---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message-ID: <20170709061218.GA11608@telecom.csail.mit.edu> Date: Sun, 9 Jul 2017 02:12:18 -0400 From: Bill Horne <bill@horneQRM.net> Subject: Illinois OKs end of landlines Illinois OKs end of landlines, but FCC approval required By Robert Channick An AT&T-backed bill to end traditional landline phone service in Illinois is now the law of the land. Overriding Gov. Bruce Rauner's veto, the General Assembly approved the telecom modernization bill on Saturday, enabling AT&T to disconnect its remaining 1.2 million landline customers statewide, pending approval from the Federal Communications Commission. But holdouts may have some time before AT&T pulls the plug for good on its legacy telephone service. http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-att-landline-end-illinois-0706-biz-20170705-story.html -- Bill Horne (Remove QRM from my email address to write to me directly) ------------------------------ Message-ID: <20170706192129.GA32764@telecom.csail.mit.edu> Date: Thu, 6 Jul 2017 15:21:29 -0400 From: Bill Horne <bill@horneQRM.net> Subject: The Publishers Clearing House gambit I just got a call, out of the blue, from "Jamaica". My phone showed the number as 876-424-3880, and that's the Jamaican area code, so I guess Jamaica is as good a place as any for it to be from. On came a Rasta sounding gentleman, who asked me how I was doing, and told me that he was from the Publishers Clearing House and that they had a package to deliver to me today, and asked if I was at home. I said "I'm not sure: tell me what my address is." The Jamaican gentleman said asked me to wait for a moment while he retrieved my record, and the line went dead. I suppose I could have been more subtle, but that's not my strong suit, truth be told, and in any case I was laughing pretty hard. The Publishers Clearing House calling me from Jamaica? I suppose it's possible, given the excellent telephone system in that country, but I somehow doubt it. -- Bill Horne (Remove QRM from my email address to write to me directly) ------------------------------ ********************************************* End of telecom Digest Sun, 09 Jul 2017