000 (UTC) From: Bill Horne <malQRMassimilation@gmail.com> Subject: Biden Broadband Initiative Requires States to Consult with Unions on Broadband Buildout Plans The National Telecommunications and Information Administration's (NTIA) requirements for broadband projects funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, released last Friday, reflect the Biden Administration's strong commitment to bringing reliable, high speed internet connections to every household in the United States while creating high quality union jobs in our communities. States must consult with unions as they develop their funding proposals, and the requirements make it clear that federal dollars will not fund sub-par installations by fly-by-night companies. https://cwa-union.org/news/biden-broadband-initiative-requires-states-consult-unions-on-broadband-buildout-plans -- (Please remove QRM from my email address to write to me directly)
Message-ID: <20220519214157.96EC6815@telecom2018.csail.mit.edu> Date: Thu, 19 May 2022 21:41:57 +0000 (UTC) From: Bill Horne <malQRMassimilation@gmail.com> Subject: CWA Bargaining Update Today is the fifth anniversary of the historic strike at AT&T Mobility when 40,000 CWA members walked off the job for a three-day strike in protest of the company's failure to invest in good jobs. As members mark the anniversary of this strike and the workers' victory that followed, they continue to mobilize to strengthen their power at the bargaining table and secure the new Orange AT&T Mobility contract they deserve. https://cwa-union.org/news/e-newsletter/2022-05-19#:~:text=Today%20is%20the%20fifth%20anniversary,to%20invest%20in%20good%20jobs. -- (Please remove QRM from my email address to write to me directly)
Message-ID: <4DD45A35-9BC7-4705-8F8C-87DF699C67F3@mishmash.com> Date: 19 May 2022 07:35:12 -0700 From: "Fred Atkinson" <fatkinson.remove-this@and-this-too.mishmash.com> Subject: Re: Resale - Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) Basic Rate Interface (BRI) > On May 19, 2022, at 6:35 AM, Bill Horne <malQRMassimilation@gmail.com> wrote: > > Well, here's one answer to my question, although I don't know if the info is current. > CenturyLink's retail telecommunications service, Integrated > Services Digital Network (ISDN) Basic Rate Interface (BRI) is > available for resale by Competitive Local Exchange Carriers > (CLECs) to their end-users. > https://www.centurylink.com/wholesale/pcat/isdnbri.html I hope that Centurylink will take the time to educate their customer service reps about ISDN. I have mentioned this before, but [some years back], I contacted them [on behalf of our client] about ordering up some ISDN lines. The CSR that I spoke to did not have a clue as to what ISDN was. She kept telling me that Centurylink did not provide it and I would have to call whatever company [other than Centurylink of course] that provided it. She also asked me if I meant DSL. I asked to speak to a supervisor. The supervisor told me the same thing. I told both of them that we already had Centurylink ISDN lines installed. They kept the position that they did not provide it. We had the trouble reporting number for Centurylink's ISDN trouble desk. I called them and told them of my experience. The ISDN support rep put me on hold for a few minutes. When she returned, she told me that she had called their business office and had had the same experience. One of my colleagues had a number by which to contact a Centurylink account rep who had previously sold ISDN services to our customer. So, I finally was able to get quotes for the services. It is a crying shame that they don't [or didn't at the time] educate their CSRs fully about all services that they provide. Regards, Fred Atkinson
Message-ID: <20220519174919.61d2e1dd@ryz> Date: 19 May 2022 17:49:19 +0200 From: "Marco Moock" <mo01@posteo.de> Subject: Re: ISDN's days are numbered: What should you do? Am Donnerstag, 19. Mai 2022, um 13:05:58 Uhr schrieb Bill Horne: > 3. Is "BT" really going to turn off dial tones in 2025? British Telecom at least says that: https://business.bt.com/insights/digital-transformation/uk-pstn-switch-off/ |We're moving all our customers from the old analogue public |switched telephone network (PSTN) to a fully digital network. We've |already started. We plan to have moved everyone over before |Openreach stop the PSTN (and ISDN) service in 2025. Rather interesting - they still gave offers for ISDN on their website: https://business.bt.com/products/voice/isdn/ They also seem to switch off the analog lines (PSTN). In Germany, Deutsche Telekom already switched off ISDN. The old PSTN network has been replaced with ISDN equipment in the 90s and analog lines were only available from the switching system to the customer. They are still, but the backbone is IP-based and new contracts aren't possible. I don't know how PSTN is currently handled in the UK. ***** Moderator's Note ***** I'm assuming that "the old PSTN network" means "the old analog central offices and tandem switches (e.g., Step-by-step or crossbar)," because I think of ISDN as a "link" protocol that is served via digital switches and tandems which carry the "Bearer" channels to their destination in digital form, without any A-to-D or D-to-A conversions. I think, at least in the U.S., that each Bearer channel is still assigned to a virtual-circuit switched connection during a phone call. If I'm wrong, *please* post a correction! Bill Horne Moderator

End of telecom Digest Sat, 21 May 2022

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