From editor@telecom-digest.org Tue Mar 2 13:30:55 2004 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id i22IUtC01334; Tue, 2 Mar 2004 13:30:55 -0500 (EST) Date: Tue, 2 Mar 2004 13:30:55 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200403021830.i22IUtC01334@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V23 #101 TELECOM Digest Tue, 2 Mar 2004 13:31:00 EST Volume 23 : Issue 101 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Telecom Update (Canada) #422, March 1, 2004 (Angus TeleManagement) State Looks at False Bills From AT&T (Monty Solomon) Vonage Experience - Bad! (Phil) Digital Microphones Drives Performance Next-Generation Cells (R Ward) Re: More Re the GTE Side of Verizon (Sammy@nospam.biz) Re: More Re the GTE Side of Verizon (Steven J Sobol) V.17 Receiver (Alexis Deltour) Telecom Link Submit (Emox.com) 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 is 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 02 Mar 2004 12:27:54 -0500 From: Angus TeleManagement Subject: Telecom Update (Canada) #422, March 1, 2004 ************************************************************ TELECOM UPDATE ************************************************************ published weekly by Angus TeleManagement Group http://www.angustel.ca Number 422: March 1, 2004 Publication of Telecom Update is made possible by generous financial support from: ** ALLSTREAM: www.allstream.com ** BELL CANADA: www.bell.ca ** CISCO SYSTEMS CANADA: www.cisco.com/ca ** CYGCOM INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGIES: www.cygcom.com ** GROUP TELECOM: www.360.net ** JUNIPER NETWORKS: www.juniper.net ** PRIMUS CANADA: www.primustel.ca ** SPRINT CANADA: www.sprint.ca ** TELUS: www.telus.com ************************************************************ IN THIS ISSUE: ** BCE Calls for New Communications Policies ** Microcell Sues Over Anti-Fido Ads ** Hotels Denied Payment for Toll-Free Calls ** Bell Asks CRTC to Stop Regulating Its High-Speed Data ** Cogeco Offers Small-Business Internet Plan ** Call-Net Sales Flat, Losses Down ** Aliant Extends High-Speed Internet ** GT Builds New Brunswick Research Net ** Globalive Offers Hosted IP Telephony ** Wireless Internet in Iqualuit ** Wi-Fi Offered on Montreal-Quebec Trains ** Growth of Data Access Market Slows ** Look Raises $10.7 Million ** SR Telecom Sales Decline ** Network Management Software Compared ============================================================ BCE CALLS FOR NEW COMMUNICATIONS POLICIES: BCE CEO Michael Sabia last week called for the "re-setting of the public policy framework" for the advent of IP-based competition in Canadian communications. New policies "must provide the same rules for all service providers," he said. (See Telecom Update #411) MICROCELL SUES OVER ANTI-FIDO ADS: Microcell has asked the Quebec Superior Court to bar Telus, Bell Mobility, and Rogers Wireless from making "discriminatory offers" targeting only Microcell customers. Microcell wants the court to also block the use of "Fido trademarks" and "dogs and other Fido-related images" in its rivals' advertising. (See Telecom Update #417) HOTELS DENIED PAYMENT FOR TOLL-FREE CALLS: CRTC Telecom Decision 2004-11 rejects a hotel industry proposal to have hotels receive payment for toll-free calls made from hotel telephones. The CRTC also declined to allow hotels to block or re-route toll-free calls. www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2004/dt2004-11.htm BELL ASKS CRTC TO STOP REGULATING ITS HIGH-SPEED DATA: Bell Canada has asked the CRTC to forbear from regulating high- speed, fibre-based digital services in some Ontario and Quebec markets, including in Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto. Bell says it holds only about a third of the $240-million yearly high-speed data market in these two provinces. www.crtc.gc.ca/PartVII/eng/2004/8640/b2_200401506.htm COGECO OFFERS SMALL-BUSINESS INTERNET PLAN: Cogeco Cable's new Business Starter plan offers Ontario business customers Internet access at up to 5 Mbps (download) and 640 Kbps (upload) for $49.95/month. CALL-NET SALES FLAT, LOSSES DOWN: Call-Net Enterprises reports fourth quarter sales of $204 million, down 0.8% from the previous quarter and up 0.8% from a year earlier. Net losses were $16.2 million, compared to $24.4 million in the same period of 2002. Call-Net added 106,000 local lines in 2003, and had 12,800 wireless subscribers at year-end. ALIANT EXTENDS HIGH-SPEED INTERNET: Aliant says it is spending $12.6 million in the first half of 2004 to make high-speed Internet available to an additional 40,000 homes and 1,600 businesses in the Atlantic provinces. GT BUILDS NEW BRUNSWICK RESEARCH NET: Group Telecom has deployed C$3 million worth of equipment to expand the bandwidth of the New Brunswick/PEI Research Grid. The consortium responsible for the grid includes CANARIE, the National Research Council, the province of New Brunswick, and four universities. GLOBALIVE OFFERS HOSTED IP TELEPHONY: Toronto-based Globalive now offers hosted multimedia IP-based telephony using Nortel's MCS 5200 platform. WIRELESS INTERNET IN IQUALUIT: Nunanet Worldwide Communications and Inukshuk Internet have built a wireless broadband network for Internet access in Iqualuit, Nunavut, using Inukshuk's 2.5 GHz MCS spectrum. (See Telecom Update #420) WI-FI OFFERED ON MONTREAL-QUEBEC TRAINS: Spotnik Mobile and , Telus Mobility now offer wireless 802.11 Internet access is on selected Via Rail trains between Montreal and Quebec City. The service is free March 31. (See Telecom Update #391) GROWTH OF DATA ACCESS MARKET SLOWS: The Convergence Consulting Group says that the Canadian data/Internet access market grew by 6% in 2003 to $6.7 billion, about half the rate of growth of 2002. www.convergenceonline.com LOOK RAISES $10.7 MILLION: Look Communications says that investors have oversubscribed its offering of $10.7 million in convertible debentures. SR TELECOM SALES DECLINE: SR Telecom, a Montreal fixed wireless equipment maker, had 2003 revenue of $128 million, down 35% from the previous year. The net loss was $44.8 million, compared to $20.9 million in 2002. NETWORK MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE COMPARED: The March issue of Telemanagement includes a hands-on comparison review of six network management software packages, plus Part 2 of our in- depth report on IP telephony systems for branch offices, a report on new developments in wireless asset tracking, and proposals for speeding CRTC decision-making. ** Telemanagement Online subscribers can access this issue, and an extensive library of past issues, columns, editorials, and feature reports, at the Online Home Page. ** To subscribe, or to add online access to your existing subscription, go to the Online Subscription Page. Charter Subscriber Discounts are available for a limited time. www.angustel.ca/teleman/tm-sub-online.html ============================================================ HOW TO SUBMIT ITEMS FOR TELECOM UPDATE E-MAIL: editors@angustel.ca FAX: 905-686-2655 MAIL: TELECOM UPDATE Angus TeleManagement Group 8 Old Kingston Road Ajax, Ontario Canada L1T 2Z7 =========================================================== HOW TO SUBSCRIBE (OR UNSUBSCRIBE) TELECOM UPDATE is provided in electronic form only. There are two formats available: 1. The fully-formatted edition is posted on the World Wide Web on the first business day of the week at www.angustel.ca 2. The e-mail edition is distributed free of charge. To subscribe, send an e-mail message to: join-telecom_update@nova.sparklist.com To stop receiving the e-mail edition, send an e-mail message to: leave-telecom_update@nova.sparklist.com Sending e-mail to these addresses will automatically add or remove the sender's e-mail address from the list. Leave subject line and message area blank. We do not give Telecom Update subscribers' e-mail addresses to any third party. For more information, see www.angustel.ca/update/privacy.html. =========================================================== COPYRIGHT AND CONDITIONS OF USE: All contents copyright 2004 Angus TeleManagement Group Inc. All rights reserved. For further information, including permission to reprint or reproduce, please e-mail rosita@angustel.ca or phone 905-686-5050 ext 500. The information and data included has been obtained from sources which we believe to be reliable, but Angus TeleManagement makes no warranties or representations whatsoever regarding accuracy, completeness, or adequacy. Opinions expressed are based on interpretation of available information, and are subject to change. If expert advice on the subject matter is required, the services of a competent professional should be obtained. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 2 Mar 2004 12:24:52 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: State Looks at False Bills From AT&T Company denies telemarket scheme By Peter J. Howe, Globe Staff, 3/2/2004 Massachusetts utility regulators said yesterday that they are investigating a pattern of AT&T Corp. allegedly sending bogus bills to people who are not customers of the company, then trying to sell them AT&T phone service when they call to complain. After similar concerns emerged in upstate New York last week, the Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Energy said yesterday it has received more than 30 complaints since January from Bay State residents who said they got bills from AT&T although they have never had AT&T service or canceled it months or years earlier. http://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2004/03/02/state_looks_at_false_bills_from_att/ [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I got one of those myself last week. AT&T sent a four page statement of what services I would get if I signed up for them with AT&T 'local service'. The bill went on to say I would be paying a 'basic rate' of $16.67 per month or $50 total for three months as the 'deposit', etc. I did not have time to respond; I just tossed it out. PAT] ------------------------------ From: phil_m_palmer@yahoo.com (Phil) Subject: Vonage Experience Date: 2 Mar 2004 09:43:14 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com I signed-up for Vonage Service. They charged my VISA for the startup fees -- np. I get the Motorola VT but it works only intermitantly. Support from Vonage is non-existent, at best. I called several times, mostly hanging-up after holding for 20 minutes. I emailed several times with no return emails. After a week of this crap, I called to cancel. The Vonage Rep said that he'd have to charge $41 bucks to give me an RMA and return address. I told him that is called extortion. He said both the startup fee and termination fee would be refunded when the equipment was returned. So I allowed him to charge my VISA. I am mailing the equipment back today and will followup with additional experience. ALSO, beware about Vonage's Terms of Service policy. It states that you have seven days after you recieve your credit card statement to file a dispute. And that you must notify them before you do so thru your credit card. According to VISA this total BS. Vonage cannot supercede VISA policy, it is called non-compliance. Phil VONAGE SUCKS! [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I am truly sorry you have had such bad experience with them. My experience has been quite good by comparison. Have you tried the various techniques presented here in recent weeks to get around some of the intermittent problems you have had? For example, since I made the adjustments in my Linksys firewall/router they recommended, I've had no further problems with loss of dialtone or non-receipt of incoming calls. I *will* agree their customer service holding queue is pretty outrageous at times as they begin to learn the business a little better also. And the Motorola box they are using now may possibly not be as good as the Cisco, I am not sure on that. If you have not yet returned the Motorola to them, consider trying some of the fixes described on the net and see if they help any. Even if you decide it is not working and you must return the equipment, *new* customers who have *not yet* sent in for/recieved an adapter box can get a free month of whatever service package they desire by using an e-coupon from me to start the process. The e-coupon gets you the *second* month of service for free. Email me and ask for it. ptownson@telecom-digest.org PAT] ------------------------------ From: rg_ward@lineone.net (R Ward) Subject: Digital Microphones Drives Performance for Next-Generation Cells Date: 2 Mar 2004 08:33:55 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com Zarlink Semiconductor today announced that it is the first to develop advanced digital microphone technology that boosts the performance of the next generation of cellular phones. Featuring ultra low-power mixed-signal design, Zarlink's new chip is the industry's only analog-to-digital converter to meet the stringent performance specifications demanded by cell phone manufacturers. For more info, visit: http://news.zarlink.com/archive/2004/Mar/02/March2-ZL70190-English.htm ------------------------------ From: Sammy@nospam.biz Subject: Re: More Re the GTE Side of Verizon Date: Tue, 02 Mar 2004 05:04:38 -0800 Organization: Cox Communications I think the Palms, Springs, California area was still a GTE LATA within a LATA when Verizon gobbled it all up. Mark J Cuccia wrote: > Steven Sobol wrote (in the thread of upstate-NY, Alltel, Centurytel, etc): >> Don't know how much of the Erie PA metro is Alltel. I'd assume that Erie >> itself is Verizon, but don't know for sure. > Erie PA is indeed Verizon, but not from Bell Atlantic. Erie PA (and > surrounding territory) is old GT&E and is actually a "LATA" unto > itself! > In the old BA states, at the time of the merger between GTE/Contel and > BA/NYNEX to form VeriZon, only PA and VA were states with old GTE > (some inlcuding old Contel). In addition to the Erie PA and > surrounding area being GTE and actually a *LATA* of its own, there are > other GTE areas in PA (and VA) which are simply within (legacy) Bell > Atlantic LATAs. Erie PA and vicinity is the only GTE area that is > also a GTE LATA, that exists in PA (or VA). > West Virginia (a legacy BA state) used to have some GTE (which was > also associated with GTE bordering in Virginia), but when GTE bought > out Contel in the early 1990s, they sold off the West Virginia > operations to Citizens' Telephone/Utilities. > None of the old NYNEX states had any remaining GTE. There seems to > have been some GT&E up there in the later 1950s, 1960s and even 1970s, > but it was all sold off, probably well before GTE took over Contel in > the early 1990s. > Large amounts of old GTE and old Contel was sold to Citizens' and > Alltel in the early 1990s when GTE took over Contel, probably to > comply with FTC/DOJ "antitrust". > mjc ------------------------------ From: Steven J Sobol Subject: Re: More Re the GTE Side of Verizon Date: Tue, 02 Mar 2004 10:05:24 -0600 Mark J Cuccia wrote: > Steven Sobol wrote (in the thread of upstate-NY, Alltel, Centurytel, etc): >> Don't know how much of the Erie PA metro is Alltel. I'd assume that Erie >> itself is Verizon, but don't know for sure. > Erie PA is indeed Verizon, but not from Bell Atlantic. Erie PA (and > surrounding territory) is old GT&E and is actually a "LATA" unto > itself! That explains why Erie was part of my home area with GTE back before the Great Wireless Merger of 2000. JustThe.net Internet & New Media Services, Apple Valley, CA Steven J. Sobol, Geek In Charge / 888.480.4NET (4638) / sjsobol@JustThe.net PGP: C57E 8B25 F994 D6D0 5F6B B961 EA08 9410 E3AE 35ED ------------------------------ From: adeltour@midisystem.fr (Alexis Deltour) Subject: V.17 Receiver Date: 2 Mar 2004 00:17:57 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com I'm working on V.17 fax project and I'm looking for fax training (long and short sequence of V.17 and TCF), timing, carrier recovery and trellis for rate 2/3 code on matlab ... Sincerely, Alexis Deltour Ingnieur R&D Telecoms MIDI SYSTEM 460, Avenue de la Quiera 105 Voie C, PA de l'Argile 06370 Mouans Sartoux France Tel : 04 92 92 59 09 Fax : 04 92 92 24 77 Email : adeltour@midisystem.fr ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 02 Mar 2004 15:15:56 +0200 From: Emox.com Subject: Telecom Link Submit Hi, We appreciate it if you add our link. Site Name: Karabakh Telecom Site URL: http://www.karabakhtelecom.com Site Description: Exclusive communication services provider in Nagorno Karabakh. Services include GSM, fixed telephony, Internet, voice services, data services & more. Regards, Emox.com http://www.emox.com ------------------------------ 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. 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