From editor@telecom-digest.org Sat Jan 10 00:17:03 2004 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id i0A5H3a03589; Sat, 10 Jan 2004 00:17:03 -0500 (EST) Date: Sat, 10 Jan 2004 00:17:03 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200401100517.i0A5H3a03589@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 #14 TELECOM Digest Sat, 10 Jan 2004 00:17:00 EST Volume 23 : Issue 14 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Caller ID and Spying??? (desiv) Vonage Virtual Number Crap Shoot (Sam Nickerson) Re: Netscape Launches Low-Cost Internet Access Service (John Levine) AT&T High Speed Service Question (BMN) One-Stop Shopping Approach to HDTV (Monty Solomon) Norvergence (n-line@juno.com) Maverick Wireless Corporation Launches Wireless Broadband (Eworldwire) Posting FAQ (Brett M Nelson) 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: desiv Subject: Caller ID and Spying??? Organization: Comcast Online Date: Sat, 10 Jan 2004 01:53:58 GMT OK, being the tech in the family, I get an email from my mom. Her friend is freaked out. Her friend has CallWave. She was online when my mom called, but here's the thing ... For the phone number, it shows my mom's number. BUT for the name, it shows someone else's name!!! Now, this is the first time she's seen it with this other name, so she's freaked out. (She even took pics of the screen with her digicam..) Now, here's where I get concerned ... The "other person" is involved in a messy divorce with my sister. (I'm not taking sides, just stating facts) ... and ... The "other person" works for a security company. Surveillance type stuff ... My first reaction, knowing a little (just a little) about Caller ID was that ... that shouldn't happen. My mom's number and someone else's name. As far as I know, Caller ID is data sent over the phone line from the phone company. When my mom called this lady, QWest detects that this woman is on the phone, and forwards the call and ANI info to Callwave. They (Callwave) then sends it to this woman's PC. So, if this my mom calls, it should be her number AND name. If this other person called, it should be his number and name. But how is it my mom's number and his name? Now, I'm not asking how HE did it (if he did) ... What I want to know is how would that be possible??? Something like call forwarding or transferring?? Some way someone could monitor phone calls??? I do computer networking, not telco, so I'm not "up" on this stuff ... I told my mom that even tho I was a tech, I wasn't a phreak. Or even someone who uses this stuff enough to know. I don't even have a home phone. :-) Cable modem ... Any ideas on what it might be? What they should look for? She called QWest and they confirmed his name is not on the account and hasn't ever been ... Thanx in advance. signed, confused ... P.S. I've read abit more about Caller ID since.. Apparently QWest would have sent the number to Callwave, and they would have checked a database to get the name??? (right?) So, it could be that the database they checked happens to have this other name. Still weird and a heck of a coincidence if it is. ------------------------------ From: Sam Nickerson Subject: Vonage Virtual Number Crap Shoot Organization: Comcast Online Date: Sat, 10 Jan 2004 03:14:42 GMT Just a quick warning to anyone thinking about going Vonage for the "Virtual Number" feature. I am a new customer to them; jumped on board because of the virtual number idea. I have a mother in Florida living on a fixed income and it would help her alot to be able to call me when she needs to. After getting set up and generating a virtual number, mom in Florida at the same area code could not make a non-toll call. I called Vonage customer no care and they said the prefix generated was not in her calling region ... sorry. Was there any way for them to refund the 14 bucks I spent on a useless number ... nope. But they did give me a list of prefixes that would work for her, and that all I need to do was generate another and look at the number before final submit and I would not get charged, just hit back and try another until a working number magically appears and hit submit to accept it. Tried that, then found the generated number does not show prior to submit and I get hit with another 14 bucks charge. 28 bucks of worthless numbers I, and mom, can not use. Called Vonage Customer no care again, guy says sorry, let me put a credit against your account for the 14 bucks so you can try again at no charge. Thru the dice again, no good. Well sorry sir, guess we don't have numbers in her local area; nothing I can do about the 28 bucks you have spent so far, no managers around that can help, send us an email and they will review. Sheeeesh, for a company looking to break into an emerging market you would think they would handle customers better, their marketing group is spending a lot of time, money and effort only to have customer no care mess it up. Just my experience; your mileage may vary. Sam [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Well, Sam, I am really sorry to hear about your bad experience with Vonage thus far. But if you do send a copy of the same letter you sent here to them, they will in fact read it, and very likely help you out. My other suggestion at this point would be to select (from among the various Florida area codes and prefixes on display in the drop down menus) a number that, even if not absolutely local to your mom is in some sort of 'extended' area that she could call for 'almost' nothing extra. In fact, since I am a user of Vonage with fairly good standing with them, include this note from me when you email Vonage, and ask their personal assistance in resolving the matter. I feel certain they will resolve it in a favorable way to you. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: 9 Jan 2004 07:44:48 -0000 From: John Levine Subject: Re: Netscape Launches Low-Cost Internet Access Service Organization: I.E.C.C., Trumansburg NY USA > I couldn't find a list of dialup numbers. While Netscape has a good > name, I wouldn't sign up without knowing they offer local access > where I live. This looks like they have a couple bugs to work out in > their marketing presentation. It's AOL, it's the same enormous list of dialups. ------------------------------ Reply-To: BMN From: BMN Subject: AT&T High Speed Service Question Date: Fri, 9 Jan 2004 07:06:32 -0500 Organization: Bell Sympatico Anyone have any experience with AT&T high speed service. I have a corp client that has a bill for approx $5K monthly for a data service which looks as though it is connecting two sites. There are no other details on the bill and it seems very expensive, even for a private line. Site A is in Indiana and Site B is in Wisconsin. Site A is $3500 with a $1400 credit and B is $5000 with a $2000 credit, but no other info. Further investigation with the CSR and the client will tell me, but this is the second time I have seen one of these inexplicable AT&T high speed service bills. The last one tuned out to be some FR services. But the amounts on this bill are astronomical. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 9 Jan 2004 08:57:20 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: One-Stop Shopping Approach to HDTV By ERIC A. TAUB The satellite retransmission industry hopes to push the popularity of high-definition television by taking a page from the shopping mall playbook. On Jan. 1, PanAmSat, a satellite operator that beams programming to local cable operators for transmission to their customers, switched many of its HDTV channels to a new satellite that the company is positioning into something it calls an HDTV neighborhood. Trading on a successful marketing approach used for analog television since the 1980's, the company, which is owned primarily by Hughes Electronics, says it thinks that cable operators will be more likely to offer HDTV programming if they, like shoppers who go to a mall, can find the good things all in one place. http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/05/business/media/05sat.html ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 9 Jan 2004 15:49:28 GMT Subject: Norvergence From: N-Line@juno.com Patrick, You seem to have the most insight to this company. (From looking at forums.) They've approached us with their "service" and I'm in the process of trying to figure out if they are reputable. Can you help? Chad [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I would suggest two things: one, look and scan through our back issues file for December just past and read some of the messages there, none of which are very favorable. I also suggest you wait a day or two while this inquiry from you makes the rounds on comp.dcom.telecom (and other participating newsgroups) and see if some of the readers wake up and respond to you directly; again, the most recent replies were not very favorable from Norvergence's point of view. The company seems rather litigous, or anxious to sue anyone who gives them a bum rap. For instance, they threatened to sue me if I did not remove the most disparaging messages about them from our archives. I did not remove the messages, but its not that they did not try to make me (short of suit), including an inquiry they made of MIT's legal counsel. I'd review their contract they'll ask you to sign as a condition of getting the 'Matrix box' **very carefully** and let's see if any readers write you direct with responses. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Eworldwire Subject: Maverick Wireless Corporation Launches City-Wide Wireless Services Date: Fri, 9 Jan 2004 16:33:53 -0500 Maverick Wireless Corporation Successfully Launches City-Wide Wireless Broadband Services Maverick Wireless Proves Its CITYWIDE WiFi(TM) Services Are the Answer to Rural America's Broadband Needs BOTHELL, Wash/EWORLDWIRE/Jan. 9, 2004 --- Maverick Wireless Corporation today announced the successful launch of its CITYWIDE WiFi(TM) services in Benton County, Washington. It is the first community in the United States to enjoy what Maverick Wireless proclaims will be commonplace throughout the nation. "Recent technological advances and the international adoption of wireless broadband standards have made the viability of city-wide wireless broadband services a reality. The technology is now at a point where skilled wireless broadband service providers can offer their services across entire cities and even address the needs of communities that do not have access to traditional broadband options," David Schmelke, President and founder of Maverick Wireless Corporation. "Broadband is essential to the economic growth of our community and making it available throughout the county is among our highest priorities. The experts at Maverick Wireless are without a doubt the best at what they do and they have been an important part of our success," said a Benton PUD Representative. According to Mr. Schmelke, it is up to wireless experts to lead the charge into this new era of broadband. Schmelke, the former Director of Wireless Data at T-Mobile, USA, says that the successful commercialization of city-wide WiFi networks depend entirely on the wireless expertise and the abilities of the service providers to design, deploy, and support their customers. "The successful deployment of a carrier grade, community-wide WiFi network is as complex a challenge as one can imagine. The reason we're emerging as a leading authority on this subject is because of our deep rooted wireless knowledge. Benton County's successful launch is our proof that we understand the technology, the unique challenges surrounding such a deployment, and how to successfully overcome those challenges," says Schmelke. He adds, "Contrary to the belief of many traditional Internet Service Providers, you can't simply throw up towers and have a robust network that is truly ready for subscribers." Maverick's CITYWIDE WiFi(TM) network in Benton County covers an area of 40 square miles. Subscribers enjoy the freedom of accessing the Internet at broadband speeds anytime, from anywhere within the wide area network. CITYWIDE WiFi(TM) monthly rate plans range from $19.95 for a 128Kbps account to $49.95 for a 1Mbps account. To address security concerns the service also boasts 256bit encryption, user authentication, and certificate-based protection. Skilled sales, installation, customer care and technical support representatives are available to ensure that the service is easy to use. Gayle Cook, a CITYWIDE WiFi(TM) Subscriber states, "Maverick Wireless provided one of the best sales and service experiences I've ever had. The people at Maverick helped me understand the advantages of wireless broadband and they helped me select the best CITYWIDE WiFi(TM) service plan for my needs. I couldn't be happier with my decision to use their services." About Maverick Wireless Corporation Maverick Wireless Corporation is a leading authority on community-wide wireless broadband services. Founded by the former Director of Wireless Data at T-Mobile, USA, Maverick is a privately held wireless services corporation based in Bothell, Washington. For more information on CITYWIDE WiFi(TM) Services from Maverick Wireless Corporation, please visit www.citywidewifi.com HTML: http://newsroom.eworldwire.com/wr/010904/2037.htm PDF: http://newsroom.eworldwire.com/pdf/010904/2037.pdf ONLINE NEWSROOM: http://newsroom.eworldwire.com/2071.htm LOGO: http://newsroom.eworldwire.com/2071.htm CONTACT: Rolf DeDamm Maverick Wireless Corporation Bothell, WA PHONE. (425) 444-2945 EMAIL: dedamm@maverickwireless.com http://www.maverickwireless.com WEBSITES: http://www.maverickwireless.com, http://www.citywidewifi.com SOURCE: Maverick Wireless ATTACHED MEDIA: Logo: Maverick Wireless Logo (size: 40.0 k) Maverick Wireless Logo http://newsroom.eworldwire.com/media_uploads/Maverick_Wireless.jpg Logo: CityWide WiFi Large (size: 40.0 k) CityWide Logo large http://newsroom.eworldwire.com/media_uploads/Citywide_WiFi_Large.jpg Copyright 2003 Eworldwire, All rights reserved. Press Relase Distribution By EWORLDWIRE http://www.eworldwire.com (973)252-6800. For Media Questions: http://www.eworldwire.com/forthemedia.htm ------------------------------ Reply-To: From: Brett M Nelson Subject: Posting FAQ Date: Fri, 9 Jan 2004 19:43:50 -0500 Is there an FAQ about posting to the newsgroup? My posts aren't going through and would like to know if I am not following a required format. Regards, Brett Nelson Corporate Head Office Associate Director Consultant Development Schooley Mitchell Telecom Consultants 211 Ontario Street Stratford, Ontario N5A 3H3 main number (519)275-3339 auto-attendant (519)273-5163 x223 facsimile (519)273-5331 [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I answered this gentleman in email and the answer is worth repeating here: "I am the moderator of TELECOM Digest, which is the newsletter-digest format for the comp.dcom.telecom newsgroup. There really are very few 'rules' to follow for posting to the newsgroup; here they are: "Send your posting as email to 'editor@telecom-digest.org'. "Make a copy for yourself at least until it is printed/answered. "After you post it in email, within a few seconds or minutes you should recieve an auto acknowlegment that it was recieved. "Most submissions are printed the same day received or the next day at the latest. A few I choose not to use for whatever reasons. "Try and edit what you sent to make my work easier, correcting spelling errors and formatting, etc. "Your message actually goes several places: 1) to the TELECOM Digest newsletter, which is published 1-2 times each day; 2) to the comp.dcom.telecom newsgroup. (A batch of messages is released each time an issue of the Digest is published.) 3) to supplemental telecom newsgroups such as Yahoo groups telecom_news, AOL, and Compuserve. "You should have received an auto-ack to this message of inquiry you sent to me. That *should* arrive each time you write here. "If you read the Digest version of the group http://telecom-digest.org for a few days before writing you will see the general format to use, etc." Patrick Townson TELECOM Moderator ------------------------------ 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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