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Aucbvax.2849 fa.telecom utzoo!decvax!ucbvax!telecom Fri Aug 28 22:01:38 1981 TELECOM Digest V1 #5 >From JSol@RUTGERS Fri Aug 28 21:56:47 1981 TELECOM AM Digest Saturday, 29 Aug 1981 Volume 1 : Issue 5

Today's Topics: Credit Card Calls IDDD - TSPS - TOPS - Terminology Query Switchook Vs. Touch Tones Speech Synthesizers vs. Noisemakers (Almost) Direct Dialing Of Toll Stations? ----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 28 Aug 1981 1:39:47 EDT (Friday) From: Edward D. Hunter <EDH AT BBN-RSM> Subject: IDDD Cc: edh at BBN-RSM

Out of curiosity what does TSPS stand for? Also what is TOPS? -edh

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Date: 28 Aug 1981 0225-EDT From: Hobbit <AWALKER AT RUTGERS> Subject: Credit calls, etc.

To throw some more ideas into that bucket:

I heard someplace that they are going to implement a central-database system wherein the user will enter his credit code from the phone and then make his call. This would supposedly eliminate the use of 'synthesized' credit codes or out-of-date ones, or codes that the sys people can tell the machine to ignore because of problems. What it will introduce of course is being able to beat on codes without human intervention [operators] and I have a feeling that it would lead to about the same crime rate as before!

I used to be a TSPS type, so I know basically how it goes from the 'other end'. I also tried to start the first list of this type but it was unmoderated and based at MC and got out of hand. Anyhow: If it's TSPS, from about a year ago, just ask. It's one of my favorite flamage topics.

_H*

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Date: 28 Aug 1981 01:36:08-PDT From: telecom-link at Berkeley Subject: direct credit card dialing

I know that there are plans for this in New England. There may even be systems in operation. Sorry to be so vague, but I don't remember the details. Just thought you'ld like, to know that that it's coming (soon).

brian

[Berkeley users: Please sign your complete name on messages to TELECOM so the Telecom-Link people can forward replies to you -JSOL]

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Date: 28 Aug 1981 0902-EDT From: John R. Covert <RSX-DEV AT DEC-MARLBORO> Subject: The reason a switchook flash is used rather than a TT sequence

The piece of hardware which listens for and decodes Touch-Tone input from the phone is fairly expensive. Modern central offices and PBXs have many less of these than there are telephones, and they are only connected to the line when needed. The only thing on the line when you have established a call is the piece of hardware that looks to see if you have hung up the phone (permanently or momentarily). You have to flash the switchhook in order to get the switching machine's attention so that it can connect a Touch-Tone register across the line.

Even if the registers were cheap -- you wouldn't want telephone features to be activated by a TT sequence. That would interfere with your ability to transmit data using the Touch-Tone pad.

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Date: 28 Aug 1981 0940-EDT From: John R. Covert <RSX-DEV AT DEC-MARLBORO> Subject: Speech Synthesizers vs. noisemakers

That would be nice. Of course, it would have to handle a large number of languages. There would have to be a language attribute associated with each line, and a command to temporarily set the attribute to some- thing different when a guest from another country wants to use your phone. What would the error message, "Unsupported language selected" be presented as?

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Date: 28-Aug-81 11:50:02 PDT (Friday) From: Hamilton.ES at PARC-MAXC Subject: (Almost) direct dialing of toll stations? cc: Hamilton.ES

Does anyone know if Telco has any plans for automating calls to toll stations? Right now, if I want to call Deep Springs College, California, I have to call my local operator and say "calling Deep Springs #2 toll station, operator's routing 714+ 054+ 181". In many parts of the country, you have to spend ten minutes talking to three levels of supervisors to convince the local operator that such a place even exists. It seems like I ought to be able to dial the routing codes myself to get me to the Bishop, California operator, who would then ring the toll station and use some sort of out-of-band signalling to tell my local exchange whether and when to start and stop billing.

--Bruce

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