Hot-Wiring overseas telephone calls

Article Abstract:

International Discount Telecommunications Corp provides an innovative discount overseas telephone service for subscribers in countries outside the US. Because most telephone firms in other countries are nationally-owned, they tend to charge more for overseas phone calls. For callers in those countries, prices can be as much as two or three times higher than they would be in the US. To allow its subscribers to receive US long-distance prices, International Discount has purchased two phone lines and a black box from AT&T. Callers make the call, but hang up after the first ring. The black box is programmed to call back and connect the subscribers with the second AT&T line, thereby allowing them to use an American dial tone. The firm presently has less than $300,000 in yearly revenue and 150 customers. Most people are wary of using the service because of their fear of offending national phone companies. Analysts believe the service's success or failure depends on whether or not foreign overseas phone charges remain expensive.

Services, International communication, Cost, Industry Analysis, Telecommunications Service, International Communications, International Discount Telecommunications Corp.

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Telephone network safeguards: Bell Atlantic and DSC seek to avert accidents

Article Abstract:

Bell Atlantic Corp and DSC Communications Corp are cooperating to ensure that there will be no recurrence of a Bell Atlantic network shutdown that occurred on Jun 26, 1991. The shutdown was caused by a flaw in one of DSC's software products involving the Signaling System 7 (SS7) communication protocol. The defect was traced to a three-bit bug that went unnoticed among four million lines of code. The breakdown served to alert phone-company officials to the potential for danger in so tiny an oversight. DSC has said it did not adequately test its software before the Jun 26 incident, and the company is now doing more stressful testing. Bell Atlantic is putting more lines in place in order to reduce the vulnerability of any particular part of its systems.

Telephone and telegraph apparatus, Switchgear and switchboard apparatus, Usage, Software, Safety and security measures, Telephone companies, Prevention, Bell Atlantic Corp., BEL, Regional Bell Operating Companies, Telecommunication switching equipment, Telecommunications switching equipment, Reliability (Trustworthiness), System failures (Engineering), Reliability, Telephone Company, Failure, Bell Regional Holding Companies, Out-of-band signaling, DSC Communications Corp., DIGI

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