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TELECOM Digest Fri, 25 Nov 2005 19:45:00 EST Volume 24 : Issue 534 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson US Moves Forward on Data Privacy (Monty Solomon) Lycos Loses Dutch ID Disclosure Case (Monty Solomon) Amazon Triumphs in 1-Click Patent Defense (Monty Solomon) EFFector 18.39: Are You Infected with Sony-BMG's Rootkit? (Monty Solomon) EFFector 18.40: Announcement Monday on EFF's Plans re: Sony BMG (M Solomon) Telecom Update #507, November 25, 2005 (Angus TeleManagement Group) Our New Classified Advertisements Area (TELECOM Digest Editor) Auto Call Forward (asdf) Cellular-News for Friday 25th November 2005 (Cellular-News) Bidfraud Website "Grand Opening" - Read For Capabilities (Stop Fraud) Re: Showdown with USA Over Internet Control (jmeissen@aracnet.com) Re: Showdown with USA Over Internet Control (asok101@hotmail.com) Re: Voicepulse Owns Your Number (DevilsPGD) Re: Voicepulse Owns Your Number (harold@hallikainen.com) Re: GAIT vrs. GSM and Other Cell Phones (John Levine) Re: Los Angeles Numbering, 1940s (Chris Williams) Re: Old Teletype Machine (Dan Lanciani) 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; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 25 Nov 2005 10:19:19 -0500 From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com> Subject: US Moves Forward on Data Privacy Draft law heads for full Senate hearing By OUT-LAW.COM Published Friday 25th November 2005 14:43 GMT A draft US law to increase the security and privacy of personal information held by companies took a step forward last week, when it was approved by the influential Senate Judiciary Committee. The bill includes a duty to disclose security breaches. The draft Personal Data Privacy and Security Act of 2005 will now move forward to a full Senate hearing. The bill, sponsored by Senators Arlen Specter and Patrick Leahy, will ensure that companies with databases containing personal information on more than 10,000 US citizens establish and implement data privacy and security programs and vet third-party contractors hired to process data. Under the bill, data brokers will generally be required to let individuals know what information is held about them and, where appropriate, allow individuals to correct demonstrated inaccuracies. They will also be obliged to notify law enforcement agencies, consumers and credit reporting agencies when digitised sensitive personal data has been compromised. http://www.theregister.com/2005/11/25/us_data_privacy/ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 25 Nov 2005 10:11:24 -0500 From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com> Subject: Lycos loses Dutch ID disclosure case Bad day for whistleblowers too? By Jan Libbenga After almost three years of long-lasting legal procedures, the Dutch Supreme Court ruled today that Dutch ISP Lycos must reveal the name of an anonymous website owner who ridiculed a part-time stamp trader. However, there is little Lycos can disclose other than a fake address that the website owner once provided. Dutch citizen Bernard Pessers traded postage stamps through eBay and was accused of fraud by an anonymous Lycos member on his home page. Pessers demanded the closure of the site and told Lycos that he also wanted to know the identity of its member. When Lycos refused, Pessers took the ISP to court. After the initial verdict, Lycos handed over the data, but when the address turned out to be wrong, Pessers started another procedure to force Lycos to find the correct information. That demand was turned down in court, but this was in turn overruled by the Dutch Appeals Court. Lycos then took the case to the Dutch Supreme Court. The so-called Lycos-Pessers defence, which has dragged on for years, has attracted attention from legal experts worldwide. The Supreme Court today for the most part followed the opinion of the Dutch Advocate General, who earlier this year argued that ISPs in some cases can indeed be sued over the identity of their members to pursue a civil action against someone who's anonymous. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/11/25/lycos_lose_iddisclosure/ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 25 Nov 2005 10:22:53 -0500 From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com> Subject: Amazon Triumphs in 1-Click Patent Defense IPXL appeal rejected By OUT-LAW.COM Published Friday 25th November 2005 14:51 GMT Amazon.com has successfully defended a claim that its famous 1-Click payment feature infringed another company's patent for an electronic fund transfer or transaction system. IPXL Holdings had been seeking around $50 million in damages. http://www.theregister.com/2005/11/25/amazon_patent_triumph/ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 25 Nov 2005 16:06:20 -0500 From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com> Subject: EFFector 18.39: Are You Infected with Sony-BMG's Rootkit? EFFector Vol. 18, No. 39 November 11, 2005 editor@eff.org A Publication of the Electronic Frontier Foundation ISSN 1062-9424 In the 355th Issue of EFFector: * Are You Infected with Sony-BMG's Rootkit? * Sony-BMG Rootkit: EFF Collecting Stories, Considering Litigation * News Website Can Keep Domain Name After Trademark Fight * PATRIOT Alert: A Battle Won, but Urgent Action Still Needed * Passing the Buck: or, the Printer as a Fine French Wine * Anti-Cell Phone Tracking Judicial Revolution Spreads to NYC * Non-Profit Coalition Wins Challenge to Federal Watch-List Policy * miniLinks (9): DRM This, Sony! * Administrivia http://www.eff.org/effector/18/39.php ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 25 Nov 2005 16:06:26 -0500 From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com> Subject: EFFector 18.40: Announcement Monday on EFF's Plans re: Sony BMG EFFector Vol. 18, No. 40 November 18, 2005 editor@eff.org A Publication of the Electronic Frontier Foundation ISSN 1062-9424 In the 356th Issue of EFFector: * Announcement Monday on EFF's Plans re: Sony BMG * Revolt in Congress Against PATRIOT "Compromise" * Diebold Attempts to Evade Election Transparency Laws * Guide for Student Bloggers Helps Kids Speak Out * Join Our Bloggers' Campaign - Help EFF Help You * Help Us Bust the Clear Channel Patent * CopyNight Reminder - Tuesday, November 22 * miniLinks (10): TV Networks say Digital Recorders Raise Viewership * Administrivia http://www.eff.org/effector/18/40.php ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 25 Nov 2005 11:06:15 -0800 Subject: Telecom Update #507, November 25, 2005 From: Angus TeleManagement Group <jriddell@angustel.ca> Reply-To: Angus TeleManagement Group <jriddell@angustel.ca> ************************************************************ TELECOM UPDATE ************************************************************ published weekly by Angus TeleManagement Group http://www.angustel.ca Number 507: November 25, 2005 Publication of Telecom Update is made possible by generous financial support from: ** AVAYA: www.avaya.ca/ ** BELL CANADA: www.bell.ca ** CISCO SYSTEMS CANADA: www.cisco.com/ca/ ** ERICSSON: www.ericsson.ca ** MICROSOFT CANADA: www.microsoft.com/canada/telecom/ ** MITEL NETWORKS: www.mitel.com/ ** NEC UNIFIED SOLUTIONS: www.necunifiedsolutions.com ** ROGERS TELECOM: www.rogers.com/solutions ** VONAGE CANADA: www.vonage.ca ************************************************************ IN THIS ISSUE: ** Telus to Merge Wireline and Wireless ** TWU Members Accept Telus Contract ** Ottawa Funds Four Broadband Projects ** CRTC Calls Cellcos on Carpet Over Privacy ** Telecom Legislation Doomed ** Kingston Hospital Installs Integrated Wireless ** Aliant Mobility Offers Push-to-Talk ** New COO at Telecom Ottawa ** CRTC Turns Down Telus-Videotron Fibre Swap ** Quebec ISPs Challenge Bell DSL Rates ** Bell & Rogers Exceed Spectrum Limits ** RIM Plans Support Centre in Halifax ** Mitel Opens B.C. Sales Centre ** Yet Another Teleglobe Suit Against BCE ** Bell to Retail Virgin Mobile's Phones ** Yak Promises Unlimited Long Distance ** Videotron Extends Telephone Service ** Cisco Buys Toronto IP-Provisioning Assets ** MDA, Com Dev Divide Up Space Technology Unit ** Telecom Update's Newest Sponsor ============================================================ TELUS TO MERGE WIRELINE AND WIRELESS: Telus Mobility and Telus Communications are being merged into a single operating structure. The company says this will help to "leverage the ongoing convergence between wireless and wireline technology." Telus will continue to release separate financial reports for wireless. ** Hughes St. Pierre, head of Telus Quebec, is retiring. ** Wade Oosterman, expected by many to take over Telus Mobility following George Cope's departure (see Telecom Update #502), is "in discussions" with CEO Darren Entwistle about his future. TWU MEMBERS ACCEPT TELUS CONTRACT: Members of the Telecommunications Workers Union have voted to accept a new five-year contract with Telus. Of 10,566 members who cast ballots, 64.1% voted in favor. OTTAWA FUNDS FOUR BROADBAND PROJECTS: The federal government this week announced funding for four projects that will extend high-speed Internet access to rural and remote communities in various parts of Canada. ** $9.72 million from the National Satellite Initiative to Falcon Communications, which is owned by six indigenous peoples' organizations, to extend service to 31 aboriginal communities in the Northwest Territories. ** $735,527 from the Broadband for Rural and Northern Development (BRAND) Pilot Program to extend service to 21 communities in the Portneuf area of Quebec. ** $973,592 from the BRAND Pilot Program to the Matawa First Nations Management organization, located in Thunder Bay, to extend service to eight communities in the Nishnawbe Aski Nation territory. ** $591,677 from the BRAND Pilot Program to the Community Futures Development Corporation of Boundary Area to extend service to 23 communities in south-central British Columbia. CRTC CALLS CELLCOS ON CARPET OVER PRIVACY: The November 21 issue of Maclean's reported that a U.S. data broker was able to obtain telephone call records of Canada's privacy commissioner, among others. The CRTC has ordered Bell, Telus, and Rogers to investigate this incident, and to report by November 28 on what privacy safeguards were in place at the time, as well as any additional safeguards that they are implementing. http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Letters/2005/lt051118.htm TELECOM LEGISLATION DOOMED: It seems very likely that a new federal election will be called next week. That will kill all pending legislation, including C-37, which would have established Do-Not-Call rules for telemarketers; C-73, which would have given the CRTC the power to impose fines; and C-74, which would have established rules for Internet wiretaps (see Telecom Update #503 and #506). TELECOM LEGISLATION DOOMED: It seems very likely that a new federal election will be called next week. That will kill all pending legislation, including C-37, which would have established Do-Not-Call rules for telemarketers (see Telecom Update #503) and C-73, which would have given the CRTC the power to impose fines (see Telecom Update #506). KINGSTON HOSPITAL INSTALLS INTEGRATED WIRELESS: Kingston General Hospital has launched a Wi-Fi system that integrates wireless devices with point-of-care computers and provides mobile patient data access and data entry. The system, installed by Bell Canada, also provides wireless phone and Internet access in patient-care areas. ALIANT MOBILITY OFFERS PUSH-TO-TALK: Aliant now offers a push-to-talk mobile service, using the brand name 10-4. The service, which requires special handsets, costs $15/month in addition to a regular rate plan. (See Telecom Update #473) NEW COO AT TELECOM OTTAWA: Tom Moss, who previously held positions at AT&T Canada, Bell Canada, and Rogers Telecom, has been named Chief Operating Officer of Telecom Ottawa, a subsidiary of Ottawa Hydro. He replaces Dave Dobbin, who left to join Toronto Hydro Telecom in August. (see Telecom Update #491) CRTC TURNS DOWN TELUS-VIDEOTRON FIBRE SWAP: The CRTC has refused to approve fibre-swap and fibre-lease agreements between Telus and Videotron. The CRTC says that any provision of dark fibre by Telus must comply with its optical fibre tariffs. http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Orders/2005/o2005-387.htm QUEBEC ISPs CHALLENGE BELL DSL RATES: A coalition of 15 Quebec ISPs has complained to the CRTC that Bell Canada's retail DSL rates undercut the wholesale rates they must pay in order to provide an equivalent service, and that other Bell practices are causing them harm. http://www.crtc.gc.ca/PartVII/eng/2005/8622/q18_200513566.htm BELL & ROGERS EXCEED SPECTRUM LIMITS: Industry Canada has informed Rogers and Bell Canada that, by pooling wireless broadband spectrum holdings in their Inukshuk joint venture (see Telecom Update #497), they exceed the 100 MHz spectrum limit in 27 instances. They have until December 15 to tell the Ministry how they will comply with their licence conditions. http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/epic/internet/insmt-gst.nsf/en/sf06076e.html RIM PLANS SUPPORT CENTRE IN HALIFAX: Research In Motion plans to establish a technical support operations centre in Halifax next year. The company says the centre will eventually employ up to 1,200 full-time IT people. ** Nova Scotia will provide a performance-based payroll rebate of up to $14 million plus $5 million in recruitment and training incentives. MITEL OPENS B.C. SALES CENTRE: Mitel Networks has opened a "solutions showcase" and support centre for its Western Canada operations in Burnaby, B.C. YET ANOTHER TELEGLOBE SUIT AGAINST BCE: The Plan Administrator of Teleglobe Inc. is suing BCE and seven former Teleglobe directors for $3 billion, alleging that they "oppressed" Teleglobe when it was a BCE subsidiary. BCE, which faces other Teleglobe-related suits, said the lawsuit is "without merit." (See Telecom Update #372, 435) BELL TO RETAIL VIRGIN MOBILE'S PHONES: Bell Canada is now offering Virgin Mobile cellphones and accessories in its retail stores across Canada. (See Telecom Update #471) YAK PROMISES UNLIMITED LONG DISTANCE: Yak Communications says that in January it will launch a new service offering unlimited long distance calling in Canada and the U.S. for $24.99 a month. The service will use VoIP network facilities provided by Las Vegas-based CommPartners Inc. VIDEOTRON EXTENDS TELEPHONE SERVICE: Videotron has begun offering local telephone service to residents of the North Shore of Montreal. CISCO BUYS TORONTO IP-PROVISIONING ASSETS: Toronto-based Digital Fairway Corp. has sold its IP Telephony Provisioner product and development team and other assets to Cisco Systems for US$15.25 million. MDA, COM DEV DIVIDE UP SPACE TECHNOLOGY UNIT: MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates of Richmond B.C. is buying the Montreal division of EMS Technologies, and selling the unit's space-related assets to Com Dev International for $5 million. TELECOM UPDATE'S NEWEST SPONSOR: We're very pleased to welcome Microsoft Canada as a sponsor of Telecom Update. They join the distinguished group of companies whose generous support allows us to continue publishing Canada's most widely read telecom newsletter at no charge to subscribers. ** Sponsors have no influence on the editorial content of Telecom Update, which is solely the responsibility of Angus TeleManagement Group. ============================================================ HOW TO SUBMIT ITEMS FOR TELECOM UPDATE E-mail ianangus@angustel.ca and jriddell@angustel.ca =========================================================== HOW TO SUBSCRIBE (OR UNSUBSCRIBE) TELECOM UPDATE is provided in electronic form only. There are two formats available: 1. The fully-formatted edition is posted on the World Wide Web late Friday afternoon each week at http://www.angustel.ca 2. The e-mail edition is distributed free of charge. To subscribe, send an e-mail message to: join-telecom_update@nova.sparklist.com To stop receiving the e-mail edition, send an e-mail message to: leave-telecom_update@nova.sparklist.com Sending e-mail to these addresses will automatically add or remove the sender's e-mail address from the list. Leave subject line and message area blank. We do not give Telecom Update subscribers' e-mail addresses to any third party. For more information, see www.angustel.ca/update/privacy.html. =========================================================== COPYRIGHT AND CONDITIONS OF USE: All contents copyright 2005 Angus TeleManagement Group Inc. All rights reserved. For further information, including permission to reprint or reproduce, please e-mail jriddell@angustel.ca. The information and data included has been obtained from sources which we believe to be reliable, but Angus TeleManagement makes no warranties or representations whatsoever regarding accuracy, completeness, or adequacy. Opinions expressed are based on interpretation of available information, and are subject to change. If expert advice on the subject matter is required, the services of a competent professional should be obtained. ============================================================ ------------------------------ Subject: Our New Classified Advertisements Area Date: Fri, 25 Nov 2005 16:37:09 EST From: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu (TELECOM Digest Editor) Starting officially on December 1, but open now for you to review and make postings in at no charge are the TELECOM Digest Classifieds, also known as Operator Pat's Bulletin Board. You'll find it at http://telecom-digest.org/classified.html You can post or respond to telecom-related postings by others relating to items for sale, (want to buy) and/or Help Wanted (and Looking for Work). It works like any other newspaper classified ads section and it is free until December 1, then a voluntary donation will be requested of one dollar per line/month, using the PayPal logo. Feel free to buy/sell/seek employment in this new section each day. You control how long the ad stays up, just like with newspapers. If the item is sold or no longer available, please use the provision to erase it. I hope this will be a useful feature. PAT ------------------------------ From: asdf <asdf@asdf.com> Subject: Auto Call Forward Date: Thu, 24 Nov 2005 19:38:32 -0500 Organization: Optimum Online I know of a feature that when you want incoming calls forwarded to let's say your cellular you can reconfigure the office phone. However you have to be onsite to do so. But what if you can't get to the phone. Is there a way of doing this remotely or is there some kind of auto call forward feature so that if line goes down the system automatically forwards incoming calls to the cellular. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: You did not say what is your telco in your community, but many/most telcos offer a version of 'remote call forwarding' which allows you to call into a specified number and then enter a password followed by _the number you wish to forward_ and give it the usual *72/*73 commands at that point. To prevent others from forwarding (or turning off the forwarding) against your will it is passworded. The number you dial into may or may not be on the same exchange as your number, but it is on the _same switch or ESS machine._ The number you dial into is sort of a 'terminal' (like a central office technican would use in the office) to deal with your phone remotely. But it is very limited in its command set; you can do *72 or *73 (whatever code turns on and off call forwarding) and not much else. I used to have that on my Illinois Bell line in Chicago. The idea is that people leave home, _then_ discover they forgot to forward their phone. I think when I lived in Chicago I dialed something like 312-334-9995 or similar, but no where close to my own number. After a ring or two and a click it answered by asking for 'my number' (and then upon entering same) it asked for 'password' and upon getting that it asked for 'command?' I could enter *72 or *73 (which in Chicago in those days was turn on/off call fowarding) and in the case of *72 the number to which calls were to be forwarded, ten-digit format. It then quoted back audibly what it had done, asked for approval, and disconnected. Other 'star commands' (*60 *67, *71, *77, etc) were ignored. I do not think it was called 'remote call forwarding' since that is the name of the service set up to automatically forward your calls to some long distance point. Perhaps it was 'remote forwarding' (without the word 'call'). You would have to ask around. If you have two actual phone lines and numbers (not just a virtual number like 'call waiting') I think you can now purchase ( http://sandman.com for example) a gizmo to do the same thing. A teeny little box with a plug in for each of the modular cords (for your two lines); you call in on one of the lines and use it to manipulate what you want the other line to do. I suggest you write to mike@sandman.com to get more specifics on this. Maybe when you write to Mr. Sandman you could cut and paste your inquiry and my response so he has a better idea what you want. PAT] ------------------------------ Subject: Cellular-News for Friday 25th November 2005 Date: Fri, 25 Nov 2005 07:39:58 -0600 From: Cellular-News <dailydigest@cellular-news-mail.com> Cellular-News - http://www.cellular-news.com [[3G News]] 3G Operator Selects QoS Platform http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14975.php CommProve has won a contract to monitor the 3G network deployed by Italy's WIND. The operator will integrate CommProve's GSP (General Statistical Package) into its network to deliver continuous performance measurements, information that will enable t... 3G Coverage for Salzburg http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14978.php mobilkom austria has announced the launch of a full-coverage high-speed mobile network in Salzburg. Coverage for 98.22% of Salzburg's population will be achieved with the help of an intelligent combination of 3G transmission technologies UMTS and EDG... [[Financial News]] Ericsson Acquires Australian Systems Integration Co TUSC http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14965.php Sweden's Telefon AB LM Ericsson Thursday said it has bought TUSC, an Australian company with around 80 employees, specialized in systems integration for telecommunications, utilities and enterprises. ... Swiss Cabinet Aims To Clear Path For Swisscom Sale http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14966.php The Swiss cabinet aims to clear the path for a sale of its majority stake in telecommunication company Swisscom. ... ABN, Goldman Sachs, UBS Win Telstra Sale Mandate http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14968.php Unveiling one of the world's most prestigious investment banking mandates, the Australian government said Thursday ABN AMRO, UBS, and Goldman Sachs will coordinate next year's A$34 billion (US$25 billion) privatization of Telstra Corp. TELUS To Merge Wireless, Wireline Segments http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14969.php TELUS Corp. plans to merge its wireless and wireline segments into a single operating structure that incorporates the company's customer-facing business units, technology infrastructure and operations and shared services. ... PRESS: Russia's MTS may get control of Kyrgyzstan's Bitel soon http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14970.php Russia's largest mobile operator Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) may get control over Kyrgyzstan's Bitel mobile operator by the end of this year, three sources close to the deal said, quoted by Vedomosti business daily Thursday. ... FOCUS:France Telecom's 06 Guidance In Question http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14971.php France Telecom may have to cut its medium-term revenue guidance, not because its growth strategy is flawed, but because its guidance is out of line with expectations. ... Russian mobile stocks weak this year but still attractive http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14972.php The stocks of Russia's leading mobile operators MTS and VimpelCom have underperformed the broader market so far this year and are unlikely to provide investors extraordinary returns anytime soon, analysts said. ... China's Huawei sees Russian sales up, at $310 mln this year http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14973.php China's telecommunications equipment producer Huawei expects its sales in Russia to rise to U.S. $310 million this year, compared with $262 million in 2004, the director of the company's Moscow office said Thursday at a meeting of the antimonopoly ... [[Handsets News]] DoCoMo Develops Child-Friendly Handset http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14976.php Japan's DoCoMo says that it has developed a child-friendly 3G mobile phone, the FOMA SA800i. In addition, DoCoMo has established the Kids' Advisory Board of people with expertise in children's issues, who will advise the company on the development of... [[Network Contracts News]] Nokia Gets $141 Million Contract From Bharat Sanchar Nigam http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14967.php Finnish telecommunications equipment maker Nokia Corp. Thursday said it has received a contract worth around $141 million from Indian telecommunications company Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. for a GSM/EDGE and GPRS network expansion project in North Indi... Alcatel Wins Russian GSM Contract http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14974.php Alcatel has signed a contract with the Russian regional operator, SMARTS to extend SMARTS GSM/GPRS network in the Povolzhie region. Thanks to the implementation of this project, SMARTS will be able to optimize its existing mobile infrastructure, to d... [[Reports News]] Operators Must Build Trust With MNCs to Secure Future Revenues http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14977.php Mobile operators are failing to address the pain points for multinational companies (MNCs), according to a recent survey by Ovum and the Enterprise VPN User Association (EVUA). As a result, they risk losing out to System Integrators (SI) and fixed op... [[Statistics News]] MTN Reports 20 Million Subscribers http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14979.php South Africa's MTN Group has reported that it now has over 20 million subscribers. The company also reported that its revenue increased by 25.2% toUS$2.6 billion, excluding the revenue contributed by the new acquisitions, revenue increased by 22.3%. ... [[Technology News]] Successful pilot test of integrating mobile and IP telephony in Denmark http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14980.php The first phase of TeliaSonera's pilot test of the UMA concept in Denmark, which combines mobile and IP calls in one and the same solution, have been executed with excellent results, and will now proceed to the next phase .... ------------------------------ From: Stop Fraud <thankyou@x.com> Subject: Bidfraud Website "Grand Opening" -- Read Inside for capabilities Date: Fri, 25 Nov 2005 12:48:33 GMT Organization: Road Runner After 1000 plus hours in development - Bidfraud.com is "breathing." http://www.bidfraud.com Features: Capable of archiving ebay auction transactions locally on our server. This is important, as ebay deletes transactions every few months. It is as simple as entering an ebay item number when creating a report. Example of archived ebay page: http://www.bidfraud.com/cachedpages/6113839605/alouette-amusement/6113839605.html The above archived page, while it still exists at bidfraud.com, no longer exists at ebay.com . Report templates contain an area to write a narrative as well as an interface to upload as many as 10 images/files (word & excel, etc.) The use of pictures as well as other supporting documents will help to substantiate & validate a claim. Example of report with pictures: http://www.bidfraud.com/example.php Easy search interface capable of finding a suspect by user name, email or item number at various sites. Simple private messaging, including a chat system are provided. Registration is Free. Easy to use interface. If you wish to advertise on the site, it is free, but space is limited. Please use contact page on www.bidfraud.com to make a request. Example of ad layout/dimensions: http://www.bidfraud.com/ads.htm Next time you leave negative feedback at ebay or any other site, please reference them to bidfraud. Thank you. ------------------------------ From: jmeissen@aracnet.com Subject: Re: Showdown with USA Over Internet Control Date: 25 Nov 2005 05:00:30 GMT Organization: http://extra.newsguy.com In article <telecom24.532.9@telecom-digest.org>, TELECOM Digest Editor wrote: > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: ICANN _does_ deal with the DNS Roots > and the top level domains, but part of that dealing includes the fact > that _all registrars_ must go through ICANN and are forced to require > of all web sites that they sign a contract turning final control of > their web sites over to ICANN. You, as a web site owner must agree > that ICANN's word is final and that disputes are to be settled by > an arbitrator ICANN chooses. Wow. I'm afraid you're overstating things a bit. ICANN's arbitration authority is over the domain name. Period. It has nothing to do with the content hosted at any site. They have no control over any website (other than their own), simply the name by which it's referenced. > I would suggest that as soon as it is administratively convenient to > do so, they begin amending their contracts which all of us have to > sign firmly denouncing and repudiating spam/scam/phishing and all that > stuff. 90% (or more) of the sort of email you are referring to originates from virus infected home computers or compromised servers. You can blow all the hot air and pass all the legislation you want, but there's not a lot that it will accomplish regarding stopping it. And the phishing sites that the mails connect you to, and that collect the information, are typically unauthorized processes running on similarly infected or compromised systems. Or sites running on hosting company servers that typically only last a day or so before their nature is discovered and they're shut down. You might as well ask ICANN to outlaw computer viruses. It's essentially the same thing, and would be about as effective. John Meissen jmeissen@aracnet.com [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I would not ask, nor expect them to 'outlaw' viruses or spam. I would ask them to specify plainly with no hesitation where they stand on that stuff, and at least attempt to punish those sites where spam/scam/phishing seem to be the total reason for their existence. Just as they now do not hesitate to kill those domain names which may or do violate laws on trademarks (for example ICANN will close your site in a minute if you assume a name which is intended to capitalize (or make money) from a 'recognized' business (just try for example to start a site called 'redcrosscharity.com' or 'disneeworld.org' or such. (Note my obvious typing errors; that is how a scammer intending to confuse people into giving money might do it. Believe me you, if those somehow slipped past the registar and Red Cross or Disney complained to ICANN about it, those names would be gone, instanter. My favorite real life example was the black lady who started a social issues web site to discuss the accomplishments of black Americans. Her mistake was in taking the domain name African-Americans on Line or AAOL.org. She meant well by it, but when aol.com found out about it she was dead meat. (The real) aol.com could not get her to change _her_ name so they went to ICANN, got her placed in arbitration and let ICANN do her in instead. She woke up one day and found her domain name missing from root. She appealed to her ISP, which passed the buck to the registrar, which in turn bucked it up the line to ICANN; they told her flat out that (anything)AOL or AOL(anything) was reserved, could not be used, etc, and that ended the discussion. I am only suggesting that ICANN should take that firm stance with 'certain' sites and after due dilegence and investigation 'excommunicate' those guys in the same way. And if the ISP, who is the closest to the action won't purge itself of that nuisance, then dump him also. Let it work its way down from ICANN through the registrar level to the ISP, and so on. If ICANN started making a lot of noise on the problems of the net these days -- really raising hell Mother Jones style -- it _would_ make a difference. All be gone today, tomorrow, or next week or next year?; probably not. But if ISPs (the closest ones to the action as we know) understood with no doubt in their mind that their own status was in jeopardy if they permitted that customer to remain on board, things would be begin to change radically. It would be a lot like now, where individual netters decide to cut off entire blocks of IP numbers pissing off a large number of users in order to pressure someone down the line to sacrifice some nuisance on their system, but unlike now, where the pissed off users (coming from either direction) simply route around the troubled spot, it would carry a lot more weight if ICANN went down the line and started blitzing one ISP after another until they all woke up, and did so with the legal authority of those contracts they are so fond of making us all sign. And if the ISP closest to the action stalled or would not cooperate, then maybe we need to decide what to do about you as the _registrar_ and find someone who can obey rules instead. But ICANN is _not about_ to amend their contracts, now or in the future, to either pronounce spam/scam to be a scourge or take any action against it. That would be contrary to what Vint Cerf and Esther Dyson envision the net to be. PAT] ------------------------------ From: asok101@hotmail.com Subject: Re: Showdown with USA Over Internet Control Date: 25 Nov 2005 10:49:47 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com Andy Sullivan wrote: > By Andy Sullivan > The United States is headed for a showdown with much of the rest of > the world over control of the Internet. President Bush says he doesn't > care. > Countries like China, Brazil and Iran don't like the fact that the > world's only superpower oversees the system that guides traffic across > the global computer network, and have pushed for an international body > to take over that role. The actual specifications for directing internet connections are somewhat simple and therefore US claiming control over it is ridiculous. Just like telephone connections are not controlled any more by one entity, we sure can decentralize internet control. In the meanwhile the open-source community can try to comeup with some kind of protocols which will give the user the ability to choose internet control the way they want it. If many people start using these new ways what can USA do ? We have already seen the power of p2p protocols!!! It is the content that is important in the internet. How to get to that content is not that difficult and should not fall under the power of any greedy entity. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I quite agree that method would be best. We do not see one giant telco running telecom. We see many telcos doing their thing; what prevents any of them from disconnecting all the others (of which they disapprove)? The simple fact that the users would not permit it. People have grown accustomed to calling all over the world and won't have it any other way. So whether they like to or not, the telcos all cooperate with each other. Why don't we hear the same wimpering about telco that we now hear all the time about internet, i.e. 'we must have one governor lest another governor is likely to squelch speech and thoughts.' Well, the hell you say! That nonsense comes from the same people who are likely in the next minute to tell us how they would 'route around' whatever ills behooved them. If every country in the world had its own 'internet governor' then the governors would damn well cooperate with one another or be put out of office (however each country decided to do that.) I wouldn't even really object to ICANN as the 'default' governor in the USA as long as we all were free to move to other domains outside its reach if we wished to do so. What I do object to is the loose and freewheeling way ICANN runs things except when one of their larger constituents bosses _them_ around. Remember, Vint Cerf back in 1994 did make a perfectly glowing speech about the 'new internet' which was on the way, so we know where he stands on the nuisances. PAT] ------------------------------ From: DevilsPGD <spam_narf_spam@crazyhat.net> Subject: Re: Voicepulse Owns Your Number Date: Thu, 24 Nov 2005 19:46:24 -0700 Organization: Disorganized In message <telecom24.533.6@telecom-digest.org> Steve Sobol <sjsobol@JustThe.net> wrote: > Michael D. Sullivan wrote: >> Fred, you can file a complaint with the FCC > Which will be ignored, since the FCC doesn't regulate VoIP. They do regulate the PSTN network though, so although they might not regulate the VoIP side of things, but they might help you transfer a PSTN number from one PSTN carrier to another PSTN carrier. ------------------------------ From: harold@hallikainen.com Subject: Re: Voicepulse Owns Your Number Date: 25 Nov 2005 09:49:19 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com Except, of course, for VoIP and E911. See http://www.hallikainen.com/FccRules/2006/9/ Harold ------------------------------ Date: 25 Nov 2005 02:42:45 -0000 From: John Levine <johnl@iecc.com> Subject: Re: GAIT vrs. GSM and Other Cell Phones Organization: I.E.C.C., Trumansburg NY USA > I guess my question would be, are you familiar with this GAIT thing > as a 'transitional' thing between GSM and other types of cell service > and do you have any experience with it? It's just what Cingular said, the phone does GSM, TDMA, and AMPS. The SIM is just for GSM, so for TDMA and AMPS they need to know the ESN of the phone. I didn't realize that they'd turn on TDMA service on a GSM account. I'll call them tomorrow and see if they'll enable my wife's phone for TDMA as well. R's, John [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: The Cingular lady would not commit to it either way, except to say to me that 'in rural areas, still in transition' they more or less had to do it or wind up writing off a lot of their customer base. I know that when I first got the Nokia 6010, because of my geographic location (southeast side of town and relatively close to a GSM tower [but not _all_ that close] I was able to use GSM with no hassles. But, the first time I got in the taxicab and had Jeff (our taxi driver here in town) take me out to the 'west side' (west Main Street, sort of around Austins, our notorious 'hard acid rock', semi-gay bar) the phone quit working on GSM and instead told me it could not find a tower. When I took the 6310-i in that same direction (but before reporting my ESN, IME and 'serial number' to Cingular) the phone did 'seamlessly slide over' to the proper band to use and instead of getting no signal at all, I got the jingle and 'we do not recognize your number' message. When I got back home, the phone tried 'seamlessly' swapping back and forth and I sometimes got out, but when the GSM tower was booked up, I would get that jingle tone as the phone tried work on the nearest TDMA tower it could find. Before I knew this, I was ready to throw in the towel and send the new 'gate' phone back in the mail. When the Cingular lady told me 'even with a GSM phone and a SIM card, it is a good idea to call us anyway and turn in your ESN in order to get _full coverage_ with your phone, then I understood what she meant. Before, I just thought she was being nosy by telling me I should always call to report the ESN. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 24 Nov 2005 22:22:42 -0600 From: Chris Williams <cbw@netins.net> Organization: Software Consulting & Design Subject: Re: Los Angeles Numbering, 1940s Hi Tim, What a surprise to be reading along in comp.dcom.telecom and see someone mention California Drip and Tinkle. I grew up in Monrovia also (MSH '65). I can remember back in very early 1950s we had an AE-40 and to call my aunt and uncle in Highland Park we had to get the long distance operator by dialing 110. When were you in Monrovia? Regards, Chris Williams ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 25 Nov 2005 18:51:15 EST From: Dan Lanciani <ddl@danlan.com> Subject: Re: Old Teletype Machine That reminds me ... I have a model 26 if anyone is interested. Located in Gloucester, MA. Shipping is probably prohibitive ... Dan Lanciani ddl@danlan.*com ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications topics. It is circulated anywhere there is email, in addition to various telecom forums on a variety of networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, Yahoo Groups, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. 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