From editor@telecom-digest.org Sat May 15 00:43:57 2004 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p3/8.11.3) id i4F4hvG01997; Sat, 15 May 2004 00:43:57 -0400 (EDT) Date: Sat, 15 May 2004 00:43:57 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200405150443.i4F4hvG01997@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 #241 TELECOM Digest Sat, 15 May 2004 00:44:00 EDT Volume 23 : Issue 241 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Introducing Easy411 (Jon Spector) Re: Transoceanic Data Communication Cables (GlowingBlueMist) Re: Transoceanic Data Communication Cables (Bill Burns) Re: Transoceanic Data Communication Cables (Randolph J. Herber) Re: Transoceanic Data Communication Cables (Tony P.) Looking For Multi-Handset Cordless With Several Features (John Sevinsky) Re: NANP Numbering (ranck@vt.edu) Re: Getting Your Number Listed Deliberately (Tony P.) PDAs and Terminal Emulator (Keith) Rousing the Dead Spot (Monty Solomon) 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: Jon Spector Subject: Easy411 Date: Fri, 14 May 2004 23:30:18 -0400 Pat: We've recently started a company, Easy411, to provide retail directory assistance. The service is very similar to Infone, but focused exclusively on directory assistance (no additional services such as directions, maps, travel assistance, etc.) and offered at a significantly lower cost: $.65 per call. Customers sign up for an account on the web (www.easy411.com ) or by phone (877-Easy411) and access the service by dialing 877-Easy411. We're using LSSi data, enhanced somewhat, so our listings are extremely accurate and up-to-date. There's also very little automation - customers always speak to a live operator. We're targeting mobile phone users, since the price of 411 is so high from the major wireless carriers, but our service can be accessed from landlines as well. For corporations, we offer corporate account management for large blocks of mobile phone users, and we also offer "PBX DA" and "desktop DA" -- but our core offering is for mobile phone users. We will be introducing call completion in a few months, as well as some new features that I don't think anyone has ever offered before, to reduce the frustration of having to call 411 repeatedly to get the same number. We recently were reviewed on CNN. I wanted you to be aware of the service, since from time to time you mention Infone -- and I thought you should at least know about us as well! Also, given that you are obviously so knowledgeable about the industry in general, if you had any ideas for partnerships or opportunities for us we'd be very happy to entertain them. I can be reached via this email address or at the numbers below, if you have any ideas or would like to learn more about us. Regards, Jon Spector Chief Executive Officer Easy411, Inc. 10 Mall Road, Suite 200 Burlington, MA 01803 www.easy411.com Office: 781-229-1680 ------------------------------ From: GlowingBlueMist Subject: Re: Transoceanic Data Communication Cables Date: Fri, 14 May 2004 21:46:01 -0400 Claire Schatz wrote in message news:telecom23.240.14@telecom-digest.org: > Hello Mr. Townson, > My name is Claire Schatz, and I'm a college student. I'm currently > doing a reseach paper on "Transoceanic data communication cables: the > technology, history and future" for my data communication concepts > class. I was reading a narrative history about submarine cables > written by Donald E. Kimberlin and it led me to the Telecom > Digest. From what I can make out on the page, I might be able to find > a lot of material and resources for my research. But I'm quite lost > as to where to begin or how to search for archives and history. I was > hoping that you might be able to steer me in the right direction. > Your reply would be greatly appreciated. > Sincerely, > Claire Schatz > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Could any reader please give Claire > some help; a point in the right direction? Thanks. PAT] Try the following links: http://www.atlantic-cable.com/ http://www.rand.org/publications/MR/MR1395/MR1395.appi.pdf http://www.telecommagazine.com/default.asp?journalid=2&func=articles&page=0106i33&year=2001&month=6 or a Google search with "submarine cable history" ------------------------------ From: Bill Burns Subject: Re: Transoceanic Data Communication Cables Date: 15 May 2004 02:23:19 GMT Organization: FTL Claire Schatz wrote: > My name is Claire Schatz, and I'm a college student. I'm currently > doing a reseach paper on "Transoceanic data communication cables: the > technology, history and future" for my data communication concepts > class. I was reading a narrative history about submarine cables > written by Donald E. Kimberlin and it led me to the Telecom > Digest. From what I can make out on the page, I might be able to find > a lot of material and resources for my research. But I'm quite lost > as to where to begin or how to search for archives and history. I was > hoping that you might be able to steer me in the right direction. > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Could any reader please give Claire > some help; a point in the right direction? Thanks. PAT] My Atlantic Cable website is probably a good place to start: http://atlantic-cable.com Lots of original source material and images from the early days of ocean telegraphy. Bill Burns, Long Island, NY, USA mailto:billb@ftldesign.com History of Technology Websites: http://ftldesign.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 May 2004 22:01:04 GMT From: herber@dcdrjh.fnal.gov (Randolph J. Herber) Subject: Re: Transoceanic Data Communication Cables Organization: Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory In article , Claire Schatz wrote: > My name is Claire Schatz, and I'm a college student. I'm currently > doing a reseach paper on "Transoceanic data communication cables: the > technology, history and future" for my data communication concepts > class. I was reading a narrative history about submarine cables > written by Donald E. Kimberlin and it led me to the Telecom > Digest. From what I can make out on the page, I might be able to find > a lot of material and resources for my research. But I'm quite lost > as to where to begin or how to search for archives and history. I was > hoping that you might be able to steer me in the right direction. > Your reply would be greatly appreciated. > Sincerely, > Claire Schatz > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Could any reader please give Claire > some help; a point in the right direction? Thanks. PAT] http://isbndb.com/d/book/engineering_and_operations_in_the_bell_system.html Engineering and operations in the Bell System prepared by members of the technical staff and the Technical Publication Department, AT&T Bell Laboratories; R. F. Rey, technical editor; reorganized adn rewritten telecommunications in teh Bell System in 1982-1983 Publisher: Murray Hill, N.J. : AT&T Bell Laboratories, 1983. ISBN: 0-93276-404-5 I quote myself from a much earlier time: From: rjh@yclept.chi.il.us (Randolph J. Herber) Subject: Re: What Happened to the EOBS Book? Organization: Leptons and Quarks, Winfield, IL 60190-1412 In article jimmyk@dasys1.UUCP (James Kirchner) writes: > AT&T Bell Labs used to publish a book called Engineering and > Operations in the Bell System, known among Bell Labs employees as > "EOBS". Does anyone know if any revised copies were printed/published > after 1983? If so, does anyone know how to obtain this book? Thanks. I know that it was reprinted as late as 1986 -- I have a copy so dated. (My wife has a copy of the 1st edition printed in 1978.) The book is Select Code 500-478. It is ordered via the AT&T Customer Information Center. I checked this last summer and at that time, at least, the second edition was still orderable. Call 1-800-432-6600 (U.S.A, maybe Canada), or 1-800-255-1242 (Canada). Write AT&T Customer Information Center P.O. Box 19901 Indianapolis, IN 46219 Randolph J. Herber, Computer Polymath, @ home: {att|amdahl|clout|mcdchg|laidbak|obdient|wheaton}!yclept!rjh, rjh@yclept.chi.il.us << All of the quoted e-mail address above are now non-functional for me. >> http://www.bellsystemmemorial.com/longlines_book1.html http://www.bellsystemmemorial.com/longlines_book4.html AT&T's first _telephone_ (T)rans(A)tlantic (T)elephone cable was called TAT-1. http://www.att.com/history/nethistory/milestones.html -> 1956: AT&T opens for service TAT-1, the first trans-Atlantic telephone cable. The initial capacity is 36 calls at a time at a price per call of $12 for the first three minutes. Since trans-Atlantic service opened in 1927, calls had traveled across the ocean via radio waves. But cables provide much higher signal quality, avoid atmospheric interference and offer greater capacity and security. http://www.att.com/news/0392/920302.cib.html FOR RELEASE MONDAY, MARCH 2, 1992 NEW YORK, N.Y. -- AT&T today activated service on a new $450-million undersea fiber optic cable system linking the United States and Canada with the United Kingdom, France and Spain. The new system will be able to handle the equivalent of 80,000 simultaneous phone calls or any combination of voice, data and video signals -- double the capacity of previous-generation submarine fiber optic cables. --------------------- AT&T also is currently working on construction of TPC-4, a major transPacific route linking the United States with Canada and Japan. Like its sister TAT-9 and TAT-10 Atlantic systems, TPC-4 -- slated for service this fall -- also will be capable of handling up to 80,000 simultaneous phone calls. http://www.att.com/news/0298/980211.cia.html Columbus III to carry 20 times the capacity of current system. The synchronous digital hierarchy system will consist of two optical fiber pairs, and will include within-system restoration. Each fiber pair will initially operate at 2.5 gigabits per second, per wavelength, with full path duplication in each direction, for a total of 10 gigabits per second, allowing the transmission of approximately 120,000 simultaneous calls. The system eventually can support up to 8 wavelengths per fiber pair, or 40 gigabits per second, the equivalent of approximately 500,000 simultaneous calls. http://www.att.com/news/1095/951016.cia.html TAT-12 fiber cable linking U.S. and Europe starts service 1866 telegraph cable -> http://www.atlantic-cable.com/smcable01.jpg http://collections.ic.gc.ca/canso/earlycab/tech.htm http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Undersea%20telegraph%20cable Perhaps, that will get you started. Randolph J. Herber, herber@dcdrjh.fnal.gov, +1 630 840 2966, CD/CDFTF PK-149F, Mail Stop 318, Fermilab, Kirk & Pine Rds., PO Box 500, Batavia, IL 60510-0500, USA. (Speaking for myself and not for US, US DOE, FNAL nor URA.) (Product, trade, or service marks herein belong to their respective owners.) ------------------------------ From: Tony P. Subject: Re: Transoceanic Data Communication Cables Organization: ATCC Date: Sat, 15 May 2004 00:01:21 GMT In article , claireschatz@hotmail.com says: > Hello Mr. Townson, > My name is Claire Schatz, and I'm a college student. I'm currently > doing a reseach paper on "Transoceanic data communication cables: the > technology, history and future" for my data communication concepts > class. I was reading a narrative history about submarine cables > written by Donald E. Kimberlin and it led me to the Telecom > Digest. From what I can make out on the page, I might be able to find > a lot of material and resources for my research. But I'm quite lost > as to where to begin or how to search for archives and history. I was > hoping that you might be able to steer me in the right direction. > Your reply would be greatly appreciated. > Sincerely, > Claire Schatz > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Could any reader please give Claire > some help; a point in the right direction? Thanks. PAT] If you can find it at your library, get "A history of Engineering and Design in the Bell System: Electronic Technology" They go into the tube based amplifiers used for the early sub-oceanic cables. While you're at the library, they should have an electronic catalog. Just keyword search on the terms you need. Tony ------------------------------ From: jsevinsk@yahoo.com (John Sevinsky) Subject: Looking For Multi-Handset Cordless Phone With Several Features Date: 14 May 2004 13:02:39 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com I'm in the market for a multi-handset cordless phone, and I'm having a hard time finding all the features that I want in one system. I would like: * 5.8 ghz, but 2.4 ghz would be OK. * Must support at least 6 handsets, but 8 or 10 would be better. * Must support a common phone directory, or at least have the ability to transfer the directory from one handset to the others. I'm not typing in names/numbers for each of the handsets. * Should have room monitor. * Must have caller ID / call waiting ID. * Should be able to match caller ID number to directory and display the directory name instead of caller ID name. This is most useful when the caller ID has the number but not the name. * Must be able to name the handsets. * Must have handset-to-handset intercom feature. Should be able to call handsets using name and not number. With eight handsets, I'm bad at remembering the handset numbers for all of them. These are all features that I've seen on different systems, but no one system has all the features that I want. Am I just asking for too much? What I would really like is a flash-upgradable phone system and the source code and compiler to go with it, but that's really asking for too much. :) John ------------------------------ From: ranck@vt.edu Subject: Re: NANP Numbering Date: Fri, 14 May 2004 20:15:48 UTC Organization: Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA Paul Robinson wrote: > All area codes in Virginia are shared on an overlay, so the entire > Commonwealth of Virginia is mandatory 10 digit dialing for all calls, > not just the DC suburbs. Not in the part of Virginia where I live, unless you are talking about toll calls. Locals are 7 digit, and local is a pretty big area here. Bill Ranck Blacksburg, Va. ------------------------------ From: Tony P. Subject: Re: Getting Your Number Listed Deliberately Organization: ATCC Date: Fri, 14 May 2004 23:57:20 GMT In article , fatkinson@mishmash.com says: > Well, folks, > I called their triple-eight number to list my Vonage number. > I got bounced everywhere. When I demanded to speak to a supervisor, I > was transfered back into the queue. I threatened to call the PSC and > it didn't do me any good (to threaten). > So, I *did*. Believe it or not, the SC PSC told me that they > weren't required to list me. Can you believe that? They hold a > monopoly on directory assistance and they aren't required to list you. > The woman I spoke to at PSC said she could call them and *ask* that > they list me, but could make no requirement for them to actually do > it. She told me she'd make the call for me. Oddly, you can insert a free business listing on Verizon's Superpages. I've listed two business entities that way. And they don't have to be Verizon issued numbers either. Totally bizarre. I'm pretty sure that Verizon DA now uses SuperPages for both business and personal but apparently the listings submitted via the web are only listed there. ------------------------------ From: Keith Subject: PDAs and Terminal Emulator Date: Sat, 15 May 2004 01:43:42 GMT Hi Gang, I'm a field tech working on various pieces of telecom gear, turn-up & troubleshooting. I'm trying to get some feedback from anyone out there who is successfully using a terminal emulator (i.e. hyperterminal or procomm type apps) on a PDA. What PDAs are you using, what OS, what applications & finally do those USB-to-serial cables (DB9) that I've seen in electronic stores as well as on eBay have drivers for PDAs that work? Thanx for any feedback or input. "Eliminate annoying spam! My mailbox is protected by iHateSpam, the #1-rated spam buster." http://www.ihatespam.net ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 May 2004 23:35:26 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Rousing the Dead Spot By WALTER S. MOSSBERG FOR EVERY ADVANCE in personal technology, there's always a headache, a downside you didn't expect, that diminishes some of the magic. The latest example of this truism is Wi-Fi, the brilliant wireless networking technology that allows people to share a broadband Internet connection, invisibly, all over a house. In the ideal Wi-Fi setup, you could carry a laptop anywhere in your home and be online at high speed, with nary a wire in sight. When it works like this, Wi-Fi can be liberating. But it doesn't always quite live up to the ideal. The biggest problem with Wi-Fi is its range. The networks usually reach anywhere between 150 and 300 feet from the base station - the distance varies substantially depending on the layout of the house, or even on the construction materials from which it was built, since both are factors that can affect your reception. As a result, in many homes there are whole rooms where the Wi-Fi signal is either weak or absent. The companies that make wireless gear have a one-size-fits-all suggestion for this problem: Move your base station to another location. But that's easier said than done. In most houses, the base station must reside in the same room as the incoming cable or DSL connection and can't readily be moved very far. So I've been testing some add-on gadgets designed to resolve range problems. And after surveying the options, I can recommend what I think is the best, but least-advertised, answer. My solution involves combining Wi-Fi with another simple plug-and-play network technology, called Powerline, to make an end run around the range issue. But more on that later. http://ptech.wsj.com/archive/report-200405.html ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not exclusively to telecommunications topics. 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