From editor@telecom-digest.org Fri Jun 11 14:28:04 2004 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p3/8.11.3) id i5BIS4O21924; Fri, 11 Jun 2004 14:28:04 -0400 (EDT) Date: Fri, 11 Jun 2004 14:28:04 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200406111828.i5BIS4O21924@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 #286 TELECOM Digest Fri, 11 Jun 2004 14:26:00 EDT Volume 23 : Issue 286 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Supreme Court Asked to Uphold Phone Rules (Monty Solomon) Feds Say Vehicle Black Boxes Not Needed (Monty Solomon) FCC's Powell Seeks New Phone Line Access Rules (Monty Solomon) EPIC Alert 11.11 (Monty Solomon) EFFector 17.21: EFF Asks Public to Identify "Bad" Patents (Monty Solomon) Re: Cell Phone With Timer? (Michael D. Sullivan) Re: Public Copying Cost Unchanged (Bill Ranck) Fujitsu's Base Station -- IMT--2000 (JL) Program to Send a Fax (nirmal) CLI via CSTA (Siemens HiPath 3000) (Matt Hall) Help w/ DSL Problem - Connection Fails if Phone Taken Off Hook) (J Salmon) Vonage - Good Voice Quality, Crummy reliability? (John) BT Transforms Phone Network (VOIP News) VoIP All Smiles on FCC's Line-Sharing Move (VOIP News) Full-Duplex VoIP Speakerphone Controller Introduced (VOIP News) Review: VoicePulse VoIP Service (VOIP News) Decision Threatens Competitive Phone Rates (VOIP News) Rate Fight Masks Larger Phone Issue (VOIP News) First Looks: Sipura SPA-3000 (VOIP News) California: SBC Restrictions on DSL Are Illegal, Judge Rules (VOIP News) 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 10 Jun 2004 23:11:30 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Supreme Court Asked to Uphold Phone Rules By JENNIFER C. KERR Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Supreme Court was asked Thursday to temporarily block an appeals court decision that struck down phone competition regulations requiring regional carriers to share their networks with competitors at deep discounts. The Bush administration is not appealing its loss to the Supreme Court, but others unsatisfied with the ruling are, including the state of California, Michigan utility regulators and a national association of regulators. Their attorney told Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist in court papers that the ruling prevents states from helping bring competition to local telephone service. The decision "jeopardizes the local telecommunications competition that has developed over the last decade," Washington lawyer James Bradford Ramsay told justices. Rehnquist will decide whether to put the lower court ruling on hold until the Supreme Court considers whether to hear the case. That would not happen until next fall. AT&T also asked the court to intervene and filed papers for a stay, said company spokeswoman Claudia Jones. Also Thursday, FCC Chairman Michael Powell said the agency will begin drafting new competition rules immediately to replace those set to expire Tuesday. "We may be able to finish not just interim rules but final rules this year," he said. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=41908941 ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 10 Jun 2004 23:21:43 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Feds Say Vehicle Black Boxes Not Needed By DEE-ANN DURBIN Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) -- Data recorders that collect information on speed, seat belt use, braking and other factors shouldn't be required in vehicles, federal regulators said Thursday. Dr. Ricardo Martinez, former administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, was among those pushing the agency to mandate the data recorders, saying they are essential for understanding what happens in a crash. But NHTSA said automakers are adding black boxes at a fast enough pace on their own. Approximately 15 percent of vehicles now on the road have the data recorders, and NHTSA says between 65 percent and 90 percent of 2004 vehicles have some sort of recording ability. Under a proposal released Thursday, NHTSA said it wants recorders to collect a standard set of data to help crash investigators. By September 2008, the agency wants recorders to collect up to 42 specific data elements, including the time it takes for air bags to deploy. NHTSA said the systems that control air bags already capture a great deal of that information, so the cost of standardizing the data will be minimal. Some automakers already have the recorders installed in most vehicles. General Motors Corp. began installing recorders in 1994, while Ford Motor Co. began installing them in 2001. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=41903714 ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 10 Jun 2004 23:28:15 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: FCC's Powell Seeks New Phone Line Access Rules By Jeremy Pelofsky WASHINGTON, June 10 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Communications Commission's chairman said on Thursday he plans to draft new rules for leasing access to the local telephone carriers' networks after the Bush administration decided not to defend the old ones. The administration on Wednesday said it would not challenge an appeals court ruling that struck down FCC rules forcing the four big local carriers, known as the Baby Bells, to lease access to their networks at government-set rates. Chairman Michael Powell, who lost a bitter battle last year to reduce the network sharing requirements on the Bells, said he would seek new rules that would phase in any price increases and minimize consumer disruptions. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 10 Jun 2004 22:53:14 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: EPIC Alert 11.11 ======================================================================= E P I C A l e r t ======================================================================= Volume 11.11 June 10, 2004 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Published by the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) Washington, D.C. http://www.epic.org/alert/EPIC_Alert_11.11.html ====================================================================== Table of Contents ====================================================================== [1] EPIC Sues Agencies for Passenger Data Disclosure Info [2] DHS and EU Council Reach Agreement on Airline Passenger Data [3] House Committee Suspends US-VISIT Contract [4] Business Coalition Seeks Change to Junk Fax Regulations [5] ICANN Calls for Comments on WHOIS Process [6] News in Brief [7] EPIC Bookstore: Credit Scores & Credit Reports [8] Upcoming Conferences and Events http://www.epic.org/alert/EPIC_Alert_11.11.html ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 10 Jun 2004 22:59:24 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: EFFector 17.21: EFF Asks Public to Identify "Bad" Patents EFFector Vol. 17, No. 21 June 10, 2004 donna@eff.org A Publication of the Electronic Frontier Foundation ISSN 1062-9424 In the 293rd Issue of EFFector: * EFF Asks Public to Identify "Bad" Patents in Patent Busting Contest * Pro-Consumer Privacy Bill Gets a Hearing: EFF Backs California Senate Bill Protecting Anonymous Speech Online * NGO Coalition Unites Against WIPO Broadcasting Treaty * MiniLinks (13): Big Content Wants Biometrics in Media Players * Staff Calendar: 06.10.04 - 06.13.04 - Lawrence Lessig and Wendy Seltzer speak at "Wizards of OS 3: The Future of the Digital Commons," Berlin, Germany; 06.12.04 - Jason Schultz speaks at LayerOne Technology Conference, Los Angeles, CA * Administrivia http://www.eff.org/effector/17/21.php ------------------------------ From: ranck@vt.edu Subject: Re: Public Copy Cost Unchanged Date: Fri, 11 Jun 2004 18:09:32 UTC Organization: Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA William Robison wrote: > Remember the Xerox 914 copier? This beast is the first Xerox ... > ... don't know what it cost, but couldn't have been at all cheap. > Now, I can go out and buy an ink-jet copier/priunter for $100 at > Staples, Best Buy, Wal Mart, Office Max (and on and on). Granted > supplies cost a small fortune (in the form of ink cartridges), but for > a few hundred I can get a low duty cycle laser copier. > It should be to the point that the major cost is the paper going > into the machine, which is around a penny/page if you don't buy in > bulk. You'd be surprised. About 5 years ago we were in the process of moving our computer printing out of the computing center and over to the campus print shop. One aspect of that was to charge back to various users for the printing costs on the large laser printer. Users were somewhat astounded to learn that the price of printing single sided was the same as double sided. In other words, the cost of the toner and equipment maintenance, etc. simply overwhelmed the cost of paper. Places like Kinkos or our print shop who buy paper in large quantities get it pretty cheap. If I remember correctly the cost of paper was 2 tenths of a cent or so per sheet, while the other costs brought printing up to 3 or 4 cents per page image. So the paper was essentially not a factor at per-page prices. Toner and maintenance costs were the big factors. Bill Ranck Blacksburg, Va. ------------------------------ From: Michael D. Sullivan Subject: Re: Cell Phone With Timer? Date: Fri, 11 Jun 2004 01:59:48 GMT In article , JoeOfSeattle@yahoo.NONOcom says: > On 9 Jun 2004 06:03:16 -0700, qjohnny2000@yahoo.com (John Qyindi) > wrote: >> Is there any cell phone that you can program to turn on at a certain >> time or at least not be in silent mode at a certain time ... I'm only >> suppose to get calls from work between certain hours but people ignore >> this so I want to program it in ... Problem is I only get calls halfway >> through the night when I'm sleeping so obviously can't turn on the >> ringer or turn on the phone then. My Kyocera 7135 smartphone (Palm PDA/phone) has an option to turn on and off at specified times each day. Michael D. Sullivan Bethesda, MD, USA Delete nospam from my address and it won't work. ------------------------------ From: ryugun2000@yahoo.com (JL) Subject: Fujitsu's Base Station - IMT -2000 Date: 10 Jun 2004 20:14:45 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com Hi, I'd like to know what kind of RISC processor's are used in this BTS. Thanks. ------------------------------ From: bnsaty@hotmail.com (nirmal) Subject: Program to Send a Fax Date: 11 Jun 2004 00:02:26 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com Hi , I need to write a program on Windows platform ( win 2k onwards) to send a fax . Can anyone please give me direction ( which API's to use etc) in this regard? Thanks in Advance. Nirmal ------------------------------ From: matt@autocab.com (Matt Hall) Subject: CLI via CSTA (Siemens HiPath 3000) Date: 11 Jun 2004 05:24:06 -0700 OK, this may be slightly OT here, but I can't find any other place to post to that would be any better. I am looking to implement a CLI system that can associate an phone extension number with the number of the call answered by that extension before or when the extension picked the call up. I am trying to get this working on a Siemens HiPath 3000 PBX, which I have been told will output the data using CSTA, however, I'm having trouble decoding the data that I am receiving. Has anyone else had any experience in decoding the ASN.1 encoded data, and recognising the semantics of the data once it has been decoded? I have so far been able to retrieve a valid message from the system, and parse out the data section. The data is ASN.1 coded, and I have been able to extract the individual data items, however, I'm finding it difficult to recognise the meanings of these strings. Any help appreciated! ------------------------------ From: usenet@sugarinthegourd.com (John Salmon) Subject: Help w/ DSL Problem - Connection Fails (Comes Back if Phone Off Hook) Date: 11 Jun 2004 06:32:50 -0700 Hello folks, I have Earthlink DSL over Verizon phone lines. My house is old and the internal phonelines may be part of the problem. My DSL connection cuts out quite regularly. DSL light on the modem goes from lit to dark or blinks slowly. The odd thing is that taking a phone off the hook causes the signal to reestablish within a few seconds. After a minute or so the phone can be put back on the hook, and the connection remains for anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours. This is an intermittent problem which had disappeared for some time but now seems to have reappeared. Anyone have any ideas for troubleshooting? All phones in the house have filters attached -- there are no cable boxes, security systems, or anything else plugged into phone jacks. Thanks in advance, John ------------------------------ From: twohandsfree@hotmail.com (John) Subject: Vonage - Good Voice Quality, Crummy Reliability? Date: 10 Jun 2004 16:09:06 -0700 I just got my "Motorola Device" and connected to Vonage. Literally 10 minutes later, after a call or two, I experienced "network outages". These have lasted a couple of *HOURS*. During this time, recorded voice messages were garbled. What kind of service quality is this?? After reading complaints on various newsgroups, I learned that some people say this may be due to capacity issues (my suspicion too). If so, woe to those who rely on Vonage. It will be a LONG while before they have the cash or inclination to alleviate this. I think reviewers need to keep this in mind -- Voice quality is good (when it works), but reliability doesn't seem to be. ------------------------------ From: VOIP News Date: Thu, 10 Jun 2004 14:30:10 -0400 Subject: BT Transforms Phone Network Reply-To: VoIPnews@yahoogroups.com http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3791319.stm BT is planning to rebuild its phone network in the UK in a radical move that will cost billions. It could change the way people use their phones and allow most people with a BT phone line to plug into broadband using computers, mobiles or other devices. It could also mean that mobiles and fixed lines become interchangeable, with the same number and bill. BT plans to convert the majority of its customers to the new network by 2009. Undetectable Dubbed the 21st century network, the technical work requires a gradual closing down of the old Public Switched Telephone network (PSTN) to make way for an internet protocol (IP) network Full story at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3791319.stm How to Distribute VoIP Throughout a Home: http://michigantelephone.mi.org/distribute.html If you live in Michigan, subscribe to the MI-Telecom group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MI-Telecom/ ------------------------------ From: VOIP News Date: Thu, 10 Jun 2004 20:09:47 -0400 Subject: VoIP All Smiles on FCC's Line-Sharing Move Reply-To: VoIPnews@yahoogroups.com http://www.internetnews.com/xSP/article.php/3366681 By Colin C. Haley The federal government's decision not to appeal a court ruling that tossed out line-sharing rules between Baby Bells and their start-up rivals is getting a thumbs up from a Voice over Internet Protocol (define) technology executive. "It's very encouraging that the [Federal Communications Commission] believes VoIP will provide sufficient competition to the [Baby Bells] that the old regulatory form is no longer required," said Dan Hoffman, president and CEO of M5, a provider of VoIP business service. "In a way, it's a great vote of support for the rapidly growing VoIP industry." In a major policy shift Wednesday, and a big win for Baby Bells such as Verizon, the Bush Administration decided not to appeal a lower court ruling that tossed out regulations forcing Baby Bells to provide discounted access to their lines for competitors. The move means the rule, from the 1996 Telecommunications Act, is expected to expire on June 15th -- provided no other groups (such as competitive local exchange carriers -- CLECs) are granted a stay. Analysts eventually expect to see a round of new negotiations among Baby Bells and rival providers that heretofore leased the Bells' lines at a discount. M5's Hoffman called on the commission to remember the important role VoIP will play in the new playing field, along with wireless, as an alternative to Baby Bell phone service -- especially as it considers future regulations on broadband telephony. Indeed, VoIP is rising in use at a time when the telecommunications industry expects traditional providers' rates to rise once the Bells are freed from the discount rules. The prospect could make VoIP's much cheaper rates look even more attractive. However, VoIP could be looking at higher rates and regulation too. For example, in addition to deciding what authority states may or may not have to levy fees on the service, the FCC is still looking to craft policies regarding 911 and law enforcement wire-tapping access on VoIP services. Full story at: http://www.internetnews.com/xSP/article.php/3366681 ------------------------------ From: VOIP News Date: Thu, 10 Jun 2004 21:23:44 -0400 Subject: Full-Duplex VoIP Speakerphone Controller Introduced Reply-To: VoIPnews@yahoogroups.com http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20040610005707&newsLang=en Full-Duplex VoIP Speakerphone Controller Introduced by Acoustic Technologies MESA, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 10, 2004--Acoustic Technologies, a leading developer of high-quality communication solutions for telephony equipment, today introduced the ATH3003 VoIP full-duplex speakerphone integrated circuit for improved sound quality in VoIP applications. The ATH3003 provides full-duplex speakerphone operation with Acoustic Technologies' unique SoundClear(R) technology, dramatically improving voice quality in VoIP telephony applications. Signal integrity and superior sound quality are achieved through the SoundClear suite of technology and full-duplex control that dynamically monitors, detects and processes incoming voice, echo, and noise signal power levels. The unique echo cancellation technology is robust to VoIP delay and network imperfections. "The ATH3003 provides audio signal processing between the digital VoIP to analog user interface domains, bringing our unique SoundClear technology for improved voice quality to VoIP applications," said Sam Thomasson, Acoustic Technologies chief executive officer. "According to the tier-one VoIP phone vendors we are working with, the ATH3003 device provides high-quality full-duplex speakerphone performance with seamless interface to popular VoIP controllers." Features of the ATH3003 include 42dB acoustic echo cancellation, 30dB network echo cancellation, up to 12dB noise reduction, graphic equalizers, and sound enhancement. There is an integrated analog CODEC, microphone preamp, and speaker driver for interface to microphone and speaker. Also, the digital PCM interface provides an easy interface to VoIP controllers compatible with Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or USB, supporting both time-shared and dedicated PCM. To improve the sound quality and simplify phone system design, the device includes dual 10-band Graphic Equalizers, comfort noise, and DTMF generation. Handset and speakerphone call management and programmable ringer tone generation round out the sophisticated set of features on the ATH3003. The SoundClear-enabled ATH3003 is available for immediate sampling in a 48-pin LQFP package. The ATH3003 is tunable to specific VoIP phone casings and user preferences. Acoustic Technologies SoundClear products combine patented acoustic echo cancellation, bi-directional noise reduction, sound enhancement, and far-side anomaly reduction with sophisticated monitoring and control techniques to enable full-duplex speech and improved voice clarity. The full-duplex operation provides rich, clear, enhanced sound with no clipping or distortion. SoundClear optimizes speech intelligibility with full-duplex control that adaptively monitors, detects and processes incoming voice, echo, and noise signal power levels. About Acoustic Technologies Acoustic Technologies is a privately held company headquartered in Mesa, Ariz. Acoustic Technologies creates high-quality semiconductor and software solutions for leading telecom manufacturers worldwide. The SoundClear(R) brand of patented full-duplex communication and echo cancellation solutions is enabling significant advancements in telecommunications voice quality. SoundClear provides natural bi-directional communication in business speakerphones, mobile phones, VoIP telephones, hands-free car kits, Bluetooth accessories, and other speakerphone-enabled products. For additional information, the company can be reached directly at 480-507-4376, or via the Internet at www.acoustictech.com. SoundClear is a registered trademark of Acoustic Technologies Inc. eXcho is a trademark of Acoustic Technologies Inc. All other service marks and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Contacts Acoustic Technologies Inc., Mesa Jim Jacot, 480-507-4303 public-relations@acoustictech.com ------------------------------ From: VOIP News Date: Fri, 11 Jun 2004 01:17:13 -0400 Subject: Review: VoicePulse VoIP Service Reply-To: VoIPnews@yahoogroups.com http://www.techwarelabs.com/reviews/network/voicepulse/ Reviewed by Travis Griggs on 06.10.2004 What is VoIP? When people ask "What in the world is VoIP?", I usually give them the easiest answer; a way to save a lot a money on your phone bill! VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. What does this mean you might ask? Instead of phone calls transmitting through the antique telephone system, the calls are routed over the internet. To accomplish this, VoicePulse provides a small adapter plugged in between the router and a standard telephone handset. You've probably heard of or have actually used a form of VoIP in the past few years. A few examples are DialPad, Net2Phone, and Yahoo Messenger. Originally these services may have been free but now they are not. The two major drawbacks these services had are: a headset tethered to your home computer and no local number for incoming calls. With today's VoIP service, you can use a standard household phone, receive incoming calls, have unlimited long distance, voicemails sent to email, and more. VoIP has made great strides in the past 2 years and brings much more to the table! Why do I need VoIP? To save some cash, of course! During the scope of this review, I surveyed several people about their phone usage. With a VoIP solution the users could save anywhere from twenty dollars a month to hundreds! On top of the savings you even get more features than the standard telephone service ever dreamed of offering. What is needed to reap the benefits of VoicePulse's VoIP service? * High-speed Internet connection -- usually cable or DSL. * Standard household cord/cordless phone plugged into the broadband telephone adapter. * A router which enables simultaneously web usage and phone conversations Enough technical talk, let's dig into VoicePulse's service. Full story at: http://www.techwarelabs.com/reviews/network/voicepulse/ ------------------------------ From: VOIP News Date: Fri, 11 Jun 2004 04:35:28 -0400 Subject: Decision Threatens Competitive Phone Rates Reply-To: VoIPnews@yahoogroups.com http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2001953489_fccphone11.html By ELLEN SIMON The Associated Press NEW YORK The Bush administration's decision not to challenge a court ruling on wholesale telephone rates could hamper competition and make phone calls more expensive. It could even force some companies to quit the residential market. But when those rate increases will come -- or if they'll really come at all -- is open to debate. The telecommunications industry is already so roiled by technology-induced tumult -- including the proliferation of cellphones and Voice Over Internet Protocol -- that some analysts think regulation is hardly needed to keep prices down. FCC hastens spread of wireless Internet WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has adopted rules to give phone companies easier access to airwaves and hasten the rollout of wireless high-speed Internet services. Full story at: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2001953489_fccphone11.html ------------------------------ From: VOIP News Date: Fri, 11 Jun 2004 08:54:16 PDT Subject: Rate Fight Masks Larger Phone Issue Reply-To: VoIPnews@yahoogroups.com Wireless, other options growing By Jon Van Tribune staff reporter To many in the phone business, the battle over wholesale rates is a diversion from the real issue: Technology has already reshaped communications. Phone giants such as SBC Communications Inc. have been warring with rivals over control of traditional phone networks since 1996. But consumers are rapidly switching to wireless phones, the Internet and even cable television systems for communication, bypassing a century- old network. This week the Bush administration opted to move away from government- enforced competition that requires Bells like SBC to share their networks with rivals such as AT&T Corp. and MCI Inc., which now supply local phone service to 19 million customers nationwide. In response, Michael Powell, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, said Thursday that his agency will write new rules to govern -- and probably phase out -- the network sharing provisions included in the landmark 1996 Telecommunications Act. Consumer advocates say this will lead to fewer choices and higher prices for traditional phone service. And long-distance providers have said they may be forced to exit that business. Yet new rules could also accelerate the technological shift, said Dwayne Goldsmith, a former Ameritech Corp. executive who now heads Inflexion Communications, a Detroit-based telecom start-up. "What this does is give the local phone companies the opportunity to strangle themselves in their own copper networks," said Goldsmith, whose firm just won a contract away from SBC to supply voice service to public schools in Detroit. "We can do a lot of stuff with wireless now that just wasn't possible five years ago," said Goldsmith. "A lot of companies like ours will be doing just that." Wireless phone firms continue to carry a growing portion of local and long-distance traffic because their rates are competitive and wireless features are far more enticing, said Albert Lin, an analyst with AmTech Research in San Francisco. For eight years the Bells and their rivals have battled over control of the old circuit-switched network, Lin said, and even though the Bells appear to have won that war, it is becoming irrelevant. "The real battle now is between circuit-switched networks and the Internet," he said. "There'll be a phase-out of network sharing, but during that time, the Bells have to worry about how many customers they'll lose to wireless, to cable operators and to start-ups that provide voice over the Internet" phone service. The FCC has signaled that it will not classify Internet telephony as a traditionally regulated service. Congress has extended a ban on taxing the Internet and the FCC has allocated new airwave spectrum for wireless Internet uses. "Going forward there'll be much more interesting and meaningful battles that have nothing to do with regulatory decision-making," Lin said. When Congress passed a new communications act in 1996, its intention was to promote competition, said Jim Andrew, a vice president of Adventis, a Boston-based telecom consultancy. "Competition has happened," he said. "It has developed in ways they didn't necessarily predict. We've got wireless and voice over broadband Internet. As more people get broadband, concerns about traditional networks become less relevant. The '96 act becomes less relevant." Andrew said the policy shift will certainly affect many consumers, especially those who do not have cell phones or broadband Internet connections. Copyright (c) 2004, Chicago Tribune ------------------------------ From: VOIP News Date: Fri, 11 Jun 2004 11:58:33 -0400 Subject: First Looks: Sipura SPA-3000 Reply-To: VoIPnews@yahoogroups.com http://www.voxilla.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=70&mode=nested&order=0&thold=0 By DAMEON D. WELCH-ABERNATHY for VOXILLA.COM Sipura Technology is proving that, even in the world of VoIP, what comes inside the box is what really matters. Though the San Jose, CA, -based company's upcoming SPA-3000 VoIP telephone adaptor looks almost identical to its wildly successful predecessor, the SPA-2000, just a cursory look at the new device's configuration screen reveals that Sipura has raised the bar by several notches on the consumer end of the IP telephony world. Imagine being able to transparently use the most appropriate of several different VoIP providers based on the number you dial. Or being assured that emergency services are directed correctly because your 911 call is routed automatically over your PSTN line. Now imagine being able to pick up the phone in the US and getting dial tone in the UK. Or routing your cell phone while In your car over your VoIP account at home to make a cheap international call. Or having all your incoming calls automatically forwarded to your cell phone. The SPA-3000 does all this, and much more. In fact, the device has the capacity to perform many of the functions currently handled by dedicated PBXs costing thousands of dollars. Full story at: http://www.voxilla.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=70&mode=nested&order=0&thold=0 ------------------------------ From: VOIP News Date: Fri, 11 Jun 2004 12:43:36 -0400 Subject: California: SBC Restrictions on DSL Are Illegal, Judge Rules Reply-To: VoIPnews@yahoogroups.com http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-sbc10jun10,1,4839600.story?coll=la-headlines-pe-business The firm is ordered to cease its practice of refusing to provide the service to people who switch phone carriers. By James S. Granelli, Times Staff Writer SBC Communications Inc. is violating California law by refusing to make its high-speed Internet service SBC-Yahoo DSL available to customers who switch their local voice service to rival carriers, according to a decision Wednesday. The ruling by a Public Utilities Commission administrative law judge states that SBC's refusal "is not just or reasonable" and that California's dominant local phone company must cease the practice. The decision becomes effective in 30 days unless any party files an appeal to the PUC, or a commissioner requests a review. Competitors have complained that SBC has unfairly maintained its control over local phone service partly by tying that to its DSL, or digital subscriber line, service. SBC executives, who have not yet seen the decision, insisted Wednesday that the company didn't have to provide its DSL service to customers who wanted to move their local phone service to a rival. Full story at: http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-sbc10jun10,1,4839600.story?coll=la-headlines-pe-business ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not exclusively to telecommunications topics. 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