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Message Digest Volume 29 : Issue 75 : "text" Format Messages in this Issue: 911 centers swamped from storm Re: Waiting for Verizon.. re: Pandora Re: Waiting for Verizon.. NPA-NXX-zipcode tables/databases available ? Re: Waiting for Verizon.. Re: How Pandora Slipped Past the Junkyard Re: Waiting for Verizon.. Re: Waiting for Verizon.. Re: NPA-NXX-zipcode tables/databases available ? Re: When is broadband broad enough? ====== 28 years of TELECOM Digest -- Founded August 21, 1981 ====== Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. 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, and other stuff of interest. Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2010 08:22:51 -0700 (PDT) From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: 911 centers swamped from storm Message-ID: <82340888-7182-4fe3-8aae-70c1b274efca@x12g2000yqx.googlegroups.com> A nasty storm hit the northeastern US knocking out power and phone lines. "Officials say during the height of the storm, some of the 10,000 Nassau County, NY, 911 calls landed in emergency centers as far away as Albany. New York City had the second-highest volume of 911 calls ever in a 24-hour period. " For full article please see: http://www.1010wins.com/911-Systems-Swamped-In-Storm/6576202 Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2010 09:07:37 -0400 From: "Gary" <fake-email-address@bogus.hotmail.com> To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: Re: Waiting for Verizon.. Message-ID: <hnlber$8ja$1@news.eternal-september.org> "Stephen Adler" <adler@stephenadler-remove_this.com> wrote in message news:4B9D4DFE.6030201@stephenadler.com... > Hey guys... You may be interested in my latest vlogs... I call it > "Waiting for Verizon" > > Cheers. Steve. > > http://stephenadler.org/tiki-index.php?page=Verizon+Installation+Vlog Unfortunately, Steve's experience was similar to mine. I'm guessing others have similar "tails-of-woe." The sales people lie, but the installers do a good job - when they get there. The salesperson lied to me about certain discounts I would be receiving. After a couple of billing cycles without the discount, it took a 20 minute call (is that short?) to straighten it out. The did give me what they promised, but it took a while. In my case, my FiOS install window was 8-12. They did actually call me to say they were running late and asked if I wanted to reschedule or wait (I guess that system wasn't in place in Steve's neighborhood). I chose to wait. The guy finally showed up well after 5:00pm. Since I only got phone and internet and had everything pre-positioned, it was a simple hour install. He did a good and professional job. Once it got up an running, it was much faster than previous connection. Although, it does slow down at times and is unusable with T-Mobile's "voice over WiFI." Oddly enough, Vonage works fine over it, so something with T-Mobile must be different. My advise to anyone considering FiOS is to be prepared for a run around with the installation and to document carefully everything the sales people promise. It's probably better to order online, as the screens will show you exactly what is loaded in the system. If you call them, they may go "oft script" to close the deal. Once you get it, you'll probably like or even love it; but it's not a simple journey to get there. -Gary Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:16:10 -0400 From: "Randall" <rvh3.remove-this@and-this-too.excite.com> To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: re: Pandora Message-ID: <20100315121447.19862@web006.roc2.bluetie.com> Pandora is a free (for now) internet radio station that learns your music preference by keeping track of what you tell it you like and dislike. You cannot pick a particular song to play at any one time, but you can create "channels" of particular genres or of "songs like [this artist's]" or even of "songs like [this song]". The free version will play for one hour unattended, after which it stops and asks if anyone is listening. So long as you click "like" or "dislike" at least once per hour, it will play for as long as you care to listen. On rare occasion, it recently has begun airing unobtrusive advertising. I'm sure once it goes IPO there will be far more ads, as the new managers will want to get their money back as fast as possible. ***** Moderator's Note ***** If you want me to obfuscate your email address so that the spambots can't use it, please put "[obfuscate]" (no quotes, but include the brackets) in your subject line. Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2010 11:04:56 -0700 From: Steven <diespammers@killspammers.com> To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: Re: Waiting for Verizon.. Message-ID: <hnlssb$68f$1@news.eternal-september.org> Gary wrote: > "Stephen Adler" <adler@stephenadler-remove_this.com> wrote in message > news:4B9D4DFE.6030201@stephenadler.com... >> Hey guys... You may be interested in my latest vlogs... I call it >> "Waiting for Verizon" >> >> Cheers. Steve. >> >> http://stephenadler.org/tiki-index.php?page=Verizon+Installation+Vlog > > Unfortunately, Steve's experience was similar to mine. I'm guessing others > have similar "tails-of-woe." The sales people lie, but the installers do a > good job - when they get there. > > The salesperson lied to me about certain discounts I would be receiving. > After a couple of billing cycles without the discount, it took a 20 minute > call (is that short?) to straighten it out. The did give me what they > promised, but it took a while. > > In my case, my FiOS install window was 8-12. They did actually call me to > say they were running late and asked if I wanted to reschedule or wait (I > guess that system wasn't in place in Steve's neighborhood). I chose to > wait. The guy finally showed up well after 5:00pm. Since I only got phone > and internet and had everything pre-positioned, it was a simple hour > install. He did a good and professional job. > > Once it got up an running, it was much faster than previous connection. > Although, it does slow down at times and is unusable with T-Mobile's "voice > over WiFI." Oddly enough, Vonage works fine over it, so something with > T-Mobile must be different. > > My advise to anyone considering FiOS is to be prepared for a run around with > the installation and to document carefully everything the sales people > promise. It's probably better to order online, as the screens will show you > exactly what is loaded in the system. If you call them, they may go "oft > script" to close the deal. Once you get it, you'll probably like or even > love it; but it's not a simple journey to get there. > > -Gary > It is not only Verizon, I had problems like that with AT&T California, I was sold U-verse service, but the installer could not get it to even come up, bad outside plant. They now have removed my whole area from the service until they get around to replacing 2000 feet of cable. -- The only good spammer is a dead one!! Have you hunted one down today? (c) 2010 I Kill Spammers, Inc., A Rot in Hell. Co. Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:19:57 -0400 From: Steve Stone <n2ubp@hotmail.com> To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: NPA-NXX-zipcode tables/databases available ? Message-ID: <hnltom$coq$1@news.eternal-september.org> What is the best source for a lookup table of USA area codes and exchanges matched to zip codes? I prefer working with dbf files but can work with just about anything. I've seen a few web sites offering the information for download for anywhere from $600 - $1000 USD. Anything free out there or a better deal than what I have found? Steve N2UBP Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:54:27 -0400 From: T <kd1s.nospam@cox.nospam.net> To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: Re: Waiting for Verizon.. Message-ID: <MPG.260868859ed4e033989cb4@news.eternal-september.org> In article <hnlber$8ja$1@news.eternal-september.org>, fake-email- address@bogus.hotmail.com says... > > "Stephen Adler" <adler@stephenadler-remove_this.com> wrote in message > news:4B9D4DFE.6030201@stephenadler.com... > > Hey guys... You may be interested in my latest vlogs... I call it > > "Waiting for Verizon" > > > > Cheers. Steve. > > > > http://stephenadler.org/tiki-index.php?page=Verizon+Installation+Vlog > > Unfortunately, Steve's experience was similar to mine. I'm guessing others > have similar "tails-of-woe." The sales people lie, but the installers do a > good job - when they get there. > > The salesperson lied to me about certain discounts I would be receiving. > After a couple of billing cycles without the discount, it took a 20 minute > call (is that short?) to straighten it out. The did give me what they > promised, but it took a while. > > In my case, my FiOS install window was 8-12. They did actually call me to > say they were running late and asked if I wanted to reschedule or wait (I > guess that system wasn't in place in Steve's neighborhood). I chose to > wait. The guy finally showed up well after 5:00pm. Since I only got phone > and internet and had everything pre-positioned, it was a simple hour > install. He did a good and professional job. > > Once it got up an running, it was much faster than previous connection. > Although, it does slow down at times and is unusable with T-Mobile's "voice > over WiFI." Oddly enough, Vonage works fine over it, so something with > T-Mobile must be different. > > My advise to anyone considering FiOS is to be prepared for a run around with > the installation and to document carefully everything the sales people > promise. It's probably better to order online, as the screens will show you > exactly what is loaded in the system. If you call them, they may go "oft > script" to close the deal. Once you get it, you'll probably like or even > love it; but it's not a simple journey to get there. > > -Gary I only get net service from Cox. Every time I move I tell them where to put the jack and that is ALL they are to do. I will connect everything I need to connect. But built into my data plan is a wire maintenance plan. So I get them to do telecom and network wiring for me. Nice huh? Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:55:59 -0400 From: T <kd1s.nospam@cox.nospam.net> To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: Re: How Pandora Slipped Past the Junkyard Message-ID: <MPG.260868ec33448d0989cb5@news.eternal-september.org> In article <6645152a1003142051k6d2d1219xc91d25e0a9939e0b@mail.gmail.com>, john@mayson.us says... > > Pandora is one Internet service I absolutely enjoy. Their music > genome project works very well. As I tell Pandora what I like and > don't like it goes off and finds music it thinks I'll like and it's > largely accurate. I've discovered new artists thanks to Pandora. > > ***** Moderator's Note ***** > > Please describe the service for the readers: is it an iTunes clone? I > mean, does it download audio files to your iphone for playing as if it > was an iPod, or do you get "streaming" audio via the cellular > connections? It is a web (Flash) based music player. You start by telling it a few artists you like. It then goes out and finds similar artists. I have about 15 liked arists and genres in my list and as John said, it's great at making recommendations. Not advised for a corporate environment though. It is a bit of a bandwidth pig. Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:07:15 -0400 From: Bob Hofkin <bhofkin@baltwirl.com> To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: Re: Waiting for Verizon.. Message-ID: <4B9EBDA3.6060904@baltwirl.com> Gary wrote: > My advise to anyone considering FiOS is to be prepared for a run around with > the installation and to document carefully everything the sales people > promise. It's probably better to order online, as the screens will show you > exactly what is loaded in the system. If you call them, they may go "oft > script" to close the deal. Once you get it, you'll probably like or even > love it; but it's not a simple journey to get there. The online system has its own problems. I've had orders lost and suspended, requiring hours with the sales and inside plant people to fix. I think the real problem is that Verizon is a collection of stovepiped groups, none of which can complete an order by itself, and none of whom will take the responsibility to get the others' cooperation. -- boB That's another fine message you've gotten us in. Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:37:02 -0700 From: Sam Spade <sam@coldmail.com> To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: Re: Waiting for Verizon.. Message-ID: <ywznn.84198$K81.45311@newsfe18.iad> Steven wrote: > Gary wrote: > >> "Stephen Adler" <adler@stephenadler-remove_this.com> wrote in message >> news:4B9D4DFE.6030201@stephenadler.com... >> >>> Hey guys... You may be interested in my latest vlogs... I call it >>> "Waiting for Verizon" >>> >>> Cheers. Steve. >>> >>> http://stephenadler.org/tiki-index.php?page=Verizon+Installation+Vlog >> >> >> Unfortunately, Steve's experience was similar to mine. I'm guessing >> others have similar "tails-of-woe." The sales people lie, but the >> installers do a good job - when they get there. >> >> The salesperson lied to me about certain discounts I would be >> receiving. After a couple of billing cycles without the discount, it >> took a 20 minute call (is that short?) to straighten it out. The did >> give me what they promised, but it took a while. >> >> In my case, my FiOS install window was 8-12. They did actually call >> me to say they were running late and asked if I wanted to reschedule >> or wait (I guess that system wasn't in place in Steve's >> neighborhood). I chose to wait. The guy finally showed up well after >> 5:00pm. Since I only got phone and internet and had everything >> pre-positioned, it was a simple hour install. He did a good and >> professional job. >> >> Once it got up an running, it was much faster than previous >> connection. Although, it does slow down at times and is unusable with >> T-Mobile's "voice over WiFI." Oddly enough, Vonage works fine over >> it, so something with T-Mobile must be different. >> >> My advise to anyone considering FiOS is to be prepared for a run >> around with the installation and to document carefully everything the >> sales people promise. It's probably better to order online, as the >> screens will show you exactly what is loaded in the system. If you >> call them, they may go "oft script" to close the deal. Once you get >> it, you'll probably like or even love it; but it's not a simple >> journey to get there. >> >> -Gary >> > It is not only Verizon, I had problems like that with AT&T California, I > was sold U-verse service, but the installer could not get it to even > come up, bad outside plant. They now have removed my whole area from > the service until they get around to replacing 2000 feet of cable. > Well, at least there is hope in your case. I live in an older beach community served by PacBell/SBC/AT&T and their cherry picking plans don't include my area. But, they have a place on their site where I can sign up and help bring it to my area. I wonder how much they pay? (I can hear Ernestine snorting now.) Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2010 17:42:49 -0700 (PDT) From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: Re: NPA-NXX-zipcode tables/databases available ? Message-ID: <8ecae8f3-d2ec-45c6-81e3-4f950ea9c092@g28g2000yqh.googlegroups.com> On Mar 15, 1:19 pm, Steve Stone <n2...@hotmail.com> wrote: > What is the best source for a lookup table of USA area codes and > exchanges matched to zip codes? > > I prefer working with dbf files but can work with just about anything. > I've seen a few web sites offering the information for download for > anywhere from $600 - $1000 USD. > Anything free out there or a better deal than what I have found? A map company, I believe it's spelled Deloran, published a street map CD-ROM that has a database that may be what you're seeking. However, be advised that zip codes do not align with telephone exchange boundaries or even municipal boundaries. Everything overlaps in a crazy quilt manner, that is, one exchange district could serve multiple zip codes (and municipalities), and one zip code could serve multiple telephone exchange districts. Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2010 21:17:30 -0500 From: rpw3@rpw3.org (Rob Warnock) To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: Re: When is broadband broad enough? Message-ID: <x76dnSwDkaendwPWnZ2dnUVZ_sCdnZ2d@speakeasy.net> David Clayton <dcstar@myrealbox.com> wrote: +--------------- | Let's get this right once and for all. +--------------- Yes, let's. And it's not what you think! ;-} +--------------- | The correct use of the term "Broadband" has nothing whatsoever to do with | how big a data pipe is - or anything to do with data at all, really. | | "Broadband" in the Internet sense only applies to physical connections | that use technology that carries more than one diverse service. +--------------- ORLY? ;-} http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadband_Internet_access Broadband Internet access, often shortened to just broadband, is a high data rate Internet access-typically contrasted with dial-up access using a 56k modem. ... Although various minimum bandwidths have been used in definitions of broadband, ranging up from 64 kbit/s up to 2.0 Mbit/s, the 2006 OECD report is typical by defining broadband as having download data transfer rates equal to or faster than 256 kbit/s, while the United States (US) Federal Communications Commission (FCC) as of 2009, defines "Basic Broadband" as data transmission speeds exceeding 768 kilobits per second (Kbps), or 768,000 bits per second, in at least one direction: downstream (from the Internet to the user's computer) or upstream (from the user's computer to the Internet). The trend is to raise the threshold of the broadband definition as the marketplace rolls out faster services. ... [The ITU] recommendation I.113 has defined broadband as a transmission capacity that is faster than primary rate ISDN, at 1.5 to 2 Mbit/s. The FCC definition of broadband is 768 kbit/s (0.8 Mbit/s). The [OECD] has defined broadband as 256 kbit/s in at least one direction and this bit rate is the most common baseline that is marketed as "broadband" around the world. ... +--------------- | ADSL with an analogue telephone service on the same wire is "Broadband", | ADSL on its own is NOT "Broadband", if anything it is a "Baseband" service. +--------------- Again, your definition is the revisionist one: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadband ... The various forms of digital subscriber line (DSL) services are broadband in the sense that digital information is sent over a high-bandwidth channel (located above the baseband voice channel on a single pair of wires). +--------------- | The telecoms term "Broadband" has been hijacked by people who do not | know better for defining general high speed data/Internet connections. +--------------- As the latter article noted at its beginning: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadband The term broadband can have different meanings in different contexts. The term's meaning has undergone substantial shifts. and indeed it has, and continues to. All of the usages of "broadband" given in the latter article have been & remain valid IME [which dates back to the early 1960s]: Broadband is always a relative term, understood according to its context. The wider the bandwidth, the greater the information-carrying capacity. In radio, for example, a very narrow-band signal will carry Morse code; a broader band will carry speech; a still broader band is required to carry music without losing the high audio frequencies required for realistic sound reproduction. A television antenna described as "broadband" may be capable of receiving a wide range of channels; while a single-frequency or Lo-VHF antenna is "narrowband" since it only receives 1 to 5 channels. In data communications a digital modem will transmit a datarate of 56 kilobits per seconds (kbit/s) over a 4 kilohertz wide telephone line (narrowband). However when that same line is converted to a standard twisted-pair wire (no telephone filters), it becomes hundreds of kilohertz wide (broadband) and can carry several megabits per second (ADSL). Yes, that article mentions "methods where two or more signals share a medium" as being one usage, in the narrow field of telephony network engineering, but it has never been and is not the dominate one. -Rob p.s. IMHO, if anyone has "hijacked" the term, it has been the recent hyping by the cellular carriers for their relatively modest data offerings... ;-} Rob Warnock <rpw3@rpw3.org> 627 26th Avenue <URL:http://rpw3.org/> San Mateo, CA 94403 (650)572-2607 End of Message Digest (11 messages) ********** TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecom- munications topics. It is circulated anywhere there is email, in addition 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 Bill Horne. 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. The Telecom Digest is moderated by Bill Horne. Contact information: Bill Horne Telecom Digest 43 Deerfield Road Sharon MA 02067-2301 781-784-7287 bill at horne dot net Subscribe: telecom-request@telecom-digest.org?body=subscribe telecom Unsubscribe: telecom-request@telecom-digest.org?body=unsubscribe telecom This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the oldest e-zine/mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Copyright (C) 2009 TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. 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