32 Years of the Digest ... founded August 21, 1981
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The Telecom Digest for November 26, 2013
Volume 32 : Issue 234 : "text" Format
====== 32 years of TELECOM Digest -- Founded August 21, 1981 ======
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Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the
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Date: Mon, 25 Nov 2013 10:01:23 -0500
From: Fred Goldstein <invalid@see.sig.telecom-digest.org>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Introducing 844 Toll Free Numbers
Message-ID: <52936643.5020806@ionary.com>
On 11/24/2013 12:30 PM, John Levine wrote:
>> So, it must be fairly cheap to sit on a number, and many companies are
>> doing so for unknown reasons to me, other than they are a resource,
>> maybe holding things until the right set of circumstances.
>
> It's extremely cheap. My 800 number costs me $1/mo retail, and I know
> that's far from the lowest price. We have practically no traffic, but
> I hold onto it because it spells my wife's name.
>
> I share your impression that there must be a market in toll-free
> numbers somewhere, but I have no idea where to find it.
Somewhere I saw it mentioned that there is one company that owns most of
the 800 numbers, or at least over 10 million of them. They may be in
Philadelphia. It is a shadowy business. Their business model is to
grab all of the "wrong" numbers that are close to an actual business 800
number. So a misdialed number will go to them, and they can use it to
sell porn or something else shady.
The FCC's rules about 800 numbers of course did not anticipate this type
of bad behavior. 800 numbers are managed by SMS/800 in Bismarck, ND, a
company originally owned by the seven Bells, and whose ownership
structure is now being modified to include a few more companies than the
three remaining ones. They manage the central database. Write access
to the database is given to "Responsible Organizations" (RespOrgs), some
of which are not all that responsible... and since the cost of running
it is fairly low, the cost of an 800 number, to a RespOrg, is low.
Hence squatting on >10M numbers doesn't cost much.
The FCC should crack down on this, since it's purely their bailiwick,
but since it's not IP, or as sexy as meddling in Internet content, they
seem to be ignoring it.
--
Fred R. Goldstein k1io fred "at" interisle.net
Interisle Consulting Group
+1 617 795 2701
Date: Mon, 25 Nov 2013 07:46:57 -0800 (PST)
From: HAncock4 <withheld@invalid.telecom-digest.org>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Introducing 844 Toll Free Numbers
Message-ID: <92fe707a-3f6e-4c84-8d5f-36683c0c36c9@googlegroups.com>
On Saturday, November 23, 2013 9:50:57 AM UTC-5, Wes Leatherock wrote:
> > ... And I've also got to ask why there's still such a huge demand
> > for "tollfree" numbers. More and more people, and pretty much all
> > businesses by now, have calling plans that are no longer distance
> > sensitive
> "More and more people" is not all, and many marketers want to reach
> those who do not have "free" long distance. ...
Many people have free long distance on their cell phone, but
conventional service on their landline phone. In my area, landline
unlimited still costs more than plain service (about $30/month more).
So, the toll free number is still attractive. Also, at some work-
places, there is low-cost long distance, but not free service, so
the meter is still running on toll calls.
But I think the moderator's point is the big one--true ANI that can't
be altered or blocked, even if the caller think's it is. That allows
anyone you call to subsequently call you, even on your cell or un-
listed number, to solicit you since you now have a "prior relationship".
Whether that truly counts legally as a prior relationship I can't say,
but I'll bet it's good enough for a business to make use of it.
I've noticed many local and regional businesses getting 800 numbers,
and I'll bet it's for a similar reason. Also, many regional busi-
nesses once had FX lines into nearby areas that otherwise would be
a short-haul toll call to reach them.
Date: Mon, 25 Nov 2013 15:07:04 -0800 (PST)
From: Neal McLain <nmclain.remove-this@and-this-too.annsgarden.com>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Report: Comcast, Charter may chop up Time Warner Cable
Message-ID: <c5354b5f-1710-43b4-a5e6-132ff7e3e6c3@googlegroups.com>
By Steve Donohue, FierceCable, November 25, 2013
| Executives at Comcast and Charter Communications have had
| preliminary talks aimed at acquiring Time Warner Cable, which
| could help each operator expand cable system clusters in Los
| Angeles, New York and other markets, Bloomberg reported
| Saturday. Officials at Charter, Time Warner Cable and Comcast
| declined to comment.
|
| While Charter and investor Liberty Media have been touting the
| benefits of consolidation for several months, Comcast CFO
| Michel Angelakis said in July that the nation's largest cable
| MSO was more focused on expanding internationally through
| deals involving its NBCUniversal subsidiary. But striking a
| deal with TWC could help Comcast expand its cable system
| clusters in Florida, New York and Texas. And Charter could
| create efficiencies in marketing, advertising, sales and
| operations in areas where it operates near TWC systems,
| including Los Angeles and the Carolinas.
|
| Word of a possible joint bid from Comcast and Charter for Time
| Warner Cable has drawn comparisons to a deal that Comcast and
| TWC struck in 2006 to acquire nearly all of the cable systems
| that were owned by Adelphia Communications. In addition to
| splitting up Adelphia systems in New York, Massachusetts and
| several other states, TWC and Comcast agreed to swap several
| cable systems. Those transactions helped TWC gain an
| additional 3.3 million subscribers, while Comcast picked up
| 1.7 million subscribers.
Continued:
http://tinyurl.com/kya77mh
Neal McLain
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