29 Years of the Digest ... founded August 21, 1981
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The Telecom Digest for August 15, 2011
Volume 30 : Issue 204 : "text" Format
====== 29 years of TELECOM Digest -- Founded August 21, 1981 ====== |
Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the
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Date: Sun, 14 Aug 2011 07:30:22 -0500
From: "John F. Morse" <john@example.invalid>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Extensions to pay phones?
Message-ID: <pan.2011.08.14.12.30.22.455745@example.invalid>
On Sun, 14 Aug 2011 05:34:43 +0000 danny burstein wrote:
> We had that at a garage I worked in. The phone did, in fact, have a
> Touch Tone keypad but, since the line was an actual coin line, you
> couldn't make a phone call as the CO didn't give you dial tone until the
> pay phone had a coin dropped into it.
>
> - In roughly 1980 the line was switched to "dial tone first", but
> restricted to "911" and (probably) "operator". (this was part of the
> whole nationwide transition for 911 service).
>
> But again, you couldn't make calls to other numbers. Trying to do so got
> you a "please deposit ten cents and redial".
You could call any "free" call number, such as your repair dispatcher,
testboard, plant assignment and other company numbers.
--
John
When a person has -- whether they knew it or not -- already
rejected the Truth, by what means do they discern a lie?
Date: Sun, 14 Aug 2011 07:49:19 -0500
From: "John F. Morse" <john@example.invalid>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Extensions to pay phones?
Message-ID: <pan.2011.08.14.12.49.19.149297@example.invalid>
On Sat, 13 Aug 2011 14:07:24 -0700 Lisa or Jeff wrote:
> At an old-phone show today, someone had a sign tellings callers of a pay
> phone to listen first before depositing money; this was to ensure the
> line wasn't in use.
>
> Years ago, it was common for a small business, such as a luncheonette,
> gas station, barbershop, etc. to have a pay phone with an extension
> attached to it. The extension did not have a dial. In this way the pay
> phone could serve both customers and the business. If the phone rang,
> the business could answer it on the extension if desired.
>
> Would anyone know more about that arrangement? Is it still in use? (I
> checked a lunchonette that had it and they got rid of their pay phone.)
Coin class phones had two USOC codes:
1PC = one party Public Coin
1SP = one party Semi-Public
There were no 2xx (two-party) coin lines, which would have, think about
it, created all kinds of problems.
The 1PC was a phone the telephone company owned, installed in a public
place, and the phone company kept all the money it generated.
Public meaning streets, airports, and any other place the phone company
saw a chance for revenue and had permission from the owner to install the
phone.
The 1SP was the phone company's phone too (weren't they all?!), but it was
installed in a semi-public place. Actually a private place that the public
was permitted to visit, such as a store, barber shop, etc. The owner of
the private property had to initiate an service order request for a 1SP
line.
In the 1960s-1970s the 1SP class carried with it a 41-cent per day
guarantee. That was because the phone was not accessible 24/7 in most
cases, and meant the proprietor had to "pay" 41 cents per day for the
phone service. It would be credited from the total income the coin box
took in during every collection cycle.
So, that 1SP line and coin set cost the proprietor $12.30 per month, which
was comparable to a 1FR (one party flat-rate residential) line (which he
couldn't get inside a business), but cheaper than a 1FB (one party
flat-rate business) line.
It was a way a proprietor could afford a phone, and was a service to the
public as well.
Any non-dial, answer-only extension would cost an additional monthly fee.
--
John
When a person has -- whether they knew it or not -- already
rejected the Truth, by what means do they discern a lie?
Date: Sun, 14 Aug 2011 17:36:51 +0000 (UTC)
From: Paul <pssawyer@comcast.net.INVALID>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Extensions to pay phones?
Message-ID: <Xns9F418A85EF612Senex@88.198.244.100>
"John F. Morse" <john@example.invalid> wrote in
news:pan.2011.08.14.12.49.19.149297@example.invalid:
> Coin class phones had two USOC codes:
>
> 1PC = one party Public Coin
>
> 1SP = one party Semi-Public
>
> There were no 2xx (two-party) coin lines, which would have, think
> about it, created all kinds of problems.
>
> The 1PC was a phone the telephone company owned, installed in a
> public place, and the phone company kept all the money it
> generated.
>
> Public meaning streets, airports, and any other place the phone
> company saw a chance for revenue and had permission from the owner
> to install the phone.
>
> The 1SP was the phone company's phone too (weren't they all?!),
> but it was installed in a semi-public place. Actually a private
> place that the public was permitted to visit, such as a store,
> barber shop, etc. The owner of the private property had to
> initiate an service order request for a 1SP line.
>
> In the 1960s-1970s the 1SP class carried with it a 41-cent per day
> guarantee. That was because the phone was not accessible 24/7 in
> most cases, and meant the proprietor had to "pay" 41 cents per day
> for the phone service. It would be credited from the total income
> the coin box took in during every collection cycle.
>
> So, that 1SP line and coin set cost the proprietor $12.30 per
> month, which was comparable to a 1FR (one party flat-rate
> residential) line (which he couldn't get inside a business), but
> cheaper than a 1FB (one party flat-rate business) line.
It seems to me that the university where I worked had two classes of
coin phones on university property, but someone else managed them so
I don't know the USOCs. I expect the NHPUC made the rules described
below.
If the phone was in a high usage area, such as a main lobby, the
phone was installed and maintained by the LEC at no charge to the U,
and the U was paid a commission on the revenue for that phone. We
called these "public."
If we wanted a pay phone somewhere, and that location was deemed not
enough usage by the LEC, we paid a monthly fee about the same as a
private business line, and it was classified "semi-public." The U
was NOT paid a commission on these. I always thought this was
somewhat backwards.
The LEC kept track of usage on all the pay phones, and sometimes the
classification would be changed.
In later years, most of the semi-public pay phones were changed out
to extensions on our own PBX, and many of the public phones
disappeared.
--
Paul
Date: Sun, 14 Aug 2011 13:10:11 -0700 (PDT)
From: Lisa or Jeff <hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Extensions to pay phones?
Message-ID: <d38c2561-713c-4c27-b209-45d716a2616c@t6g2000yqd.googlegroups.com>
On Aug 14, 1:36 pm, Paul <pssaw...@comcast.net.INVALID> wrote:
> If the phone was in a high usage area, such as a main lobby, the
> phone was installed and maintained by the LEC at no charge to the U,
> and the U was paid a commission on the revenue for that phone. We
> called these "public."
Presumably, if a pay phone today could still earn lots of money, the
owner of the property where the phone was situated could still get a
commission. But with widespread cell phones and cheap landline
service, such a situation would be extremely rare today. Maybe the
lobby of a highway rest stop, which once would have a battery of pay
phones, now has one.
> If we wanted a pay phone somewhere, and that location was deemed not
> enough usage by the LEC, we paid a monthly fee about the same as a
> private business line, and it was classified "semi-public." The U
> was NOT paid a commission on these. I always thought this was
> somewhat backwards.
Where pay phones still exist they are presumably the arrangement
described above. One application is the platform of railway stations,
where the carrier pays the phone company for the phone to be there.
The phone's main purpose is to serve as an emergency (911) phone for
passengers in case of trouble. It's cheaper to do it this way than
have a dedicated lift-for-service phone. Further, a few passengers
still do use the phones to make calls.
> In later years, most of the semi-public pay phones were changed out
> to extensions on our own PBX, and many of the public phones
> disappeared.
Years ago businesses were very fussy about employees and guests making
personal calls on business phones and pay phones were provided as
described above for that reason. But today phone service is so cheap
it doesn't matter (a 7 cent local call fee was significant in 1965,
not so today). Indeed, many businesses (like a law firm) offer a free
phone for guests to use in their waiting rooms.
When I recently visited my old college, I noticed the pay phones were
gone, but college PBX extensions (plain 2554 set) were liberally
placed throughout all the hallways and outdoor walkways, for use as
emergency phones. (I wondered if that was perhaps overkill, perhaps a
reaction of fear. Or, perhaps security needs had changed to require
that kind of coverage.)
Date: Sun, 14 Aug 2011 09:54:49 -0700 (PDT)
From: Lisa or Jeff <hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Verizon strike
Message-ID: <4893fd4b-5be2-4a53-9d01-7cd1bcaab489@p5g2000vbl.googlegroups.com>
On Aug 11, 5:13 pm, Steve Stone <spfl...@citlink.net> wrote:
> The company I work for is telling employees who work from home offices
> that they should keep their total cost for a work voice telephone line
> under $40 per month. The preferred solution is a company VoIP system
> which does not require POTS. This supports the thought that Verizon
> and other wireline telcos might be losing business to alternate lower
> cost providers.
How would the workers get a VOIP line? I thought one had to have
either DSL (on top of a landline), or, digital cable on top of cable
TV service.
Can one get a data line _by itself_ without anything else attached to
it--and one that would be cheaper than a landline?
Date: Sun, 14 Aug 2011 14:44:26 -0500
From: GlowingBlueMist <glowingbluemist@truely.invalid>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Verizon strike
Message-ID: <4e48259d$0$12950$892e0abb@auth.newsreader.octanews.com>
On 8/14/2011 11:54 AM, Lisa or Jeff wrote:
> On Aug 11, 5:13 pm, Steve Stone<spfl...@citlink.net> wrote:
>
>> The company I work for is telling employees who work from home offices
>> that they should keep their total cost for a work voice telephone line
>> under $40 per month. The preferred solution is a company VoIP system
>> which does not require POTS. This supports the thought that Verizon
>> and other wireline telcos might be losing business to alternate lower
>> cost providers.
>
> How would the workers get a VOIP line? I thought one had to have
> either DSL (on top of a landline), or, digital cable on top of cable
> TV service.
>
> Can one get a data line _by itself_ without anything else attached to
> it--and one that would be cheaper than a landline?
>
You can get a DSL line with out having an actual working phone number
but not all internet providers allow you to order this type. In my area
you can order what is known as a dry loop DSL connection. They do
charge extra for no phone number being bundled with the DSL but it is
still cheaper than a phone number plus a DSL feed.
As for home phone service I use a NetTalk phone adapter. I have used
others like Vonage and Skype.
I got rid of Vonage as it required a PC be powered on all the time to
have continuous phone service, same as Skype (no adapter, just
software). With the NetTalk adapter you can plug it directly into a
router or your PC allowing you much more flexibility.
Here is a link that will take you to a screen for ATT's offering.
http://www.att.com/dsl/
or another third party link showing offerings for them and others.
http://www.connectmyhighspeed.com/dryloop/
I have had mine for a few years from what was Qwest, now CenturyLink.
Date: Sun, 14 Aug 2011 18:12:51 -0400
From: Steve Stone <spfleck@citlink.net>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Verizon strike
Message-ID: <FLX1q.107545$_I7.21503@newsfe08.iad>
On 8/14/2011 12:54 PM, Lisa or Jeff wrote:
> How would the workers get a VOIP line? I thought one had to have
> either DSL (on top of a landline), or, digital cable on top of cable
> TV service.
Yes, and not the employers problem since they don't reimburse for home
office Internet connectivity.
>
> Can one get a data line _by itself_ without anything else attached to
> it--and one that would be cheaper than a landline?
>
I don't know.
Steve
Date: 14 Aug 2011 20:07:32 -0000
From: "John Levine" <johnl@iecc.com>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Verizon strike
Message-ID: <20110814200732.44140.qmail@joyce.lan>
>How would the workers get a VOIP line? I thought one had to have
>either DSL (on top of a landline), or, digital cable on top of cable
>TV service.
>
>Can one get a data line _by itself_ without anything else attached to
>it--and one that would be cheaper than a landline?
Cable companies will sell you just Internet, although they would rather
sell you a package with TV and phone and someone's cell phone service.
In the past ILECs were supposed to sell bare DSL but I gather that
since the FCC no longer enforces the rules, you can order it but you
can't get it, or if you can, it's more expensive than voice+DSL.
R's,
John
***** Moderator's Note *****
Do you mean that the rules are no longer in effect, that the FCC is no
longer responsible for enforcing the rules, or that the FCC chooses
not to?
Bill Horne
Moderator
Date: Sun, 14 Aug 2011 19:22:32 +0000 (UTC)
From: David Scheidt <dscheidt@panix.com>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Verizon strike
Message-ID: <j2979o$kv9$1@reader1.panix.com>
Lisa or Jeff <hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com> wrote:
:On Aug 11, 5:13Â pm, Steve Stone <spfl...@citlink.net> wrote:
:> The company I work for is telling employees who work from home offices
:> that they should keep their total cost for a work voice telephone line
:> under $40 per month. Â The preferred solution is a company VoIP system
:> which does not require POTS. Â This supports the thought that Verizon
:> and other wireline telcos might be losing business to alternate lower
:> cost providers.
:How would the workers get a VOIP line? I thought one had to have
:either DSL (on top of a landline), or, digital cable on top of cable
:TV service.
:Can one get a data line _by itself_ without anything else attached to
:it--and one that would be cheaper than a landline?
Sure, most places. In Chicago, T, Comcast, and RCN will, if they
serve your building, be happy to sell you just data. (So will a
number of other peple who serve smaller areas of the city.) No, it
won't be cheaper than a basic land line phone. But note that anyone
working from home has to have a data connection these days, so the
marginal cost of getting a connection that supports VOIP is pretty
small (I'd want a dedicated IP telephone, though, and not an analog
through a converter.).
--
sig 23
***** Moderator's Note *****
If I wanted to use my DSL line for phone service, what brand(s) of
phone could I get that I could plug in to an Ethernet port? What do
the phones cost, and how do I get service for them?
Bill Horne
Moderator
Date: Sun, 14 Aug 2011 15:45:15 -0500
From: Free Lunch <lunch@nofreelunch.us>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Verizon strike
Message-ID: <8ucg47l44gb1fvvi1roal2g2kt5cfslm75@4ax.com>
On Sun, 14 Aug 2011 09:54:49 -0700 (PDT), Lisa or Jeff
<hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com> wrote in comp.dcom.telecom:
>On Aug 11, 5:13 pm, Steve Stone <spfl...@citlink.net> wrote:
>
>> The company I work for is telling employees who work from home offices
>> that they should keep their total cost for a work voice telephone line
>> under $40 per month. The preferred solution is a company VoIP system
>> which does not require POTS. This supports the thought that Verizon
>> and other wireline telcos might be losing business to alternate lower
>> cost providers.
>
>How would the workers get a VOIP line? I thought one had to have
>either DSL (on top of a landline), or, digital cable on top of cable
>TV service.
>
>Can one get a data line _by itself_ without anything else attached to
>it--and one that would be cheaper than a landline?
Charter certainly offers internet-only.
***** Moderator's Note *****
Love the domain name!
Bill Horne
Moderator
TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecom-
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