NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #31/NN_1992_31.iso/spool/comp/dcom/telecom/12849

Internet Message Format | 1993-01-03 | 3.1 KB

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Date: Sun, 3 Jan 93 00:04 PST
From: [e-mail] (John Higdon)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: SS7 Links Fron CA to NY via AT&T?
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Bob Yazz <[e-mail]> writes:

> You don't seriously believe such a state of affairs will stand, do you
> John?  The PUC will order that numbers not be delivered, period.  I
> can even see the potential for lawsuits against Pac Bell over this.

But the PUC cannot order this, just as it cannot prevent any carrier
from passing realtime ANI to end users. In SS7, the calling number is
ALWAYS transmitted as part of the data packet, although there is a bit
that identifies it as a "blocked" number if such is the case. First,
why would Pac*Bell even care about blocking if it does not trade in
CNID? Second, what the end telco does about the "block bit" is up to
the telco in the destination state. The PUC has no jurisdiction in
this matter whatsoever. And remember, the PUC has not prohibited CNID.
It has just placed what Pac*Bell considers to be unreasonable
conditions on its offering. So Pac*Bell does not offer it. But the PUC
has no authority to tamper with the SS7 protocol, particularly on
interstate calls.

Remember, the phone numbers of Californians are appearing right and
left at locations both within and outside the state via ANI. Just as
the PUC cannot do anything about this it cannot do anything about
similar transmission via SS7. The PUC is only concerned about the
feature known as "Caller-ID" as offered by LECs to customers in
California. All else is outside the PUC's purview. The fact of the
matter is that callers from California will have their phone numbers
displayed wherever CNID is offered in other states, like it or not.

Oddly enough, if a California caller dials *67 before placing a long
distance call, the block bit will be set and there is a good chance
that the display at the called telephone will say "Private Number" or
whatever it is they say for blocked CNID. But most callers will not
know this, and Pac*Bell is under no obligation to educate them.
Pac*Bell is not offering CNID and therefore not required to meet any
of the conditions for that service as mandated by the PUC.

> Sounds like an incentive to switch to a long distance company that
> does not use SS7.  How do you think AT&T might feel about this?

Switching to an IEC that does not use SS7 is a temporary reprieve at
best; within several years calls will be sent no other way. And
remember, there is still ANI. In this area, the Big Three are all
using SS7 to Pac*Bell.


John Higdon  |   P. O. Box 7648   |   [phone]     |       FAX:
[e-mail] | San Jose, CA 95150 | 10288 0 700 FOR-A-MOO | [phone]